Inspiration for a transitional kids' bathroom remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets and multicolored walls

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2016 Houzz Design: Eddie Lee
Eclectic living room photo in New York

Wallpaper makes me happy and this bright, bold Schumacher print is sure to bring about a smile. The teal blue, lime, and yellow pull the space together into a cohesive, functional spot to meet your next deadline or take your next Zoom call. The cornice adds a beautiful focal point over the window, tying in to the wallpaper colors and the corner seating is perfect for an impromptu home office visitor. Certain this lucky client is loving her new space!

Kelly Peak
Small 1950s u-shaped concrete floor open concept kitchen photo in Phoenix with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, tile countertops, orange backsplash, porcelain backsplash and colored appliances

Inspired by a bold accessory item - this green door has people smiling as they walk by and glance at our clients new home. Photos provided by Homes by Tradition, LLC (builder)

Beach style kids' room photo in Other

Photo: Gloria Ogden
Entryway photo in Other

Edible landscaping encompasses much more then adding some veggie beds to one’s property. Creative layouts and material usage can incorporate year-round vegetable harvests in an aesthetically pleasing way. Perennial fruit trees, along with bushes and herbs, create a lush space full of beautiful, colors, textures, smells and tastes. Searching out and experimenting with different and rare varieties of edible plants keeps home gardens interesting. Edible landscaping gives access to food at its freshest, when it is most nutritious, and offers many more options than supermarket produce sections—also cutting down on transportation and packaging impacts. From edible estates to food forests, or simple integration of garden-based food production, Sweet Smiling Landscapes has the knowledge and experience to help home owners harvest their own bounty.

Located on a steep hill above downtown Ventura, this modern Spanish house features panoramic views of town with the ocean and Channel Islands beyond. While the views are amazing from a large front deck, the steep slope presented some constraints on the landscape design. Although the property is about a third-of-an-acre, the only useable and open garden space is a small (about 500 square feet) area to the West of the house. The house sits at the back of the property, and another steep hill on the neighboring property behind is held back by a tall retaining wall, leaving just enough room for a narrow, hardscaped patio in the back yard. Bright plantings along the back of the property delineate the home from the neighboring property, and we chose plantings to help stabilize the soil and further develop the Spanish garden look while creating a lush, inviting feel. Additionally, we added 52 pieces of pottery to soften and add interest to the back garden and patio areas. Succulents, herbs, and California natives fill the pottery along with bright, sweet-smelling, tropical-looking, and climate-appropriate plants. Slope stabilization was paramount for the front hill. Beyond that, finding plants that would thrive on the steep slope was the next obstacle. Finally, the aesthetics could be addressed, and we worked to find plants that meshed with the architecture—blending plants with white and orange to play off the red-tiled roofs and white-plastered walls that are emblematic of the Spanish style of this house as well as the predominate style of the neighborhood. The flattish area to the West was designed with the idea of creating a contemporary take on the parterre garden. Reminiscent of Mediterranean gardens, this vegetable and herb garden substitutes formal hedges with formal Corten steel planters to honor the modern Spanish architecture of the house. The citrus, herbs, and vegetables serve the foodie clients well.

Steve Henke Photography
Elegant formal carpeted living room photo in Minneapolis with beige walls and a standard fireplace

Fun entry with matching vintage lamps, vibrant credenza, and original Dalí print. Photo Credit: Mary Costa
1950s entryway photo in Los Angeles

Tired of freezing bleak winters, this client decided to split her time between Michigan and Southern California. She bought this bright, airy home that epitomizes West Coast living, but the prior owner had not done anything to maintain the garden in many years. The grounds were filled with poorly placed and sickly-looking plants. The new homeowner wanted her garden to be a respite from subzero temperatures, filled year-round with flowers. Deciding what to keep, what to move and what to add, we came up with a plant pallet full of California and Mexico natives, and lots of succulents as well. We added over 1000 plants, filling this property with lush, year-round color that is undeniably Southern Californian.

