Cape Cod; Dennis, MA The central feature is the kitchen island with its dark, contrasting countertop and traditional turned legs, providing a classic farmhouse aesthetic. Paired with the island are three natural-wood bar stools with woven cane seats, which add warmth and texture to the room. The stools are perfectly positioned for casual dining or conversation. The kitchen's cabinetry is a clean, classic off white shaker style that extends to the refrigerator and a built-in wine cooler, creating a seamless and integrated look. The ceiling design varies, with one section featuring traditional beadboard paneling, a common coastal design element, adding depth and visual interest. Two polished metal pendant lights hang over the island, providing focused task lighting and a touch of modern sophistication. Natural light pours into the space from a large window above the sink, which is flanked by simple white countertops and a backsplash. A vase of fresh green flowers on the island and a wine bottle hint at the room's use for entertaining and everyday living. The warm, wood floors complete the space, tying the natural elements together and grounding the bright, off white design.

This open floor kitchen has a mixture of Concrete Counter tops as well as Marble. The range hood is made of a custom plaster. The T&G ceiling with accents of Steel make this room cozy and elegant. The floors were 8 inch planks imported from Europe.

Situated along Eagle River, looking across to the mouth of the Ipswich Harbor, this was clearly a little cape house that was married to the sea. The owners were inquiring about adding a simple shed dormer to provide additional exposure to the stunning water view, but they were also interested in what Mathew would design if this beach cottage were his. Inspired by the waves that came ashore mere feet from the little house, Mathew took up a fat marker and sketched a sweeping, S-shape dormer on the waterside of the building. He then described how the dormer would be designed in the shape of an ocean wave. “This way,” he explained, “you will not only be able to see the ocean from your new master bedroom, you’ll also be able to experience that view from a space that actually reflects the spirit of the waves.” Mathew and his team designed the master suite and study using a subtle combination of contemporary and traditional, beach-house elements. The result was a completely unique and one-of-a-kind space inside and out. Transparencies are built into the design via features like gently curved glass that reflects the water and the arched interior window separating the bedroom and bath. On the exterior, the curved dormer on the street side echoes these rounded shapes and lines to create continuity throughout. The sense of movement is accentuated by the continuous, V-groove boarded ceiling that runs from one ocean-shaped dormer through to the opposite side of the house. The bedroom features a cozy sitting area with built in storage and a porthole window to look out onto the rowboats in the harbor. A bathroom and closet were combined into a single room in a modern design that doesn't sacrifice any style or space and provides highly efficient functionality. A striking barn door made of glass with industrial hardware divides the two zones of the master suite. The custom, built-in maple cabinetry of the closets provides a textural counterpoint to the unique glass shower that incorporates sea stones and an ocean wave motif accent tile. With this spectacular design vision, the owners are now able to enjoy their stunning view from a bright and spacious interior that brings the natural elements of the beach into the home. Photo by Eric Roth

American traditional Spring Valley home looking to add an outdoor living room designed and built to look original to the home building on the existing trim detail and infusing some fresh finish options. Project highlights include: split brick with decorative craftsman columns, wet stamped concrete and coffered ceiling with oversized beams and T&G recessed ceiling. 2 French doors were added for access to the new living space. We also included a wireless TV/Sound package and a complete pressure wash and repaint of home. Photo Credit: TK Images

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

The master bedroom is a symphony of textures and patterns with its horizontal banded walls, hexagonal ceiling design, and furnishings that include a sunburst inlaid bone chest, star bamboo silk rug and quatrefoil sheers. A Bonisolli Photography

Transitional porch idea in Chicago with a fire pit and a roof extension

ROB SPRING
Example of a classic brick floor mudroom design in Boston

Builder: Pillar Homes www.pillarhomes.com Landmark Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal brick deck remodel in Minneapolis

The tall double hung windows and arched picture window bounded by two single French doors provides ample light in the family room. A pitched and beamed ceiling contributes to the delicacy of the space.

This front entryway with exquisitely detailed ceiling sets the tone for the artisanal home to follow. Box-vault ceiling with crown molding and dark wood beadboard underscores the height of the foyer's ten foot ceilings. Photography by Spacecrafting

Holger Obenaus Photography LLC
Example of a beach style travertine floor bedroom design in Charleston with white walls and no fireplace

coffered ceiling adds elegance to this french provincial style kitchen with Arched box bay window and marble backsplash
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized traditional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen idea in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Photos are of one of our customers' finished project. We did over 90 beams for use throughout their home :) When choosing beams for your project, there are many things to think about. One important consideration is the weight of the beam, especially if you want to affix it to your ceiling. Choosing a solid beam may not be the best choice since some of them can weigh upwards of 1000 lbs. Our craftsmen have several solutions for this common problem. One such solution is to fabricate a ceiling beam using veneer that is "sliced" from the outside of an existing beam. Our craftsmen then carefully miter the edges and create a lighter weight, 3 sided solution. Another common method is "hogging out" the beam. We hollow out the beam leaving the original outer character of three sides intact. (Hogging out is a good method to use when one side of the beam is less than attractive.) Our 3-sided and Hogged out beams are available in Reclaimed or Old Growth woods.

The overarching design intent for this 1,455-square-foot West Vine Street condominium was to make the spaces contemporary and functional. The renovation began with an unexpected structural deficiency in the form of a post located in the middle of the living room that was causing a three-inch dip in the floor. It was removed and replaced with steel columns running down through the walls and into a footing pad with a three-foot depth. The main living spaces underwent significant changes; the kitchen was reconfigured to open up a formerly cramped space, and the removal of a wall made room for a cascading island with Cesarstone countertops—a crowning feature. Additionally, an electrical panel was relocated to be able to wrap the refrigerator with a wood veneer frame. Notable materials include eight-inch-wide ‘Esplanade’ French oak plank floors chosen to complement the reclaimed wood-wrapped ceiling beams, which feature a combination of LED downlighting and uplighting. A sleek gas fireplace with horizontal slate surround and paneled wall backing replaced an old wood-burning stove—furthering the design program. Pacheco-Robb Architects dismantled an existing spiral stair and replaced it with a cable-rail system—a nautical nod—which is noteworthy for the way it meets code; by running a contiguous oak banister for the entire length of the stair, they were able to avoid having to add a second railing, which would shrink the already narrow stairwell. Upstairs, a tight bedroom with gabled ceilings was addressed by adding a solar-operated skylight with built-in shade, plus minimalistic furnishings. Structural changes in the master bedroom included eliminating a closest to widen the room, and reconfiguring a bathroom to fit a small walk-in closet in lieu of a long, thin hallway. The formerly unfinished rooftop deck is now accessed via a six-foot door that opens more than 90 degrees. Azek decking was laid over the rubber roof, and two-inch stanchions were located around the rail’s outer edge. By opening the floor plan and streamlining the aesthetic, the place now breathes.

Architecture & Interior Design: David Heide Design Studio Photo: Susan Gilmore Photography
Living room - coastal enclosed medium tone wood floor living room idea in Minneapolis with a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and beige walls

Photographer: Kevin Colquhoun
Huge elegant u-shaped porcelain tile open concept kitchen photo in New York with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a transitional screened-in porch remodel in DC Metro with decking and a roof extension

Amazing cathedral ceiling timber frame master bedroom facing the lake. This gorgeous bedroom features warm exposed wooden beams and pine decking on the ceiling, creating warmth and comfort.