The Binary House was conceived as part of Hometta's premier collection. It explores several dualities of modern living. Photo Credit: Ben Hill
Minimalist hallway photo in Houston

Modernism and traditionalism are just steps away from each other at this Vienna Virginia pool house. The main house, built by a national homebuilder, draws upon tradition, but the pool house, speaks the language of contemporary minimalism. It presents clean lines and a soaring roofline overhanging tall glass doors and clerestory windows. Great design, careful attention to detail, first-rate materials and impeccable craftsmanship have yielded a spectacular solution for outdoor entertaining. With a fireplace and every conceivable convenience under roof, this pool house might just be the perfect escape for inclement weather as well. Photography by Greg Hadley http://www.greghadleyphotography.com

The client’s brief was to create a space reminiscent of their beloved downtown Chicago industrial loft, in a rural farm setting, while incorporating their unique collection of vintage and architectural salvage. The result is a custom designed space that blends life on the farm with an industrial sensibility. The new house is located on approximately the same footprint as the original farm house on the property. Barely visible from the road due to the protection of conifer trees and a long driveway, the house sits on the edge of a field with views of the neighbouring 60 acre farm and creek that runs along the length of the property. The main level open living space is conceived as a transparent social hub for viewing the landscape. Large sliding glass doors create strong visual connections with an adjacent barn on one end and a mature black walnut tree on the other. The house is situated to optimize views, while at the same time protecting occupants from blazing summer sun and stiff winter winds. The wall to wall sliding doors on the south side of the main living space provide expansive views to the creek, and allow for breezes to flow throughout. The wrap around aluminum louvered sun shade tempers the sun. The subdued exterior material palette is defined by horizontal wood siding, standing seam metal roofing and large format polished concrete blocks. The interiors were driven by the owners’ desire to have a home that would properly feature their unique vintage collection, and yet have a modern open layout. Polished concrete floors and steel beams on the main level set the industrial tone and are paired with a stainless steel island counter top, backsplash and industrial range hood in the kitchen. An old drinking fountain is built-in to the mudroom millwork, carefully restored bi-parting doors frame the library entrance, and a vibrant antique stained glass panel is set into the foyer wall allowing diffused coloured light to spill into the hallway. Upstairs, refurbished claw foot tubs are situated to view the landscape. The double height library with mezzanine serves as a prominent feature and quiet retreat for the residents. The white oak millwork exquisitely displays the homeowners’ vast collection of books and manuscripts. The material palette is complemented by steel counter tops, stainless steel ladder hardware and matte black metal mezzanine guards. The stairs carry the same language, with white oak open risers and stainless steel woven wire mesh panels set into a matte black steel frame. The overall effect is a truly sublime blend of an industrial modern aesthetic punctuated by personal elements of the owners’ storied life. Photography: James Brittain

Designed and constructed by Los Angeles architect, John Southern and his firm Urban Operations, the Slice and Fold House is a contemporary hillside home in the cosmopolitan neighborhood of Highland Park. Nestling into its steep hillside site, the house steps gracefully up the sloping topography, and provides outdoor space for every room without additional sitework. The first floor is conceived as an open plan, and features strategically located light-wells that flood the home with sunlight from above. On the second floor, each bedroom has access to outdoor space, decks and an at-grade patio, which opens onto a landscaped backyard. The home also features a roof deck inspired by Le Corbusier’s early villas, and where one can see Griffith Park and the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.

This project encompasses the renovation of two aging metal warehouses located on an acre just North of the 610 loop. The larger warehouse, previously an auto body shop, measures 6000 square feet and will contain a residence, art studio, and garage. A light well puncturing the middle of the main residence brightens the core of the deep building. The over-sized roof opening washes light down three masonry walls that define the light well and divide the public and private realms of the residence. The interior of the light well is conceived as a serene place of reflection while providing ample natural light into the Master Bedroom. Large windows infill the previous garage door openings and are shaded by a generous steel canopy as well as a new evergreen tree court to the west. Adjacent, a 1200 sf building is reconfigured for a guest or visiting artist residence and studio with a shared outdoor patio for entertaining. Photo by Peter Molick, Art by Karin Broker

This cedar-wrapped poolhouse sits within the zoning footprint of an existing, dilapidated garden shed. It was conceived as an indoor/outdoor room, with three large barn doors sliding open to seamlessly connect the interior to an adjacent cedar deck and elevated 25-meter swimming pool. The space contains open showers, a toilet room and kitchenette and functions equally well as a spa in winter, with a Japanese soaking tub and sauna.

