Scott Lowell, LOWELL CUSTOM HOMES & LOWELL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC., LAKE GENVA, WI.., Experts with the ideas and ability to guide you in the planning and execution of your new home or remodeling projects. connect your outdoor living areas with landscaping, walkways and privacy screening than integrates the outdoor space with the overall architecture of your home.

zack Benson photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard water fountain landscape in San Diego with decking.

Corner pocket doors connect the adjacent family room from the main great room. The homeowners wanted the ability to close off the TV room from the main area if their son had friends over to play video games.

Creating spaces that make connections between the indoors and out, while making the most of the panoramic lake views and lush landscape that surround were two key goals of this seasonal home’s design. Central entrance into the residence brings you to an open dining and lounge space, with natural light flooding in through rooftop skylights. Soaring ceilings and subdued color palettes give the adjacent kitchen and living room an airy and expansive feeling, while the large, sliding glass doors and picture windows bring the warmth of the outdoors in. The family room, located in one of the two zinc-clad connector spaces, offers a more intimate lounge area and leads into the master suite wing, complete with vaulted ceilings and sleek lines. Three additional guest suites can be found in the opposite wing of the home, providing ideally separate living spaces for a multi-generational family. Photographer: Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing Architect: Booth Hansen

The Cicero is a modern styled home for today’s contemporary lifestyle. It features sweeping facades with deep overhangs, tall windows, and grand outdoor patio. The contemporary lifestyle is reinforced through a visually connected array of communal spaces. The kitchen features a symmetrical plan with large island and is connected to the dining room through a wide opening flanked by custom cabinetry. Adjacent to the kitchen, the living and sitting rooms are connected to one another by a see-through fireplace. The communal nature of this plan is reinforced downstairs with a lavish wet-bar and roomy living space, perfect for entertaining guests. Lastly, with vaulted ceilings and grand vistas, the master suite serves as a cozy retreat from today’s busy lifestyle. Photographer: Brad Gillette

Basement home theater, family room, and entertaining space. Featuring a Monitor Audio Gold Series and James Loudspeaker 7.2 surround system. Contro4 automated shades, sconce, pendant, can, and LED lighting provide the ability to utilize ambient light from the walkout basement in the bar/lounge area to create a "one room" connected feel when entertaining, or close the blinds for complete theater blackout for home movie viewing. Theater specifications, development, installation and setup/calibration by Integrated Smart Technologies (iST), www.istmi.com Photography by Meg Marie Photography

Our homeowner was desirous of an improved floorplan for her Kitchen/Living Room area, updating the kitchen and converting a 3-season room into a sunroom off the kitchen. With some modifications to existing cabinetry in the kitchen and new countertops, backsplash and plumbing fixtures she has an elegant renewal of the space. Additionally, we created a circular floor plan by opening the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen allowing for much improved function of the space. We raised the floor in the 3-season room to bring the floor level with the kitchen and dining area creating a sitting area as an extension of the kitchen. New windows and French doors with transoms in the sitting area and living room, not only improved the aesthetic but also improved function and the ability to access the exterior patio of the home. With refinished hardwoods and paint throughout, and an updated staircase with stained treads and painted risers, this home is now beautiful and an entertainer’s dream.

This sleek, minimalist hood features Zephyr Connect, giving you the ability to control it from anywhere, including from your smart speaker — and it discreetly mounts into the ceiling above your cooking surface for power and an unobstructed view. Your kitchen will stay clean and smoke free with the Perimeter Aspiration System and multiple blower options, and the tri-level BriteStrip™ LED lighting ensures a good-looking glow. Available in white and stainless steel. Control your range hood from anywhere using your mobile device with the Zephyr Connect app. Get real-time diagnostics and product information, and connect to smart devices such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home smart speakers. Download on mobile from the Apple App Store and Google Play today.

Inspiration for a large transitional brick floor mudroom remodel in Boston with white walls

Basement bar/lounge entertaining space connected to home theater/family room. Home theater features a Monitor Audio Gold Series and James Loudspeaker 7.2 surround system. Contro4 automated shades, sconce, pendant, can, and LED lighting provide the ability to utilize ambient light from the walkout basement in the bar/lounge area to create a "one room" connected feel when entertaining, or close the blinds for complete theater blackout for home movie viewing. Granite countertops, dishwasher, wine and beverage chiller, bronzed beveled glass mirror and bar shelves, seeded glass cabinet doors, crown molding, tin ceiling, and tongue & groove woodwork detail. Photography by Meg Marie Photography

