Example of a classic living room design in Minneapolis

With demanding corporate careers and an active family life this home needed to accommodate the many needs that shaped our clients lifestyle. Entertaining needed to be effortless, work and recreation areas easily accessed, with a visually limitless vista to the outdoors. Our solution: A captivating, central area elegant at first glance and flowing easily into the surrounding spaces while framing the outdoors. Yet easily suited to the demands of comfort, family time and entertaining events. Archways softly define the subtle transitions, luminous with highlighted architectural detail and presence. Subtly honed cabinetry designed to reflect our clients’ fondness for simplicity and quiet order compliments the classic, contemporary atmosphere of the home.

The Redwood Valley Railway, an East Bay entertainment treasure, was founded in 1952 by Western Pacific mechanical engineer, Erich Thomsen, a career railroad man and preservationist. This 15" gauge miniature railway is located in Tilden Regional Park high above San Francisco near Berkeley, California. The railroad now under the care of his daughter, Ellen Thomsen, went under a restoration of its main barn where the five oil-fired steam locomotives are housed.

Jeff McCutcheon We took a home office that was painfully small and turned it into a themed waiting room for visitors to our work-from-home client. The old movie theme was derived from our client's career in Hollywood.

As it often is with smaller story and a half Minneapolis homes, large multi-use space is hard to come by. But that’s exactly what this high intensity career couple wanted and got in this extensive basement remodel. “I think they had wanted to do something for many, many years, but the timing was never quite right,” recalls Murphy Bros. design/build consultant Nadia Glynn. “For most people, the basement is where all the junk goes that you don’t want to look at, so it’s a challenge to see that space for what it could be.” Design/Build Lead — Nadia Glynn Photography — Alyssa Lee

Large minimalist multicolored two-story mixed siding house exterior photo in Seattle with a shed roof

Inspiration for a modern home office remodel in Phoenix

One of the most prestigious projects we have supplied is the Martin House in Buffalo NY. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1904 it was the largest residential complex of his career and one of the most expensive. Although the house had fallen in to disrepair and a number of the buildings demolished, the Darwin Martin House Corporation have over seen its re-birth and return to its former glory. Northern became involved in 1994 and supplied tiles for the main house in 1996 and the Barton house a year later. Once the Pergola and Garage had been re-created we again supplied tiles, finishing out a 14 year involvement with the project. This is a true masterpiece of American design and heritage and you owe yourself a visit.

Fu-Tung Cheng, CHENG Design • Kitchen with Concrete Island, Cheng Padova Hood, Bamboo Flooring, House 6 Concrete and Wood Home House 6, is Cheng Design’s sixth custom home project, was redesigned and constructed from top-to-bottom. The project represents a major career milestone thanks to the unique and innovative use of concrete, as this residence is one of Cheng Design’s first-ever ‘hybrid’ structures, constructed as a combination of wood and concrete. Photography: Matthew Millman

Named one of America's Top 100 Designers by House Beautiful, Christina Murphy is known for her broad range as a designer, creating original, thoughtful spaces for both residential and commercial clients. Christina started her design career in 1999 at Kemble Interiors and has been featured on ABC's The View, in House Beautiful, Lucky Magazine, In Style Home and The New York Times. Her work is known for bringing out the best in her client's individual style, discovering the happy medium between beautiful and practical. Christina is a graduate of Georgetown University, The American Institute for Foreign Study in Italy and The New York School of Interior Design. Start your Christina Murphy makeover here http://www.decorist.com/designers/31040/christina-murphy/

With demanding corporate careers and an active family life this home needed to accommodate the many needs that shaped our clients lifestyle. Entertaining needed to be effortless, work and recreation areas easily accessed, with a visually limitless vista to the outdoors. Our solution: A captivating, central area elegant at first glance and flowing easily into the surrounding spaces while framing the outdoors. Yet easily suited to the demands of comfort, family time and entertaining events. Archways softly define the subtle transitions, luminous with highlighted architectural detail and presence. Subtly honed cabinetry designed to reflect our clients’ fondness for simplicity and quiet order compliments the classic, contemporary atmosphere of the home.

One of the most prestigious projects we have supplied is the Martin House in Buffalo NY. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1904 it was the largest residential complex of his career and one of the most expensive. Although the house had fallen in to disrepair and a number of the buildings demolished, the Darwin Martin House Corporation have over seen its re-birth and return to its former glory. Northern became involved in 1994 and supplied tiles for the main house in 1996 and the Barton house a year later. Once the Pergola and Garage had been re-created we again supplied tiles, finishing out a 14 year involvement with the project. This is a true masterpiece of American design and heritage and you owe yourself a visit.

Since the completion of the home our company has maintained this property. Originally built by a local builder as a speculation home, it was purchased by two busy professionals. Why is this important? Let's just say the clients are particular and like it when things aren't just so. Both have high level careers, travel often and expect their landscape to be pristine. Year after year our company rises to this challenge. When originally installed, the builder wanted larger plant material to provide a full and mature look. The continued growth provides a pruning challenge, especially when the client prefers a clean, neat and "compact" landscape. We continually monitor growth and hand prune accordingly, including yearly winter pruning. The backyard is particularly difficult due to the shade, moisture run-off from neighboring properties. The turf requires constant monitoring and adjustment to the irrigation system. The trees create a mess requiring clean up along with yearly power washing of the stone. While the challenges are many, the fine maintenance has led to happy clients and numerous referrals.

The Sonoma Farmhaus project was designed for a cycling enthusiast with a globally demanding professional career, who wanted to create a place that could serve as both a retreat of solitude and a hub for gathering with friends and family. Located within the town of Graton, California, the site was chosen not only to be close to a small town and its community, but also to be within cycling distance to the picturesque, coastal Sonoma County landscape. Taking the traditional forms of farmhouse, and their notions of sustenance and community, as inspiration, the project comprises an assemblage of two forms - a Main House and a Guest House with Bike Barn - joined in the middle by a central outdoor gathering space anchored by a fireplace. The vision was to create something consciously restrained and one with the ground on which it stands. Simplicity, clear detailing, and an innate understanding of how things go together were all central themes behind the design. Solid walls of rammed earth blocks, fabricated from soils excavated from the site, bookend each of the structures. According to the owner, the use of simple, yet rich materials and textures...“provides a humanness I’ve not known or felt in any living venue I’ve stayed, Farmhaus is an icon of sustenance for me".

Example of a mid-sized classic 3/4 white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile alcove shower design in Indianapolis with furniture-like cabinets, gray cabinets, a two-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink and marble countertops

One of the most prestigious projects we have supplied is the Martin House in Buffalo NY. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1904 it was the largest residential complex of his career and one of the most expensive. Although the house had fallen in to disrepair and a number of the buildings demolished, the Darwin Martin House Corporation have over seen its re-birth and return to its former glory. Northern became involved in 1994 and supplied tiles for the main house in 1996 and the Barton house a year later. Once the Pergola and Garage had been re-created we again supplied tiles, finishing out a 14 year involvement with the project. This is a true masterpiece of American design and heritage and you owe yourself a visit.

After completing their residency on the West Coast, our clients Adam and Brittany, who are doctors, returned to their hometown of Madison, Wis. to settle into their careers and commit to an amazing home. They chose a big beautiful 1980s contemporary home in the Arboretum Neighborhood of Madison. They came to us with an extensive wish list after a referral from their realtor. They wanted us to do a complete interior makeover on their 1980s home. They were looking to create a feeling of a modern, mountain, industrial home, like a Utah Mountain Home, but not a cabin.