CAROLE MEYER Beautiful examples of furniture placement.....I particularly love the first room.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel The photos are all very pretty but WHY must coffee tables be so large? Or even be there. I can't breathe when I look at these stuffed rooms.

wibbus In my opinion, many of these arrangements need reading lights.

CAROLE MEYER I have a friend who is a garden designer and she says she often needs to caution clients to stop buying things to put in their gardens......and maybe even take a few things away. I think you need to ask yourself if your garden really looks better with yet another thing stuck in there among the plants. Usually the answer is a big NO!!

Shirley Bovshow Excellent analysis and explanation Billy!

Billy Goodnick Pasadena Memories: I'm a big fan of using my camera in video mode, especially for initial site analysis for a new client's property. It allows me to capture not only the image but my thoughts at the time. Of course, I don't hold it right in front of my face -- safety first. Never know when there's a python hanging from a tree or a tiger pit in the middle of the path . Thanks for adding this very useful design tool.

CAROLE MEYER I love the mirrored backsplash..........

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Your examples were all beautiful. I especially like the look of the mirrored 1" mosaics, but wondered about keeping the grout clean. I use a little vinegar in warm water on a sponge, squeedgy off, and dry with newspaper.

Corrine Rapley I like your idea ribabin.How is the splashback kept in place in between art changes?

athlum Congratulations! very well done.

CAROLE MEYER Beautiful chair Katie!

CAROLE MEYER Very nice home...and I agree, decorating should never be over.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel The brick and that nice low ledge make that room. Uncluttered?
Thank you, Susanintoronto, I also bridled at the use of curated.

CAROLE MEYER Wow plus Awesome plus Futuristic...........what will they think of next!

cloudyhouz I am with yukispon - I just learned about this a few days ago, too!

kapaeng WOW Amazing :D

CAROLE MEYER These are some pretty fantastic outdoor kitchens!

joehamilton To: midmodfan - I had our outdoor, all stainless steel appliances kitchen (Natural Gas Grill, separate Side Burner, Storage Area Doors under the grill, a built-in Ice Chest in the Granite counter top, Paper Towel Holder [built-in with access door] and, of course, a Refrigerator but, no plumbed sink) installed about 2 years ago. We use it for cooking at least 75% of all our meals. The kitchen is on a 24' X 24' covered patio with 4 outdoor ceiling fans. Also under the covered area are a glass top dining table that seats 6 + a 6- person sitting/socializing area. When we entertain, presuming the weather's not too hot or too cold (we live in the Dallas Area so this means we only get to regularly enjoy spending lots of time out there about 5-6 months of the year) we are almost always out there. In any event, we find this outdoor kitchen/great room a marvelous addition to our home. Would not want to be without it! So . . . "different strokes for different folks" huh? Guess that's why they still make chocolate and vanilla.

shopgirl2010 Thanks for all the feed back on the hood fan. Guess we made a good choice but I needed to check with the professionals.
I love the Houzz site and check it often.....great ideas .......keep them coming!
Thanks

CAROLE MEYER These homes are all interesting but some look like they would be difficult to live in. Fun to look at!

Denise Grayson I find these houses inspiring and I think that's what this book and John's article was primarily meant to achieve. It's fantasy for the rest of us, and it works for me! The book cover is fantastic.

daviswrichardson While I understand that this isn't going to fit everyone's taste, and I myself don't care for every one of these houses, every architect hopes to push the boundaries on what architecture is. We hope to find what works best- and while in some cases tradition is best (take for instance the shotgun house with a contemporary aesthetic), who knows if a house that doubles as garden and has no true walls is actually better? It may not be for you, but what about that client? I'm not sure whether that house works or not, but if it does, that's a step forward in architecture.

CAROLE MEYER Beautiful job on this renovation.

Deborah Roides Interior Design I love doing transformations like this. It is such a great feeling to help people realize their dreams and potential a home has. This is a great example!

Emma Grinvalds Looks GREAT!! Good job!

CAROLE MEYER Beautiful!

Teresa Welsh And I thought my cat was spoiled...!!!

maximgrrl I am in LOVE with this backyard! All of it! It's one of the only posts I added almost every single photo to my idea books! What an inspiration.... my husband and I moved in to our new (old) home last year on 1/4 acre. We said "inside first., then outside". We're now tackling the back yard. My husband has been working so hard on yard for weeks and it looks like all we did is put in grass. Huge help from our family and friends too. Little by little it will all come together. Labor of love. Thank you again for the inspiration. Chandigarh the cat is adorable!

CAROLE MEYER Very beautiful home.

jenkyyashko From one Pittsburgher to another- beautiful!!!

lovewordsmusic The juxtaposition of old and new works here with elegance. Nice work!!

CAROLE MEYER I had these plants growing in the garden of my photography studio and we tried to kill them each year. They came back in force the next season every time! They smell every bit as bad as Joan Leonard says....maybe even worse!

Cathy Minard__OShea Does anyone know if the fruits are edible?

snowkitty3 I adore strange, weird and even, what many think are, ugly plants. Wish I owned one of these! thanks for the article.

CAROLE MEYER I loved looking at this post.....wild and crazy for sure, but who wants to pay to walk through just another pretty room? I want to be entertained and stimulated.....push the envelope!! I don't think some of these rooms were meant to be real living spaces........they are more like art installations. I loved it!

Mackin Drafting & Design Talked to the wife. She definitely wouldn't let me hang a picture like that in any room of our house like the one that is in the lounge room. Nice room though.......perhaps I could put it in my man cave!

lnumansky Amazing in person! So many wonderful details that are easily overlooked in the photos. Lovely overall!

