Security cameras cover the entire perimeter of the home, and their pictures are easily viewed from anywhere in the world through an iPad app. An access-controlled gate allows the client to manage entry to the home even when away. All devices were inconspicuously placed, and custom Lutron drapes were installed to control daylight. We also staged multiple variations of light fixtures and bulbs to find the optimal combination to meet the client’s taste. Photography: Bruce Van Inwegen

Designed by Kristin Jackson of the Hunted Interior
Home office - eclectic home office idea in Atlanta

Architect & Landscape Architect: Trace Wilson AIA AICP Principal: Materia 310.903.2635 Tile & Stone supplied by: From The Ground Up Tile & Stone Inc. ftgu@fromthegrounduptile.com

Elite Landscaping removed an old vinyl liner pool from this home in a premier Omaha neighborhood. The goal was to install a new, concrete infinity-edge pool and spa with accessible pool deck. And we accomplished so much more! During the backyard remodel, the yard was elevated by 7.5 feet to improve access from the house to the pool deck with just three steps and a wheelchair-accessible ramp. More than 3,000 sq. feet of natural Travertine were installed for the pool deck, with stone veneer accents around the seating areas and firepit. An outdoor kitchen was installed, featuring polished granite countertops, a Fire Magic grill, Black Diamond appliances, and ample storage drawers. The pool structure boasts a 16-foot wide infinity edge, which is adorned with Black Galaxy iridescent glass tile. The pool wall is topped with fire/water bowls that cascade into the pool. A raised, double spa with 11-foot black granite ‘sheerfall’ edge also cascades into the pool. The custom concrete pool and raised spa each have their own variable speed pumps and heating systems for separate water flow and temperature control. Both can be fully automated through a smartphone or other smart device with the Pentair IntelliTouch system. An app allows homeowners to program LED lights, adjust temperature and water flow speeds, and test pool chemistry.

Inspiration for a large traditional drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard retaining wall landscape in Phoenix for spring.

Bob Narod Photography
Example of a mountain style hallway design in DC Metro

Bathroom photo in Atlanta

Inspiration for a bathroom remodel in New York

Elite Landscaping removed an old vinyl liner pool from this home in a premier Omaha neighborhood. The goal was to install a new, concrete infinity-edge pool and spa with accessible pool deck. And we accomplished so much more! During the backyard remodel, the yard was elevated by 7.5 feet to improve access from the house to the pool deck with just three steps and a wheelchair-accessible ramp. More than 3,000 sq. feet of natural Travertine were installed for the pool deck, with stone veneer accents around the seating areas and firepit. An outdoor kitchen was installed, featuring polished granite countertops, a Fire Magic grill, Black Diamond appliances, and ample storage drawers. The pool structure boasts a 16-foot wide infinity edge, which is adorned with Black Galaxy iridescent glass tile. The pool wall is topped with fire/water bowls that cascade into the pool. A raised, double spa with 11-foot black granite ‘sheerfall’ edge also cascades into the pool. The custom concrete pool and raised spa each have their own variable speed pumps and heating systems for separate water flow and temperature control. Both can be fully automated through a smartphone or other smart device with the Pentair IntelliTouch system. An app allows homeowners to program LED lights, adjust temperature and water flow speeds, and test pool chemistry.

The counter was extended beyond the original range to create a protected entry way and more generous kitchen space. Photo Credit: Mark Woods
Example of a mid-sized urban mudroom design in Seattle with white walls

In order to create an open floor plan and entertainer's dream kitchen Morey Remodeling pushed the front wall of the house out to the existing porch edge to create a larger kitchen area and plenty of room for the new island with cascading waterfall edges and cooktop. New beams were installed between the kitchen and dining room in order to support the roof and ceiling load when walls were removed. We Installed new gray over sized porcelain tile flooring in kitchen area and hardwood to match existing. New cabinets in white high gloss acrylic and exotic walnut finish with satin nickel pulls add a modern, sleek look. A new bar area was created and the stunning Verve Chevron glass tile backsplash is the perfect contrast. The Phillips Hue under-cabinet LED strip lights were installed to enhance the backsplash and can be controlled from an app. The counter tops are Pental Quartz Calacatta, with new single basin Farmhouse Sink and Blanco Meridian Kitchen Faucet in Satin Nickel. All new electrical was updated throughout the home.

In order to create an open floor plan and entertainer's dream kitchen Morey Remodeling pushed the front wall of the house out to the existing porch edge to create a larger kitchen area and plenty of room for the new island with cascading waterfall edges and cooktop. New beams were installed between the kitchen and dining room in order to support the roof and ceiling load when walls were removed. We Installed new gray over sized porcelain tile flooring in kitchen area and hardwood to match existing. New cabinets in white high gloss acrylic and exotic walnut finish with satin nickel pulls add a modern, sleek look. A new bar area was created and the stunning Verve Chevron glass tile backsplash is the perfect contrast. The Phillips Hue under-cabinet LED strip lights were installed to enhance the backsplash and can be controlled from an app. The counter tops are Pental Quartz Calacatta, with new single basin Farmhouse Sink and Blanco Meridian Kitchen Faucet in Satin Nickel. All new electrical was updated throughout the home.

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.

