Mid-sized mid-century modern u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, paneled appliances, white countertops and a peninsula

Who says green and sustainable design has to look like it? Designed to emulate the owner’s favorite country club, this fine estate home blends in with the natural surroundings of it’s hillside perch, and is so intoxicatingly beautiful, one hardly notices its numerous energy saving and green features. Durable, natural and handsome materials such as stained cedar trim, natural stone veneer, and integral color plaster are combined with strong horizontal roof lines that emphasize the expansive nature of the site and capture the “bigness” of the view. Large expanses of glass punctuated with a natural rhythm of exposed beams and stone columns that frame the spectacular views of the Santa Clara Valley and the Los Gatos Hills. A shady outdoor loggia and cozy outdoor fire pit create the perfect environment for relaxed Saturday afternoon barbecues and glitzy evening dinner parties alike. A glass “wall of wine” creates an elegant backdrop for the dining room table, the warm stained wood interior details make the home both comfortable and dramatic. The project’s energy saving features include: - a 5 kW roof mounted grid-tied PV solar array pays for most of the electrical needs, and sends power to the grid in summer 6 year payback! - all native and drought-tolerant landscaping reduce irrigation needs - passive solar design that reduces heat gain in summer and allows for passive heating in winter - passive flow through ventilation provides natural night cooling, taking advantage of cooling summer breezes - natural day-lighting decreases need for interior lighting - fly ash concrete for all foundations - dual glazed low e high performance windows and doors Design Team: Noel Cross+Architects - Architect Christopher Yates Landscape Architecture Joanie Wick – Interior Design Vita Pehar - Lighting Design Conrado Co. – General Contractor Marion Brenner – Photography

A recently completed country French estate in Dallas, Texas. This home features expansive gardens, stone walls, antique limestone paving, a raised pool, a putting green, fire pit and lush gardens with relaxing shade and blooming shrubs

Mountain style porch idea in Dallas with a roof extension and a fire pit

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.

Summer Classics Outdoor Furniture: Skye Collection: Viking legend describes Scotland’s Isle of Skye as the Winged Isle; romanticizing its mist-laden and mountainous scenery. Our stackable patent pending Skye has cloudlike curves and is fully woven for worry-free coastal enjoyment. Made from a 6mm hand-woven, flat, ™ resin. Shown outdoor chaise lounge, outdoor patio furniture, pool furniture, end tables, patio furniture set.

New light filled kitchen in brownstone addition. Brooklyn Heights brownstone renovation by Ben Herzog, Architect in conjunction with designer Elizabeth Cooke-King. Photo by Michael Lee.

Steve Chenn
Inspiration for a timeless patio remodel in Houston with a fire pit and no cover

Minimalist living room photo in Houston

Architect: Ferguson-Ettinger
Trendy two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in Santa Barbara

Photo: Lucy Call © 2015 Houzz
Inspiration for a contemporary patio remodel in Salt Lake City

Lucy Call © 2013 Houzz
Urban bathroom photo in Salt Lake City with a wall-mount sink

This hallway was a mixture of the client's existing asian antiques and new art and mirrors. Artist Amy Lindquist painted the canvas and describes her work as stripping down the elements until they are raw. Her minimalist approach is so intriguing.

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.