A place where beautiful memories have been created deserves an opportunity to continue to bring joy into their owner’s lives. This house was once the source of many happy moments for a little girl from Finland, growing up in Brazil. As life happens, it had been unattended for a couple of decades and was in urgent need for a revitalization. With a conservation-minded approach, we valued the history of this home and brought into it the clients bright energy a new life that was much desired. Published in House Beautiful magazine

This home is framed by a striking xeriscape garden, where sustainability meets elegant design. A natural stone wall grounds the landscape, leading to a layered planting of agaves, succulents, and native grasses that ripple gently in the breeze. The architectural foliage of yucca and agave punctuates the scene, drawing the eye upwards to the terracotta roofline of the home. Soft hues of blue and green are balanced by touches of burnt orange from the succulents, harmonizing beautifully with the warm, earthy tones of the house. This design showcases a thoughtful approach to water conservation, while celebrating the wild beauty of California’s native plants.

Stephanie is obsessed with plants, and her background in wedding stationery, botanical illustration, and fine art infuse with her love of the wild world in her approach to garden design. A lifelong guest on Ohlone Land, Stephanie has grown up with a deep appreciation for California landscapes and ecosystems, and she enjoys deepening her knowledge of local watersheds, native plant communities, and the beings who depend on them. Stephanie has a BFA in Graphic Design from California College of the Arts, and is currently completing an AA in Landscape Architecture at Merritt Community College. She also holds additional training in ecological restoration, fire resilience, permaculture, herbalism, and spiritual ecology, and is very passionate about environmental and social justice. In her free time she loves working with her hands - stewarding her North Oakland garden, knitting, and learning to weave. She also volunteers with the East Bay California Native Plant Society, helping to conserve California’s native ecosystems.

A place where beautiful memories have been created deserves an opportunity to continue to bring joy into their owner’s lives. This house was once the source of many happy moments for a little girl from Finland, growing up in Brazil. As life happens, it had been unattended for a couple of decades and was in urgent need for a revitalization. With a conservation-minded approach, we valued the history of this home and brought into it the clients bright energy a new life that was much desired. Published in House Beautiful magazine

A place where beautiful memories have been created deserves an opportunity to continue to bring joy into their owner’s lives. This house was once the source of many happy moments for a little girl from Finland, growing up in Brazil. As life happens, it had been unattended for a couple of decades and was in urgent need for a revitalization. With a conservation-minded approach, we valued the history of this home and brought into it the clients bright energy a new life that was much desired. Published in House Beautiful magazine

DESIGNED BY TOC design CONSTRUCTION BY TOC design & Construction inc. PHOTOS BY : Tania Scardellato I was fortunate to have a young family approach me in desperate need to renovate there only 3 piece bathroom. This space was In dire need of a remodel, with old brown wall to wall tiles and a dated bulky yellow brown single sink vanity. Storage was a must, lighting a necessity, and proper accessibility to the shower bath area. We had a tight budget to respect, but a full gut of this bathroom was required. And a good thing too, once we started doing the demolition we noticed that mildew and rotting floors and walls had accumulated throughout the years. Doing it right the first time is no joke when dealing with water and electrical issues. We discarded all reminisce of old and built from scratch, new walls, new plumbing, new electrical ,new insulation and a new window, a new fan that actually exhausted outside ( I say this laughing as you would be amazed at how many fans are installed but don’t exhaust outside, and you the client would never know unless you go inside the attic space. Once all the hard stuff was done, the rest is just a matter of smart design. If you have a small bathroom here are some tips to guide you. 10 tips for making a small bathroom feel larger Is your tiny bathroom cramping your functionality and style, leaving you longing for the enormous bathrooms gracing the pages of design magazines? Even if your bathroom is a fraction of the size, all it takes is some design savvy to make the most of the space you have. Consider these 10 smart tips that will help your bathroom look, feel and function like those larger contenders. 1-Get creative with corners Space is at a premium in small bathrooms, so it's important to maximize every inch. Corners, for example, provide extra space for shelving, storage units and even hooks. Get creative and install unique design solutions that are not only functional, but also eye-catching. If you love the airiness of floating cabinets, add baskets or decorative boxes under for extra storage. If you are installing floating cabinets insure that they are installed securely to studs or plywood at wall. 2- Let solid colors shine Busy patterns have a shrinking effect and make small bathrooms seem even smaller. Conversely, light natural hues make a space feel more open. If you're itching to get creative with design, experiment with textures but keep overpowering patterns to a minimum. Tone on tone is the best to achieve this. 3 - Maximize your bathtub A bathtub takes up a significant portion of the room, but modern, compact options with curved basins, can make the tub feel larger when in use, all while conserving space. 4 - Select a smaller faucet A faucet is jewelry for the bathroom. And just as accessories can overpower an outfit, a big bulky faucet isn't flattering in a small bath. Single-handle designs conserve counter space, while a wall-mount installation frees it up all together and can create quite the wow-factor, if the budget can accommodate the required changes to plumbing behind the wall. 5 - Make vanity storage simple If you're in a storage war with your small bathroom, you're not alone in the battle. Toiletries and personal supplies without a place to call home only add clutter and chaos. Store smart with a space-saving vanity, the dual sink vanity shown here, looks quite simple, but in reality it has 4 sets of full extension drawers, and the vanity tower adds extra storage without overpowering the use of space. 6 - Show off the shower Shower curtains may be pretty, but they interrupt the visual flow of a bathing space and make it feel significantly smaller. In bathrooms with small footprints, opt for a clear glass sliding shower door that doesn't require the clearance of one with a hinged design. Or as shown in this design and for fraction less expensive a half hinged panel installed on a fixed tempered glass panel. If you're embarking on a big remodel, create the illusion of more space by using same tile in the shower that's used throughout; instead of seeing them as two separate zones, the eye will read them as one. 7 - Discover the treasure of hidden storage Work with a contractor, and you just might find some serious storage potential hidden behind your walls. Whether it's utilizing space between the studs for shallow shelving or a creating a small linen closet by annexing space from an adjacent room, even small additions can make a big difference. 8 - Focal Point Tile is a beautiful, durable addition to any bathroom. For dainty spaces, consider installing tile at a diagonal to accentuate the focal point or as in this bathroom I used an oversized textured pattern to bring depth to the space at the window wall. 9 - Choose the right lights Strategically install light to reflect and brighten a small bathroom to make it appear larger. Recessed lighting is an affordable solution for tiny rooms, offering ample light while taking up little space. Wall sconces alongside a mirror also reflect off the walls and make a room feel bright and airy. I always recommend going with LED lighting at 2800 to 3000K. 10 – Accessorize This is your time to shine in your decorating skills, have fun with your towels, you can change the color scheme daily just by adding pops of color in your accessories, make sure to get items that serve a dual purpose, like baskets, boxes they can always be used as hampers, storing of towels and even a nice display for your guest.

