This bathroom is in a grand old Tudor house from 1929 and was originally the Maid's bath. 70 years later this old girl was given a much needed face lift! As much as I love a footed tub, it just isn't practical for the modern use of a shower so it had to go (don't worry I found it a good home!). We removed the old lathe and plaster walls and discovered space behind the eaves that allowed the space to open up, install new venting, much needed insulation, and center a generous vanity that provided storage and a great work surface. Plus we were able to create a niche for additional storage! We upgraded/added new lighting, tile (including the shampoo niche), and plumbing fixtures. The best change was the fresh, bright palette that allowed this space to shine. This old girl is smiling now!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

This bathroom is in a grand old Tudor house from 1929 and was originally the Maid's bath. 70 years later this old girl was given a much needed face lift! As much as I love a footed tub, it just isn't practical for the modern use of a shower so it had to go (don't worry I found it a good home!). We removed the old lathe and plaster walls and discovered space behind the eaves that allowed the space to open up, install new venting, much needed insulation, and center a generous vanity that provided storage and a great work surface. Plus we were able to create a niche for additional storage! We upgraded/added new lighting, tile (including the shampoo niche), and plumbing fixtures. The best change was the fresh, bright palette that allowed this space to shine. This old girl is smiling now!

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!

This bathroom is in a grand old Tudor house from 1929 and was originally the Maid's bath. 70 years later this old girl was given a much needed face lift! As much as I love a footed tub, it just isn't practical for the modern use of a shower so it had to go (don't worry I found it a good home!). We removed the old lathe and plaster walls and discovered space behind the eaves that allowed the space to open up, install new venting, much needed insulation, and center a generous vanity that provided storage and a great work surface. Plus we were able to create a niche for additional storage! We upgraded/added new lighting, tile (including the shampoo niche), and plumbing fixtures. The best change was the fresh, bright palette that allowed this space to shine. This old girl is smiling now!

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.

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!

The Wendl family loves color, so color we gave them! Bright and fun but highly functional, this kitchen could make just about anyone smile.
Eclectic galley eat-in kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This is the impromptu jewelry wall that started it all - now I install some wall jewelry display for every female client. Not only are the necklaces accessible and visible, one per nail (or hook) keeps the chains and cords tangle-free. photo: Rikki Snyder

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.

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.

This living space was designed in a contemporary ocean side feel. For a modern twist I added lucite pieces, X-Bench stool and Lucite cube. We have transformed this space into a comfortable living area for the family and loved ones.

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.