John Shum
Inspiration for a small mid-century modern l-shaped porcelain tile and white floor open concept kitchen remodel in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, multicolored backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and soapstone countertops

Countertop Wood: White Oak Construction Style: Edge Grain Countertop Thickness: 2" Size: 50" x 68 3/4" Countertop Edge Profile: French Baroque on the top horizontal edges, 1/8” Roundover on bottom horizontal edges and vertical corners Wood Countertop Finish: Grothouse Original Oil™ Wood Stain: Natural Wood – No Stain Job: 10266 Year Completed: 2013 Countertop Options: Hand Planing Complimentary Countertops: Zinc Photography by Michael J Lee.

Simple, open living room spaces.
Trendy open concept ceramic tile, gray floor and wood ceiling living room photo in Columbus with white walls

A wood sink paired with bonsai tree and tin backsplash make this bathroom simple with a refined elegance. Shown is Pattern #3 in Brushed Satin Nickel.

Scott Amundson Photography
Urban living room photo in Other

Karen Swanson, owner of New England Design Works in Manchester, MA keeps designing award winning Pennville Custom Cabinetry kitchens. You may remember that earlier this year, Karen won both the regional Sub-Zero Design Contest and the National Kitchen & Bath Association's medium kitchen of the year. nedesignworks@gmail.com 978.500.1096.

Photo: Jason Snyder © 2014 Houzz Design: Luca Construction and Design
Contemporary three-story wood exterior home idea in Other

This award winning kitchen features St Clair Fine Handcrafted Cabinetry. Subzero-Wolf Appliances include ovens, 48" range top, 60" hood and paneled 48" refrigerator. Countertops are Carrara marble and Absolute black granite. The backsplash is Calacatta marble,gray glass and mother-of-pearl. Photography:Peter Rymwid. More details on this Subzero Wolf Design Award Winner here: " http://www.subzero-wolf.com/Photos/View/Nantucket-Now"> http://www.subzero-wolf.com/Photos/View/Nantucket-Now

Frederick C. Robie House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1908-10), Chicago, IL A masterpiece of the Prairie style and an icon of modern architecture. Courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright. Photographer: Tim Long

Karen Swanson, owner of New England Design Works in Manchester, MA keeps designing award winning Pennville Custom Cabinetry kitchens. You may remember that earlier this year, Karen won both the regional Sub-Zero Design Contest and the National Kitchen & Bath Association's medium kitchen of the year. nedesignworks@gmail.com 978.500.1096.

The "Illusionist" kitchen is a 2nd place winner in the prestigious Subzero and Wolf kitchen design contest in the state of Ohio. This tremendous house, which is situated on the lake, boasts a main kitchen and a prep kitchen. Its name was generated from the complete invisibility of the main kitchen's working components, whereas all of the appliances were completely concealed to provide a seamless look allowing for an unconventional look that is streamlined yet completely functional. The goal of the homeowners in the design stages were to simplify a more conventional house layout. A more predictable formal dining room was eliminated creating a merge of the main kitchen with a central eating area. The combining of these two spaces helped to develop the concept that the kitchen was an 'illusion'; accessible when necessary but unnoticed in every other way so there was less of a feel of being in a kitchen and more of a sense of being in a gathering area for family and friends to enjoy. The main kitchen boasts three ovens, a 36" Subzero refrigerator and a 36" Subzero freezer, all of which are paneled with white glass, providing a perfect reflective surface for the lake in the backdrop. The island is dual purposed, housing a sink and a 36" induction Wolf cooktop on one side and providing seating for 10 in a custom built banquette. The light fixture above the custom glass and stainless steel table is the "Etoile" from Terzanni while the massive light fixture over the island is the "Sospesa" from Fabbian and boasts a 2" sheet of glass with inset halogen lighting that is nearly invisible suspended from the 10' ceiling that features a drop ceiling with cove lighting. The prep kitchen, which was the 'workhorse' for everyday use is also a fully functional space, featuring additional 36" Subzero refrigerator and freezer, a 36" oven, microwave, two prep sinks (one in the island and one to the left of the freezer) and a concealed barstool which pulls out from the island and 'disappears' when not in use. A built-in dog feeding station allows for conveniences for all family members of this modern household.

Bob Greenspan
Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in Kansas City

Photography by Ric Johnson http://www.RicJPhotography.com
Transitional bathroom photo in Austin

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Beautiful, light and bright master bath.
Bathroom - mid-sized transitional master marble tile ceramic tile, gray floor and double-sink bathroom idea in Boise with shaker cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops and a built-in vanity

Trendy bathroom photo in Portland Maine

Designed by Haddad Hakansson of Belmont, MA, this kitchen features the Pennville Shakertown door in painted maple (Cottonball). The new space includes custom built in dog dishes, an extra large island, a separate coffee center and a built-in desk/display center to showcase the client's beloved Mackenzie-Childs pottery. This kitchen won first place in the 2014 NKBA Northern New England design contest (large kitchen remodel).

Indy Ferrufino EIF Images eifimages@gmail.com
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary gender-neutral light wood floor and brown floor walk-in closet remodel in Phoenix with glass-front cabinets and white cabinets

Ciro Coelho Photography
Bathroom - modern bathroom idea in Santa Barbara