Framed by mature trees and nestled within Sarasota’s historic McClellan Park, Sunset Place is a home shaped by a deep understanding of, and sensibility for, its setting—reflecting the charm of the neighborhood, the rhythm of downtown living, and the client’s vision of entertaining, connection, and family life. Every decision—from site strategy to spatial flow—was made with intention: to support a lifestyle centered on warmth, community, and a strong sense of place. At its core, the project is a masterclass in leveraging zoning and code to unlock the full potential of a complex site. Though landlocked, the home lives like waterfront—offering openness, privacy, and expansive sunset views. Placing the pool in the front yard, within the 25-foot setback, redefines the entry experience. It captures the western light and sets a relaxed, resort-like tone from the very first step inside the gate. Paired with a rear-loaded garage, accessed discreetly via the side setback, the layout transforms the site’s limitations into its greatest assets. Architecture and landscape take center stage, while the full buildable envelope is maximized without compromise. A natural rise of eight feet from front to back—rare in Sarasota—was embraced as an opportunity. Site walls function as both retaining structures and architectural elements, elevating the pool terrace and entry by over four feet to align with the main interior floor level. The result is a fluid connection between indoors and out: kitchen, dining, and living spaces unfold onto the terrace, blurring boundaries and enhancing everyday rituals as well as social gatherings. Architecturally, the home is coastal contemporary: open yet composed, airy yet grounded. Clarity in the massing tells a story of the inhabitants from the first glance, while the interior planning offers spatial generosity and ease. The interiors echo this sensibility with a palette that is soft, natural, and tactile—serene without being neutral. The landscape design provides a lush tropical frame, softening edges and reinforcing privacy through layered plantings rather than enclosure. Ultimately, Sunset Place is not defined by any single gesture, but by the way the home reflects its owners. Their gracious, family-centered nature informed every layer of design—resulting in a space that feels deeply personal, tailored for connection and ease, and perfectly suited for gathering, unwinding, and watching the sun slip behind the trees from the comfort of home.

When it comes to home design, few things evoke a sense of luxury and personal style quite like an elegant living room and a beautifully crafted walk-in closet. Recently, we embarked on an exciting project to create a rafined living room with a breathtaking view and a stunning walk-in closet, using products from the renowned Italian brands Baxter and Lema. This endeavor was all about blending functionality with elegance, creating a serene space tailored for both her and him. We had the honour of carrying out this project thanks to the Del Castillo studio, which naturally combines design rigour and style. Founded in the French Alps by director Penny Del Castillo and now based in Melbourne, the studio is composed of an award-winning team of interior architects and designers with solid experience in the residential and hospitality sectors, gained through iconic projects in Australia and internationally. In this project, del Castillo was responsible for the design of all the spaces, taking care of the concept, product selection and choice of finishes, with a bespoke approach that reflects the identity of the space and the people who inhabit it.

This beautiful modern home is particularly special to the team at Boss Builders who collaborated with Archaeo Architects throughout the project. The result is a modern showpiece with exquisite details and finishes. The home’s spine connects multiple structures that compose the home. On the east side of the spine are the garage, entry and three ensuite guestrooms; to the west are the kitchen, great room and den. The individual living spaces are connected by a bright, sloping ramp mirroring the natural topography of the ridge. This contemporary home captures beautiful natural views and the clerestory windows bring in the radiant, New Mexico light. The street view of this home is absolutely stunning, showcasing its unique architecture.

This Southwestern modern residence draws inspiration from the timeless architecture of Santa Fe, New Mexico, reinterpreted through a clean, contemporary lens. Crisp lines, smooth stucco walls, and sculptural parapet roofs establish a quiet, grounded presence while respecting the regional vocabulary of adobe forms. The home is carefully composed as a series of connected volumes, creating a sense of rhythm and shadow across the façade. Designed for a long corner lot, the layout emphasizes indoor–outdoor living through shaded breezeways, courtyards, and framed views of the landscape. Green roofs and a roof garden soften the architecture while enhancing sustainability, providing usable outdoor space and visual relief from above. An olive garden anchors the site with texture and seasonal change, reinforcing the connection between architecture and desert landscape. A detached garage maintains the purity of the main residence while helping define outdoor rooms and circulation paths across the site. Together, the massing, materials, and landscape work in harmony to create a modern Southwestern home that feels both rooted in place and distinctly contemporary.

