Staircase - mid-sized transitional wooden l-shaped staircase idea in New York with painted risers

Example of a cottage u-shaped beige floor dedicated laundry room design in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Daniel Newcomb
Inspiration for a coastal wooden staircase remodel in Tampa

Bathroom - small contemporary gray tile and glass tile ceramic tile bathroom idea in Minneapolis with a console sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface countertops and gray walls

Laundry room - transitional laundry room idea in Oklahoma City with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

MichaelChristiePhotography
Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage master white tile and subway tile dark wood floor and brown floor bathroom remodel in Detroit with open cabinets, wood countertops, medium tone wood cabinets, brown countertops, a two-piece toilet, gray walls, a wall-mount sink and a hinged shower door

This adorable beach cottage is in the heart of the village of La Jolla in San Diego. The goals were to brighten up the space and be the perfect beach get-away for the client whose permanent residence is in Arizona. Some of the ways we achieved the goals was to place an extra high custom board and batten in the great room and by refinishing the kitchen cabinets (which were in excellent shape) white. We created interest through extreme proportions and contrast. Though there are a lot of white elements, they are all offset by a smaller portion of very dark elements. We also played with texture and pattern through wallpaper, natural reclaimed wood elements and rugs. This was all kept in balance by using a simplified color palate minimal layering. I am so grateful for this client as they were extremely trusting and open to ideas. To see what the space looked like before the remodel you can go to the gallery page of the website www.cmnaturaldesigns.com Photography by: Chipper Hatter

Example of a large beach style open concept light wood floor family room design in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a tile fireplace

Family room - contemporary family room idea in New York with white walls

Example of a mid-sized trendy master carpeted bedroom design in Orlando with gray walls and a ribbon fireplace

We were contacted by a family named Pesek who lived near Memorial Drive on the West side of Houston. They lived in a stately home built in the late 1950’s. Many years back, they had contracted a local pool company to install an old lagoon-style pool, which they had since grown tired of. When they initially called us, they wanted to know if we could build them an outdoor room at the far end of the swimming pool. We scheduled a free consultation at a time convenient to them, and we drove out to their residence to take a look at the property. After a quick survey of the back yard, rear of the home, and the swimming pool, we determined that building an outdoor room as an addition to their existing landscaping design would not bring them the results they expected. The pool was visibly dated with an early “70’s” look, which not only clashed with the late 50’s style of home architecture, but guaranteed an even greater clash with any modern-style outdoor room we constructed. Luckily for the Peseks, we offered an even better landscaping plan than the one they had hoped for. We proposed the construction of a new outdoor room and an entirely new swimming pool. Both of these new structures would be built around the classical geometry of proportional right angles. This would allow a very modern design to compliment an older home, because basic geometric patterns are universal in many architectural designs used throughout history. In this case, both the swimming pool and the outdoor rooms were designed as interrelated quadrilateral forms with proportional right angles that created the illusion of lengthened distance and a sense of Classical elegance. This proved a perfect complement to a house that had originally been built as a symbolic emblem of a simpler, more rugged and absolute era. Though reminiscent of classical design and complimentary to the conservative design of the home, the interior of the outdoor room was ultra-modern in its array of comfort and convenience. The Peseks felt this would be a great place to hold birthday parties for their child. With this new outdoor room, the Peseks could take the party outside at any time of day or night, and at any time of year. We also built the structure to be fully functional as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor entertainment area. There was a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater—all intended to eliminate any need to return to the house once the party began. Seating and entertainment systems were also added to provide state of the art fun for adults and children alike. We installed a flat-screen plasma TV, and we wired it for cable. The swimming pool was built between the outdoor room and the rear entrance to the house. We got rid of the old lagoon-pool design which geometrically clashed with the right angles of the house and outdoor room. We then had a completely new pool built, in the shape of a rectangle, with a rather innovative coping design. We showcased the pool with a coping that rose perpendicular to the ground out of the stone patio surface. This reinforced our blend of contemporary look with classical right angles. We saved the client an enormous amount of money on travertine by setting the coping so that it does not overhang with the tile. Because the ground between the house and the outdoor room gradually dropped in grade, we used the natural slope of the ground to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool. Here, we installed a waterfall which spilled over into a heated spa. Although the spa was fed from within itself, it was built to look as though water was coming from within the pool. The ultimate result of all of this is a new sense of visual “ebb and flow,” so to speak. When Mr. Pesek sits in his couch facing his house, the earth appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool which leads the way up the steps to his home. When he sits in his spa facing the other direction, the earth rises up like a doorway to his outdoor room, where he can comfortably relax in the water while he watches TV. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

Spencer Trejo
Cottage carpeted and gray floor playroom photo in Other with gray walls

Example of a mid-sized beach style master light wood floor bedroom design in San Diego with white walls

Anastasia Alkema Photography
Basement - huge modern look-out dark wood floor and brown floor basement idea with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace and a wood fireplace surround

Inspiration for an eclectic landscaping in Austin.

Photography: Christian J Anderson. Contractor & Finish Carpenter: Poli Dmitruks of PDP Perfection LLC.
Example of a mid-sized mountain style galley porcelain tile and gray floor kitchen design in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, slate backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and recessed-panel cabinets

1960s open concept gray floor, exposed beam, vaulted ceiling and wood ceiling living room photo in San Francisco with white walls and a standard fireplace

Eat-in kitchen - large contemporary galley beige floor eat-in kitchen idea in Orange County with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, an island, white countertops and paneled appliances

Mid-sized urban open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Other with white walls, no fireplace and no tv