Outdoor living space in Ziosnville, Indiana designed and installed by Aspen Outdoor Designs. Seating wall with a gas fire-pit.
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless backyard concrete paver patio remodel in Indianapolis with a fire pit

An informal pathway leads to a seating area that is immersed in the front sept field turned stylized meadow.
Example of a trendy patio design in Charlotte

Stacy Bass Second floor hideaway for children's books and toys. Game area. Study area. Seating area. Red color calls attention to custom built-in bookshelves and storage space. Reading nook beneath sunny window invites readers of all ages.

These clients, an entrepreneur and a physician with three kids, chose their Tudor home for the neighborhood, though it didn’t match their modern-transitional taste. They asked us to help them transform their into a place to play and entertain with clean lines and lively color, namely her favorites: bold purple and refreshing apple green. Their previous layout had a stifled flow with a large sectional sofa that dominated the room, and an awkward assortment of furniture that they wanted to discard with the exception of a vintage stone dining table from her mother. The living room served as a pass through to both the family and dining rooms. The client wanted the living room to be less like a glorified hallway and become a destination. Our solution was to unify the design of this living space with the related rooms by using repetition of color and by creating usable areas for family game night, entertaining and small get togethers. The generous proportions of the room enabled us to create three functional spaces: a game table with seating for four and adjacent pull up seating for family play; a seating area at the fireplace that accommodates a large group or small conversation; and seating at the front window that provides a view of the street (not seen in the photograph). The space went from awkward to one that is used daily for family activities and socializing. As they were not interested in touching the existing architecture, transformations were made using new light fixtures, paint, distinctive furniture and art. The client had a strict budget but desired the highly styled look of couture design pieces with curves and movement. We accomplished this look by pairing a few distinctive couture items with inspired pieces that are budget balancers. We combined the couture game table with more affordable chairs inspired by a classic klismos style, as one might pair Louboutins with stylish jeans. Right- and left-arm chairs with an interesting castle-like fret base detail flank windows. To help the clients better understand the use of the color scheme, we keyed the floor plan to show how the greens and purples traveled in a balanced manner around the room and throughout the adjacent dining and family rooms. We paired apple green accents with layered hues of lavender, orchid and aubergine. Neutral taupe and ivory tones ground the bold colors. The custom rug in ivory, aubergine, pale taupe, grey-lavender was inspired by a picture the client found, but we dramatically increased the scale of the pattern in proportion to our room size. This curvy movement is echoed in the sophisticated shapes of the furniture throughout the redesigned room—from the curved sofas to the circular cutouts in the cube end table. At the windows the solid sateen panels with contrasting aubergine banding have the hand of silk, and are also cost conscious, creating room in the budget for the stunning custom pillows in Italian embroidered silk. The distinctive color and shapes throughout provide the whimsy the clients' desired with the function they needed, creating an inviting living room that is now a daily destination. Designed by KBK Interior Design www.KBKInteriorDesign.com Photo by Wing Wong

The formal living area in this Brooklyn brownstone once had an awful marble fireplace surround that didn't properly reflect the home's provenance. Sheetrock was peeled back to reveal the exposed brick chimney, we sourced a new mantel with dental molding from architectural salvage, and completed the surround with green marble tiles in an offset pattern. The chairs are Mid-Century Modern style and the love seat is custom-made in gray leather. Custom bookshelves and lower storage cabinets were also installed, overseen by antiqued-brass picture lights.

A backyard retreat in Dallas, Texas that features a wonderful outdoor living area and luxury swimming pool. This private oasis features a custom designed covered outdoor living pavilion with exposed timber beams and stone columns. The pavilion also features an BBQ grill, outdoor kitchen and seating area for entertaining the entire family. The luxury swimming pool features a travertine terrace and limestone coping. A backdrop fountain feature with decorative spouts, urns and tile which provides a focal feature and relaxing background noise.

Example of a transitional dark wood floor dining room design in Denver with gray walls

Our client was so happy with her kitchen she came back to NJ Kitchens And Baths to help her design her new home office. She needed 2 work areas. Considering the space in the room, I thought it would be a great idea to add a window seat that separated the work areas and create a calming space to relax or read.

