The Yin-Yang House is a net-zero energy single-family home in a quiet Venice, CA neighborhood. The design objective was to create a space for a large and growing family with several children, which would create a calm, relaxed and organized environment that emphasizes public family space. The home also serves as a place to entertain, and a welcoming space for teenagers as they seek social space with friends. The home is organized around a series of courtyards and other outdoor spaces that integrate with the interior of the house. Facing the street the house appears to be solid. However, behind the steel entry door is a courtyard, which reveals the indoor-outdoor nature of the house behind the solid exterior. From the entry courtyard, the entire space to the rear garden wall can be seen; the first clue of the home’s spatial connection between inside and out. These spaces are designed for entertainment, and the 40 foot sliding glass door to the living room enhances the harmonic relationship of the main room, allowing the owners to host many guests without the feeling of being overburdened. The tensions of the house’s exterior are subtly underscored by a 12-inch steel band that hews close to, but sometimes rises above or falls below the floor line of the second floor – a continuous loop moving inside and out like a pen that is never lifted from the page, but reinforces the intent to spatially weave together the indoors with the outside as a single space. Scale manipulation also plays a formal role in the design of the structure. From the rear, the house appears to be a single-story volume. The large master bedroom window and the outdoor steps are scaled to support this illusion. It is only when the steps are animated with people that one realizes the true scale of the house is two stories. The kitchen is the heart of the house, with an open working area that allows the owner, an accomplished chef, to converse with friends while cooking. Bedrooms are intentionally designed to be very small and simple; allowing for larger public spaces, emphasizing the family over individual domains. The breakfast room looks across an outdoor courtyard to the guest room/kids playroom, establishing a visual connection while defining the separation of uses. The children can play outdoors while under adult supervision from the dining area or the office, or do homework in the office while adults occupy the adjacent outdoor or indoor space. Many of the materials used, including the bamboo interior, composite stone and tile countertops and bathroom finishes are recycled, and reinforce the environmental DNA of the house, which also has a green roof. Blown-in cellulose insulation, radiant heating and a host of other sustainable features aids in the performance of the building’s heating and cooling. The active systems in the home include a 12 KW solar photovoltaic panel system, the largest such residential system available on the market. The solar panels also provide shade from the sun, preventing the house from becoming overheated. The owners have been in the home for over nine months and have yet to receive a power bill.

Kitchen design and photography by Jennifer Hayes of Castle Kitchens and Interiors
Example of an arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen design in Denver with recessed-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and slate backsplash

Honey I'm "Honed".... beautiful honed black absolute granite countertops with slab natural maple cabinetry and sleek stainless steel appliances, new usb outlet at desk with fun "Teacher's" Apple Green Accented backsplash

Photo by Michael Hospelt
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, blue backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, gray countertops and glass tile backsplash

When a family living in Singapore decided to purchase a New York City pied-à-terre, they settled on the historic Langham Place, a 60-floor building along 5th Ave which features a mixture of permanent residencies and 5-star hotel suites. Immediately after purchasing the condo, they reached out to Decor Aid, and tasked us with designing a home that would reflect their jet-setting lifestyle and chic sensibility. Book Your Free In-Home Consultation Connecting to the historic Tiffany Building at 404 5th Ave, the exterior of Langham Place is a combination of highly contemporary architecture and 1920’s art deco design. And with this highly unique architecture, came highly angular, outward leaning floor-to-ceiling windows, which would prove to be our biggest design challenge. One of the apartment’s quirks was negotiating an uneven balance of natural light throughout the space. Parts of the apartment, such one of the kids’ bedrooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light, while other areas, such as one corner of the living room, receive little natural light. By sourcing a combination of contemporary, low-profile furniture pieces and metallic accents, we were able to compensate for apartment’s pockets of darkness. A low-profile beige sectional from Room & Board was an obvious choice, which we complemented with a lucite console and a bronze Riverstone coffee table from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. Circular tables were placed throughout the apartment in order to establish a design scheme that would be easy to walk through. A marble tulip table from Sit Down New York provides an opulent dining room space, without crowding the floor plan. The finishing touches include a sumptuous swivel chair from Safavieh, to create a sleek, welcoming vacation home for this international client.

Classic Shaker Kitchen In A Small Space. Design by Mari Kushino Design, Cabinets by South Shore Cabinetry, Photography by Tony Colangelo Photography.

Appliance Lift
Example of a trendy kitchen design in San Francisco

This kitchen has it all! Under-cabinet lighting, floating shelves, a huge 10'x5' island, professional grade appliances, and tons of storage make dinner time easy!

