Great room - small contemporary dark wood floor great room idea in Chicago

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Inspiration for a tropical drop-in bathtub remodel in Hawaii with beige walls

A laundry room need not be boring! Add storage and wallpaper. Now it's a space you actually enjoy entering.
Example of a mid-sized transitional porcelain tile dedicated laundry room design in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops and multicolored walls

Example of a mid-sized cottage open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room design with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Built by Cornerstone Construction Services LLC David Papazian Photography
Seated home bar - large industrial seated home bar idea in Portland with wood countertops and brown countertops

Example of a transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen design in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, metallic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Constructed From 3/4 Maple Plywood with Solid Hardwood Face Frame
Mid-sized elegant medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Atlanta with white cabinets

The pecky cypress pergola adds durability, shade and charm to this adorable summer kitchen. The designers of Creative Construction re-purposed existing granite counters from the clients' interior and repeated the travertine up the sides of the kitchen, allowing for a seamless transition from the other areas of the courtyard to the BBQ nook.

Andy Warren

Living room with gas fireplace and venetian plaster walls #buildboswell
Living room - mid-sized contemporary formal and open concept porcelain tile living room idea in Los Angeles with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

A KitchenAid 36” dual fuel range and Zephyr 36” “Essential Europa” wall mount hood turn this Kitchen into a chef’s delight - and everything needed for a busy family!

Gordon Beall Photography
Walk-in closet - traditional walk-in closet idea in DC Metro with white cabinets

Reynolds Cabinetry & Millwork -- Photography by Nathan Kirkman
Example of a transitional u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This house combines wood siding, distressed brick, natural cedar shakers, board-and-batten and rock for a beautiful unique look. The blue front door adds a pop of color. Along with the landscaping, and paver stone pathways to complete the finished product.

Inspiration for a rustic two-story exterior home remodel in Minneapolis

The light filled laundry room is punctuated with black and gold accents, a playful floor tile pattern and a large dog shower. The U-shaped laundry room features plenty of counter space for folding clothes and ample cabinet storage. A mesh front drying cabinet is the perfect spot to hang clothes to dry out of sight. The "drop zone" outside of the laundry room features a countertop beside the garage door for leaving car keys and purses. Under the countertop, the client requested an open space to fit a large dog kennel to keep it tucked away out of the walking area. The room's color scheme was pulled from the fun floor tile and works beautifully with the nearby kitchen and pantry.

Rachel Gross
Eat-in kitchen - traditional medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and marble countertops

Bevelo copper gas lanterns, herringbone brick floor, and "Haint blue" tongue and groove ceiling.
This is an example of a cottage brick wood railing back porch design with a roof extension.