This amazing home features a backyard patio and pool area with a spectacular custom pool with many features including island which feature sitting areas and fire pit a spa as well as incredible slide which goes into the swimming pool. The pool measures roughly 2300 square feet, and has a deep end of 10'0". The spa is raised and has 12 therapy heads. There is LED colored lighting throughout the project. There is a 300 square foot zero depth beach entry into the pool with agitator jets to keep the water moving. There is also a sunshelf within the pool. The lazy river wraps around the sunken island, and the current in the lazy river is propelled by a commercial waterpark quality pumping system. The sunken island has lighting, a fire pit, and a bridge connecting it to the decking area. There is an infinity edge on one edge of the pool. The pool also has an in-floor cleaning system to keep it clean and sanitary. The swimming pool also has the ability to change colors at night utilizing the amazing LED lighting system. The pool and spa exposed aggregate finish is French Gray color. The slide that cascades down the grotto is custom built. The waterfall grotto also provide a thrilling jump off point into the deepest part of the pool. This amazing backyard was designed and built for a home in Bull Valley Illinois.

Scott Lowell, LOWELL CUSTOM HOMES & LOWELL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC., LAKE GENVA, WI.., Experts with the ideas and ability to guide you in the planning and execution of your new home or remodeling projects. connect your outdoor living areas with landscaping, walkways and privacy screening than integrates the outdoor space with the overall architecture of your home.

The building is comprised of three volumes, supported by a heavy timber frame, and set upon a terraced ground plane that closely follows the existing topography. Linking the volumes, the circulation path is highlighted by large cuts in the skin of the building. These cuts are infilled with a wood framed curtainwall of glass offset from the syncopated structural grid. Eric Reinholdt - Project Architect/Lead Designer with Elliott, Elliott, Norelius Architecture Photo: Brian Vanden Brink

This amazing home features a backyard patio and pool area with a spectacular custom pool with many features including island which feature sitting areas and fire pit a spa as well as incredible slide which goes into the swimming pool. The pool measures roughly 2300 square feet, and has a deep end of 10'0". The spa is raised and has 12 therapy heads. There is LED colored lighting throughout the project. There is a 300 square foot zero depth beach entry into the pool with agitator jets to keep the water moving. There is also a sunshelf within the pool. The lazy river wraps around the sunken island, and the current in the lazy river is propelled by a commercial waterpark quality pumping system. The sunken island has lighting, a fire pit, and a bridge connecting it to the decking area. There is an infinity edge on one edge of the pool. The pool also has an in-floor cleaning system to keep it clean and sanitary. The swimming pool also has the ability to change colors at night utilizing the amazing LED lighting system. The pool and spa exposed aggregate finish is French Gray color. The slide that cascades down the grotto is custom built. The waterfall grotto also provide a thrilling jump off point into the deepest part of the pool. This amazing backyard was designed and built for a home in Bull Valley Illinois.

Transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen photo in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, beige backsplash, an island and gray countertops

Scott Lowell, LOWELL CUSTOM HOMES & LOWELL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC., LAKE GENVA, WI.., The experts with the ideas and ability to guide you in the planning and execution of your new home or remodeling projects. connect your outdoor living areas with landscaping, walkways and privacy screening than integrates the outdoor space with the overall architecture of your home.

Once the new walls went up on the left, capturing square footage from the bedroom, we now had enough room for the separate tub and shower the clients so wanted. Parameters were still restrictive as we dealt with that overhead soffit and the ability to move plumbing at a reasonable price. Wall paint is no-VOC mineral paint from ROMA.

Middlefork was retained to update and revitalize this North Shore home to a family of six. The primary goal of this project was to update and expand the home's small, eat-in kitchen. The existing space was gutted and a 1,500-square-foot addition was built to house a gourmet kitchen, connected breakfast room, fireside seating, butler's pantry, and a small office. The family desired nice, timeless spaces that were also durable and family-friendly. As such, great consideration was given to the interior finishes. The 10' kitchen island, for instance, is a solid slab of white velvet quartzite, selected for its ability to withstand mustard, ketchup and finger-paint. There are shorter, walnut extensions off either end of the island that support the children's involvement in meal preparation and crafts. Low-maintenance Atlantic Blue Stone was selected for the perimeter counters. The scope of this phase grew to include re-trimming the front façade and entry to emphasize the Georgian detailing of the home. In addition, the balance of the first floor was gutted; existing plumbing and electrical systems were updated; all windows were replaced; two powder rooms were updated; a low-voltage distribution system for HDTV and audio was added; and, the interior of the home was re-trimmed. Two new patios were also added, providing outdoor areas for entertaining, dining and cooking. Tom Harris, Hedrich Blessing

Photos by Rebecca McAlpin
Inspiration for a small mediterranean galley terra-cotta tile and orange floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Philadelphia with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, marble countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island