Unique, custom freeform pool in Kennesaw, GA with oversized perimeter overflow spa, flagstone beach entry, in-water barstools and "floating" granite table top. Large swimming are and deep diving well. Spectacular hidden entry beneath boulder and carved-stone waterfall into a cave/grotto filled with custom carved stone and benches for relaxing. Back entry into the caves leads to a path, back over the waterfall and to a jumping terrace with boulder wall. King and Queen boulder seats are worked into the wall. Another terrace adds more area for table and chairs and a custom rubble fire pit.

The Jack + Mare designed and built this custom kitchen and dining remodel for a family in Portland's Sellwood Westmoreland Neighborhood. The wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed to create an inviting and flowing space with custom details in all directions. The custom maple dining table was locally milled and crafted from a tree that had previously fallen in Portland's Laurelhurst neighborhood; and the built-in L-shaped maple banquette provides unique comfortable seating with drawer storage beneath. The integrated kitchen and dining room has become the social hub of the house – the table can comfortably sit up to 10 people! Being that the kitchen is visible from the dining room, the refrigerator and dishwasher are hidden behind cabinet door fronts that seamlessly tie-in with the surrounding cabinetry creating a warm and inviting space. The end result is a highly functional kitchen for the chef and a comfortable and practical space for family and friends. Details: custom cabinets (designed by The J+M) with shaker door fronts, a baker's pantry, built-in banquette with integrated storage, custom local silver maple table, solid oak flooring to match original 1925 flooring, white ceramic tile backsplash, new lighting plan featuring a Cedar + Moss pendant, all L.E.D. can lights, Carrara marble countertops, new larger windows to bring in more natural light and new trim. The combined kitchen and dining room is 281 Square feet.

Trendy bathroom photo in Raleigh

Soft roman shades and a cement pendant complete the bright and cozy breakfast nook. The built-in bench seat is a family favorite and the extra storage below is perfect for games and books. photo by Convey Studios

Elegant dark wood floor living room photo in New York with blue walls, a standard fireplace and a wood fireplace surround

Arleen Ferrara
Design ideas for a mediterranean backyard concrete paver water fountain landscape in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a mid-sized backyard wood railing deck skirting remodel in Nashville with no cover

For this project, we transformed the top floor of a Park Slope brownstone into a modern, lightfilled home tailored to the needs of a busy couple. The original space was outdated and lacked cohesion, so our design focused on creating a harmonious and functional layout that reflects the clients’ lifestyle while introducing moments of drama and creativity. At the heart of the penthouse is an open-concept dining room, living room, and kitchen. The living room accommodates multiple areas, including a cozy seating nook illuminated by multicolored glass pendant lights. A dramatic custom-built feature spans the entire length of the living room, integrating storage, display areas, and a unique guardwall that separates the staircase to the couple's rooftop garden from the living space. This built-in showcases a dynamic geometric design, with select sections backed in soft mauve for depth and visual interest. Along the front of the space, a bespoke oak window seat with modern slatted wood fronts conceals the AC and radiators while providing ample storage. The main seating area centers around a creamy marble fireplace surround, a refined focal point in the living area. Wide-plank oak flooring extends throughout the apartment and up the staircase, where a minimal aesthetic enhances the clean, modern feel. The kitchen continues the theme of modern sophistication with a palette of soft white lacquered lower cabinets and oak upper cabinetry. The countertops and backsplash are crafted from a striking quartzite in cream, peach, and mauve tones, adding a subtle vibrancy to the space. A cream-enameled range takes center stage, complemented by a hidden coffee station and a dedicated cabinet for AV supplies, ensuring a clutter-free aesthetic. The hall guest bathroom is a playful yet refined mix of materials and textures. Peach-toned concrete tiles cover the walls, while the floor features cream zellige tiles. Brass fixtures, a brass mirror, and a brass wall sconce lend a touch of warmth and luxury, harmonizing with the custom pecan-veneered vanity and custom concrete sink, The primary bedroom suite is a serene retreat, painted in a rich, deep blue that sets a calming tone. Accessed through a bespoke millwork closet, the ensuite bathroom is a small yet striking space, showcasing impeccable craftsmanship. The rear wall of the shower is clad in floor-toceiling slabs of light blue quartzite, creating a dramatic focal point visible from the bedroom. This quartzite extends seamlessly to form a sculptural bench within the shower, which transitions outward into a custom sink. Beneath the sink, two wood drawers provide discreet storage. The remaining walls are finished in soft beige Moroccan tadelakt plaster, adding a warm contrast to the cool tones of the quartzite. This Park Slope penthouse is a carefully curated blend of modern elegance and thoughtful functionality, with bespoke details and rich materiality that celebrate both the character of the space and the needs of its owners.