Much of today’s remodeling design ethos centers around complete transformation. And while that’s often necessary if a home requires it, Mahony’s approach to this luxury home remodel followed a more conservative and established set of design principles that still left room for lots of creativity. There’s a lot to love about this historic Tudor’s original 1937 exterior — he simply removed the features that didn’t serve the design to let it shine. In fact, most of the home’s original elevations were kept intact. Dormers were also kept and refreshed, and chimneys were repaired or re-created down to the flue tile. Interestingly, various colors of brick were discovered during construction, leading us to believe the painted brick dates back to the original design.

Home design - country home design idea in San Francisco

This stylish Brentwood home had recently been renovated while preserving the integrity of its original mid-century design, and architecture. With furniture and furnishings true to the stylish time period, this was a perfect yard to imitate the aesthetics of the infamous Brazilian Landscape Architect, Burle Marx. This family needed a fun, yet functional space to host friends and family; but wanted to preserve the timeless aesthetics of the stylish Mid-Century flare. Burle Marx is famous for his organic nature within modernist landscape architecture. We pulled inspiration from Marx, as one of the first people to call for the conservation of Brazil’s rainforests, to introduce a palette of native and beneficial plant materials to mimic his environmental efforts. We also pulled from his artistic expressions with our curved and dramatic garden bed lines, and placement of specimen plantings. All in all, we created a truly timeless landscape design, that’s style will easily convey generation to generation. Caleb Kerr - http://calebkerr.com

Whon Photography
Large urban underground carpeted staircase photo in Indianapolis with gray walls and no fireplace

Photo by Mike Casey Cramped, uncomfortable, and out of date: when the owners of this home approached us about renovating their kitchen and adjoining sunroom, these were high on their list of complaints. OPENING UP THE KITCHEN Our plan kept the kitchen in the same location but took down the walls between both the dining room and the sunroom to create an expansive multi-purpose space with spectacular views to conservation land along the back of the property. We removed the powder room and in its place created a window-lined hallway to the living room—opening up direct access between these two previously disconnected spaces. We then built a new half bath between these two rooms, with a door along the back hallway. The result is a more private powder room that is easier to access than before. Significantly improved cabinetry provides ample storage for both human and canine needs. An island countertop is functional and pleasant, enabling the owners to prep for and clean up from dinner all while enjoying the view of the woods behind their house. CREATING COMFORT We also completely rebuilt the sunroom, thickening the framing to allow for extra insulation and raising the roof to accommodate a higher ceiling and tall windows that let in as much natural light as the skylights they replaced, but much less of the solar gain that had made the room so intolerable in the summer. We improved visual connections between spaces and admitted more natural light by converting the framing of the main stairway from full to half walls. We also insulated the attic and replaced an aging, inefficient central air conditioning system with ductless minisplit heat pumps, which can also be used as supplemental heat. All in all, this was our kind of project: we made the home more attractive, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient—all over the course of a single, well-integrated project.

