Inspiration for a large modern open concept living room remodel in Austin with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Country staircase photo in Calgary

The original materials consisted of a console sink, tiled walls and floor, towel bar and cast iron radiator. Gutting the space to the studs, we chose to install a wall hung vanity sink, rather than a pedestal or other similar sink. Much larger than the original, this new sink is mounted directly to the wall. Because the space under the sink is open, the area feels much larger and the sink appears to float while the bar at the front of the fixture acts as the towel bar. For the floor we chose a rustic tumbled Travertine tile installed both in the powder room and the front foyer which the powder room opens up to. While not a huge project, it certainly was a fun and challenging one to create a space as warm and inviting as the rest of this 1920’s home, with a bit of flair and a nod to the homeowner’s European roots. Photography by Chrissy Racho.

Elegant home design photo in San Francisco

Patio kitchen - traditional side yard stamped concrete patio kitchen idea with no cover

This week, as paint restoration specialists from the Chicago area, we undertook work on a historical, 1858, Greek Revival and Federalist brick house built for Gustavus Palmer, a successful farmer and early settler in McHenry county. The house sits on its original corner lot in Crystal Lake, Illinois and still looks quite impressive. In 1985, the house was added to the National Register of Historical Places and the Park District is now responsible for the preservation of this special piece of McHenry county history. Because of its design, the house has no gutters. The water drains over the large crown and dental moldings, and causes the paint to fail in a major way, thereby compromising the integrity of the original wood components of the building. As shown in the first picture, on the West side of the house, once the scraping process started, one hundred fifty five years of paint came off a twenty foot section of the crown. To preserve the wood, we used a product designed to restore wooden boats. The product is a Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES) known as “ The Rot Doctor ”. It seals the wood fibers and creates an ideal surface for paint to adhere to.

Inspiration for a french country exterior home remodel in Los Angeles

Massed daffodils really make a wonderful statement--and they just multiply each year
Photo of an eclectic landscaping in New York for spring.

-Full renovation of an unfinished basement space in Ballard. -Removed existing slab and poured a new one 6" lower for better head height -Reconstructed portions of the existing post and beam system with longer spans to open up the space -Added and interior drain system and sump pump -Added a full bathroom -Added two bedrooms with egress -New living room space with dry bar and media -Hid the new mechanical room with shiplap wall detail -Reconfigured the existing staircase within the challenging foundation parameters. Custom trim package, fir treads, custom steel railings and wood cap -New furnace and heat pump -New electrical panel -Polished the new slab and finished with a wax top coat

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Example of a mid-sized classic master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile corner shower design in New Orleans with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, a two-piece toilet and gray walls

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Custom Cabinets from TreeHouse were used to replace the original island and support the Thermador Cooktop Range Erika Brown Edwards
Open concept kitchen - large transitional l-shaped ceramic tile open concept kitchen idea in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

The combination of the rounded corners (9 in all), and the stiff grasscloth made this installation very difficult.
Inspiration for a large eclectic bathroom remodel in Houston

Scott & Catherine Buley, HTT&T, High Tech Turf & Trees, LandscapeMakeover.biz, Rain Garden Nursery
This is an example of a transitional landscaping in Portland.

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless carpeted hallway remodel with beige walls

How do you expand an L shaped Eichler with the challenge of extending a long dark entry? Klopf Architecture's solution, to design a light filled atrium in the hallway to open up the bedroom expansion with green plants, sky lights and a glass wall. Not to mention the thoughtfulness of a blind door with wood siding similar to the rest of the home. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Geoff Campen, Jeffrey Prose, and Angela Todorova Contractor: William Lowe Construction Photography ©2013 Mariko Reed Location: Palo Alto, CA Year completed: 2013

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

During excavation for this new modern home, large granite boulders rose to the surface from the primordial hillside. Instead of displacing these monoliths from the site from which they were created, they were arranged to define space. A circle of boulders stand guard around a custom built fire pit, providing protection from the wind while offering a place to climb or sit. The extended landscape view from the lawn is kept intact by the introduction of a ha-ha, a traditional landscape feature, that hides the productive garden and keeps it from breaking the view. Native and drought tolerant plantings hug the outer edges of the property for minimal use of irrigation and to visually blend into the surrounding hillside. This project also features a custom ipe bench with integrated lighting, waterjet address numbers with night lighting, and hardscape that complements the form and materiality of the architecture to create a harmonious transition into the horizontal plane. Photography: Louie Jeon Photography

Layering a top treatment with long panels draws the eyes upward, to truly appreciate the entire space.
Inspiration for a huge family room remodel with multicolored walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace