This expansive outdoor deck and garden is the ultimate in luxury entertaining, lounging, dining and includes amenities for shade, a vegetable garden, outdoor seating, outdoor dining, grilling and a glass enclosure with heaters to get the most enjoyment and extended use year round. Rooftopia incorporated multiple customized Renson pergolas into the central dining and lounge areas. Each of three Renson pergola systems and their unique features are controlled with the touch of a button. The motorized overhead louvers can be enjoyed open or fully closed to provide shade and a waterproof cover. Each pergola has integrated dimmable LED lighting in the roof blades or louvers. The seating and lounge area was designed with gorgeous modern furnishings and a luxurious fire table. The lounge area can be fully enclosed by sliding glass panels around its walls, to capture the heat from the fire table and integrated Renson heaters. A privacy and shade screen can also be retractable at the west to offer another layer of protection from the intensity of the setting sun. The lounges also feature an integrated sound system and mobile TV cabinet so the space can be used year round to stay warm and cozy while watching a movie or a football game. The outdoor kitchen and dining area features appliances by Hestan and highly customized concrete countertops with matching shelves mounted on the wall. The aluminum cabinets are custom made by Urban Bonfire and feature accessories for storing kitchen items like dishes, appliances, beverages, an ice maker and receptacles for recycling and refuse. The Renson pergola over the dining area also integrates a set of sliding loggia panels to offer a modern backdrop, add privacy and block the sun. Rooftopia partnered with the talented Derek Lerner for original artwork that was transformed into a large-scale mural, and with the help of Chicago Sign Systems, the artwork was enlarged, printed and installed as one full wall of the penthouse. This artwork is truly a special part of the design. Rooftopia customized the design of the planter boxes in partnership with ORE Designs to streamline the look and finish of the metal planter containers. Many of the planter boxes also have toe kick lighting to improve the evening ambiance. Several large planters are home to birch trees, ornamental grasses, annual flowers and the design incorporates containers for seasonal vegetables and an herb garden. Our teams partnered with Architects, Structural engineers, electricians, plumbers and sound engineers to upgrade the roof to support the pergola systems, integrate lighting and appliances, an automatic watering system and outdoor sound systems. This large residential roof deck required a multi year development, permitting and installation timeline, proving that the best things are worth the wait.

Mid-sized farmhouse u-shaped slate floor eat-in kitchen photo in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor wet bar remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, gray backsplash and gray countertops

Inspiration for a timeless porch remodel in Miami with a fireplace and a roof extension

Many people can’t see beyond the current aesthetics when looking to buy a house, but this innovative couple recognized the good bones of their mid-century style home in Golden’s Applewood neighborhood and were determined to make the necessary updates to create the perfect space for their family. In order to turn this older residence into a modern home that would meet the family’s current lifestyle, we replaced all the original windows with new, wood-clad black windows. The design of window is a nod to the home’s mid-century roots with modern efficiency and a polished appearance. We also wanted the interior of the home to feel connected to the awe-inspiring outside, so we opened up the main living area with a vaulted ceiling. To add a contemporary but sleek look to the fireplace, we crafted the mantle out of cold rolled steel. The texture of the cold rolled steel conveys a natural aesthetic and pairs nicely with the walnut mantle we built to cap the steel, uniting the design in the kitchen and the built-in entryway. Everyone at Factor developed rich relationships with this beautiful family while collaborating through the design and build of their freshly renovated, contemporary home. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to work with such amazing people, creating inspired spaces that enhance the quality of their lives.

Location: Atlanta, Georgia - Historical Inman Park Scope: This home was a new home we developed and built in Atlanta, GA. This was built to fit into the historical neighborhood. This is the exterior screen porch. High performance / green building certifications: EPA Energy Star Certified Home, EarthCraft Certified Home - Gold, NGBS Green Certified Home - Gold, Department of Energy Net Zero Ready Home, GA Power Earthcents Home, EPA WaterSense Certified Home. The home achieved a 50 HERS rating. Builder/Developer: Heirloom Design Build Architect: Jones Pierce Interior Design/Decorator: Heirloom Design Build Photo Credit: D. F. Radlmann www.heirloomdesignbuild.com