This project is a new 5,900 sf. primary residence for a couple with three children. The site is slightly elevated above the residential street and enjoys winter views of the Potomac River. The family’s requirements included five bedrooms, five full baths, a powder room, family room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, walk-in pantry, mudroom, lower level recreation room, exercise room, media room and numerous storage spaces. Also included was the request for an outdoor terrace and adequate outdoor storage, including provision for the storage of bikes and kayaks. The family needed a home that would have two entrances, the primary entrance, and a mudroom entry that would provide generous storage spaces for the family’s active lifestyle. Due to the small lot size, the challenge was to accommodate the family’s requirements, while remaining sympathetic to the scale of neighboring homes. The residence employs a “T” shaped plan to aid in minimizing the massing visible from the street, while organizing interior spaces around a private outdoor terrace space accessible from the living and dining spaces. A generous front porch and a gambrel roof diminish the home’s scale, providing a welcoming view along the street front. A path along the right side of the residence leads to the family entrance and a small outbuilding that provides ready access to the bikes and kayaks while shielding the rear terrace from view of neighboring homes. The two entrances join a central stair hall that leads to the eat-in kitchen overlooking the great room. Window seats and a custom built banquette provide gathering spaces, while the French doors connect the great room to the terrace where the arbor transitions to the garden. A first floor guest suite, separate from the family areas of the home, affords privacy for both guests and hosts alike. The second floor Master Suite enjoys views of the Potomac River through a second floor arched balcony visible from the front. The exterior is composed of a board and batten first floor with a cedar shingled second floor and gambrel roof. These two contrasting materials and the inclusion of a partially recessed front porch contribute to the perceived diminution of the home’s scale relative to its smaller neighbors. The overall intention was to create a close fit between the residence and the neighboring context, both built and natural. Builder: E.H. Johnstone Builders Anice Hoachlander Photography

Modern Wall Unit Exential Y16 by Spar Made in Italy Exential by Spar is an italian modular wall unit line that could be an excellent design solution for any modern or contemporary styled living room, especially if the space is limited. Individual units allow to make a large TV area and functionally organize only those areas you need, which is impossible to do with the joint wall unit compositions. This italian entertainment center will complement your home and the areas of your daily life, not only as an aesthetic, but also as a functional addition, featuring an abundance of storage space, both hidden and exposed, to aid you with the organization of all your belongings, bringing the elegance into your interior. An original modern look of this wall unit composition is also achieved by a different depth of the wall mounted units. The Wall Unit Composition Exential Y16 is shown in the next colors/finishes: Structure - White and Gray Smoke Gloss, Blue and Gray Smoke Matt lacquers; Front - White and Gray Smoke Gloss, Blue Matt lacquers. PLEASE NOTE: The Exential is a modular wall unit line offering a wide variety of units in different sizes. You can order this wall unit either as a complete composition, as shown in the main picture, or build your own composition according to your own dimensions and preferences. Please contact our office about details on the customization of this wall unit. MATERIAL/CONSTRUCTION: Structure: Made with particle board of wood, covered with E1 melamine finishes or high gloss lacquer Drawers: Made with panels of wood particles in E1-coated finish PVC beech. Metal runners with fine race to fall Glass: 4mm glass The starting price is for the Exential Wall Unit Composition Y16 as shown in the main picture. Dimensions: Wall Unit Composition: W136" x D17.7" x H72"

Modern Wall Unit Exential Y46 by Spar Made in Italy Exential by Spar is an italian modular wall unit line that could be an excellent design solution for any modern or contemporary styled living room. Consisting of individual pieces, it allows you to reveal the creativity and arrange the composition by yourself, organizing only those areas you want in the way you need it and prefer. The entertainment center provides an abundance of storage space, both hidden and exposed, to aid with organization of all your belongings. Large TV area allows to place a huge TV with all the media devices, turning the living room into a movie theater. The Wall Unit Composition Exential Y46 is shown in the next colors/finishes: Structure - Elm finish, White Matt lacquer; Front - Elm finish, White Matt lacquer. PLEASE NOTE: The Exential is a modular wall unit line offering a wide variety of units in different sizes. You can order this wall unit either as a complete composition, as shown in the main picture, or build your own composition according to your own dimensions and preferences. Please contact our office about details on the customization of this wall unit. MATERIAL/CONSTRUCTION: Structure: Made with particle board of wood, covered with E1 melamine finishes or high gloss lacquer Drawers: Made with panels of wood particles in E1-coated finish PVC beech. Metal runners with fine race to fall Glass: 4mm glass The starting price is for the Exential Wall Unit Composition Y46 as shown in the main picture. Dimensions: Wall Unit Composition: W141.7" x D17.7" x H85" Individual Components: Horizontal Drawer Cabinet: W47.2" x D17.7" x H12.4" Horizontal Door Cabinet: W59" x D17.7" x H12.4" Vertical Door Cabinet (white): W17.7" x D15" x H47.2" Vertical Door Cabinet (light elm): W11.8" x D15" x H47.2" Medium Bookcase Unit: W11.8" x D13" x H60.6" Small Bookcase Unit: W17.7" x D13" x H37" Large Bookcase Unit: W17.7" x D13" x H72.5"