CAROLE MEYER Very warm and friendly home. The views are fantastic too.

masoodbehravesh Great Job, Enjoy,

Moira O'Sullivan For those who are interested in a piece of art that has large pomegranates in it, I have a frame-less acrylic on canvas 2' X 6' Triptych of Pomegranates which I painted. I am California artist living in San Francisco Bay area. Please see attached image. If you are interested in the triptych, please contact me via phone, 415.453.1374 or email, moira@moirao.com Thank you...Moira

bosox Went from a large Country Kitchen to a single wall Urban kitchen and both work equally well. It's amazing how much space was wasted before though. Thanks again for your ideas.

CAROLE MEYER Very cute.

Lee Smith i've wanted to do this a long time for my family.
i wonder are they survivalists

Rustic Wood Studio I love all of the wood! This place, however, can benefit from some of my rustic hand-carved switchplates and outlet covers. Let me know if I can help! Markwww.rusticwoodstudio.com

CAROLE MEYER Wow, wow, wow.....what a creative and happy space! It made me smile just to look at these photos....happy!!

Natural Home Design I appreciatte Houzz for showing us a home that's creative and eclectic..It reminds me a llittle of my own home except I have more piles. ".designed homes" tend to get so unreal.and so very serious.like does anyone actually live there..or is it just for show!

mugsy1703 Very happy and cheerful. Enjoy your stuff while you are young. As you get older, you realize how big a pain it is to keep it neat and clean every week ... and then you will slowly start to get rid of it all ...

CAROLE MEYER I love this house.....so simple and dramatic! The way the pool is designed is brilliant. Thanks for showing us all this masterpiece!

Gideon Efrati Great design and what a nice schik. i wonder who made those Scandinavian style chairs.

Designs for all seasons I love the idea of the pool walls and the holes which create light and pattern - very clever.

CAROLE MEYER Such a cute story!

mmsalg People do seem to have an obsession with little hobbit doors like this one -> http://custm.co/hz/139

Kim Hagan What a cool idea. I can put this cute little door on the big oak tree in my front yard.

CAROLE MEYER Yes, stunning!

mikamoo I would like to know where the pendent lights over the island were purchased.

Georgia Blum So gorgeous...to the point that I would not want to visit there as I would feel underdressed. (What does one wear with 18th century limed oak?)

CAROLE MEYER Nothing is as homey looking as an old white farmhouse! I relaxed just looking at them.

eCustomFinishes Love it. Dont forget about using true barn wood for furniture, and also a light distressing for the finishes will go a long way to perfect any farmhouse. Lovely homes

rwiding Great article with lots of good ideas, particularly the BMW ballet white. We are immersed in the final stages of planning a major addition to our small 4x4 square farm house, a vacation home that needs to accommodate our growing family of spouses and grandchildren. Working hard to retain the authenticity of our 1920's farmhouse.

CAROLE MEYER Beautiful....love the copper.

Studio NOO Design Love the cork !

jacksonbeth Another neat option is this tile backsplash option from Web Don, called Kitchen Palette. We just used this in our kitchen and its awesome. You can interchange the over piece over the stove or sink.
http://www.web-don.com/our-products/adhesives-tools-misc/kitchen-palette/

CAROLE MEYER Wow, I love these!

mmsalg This isn't an original comment but I have to say, these tiles really do look fabulous.

marcie
www.custommade.com

klf78 Loving them! Amazed.

CAROLE MEYER What a super cool space! I love it....so unique and fun.

dribs I actually think it is the rug the thing that pulls the place together. Its what takes it from being a seemingly unfinished renovation to a relaxing and comfortable home...

Celia Bedilia Cool style! Thank you for sharing!
Celia Bedilia

CAROLE MEYER What fun....I'm booking a flight!

Pardy Mentzel Check out "Ark Herb Farm" on Facebook! Amazing treehouse overlooking central valley Costa Rica...located on 8-hectare herb farm/botanical garden...$50 per night...this is what a treehouse should be!!

Georgel Acosta Bamboo Tree House at Rincón, PR, nice place!!!!

Pebble and Co. Mosaics and for something more decorative, how about a custom pebble mosaic patio.

CAROLE MEYER Red art makes a great accent too! I painted this piece and have it hanging in my bathroom which has some red accents along with this painting.

Kass Wilson/ WallsTreat Studio I love incorporating bright red. It is timeless and versatile . . . works with ANY style in ANY room. See more examples at www.kasswilson.com.

Woodmeister Master Builders We love red!

CAROLE MEYER These homes are beautiful. I find myself more and more drawn to very modern and sleek homes. If I ever build another home, this is the kind it would have to be. I really love the photos of the black exteriors with the warm glow of the lights at night.

osadi you could use Garmazine coatings to prevent fading...not only does it look great but it's cost effective

atomicsplitlevel I am currently painting a section of my mid-century split level in a very deep gray that looks black in most light from the street. This article really helped solidify my decision through the excellent selection of examples and all of the positive comments. Thanks, I will post photo when done!

CAROLE MEYER Which product are you talking about? Do you mean the knobs? The knobs are from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico from a store called The Inquisador. The dishes are from Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico.

CAROLE MEYER Hello Tanyan. That is an Italian Cypress. It is planted in a pot and is growing, but I am not sure how big it will get in a pot. We have some other Italian Cypress planted in the ground and they are huge and still growing. There is also a type that they call Tiny Towers that are more compact and do not get as big. I had planted those in my pots, but they did not do well. I am not sure if I gave them too much water or not enough. Anyway these Italian Cypress are doing great and I just hope they don't get too big. Carole