Low Gear Photography
Dining room - country dark wood floor and brown floor dining room idea in Kansas City with gray walls

Photo Credit: Rixon Photography
Example of a huge classic blue two-story wood exterior home design in Boston with a hip roof

This beautiful house was designed and built to emulate lake homes of a bygone era. The two sweeping stair cases flank a 16’x32’ concrete, in-ground pool with automatic, retractable pool cover.

A master bathroom is often a place of peace and solitude, made even richer with luxurious accents. This homeowner was hoping for a serene, spa like atmosphere with modern amenities. Dipped in gold, this bathroom embodies the definition of luxury. From the oversized shower enclosure, to the oval freestanding soaking tub and private restroom facility, this bathroom incorporates it all. The floor to ceiling white marble tile with gold veins is paired perfectly with a bronze mosaic feature wall behind the his and her vanity areas. The custom free-floating cabinetry continues from the vanities to a large make-up area featuring the same white marble countertops throughout. A touch of gold is seamlessly tied into the design to create sophisticated accents throughout the space. From the gold crystal chandelier, vibrant gold fixtures and cabinet hardware, and the simple gold mirrors, the accents help bring the vision to life and tie in the esthetics of the concept. This stunning white bathroom boasts of luxury and exceeded the homeowner’s expectations. It even included an automatic motorized drop-down television located in the ceiling, allowing the homeowner to relax and unwind after a long day, catching their favorite program.

Brendon Pinola
Inspiration for a mid-sized country gray tile and marble tile marble floor and white floor powder room remodel in Birmingham with white walls, a console sink, open cabinets, a two-piece toilet, marble countertops and white countertops

White and Wood 'Budget Kitchen Makeover'
Example of a mid-sized cottage laminate floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Other with white walls

J Kretschmer
Example of a mid-sized transitional single-wall porcelain tile and beige floor wet bar design in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash, quartzite countertops and beige countertops

A wide open lawn provided the perfect setting for a beautiful backyard barn. The home owners, who are avid gardeners, wanted an indoor workshop and space to store supplies - and they didn’t want it to be an eyesore. During the contemplation phase, they came across a few barns designed by a company called Country Carpenters and fell in love with the charm and character of the structures. Since they had worked with us in the past, we were automatically the builder of choice! Country Carpenters sent us the drawings and supplies, right down to the pre-cut lengths of lumber, and our carpenters put all the pieces together. In order to accommodate township rules and regulations regarding water run-off, we performed the necessary calculations and adjustments to ensure the final structure was built 6 feet shorter than indicated by the original plans.

A redwood driveway gate, a redwood privacy fence and a redwood screen frame this front-yard drought-tolerant landscape. The redwood driveway gate is automatic and framed with black-painted steel. The tall redwood privacy fence extends along the driveway which is large concrete pavers over DG-decomposed granite. The drought-tolerant design includes the DG, cactus succulents and gravel.