Klopf Architecture completely remodeled this once dark Eichler house in Palo Alto creating a more open, bright and functional family home. The reconfigured great room with new full height windows and sliding glass doors blends the indoors with the newly landscaped patio and seating areas outside. The former galley kitchen was relocated and was opened up to have clear sight lines through the great room and out to the patios and yard, including a large island and a beautiful walnut bar countertop with seating. An integrated small front addition was added allowing for a more spacious master bath and hall bath layouts. With the removal of the old brick fireplace, larger sliding glass doors and multiple skylights now flood the home with natural light. The goals were to work within the Eichler style while creating a more open, indoor-outdoor flow and functional spaces, as well as a more efficient building envelope including a well insulated roof, providing solutions that many Eichler homeowners appreciate. The original entryway lacked unique details; the clients desired a more gracious front approach. The historic Eichler color palette was used to create a modern updated front facade. Durable grey porcelain floor tiles unify the entire home, creating a continuous flow. They, along with white walls, provide a backdrop for the unique elements and materials to stand on their own, such as the brightly colored mosaic tiles, the walnut bar and furniture, and stained ceiling boards. A secondary living space was extended out to the patio with the addition of a bench and additional seating. This Single family Eichler 4 bedroom 2 bath remodel is located in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, Klara Kevane, and Ethan Taylor Contractor: Coast to Coast Construction Landscape Contractor: Discelli Structural Engineer: Brian Dotson Consulting Engineer Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed Location: Palo Alto, CA Year completed: 2017

This lovely Mountain Modern Home in Littleton, Colorado is perched at the top of a hill, allowing for beautiful views of Chatfield Reservoir and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The pink and orange sunsets viewed from the front of this home are breathtaking. Our team custom designed the large pivoting front door and sized it at an impressive 5' x 9' to fit properly with the scale of this expansive home. We thoughtfully selected the streamlined rustic exterior materials and the sleek black framed windows to complement the home's modern exterior architecture. Wild grasses and native plantings, selected by the landscape architect, complete the exterior. Our team worked closely with the builder and the landscape architect to create a cohesive mix of stunning native materials and finishes. Stone retaining walls allow for a charming walk-out basement patio on the side of the home. The lower-level patio area connects to the upper backyard pool area with a custom iron spiral staircase. The lower-level patio features an inviting seating area that looks as if it was plucked directly from the Italian countryside. A round stone firepit in the middle of this seating area provides warmth and ambiance on chilly nights.

Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscaping as possible. The surrounding decks, walls, and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. Upon closer inspection, however, one can see the subtle, yet transformative changes that come together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, and improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of the massive hardscape. The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call “tweeners”; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area, by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished limestone colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into its surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool in bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened, and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls, which were rather overwhelming in the space, as well as opening up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive pecan at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is quite possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited to proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks, once again expertly married into the existing, opening the area to house a large dining table and new built in bbq area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping, and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property.

Centered on an arched pergola, the gas grill is convenient to bar seating, the refrigerator and the trash receptacle. The pergola ties into other wood structures on site and the circular bar reflects a large circular bluestone insert on the patio.

Completed in the summer of 2013, this modern garden is located in Highland Park, Texas just north of Dallas. This garden features a modern edge with a swimming pool, concrete terraces, Ipe wood decks, a unique wood fence an outdoor shade structure with fireplace. The garden also includes and outdoor cooking area with Kalamazoo appliances.

Photo credit: www.parkscreative.com
Inspiration for a large timeless backyard stone patio remodel in Seattle with a fire pit

Concrete stepping stones meander their way thought a private, densely planted garden area. Accents like a wooden bridge over the dry creek bed, a seating bench, and container planting bring this area to life.

Lowell Custom Homes, Lake Geneva, WI., The living room is inviting and warm with coral walls reflecting the custom color mix of the stone fireplace. Shaped stone slabs fireplace surround reflect the craftsman style. The ceiling has a beamed cove and is painted with a high sheen white. There is a comfortable seating area and another stone niche beside the fireplace for the television.

Rock outcroppings make a striking background for new lounge areas in this compact Los Angeles hillside garden. Working with the attributes of the site, we added native plants to drape over the stone, and converted hollowed stone planters into a firepit and water feature. New built-in seating and a cozy hammock complete the relaxing space, and dramatic lighting makes it come alive at night. Photo by Martin Cox Photography.

Photography: Roger Davies Interiors: Audrey Alberts Design Architect: Abramson Teiger Architects
Inspiration for a huge contemporary living room remodel in Los Angeles

KuDa Photography
Entryway - contemporary entryway idea in Portland with white walls