Example of a trendy courtyard patio design in Los Angeles with a fire pit and no cover

Cottage porch photo in Atlanta

Kitchen - scandinavian kitchen idea in New York

Photo - Jessica Glynn Photography
Inspiration for a small transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room remodel in New York with blue walls and no fireplace

Trendy brown tile alcove shower photo in Orlando with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white walls and white countertops

Example of a classic home bar design in Houston

Dennis Mayer
Alcove shower - mid-sized contemporary master multicolored tile alcove shower idea in San Francisco with a vessel sink, glass-front cabinets and beige walls

Example of a trendy kitchen design in New York

Contemporary one-story stucco flat roof idea in Phoenix

Photo: Mick Hales
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Cottage white floor bathroom photo in Grand Rapids with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

INTERIOR DESIGNER: SHELLY RIEHL, CIH DESIGN http://www.houzz.com/pro/shellydavid/cih-design HANDCRAFTED BRICK PATTERN MOTHER-OF-PEARL TILE WALLCOVERING. PAPERHANGER: GARY SIMONSON, PAPERS OF DISTINCTION, LLC

Danny Lee
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard l-shaped lap pool remodel in Salt Lake City

ASID Design Excellence First Place Residential – Kitchen and Bathroom: Michael Merrill Design Studio was approached three years ago by the homeowner to redesign her kitchen. Although she was dissatisfied with some aspects of her home, she still loved it dearly. As we discovered her passion for design, we began to rework her entire home for consistency including this bathroom.

This kitchen is characterised by timelessly elegant black and white. To give thespacious, monolithic island a light air, a white ribbon meanders across every side,strikingly showcasing the functions of cooking and water. Another outstandingfeature: fronts made of top-quality matt lacquer with an anti-fingerprint finish.The elegant BONDI makes a spacious overall impression whilst being perfect down to the very last detail. The tall units integrated flush into the wall are compelling as soon as you see the amount of space they offer – with lots of intelligent solutions for stowing things away. In a tidy kitchen, there is plenty of space to showcasepersonal items – that is how they can be shown off to true advantage.

Custom Kitchen with granite island and quartzite perimeter with thin brick backsplash.
Example of a transitional medium tone wood floor and shiplap ceiling eat-in kitchen design in Orange County with green cabinets, quartzite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

“Compelling.” That’s how one of our judges characterized this stair, which manages to embody both reassuring solidity and airy weightlessness. Architect Mahdad Saniee specified beefy maple treads—each laminated from two boards, to resist twisting and cupping—and supported them at the wall with hidden steel hangers. “We wanted to make them look like they are floating,” he says, “so they sit away from the wall by about half an inch.” The stainless steel rods that seem to pierce the treads’ opposite ends are, in fact, joined by threaded couplings hidden within the thickness of the wood. The result is an assembly whose stiffness underfoot defies expectation, Saniee says. “It feels very solid, much more solid than average stairs.” With the rods working in tension from above and compression below, “it’s very hard for those pieces of wood to move.” The interplay of wood and steel makes abstract reference to a Steinway concert grand, Saniee notes. “It’s taking elements of a piano and playing with them.” A gently curved soffit in the ceiling reinforces the visual rhyme. The jury admired the effect but was equally impressed with the technical acumen required to achieve it. “The rhythm established by the vertical rods sets up a rigorous discipline that works with the intricacies of stair dimensions,” observed one judge. “That’s really hard to do.”

Greg Reigler
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal white backyard and two-story concrete and wood gable roof remodel in Atlanta

Trendy formal living room photo in Mumbai with white walls and a wall-mounted tv