Four stories is a long way to travel, and this staircase makes every level count. Seattle-style steel stringers from the Prestige Metal line carry the structure with industrial honesty, not hidden behind walls but celebrated as part of the design. Vertical metal bars reinforce that rhythm, while riserless white oak treads appear to float as they rise, light and shadow playing beneath them at every turn. The oak elements do more than add warmth, they add an organic balance. A white oak handrail caps the metal balustrade, and the shift from steel to wood under your hand transforms the daily climb into something quietly pleasant. Four stories of steel and oak, working in concert to create something architecturally bold and comfortable for daily life. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Our client's relaxed elegant dining room was ready for elegant draperies. We designed and fabricated these stunning cornices over crystal-embedded sheer drapes beneath the them. We added an elegant crystal medallion to each cornice which reflected the crystals in their existing chandelier.

The star of this master bath remodel is the beautiful mosaic tiles used in the backsplash, shower accent, and shower floor. The blend of blues, ambers, and browns gives the room a beachy feel. The new slate look tile floor has radiant heating installed beneath to keep the space cozy and warm. A large vanity with tower cabinet provides plenty of storage for necessities and linens.

This dining room design in Raleigh, NC proves that traditional style is anything but dated. Our team at Lavish transformed the formal dining room with a showstopping detail overhead: a chinoiserie botanical wallpaper applied to the tray ceiling, framed by layered crown molding and soft blue walls with classic wainscoting. The clients' mahogany Chippendale dining set and antique sideboard were honored rather than replaced — refreshed with Greek key upholstered seats, a gilded leaf chandelier, black-shaded buffet lamps, an equestrian oil painting, and a collected arrangement of majolica and porcelain plates on the walls. Floral drapery and a soft antique-style rug complete this elegant space for entertaining. Across the hall, the sitting room design leans into the same collected, heirloom sensibility. A tufted leather Chesterfield sofa sits beneath a floor-to-ceiling gallery wall of gold-framed art, vintage posters, and family treasures, while an antique secretary desk, brass bamboo nesting tables, and playful patterned pillows keep the room personal and warm. A sculptural gold leaf pendant adds just enough sparkle overhead. As a full-service interior design firm in Raleigh, NC, Lavish specializes in working with what clients love — blending inherited antiques and personal collections with new wallpaper, lighting, drapery, and styling to create interiors that feel layered, storied, and completely their own.

Those angles, though. We just can't stop staring at the way this staircase curves right beneath an abundance of windows allowing natural light (and that antler chandelier) to follow you every step of the way.

Moss Garden: A Living Carpet of Tranquility A moss garden is a serene, low-maintenance landscape feature that evokes a profound sense of calm and natural beauty. Composed of vibrant, velvety mosses that thrive in shaded, humid environments, these gardens offer a soft, carpet-like groundcover that replaces traditional lawns or gravel with rich, green texture. At Westland Design, our moss gardens are thoughtfully integrated into the overall landscape to enhance a feeling of timelessness and stillness. Whether nestled beneath the canopy of trees, edging a stone pathway, or surrounding a tranquil water feature, moss brings subtle movement and color to quiet corners of the garden. Key qualities of a moss garden include: Evergreen softness: Moss provides lush, year-round greenery that requires no mowing or fertilizing. Quiet beauty: It absorbs sound, contributing to a peaceful, contemplative environment. Natural elegance: Ideal for Japanese-style gardens or woodland settings, moss complements stone, water, and wood elements with organic harmony. A moss garden is more than a design choice—it’s an invitation to slow down, observe closely, and appreciate nature’s quiet elegance.

