Tria Giovan
Large french country master carpeted and white floor bedroom photo in New York with white walls and no fireplace

Bedroom - coastal master light wood floor bedroom idea in Miami with white walls

Trendy concrete patio photo in San Francisco with no cover

Transitional hot tub photo in New York

Copyright 2015, Photos by Kyle Ketchel, Visual Properties, LLC
Doorless shower - large contemporary master gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile doorless shower idea in Raleigh with marble countertops and gray walls

Michal Utterback
Inspiration for a 1960s one-story pool remodel in Los Angeles

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Alcove bathtub - transitional gray tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor alcove bathtub idea in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, a two-piece toilet and white walls

Paul Dyer
Tub/shower combo - mid-sized modern master green tile and mosaic tile mosaic tile floor tub/shower combo idea in San Francisco with an undermount sink and white walls

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic bedroom remodel in Austin with purple walls

Rainfall Shower Wedi Waterproof Shower Systems offer reliable, cost-efficient solutions for constructing 100 % waterproof and mold proof showers. These systems are easy to install and open up a whole new world of design possibilities for showers, wet areas and baths. Wedi shower systems blend the traditional values of design flexibility and robustness while offering the added benefits that come with state of the art material and manufacturing technologies. Used in combination with Wedi Building Panels on walls, our shower bases offer an excellent alternative to traditional installation methods. No more pre-sloping, pan liner cracks or membrane pin holes, clogged drain weep holes and mold growth. Plus, reduce the traditional installation time and down times for a full shower floor preparation for tiling. Ironwood Renovation LLC is a Certified Installer for Wedi waterproof shower systems in Snohomish, WA

William Horne
Mid-sized cottage porcelain tile mudroom photo in Boston

This Classic Carolina spa is installed fully in ground. It is finished with our signature tile trim, leaving all vertical surfaces with exposed stainless steel and all horizontal surfaces and waterline tiled. This spa is 80" x 80" and features 16 hydrotherapy jets

Pool - large traditional backyard rectangular and concrete paver lap pool idea in Boston

Transitional master white tile freestanding bathtub photo in Orange County with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets and gray walls

Wing Wong, Memories TTL
Example of an arts and crafts green tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile bathroom design in New York with green walls

Lincoln Barbour
This is an example of an industrial garden path in DC Metro.

The Pool House area of this estate has space for several activities to occur simultaneously.
Example of a large farmhouse backyard stone and rectangular pool house design in San Francisco

The 2009 Coastal Living Idea House at I'On in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina showcases transitional design and modern vernacular architecture. Built to Gold LEED standards, this Lowcountry home is environmentally sound and inherently sustainable.