Kitchen cabinetry stands tall in the soaring spaces of the interior. Accents include mill-finish stainless counters and black i-beams borrowed from the language of the exterior.

For large dinner parties, the five foot wide custom barn door opens up and allows the guest/TV room to be combined with the dining room (seen at right in photo). A long table can be set up through the two areas. An opening in the wall between dining room and living room (not visible in photo) allows for views of the San Francisco Bay bridge from the dining room.

This colorful, bohemian home in San Jose pays homage to the resident's Indian heritage while still reflecting their modern lifestyle. These clients were very hands-on and were very involved in every part of the design plan. The most enjoyable part was sourcing one-of-a-kind items from artisans from around the world. Local artist JC Riccoboni drew the golden Tree of Life mural in the library, drawing inspiration from a book of contemporary Indian interior design borrowed from the client's library.

Frosted glass was used in a variety of ways throughout the entire house. In the master bathroom a sheet of frosted glass makes the back of shelving between the sinks and the WC. Window blinds and curtains for privacy were avoided by frosting the lower portion of the windows. These were custom made and adjusted for the owners' heights. Natural light is thereby maximized.

www.genevacabinet.com Geneva Cabinet Company, Lake Geneva WI, It is very likely that function is the key motivator behind a bathroom makeover. It could be too small, dated, or just not working. Here we recreated the primary bath by borrowing space from an adjacent laundry room and hall bath. The new design delivers a spacious bathroom suite with the bonus of improved laundry storage.

The south-facing street elevations is nestled nicely into the canopy of two mature live oak trees. The materials palette of hand-molded brick, thick profile siding, exposed timber framing & rafters, double-hung windows, and operable louvered shutters is borrowed from the neighborhood's existing stock of mid-century craftsman ranch houses.

This small master bathroom in a 1980s ranch was in need of a dramatic transformation to better meet the “empty nester” homeowners’ changing needs and taste. To improve its functionality and allow us to include an enlarged porcelain tile shower, we borrowed 15 square feet from the adjacent seldom-used guest bathroom, but did so without sacrificing that room’s functionality and aesthetic. Total usable space between the two bathrooms was approximately 100 square feet. This redesign was challenging due to the limited space, but the final layout reflects a balance between beauty, efficiency, and the homeowners’ priorities. They were open to innovative finishes, which resulted in two precisely-crafted luxurious, spa-like bathrooms that allow for relaxation and optimal functionality.

This elegant dining room borrows from classical design with columns, leaded glass, and artwork on the ceiling. For a moment you may feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. However, each element reflects the homeowner’s unique taste. And the room is still intimate with a round table, warm red marble fireplace and elegantly curved cabinets for a stunning dining room design.

This small master bathroom in a 1980s ranch was in need of a dramatic transformation to better meet the “empty nester” homeowners’ changing needs and taste. To improve its functionality and allow us to include an enlarged porcelain tile shower, we borrowed 15 square feet from the adjacent seldom-used guest bathroom, but did so without sacrificing that room’s functionality and aesthetic. Total usable space between the two bathrooms was approximately 100 square feet. This redesign was challenging due to the limited space, but the final layout reflects a balance between beauty, efficiency, and the homeowners’ priorities. They were open to innovative finishes, which resulted in two precisely-crafted luxurious, spa-like bathrooms that allow for relaxation and optimal functionality.

By eliminating the wall between the kitchen and living room and borrowing space from an adjacent bedroom, the kitchen’s new expanded footprint includes an island, generous pantry storage, and plenty of surface space for both entertaining and work tasks. Scott DuBose Photography / Designed by Julie Prellwitz

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects, and Flegels Construction updated a classic Eichler open, indoor-outdoor home. Expanding on the original walls of glass and connection to nature that is common in mid-century modern homes. The completely openable walls allow the homeowners to truly open up the living space of the house, transforming it into an open air pavilion, extending the living area outdoors to the private side yards, and taking maximum advantage of indoor-outdoor living opportunities. Taking the concept of borrowed landscape from traditional Japanese architecture, the fountain, concrete bench wall, and natural landscaping bound the indoor-outdoor space. The Truly Open Eichler is a remodeled single-family house in Palo Alto. This 1,712 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom is located in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Geoff Campen, and Angela Todorova Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Structural Engineer: Brian Dotson Consulting Engineers Contractor: Flegels Construction Photography ©2014 Mariko Reed Location: Palo Alto, CA Year completed: 2014