Today’s investment landscape in California features a surge in transforming single-family lots into vibrant multi-family residences, facilitated by recent SB9 and ADU laws. This project exemplifies how a modest 6,750-square-foot lot can accommodate a 1,500-square-foot primary home alongside a 2,500-square-foot duplex, seamlessly integrating design, functionality, and neighborhood aesthetics. The primary residence underwent a meticulous interior transformation, evolving from a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath layout into a spacious 4-bedroom, 2-bath home. Strategic reconfigurations centered around creating an expansive great room—an open-concept space adorned with vaulted ceilings—where the kitchen, dining, and living areas converge into a magnificent communal zone. Exterior updates further distinguish the property. The front and side yards are enclosed with fencing and privacy hedges, linked by concrete pathways that enhance outdoor functionality while compensating for backyard space lost during renovations. The exterior façade was refreshed with darker tones, deliberately contrasting with the duplex to emphasize architectural separation. Designed to preserve the suburban charm, the duplex visually mimics a single-family home from the street. Its facade creates an illusion of a two-story residence, maintaining harmony within the neighborhood fabric. The main unit, developed under SB9 guidelines, features three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a luxurious parents’ suite situated upstairs. Downstairs, two bedrooms share a full bath, creating a balanced family-oriented layout. The duplex’s interior boasts 9-foot ceilings throughout, elevating the sense of space and openness. The design thoughtfully places the kitchen at the front, inviting guests into the home, while stairs on the right lead to the private upstairs bedroom suite. The ADU offers a two bedroom and two & half baths. the unit is accessible via a private side entrance with a dedicated walkway. Its layout includes a ground-floor living room, a galley kitchen, and a discreet powder room beneath the stairs, designed to contain guest traffic and maintain privacy upstairs. The upstairs bedrooms each feature luxurious bathrooms with expansive showers, adding an element of modern elegance. Both units enjoy thoughtfully landscaped outdoor spaces—private patios, backyard areas, and gated front yards—creating welcoming environments for residents and visitors alike. This project exemplifies innovative urban infill solutions, blending architectural elegance with legal compliance and community harmony—an inspiring blueprint for the future of residential development in California.

Keeping within the existing footprint of the kitchen, our design team worked collaboratively with the homeowners to maximize the square footage and create additional storage. We designed new base cabinets beneath the window, which housed a double trash pullout and under counter wine refrigerator. The busy granite countertops were replaced with beautiful contemporary white Calcatta Clara quartz countertops with an eased edge. We replaced the fluted glass cabinet doors with solid doors to match the existing cabinetry, and the kitchen was painted a crisp white. The traditional beveled subway tile was paired with a marble mosaic at the island and used as an accent behind the cooktop to complement the quartz countertops. Clean, crisp, stunning!

The emotional center of the home: a three-tier altar in white marble, trimmed in brass, set beneath a hand-painted mural of a South Indian temple gopuram rendered in warm reds, ochres, and blues against a dusty-pink backdrop. A framed image of the family's deity, dressed in fresh marigold garlands, sits at its heart, flanked by small silver lamps lit daily. It's a compact space doing outsized work — turning a few square feet into a daily pilgrimage the family doesn't have to leave home for.

This bright, open concept living area in San Diego showcases a seamless connection between the living room, dining space and kitchen. A neutral gray sofa and armchairs are paired with a leather ottoman and layered textiles, while a wishbone chair dining set sits beneath a woven pendant fixture and gallery style artwork. Vaulted ceilings, warm white oak tones and wide-plank flooring carry through into the kitchen beyond, where a waterfall island and sculptural pendant light continue the home's cohesive design language. A great example of connected, light filled living in this San Diego, CA home.

This 1,200 square-foot Provincetown condominium lives large, both functionally and aesthetically, thanks to its recent renovation. The waterfront home, overlooking Cape Cod Bay, is part of an historic grouping of three individual buildings on Commercial Street that have been combined into condominiums. Begun in November 2014 and completed just in time for summer in May 2016, b Architecture Studios and Cape Associates Builders worked with a budget of $366,000 to transform this prosaic dwelling into a stunning light-flooded space—designed to maximize both the living space and the mesmerizing views of the bay. “The space was totally reconfigured,” said project manager Jon Ziperman. “It was a total gut job requiring leveling of floors, straightening of walls, removing a chimney and fireplace that ran up to the above neighbors’ unit.” The renovation also required a complete rewiring and plumbing system that involved wires and pipes that were integrated into the surrounding units. From wall to wall and floor to ceiling, there was nothing that could be salvaged from the original space. One of the most prominent changes was moving the stairway from its original placement, where it originally broke up the living and dining space and blocked views to the bay beyond. The stairway now sits on the opposite side of the condominium. With the stairs tucked to the left side of the living area, the sightline now extends from the entry straight through the living and dining areas to the water. The new design allowed for storage space beneath the stairs, which lead to an airy sleeping loft, and room for a desk niche. A light well, where the former sleeping area was, and new windows bring abundant natural light to the central living area. Innovative features in the entry room include a Murphy bed and sliding glass door separating it from the living area, so that the space can double as a guest room. “The Murphy bed fit in nicely, allowing for a flush wall at the entry/guest room and a desk niche in the adjacent room,” Brown said. “Convincing the client to create the wrap-around chair rail, lined up with the divided lights of the sliding glass door, makes a purposeful connection in a small space.” Neolith countertops in the open kitchen and details like the flush minimal baseboard contribute to the sleek, modern aesthetic, now complemented by the owner’s contemporary furnishings. This complete renovation has rendered this compact home worthy of its beautiful setting.