This house was designed as a second home for a Bay Area couple as a summer retreat to spend the warm summer months away from the fog in San Francisco. Built on a steep slope and a narrow lot, this 4000 square foot home is spread over 3 floors, with the master, guest and kids bedroom on the ground floor, and living spaces on the upper floor to take advantage of the views. The main living level includes a large kitchen, dining, and living space, connected to two home offices by way of a bridge that extends across the double height entry. This bridge area acts as a gallery of light, allowing filtered light through the skylights above and down to the entry on the ground level. All living space takes advantage of grand views of Lake Washington and the city skyline beyond. Two large sliding glass doors open up completely, allowing the living and dining space to extend to the deck outside. On the first floor, in addition to the guest room, a “kids room” welcomes visiting nieces and nephews with bunk beds and their own bathroom. The basement level contains storage, mechanical and a 2 car garage. Photographer: Aaron Leitz

The custom height single ovens were placed side by side to allow for easy use and the large island provided plenty of work space. The combination of clean sleek lines with a variety of finishes and textures keeps this “beach house cottage look” current and comfortable.

Plantation shutters add character to the home like no other window treatment. With a split tilt bar, the bottom section of louvers can be tilted to allow privacy, while keeping the top section open to allow light in, even though there is No divider center rail.

Inspiration for a cottage patio remodel in San Francisco with a bbq area

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

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architect: Swan Architecture | Interiors: Katie Redpath Constable | Landscaping: Bechler Landscapes | Photography: Landmark Photography

Go Bucks! This huge built in hides an offset in the wall as well as allowing access to the sprinkler system shut off via a removable back on the right hand cabinetry.

Freestanding bathtub - large contemporary master beige tile and porcelain tile dark wood floor and brown floor freestanding bathtub idea in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, beige walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Inspiration for a timeless family room remodel in San Francisco with beige walls and no tv

www.danielkellyphotography.com
Pool - large traditional backyard brick and round pool idea in Houston

Feast your eyes on this stunning master bathroom remodel in Encinitas. Project was completely customized to homeowner's specifications. His and Hers floating beech wood vanities with quartz counters, include a drop down make up vanity on Her side. Custom recessed solid maple medicine cabinets behind each mirror. Both vanities feature large rimmed vessel sinks and polished chrome faucets. The spacious 2 person shower showcases a custom pebble mosaic puddle at the entrance, 3D wave tile walls and hand painted Moroccan fish scale tile accenting the bench and oversized shampoo niches. Each end of the shower is outfitted with it's own set of shower head and valve, as well as a hand shower with slide bar. Also of note are polished chrome towel warmer and radiant under floor heating system.

The Kitchen has a very open feeling, aided by the wood beam lighting and very high ceilings. The island is beautifully warm with the Iroko wood insert on the honed Zebrino marble. Large windows over the sink allow natural light to fill the space and the white cabinetry lends a nice contrast to the dark walnut island. Marble and Stainless steel backsplash with open shelving is contemporary yet fuctional, giving the owner a beautiful backdrop to his professional Wolf range. The apron sink is also a wonderful touch under-mounted below the marble countertop.

41 West Coastal Retreat Series reveals creative, fresh ideas, for a new look to define the casual beach lifestyle of Naples. More than a dozen custom variations and sizes are available to be built on your lot. From this spacious 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom model, to larger 4 and 5 bedroom versions ranging from 3,500 - 10,000 square feet, including guest house options.

Picture Perfect House
Inspiration for a large farmhouse white two-story wood house exterior remodel in Chicago with a shingle roof

Kitchen - transitional u-shaped kitchen idea in Dallas with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

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Family room - rustic loft-style family room idea in Atlanta with beige walls

Linda Kasian Photography
Example of a trendy master white tile and porcelain tile freestanding bathtub design in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops and white walls

Rob Karosis
Mudroom - traditional black floor mudroom idea in New York

Jonathan Raith Inc. - Builder Sam Oberter - Photography
Bedroom - mid-sized transitional master carpeted bedroom idea in Boston with white walls