California modern rancher. Blend of warm and cool tones and material balance this space. Outdoor environment is low water use and drought resistant but still has greenery and inviting to hang out. In the kitchen we removed the walls that made up the tiny closet of a kitchen that was in the corner under the skylight and was able to hide the ceiling height differences at the small desk area and oven cabinets and keep the skylight. The effect is a wide-open concept with the least amount of construction possible. For the kitchen layout, we created a cozy zone for the chef to work in the corner without any cross traffic, seating area around the outside of the island keeps guest out of the work area but still close and part of the process. The warming drawer in the island positioned for proximity to the "buffet line" at the island when entertaining. On the dining end of the kitchen there is a coffee and wine bar. Coffee bar is hidden behind the metal roll up door, and the wine and liquor bar are to the left and both share the sink in the middle, making it a functional and useful space from the morning until the evening. I like to call this bar "Start and Stop" ha-ha. Even though this space is very open and airy, it has a ton of storage including underneath the seating area at the island and the little workstation, which is open and uncluttered, has lots of storage nestled in the wall and underneath the counter and hides any CPU and wires neatly. In the master bath, we updated all the colors and finishes in a clean modern European style with large format porcelain tiles and repurposed a small useless closet (with a window in it) to a second vanity for extra counter space and linen storage. Plus, we added storage over the toilet in the water closet and an updated door and casing into the walk-in closet with frosted glass panels so that at night the light in the closet glowing in those panels can act as a night light. (Photo credit; Kitchens of Diablo)

Photo Credit: Willett Photography http://www.willettphoto.com The home is located in Atlanta, GA and was a complete ground up project. We worked with the very talented architect Rodolfo Castro. We worked closely with him and the clients to achieve the right interior layout as well as the furniture plan. As far as the interior design, we helped with the selections of the various finishes (flooring, bathroom tiles, paint colors for both interior and exterior, hardware, furniture and light fixtures). Working with great vendors such as Francois & Co. for the kitchen hood and the fireplace, Specialty Tile, Circa Lighting, Century Furniture, and many other wonderful local vendors. This helped us achieve the perfect atmosphere and architectural detail in the space. The clients were very involved in the selection process and so it helped that they had great taste! It was a great project from concept to the finished design.

This backyard renovation in one of Calgary's exclusive lake communities demanded the expertise of a skilled team of contractors. The pool originally constructed in the 70's needed refinishing and while many contractors said they could not complete the project without demolishing the existing pool, VisionScapes managed to salvage the existing structure, replace the mechanical, install an new delifol liner and ultimately save the clients from a lengthy and costly permitting process due to multiple regulation changes. This yard now has all the amenities necessary to provide this growing Calgary family years of future enjoyment. Photo Credit: Jamen Rhodes

The perennial gardens on this property have been installed an maintained by us for several years now. Landscapes grow and change over the years, and we like to shape and maintain them through this process, keeping your yard beautiful all year long. (Photo Credit: Peter Anderson)

Photo Credit: Willett Photography http://www.willettphoto.com The home is located in Atlanta, GA and was a complete ground up project. We worked with the very talented architect Rodolfo Castro. We worked closely with him and the clients to achieve the right interior layout as well as the furniture plan. As far as the interior design, we helped with the selections of the various finishes (flooring, bathroom tiles, paint colors for both interior and exterior, hardware, furniture and light fixtures). Working with great vendors such as Francois & Co. for the kitchen hood and the fireplace, Specialty Tile, Circa Lighting, Century Furniture, and many other wonderful local vendors. This helped us achieve the perfect atmosphere and architectural detail in the space. The clients were very involved in the selection process and so it helped that they had great taste! It was a great project from concept to the finished design.

An extra wide entry hall opens into the large, light and airy family room. The open concept floor plan flows easily from living to dining to kitchen creating excellent sight-lines. The ReAlign plan boasts a private master suite at the back of the house, a flex space perfect for a home office or playroom, a jack-and-jill bath and more windows than we can count. What the homeowners love: Huge energy savings from the solar & energy saving build process Super quiet interior rooms (from the insulated interior walls) Large windows placed for optimal sunlight and privacy from the neighbors Smart home system that's part of the house Refresh is a 3 bed, 2.5 bath home and is 2,333 square feet. Credit: Brendan Kahm

This mid-century bathroom was crafted in the space created when a new upstairs addition was added to this Portland, Oregon, home. Gaining inspiration from a Hollywood Regency style, this bathroom's subtle glam provides a nod to old Hollywood, yet with the simplify and sophistication that today's homeowner's desired. The room is executed with a mix of bold statement areas and delicate details, balancing luxurious finishes with traditional architectural elements. This project utilized a Herringbone tile floor, slab shower with frameless glass door, free standing bathtub and custom vanity cabinet. Photo credit: Real Estate Tours Photography

