Kiawah Island transitional design with exquisite details inside and out!
Huge trendy foyer photo in Charleston with beige walls

Rob Karosis, Photographer
Country yellow exterior home photo in New York

The Berry family of Houston, Texas hired us to do swimming pool renovation in their backyard. The pool was badly in need of repair. Its surface, plaster, tile, and coping all needed reworking. The Berry’s had finally decided it was time to do something about this, so they contacted us to inquire about swimming pool restoration. We told them that we could certainly repair the damaged elements. After we took a closer look at the pool, however, we realized that more was required here than a cosmetic solution to wear and tear. Because of some serious design flaws, the aesthetic of the pool worked against surrounding landscape design. The rear portion of the pool was framed by architectural wall, and the water was surrounded by a brick and bluestone patio. The problem lay in the fact that the wall was too tall. It created a sense of separation from the remainder of the yard, and it obscured the view of a beautiful arbor that had been built beneath the trees behind the pool. It also hosted a contemporary-style, sheer-descent waterfall fountain that looked too modern for a traditional lawn and garden design. Restoring this wall to its proper relationship with the landscape would turn out to be one of the key elements to our swimming pool renovations work. We began by lowering the wall the wall so you could see the arbor and trees in the backyard more clearly. We also did away with the sheer-descent waterfall that clashed with surrounding backyard landscape design. We decided that a more traditional fountain would be more appropriate to the setting, and more aesthetically apropos if it complimented the brick and bluestone patio. To create this façade, we had to reconstruct the wall with bluestone columns rising up through the brick. These columns matched the bluestone in the patio, and added a stately form to the otherwise plain brick wall. Each column rose slightly higher than the top of the wall and was capped at the top. Thermal-finish weirs crafted in a flame detail jutted from under the capstones and poured water into the pool below. To draw greater emphasis to the pool itself as a body of water, we continued our swimming pool renovation with an expansion of the brick coping. This drew greater emphasis to the body of water within its form, and helps focus awareness on the tranquility created by the fountain. We also removed the outdated diving board and replaced it with a diving rock. This was safer and more attractive than the board. We also extended the entire pool and patio another 15 feet toward the right. This made the entire area a more relaxed and sweeping expanse of hardscape. While doing so, we expanded the brick coping around the pool from 8 inches to 12 inches. Because the spa had a rather unique shape, we decided to replace the coping here with custom brink interlace style that would fit its irregular design. Now that the swimming pool renovation itself was complete, we sought to extend the new sense of expansiveness into the rest of the yard. To accomplish this, we built a walkway out of bluestone stepping pads that ran across the surface of the water to the arbor on the other side of the fountain wall. This unique pathway created invitation to the world of the trees beyond the water’s edge, and counterbalanced the focal point of the pool area with the arbor as a secondary point of interest. We built a terrace and a dining area here so people could remain here in comfort for as long as they liked without having to run back to the patio or dash inside the kitchen for food and drinks.

Paul Johnson Photography
Living room - mid-sized traditional living room idea in Charleston with beige walls and no tv

This stately Georgian home in West Newton Hill, Massachusetts was originally built in 1917 for John W. Weeks, a Boston financier who went on to become a U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of War. The home’s original architectural details include an elaborate 15-inch deep dentil soffit at the eaves, decorative leaded glass windows, custom marble windowsills, and a beautiful Monson slate roof. Although the owners loved the character of the original home, its formal layout did not suit the family’s lifestyle. The owners charged Meyer & Meyer with complete renovation of the home’s interior, including the design of two sympathetic additions. The first includes an office on the first floor with master bath above. The second and larger addition houses a family room, playroom, mudroom, and a three-car garage off of a new side entry. Front exterior by Sam Gray. All others by Richard Mandelkorn.

A perfect addition to your outdoor living is a seating wall surrounding a firepit. Cambridge Maytrx wall, Pyzique Fire Pit, Round table Pavers. Installed by Natural Green Landsacpe & Design in Lincoln, RI

Lakeside outdoor living at its finest
This is an example of a large coastal full sun and rock side yard stone landscaping in Boston.

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Selections & Furnishings | Charles Cudd De Novo, Architecture | Troy Thies Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling

Basement reconfigure and remodel
Example of a trendy gray floor living room design in DC Metro with white walls and no fireplace

Example of a mid-sized 1960s wooden straight wood railing staircase design in New York with painted risers

Staircase - mid-sized traditional wooden straight staircase idea in Philadelphia with painted risers

Starr Homes, LLC
Mountain style dark wood floor kitchen photo in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash and an island

The star at the center of this veggie garden is the perfect place for the dwarf lemon tree. The six pointed star (just like the Great Seal of the United States) is ideal for the strawberries to cascade over the edges. The star is 6' with 3' clearance around the star so the space is wide enough to comfortably access the veggie beds from all sides. Photo Credit: Mark Pinkerton

This spacious kitchen with beautiful views features a prefinished cherry flooring with a very dark stain. We custom made the white shaker cabinets and paired them with a rich brown quartz composite countertop. A slate blue glass subway tile adorns the backsplash. We fitted the kitchen with a stainless steel apron sink. The same white and brown color palette has been used for the island. We also equipped the island area with modern pendant lighting and bar stools for seating. Project by Portland interior design studio Jenni Leasia Interior Design. Also serving Lake Oswego, West Linn, Vancouver, Sherwood, Camas, Oregon City, Beaverton, and the whole of Greater Portland. For more about Jenni Leasia Interior Design, click here: https://www.jennileasiadesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.jennileasiadesign.com/lake-oswego

Photo of a mid-sized traditional full sun front yard brick landscaping in Tampa.

Benjamin Benschnider
Example of a trendy wooden straight open staircase design in Seattle

Staircase - mid-sized modern wooden straight open and cable railing staircase idea in Houston

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional full sun front yard brick garden path in Tampa.

Main shot of kitchen with Rustic Alder stained perimeter cabinetry and painted and glazed finish on island. Kern Group
Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Kansas City with subway tile backsplash and granite countertops