Committing to a kosher kitchen is quite a daunting undertaking and when you are also taking on a complete remodel, it can be overwhelming. It does not, however, have to be insurmountable. There are many resources to help guide you through the experience. Check out the internet and magazines to guide you. Once you have done the initial research, contact your Rabi with questions and for clarification on a kosher kitchen. Kosher requirements can vary differently between Orthodox, Conservatism, Ultra Orthodox and Reform Judaism. Your Rabi most likely will have a list of rules and guidelines. Also, hire a professional kitchen designer. They will not only be able to design the needs of a kosher kitchen but also make it personal to your needs and beautiful too. If the space and the budget allow, two distinct kitchens within one space is a possibility. A kosher kitchen requires stringent separation of meat and dairy items. Depending on the sect of Judaism you practice ------ Storage: The Storage areas need space for two sets of dishes, pots and pans, flatware, cups and utensils. You can combine the storage areas as long as there is a separation and that you do not mix service ware. A good recommendation is to color code your plates, flatware, table linen, pots. For example, red plates, gold-colored flatware, copper pots for meat items while dairy items have white plates, stainless flatware, stainless pots. You may want to label each area so when you have your new sister-in-law help in the kitchen; everything stays in the correct place. Appliances: When selecting appliances look for the STAR-K logo. This will help you determine to what extent an appliance is Kosher. Some ovens will have Sabbath modes where they will turn on automatically at a predetermined time. Once the oven is open, the oven turns off. Some refrigerators also have Sabbath modes where the ice maker turns off on the Sabbath and back on the following day. One refrigerator is usually sufficient provided all foods stay on the proper container in the proper section of the refrigerator. Having an immaculately clean refrigerator is a must if this is the case. You do not want spills from one food source contaminating food from the other. If you decide on two refrigerators, one can be full size while the other is smaller. A good kitchen designer can help assess your family’s needs to determine which is best for you. Dishwashers cannot be Kosher in most cases. You either need two dishwashers, separate compartment dishwashers as in dishwasher drawers or wash by hand. Look at Fisher Pikel or Kitchen Aid for dishwasher drawers. Each drawer is on separate controls. You can dedicate the top drawer for dairy while the bottom drawer is for meat service ware. If you have space and decide to have two dishwashers, you can get two 24” wide dishwashers. Another option is to have one full size dishwasher and supplement it with a small 18” wide dishwasher. Miele makes an 18” wide dishwasher that is super quiet and cleans dishes very well. You may also opt for a single dishwasher drawer in addition to a full sized dishwasher. A single Microwave oven can be used for milk and meat provided that a complete cover is used around the food. You will also need separate plastic plate’s places on the bottom or glass turn table. Keeping the unit clean is very important. Counter tops: Counter tops may or may not be able to be koshered depending on your sect. Simply having sets of trivets for dairy, meat and pareve (not meat or dairy) will provide adequate separation of foods. Sinks: If you can’t have two separate sinks, include three separate tubs to be places in the sink. Color code the tubs for meat, dairy and pareve. If you have one sink or a single divided sink, you will need to be cautious about splashing, to keep the meat and dairy particulates apart. You will also need space for separate dish cloths or sponges and dish towels. Again, color coding is extremely helpful and highly suggested. Must Haves: ~Storage space for two sets of dishes, flatware, pans bowls ~Color Code and label where appropriate ~Separate burners dedicate for either meat or dairy ~Separate clean up areas ~Clean environment to avoid contamination between meat and dairy ~A space that functions for how you cook ~A space that reflects you Design and remodel by Design Studio West Brady Architectural Photography

Elegant bathroom with freestanding tub. For information about our work, please contact info@studiombdc.com. Photo: Paul Burk
Mid-sized trendy master porcelain tile and white floor freestanding bathtub photo in DC Metro with white walls

Jay Greene Photography
Example of a trendy u-shaped light wood floor kitchen design in Baltimore with an undermount sink, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

This sleek rectilinear pool measures 10'0" x 27'0", and the hot tub is 10'0" x 6'0". The coping is Valders Wisconsin Limestone. Both the pool and hot tub have their own automatic pool safety covers with custom stone lid systems. A large top step serves as a sunshelf for the pool-width steps. Adorned by lush turf on several sides, the hardscapes consist of New York Bluestone. Photos by Larry Huene.

Control of the interior lighting allows one to set the ambience for listening to musical performances. Each instrument is connected to the Audio Distribution system so everyone may enjoy the performance; no mater where they are in the house. Audio controls allow precise volume adjustments of incoming and outgoing signals. Automatic shades protect the furnishings from sun damage and works with the Smart Thermostat to keep the environment at the right temperature all-year round. Freezing temperature sensors ensure the fireplace automatically ignites just in case the HVAC lost power or broke down. Contact sensors on the windows and door work with the home weather station to determine if windows/doors need to be closed when raining; not to mention the primary use with the security system to detect unwanted intruders.

Deck - coastal backyard deck idea in Boston

Open shower - transitional open shower idea in Salt Lake City

Eric Piaseki
Transitional gray tile alcove bathtub photo in New York with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets and a niche

This custom home bowling alley was installed by Fusion Bowling as part of a newly constructed 20,000 square foot residence in Lubbock, Texas. The custom color of the two regulation size lanes is a woodgrain called "Valencia Teak", which appears almost black. The color of the lane markings is "Wheat", and the LED gutter lights are cool blue. The computer scoring system features a wireless keypad, two overhead LED TVs, pin action instant replay, and ball speedometer. Entertainment accessories include an 11 foot wide projection screen at the end of the lanes, as well as additional LED TVs for sports and movie viewing. The automatic pinsetter machines are Brunswick A-2 models, rebuilt piece-by-piece by Fusion Bowling and custom painted red. The room's interior design features dark wooden beams across the lanes to hide the special effects lighting, limestone columns with rustic lanterns, wood plank flooring with a wooden transition strip onto the flush-mounted lane surface. The bowling package includes guest bowling balls, lane maintenance kit, Kegel automatic lane cleaning/conditioning machine, secondary ball return storage rack, two sets of bowling pins (red and neon glow green), and guest bowling shoes.

Trendy l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Sacramento with flat-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, stone tile backsplash, medium tone wood cabinets, paneled appliances and an island