Welcome to the essential refined mountain rustic home: warm, homey, and sturdy. The house’s structure is genuine heavy timber framing, skillfully constructed with mortise and tenon joinery. Distressed beams and posts have been reclaimed from old American barns to enjoy a second life as they define varied, inviting spaces. Traditional carpentry is at its best in the great room’s exquisitely crafted wood trusses. Rugged Lodge is a retreat that’s hard to return from.

Transitional white floor and double-sink claw-foot bathtub photo in Nashville with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

Mandy Riggar’s on a mission to create unapologetically joyful spaces, and she nailed it with this playful poolside bathroom. Colorful 2x8 Ceramic Tile in Mesa, Red Rock, Sunflower, and Milky Way is sprinkled into vertically stacked White Wash, adding visual interest above a terrazzo wainscot.

photos by Ken Gutmaker
Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in San Francisco with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house. George Mendel

We designed this writer's studio in tandem with an urban backyard and hardscaping renovation. Originally this building was to be a new garage, but the owner liked it so much that halfway through the process, he decided to forgo a garage in favor of an office. Photo: Anna M Campbell: annamcampbell.com

Blue tile master bathroom.
Alcove shower - transitional master blue tile white floor and double-sink alcove shower idea in Austin with a hinged shower door and a built-in vanity

Farm Kid Studios
Bathroom - mid-sized contemporary master porcelain tile and beige tile porcelain tile bathroom idea in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, an undermount sink and gray walls

Photo: Lisa Petrole
Example of a huge trendy formal porcelain tile and gray floor living room design in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, no tv and a metal fireplace

Sally Painter
Enclosed kitchen - craftsman u-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in Portland with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Deck in Luxury lake home on Lake Martin in Alexander City Alabama photographed for Birmingham Magazine, Krumdieck Architecture, and Russell Lands by Birmingham Alabama based architectural and interiors photographer Tommy Daspit.

Peter Medilek
Small transitional white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile bathroom photo in San Francisco with a wall-mount sink, an undermount tub and white walls

Irregular bluestone stepper path and woodland shade garden.
Inspiration for a traditional shade stone landscaping in Boston.

Example of a large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Philadelphia with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment. The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home. Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition. The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions. The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns. Overview: Elm Grove Size: 2,800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completion Date: September 2014 Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

Photography by Matthew Bolt
Kitchen - coastal u-shaped kitchen idea in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, white backsplash and white appliances

A beveled wainscot tile base, chair rail tile, brass hardware/plumbing, and a contrasting blue, embellish the new powder room.
Small transitional white tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile and multicolored floor powder room photo in Minneapolis with blue walls, a wall-mount sink, a one-piece toilet and open cabinets

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional master green tile white floor and double-sink bathroom remodel in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops, an undermount sink and a freestanding vanity

Inspiration for a small timeless white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor bathroom remodel in Indianapolis with a two-piece toilet, beige walls and a wall-mount sink