Inspiration for a mid-sized southwestern drought-tolerant and partial sun courtyard concrete paver garden path in Orange County.

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Trendy black and white tile gray floor and single-sink bathroom photo in Phoenix with gray walls, an integrated sink and gray countertops

Photo: Caroline Sharpnack © 2017 Houzz
Inspiration for a southwestern living room remodel in Nashville

Located within a residential building, the design intention for this terrace was to create a visual and experiential escape from the city with a four-season garden. A full-width wall of bamboo was planted to break the monotony of the existing fence, create an ambiguous visual depth and generate a soothing rustling sound. Furnishings, including the rubbed stainless steel storage bench and planters, were carefully selected to complement the year-round vegetation.

Bruce Damonte
Inspiration for a contemporary backyard concrete paver and rectangular hot tub remodel in San Francisco

Midnight and Tiger Charwood™ were intentionally selected for a distinctive natural interior and exterior envelope on this secluded cabin retreat. The divergent char colors of this shou sugi ban inspired product instills a stunning contrastive aesthetic that flows naturally with the beauty that surrounds it. The line between inside and outside is ambiguous, allowing a cozy inside feel while surrounded by a striking mountainscape.

Jamie Harrington - Image Ten Photography
Alcove shower - mid-sized contemporary master gray tile porcelain tile alcove shower idea in Providence with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, granite countertops, a one-piece toilet and blue walls

Midnight and Tiger Charwood™ were intentionally selected for a distinctive natural interior and exterior envelope on this secluded cabin retreat. The divergent char colors of this shou sugi ban inspired product instills a stunning contrastive aesthetic that flows naturally with the beauty that surrounds it. The line between inside and outside is ambiguous, allowing a cozy inside feel while surrounded by a striking mountainscape.

DESIGN + INNOVATION: Award of Excellence PROJECT: The Prairie House CLIENT: Name Withheld ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Fisher ARCHitecture PHOTOGRAPHER: Fisher ARCHitecture DESCRIPTION: Designed to relate directly to its location, the Prairie House recontextualizes Midwestern building motifs from the 1950s and ’60s, simultaneously old fashioned and tough yet ambiguously futuristic. Interior spaces are nestled in the ground, with earth sheltered construction protecting from high winds and variable temperatures that characterize this part of the country; rooms have a direct relationship with one of three partially enclosed courtyards that are carved from the solid mass of earth. JURY COMMENTS: The interesting aspect of this project is the self-imposed exploration of contextualizing a Midwest site where there are only roads and cornfields. The iconographic images remind us of Venturi’s Learning from Las Vegas, from the large-scale billboard and letters to the symbolic buffalo on the renderings. The design gestures all seem responsive to its site both in terms of its cultural heritage and to its environmental realities.

Midnight and Tiger Charwood™ were intentionally selected for a distinctive natural interior and exterior envelope on this secluded cabin retreat. The divergent char colors of this shou sugi ban inspired product instills a stunning contrastive aesthetic that flows naturally with the beauty that surrounds it. The line between inside and outside is ambiguous, allowing a cozy inside feel while surrounded by a striking mountainscape.

Located within a residential building, the design intention for this terrace was to create a visual and experiential escape from the city with a four-season garden. A full-width wall of bamboo was planted to break the monotony of the existing fence, create an ambiguous visual depth and generate a soothing rustling sound. Furnishings, including the rubbed stainless steel storage bench and planters, were carefully selected to complement the year-round vegetation.

Question: What is more luxurious than a view of the sea? Answer: A private view of the sea. This pool pavilion on the western coast of Quepos in Costa Rica achieves that level of luxury without imposing walls or gates. Instead, it builds toward it slowly and stealthily. Access to the view is not grand, just purposefully nondescript, offering a supremely unassuming gap in a wood-framed screen as an ambiguous point of entry. Once in, however, we discover it conceals a lush secret garden to the left. On the right, a translucent glass wall further delays the main event. As we come around it and enter into a living-dining room with a small kitchen and bath, we see a pool bordered on two sides by the concrete exterior walls of the pavilion, its watery ripples disappearing over an infinity edge that directs the eye, finally, to one’s own personal perspective on the seascape beyond. Architect: John Beckmann © Axis Mundi Design LLC

Ron Ruscio
Inspiration for a huge contemporary home design remodel in Other

Media rooms are moving away from the single-use home theater style to provide more cozy and inviting flex space for hanging out or entertaining. This luscious room is comprised of several designated spaces. Three TVs are in the space, but you could easily curl up in the down-filled sectional by Hickory Chair for an afternoon nap, or rock a baby to sleep in the rich leather swivel rocker from Hancock and Moore. A custom-made cocktail ottoman means everyone can prop their feet, but also provides ample room for a tray to hold snacks and beverages. The space is made even more inviting by a Sea Grass rug from Stark carpet over a wool and silk hand-knotted rug, also by Stark. A recessed live triple dormer is perfect for two high-top tables by Swaim accompanied by swivel stools from Hancock and Moore upholstered in rich velvet from Scalamandre’ fabrics. The shutters are custom painted in Black Fox by Sherwin Williams to match the trim throughout the large space. A high gloss finish was used to reflect light and is an ambiguous black/brown/charcoal color that pairs perfectly with the granite of the bar and game table and chairs by Lorts Furniture. Designed by Melodie Durham of Durham Designs & Consulting, LLC. Photo by Livengood Photographs [www.livengoodphotographs.com/design].

Rather than starting with an outcome in mind, this 1,400 square foot residence began from a polemic place - exploring shared conviction regarding the concentrated power of living with a smaller footprint. From the gabled silhouette to passive ventilation, the home captures the nostalgia for the past with the sustainable practices of the future. While the exterior materials contrast a calm, minimal palette with the sleek lines of the gabled silhouette, the interior spaces embody a playful, artistic spirit. From the hand painted De Gournay wallpaper in the master bath to the rugged texture of the over-grouted limestone and Portuguese cobblestones, the home is an experience that encapsulates the unexpected and the timeless.

Midnight and Tiger Charwood™ were intentionally selected for a distinctive natural interior and exterior envelope on this secluded cabin retreat. The divergent char colors of this shou sugi ban inspired product instills a stunning contrastive aesthetic that flows naturally with the beauty that surrounds it. The line between inside and outside is ambiguous, allowing a cozy inside feel while surrounded by a striking mountainscape.