Buju Architects was instructed to design 6 new holiday homes in the coastal village of Rhosneigr. Now four years later, construction nears completion. Consisting of a combination of 3 townhouses and 3 detached houses, each home is designed carefully to maximise sea views and sit comfortably in context. With just a short walk to the beachfront, it was quickly established early on that we wanted to take full advantage of these stunning coastal views. To achieve this, we decided to flip the floor layouts around and created an “upside-down home”. By positioning all of the bedrooms at ground level and the living spaces to the top floor meant that the amazing views could be fully appreciated from the high vaulted living spaces throughout the day. These views are also maximised by utilising large feature glazed gables each with their own spacious balconies. The feature gable on the detached houses were also carefully designed and specifically orientated at a 45-degree angle towards these views for maximum effect. A similar palette of materials was used as those of surrounding buildings and a strong design theme was created across the site. Local stone, cedar cladding and white render clad these fantastic properties. The density of development was carefully considered to allow enough space for access and amenity, whilst respecting local residents. Services: Buju Architects were appointed for RIBA Stages 1-6 as Architect and Principal Designer. From developing the concept design, through planning, tender and construction. Buju Architects coordinated the design process and managed correspondence with the local Council. “..Buju Architects produced three alternative schemes and once the preferred scheme had been chosen they very quickly produced several visualisation models which proved extremely helpful in view of the gradient and context of this development. Modelling at this early stage is often not provided and with a difficult site such as this can be vital in obtaining the correct interaction between buildings.” – Rockview Developments

Buju Architects was instructed to design 6 new holiday homes in the coastal village of Rhosneigr. Now four years later, construction nears completion. Consisting of a combination of 3 townhouses and 3 detached houses, each home is designed carefully to maximise sea views and sit comfortably in context. With just a short walk to the beachfront, it was quickly established early on that we wanted to take full advantage of these stunning coastal views. To achieve this, we decided to flip the floor layouts around and created an “upside-down home”. By positioning all of the bedrooms at ground level and the living spaces to the top floor meant that the amazing views could be fully appreciated from the high vaulted living spaces throughout the day. These views are also maximised by utilising large feature glazed gables each with their own spacious balconies. The feature gable on the detached houses were also carefully designed and specifically orientated at a 45-degree angle towards these views for maximum effect. A similar palette of materials was used as those of surrounding buildings and a strong design theme was created across the site. Local stone, cedar cladding and white render clad these fantastic properties. The density of development was carefully considered to allow enough space for access and amenity, whilst respecting local residents. Services: Buju Architects were appointed for RIBA Stages 1-6 as Architect and Principal Designer. From developing the concept design, through planning, tender and construction. Buju Architects coordinated the design process and managed correspondence with the local Council. “..Buju Architects produced three alternative schemes and once the preferred scheme had been chosen they very quickly produced several visualisation models which proved extremely helpful in view of the gradient and context of this development. Modelling at this early stage is often not provided and with a difficult site such as this can be vital in obtaining the correct interaction between buildings.” – Rockview Developments

Edmonton Award Winning Boutique Interior Design Studio Edmonton's award winning boutique interior design studio. We are ready to listen to your needs and develop the perfect interior design solution for your project. Marie started interiorsBYDESIGNinc. because she loves what she does and is crazy passionate about creating the perfect space for her clients all within budget! We resource the best products and shop for the perfect materials and finishes that add up to truly unique interiors. Our passion and attention to detail has also got us amazing media attention. Being voted BEST OF HOUZZ in interior design and customer service SIX YEARS IN A ROW, we've also been featured in local, regional, national and international websites and magazines! Marie is a true, modern Canadian designer with strong classical roots. Described as fresh, inspired and timeless, Marie has a wide vocabulary of stylistic approaches and artfully balances form, function and style as well she can integrate the past with present trends. Her interiors are nuanced and tailored and have a lasting quality that is always the hallmark of every project. Marie's endless creative ideas, design process and budget strategies expedite a project's process. Simply put - we deliver extraordinary interiors. Edmonton Award Winning Boutique Interior Design Studio Edmonton's award winning boutique interior design studio. We are ready to listen to your needs and develop the perfect interior design solution for your project. Marie started interiorsBYDESIGNinc. because she loves what she does and is crazy passionate about creating the perfect space for her clients all within budget! We resource the best products and shop for the perfect materials and finishes that add up to truly unique interiors. Our passion and attention to detail has also got us amazing media attention. Being voted BEST OF HOUZZ in interior design and customer service SIX YEARS IN A ROW, we've also been featured in local, regional, national and international websites and magazines! Marie is a true, modern Canadian designer with strong classical roots. Described as fresh, inspired and timeless, Marie has a wide vocabulary of stylistic approaches and artfully balances form, function and style as well she can integrate the past with present trends. Her interiors are nuanced and tailored and have a lasting quality that is always the hallmark of every project. Marie's endless creative ideas, design process and budget strategies expedite a project's process. Simply put - we deliver extraordinary interiors.

