Wood light boxes and countertops stand against dark mosaic wall tile in the powder room. The blackened steel of the stair rails and risers is offset by wood treads and balconies.

Possibly the only major improvement that needed addressed upon moving in was the landscaping. After removing overgrown shrubs, pruning trees, and replacing the old fencing, the couple tackled the largest part: the parking lot. Outside of what had been the dentist's waiting room, the entire side yard had been covered in asphalt, with a separate entrance to the street. That has since been removed and replaced with grass, resulting in a minimalist, tranquil spot under the trees. Adrienne DeRosa Photography © 2013 Houzz

Scott Hargis Photography
Bathroom - contemporary master bathroom idea in San Francisco with a vessel sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and gray walls

It was pretty much a blank area but with some elevation issues. The seating wall served 2 purposes as a seating space but also to retain some of the patio. Natural fieldstone steppers lead from the driveway area to the patio. An assortment of perennials and plantings soften the hardscape project. Serviceberry, hybrid dogwood, and a large dwarf pine are the anchor plants. We also created a raised vegetable garden space off the patio too. Marc Depoto (Hillside Nurseries Inc.)

Custom European White Oak, engineered 3/4" x 10" Plank. The Bowman Group
Example of a large trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor multiuse home gym design in Orange County with gray walls

Inspiration for a coastal white three-story exterior home remodel

Inspiration for a transitional brown floor front porch remodel in Orange County with decking and a roof extension

2016 MBIA Gold Award Winner: From whence an old one-story house once stood now stands this 5,000+ SF marvel that Finecraft built in the heart of Bethesda, MD. Thomson & Cooke Architects Susie Soleimani Photography

View the house plans at: http://houseplans.co/house-plans/2472 Photos by Bob Greenspan

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Point West at Macatawa Park, MI
Family room - coastal carpeted family room idea in Grand Rapids with a bar and white walls

Design ideas for a contemporary full sun gravel raised garden bed in Austin.

Irene Kalina-Jones
Example of a classic deck design in New York with a pergola

Jody Brown Architecture, pllc.
Inspiration for a craftsman blue two-story gable roof remodel in Raleigh

Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen remodel in New York with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Custom Industrial Modern Hardscape by NOE design Co. Featuring custom Steel planters, LED backlit Stainless Steel address numbers, a poured-in-place concrete wall, and a LED under-lit metal wall cap. Landscaped with drought friendly plants.

Modern farmhouse basement with wood beams, shiplap, luxury vinyl plank flooring, carpet and herringbone tile.
Example of a country basement design in Denver

Already partially enclosed by an ipe fence and concrete wall, our client had a vision of an outdoor courtyard for entertaining on warm summer evenings since the space would be shaded by the house in the afternoon. He imagined the space with a water feature, lighting and paving surrounded by plants. With our marching orders in place, we drew up a schematic plan quickly and met to review two options for the space. These options quickly coalesced and combined into a single vision for the space. A thick, 60” tall concrete wall would enclose the opening to the street – creating privacy and security, and making a bold statement. We knew the gate had to be interesting enough to stand up to the large concrete walls on either side, so we designed and had custom fabricated by Dennis Schleder (www.dennisschleder.com) a beautiful, visually dynamic metal gate. Other touches include drought tolerant planting, bluestone paving with pebble accents, crushed granite paving, LED accent lighting, and outdoor furniture. Both existing trees were retained and are thriving with their new soil. Photography by: http://www.coreenschmidt.com/

John Gillooly/PEI
Basement - coastal look-out medium tone wood floor and orange floor basement idea in Boston with white walls and no fireplace