This brick and limestone, 6,000-square-foot residence exemplifies understated elegance. Located in the award-wining Blaine School District and within close proximity to the Southport Corridor, this is city living at its finest! The foyer, with herringbone wood floors, leads to a dramatic, hand-milled oval staircase; an architectural element that allows sunlight to cascade down from skylights and to filter throughout the house. The floor plan has stately-proportioned rooms and includes formal Living and Dining Rooms; an expansive, eat-in, gourmet Kitchen/Great Room; four bedrooms on the second level with three additional bedrooms and a Family Room on the lower level; a Penthouse Playroom leading to a roof-top deck and green roof; and an attached, heated 3-car garage. Additional features include hardwood flooring throughout the main level and upper two floors; sophisticated architectural detailing throughout the house including coffered ceiling details, barrel and groin vaulted ceilings; painted, glazed and wood paneling; laundry rooms on the bedroom level and on the lower level; five fireplaces, including one outdoors; and HD Video, Audio and Surround Sound pre-wire distribution through the house and grounds. The home also features extensively landscaped exterior spaces, designed by Prassas Landscape Studio. This home went under contract within 90 days during the Great Recession. Featured in Chicago Magazine: http://goo.gl/Gl8lRm Jim Yochum

Kitchen - rustic kitchen idea in New York

Photography by Michael J. Lee
Example of a large transitional master carpeted and gray floor bedroom design in Boston with gray walls and no fireplace

Photo: Heather Banks © 2015 Houzz Design: Brandi Hines
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Shaker style cabinetry with a modern flair. Painted cabinetry with the warmth of stained quartersawn oak accents and stainless steel drawer fronts. Thick two toned butcher block on the island makes a great focal point and the built in seating nook is very cozy. We also created some custom details for the family pets like hidden gates at the doorway and comfortable beds with screened doors.

This custom charging station and communication desk was Knick-named, Grand Central Station. The cork back allows for notes to family members, lists and also charging, the cords are run into the space below through ‘mouse holes’. The desk is stand-up height and has a couple drawers for pens, paper, etc. the floor was left open for dog food bowls, tucked safely out of traffic. We also waterfalled the countertop down the side to reflect the same on the island, and provide cover for the dog bowls. The top shelf was ideal for housing children’s art work and a portion of her collected and favorite finds.

A bright white modern farmhouse with an open concept floorplan and rustic decor details. Photo by Tessa Manning
Inspiration for a mid-sized farmhouse l-shaped vinyl floor and brown floor kitchen remodel in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, white appliances and an island

Matt Wargo Photography
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David West - Born Imagery
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Antoine Bootz
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in New York with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Tray storage in a pullout drawer. Deep drawer for cereals. Photo: Jeff McNamara
Large mountain style l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartzite countertops, gray backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2016 Houzz
Inspiration for a cottage exterior home remodel in New York

Coming from Minnesota this couple already had an appreciation for a woodland retreat. Wanting to lay some roots in Sun Valley, Idaho, guided the incorporation of historic hewn, stone and stucco into this cozy home among a stand of aspens with its eye on the skiing and hiking of the surrounding mountains. Miller Architects, PC

The five bay main block of the façade features a pedimented center bay. Finely detailed dormers with arch top windows sit on a graduated slate roof, anchored by limestone topped chimneys.

Our clients wanted the ultimate modern farmhouse custom dream home. They found property in the Santa Rosa Valley with an existing house on 3 ½ acres. They could envision a new home with a pool, a barn, and a place to raise horses. JRP and the clients went all in, sparing no expense. Thus, the old house was demolished and the couple’s dream home began to come to fruition. The result is a simple, contemporary layout with ample light thanks to the open floor plan. When it comes to a modern farmhouse aesthetic, it’s all about neutral hues, wood accents, and furniture with clean lines. Every room is thoughtfully crafted with its own personality. Yet still reflects a bit of that farmhouse charm. Their considerable-sized kitchen is a union of rustic warmth and industrial simplicity. The all-white shaker cabinetry and subway backsplash light up the room. All white everything complimented by warm wood flooring and matte black fixtures. The stunning custom Raw Urth reclaimed steel hood is also a star focal point in this gorgeous space. Not to mention the wet bar area with its unique open shelves above not one, but two integrated wine chillers. It’s also thoughtfully positioned next to the large pantry with a farmhouse style staple: a sliding barn door. The master bathroom is relaxation at its finest. Monochromatic colors and a pop of pattern on the floor lend a fashionable look to this private retreat. Matte black finishes stand out against a stark white backsplash, complement charcoal veins in the marble looking countertop, and is cohesive with the entire look. The matte black shower units really add a dramatic finish to this luxurious large walk-in shower. Photographer: Andrew - OpenHouse VC

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Our clients came to us looking to do some updates to their new condo unit primarily in the kitchen and living room. The couple has a lifelong love of Arts and Crafts and Modernism, and are the co-founders of PrairieMod, an online retailer that offers timeless modern lifestyle through American made, handcrafted, and exclusively designed products. So, having such a design savvy client was super exciting for us, especially since the couple had many unique pieces of pottery and furniture to provide inspiration for the design. The condo is a large, sunny top floor unit, with a large open feel. The existing kitchen was a peninsula which housed the sink, and they wanted to change that out to an island, relocating the new sink there as well. This can sometimes be tricky with all the plumbing for the building potentially running up through one stack. After consulting with our contractor team, it was determined that our plan would likely work and after confirmation at demo, we pushed on. The new kitchen is a simple L-shaped space, featuring several storage devices for trash, trays dividers and roll out shelving. To keep the budget in check, we used semi-custom cabinetry, but added custom details including a shiplap hood with white oak detail that plays off the oak “X” endcaps at the island, as well as some of the couple’s existing white oak furniture. We also mixed metals with gold hardware and plumbing and matte black lighting that plays well with the unique black herringbone backsplash and metal barstools. New weathered oak flooring throughout the unit provides a nice soft backdrop for all the updates. We wanted to take the cabinets to the ceiling to obtain as much storage as possible, but an angled soffit on two of the walls provided a bit of a challenge. We asked our carpenter to field modify a few of the wall cabinets where necessary and now the space is truly custom. Part of the project also included a new fireplace design including a custom mantle that houses a built-in sound bar and a Panasonic Frame TV, that doubles as hanging artwork when not in use. The TV is mounted flush to the wall, and there are different finishes for the frame available. The TV can display works of art or family photos while not in use. We repeated the black herringbone tile for the fireplace surround here and installed bookshelves on either side for storage and media components. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Photo: Heather Banks © 2015 Houzz Design: Brandi Hines
Kids' room - modern kids' room idea in Austin

The young couple created a bedroom for their toddler reflective of their shared vision. The rocking chair is hand crafted by the Architect while studying in Copenhagen. The light fixture is from Ikea Alise O'Brien Photography