STEWARDS OF NATURAL BEAUTY Your flooring is the foundation of your home. So, we craft our products with artisan hands to bring the beauty and warmth of nature to your space. BUILT TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION For every step, dance, crawl, or stumble taken on your floors—Mullican is there, for life. Our precision milling, advanced kiln-drying techniques, and the most demanding inspectors available result in a lifetime of value. SUSTAINABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE The tree is a symbol of life, virtue, and renewal. It is also our greatest resource, and one we will always protect. Since our founding, we’ve incorporated conservation and sustainability practices into our approach. INSPIRED BY OUR ROOTS Our history is founded in the Appalachian Mountains, where beautiful, slow-growing hardwoods flourish. These hardwoods emerge from a land of rich heritage and tradition—a testimony to a proud way of life.

The client asked us to reconsider the front entry and associated landscape to give the house not only more curb appeal but to create a safer approach. The previous walkway was sloped and meandered for no apparent reason while the landscape plantings were overgrown and lacked the design aesthetic the client desired. We graded the area to eliminate the slope and straightened the walkway to compliment the homes contemporary architecture. We used custom cut bluestone in a modified running bond pattern for a unique look. Additionally, we widened the front stoop and added what we like to call a Hello / Goodbye terrace directly off the entrance landing. As guests arrive or depart, there’s a comfortable transition area that allows for quick conversation and an easy pedestrian flow. We simplified the plantings by using only 3 species, lavender, boxwood, and hydrangea, along the foundation while adding ornamental grasses for additional colors and textures in other areas. The back yard features a small deck overlooking a conservation area that we enlarged to create a dining area & a lounge with a sectional sofa. We choose a stainless steel railing system to open up the view and replaced the old wooden deck with a sustainable wood similar to mahogany called Ipe. We carried the Ipe over the side to create a horizontal lattice that encloses the underside of the deck for storage and adds to the contemporary feel of the home.

The client asked us to reconsider the front entry and associated landscape to give the house not only more curb appeal but to create a safer approach. The previous walkway was sloped and meandered for no apparent reason while the landscape plantings were overgrown and lacked the design aesthetic the client desired. We graded the area to eliminate the slope and straightened the walkway to compliment the homes contemporary architecture. We used custom cut bluestone in a modified running bond pattern for a unique look. Additionally, we widened the front stoop and added what we like to call a Hello / Goodbye terrace directly off the entrance landing. As guests arrive or depart, there’s a comfortable transition area that allows for quick conversation and an easy pedestrian flow. We simplified the plantings by using only 3 species, lavender, boxwood, and hydrangea, along the foundation while adding ornamental grasses for additional colors and textures in other areas. The back yard features a small deck overlooking a conservation area that we enlarged to create a dining area & a lounge with a sectional sofa. We choose a stainless steel railing system to open up the view and replaced the old wooden deck with a sustainable wood similar to mahogany called Ipe. We carried the Ipe over the side to create a horizontal lattice that encloses the underside of the deck for storage and adds to the contemporary feel of the home.

Example of a minimalist one-story mixed siding house exterior design in Omaha with a hip roof and a shingle roof

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

Gorgeous master bath with dramatic retro "wave" tile. Peak Photography
Example of a 1950s bathroom design in Los Angeles

At IRV Plumbing & Electric, we provide exceptional electrical service and troubleshooting in the Charlotte, NC area. We take a different approach to both commercial and home electrical service, which we believe sets us apart from other electricians in the area. Whether you simply want to make some upgrades to your Charlotte home, or if you have serious safety concerns with your wiring, our licensed and professional electricians have the expert knowledge that you need. We can help you conserve energy and save money while keeping your family safe. Electrical Repairs We offer emergency service, and if you have our Service Partner Plan, you won’t be charged premium fees for after-hours electrical repairs! Even without our Service Partner Plan, you will know up front what the cost of your repairs will be — no sneaky fees! IRV Plumbing & Electric is proud of the level of professionalism and respect exhibited by every single one of our electricians. You can count on our experienced electricians to help you with both routine and emergency electrical services. If you’ve got a light fixture that keeps flickering or burning out, or a circuit that keeps overloading, we can help you troubleshoot the problem.

This very large corner site was shrouded in tired and thirsty conventional lawn. Really a bland, uninteresting monoculture—impossible to maintain especially in light of our dwindling resources and our growing understanding about sustainable practices. We chose to approach this project not with the idea that existing lawn is bad, but with respect for what lawn has historically represented: a socially connective tissue. Instead of conventional grass requiring endlessly large amounts of water, chemicals and mowing, this lawn conversion shifts to a naturalistic native meadow mix splashed with wildflowers and drought tolerant native shrubs. It was the clients’ desire to be wrapped by a garden attracting native pollinators and beneficial insects. A wildlife photographer, they wanted the opportunity to open windows and doors and feel immediately connected to a coastal native environment. The handsome new stone walls, stairs and massive boulders became the structural framework containing the loose, coastal sage scrub plant community, holding the landscape together during the dormant months. As we continue to grow our acceptance of and appreciation for climate appropriate California gardens, and embrace the paradigm shift, let us graciously bid adieu to our home’s unsustainable velvet robe.