Tessa Neustadt
Transitional living room photo in Los Angeles

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

Paint by Sherwin Williams Body Color - City Loft - SW 7631 Trim Color - Custom Color - SW 8975/3535 Master Suite & Guest Bath - Site White - SW 7070 Girls' Rooms & Bath - White Beet - SW 6287 Exposed Beams & Banister Stain - Banister Beige - SW 3128-B Flooring & Tile by Macadam Floor & Design Hardwood by Kentwood Floors Hardwood Product Originals Series - Plateau in Brushed Hard Maple Wall & Floor Tile by Macadam Floor & Design Counter Backsplash, Shower Niche & Bathroom Floor by Tierra Sol Backsplash & Shower Niche Product Driftwood Cronos Engraved in Bianco Cararra Mosaic Bathroom Floor Product Portobello Marmi Classico in Bianco Cararra Herringbone Shower Wall Tile by Surface Art Inc Shower Wall Product A La Mode in Honed Mushroom SMud Set Shower Pan by Emser Tile Shower Wall Product Winter Frost in Mixed 1in Hexagons Slab Countertops by Wall to Wall Stone Corp Kitchen Quartz Product True North Calcutta Master Suite Quartz Product True North Venato Extra Girls' Bath Quartz Product True North Pebble Beach All Other Quartz Product True North Light Silt Windows by Milgard Windows & Doors Window Product Style Line® Series Window Supplier Troyco - Window & Door Window Treatments by Budget Blinds Lighting by Destination Lighting Fixtures by Crystorama Lighting Interior Design by Tiffany Home Design Custom Cabinetry & Storage by Northwood Cabinets Customized & Built by Cascade West Development Photography by ExposioHDR Portland Original Plans by Alan Mascord Design Associates

Stoffer Photography
Inspiration for a country master ceramic tile bathroom remodel in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, beige walls and a pedestal sink

Reading Nook between floors
Mountain style staircase photo in Minneapolis

Many people can’t see beyond the current aesthetics when looking to buy a house, but this innovative couple recognized the good bones of their mid-century style home in Golden’s Applewood neighborhood and were determined to make the necessary updates to create the perfect space for their family. In order to turn this older residence into a modern home that would meet the family’s current lifestyle, we replaced all the original windows with new, wood-clad black windows. The design of window is a nod to the home’s mid-century roots with modern efficiency and a polished appearance. We also wanted the interior of the home to feel connected to the awe-inspiring outside, so we opened up the main living area with a vaulted ceiling. To add a contemporary but sleek look to the fireplace, we crafted the mantle out of cold rolled steel. The texture of the cold rolled steel conveys a natural aesthetic and pairs nicely with the walnut mantle we built to cap the steel, uniting the design in the kitchen and the built-in entryway. Everyone at Factor developed rich relationships with this beautiful family while collaborating through the design and build of their freshly renovated, contemporary home. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to work with such amazing people, creating inspired spaces that enhance the quality of their lives.

Shed - traditional shed idea in Charleston

At Inglenook of Carmel, residents share common outdoor courtyards and pedestrian-friendly pathways where they can see one another during the comings and goings of the day, creating meaningful friendships and a true sense of community. Designed by renowned architect Ross Chapin, Inglenook of Carmel offers a range of two-, three-, and four-bedroom Cottage Home designs. From the colorful exterior paint and private flowerboxes to the custom built-ins and detailed design, each home is unique, just like the community.

It's easy to get swept away by the room’s gorgeous coloration, from the natural handwoven cane of the Palecek bed to the custom upholstered chair and the celestial Anewall wallpaper.

The unique opportunity and challenge for the Joshua Tree project was to enable the architecture to prioritize views. Set in the valley between Mummy and Camelback mountains, two iconic landforms located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, this lot “has it all” regarding views. The challenge was answered with what we refer to as the desert pavilion. This highly penetrated piece of architecture carefully maintains a one-room deep composition. This allows each space to leverage the majestic mountain views. The material palette is executed in a panelized massing composition. The home, spawned from mid-century modern DNA, opens seamlessly to exterior living spaces providing for the ultimate in indoor/outdoor living. Project Details: Architecture: Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ // C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB // www.drewettworks.com Builder: Bedbrock Developers, Paradise Valley, AZ // http://www.bedbrock.com Interior Designer: Est Est, Scottsdale, AZ // http://www.estestinc.com Photographer: Michael Duerinckx, Phoenix, AZ // www.inckx.com