Library with built-in bookshelves and a view.
Elegant home design photo in Boston

Bay View Deck
Example of a classic patio design in Boston

Living room with a wall of windows
Example of a classic living room design in Boston

Kitchen by Jinx McDonald Interior Designs
Example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen design in Tampa with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Amber Frederiksen Photography
Home office library - transitional freestanding desk brown floor home office library idea with beige walls

Ella Studios
Study room - small transitional built-in desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in Minneapolis with gray walls

Front elevation of house. 2014 Glenda Cherry Photography
Large elegant beige three-story brick exterior home photo in DC Metro with a hip roof

Bathroom - modern bathroom idea in Charleston

Level 5 Smooth Wall finish at walls.
Trendy family room photo in Las Vegas

Inspiration for a timeless exterior home remodel in Sacramento

Example of a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room design in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

Photographer: Kathryn McDonald
Transitional dark wood floor family room photo in San Francisco with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Project Details Designer: Sarah McDonald Cabinetry: Brookhaven Frameless Cabinetry Wood: Rift Cut Driftwood Finishes: Horizontal Grain Door: Vista Plus Countertop: Quartz Some designers are less than enthusiastic when it comes to bathroom vanities but I love them…particularly when a client wants to maximize both their functionality and beauty. This custom 72” is a great example. Its clean, modern style gracefully floats in the space and behind the doors is an array of unique storage options. To complement the simplicity of the vanity lines, instead of adding another cabinet or armoire, we opted for cool floating drawers and shelves. The lighting and faucet fixtures echo the modern and tailored aesthetic.

Mid-sized transitional formal and enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor living room photo in New York with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Once a chicken coop now a cottage. The little out building was scrubbed and white washed on the interior. The internal structure was left exposed for rustic charm. An outside bathroom provides an invigorating environment for morning or midnight ablutions. Photo by Brea McDonald http://www.breamcdonald.com/

Photo Credit: Michael J Lee
Inspiration for a large coastal master medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel in Boston with white walls and no fireplace

Detail of former chicken coop. Photo by Brea McDonald http://www.breamcdonald.com/