Built-in custom polished concrete fire -pit with surrounding brick bench with a bluestone cap. Bluestone patio paving with slot of gray beach pebbles. Fire-pit has natural gas with an electric spark starter. Bench seating has a wood screen wall that includes lighting & supports vine growth.

Design + Photos: Tiffany Weiss Designs
Dedicated laundry room - mid-sized transitional single-wall ceramic tile and multicolored floor dedicated laundry room idea in Minneapolis with white cabinets, quartz countertops, white walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer, white countertops, an undermount sink and shaker cabinets

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

This beautiful custom home built by Bowlin Built and designed by Boxwood Avenue in the Reno Tahoe area features creamy walls painted with Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee and white oak custom cabinetry. With beautiful granite and marble countertops and handmade backsplash. The dark stained island creates a two-toned kitchen with lovely European oak wood flooring and a large double oven range with a custom hood above!

Powder room - transitional mosaic tile floor, wallpaper, wainscoting and white floor powder room idea in New York with blue walls and a console sink

Example of an urban kitchen design in Chicago

Cottage Style Lake house
Mid-sized beach style blue one-story wood exterior home photo in Indianapolis with a shingle roof

The tub and shower area are combined to create a wet room and maximize the floor plan.
Mid-sized minimalist master white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile, gray floor and double-sink bathroom photo in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, a vessel sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity

Located in the private Cypress Point neighborhood in Plano, this small backyard was transformed from a small garden area to an updated and modern outdoor living area. In addition to the new covered porch and fire place, we have added outdoor seating for chaise lounges, along with a modern plunge pool & spa with raised backdrop fountain feature. The project also features built-in seating, fountain spillways, decorative pool tile, step stones and all new landscaping to provide a lush, private retreat for the owners.

Louie Heredia
Example of a classic backyard concrete patio kitchen design in Los Angeles with a gazebo

A modern yet welcoming master bathroom with . Photographed by Thomas Kuoh Photography.
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern master white tile and stone tile marble floor and white floor bathroom remodel in San Francisco with medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount tub, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an integrated sink, quartz countertops, white countertops and flat-panel cabinets

Bathroom photo in New York

A modest and traditional living room
Inspiration for a small coastal open concept and formal medium tone wood floor living room remodel in San Francisco with blue walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and no tv

Kitchen - mid-sized traditional dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen idea in Denver with recessed-panel cabinets, multicolored backsplash, an island, blue cabinets, marble countertops, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

Beautiful black double vanity paired with a white quartz counter top, marble floors and brass plumbing fixtures.
Example of a large transitional master marble tile marble floor and white floor alcove shower design in New York with beaded inset cabinets, black cabinets, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Bathroom - transitional master porcelain tile and white floor bathroom idea in Austin with recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Example of a mid-sized minimalist master gray tile gray floor bathroom design in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, a trough sink, gray countertops and gray walls

Long subway tiles cover these shower walls offering a glossy look, with small hexagonal tiles lining the shower niche for some detailing. Photos by Chris Veith