Lighting is an intricate part of any design and exceptional lighting solutions are as transformational to a design as color, texture and function. LED lighting amplifies visibility, accuracy, and efficiency along with adding beauty to every system designed. In order to provide the proper lighting for your needs they will need to know your space, how you will use the area considering its features and the layout. Your designer will also take into account your design touches and will provide you with the lighting design options to fit your lifestyle and budget.

When Charlene’s family of four decided to move out of Manhattan, she reached out to Decor Aid, for assistance in furnishing and decorating the family’s new home in Westchester. Although she had already decorated a few upstairs rooms, Charlene needed help in sourcing and decorating the entire bottom floor of her house, and wanted the new home to feel reflective of her young family. The original goal for the project was to infuse three separate design influences. First and foremost, we had to account for Charlene’s personal taste, which is a contemporary take on the mid-century modernist aesthetic. Second, we had to account for the house’s country-modern stylings. And finally, at the request of Charlene’s two young children, we had to incorporate primary colors, to fit the family’s fun and comfortable vibe. Charlene wanted to furnish her home with a blue and grey color scheme, but didn’t want her new space to be stifled by this preference. To keep the home from feeling sterile, we incorporated heavily-textured accessories, fabrics, and rugs. And to contrast the modern with the familial, primary-colored art pieces were set against larger, neutral furnishings. We sourced a custom-made wood dining-room table, and other wood furniture pieces, to bridge the gap between the house’s country-modern vibe and Charlene’s own personal aesthetic. Because of the home’s open floor plan, all of the rooms had to feel continuous, while being differentiated from each-other. So we added large area rugs, in the dining room, living room, and foyer, to distinguish each room. A large sectional sofa faces away from the kitchen, and is backed by a custom-made wood console table, to further separate the rooms. Colorful accent pillows and decorative geometric objects were added throughout the home, to further distinguish each room, and to offset the tasteful, neutral palette. The final effect is a highly elegant and wholly modern interpretation of the American suburban home.

Design Builders & Remodeling is a one stop shop operation. From the start, design solutions are strongly rooted in practical applications and experience. Project planning takes into account the realities of the construction process and mindful of your established budget. All the work is centralized in one firm reducing the chances of costly or time consuming surprises. A solid partnership with solid professionals to help you realize your dreams for a new or improved home.

Amazing 2 bedroom 2 bathroom luxury cabins, with ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky and Moonlight Basin. The cabins sit on the Powder River ski trail, providing the best ski access in the Rocky Mountains, with views of Lone Peak, the Big Sky Valley, Andesite Mountain, and the Spanish Peaks. In these lovely units with fireplaces, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops, you will experience the feeling of staying on top of the world.

In the summer of 2012 we embarked on a remodel of our 1912 Craftsman. We wanted to redo the kitchen and the upper floor which contained the master bedroom, bathroom, guest room and office. We interviewed approximately 5 other architects prior to finding Mark. We knew right away he was the right person for the job. He was patient, thorough and we could tell he truly loved our home and wanted to work with us to make it even better. His vast experience showed through during the interview process which validated his portfolio. Mark truly became a trusted advisor who would guide us through this remodel process from beginning to end. His planning was precise and he came by many times to re-measure to get every detail accounted for. He was patient and helpful as we made decisions and then changed our minds! He was with us every week of the 10 weeks of the remodel. He attended each weekly meeting with the General Contractor and was at the house numerous other times guiding and really looking out for our best interests. I came to trust him enough to ask his opinion on almost everything from layout to colors and decorating tips! He consistently threw out ideas....many of which we took. Additionally Mark was a tremendous help in referring us to contractors, designers, and retailers to help us along the way. I am ecstatic over the results of the remodel. The kitchen and bath are truly beautiful and full of modern conveniences while maintaining the integrity of the 1912 structure. We were right about our decision to hire Mark and we wholehearted recommend him as an outstanding architect, and more!!