- AVANTGARDE BAR. Bar unit composed by an extra-clear bush-hammered glass counter with inside lighting, a glass platform and shelves-unit in brushed-polyester black shiny lacquered wood, with back in white lacquered glass. 49’’1/4W x 57’’/44’’D x 85’’H (43’’3/8 H) http://ow.ly/3z8emC - BASTIDE BARSTOOL. Bar stool with structure in black shiny lacquered wood. Cover leather or Valcana. 17’’W x 20’’7/8D x 50’’3/8H. Seat height 29’’1/2. http://ow.ly/3z8eji - BILL BILLIARD TABLE. Billiard table with glass top whose edge is lit by LEDs and with shiny lacquered wooden structure. Murano glass legs in ‘‘Platinum’‘ finish, available in clear or black, blue-grey, amber or red colour. 65’’W x 116’’1/8D x 32’’1/4H. http://ow.ly/3z8eoF

Twins on 12th - HER ROOM - View the complete Photo Gallery and project details at motivinteriors.com/portfolio Design: MOTIV Interiors LLC Photography: Sam Angel Design Challenge: This 8 year-old boy and girl were outgrowing their existing setup and needed to update their rooms with a plan that would carry them forward into middle school and beyond. In addition to gaining storage and study areas, could these twins show off their big personalities? Absolutely, we said! MOTIV Interiors tackled the rooms of these youngsters living in Nashville's 12th South Neighborhood and created an environment where the dynamic duo can learn, create, and grow together for years to come. Design Solution: In her room, we wanted to create a fun-filled space that supports softball, sleepovers, science, and anything else a girl might want to get into. The star of the show is a beautiful hand-printed wallpaper by Brooklyn designer Aimee Wilder, whose FSC-certified papers contain no VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). That means that in addition to packing a powerful visual punch, they meet our standard for excellent indoor air quality. We also love this wallpaper because it is composed of so many different neutral colors - this room can organically evolve over time without necessarily replacing the paper (which was installed with a no-VOC adhesive). We refreshed the remaining walls with a scrubbable no-VOC paint from Sherwin Williams (7008 Alabaster) and gave the carpets in both of the twins’ rooms a good cleaning and simple stretch as opposed to replacing them. In order to provide more functional light in her room, we incorporated a corner floor lamp for reading, a telescoping desk lamp for studying, and an eye-catching LED flower pendant on a dimmer switch sourced from Lightology. Custom window treatments in a linen/cotton blend emphasize the height of the room and bring in a little “bling” with antiqued gold hardware. Before we even thought about aesthetics, however, MOTIV Interiors got to work right away on increasing functionality. We added a spacious storage unit with plenty of baskets for all of our young client’s animal friends, and we made sure to include ample shelf space for books and hobbies as she finds new passions to explore down the road. We always prefer eco-friendly furnishings that are manufactured responsibly, made with sustainably harvested wood (FSC Certified), and use no glue or non-toxic glues and paints. The bedding in this project is 100% cotton and contains no synthetic fibers. When purchasing bedding, check for the GOTS Certification (Global Organic Textile Standard). The introduction of a desk and drawer unit created a calming space to study and reflect, or write a letter to a friend. Gold accents add a bit of warmth to the workspace, where she can display her memories, goals, and game plans for a bright future. We hope you enjoyed this project as much as we did! Each design challenge is an opportunity to push the envelope, by creating a new and exciting aesthetic or finding creative ways to incorporate sustainable design principles.

This remodel took this 1950s Arcadia neighborhood bungalow back to its mid-century modern roots while providing the owners with a brand new modern kitchen and spacious great room. By using insulated horizontal metal siding, and large expanses of glass this low slung desert home stays both cool and bright. In this image, the eat-in galley style kitchen is composed of dark wenge lower cabinets and glass upper cabinets with matching brushed nickel drawer pulls, and a book matched cararra marble tile backsplash. A flat glass cooktop, build in oven, and hidden dishwasher are seamlessly integrated into the clean lines of the kitchen. The large glass and chrome dining table is set in the center and illuminated by a large modern pendant. Photography by Dayvid Lemmon

Example of a living room design in Minneapolis

Photo by Fernando Napolitano
Mid-sized minimalist formal and open concept ceramic tile and beige floor living room photo in Miami with white walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Builder: Falcon Custom Homes Interior Designer: Mary Burns - Gallery Photographer: Mike Buck A perfectly proportioned story and a half cottage, the Farfield is full of traditional details and charm. The front is composed of matching board and batten gables flanking a covered porch featuring square columns with pegged capitols. A tour of the rear façade reveals an asymmetrical elevation with a tall living room gable anchoring the right and a low retractable-screened porch to the left. Inside, the front foyer opens up to a wide staircase clad in horizontal boards for a more modern feel. To the left, and through a short hall, is a study with private access to the main levels public bathroom. Further back a corridor, framed on one side by the living rooms stone fireplace, connects the master suite to the rest of the house. Entrance to the living room can be gained through a pair of openings flanking the stone fireplace, or via the open concept kitchen/dining room. Neutral grey cabinets featuring a modern take on a recessed panel look, line the perimeter of the kitchen, framing the elongated kitchen island. Twelve leather wrapped chairs provide enough seating for a large family, or gathering of friends. Anchoring the rear of the main level is the screened in porch framed by square columns that match the style of those found at the front porch. Upstairs, there are a total of four separate sleeping chambers. The two bedrooms above the master suite share a bathroom, while the third bedroom to the rear features its own en suite. The fourth is a large bunkroom above the homes two-stall garage large enough to host an abundance of guests.

