Modern Farmhouse is a contemporary take on a tradition building type, the Connecticut farmhouse. Our clients were interested in a house that fit in with the landscape while providing plenty of daylight with views to the surrounding property. The design uses simple gables arranged in a picturesque manner. It balances clean modern lines, traditional forms, and rustic textures. The new house is bright and light while also feeling personal and unique. There was interest early on to compress the construction time and to design a building that would not take a lot of energy to run. To achieve these goals, the design of the main house used modular construction and a high performance envelope. To articulate the surfaces of the spaces, the owner assembled a group of designers and artisans. Natural textures and tones were layered over the volumes to give a sense of place and time. The modular units of the house are produced by Huntington Homes in East Montpelier, Vermont. In addition to the main house, there is a pool house that sits symmetrically on the main axis of a long swimming pool. A glass enclosed living room fits between two concrete volumes that house a bathroom and storage spaces. An outdoor shower faces south, with an oculus that lets light in when the door is closed. The simple forms of the pool house sit below a green roof, which protects the glassy room from the summer sun and integrates the building into the hilly landscape.

Scott Wang
Ornate medium tone wood floor foyer photo in Boston with white walls

Photography by Jim Tetro This house, built in the 1960s, sits southfacing on a terrific wooded lot in Bethesda, Maryland. The owners desire a whole-house renovation which would improve the general building fabric and systems, and extend the sense of living out of doors in all seasons. The original sixties-modern character is preserved and the renovation extends the design forward into a contemporary, modern approach. Connections to and through the site are enhanced through the creation of new larger window and door openings. Screened porches and decks perch above the sloped and wooded site. The new kitchen and bathrooms allow for opportunities to feel out-of -doors while preparing, cooking, dining, and bathing. Smart passive strategies guide the environmental choices for this project, including envelope improvements, updated mechanical systems, and on-site stormwater management.

Study room - mid-sized transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in Raleigh with beige walls and no fireplace

Modern Sliding Doors with Italian Hardware
Example of a mid-sized trendy enclosed limestone floor living room design in Miami with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Old Town Flagstone circles closely resemble natural stone and are an ideal means of creating an impressive and distinctive focal point for any patio area. The weathered appearance and texture of Old Town gives the impression of elegance. Learn more ➜ http://www.nicolock.com/products/bradstone/circle-a-square-patio-packs/old-town-circle

Cameron St. Visual Story WTelling
Inspiration for a transitional backyard tile patio remodel in Toronto with a fire pit and no cover

Allison Cartwright
Example of a large trendy u-shaped light wood floor open concept kitchen design in Austin with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, colored appliances and an island

Before and After
Inspiration for a mid-sized mid-century modern 3/4 white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile, black floor, single-sink and wainscoting walk-in shower remodel in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, white countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity

Living room - 1950s living room idea in Los Angeles

Patio - mid-sized craftsman backyard stone drought-tolerant patio idea for spring in Seattle with a fire pit and no cover

Holly @ Holly Brown Photography
Bedroom and mid-sized minimalist girl carpeted kids' bedroom photo in Denver with gray walls

The brick soldier edge curves around the circular fountain and surrounding 'Summer Beauty' allium. Full range bluestone makes up the rest of the paving. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Joe Fletcher Atop a ridge in the Santa Lucia mountains of Carmel, California, an oak tree stands elevated above the fog and wrapped at its base in this ranch retreat. The weekend home’s design grew around the 100-year-old Valley Oak to form a horseshoe-shaped house that gathers ridgeline views of Oak, Madrone, and Redwood groves at its exterior and nestles around the tree at its center. The home’s orientation offers both the shade of the oak canopy in the courtyard and the sun flowing into the great room at the house’s rear façades. This modern take on a traditional ranch home offers contemporary materials and landscaping to a classic typology. From the main entry in the courtyard, one enters the home’s great room and immediately experiences the dramatic westward views across the 70 foot pool at the house’s rear. In this expansive public area, programmatic needs flow and connect - from the kitchen, whose windows face the courtyard, to the dining room, whose doors slide seamlessly into walls to create an outdoor dining pavilion. The primary circulation axes flank the internal courtyard, anchoring the house to its site and heightening the sense of scale by extending views outward at each of the corridor’s ends. Guest suites, complete with private kitchen and living room, and the garage are housed in auxiliary wings connected to the main house by covered walkways. Building materials including pre-weathered corrugated steel cladding, buff limestone walls, and large aluminum apertures, and the interior palette of cedar-clad ceilings, oil-rubbed steel, and exposed concrete floors soften the modern aesthetics into a refined but rugged ranch home.

Alcove bathtub - country master white tile and subway tile vinyl floor alcove bathtub idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink and solid surface countertops

Example of a large transitional master double-sink walk-in shower design with white walls

Michael J Lee
Living room - traditional formal living room idea in Boston with a standard fireplace and no tv

Artisan Home Tour, June 7-15th, 2014 Home #21 by Charles Cudd DeNovo Jim Kruger, LandMark Photography http://www.ArtisanHomeTour.org

View from atop fieldstone wall looking upon copper fire table and bluestone patio. Lines of irregular bluestone radiate out from the center of the fire table. Photo by Tim Heelan