Michael J Lee
Example of a small minimalist 3/4 blue tile and cement tile cement tile floor and blue floor alcove shower design in New York with a one-piece toilet, white walls, a wall-mount sink and a hinged shower door

Being handed a clean slate on a Beach Retreat with a 20m lap pool and guest house in the Hamptons NY was undeniably a unique opportunity and to be tasked with reviving it as a haven for hospitality and repose was a true joy. Set on 2 acres of lush greenness and in close proximity to the beach, this California Case Study inspired house is not necessarily what traditional connotations of the Hamptons evoke and consequently needed a truly unique and openminded approach. The brief was to create a retreat – in the true sense of the word. A place where our clients could arrive seamlessly from the hectic everyday to find familiarity and respite in a fully realised sanctuary of welcoming comfort. We chose an understated path of simplicity and tranquillity, responding to the immediate landscape, colours of the environment and orientation of the building to give the interior a strong connection and responsiveness to its location and context. Blue was significant in the palette as a reflection of the surrounding coastline as were hints of yellow and the exterior, painted in a warm grey, allows the home to nestle and balance itself within the lush green surroundings of summer and the icy white snow coverings of winter. Room layouts were re-planned to make the most of the natural light, a new kitchen designed to enable entertaining and the indoor/outdoor aspect of dining was rationalised with a set of 4 identical tables catering for anything from 2 to 20 people – a simple solution but one that enables the balance of intimate retreat with welcoming hospitality. The large Roy Lichtenstein “wallpaper” became the focal point of the living room – a giant visual reminder of the simple human need to create spaces for pleasure and reflection – it mirrors what we’ve achieved in this home’s expression of seclusion and relaxed aesthetic, while embracing our client’s passion for contemporary art. Overall, the concept embraces and enhances the house’s open airy feeling and extensive decks – creating cheerful, sheltered spaces with a richly layered yet casual holiday atmosphere. This, in turn, encourages a true appreciation of the lush and enviable surroundings, maximising the affect of “getting away from it all”. Photography: Jonny Valiant

Paul Crosby
Inspiration for a contemporary metal exterior home remodel in Minneapolis

This garden house was designed by owner and architect, Shirat Mavligit. The wooden section of outer wall is actually the outer section of a central volume that creates an enlarged open space bisecting the home interior. The windows create a view corridor within the home that allows visitors to see all the way through to the back yard. Occupants of the home looking out through these windows feel as if they are sitting in the middle of a garden. This architectural theme of volume and line of site is so powerful that it became the inspiration for the modern landscape design we developed in the front, back, and side yards of the property. We began by addressing the issue of too much open space in the front yard. It has no surrounding fence, and it faces a very busy street in Houston’s Rice Village Area. After careful study of the home façade, our team determined that the best way to set aside a large portion of private space in front of the home was to construct a landscape berm. This land art form adds a sense of dimension and psychological boundary to the scene. It is built of core 10 steel and stands 16 inches tall. This is just high enough for guests to sit on, and it provides an ideal sunbathing area for summer days. The sweeping contour of the berm offsets the rigid linearity of the home with a softer architectural detail. Its linear progression gives the modern landscape design a dynamic sense of movement. Moving to the back yard, we reinforced the home’s central volume and view corridor by laying a rectilinear line of gravel parallel to an equivalent section of grass. Near the corner of the house, we created a series of gravel stepping pads that lead guests from the gravel run, through the grass, and into a vegetable garden. The heavy use of gravel does several things. It communicates a sense of control by containing the vitality of the lawn within an inorganic, mathematically precise space. This feeling of contained life force is common in modern landscape design. This also adds the functional advantage of a low-maintenance space where only minimal lawn care is needed. Gravel also has its own unique aesthetic appeal. Its dark color compliments both the grass and the house, providing an ideal lead-in to the space of the vegetable garden. This same rectilinear geometry was applied to the side yard, but the materials were reversed to add dramatic effect. Here, the field is gravel, and the stepping pads are made from grass. Heavy gauge steel planters were set into the gravel to house separate plantings of Zoysia. The pads run from the library to the kitchen, allowing visitors to travel between the two as if they are walking on a floor decorated with grass. The lawn in all three yards is planted with Zoysia grass. This species of grass is frequently used in modern landscape design because it requires only moderate amounts of water to retain its exceptionally fine texture. When mowed, it presents a clean, well-manicured lawn that compliments the conservatism of the home.

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2016 Houzz
Example of an eclectic medium tone wood floor living room design in Boston with white walls

Transitional kitchen photo in Charleston

Being handed a clean slate on a Beach Retreat with a 20m lap pool and guest house in the Hamptons NY was undeniably a unique opportunity and to be tasked with reviving it as a haven for hospitality and repose was a true joy. Set on 2 acres of lush greenness and in close proximity to the beach, this California Case Study inspired house is not necessarily what traditional connotations of the Hamptons evoke and consequently needed a truly unique and openminded approach. The brief was to create a retreat – in the true sense of the word. A place where our clients could arrive seamlessly from the hectic everyday to find familiarity and respite in a fully realised sanctuary of welcoming comfort. We chose an understated path of simplicity and tranquillity, responding to the immediate landscape, colours of the environment and orientation of the building to give the interior a strong connection and responsiveness to its location and context. Blue was significant in the palette as a reflection of the surrounding coastline as were hints of yellow and the exterior, painted in a warm grey, allows the home to nestle and balance itself within the lush green surroundings of summer and the icy white snow coverings of winter. Room layouts were re-planned to make the most of the natural light, a new kitchen designed to enable entertaining and the indoor/outdoor aspect of dining was rationalised with a set of 4 identical tables catering for anything from 2 to 20 people – a simple solution but one that enables the balance of intimate retreat with welcoming hospitality. The large Roy Lichtenstein “wallpaper” became the focal point of the living room – a giant visual reminder of the simple human need to create spaces for pleasure and reflection – it mirrors what we’ve achieved in this home’s expression of seclusion and relaxed aesthetic, while embracing our client’s passion for contemporary art. Overall, the concept embraces and enhances the house’s open airy feeling and extensive decks – creating cheerful, sheltered spaces with a richly layered yet casual holiday atmosphere. This, in turn, encourages a true appreciation of the lush and enviable surroundings, maximising the affect of “getting away from it all”. Photography: Jonny Valiant

Example of a minimalist kitchen design in Minneapolis

Minimalist kitchen photo in Minneapolis

Minimalist bathroom photo in Minneapolis

Minimalist kitchen photo in Minneapolis

FRENCH + TYE
Dining room - mid-sized scandinavian blue floor dining room idea in London with white walls

Patio - modern backyard patio idea in Melbourne

Contemporary kitchens designed by Space Fitting Furniture, German manufacturer Rational, Miele and Siemens. Design Credit Space Fitting Furniture Photo credit Shaun Jeffers Photography

The master bedroom overlooks the back garden. Photo by Andrew Latreille.
Bedroom - large contemporary bedroom idea in Melbourne

european rational kitchen , Cambia collection in Camee white, soft lacquer by 'rational' of germany. Photographer: Gordon King Photography (Ottawa)

Rational Kitchens Calgary | Photo by Levi Wedel http://www.snapsnap.ca

Trendy medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Other with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, paneled appliances and an island

Rational Kitchens Calgary | Photo by Levi Wedel http://www.snapsnap.ca