Eat in kitchen table complete with storage banquette, adjacent to back yard completes the perfect family kitchen Ric Marder Imagery
Kitchen - craftsman kitchen idea in New York

Looking for a peaceful retirement spot, these clients chose Poipu Crater for it’s coastal location and lush surroundings. Their love of bright, clear jewel tones inspired the direction for this remodel project. Choosing the main area rug was important, as it set the tone for the rest of the house. The rug is dramatic, with it’s overscaled floral in bright, happy hues, and brings a smile to the owner’s faces each time they walk into the room. Tropical botanical artwork is seen throughout the rooms, including some pieces by Kauai’s own Robin McCoy. Gorgeous fabrics also infuse the home with vibrant shades. This colorful palette is showcased with a neutral backdrop of textural finishes such as the whitewashed oak flooring, pebble stone bath flooring, and overscale white subway tiles in the showers. Metal finishes in brushed golds and dark bronze bring a richness and warmth to the scheme. The full kitchen redesign allows for better functionality while adding drama with height and scale. The stunning glass herringbone backsplash is a work of art in it’s own right and adds an element of surprise when you first enter the home. Textural “rock candy” glass pendant lights and crisp, white shaker cabinets make this room sparkle! To help with the desired clean and uncluttered look, storage was carefully planned in this home, and special details such as pop-out outlets above the night stands were added to keep things organized and to optimize functionality. This colorful, tropical oasis will be enjoyed for many years to come!

Wallpaper makes me happy and this bright, bold Schumacher print is sure to bring about a smile. The teal blue, lime, and yellow pull the space together into a cohesive, functional spot to meet your next deadline or take your next Zoom call. The cornice adds a beautiful focal point over the window, tying in to the wallpaper colors and the corner seating is perfect for an impromptu home office visitor. Certain this lucky client is loving her new space!

When this homeowner’s neighbor removed two, two- story-high Ficus trees, her side-yard became baron and sunbaked. Concrete covers virtually the whole area from the house to the property line, but because the side-yard has a lot of foot traffic and serves as a sitting area to the basement apartment, the owner did not want to remove any of the concrete. The solution was to put up fencing to block the view of the neighbor’s house, then upcycle wine barrels and 55-gallon drums into huge planters. The drums are large enough to accommodate a full-sized tree and provide the added advantage of giving height to smaller trees to provide further screening of the neighbor’s house. Everything was painted in bright colors to give the space a cheery Caribbean feel. The neighbor’s tree removal ended up as a blessing in disguise, because what had been a drab trough-way was transformed into a happy patio.

Tired of freezing bleak winters, this client decided to split her time between Michigan and Southern California. She bought this bright, airy home that epitomizes West Coast living, but the prior owner had not done anything to maintain the garden in many years. The grounds were filled with poorly placed and sickly-looking plants. The new homeowner wanted her garden to be a respite from subzero temperatures, filled year-round with flowers. Deciding what to keep, what to move and what to add, we came up with a plant pallet full of California and Mexico natives, and lots of succulents as well. We added over 1000 plants, filling this property with lush, year-round color that is undeniably Southern Californian.

Tired of freezing bleak winters, this client decided to split her time between Michigan and Southern California. She bought this bright, airy home that epitomizes West Coast living, but the prior owner had not done anything to maintain the garden in many years. The grounds were filled with poorly placed and sickly-looking plants. The new homeowner wanted her garden to be a respite from subzero temperatures, filled year-round with flowers. Deciding what to keep, what to move and what to add, we came up with a plant pallet full of California and Mexico natives, and lots of succulents as well. We added over 1000 plants, filling this property with lush, year-round color that is undeniably Southern Californian.

This magical little space is filled with so much character! We brought the outdoors in with color, native grasses and trees, a jute rug and some coastal shapes and textures. The Hollywood palm print wallpaper sweetens the bedroom in just the right way. Layers of bright colors and a robins egg painted desk are certain to make anyone staying in this space, smile big!