Front porch of barn style home
Small mountain style beige two-story wood exterior home photo in Burlington

Steven Dewall
Living room - mid-sized scandinavian living room idea in Los Angeles

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary kids' porcelain tile bathroom remodel in Philadelphia with flat-panel cabinets, white walls, an integrated sink, solid surface countertops and light wood cabinets

When the Gimbels department store chain closed in 1986, many of its selling floors were converted into luxury apartments, including those of this branch at 86th Street and Lexington Avenue. The retailer’s soaring ceilings allowed Axis Mundi to create bedroom mezzanine spaces overlooking the living and dining rooms. Defining them with translucent glass welcomed natural light while retaining privacy. Downstairs, spaces bleed one into another, their basic monochromatic black-and-white palette acting as a unifying leitmotif. Yet each space feels distinct, with its own programmatic purpose, a feat largely achieved by varying floor and wall treatments—a graphic tile pattern in the entry, a red wall in the hall leading to the master suite, a colorful area rug in the living room. In the retailer’s heyday, the then-common saying, “Would Macy’s tell Gimbels?” implied the strategies the competitors kept from each other to gain the upper hand. Here, a structure iconic in its day also conceals something: a handsome, wholly contemporary repurposing that represents just the sort of innovation that made Gimbels the celebrated name that it was.

Beach style guest bedroom photo in Boston with blue walls and no fireplace

Kitchen - transitional l-shaped brown floor kitchen idea in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Original cypress wood siding was conserved and restored, as was the exterior post and beam roof construction. All stone walls were conserved to bring this residence back to life. © Jeffrey Totaro, photographer

Designer: Aaron Keller | Photographer: Sarah Utech
Living room - mid-sized transitional formal and enclosed carpeted and beige floor living room idea in Milwaukee with gray walls, no tv and no fireplace

MEDITERRANEAN, TRADITIONAL, CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, MALIBU, CALABASAS, SANTA MONICA, THOUSAND OAKS, SHERMAN OAKS, WEST HILLS, PACIFIC PALISADES, NORTH RANCH, AGOURA, AGOURA HILLS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SUCCULENTS, ECLECTIC, OAK PARK, DECOMPOSED GRANITE, AUSTRALIAN PLANTS, CALIFORNIA NATIVE, CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS, SUSTAINABLE, RAIN CAPTURE, SOIL HEALTH, RUSTIC, ENGLISH GARDEN, DROUGHT TOLERANT, DROUGHT RESISTANT, LAWN REMOVAL, WATER CONSERVATION, WATER CONSERVING, WATERWISE, LOW MAINTENANCE, CLIMATE, FRONT YARD, BACK YARD, BACKYARD, PATIO, POOL, SOUTHWESTERN, ASIAN, WALKWAY, SUCCULENT POTS, GRAVEL, EDIBLE, LANDSCAPE, POOL, GARDEN, GARDEN DESIGN, SUCCULENT GARDEN, SUCCULENT POTS, REBATE, SUCCULENT WALL, LIVING WALL, DRAFTING, HARDSCAPE, HARDSCAPING, LIGHTING, FOUNTAIN, WATER FEATURE, LOW WATER, DRIP IRRIGATION, FIRE PIT, SANTA BARBARA, OXNARD, VENTURA,

Jean Allsopp
Example of a beach style light wood floor and brown floor living room design in Tampa with white walls and a standard fireplace

Patio - contemporary patio idea in Phoenix with a fire pit and no cover

Sean Jancski
Elegant pool photo in New York

Eat-in kitchen - contemporary gray floor eat-in kitchen idea in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white backsplash and paneled appliances

Living room - traditional formal medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in St Louis with beige walls and a standard fireplace

Laundry room renovation in South Tampa.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall light wood floor and gray floor dedicated laundry room remodel in Tampa with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, beige walls and gray countertops

Adjacent to a 40 acre conservation area, this house on a slope is designed to maximize the connection to the woods, while maintaining privacy from this popular public hiking area. Despite its location in a suburban neighborhood, the house is made to feel like a wooded retreat. With passive-solar strategies, the house orients northward to nature, while allowing the southerly sun to enter through large openings and clerestories. A geothermal system provides the hot water, heating and cooling.

Certified Built Green 95% Efficient Forced Air Furnace (A/C Ready) Blown-In Insulation + Low VOC paints Formaldehyde free millwork and cabinets Energy efficient lighting fixtures WaterSense fixtures, including Niagara Conservation 0.8 gpf toilets USB port in Kitchen Centrally located data port for better WiFi signal

Certified Built Green 95% Efficient Forced Air Furnace (A/C Ready) Blown-In Insulation + Low VOC paints Formaldehyde free millwork and cabinets Energy efficient lighting fixtures WaterSense fixtures, including Niagara Conservation 0.8 gpf toilets USB port in Kitchen Centrally located data port for better WiFi signal

Bedroom - victorian brown floor and dark wood floor bedroom idea in London with beige walls