Living room - modern living room idea in Miami

A randomly composed stone fireplace defines a cozy corner.
Example of a mid-sized mountain style enclosed brown floor family room design in Milwaukee with a stone fireplace, brown walls and a corner fireplace

Balanced shade, dappled sunlight, and tree canopy views are the basis of the 518 Sacramento Drive house design. The entry is on center with the lot’s primary Live Oak tree, and each interior space has a unique relationship to this central element. Composed of crisply-detailed, considered materials, surfaces and finishes, the home is a balance of sophistication and restraint. The two-story massing is designed to allow for a bold yet humble street presence, while each single-story wing extends through the site, forming intimate outdoor and indoor spaces. Photo: Brian Mihealsick

Composed of Ward + Blake Architect’s patented EarthWall post-tensioned steel rammed earth wall construction, the earthen walls literally rise from the soil that was used in their construction. Photo Credit: Roger Wade

The L shaped massing wraps a tightly composed courtyard pool deck finished in large format limestone pavers with turf inlay strips.
Inspiration for a large transitional backyard tile and rectangular lap pool remodel in Houston

A professional level slide in range and vent hood with extra power.
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and gray countertops

Photos, books and mementos. Composed but casual. Notice the African pot in the foreground.
Family room - traditional family room idea in Raleigh

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall multicolored floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Paris with open cabinets, green cabinets, tile countertops, no island, white countertops, multicolored backsplash and stainless steel appliances

The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home. Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials. The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond. The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival. Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces. This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”. Overview Ranch Creek Ranch Winter Park, Colorado Completion Date October, 2007 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Our pioneer project, Casita de Tierra in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, showcases the natural building techniques of a rubble trench foundation, earthbag construction, natural plasters, earthen floors, and a composting toilet. Our earthbag wall system consists of locally available, cost-efficient, polypropylene bags that are filled with a formula of clay and aggregate unearthed from our building site. The bags are stacked like bricks in running bonds, which are strengthened by courses of barbed wire laid between each row, and tamped into place. The walls are then plastered with a mix composed of clay, sand, soil and straw, and are followed by gypsum and lime renders to create attractive walls. The casita exhibits a load-bearing wall system demonstrating that thick earthen walls, with no rebar or cement, can support a roofing structure. We, also, installed earthen floors, created an indoor dry-composting toilet system, utilized local woods for the furniture, routed all grey water to the outdoor garden, and maximized air flow by including cross-ventilating screened windows below the natural palm frond and cane roof. Casita de Tierra exemplifies an economically efficient, structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally kind, and socially responsible home.

Photo by Matt Dahlman
Minimalist gray floor multiuse home gym photo in Minneapolis with white walls

Paul Dyer
Trendy open concept living room photo in San Francisco

Railings and gates were made from galvanized pipe and Speed Rail fittings. The owner engineered the self-closing mechanism. The walkways and patios are composed of recycled brick and flagstone. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara

The Aerius - Modern Craftsman in Ridgefield Washington by Cascade West Development Inc. Upon opening the 8ft tall door and entering the foyer an immediate display of light, color and energy is presented to us in the form of 13ft coffered ceilings, abundant natural lighting and an ornate glass chandelier. Beckoning across the hall an entrance to the Great Room is beset by the Master Suite, the Den, a central stairway to the Upper Level and a passageway to the 4-bay Garage and Guest Bedroom with attached bath. Advancement to the Great Room reveals massive, built-in vertical storage, a vast area for all manner of social interactions and a bountiful showcase of the forest scenery that allows the natural splendor of the outside in. The sleek corner-kitchen is composed with elevated countertops. These additional 4in create the perfect fit for our larger-than-life homeowner and make stooping and drooping a distant memory. The comfortable kitchen creates no spatial divide and easily transitions to the sun-drenched dining nook, complete with overhead coffered-beam ceiling. This trifecta of function, form and flow accommodates all shapes and sizes and allows any number of events to be hosted here. On the rare occasion more room is needed, the sliding glass doors can be opened allowing an out-pour of activity. Almost doubling the square-footage and extending the Great Room into the arboreous locale is sure to guarantee long nights out under the stars. Cascade West Facebook: https://goo.gl/MCD2U1 Cascade West Website: https://goo.gl/XHm7Un These photos, like many of ours, were taken by the good people of ExposioHDR - Portland, Or Exposio Facebook: https://goo.gl/SpSvyo Exposio Website: https://goo.gl/Cbm8Ya

Trendy doorless shower photo in Baltimore

Artistically composed cabinets, shelving, TV, and fireplace create a focal point adjacent to the views of the golf course. © Andrew Pogue Photo
Living room - mid-sized modern open concept and formal dark wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Denver with black walls, a metal fireplace, a ribbon fireplace and a media wall

Photo: Doug Edmonds
Kitchen - contemporary l-shaped linoleum floor kitchen idea in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, recycled glass countertops, black backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

A door composed entirely of golden rectangles.
Example of a mid-sized 1960s limestone floor and black floor front door design in Seattle with black walls and a brown front door