Design Builders & Remodeling is a one stop shop operation. From the start, design solutions are strongly rooted in practical applications and experience. Project planning takes into account the realities of the construction process and mindful of your established budget. All the work is centralized in one firm reducing the chances of costly or time consuming surprises. A solid partnership with solid professionals to help you realize your dreams for a new or improved home.

Amazing 2 bedroom 2 bathroom luxury cabins, with ski-in/ski-out access to Big Sky and Moonlight Basin. The cabins sit on the Powder River ski trail, providing the best ski access in the Rocky Mountains, with views of Lone Peak, the Big Sky Valley, Andesite Mountain, and the Spanish Peaks. In these lovely units with fireplaces, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops, you will experience the feeling of staying on top of the world.

We also considered every detail carefully to ensure that it would fit perfectly with the additional elements the homeowners had hired other companies to do, such as the conservatory and small bridge -- always taking into account how everything would appear in nature. Stone steps we added bring you to natural path and bridge. www.deckandpatio.com

This Phoenixville, PA kitchen remodel is the epitome of smart design. Every nook and cranny were accounted for in this smaller sized kitchen. Custom floor to ceiling cabinetry is fully loaded with thoughtful storage spots, including wall ovens, glass doors, pan racks, and a full-sized book shelf. The bold blue island with carefully detailed corbels is in stark contrast to the white shaker perimeter cabinetry. This well-thought-out detail brings the whole kitchen together. The stainless appliances are showcased by the simple style and trim work through the rest of the room. Horizontal deco tiles “frame” the range area to make the space seem larger. This design makes the most of the space while still fulfilling the homeowner’s transitional kitchen dreams.

Photo: Sarah Seung-McFarland © 2016 Houzz
Staircase - eclectic staircase idea in New York

Photo: Teness Herman © 2015 Houzz
Inspiration for a timeless kids' room remodel in Los Angeles

When Charlene’s family of four decided to move out of Manhattan, she reached out to Decor Aid, for assistance in furnishing and decorating the family’s new home in Westchester. Although she had already decorated a few upstairs rooms, Charlene needed help in sourcing and decorating the entire bottom floor of her house, and wanted the new home to feel reflective of her young family. The original goal for the project was to infuse three separate design influences. First and foremost, we had to account for Charlene’s personal taste, which is a contemporary take on the mid-century modernist aesthetic. Second, we had to account for the house’s country-modern stylings. And finally, at the request of Charlene’s two young children, we had to incorporate primary colors, to fit the family’s fun and comfortable vibe. Charlene wanted to furnish her home with a blue and grey color scheme, but didn’t want her new space to be stifled by this preference. To keep the home from feeling sterile, we incorporated heavily-textured accessories, fabrics, and rugs. And to contrast the modern with the familial, primary-colored art pieces were set against larger, neutral furnishings. We sourced a custom-made wood dining-room table, and other wood furniture pieces, to bridge the gap between the house’s country-modern vibe and Charlene’s own personal aesthetic. Because of the home’s open floor plan, all of the rooms had to feel continuous, while being differentiated from each-other. So we added large area rugs, in the dining room, living room, and foyer, to distinguish each room. A large sectional sofa faces away from the kitchen, and is backed by a custom-made wood console table, to further separate the rooms. Colorful accent pillows and decorative geometric objects were added throughout the home, to further distinguish each room, and to offset the tasteful, neutral palette. The final effect is a highly elegant and wholly modern interpretation of the American suburban home.

