Inspiration for a craftsman mosaic tile bathroom remodel in San Francisco

Alex Hayden
Small modern gray one-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Seattle with a shed roof

Photography: Eric Staudenmaier
Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical front yard concrete patio remodel in Los Angeles with no cover

Years ago, Exterior Worlds was contacted by a couple by the names of Rick and Susan Ashcroft. They asked if we could do something about the lagoon-style swimming pool that had been built behind their house in the late1940s. This style had been very popular at that time, and it is still a favored by some of the world’s more lavish resorts. However, ever since the day they had purchased their home, the Ashcroft’s had always been agitated by the ostentatiousness of the whole thing, and had finally decided to have it redesigned as a natural swimming pool. They wanted their back yard to retain the feeling of a tropical locale, but lose the touristic element in favor of that of a cozier, more private corner of paradise. We agreed with their sentiments wholeheartedly. Just a cursory glance at the property confirmed that a natural swimming pool design was a much better fit for the grade of the landscape and the surrounding opportunities for vegetation and lighting. The Ashcroft residence was located on the side of a hill that sloped down toward a ravine, and the house itself house was built 40 feet back from the road. The steep grade of the land posed construction challenges to any type of water feature, but there was a way to build a natural swimming pool here that would achieve the aesthetic the Ashcroft’s were seeking and create a lasting element that required only limited and very intermittent periods of maintenance. We began by stripping the pool down to its shell and building a retaining wall that offset the grade of the land. We shaped the surrounding earth around it into a much deeper basin that would allow water to collect naturally like it does at the base of a cliff. A series of interlocking pavers was laid around the perimeter to create a flat surface that extended from the back of the home to the retaining wall. This is a standard aesthetic used in most natural swimming pools, but it also served a special, practical purpose in this instance. Since this area was subject to heavy land erosion from runoff rainwater, pavers provided a very efficient way of reconstructing key elements of the structure every 5-10 years. The natural swimming pool now appeared as an inviting portal into a remote hill country getaway, just a stone’s throw away from the back of the house. We made it easier to reach by building two series of stone steps that led down to either side of the water’s edge. We were careful to avoid making them look too much like stairs. Instead, we designed them to closely mimic the layers of rock that often jut from the sides of mountains and dormant volcanoes on islands all over the Pacific. To further develop this theme, we placed a large flat stone to serve as a diving area, and we created a waterfall on either side of it by laying down stones in a manner that created varying speeds of water. Our construction methods here were very unique in comparison to those of our competitors. We took almost a month to consciously and deliberately lay each stone by hand. While this may seem painstakingly detailed to some, the rewards were astonishing, because our natural swimming pool mimicked Nature in such a way that it lacked almost all evidence of human engineering, and looked virtually identical to something you would stumble upon in the jungle of a tropical paradise. If you are interested in any high-quality landscape services, Exterior Worlds has been providing the high-end residential landscape services and garden design services discussed above for the Houston and the surrounding areas including memorial villages (Piney Point Village, Bunker Hill Village, Hunter Creek Village), Tanglewood, River Oaks, West University and the greater Houston (Hou), area since 1987. Contact us at 713-827-2255 For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

In this outdoor kitchen design the homeowner chose concrete countertops to pull colors from the stone work throughout the property. Custom samples were poured and a color was selected to use for the concrete countertops. The signature finish was selected to pull in some more color depth and give a more rustic look. The edge detail thickness was chosen at 2” to give countertop some heavy presence against all the stone work. A raised section acted as an eat-in and drink bar top while the lower section acts as the working and grilling area of the countertops. Trueform Concrete used a UV stable topical sealer to protect the concrete form exposure and the northeast weather.

Steve Smith, ImaginePhotographic
Photo of a contemporary landscaping in Portland.

This is an example of an asian landscaping in San Francisco.

Eric Roth
Inspiration for a cottage kitchen remodel in Boston

Learn more about this kitchen remodel at the link above. Email me at carla@carlaaston.com to receive access to the list of paint colors used on this project. Title your email: "Heights Project Paint Colors".

Bathroom - traditional stone tile bathroom idea in Boston

Townhouse renovation in Brooklyn: We redesigned the rear end of the house as an expanded family kitchen with a back door to the deck. We also added a new connection from the entrance hall to the kitchen and fit a small powder room under the stairs. The old windows and doors were replaced with new, larger ones, and the entire kitchen was gutted and refitted with new cabinetry and a banquette dining area. The space was designed to take advantage of the bright southern exposure, with lots of white materials, grounded by the dark base cabinets. Photos by Maletz Design

Pastry Counter and baking station for an aspiring chef. Alabama White marble counter top, custom table leg design to make it feel like a piece of furniture, and mercury glass pendants clustered above for lighting.

Looking towards entry Photo by Michael Heeney
Example of a mid-sized trendy gray two-story wood house exterior design in Burlington with a shed roof and a metal roof

Project by E2 Homes Landscape and Hardscape design by Evergreen Consulting Architecture by Green Apple Architecture Decks by Walk on Wood Photos by Harvey Smith

Bathroom - coastal bathroom idea in Minneapolis with gray cabinets

Inspiration for a timeless mosaic tile and black and white tile bathroom remodel in DC Metro with marble countertops

Jeannie Sias
Inspiration for a timeless gray two-story brick exterior home remodel in Atlanta

Inspiration for a timeless bathroom remodel in Los Angeles

Hallmark Floors, engineered hardwood floors, color Autumn Stone. To see the rest of the colors in the collection visit HallmarkFloors.com or contact us to order your new floors today! Hallmark Floors Heirloom Autumn Stone hardwood floor. HEIRLOOM COLLECTION URL http://hallmarkfloors.com/hallmark-hardwoods/heirloom-hardwood-floors/ LAACK FLOORING INNOVATION URL http://laackflooring.com/ Simply Fashionable Moderno Hardwood Collection starts with dramatic color visuals equal to contemporary high end furniture. Our evolutionary Glaze Tek Poly Finish employs Hand touched color glazing for depth, movement and natural artistic visuals. Moderno features fashionably longer 6′ – 7’ board lengths, with 6” widths. Glaze Tek is up to 3 times more wear resistant than standard poly finishes. In addition to incredibly durable finish, Moderno engineered floors has a 4mm multi-generational wear layer (twice as thick as our competitors). Moderno hardwood collection is the perfect balance of artistry and craftsmanship. URL