Example of a classic garage design in Milwaukee

Pool with beamed ceiling: Set in a remote district just outside Halfway, Oregon, this working ranch required a water reserve for fire fighting for the newly constructed ranch house. This pragmatic requirement was the catalyst for the unique design approach — having the water reserve serve a dual purpose: fitness and firefighting. Borrowing from the surrounding landscape, two masses — one gabled mass and one shed form — are skewed to each other, recalling the layered hills that surround the home. Internally, the two masses give way to an open, unencumbered space. The use of wood timbers, so fitting for this setting, forms the rhythm to the design, with glass infill opening the space to the surrounding landscape. The calm blue pool brings all of these elements together, serving as a complement to the green prairie in summer and the snow-covered hills in winter.

Saturday, August 8, 11:00am to 12:30pm | Englewood | Pondbank House by Herb Schaal, FASLA, with architect Don Ruggles of Ruggles Mabe Terrell Architecture, landscape contractor Philip Steinhauer of Designscapes, and general contractor Jeff Barnett of J.K. Barnett, Ltd. In keeping with the grand Palladian architectural style of the Pondbank House, the landscape architect has created an impressive series of complementary Mediterranean garden spaces using local stone for terracing and High Plains adapted plants. In addition to a kitchen and cutting garden and diverse planting schemes featuring over 250 species, there are many delightful pieces of garden art and creative garden details. Decorative fountain walls distribute roof and storm drainage to terraced plantings. An infinity lawn edge creates a “ha-ha” effect from the pool terrace to the borrowed landscape in the distance. A lovely moon gate leads to a secluded Japanese-style spa garden, an “aromabo” for contemplative relaxation and outdoor aromatherapy. And a shallow water basin in the strolling garden is positioned to reflect the rising moon. Photo by Emily Minton Redfield

A new design brings opportunities for greatness. The spacious room with beautiful views was a good start. www.genevacabinet.com Geneva Cabinet Company, Lake Geneva WI However a central fireplace limited the natural flow of activity. Removing the fireplace and borrowing space from the mudroom was a game changer. Essential to the new plan is an inviting island with generous space for storage, meal prep, gatherings and dining.

Borrowing a 30" space from a front hall closet allowed for a reconfiguration of this kitchen to include a peninsula for counterheight seating, along with a double door pantry. Minimizing the space required in the eating area with banquette seating, opened up even more space to expand the kitchen cabinetry. Design by Interior Intuition, Photos by MB Photography

The owners of this 1958 mid-century modern home desired a refreshing new master bathroom that was open and bright. The previous bathroom felt dark and cramped, with dated fixtures. A new bathroom was designed, borrowing much needed space from the neighboring garage, and allowing for a larger shower, a generous vanity with integrated trough sink and a soaking tub.

Realtor wanted to stage this Sea Pines villa. The home had been with two previous realtors with no results. When this Realtor took the listing, she told the owner that 90% of buyers start their search on the internet. Unfortunately, your place does not look "inviting but rather stark & cold in its present state so it's being passed over". That's when she called me for advice...we moved existing furniture around, borrowed some artwork, created a coffee table with two smaller tables. Added a little color with pillows & towels. The owner's only out of pocket cost for two wicker end tables and a wicker etagere was less than $200. The end result was that the place sold within two weeks of it hitting the market!

Space was borrowed from an adjacent hall closet to make room for this luxurious stall shower (if you look carefully, you can see this in back of the shower). A built-in seat provides a place to rest or groom and the pebble-tile base works nicely with the wood-plank ceramic tile floor in the main bathroom. The niche above the toilet provides towel storage and a heated, towel bar keeps linens warm, dry and free of mustiness year-round.