For a family who believes fitness is not only an essential part of life but also a fun opportunity for the whole family to connect, build and achieve greatness together there is nothing better than a custom designed obstacle course right in your back yard. THEME The theme of this half mile trail through the woods is evident in the fun, creative and all-inclusive obstacles hidden in the natural flow of the land around this amazing family home. The course was created with adults and children, advanced and beginner athletes, competitive and entertaining events all accounted for. Each of the 13 obstacles was designed to be challenging no matter the size, skill or ability of the athlete lucky enough to run the course. FOCUS The focus for this family was to create an outdoor adventure that could be an athletic, social and personal outlet for their entire family while maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape and without altering the sweeping views from the home. The large scale of the challenging obstacles is camouflaged within the landscape using the rolling hills and mature trees as a natural curtain in every season. The beauty of the course does not diminish the functional and demanding nature of the obstacles which are designed to focus on multiple strength, agility, and cardio fitness abilities and intensities. STORAGE The start of the trail includes a raised training area offering a dedicated space clear from the ground to place bags, mats and other equipment used during the run. A small all-terrain storage cart was provided for use with 6 yoga mats, 3 medicine balls of various weights, rings, sprinting cones, and a large digital timer to record laps. GROWTH The course was designed to provide an athletic and fun challenge for children, teens and adults no matter their experience or athletic prowess. This course offers competitive athletes a challenge and budding athletes an opportunity to experience and ignite their passion for physical activity. Initially the concept for the course was focused on the youngest of the family however as the design grew so did the obstacles and now it is a true family experience that will meet their adapting needs for years. Each obstacle is paired with an instructional sign directing the runners in proper use of the obstacle, adaptations for skill levels and tips on form. These signs are all customized for this course and are printed on metal to ensure they last for many years. SAFETY Safety is crucial for all physical activity and an obstacle course of this scale presents unique safety concerns. Children should always be supervised when participating in an adventure on the course however additional care was paid to details on the course to ensure everyone has a great time. All of the course obstacles have been created with pressure treated lumber that will withstand the seasonal poundings. All footer pilings that support obstacles have been placed into the ground between 3 to 4 feet (.9 to 1.2 meters) and each piling has 2 to 3 bags of concrete (totaling over 90 bags used throughout the course) ensuring stability of the structure and safety of the participants. Additionally, all obstacle lumber has been given rounded corners and sanded down offering less splintering and more time for everyone to enjoy the course. This athletic and charismatic family strives to incorporate a healthy active lifestyle into their daily life and this obstacle course offers their family an opportunity to strengthen themselves and host some memorable and active events at their amazing home.

One of our favorite customers came back to A Direct for our design services for their newest home. As always, our designer worked close with the customer to fulfill every functional need this family had. We listened to hear what style, and look they wanted. After taking their appliance list into account, our designer came up with this beautiful design. The customer wanted a work station island with a butcher block top. They choose African Mahogany wood (by Spekva), which added a splash of warmth among all of the white cabinets, and Carrera marble tops. The family also wanted a bar/beverage center. Our designer created a wet bar, giving ample storage space for wine, and a hutch type cabinets to show off specialty pieces.

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Modern Italian Wall Unit Velvet Composition 902 by Artigian Mobili, Italy. Velvet is a new line of italian wall units and entertainment centers that creates flexible living areas taking into account you individual needs. Smart furniture capable of performing different functions. An abundance of units gives limitless opportunities to realize any project design and adapt to any space. Color is not a problem anymore - each unit can be ordered in ANY RAL COLOR you want! You can select from our pre-designed compositions or build your own according to your scratches and interior project. Please contact our office regarding customization of this wall unit composition. MATERIAL/CONSTRUCTION: 18 mm thick wooden particles melamine panels The lacquered structures and fronts are made of REAL POLISH SCRATCH PROOF LACQUERING, which is non toxic and non allergic products. The starting price is for the Wall Unit Composition 902 as shown in the main picture in Walnut finish / Matt White Lacquered (Structure) and Matt White Lacquered / Walnut finished (Fronts). Light are not included in the price! Dimensions: Wall Unit: W141.7" x D14.6"/22.3" x H71"

Back yard patio with fire pit sitting on concrete pavers and decomposed granite under a sail shade.
This is an example of a small drought-tolerant backyard concrete paver landscaping in Los Angeles with a fire pit.