The front entry includes geometric colored concrete paving that compliments modern architecture, plantings of drought-tolerant ornamental bunch grasses and succulents, vertical elements to draw the eye upward (Photography by Peter Giles)

A small enclosed kitchen is very common in many homes such as the home that we remodeled here. Opening a wall to allow natural light to penetrate the space is a must. When budget is important the solution can be as you see in this project - the wall was opened and removed but a structural post remained and it was incorporated in the design. The blue modern flat paneled cabinets was a perfect choice to contras the very familiar gray scale color scheme but it’s still compliments it since blue is in the correct cold color spectrum. Notice the great black windows and the fantastic awning window facing the pool. The awning window is great to be able to serve the exterior sitting area near the pool. Opening the wall also allowed us to compliment the kitchen with a nice bar/island sitting area without having an actual island in the space. The best part of this kitchen is the large built-in pantry wall with a tall wine fridge and a lovely coffee area that we built in the sitting area made the kitchen expend into the breakfast nook and doubled the area that is now considered to be the kitchen.

Skunkbush Sumac / Rhus trilobata Photo: Matt Lavin, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Photo of a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

Example of a tuscan 3/4 mosaic tile floor and white floor freestanding bathtub design in San Diego with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

Photography: Paige Hayes
Mountain style 3/4 multicolored tile and stone tile slate floor corner shower photo in Denver with a trough sink and wood countertops

Jeff McPhail
Kitchen pantry - mid-sized traditional u-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen pantry idea in Atlanta with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, laminate countertops, beige backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

A Green Cloud Texas sage basks in full sun and reflected heat.
This is an example of a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2016 Houzz
Living room - contemporary living room idea in Los Angeles

Encelia californica / Bush Sunflower Photo: Bri Weldon, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic

Bridge Penstemon / Penstemon rostriflorus Photo: Laura Camp, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

The Main Stay House exists as a straightforward proposal on an urban infill lot, paring down the components of a house to a minimal amount of planes and openings. The scheme is anchored by a modern entry sequence and a staircase volume, both clad in iron spot masonry externally and internally, creating thresholds between the respective realms of public, common and private, by minimal means. The masonry contrasts with an otherwise muted interior atmosphere of smooth, desaturated surfaces. The entry sequence is a twist upon the conventional domestic front door, front facade, and fence. The front masonry wall replaces the typical residential fence and frames an indirect access to the front door, functioning as a privacy barrier while revealing slices of the interior to the public street. The staircase bifurcates the layout to provide a clear division between the common and private zones of the house, while clearly reading as a mass from all outside view. Brick and glass become portals between common and private zones. The design consolidates the service core along the west façade, allowing the structure to fully open the living zone to the pool court and existing trees. This directly connects interior and exterior, as well as human and nature. Freedom to vary the program or functional use of the area is enabled and strongly encouraged. Photography: Charles Davis Smith

The kitchen is a focal point of the house and features European White Oak Engineered flooring, Maxfine Calacatta porcelain countertops, and Tom Dixon copper light fixtures.

Butterfly Milkweed / Asclepias tuberosa

Hypericum prolificum / Shrubby Saintjohnswort Photo: Fritz Flohr Reynolds, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

A fireplace should make a room feel warmer and more inviting. But if you find yourself sitting near the fire while the rest of the room still feels cold, your fireplace may not be heating your home as effectively as you expect. This is particularly common with older, open fireplaces. While they can provide beautiful flames and a cozy atmosphere, much of the heat they produce can escape through the chimney instead of staying in the room. For Colorado homeowners preparing for another winter, a fireplace insert can offer a practical way to improve the performance of an existing fireplace. Gas, wood and pellet inserts are designed to fit into existing fireplace openings while providing a more efficient, controlled approach to supplemental heat.

A fireplace should make a room feel warmer and more inviting. But if you find yourself sitting near the fire while the rest of the room still feels cold, your fireplace may not be heating your home as effectively as you expect. This is particularly common with older, open fireplaces. While they can provide beautiful flames and a cozy atmosphere, much of the heat they produce can escape through the chimney instead of staying in the room. For Colorado homeowners preparing for another winter, a fireplace insert can offer a practical way to improve the performance of an existing fireplace. Gas, wood and pellet inserts are designed to fit into existing fireplace openings while providing a more efficient, controlled approach to supplemental heat.

A fireplace should make a room feel warmer and more inviting. But if you find yourself sitting near the fire while the rest of the room still feels cold, your fireplace may not be heating your home as effectively as you expect. This is particularly common with older, open fireplaces. While they can provide beautiful flames and a cozy atmosphere, much of the heat they produce can escape through the chimney instead of staying in the room. For Colorado homeowners preparing for another winter, a fireplace insert can offer a practical way to improve the performance of an existing fireplace. Gas, wood and pellet inserts are designed to fit into existing fireplace openings while providing a more efficient, controlled approach to supplemental heat.