Eagerly awaiting retirement, a New England-based client acquired a property in a former office building in central Lisbon. Artfully refurbished by Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos, the façade is composed of geometric strata of medium-gray panels alternating with weathered vertical staves. Our studio’s brief was to furnish and equip the interior of the vacation home to converse with the architecture, so family and friends visiting Lisbon would stay in an elegant, private setting, filled with locally-made and designer items. Upon entering, a small shelf and mirror function as a welcome valet. The corridor opens to a cozy living room with lambent afternoon light let in by large sliding doors. Just outside, the balcony sports a café table and chairs set for an aperitivo. An enveloping sofa, produced in Portugal, and an organic recliner, create an intimate lounge area facing a classic, modular media cabinet. An artisan-made wool ottoman adds a beat of color; the lights speak in plump opaline glass and thin black metal rods. The glass top of the dining table fades into the space, leaving its sculptural, marine blue base; in a play of textures, the upholstery of the dining chairs coordinates elegantly with the smoked glass. Tile, oak, and stainless steel come together in a custom kitchen island, with additional counter space and convenient storage. As the interior is replete with oiled oak in the floors, baseboards, doors, and cabinetry, matching wood furniture warms the bedrooms. The vertical spindles of the beds recall the pattern of the exterior façade. Laptop work is accommodated by a small console desk with a chair clothed in burgundy. Acorn-shaped pendants, inviting bed linens and rugs, and undulating curtains, all in the warm white of the walls, form a nest for relaxation.

The renovation of an extensive linear residence and site facing Port Orchard waterway embraces water, greenspace and forested hillside. The home, completed this fall, serves as an artist’s studio, galleries, family space, game room, outdoor living areas and peaceful retreat. New interiors and exterior spaces and finishes, cabinetry, lighting, paving, landscape and courtyards become settings for the owner’s art + collections, three-generations of family and the wonderful colors and textures of the land + water. Inside, a monumental central stair and tapered two-story tall red cedar and steel column was designed as the residence’s entry focal point and internal landmarks, guiding the visitor’s eye to the main atrium…. and upward. Heavy wide-flange steel moment frames support the house and enable whole walls of glass. Rough, mill-finished steel contrasts refined cabinetry, stone, wood structure and defining dropped ceilings, reflecting the opener’s love of the tension between highly polished and detailed + rough, found art. Outside, A new southern “dining room” was designed for warm summer evening gatherings under a heavy-timber trellis. The focus, opposite water and island views, is a metal perforated screen. The final screen is composed of the lyrics from a Joe Cocker song of great meaning to the owners, cut from ½” marine bronze, set into dark-fired brick. “Oh My Darling, Be Home Soon….” Natural daylight and high-efficiency lighting are central players as in any gallery. From a high clerestory and extensive southern and eastern window-walls to carefully selected up-lighting, pendants, and accent fixtures, Rhodes Architecture + Light worked closely with the owner to ensure that their dark existing house would become one filled with light…. night and day. The owners, Ken and Jane, allowed us to interview them about their experience working with Rhodes Architecture + Light, and how they are feeling about living with the architecture today. What was your experience like, working with Rhodes Architecture + Light? “They worked with us because it was a remodel, an existing thing, and we had to try to make it work for all of our interests and how our family operated. They listened, and we listened, and it was a great communication back and forth.”–Jane How has the renovation changed the way you live and enjoy your home? “I remember saying to them that I want the whole floor heated because it gets so chilly down here. And we had the wood burning stove, but it was over there and now we just turn the floor heat on and we can come down. It’s cozy and nice. So we’re looking forward to winter now.”–Ken “We have 5 kids together and now a bunch of grandchildren. I wanted a marble countertop, but there’s just no way. I didn’t want it to be a place where I had to say, ‘No, no, no. Wipe up your drink, do this, do that.’ I wanted it to be a place where everybody can come with all the kids, and we make a big mess, and I can clean it up. And we can enjoy ourselves here, because that room upstairs, we almost never went in. And now we’re in there eating pizza and watching the game.” –Jane As an artist, Jane enjoyed the collaborative process. “I can’t believe it was as positive as it was. I went into it thinking it would be a great, creative, fun, collaborative thing, and I have to say, with our architects, it was. I like that creative process. I always say when I am doing a painting, it’s a series of problem solving so it wasn’t unusual for me. I am completely blown away by them and had fun with that part of it.” –Jane Architect: Tim James Rhodes RA AIA, Rhodes Architecture + Light Builder: Fairbank Construction Company Structural: Swensen Say Faget