Dialogue Design
Example of a trendy kitchen design in Toronto

This amazing renovation focused on solving a series of problems that a previous kitchen expansion had created. By rearranging the appliance placement, updating the cabinetry, designing all new storage solutions and maximizing the amazing outdoor views; we cured the spit personality disorder plaguing the existing kitchen. The home now has a beautifully redesigned kitchen and living space perfect for entertaining, relaxing and enjoying the outside views. Vaulted ceilings with bright skylights, reflective glass wall tiles, sleek sophisticated Cambria quartz counter tops, fingerprint-free faucet, multi-functional Prolific kitchen sink by Kohler, stainless steel appliances, creative storage solutions, all new lighting and timeless shaker cabinets by Wellborn lend to the now bright, open, vivacious and flawless function of this newly renovated galley style kitchen. White base cabinets along the outside walls contrast perfectly with the dark grey island cabinets. Linear satin nickel door and drawer pulls coordinate with the stainless steel appliances and sink. An eclectic blend of vintage and modern furnishings, artwork and rugs create a comfortable balance that feels and looks timeless. Breathtaking backyard views are artfully framed by new Pella windows and doors with integral blinds between the glass. Calm, inviting neutral tones provide the perfect backdrop for this refined design. Photos by: Kimberly Kerl

Design by: Bill Tweten, CKD, CBD Photo by: Robb Siverson www.robbsiverson.com A walk in pantry is great for additional food storage for any kitchen. This custom designed pantry features Crystal Cabinets antique white paint with brown glazing and extra distressing to give the cabinets a weathered look. Bead board was used in place of a traditional styled backsplash and standard drawers were replaced with wicker basket pull outs, and glass accent doors add a little more interest to the cabinets. Saba granite was used to add a splash of color along with oil rubbed bronze hardware to offset the light cabinets. All together this pantry provides ample storage and has an extraordinary look of its own.

With standard-height ceilings in this kitchen, we used all the available vertical space. Vastly increasing the storage capacity of the room without sacrificing elegance in design was a homeowner priority here, and we nailed it! (Calgary Photos)

Italian Wall Unit Exential T03 by Spar. This ultra modern modular wall unit composition, consisting of individual pieces, is a great design solution for those, who are full of creativity and desire to reveal their individuality and arrange the living room by themselves. The individual units allow to organize only those areas you want in the way you need it and prefer, which is impossible to do with the joint wall unit compositions. The entertainment center provides an abundance of storage space, both hidden and exposed, to aid with organization of all your belongings. Large TV area allows to place a huge TV, turning the living room into a functional movie theater. The Wall Unit Composition Exential T03 is shown in the next colors/finishes: Structure - White Ash and Dark Elm finishes; Front - White Ash and Dark Elm finishes; Mirrored Glass PLEASE NOTE: The Exential is a modular wall unit line offering a wide variety of units in different sizes. You can order this wall unit either as a complete composition, as shown in the main picture, or build your own composition according to your own dimensions and preferences. Please contact our office about details on the customization of this wall unit. MATERIAL/CONSTRUCTION: Structure: Made with particle board of wood, covered with E1 melamine finishes or high gloss / matt lacquered Glass: 4 mm glass Drawers: Made with panels of wood particles in E1-coated finish PVC beech. Metal runners with fine race to fall The starting price is for the Exential Wall Unit Composition T03 as shown in the main picture. Lights are not included in the price. Dimensions: Shown Wall Unit Composition: W118" x D15"/17.7" x H78"

This farmhouse kitchen was designed for an active family that loves to entertain and likes to keep an eye on their menagerie of barnyard animals throughout the day. The pantry, behind the barn door, was carved out of a former cabinet space while the refrigerator was relocated to the former tiny pantry, after the two side fireplace was replaced with a once sided fireplace that now faces the family room. With the burning hazard eliminated, the island could be extended for much desired storage, prep space as well as a place for friends and family to perch while meal preparation is underway.

Large elegant l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Providence with an island, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink and white walls