Search results for "Borrowing habits" in Home Design Ideas

This is a compact, pre-war urban parlor handled with the confidence of a much larger room, and its success rests on a disciplined negotiation between rectilinear architecture and curvilinear furnishings. The volume is defined by two competing datum lines: a substantial dropped beam and soffit bridging the left-hand window wall, and the crisp stepped architrave of the fireplace surround opposite, which projects into the room as the primary architectural event. That mantel—executed in tiered, chamfered planes with a shallow reveal and a honed black stone hearth extending as a cantilevered shelf—reads as a stripped-classical or Art Deco–inflected aedicule, its symmetry anchoring the seating plan. Circulation is organized on a diagonal: the long axis established by the low, tight-back sofa beneath the fenestration is intercepted by the oval mahogany cocktail table, whose ellipse dissolves the room's orthogonal grid and permits comfortable passage on all sides. Sightlines are deliberately layered—the gilt mirror above the mantel captures a reflected register of the opposing wall's cornice, drapery, and framed art, effectively doubling the perceived depth of the plan and admitting borrowed light. The furniture is uniformly low-slung, an intentional strategy that preserves headroom and visually raises the ceiling plane, while the exposed leg profiles (turned casters, tapered mahogany posts, square-section table legs) keep the floor plane continuous and the composition buoyant rather than freighted.
The palette is a masterclass in tonal modulation within a narrow chromatic band—warm ivory plaster walls with a faintly pinkish undertone provide the neutral ground against which a family of golds, ochres, and honeyed camels is arranged in ascending saturation. The sofa's cut velvet in a deep saffron-caramel is the room's chromatic keystone, echoed in the club chair at right and moderated by two temperature-shifting accents: sage and moss velvet cushions that introduce a cool, desaturated counterpoint, and a damask-woven celadon slipper chair with matching ottoman whose subtle jacquard relief supplies pattern without noise. Textiles are stratified by pile depth and light response—the matte, slightly slubbed linen of the box-pleated pelmet and floor-length panels absorbs light, while the velvets refract it, producing that characteristic gilded bloom along the seat rolls and cushion edges. Against these soft goods, the designer sets three hard, contrasting registers: the French-polished mahogany table, whose figured, mirror-like top functions as a horizontal reflector; the water-gilded, deeply carved acanthus mirror frame, its burnished high points offering the room's only true metallic brilliance; and the patinated bronze bulldog andirons and blackened firebox, which supply necessary chromatic weight. Underfoot, a coarse woven sisal or seagrass rug provides the essential textural antithesis—dry, granular, and vernacular—as do the loose-woven rush baskets flanking the window, grounding the room's refinement in something agrarian and unpretentious.
Daylighting is generous but rigorously controlled: the twin windows are filtered through translucent roller blinds that diffuse direct sun into an even, high-key wash, and the pelmet with its softly gathered box pleats crops the aperture to conceal hardware and reinforce the horizontal. The result is a luminous, almost overexposed north-facing quality along the left flank that gradates into softer shadow at the hearth wall—a chiaroscuro that gives the room its sense of depth and repose. Artificial illumination is deliberately architectural and understated rather than decorative: a swing-arm picture light above the abstract framed work at left, a second slim picture light on the return wall, and an articulating chrome task/floor lamp with a polished conical shade positioned to serve the reading corner. Notably, there is no central fixture; the strategy is entirely peripheral and layered, calibrated for evening intimacy at cushion height. Stylistically, the room synthesizes into what one might call Restrained American Traditionalism, or more precisely a Warm Modern Classicism—the vocabulary of a New York or London town-house drawing room, edited of clutter and pattern, retaining the ceremonial gestures (gilt overmantel mirror, tailored drapery, symmetrical hearth) while adopting modernist restraint in silhouette, chromatic economy, and the absence of ornament on the case goods. The reference points span Deco, Regency, and mid-century upholstery forms, yet the assembly feels neither eclectic nor historicist. It is, instead, a quietly authoritative interior—luxurious in material and light, ascetic in gesture, and calibrated for daily habitation rather than display.

This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house.
George Mendel
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Latch hardware in upper cabinets.
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Master Bedroom with Red Bed Frame and custom drapery and bedding.
Bedroom - traditional master light wood floor bedroom idea in Charlotte
Bedroom - traditional master light wood floor bedroom idea in Charlotte

Concrete can be made to look like any substance. Tile, stone, wood, brick, etc. With unlimited color options, Ky-Kan Coatings can transform any room in your home or business using lightweight, beautiful concrete.

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash.
Paint colors:
Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024
Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23
Robert B. Narod Photography

Gorgeous master bath with dramatic retro "wave" tile. Peak Photography
Example of a 1950s bathroom design in Los Angeles
Example of a 1950s bathroom design in Los Angeles

Engineered cedar siding creates beautiful gray-blue tones at the exterior of the home, while adding a textural element to activate the simple exterior design.

When Cummings Architects first met with the owners of this understated country farmhouse, the building’s layout and design was an incoherent jumble. The original bones of the building were almost unrecognizable. All of the original windows, doors, flooring, and trims – even the country kitchen – had been removed. Mathew and his team began a thorough design discovery process to find the design solution that would enable them to breathe life back into the old farmhouse in a way that acknowledged the building’s venerable history while also providing for a modern living by a growing family.
The redesign included the addition of a new eat-in kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, wrap around porch, and stone fireplaces. To begin the transforming restoration, the team designed a generous, twenty-four square foot kitchen addition with custom, farmers-style cabinetry and timber framing. The team walked the homeowners through each detail the cabinetry layout, materials, and finishes. Salvaged materials were used and authentic craftsmanship lent a sense of place and history to the fabric of the space.
The new master suite included a cathedral ceiling showcasing beautifully worn salvaged timbers. The team continued with the farm theme, using sliding barn doors to separate the custom-designed master bath and closet. The new second-floor hallway features a bold, red floor while new transoms in each bedroom let in plenty of light. A summer stair, detailed and crafted with authentic details, was added for additional access and charm.
Finally, a welcoming farmer’s porch wraps around the side entry, connecting to the rear yard via a gracefully engineered grade. This large outdoor space provides seating for large groups of people to visit and dine next to the beautiful outdoor landscape and the new exterior stone fireplace.
Though it had temporarily lost its identity, with the help of the team at Cummings Architects, this lovely farmhouse has regained not only its former charm but also a new life through beautifully integrated modern features designed for today’s family.
Photo by Eric Roth

This bedroom and full bathroom are part of an adventuresome project my wife and I embarked upon to create a complete apartment in the basement of our townhouse. We designed a floor plan that creatively and efficiently used all of the 385-square-foot-space, without sacrificing beauty, comfort or function – and all without breaking the bank! To maximize our budget, we did the work ourselves and added everything from thrift store finds to DIY wall art to bring it all together.
A partial double closet bar adds a little extra space while still leaving room for longer hanging clothes.

Staircase - mid-sized traditional wooden straight wood railing staircase idea in New York with painted risers

Budget Blinds blackout roller shades, photo credit installer Adam Brannick
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest bedroom design in Cedar Rapids with gray walls and no fireplace
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest bedroom design in Cedar Rapids with gray walls and no fireplace

Mid-sized elegant carpeted straight wood railing home design photo in New York with carpeted risers

Large country u-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Milwaukee with white cabinets and a peninsula
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