Photo Cred. Dustin Ortiz
Design ideas for a mid-sized rustic partial sun front yard gravel driveway in San Diego for summer.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern full sun front yard concrete paver landscaping in Los Angeles.

Front of house view shows pivot entry door, metal spillway water feature, roof deck balcony and grand window into living room. Exterior panels are black Swiss Pearl cement board and "heavy dash" stucco finish.

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. Photography Eric Roth Photo

WoodForm Concrete® is a lightweight engineered composite that looks like wood and acts like stone. It will not split, crack, splinter, stain or rot. Multiple color choices, edge details, accessories and more make this material a must-have if you truly want the look of, “wood without the worry”. This revolutionary product enables wood to be used in areas that real wood would be impossible or impractical. This product has more than 50% recycled content, 0% waste in its production, it's lightweight and easy to transport, will last longer than wood and has a lower Embodied Energy in its production.

Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in San Diego

Example of an urban brown stone house exterior design

Home design - modern home design idea in Denver

The back of this house was reconfigured to create one large open space. The old kitchen was relocated from the center of the space to the far end, switching locations with the dining room. Now there's plenty of room for friends & family to hang out at the island, lounge area or dining table. Very popular for game night!

mikaela ruth

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional two-story wood beige front door remodel in Portland with a yellow front door

An artistic dry creek bed was installed to address runoff issues. Photo by Jay Sifford
Inspiration for an asian landscaping in Charlotte.

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/

Rainwater ran off the front yard, which is a septic field, toward the house. In addition, downspouts and non guttered roof lines compounded the problem. A dry creek bed was a great solution, both aesthetically and functionally. Aesthetically, it provides a focal point for the front garden.

Example of a large trendy l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Providence with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and beaded inset cabinets

This new construction features clean lines, a sleek metal roof, and modern iron door and windows while also tying in traditional elements like the white brick and gas lantern. Shop the look: Modernist Original Bracket http://ow.ly/3Oht30nCjNC See more photos from John Lively & Associates http://ow.ly/Mf7s30nClOa

This design / build project in Los Angeles, CA. focused on a couple’s master bathroom. There were multiple reasons that the homeowners decided to start this project. The existing skylight had begun leaking and there were function and style concerns to be addressed. Previously this dated-spacious master bathroom had a large Jacuzzi tub, sauna, bidet (in a water closet) and a shower. Although the space was large and offered many amenities they were not what the homeowners valued and the space was very compartmentalized. The project also included closing off a door which previously allowed guests access to the master bathroom. The homeowners wanted to create a space that was not accessible to guests. Painted tiles featuring lilies and gold finishes were not the style the homeowners were looking for. Desiring something more elegant, a place where they could pamper themselves, we were tasked with recreating the space. Chief among the homeowners requests were a wet room with free standing tub, floor-mounted waterfall tub filler, and stacked stone. Specifically they wanted the stacked stone to create a central visual feature between the shower and tub. The stacked stone is Limestone in Honed Birch. The open shower contrasts the neighboring stacked stone with sleek smooth large format tiles. A double walnut vanity featuring crystal knobs and waterfall faucets set below a clearstory window allowed for adding a new makeup vanity with chandelier which the homeowners love. The walnut vanity was selected to contrast the light, white tile. The bathroom features Brizo and DXV.

Kelly Ann Photos
Large minimalist gray two-story stone house exterior photo in Columbus with a hip roof and a shingle roof

This is an example of a transitional landscaping in Los Angeles.