Dressing cabinet: Sherwin Williams 'Composed' Bathroom cabinets: Sherwin Williams 'Persimmon' Circa Lighting 'Go Lightly' sconce 2" travertine hex tile Kahrs Engineered Wood, color: Oak Earth - Classic Leonid Furmansky Photography

The homeowners of this Mukilteo residence partnered with H2D Architecture + Design to transform their underutilized rear deck into a highly functional outdoor living environment. The existing deck was refinished and reconfigured to create a more useable area for gathering, seamlessly extending the interior living space to the outdoors. A Struxure pergola was introduced to provide adjustable shade and light filtration, allowing the space to adapt to changing weather and seasons. Beyond the deck, the design steps down to a thoughtfully composed concrete paver patio anchored by a custom round wood hot tub, creating a warm and tactile focal point. Surrounding this feature, a built-in bench establishes a zone for relaxation and socializing, while a fire pit adds both ambiance and year-round usability. A custom screen wall was integrated to provide privacy and subtle enclosure without sacrificing openness, helping to define the space while maintaining visual connections to the landscape. The combination of multi-level seating, integrated elements, and carefully considered materials results in a cohesive outdoor retreat that supports a variety of uses. + Architecture + Design: H2D Architecture + Design + Builder: Bradley J. Rodgers Remodelling + Photography: Thomas Vincent

This is a handmade marble mosaic of a sea turtle and it is composed of natural stones and decorative tiles.This medallion has a light blue background and a black border with a green turtle in the middle. The turtle has some yellow meshes on it and is opening its arms as if swimming

This project is a new 5,900 sf. primary residence for a couple with three children. The site is slightly elevated above the residential street and enjoys winter views of the Potomac River. The family’s requirements included five bedrooms, five full baths, a powder room, family room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, walk-in pantry, mudroom, lower level recreation room, exercise room, media room and numerous storage spaces. Also included was the request for an outdoor terrace and adequate outdoor storage, including provision for the storage of bikes and kayaks. The family needed a home that would have two entrances, the primary entrance, and a mudroom entry that would provide generous storage spaces for the family’s active lifestyle. Due to the small lot size, the challenge was to accommodate the family’s requirements, while remaining sympathetic to the scale of neighboring homes. The residence employs a “T” shaped plan to aid in minimizing the massing visible from the street, while organizing interior spaces around a private outdoor terrace space accessible from the living and dining spaces. A generous front porch and a gambrel roof diminish the home’s scale, providing a welcoming view along the street front. A path along the right side of the residence leads to the family entrance and a small outbuilding that provides ready access to the bikes and kayaks while shielding the rear terrace from view of neighboring homes. The two entrances join a central stair hall that leads to the eat-in kitchen overlooking the great room. Window seats and a custom built banquette provide gathering spaces, while the French doors connect the great room to the terrace where the arbor transitions to the garden. A first floor guest suite, separate from the family areas of the home, affords privacy for both guests and hosts alike. The second floor Master Suite enjoys views of the Potomac River through a second floor arched balcony visible from the front. The exterior is composed of a board and batten first floor with a cedar shingled second floor and gambrel roof. These two contrasting materials and the inclusion of a partially recessed front porch contribute to the perceived diminution of the home’s scale relative to its smaller neighbors. The overall intention was to create a close fit between the residence and the neighboring context, both built and natural. Builder: E.H. Johnstone Builders Anice Hoachlander Photography

Located six feet from the sand, this residence seeks to reframe the contextual reference of its inhabitants in order to mitigate its highly trafficked location and create a private beach retreat. In parallel to its unobstructed ocean view, the design carves out infinite pockets of nature within the architecture. From the dining room’s bamboo garden to the expansive skylight above the stairwell, moments of serenity have been carefully composed throughout the home in order to make each frame as infinite as the horizon line of the Pacific Ocean.

A detail view of the custom accent tile wall we created with Chelsea Arts, featuring Turkish Grey, White Carrara, and Dolomite. These stones were used throughout the bathroom for a uniform and composed aesthetic

N44° 56' 06" is a minimal and modern home centered around views and access to Bde Maka Ska (former Lake Calhoun). Carved into the lot, a tuck under garage provides storage for vehicles and lake toys while preserving the front of the home for an elevated porch with lake views. A rear patio and rooftop deck offer entertainment space with scenes of the Minneapolis skyline and the lake as a backdrop. Custom metal louvers accent the front and rear of the home acting as window privacy buffers and a staircase to the roof deck. The forms and materials remain modest to let the crisp lines compose balance between the modern structure and the exterior accents.