Conceived more similar to a loft type space rather than a traditional single family home, the homeowner was seeking to challenge a normal arrangement of rooms in favor of spaces that are dynamic in all 3 dimensions, interact with the yard, and capture the movement of light and air. As an artist that explores the beauty of natural objects and scenes, she tasked us with creating a building that was not precious - one that explores the essence of its raw building materials and is not afraid of expressing them as finished. We designed opportunities for kinetic fixtures, many built by the homeowner, to allow flexibility and movement. The result is a building that compliments the casual artistic lifestyle of the occupant as part home, part work space, part gallery. The spaces are interactive, contemplative, and fun. More details to come. credits: design: Matthew O. Daby - m.o.daby design construction: Cellar Ridge Construction structural engineer: Darla Wall - Willamette Building Solutions photography: Erin Riddle - KLIK Concepts

Example of a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room design in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

Aquatica’s True Ofuro Mini Japanese soaking tub has been inspired by the ancient Japanese bathing traditions and its design heavily influenced by the traditional Ofuro soaking bathtubs. Following the launch of our True Ofuro bathtub, many of our customers kept requested an even smaller version of Japanese tub that would be practical and useful in applications where no other bathtub would fit. This, in a nutshell, is how this small and tall version of ‘sit and soak’, solid surface Japanese bathtub was conceived. True Ofuro Mini Japanese style bathtub features a deeper design for a comfortable, full-body immersion. Designed in Italy, this immaculately sculpted model is also available with an optional inline water heater and digital control panel which includes a temperature display. This feature will help reduce water consumption and provide a prolonged soaking experience in very comfortable water temperatures. The True Ofuro Mini Japanese style bathtub is taller and deeper and features a slightly elevated rim for improved neck and head support, as well as a convenient ergonomic built-in seat, allowing the body to comfortably emerge to maximum water capacity. The height of the True Ofuro Mini Japanese style soaking bathtub is substantially taller than the original True Ofuro bathtub, and therefore we recommend people who are shorter than 170cm also purchase our stylish teak wood step. Aquatica’s international industrial design team, used advanced CAD tools, modeling and repeated testing with real size prototype units so that we could reach the optimal balance between ergonomic comfort and visual appeal. Our AquateX™ material is the star in this Japanese soaking tub as it retains heat much longer and also has a silky and velvety surface. This bathtub is currently one of our most space conscious bathtubs at a size of 43" x 43" (1090x1090mm), making the freestanding and petite construction of this Japanese style bathtub easy to be installed in any sized bathroom.

incredible landscape by Blue Agave thru these doors from . . . . India, set in wall conceived by architect photo Liam Frederick
This is an example of a mid-century modern landscaping in Phoenix.

The project consisted of the design, detailing and construction of a new residence for a private client in the historic district of Ridgefield, Connecticut, on a street of early 20th century 'Summer Homes'. The residence was conceived of as a Shingle Style Revival structure with a prominent entry porch in keeping with both our and the client’s desire for a home that would feel immediately at one with it’s neighbors both in scale and character. AIA Connecticut Alice Washburn Awards Finalist. Barry A. Hyman