Elite Landscaping removed an old vinyl liner pool from this home in a premier Omaha neighborhood. The goal was to install a new, concrete infinity-edge pool and spa with accessible pool deck. And we accomplished so much more! During the backyard remodel, the yard was elevated by 7.5 feet to improve access from the house to the pool deck with just three steps and a wheelchair-accessible ramp. More than 3,000 sq. feet of natural Travertine were installed for the pool deck, with stone veneer accents around the seating areas and firepit. An outdoor kitchen was installed, featuring polished granite countertops, a Fire Magic grill, Black Diamond appliances, and ample storage drawers. The pool structure boasts a 16-foot wide infinity edge, which is adorned with Black Galaxy iridescent glass tile. The pool wall is topped with fire/water bowls that cascade into the pool. A raised, double spa with 11-foot black granite ‘sheerfall’ edge also cascades into the pool. The custom concrete pool and raised spa each have their own variable speed pumps and heating systems for separate water flow and temperature control. Both can be fully automated through a smartphone or other smart device with the Pentair IntelliTouch system. An app allows homeowners to program LED lights, adjust temperature and water flow speeds, and test pool chemistry.

This backyard was designed by Giuseppe Abbrancati and built by Gappsi in Lloyd Harbor NY 11743. The design incorporates many amenities, modern clean lines, and a functional layout. This is an 18x36 vinyl-lined swimming pool 3-6 ft deep with two corner stairs in the deep end. It is easy to walk the entire length of the pool, which makes it ideal to play sports or just hang out, and it is also perfect for swimming full laps by having a flat wall area between the two corner stars in shallow area. Due to the sloped grade of the property, a Nicolock firma wall was installed to level off one side allowing the patio to be equally installed on both side of the swimming pool. Unique limestone pavers, copings, and wall veneers were used in the patio walls, planters, raised patio, fire pit, and spa walls. This limestone is an exclusive Gappsi product imported from Europe with a very beautiful mix of gray, beige and green colors, along with seashell fossils showing on the surface of every stone. The finished texture of the stones is very comfortable and slip resistant, accomplished by flaming the surface and then tumbling it during the manufacturing process. A 9x6 custom-built spa was constructed with a bench, a liner, and 2 lights. It was raised 18 inches above the patio height to create a spillover into the pool. Across from it, a raised sun deck made for a lounge chair area was set up 18 inches above the pool patio. In the wall facing the pool, two 3 foot wide sheer descents were installed as water features in combination with the two Pentair laminars set in the patio floor. All the water features and pool have LED color lights built into them, making this pool a great feature in the dark as it is in the day time. The deep end ladder and the handrail installed by the steps are stainless steel. The pool was built with a salt chlorine generator, a gas heater, variable speed pumps, and an automation system to control the spa and pool through a smartphone app. And lastly, a stone-veneered wood burning fire pit was built on one side of the patio, and stone planters were built on both sides of the Timber-tech steps from the raised deck next to the house.

Elite Landscaping removed an old vinyl liner pool from this home in a premier Omaha neighborhood. The goal was to install a new, concrete infinity-edge pool and spa with accessible pool deck. And we accomplished so much more! During the backyard remodel, the yard was elevated by 7.5 feet to improve access from the house to the pool deck with just three steps and a wheelchair-accessible ramp. More than 3,000 sq. feet of natural Travertine were installed for the pool deck, with stone veneer accents around the seating areas and firepit. An outdoor kitchen was installed, featuring polished granite countertops, a Fire Magic grill, Black Diamond appliances, and ample storage drawers. The pool structure boasts a 16-foot wide infinity edge, which is adorned with Black Galaxy iridescent glass tile. The pool wall is topped with fire/water bowls that cascade into the pool. A raised, double spa with 11-foot black granite ‘sheerfall’ edge also cascades into the pool. The custom concrete pool and raised spa each have their own variable speed pumps and heating systems for separate water flow and temperature control. Both can be fully automated through a smartphone or other smart device with the Pentair IntelliTouch system. An app allows homeowners to program LED lights, adjust temperature and water flow speeds, and test pool chemistry.

Elite Landscaping removed an old vinyl liner pool from this home in a premier Omaha neighborhood. The goal was to install a new, concrete infinity-edge pool and spa with accessible pool deck. And we accomplished so much more! During the backyard remodel, the yard was elevated by 7.5 feet to improve access from the house to the pool deck with just three steps and a wheelchair-accessible ramp. More than 3,000 sq. feet of natural Travertine were installed for the pool deck, with stone veneer accents around the seating areas and firepit. An outdoor kitchen was installed, featuring polished granite countertops, a Fire Magic grill, Black Diamond appliances, and ample storage drawers. The pool structure boasts a 16-foot wide infinity edge, which is adorned with Black Galaxy iridescent glass tile. The pool wall is topped with fire/water bowls that cascade into the pool. A raised, double spa with 11-foot black granite ‘sheerfall’ edge also cascades into the pool. The custom concrete pool and raised spa each have their own variable speed pumps and heating systems for separate water flow and temperature control. Both can be fully automated through a smartphone or other smart device with the Pentair IntelliTouch system. An app allows homeowners to program LED lights, adjust temperature and water flow speeds, and test pool chemistry.

Inspiration for a 1950s bedroom remodel in Austin

blue backsplash, Renovation of 2-bedroom apt. app. 1000SF. Complete remodel of bathroom. Painting and floor sanding/stain throughout. Prime and paint with Benjamin Moore one color walls, one color ceilings, semi gloss doors and moldings, Replace all windows, Install new porcelain floor tile straight pattern 115SF over existing subfloor, Install 2 matching stone saddles, Template and install silestone or granite C-top, Install ceramic or porcelain backsplash tile in straight pattern on sink and stove wall