When an international client moved from Brazil to Stamford, Connecticut, they reached out to Decor Aid, and asked for our help in modernizing a recently purchased suburban home. The client felt that the house was too “cookie-cutter,” and wanted to transform their space into a highly individualized home for their energetic family of four. In addition to giving the house a more updated and modern feel, the client wanted to use the interior design as an opportunity to segment and demarcate each area of the home. They requested that the downstairs area be transformed into a media room, where the whole family could hang out together. Both of the parents work from home, and so their office spaces had to be sequestered from the rest of the house, but conceived without any disruptive design elements. And as the husband is a photographer, he wanted to put his own artwork on display. So the furniture that we sourced had to balance the more traditional elements of the house, while also feeling cohesive with the husband’s bold, graphic, contemporary style of photography. The first step in transforming this house was repainting the interior and exterior, which were originally done in outdated beige and taupe colors. To set the tone for a classically modern design scheme, we painted the exterior a charcoal grey, with a white trim, and repainted the door a crimson red. The home offices were placed in a quiet corner of the house, and outfitted with a similar color palette: grey walls, a white trim, and red accents, for a seamless transition between work space and home life. The house is situated on the edge of a Connecticut forest, with clusters of maple, birch, and hemlock trees lining the property. So we installed white window treatments, to accentuate the natural surroundings, and to highlight the angular architecture of the home. In the entryway, a bold, graphic print, and a thick-pile sheepskin rug set the tone for this modern, yet comfortable home. While the formal room was conceived with a high-contrast neutral palette and angular, contemporary furniture, the downstairs media area includes a spiral staircase, comfortable furniture, and patterned accent pillows, which creates a more relaxed atmosphere. Equipped with a television, a fully-stocked bar, and a variety of table games, the downstairs media area has something for everyone in this energetic young family.

Conceived as a "village on a hill", this home is separated into five distinct structures.
Huge 1950s two-story stucco flat roof photo

This beautifully conceived residence sits high on the hillside overlooking the Vail Valley. Designed by Kyle H. Webb Architects, this home features vertical grain hemlock in Vintage Woods grey. Coupled with stone and steel the palette is really wonderful. ©Kimberly Gavin Photography 2016 www.vintagewoodsinc.net 970-524-4041

The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Thad Hayes conceived this bath for a Boston home
Example of a trendy freestanding bathtub design in New York

Botón: a table conceived as a made-to-measure suit, ready to "dress" the dining area with its presence.

Tom Crane
Inspiration for a huge contemporary landscaping in Philadelphia.

The client’s brief was to create a space reminiscent of their beloved downtown Chicago industrial loft, in a rural farm setting, while incorporating their unique collection of vintage and architectural salvage. The result is a custom designed space that blends life on the farm with an industrial sensibility. The new house is located on approximately the same footprint as the original farm house on the property. Barely visible from the road due to the protection of conifer trees and a long driveway, the house sits on the edge of a field with views of the neighbouring 60 acre farm and creek that runs along the length of the property. The main level open living space is conceived as a transparent social hub for viewing the landscape. Large sliding glass doors create strong visual connections with an adjacent barn on one end and a mature black walnut tree on the other. The house is situated to optimize views, while at the same time protecting occupants from blazing summer sun and stiff winter winds. The wall to wall sliding doors on the south side of the main living space provide expansive views to the creek, and allow for breezes to flow throughout. The wrap around aluminum louvered sun shade tempers the sun. The subdued exterior material palette is defined by horizontal wood siding, standing seam metal roofing and large format polished concrete blocks. The interiors were driven by the owners’ desire to have a home that would properly feature their unique vintage collection, and yet have a modern open layout. Polished concrete floors and steel beams on the main level set the industrial tone and are paired with a stainless steel island counter top, backsplash and industrial range hood in the kitchen. An old drinking fountain is built-in to the mudroom millwork, carefully restored bi-parting doors frame the library entrance, and a vibrant antique stained glass panel is set into the foyer wall allowing diffused coloured light to spill into the hallway. Upstairs, refurbished claw foot tubs are situated to view the landscape. The double height library with mezzanine serves as a prominent feature and quiet retreat for the residents. The white oak millwork exquisitely displays the homeowners’ vast collection of books and manuscripts. The material palette is complemented by steel counter tops, stainless steel ladder hardware and matte black metal mezzanine guards. The stairs carry the same language, with white oak open risers and stainless steel woven wire mesh panels set into a matte black steel frame. The overall effect is a truly sublime blend of an industrial modern aesthetic punctuated by personal elements of the owners’ storied life. Photography: James Brittain