California modern rancher. Blend of warm and cool tones and material balance this space. Outdoor environment is low water use and drought resistant but still has greenery and inviting to hang out. In the kitchen we removed the walls that made up the tiny closet of a kitchen that was in the corner under the skylight and was able to hide the ceiling height differences at the small desk area and oven cabinets and keep the skylight. The effect is a wide-open concept with the least amount of construction possible. For the kitchen layout, we created a cozy zone for the chef to work in the corner without any cross traffic, seating area around the outside of the island keeps guest out of the work area but still close and part of the process. The warming drawer in the island positioned for proximity to the "buffet line" at the island when entertaining. On the dining end of the kitchen there is a coffee and wine bar. Coffee bar is hidden behind the metal roll up door, and the wine and liquor bar are to the left and both share the sink in the middle, making it a functional and useful space from the morning until the evening. I like to call this bar "Start and Stop" ha-ha. Even though this space is very open and airy, it has a ton of storage including underneath the seating area at the island and the little workstation, which is open and uncluttered, has lots of storage nestled in the wall and underneath the counter and hides any CPU and wires neatly. In the master bath, we updated all the colors and finishes in a clean modern European style with large format porcelain tiles and repurposed a small useless closet (with a window in it) to a second vanity for extra counter space and linen storage. Plus, we added storage over the toilet in the water closet and an updated door and casing into the walk-in closet with frosted glass panels so that at night the light in the closet glowing in those panels can act as a night light. (Photo credit; Kitchens of Diablo)

The wall cabinets designed in Kemper, maple, Cotter Door Style, color is Forest Floor, The Island designed in Kemper< Maple, Whitman Doorstyle, color is Dover w/ Greystone Glaze. The counter(s) are quartz – Hanstone Aspen and the Island top is also quartz – Caeserstone Piatra Grey Design: Jon McGill, Jolene Amico Photo Credit: Jon Woodbury

Bola Felt’s charmingly expressive felted shade hat features a soft and pliable conical structure with 2 colored layers of undulating wool inside and out. Available in 2 distinct sizes: 24” (61 cm) and 32” (81 cm), its shade rests elegantly over its opaline glass globe diffusor allowing the user to tilt the shade to multiple angles to focus light while taking on various relaxed personalities in the process. Bola Felt casts unparalled illumination boasting up to 1550 lumens of warm and dimmable LED light that runs cool to the touch. Bola can be suspended individually, or in spectacular groupings to become the centerpieces of any space. Bola’s thick felt shade also offers excellent acoustical properties making them perfectly suited for use over dining applications as well as social gathering areas where sound control is beneficial. Ideal for residential, lounge and hospitality spaces alike. Photo credits to Pablo Designs.

Situated in the heart of Charlotte, this contemporary home is part of the ReAlta neighborhood. ReAlta is the first solar community in Charlotte, NC. The ReAlign plan boasts a private master suite at the back of the house, a flex space perfect for a home office or playroom, a jack-and-jill bath and more windows than we can count. What the homeowners love: Huge energy savings from the solar & energy saving build process Super quiet interior rooms (from the insulated interior walls) Large windows placed for optimal sunlight and privacy from the neighbors Smart home system that's part of the house Refresh is a 3 bed, 2.5 bath home and is 2,333 square feet. Credit: Brendan Kahm

The tucked away mudroom is just off of the garage, which means your shoes are always in one spot. The nook has room for shoes, backpacks and bags without requiring a separate room. What the homeowners love: Huge energy savings from the solar & energy saving build process Super quiet interior rooms (from the insulated interior walls) Large windows placed for optimal sunlight and privacy from the neighbors Smart home system that's part of the house Credit: Brendan Kahm

Situated in the heart of Charlotte, this contemporary home is part of the ReAlta neighborhood. ReAlta is the first solar community in Charlotte, NC. The ReFresh plan boasts an expansive rooftop deck, a private master suite at the back of the home, a light and airy front office and more windows than we can count. What the homeowners love: Huge energy savings from the solar & energy saving build process Super quiet interior rooms (from the insulated interior walls) Large windows placed for optimal sunlight and privacy from the neighbors Smart home system that's part of the house Low, low utility bills (resulting from the solar and the home's thermal envelope) ReFresh is a 3 bed, 2.5 bath home and is 2,450 square feet. With ReAlta, we are introducing for the first time in Charlotte a fully solar community. Each beautifully detailed home will incorporate low profile solar panels that will collect the sun’s rays to significantly offset the home’s energy usage. Combined with our industry-leading Home Efficiency Ratings (HERS), these solar systems will save a ReAlta homeowner thousands over the life of the home. Credit: Brendan Kahm

This Jersey City, NJ space was the first permanent ‘home’ for the yoga studio, so it was essential for us to listen well and design a space to serve their needs for years to come. Through our design process, we helped to guide the owners through the fit-out of their new studio location that required minimal demolition and disruption to the existing space. Together, we converted a space originally used as a preschool into a welcoming, spacious yoga studio for local yogis. We created one main yoga studio by combining four small classrooms into a single larger space with new walls, while all the other program spaces (including designated areas for holistic treatments, massage, and bodywork) were accommodated into pre-existing rooms. Our team completed all demo, sheetrock, electrical, and painting aspects of the project. (The studio owners did some of the work themselves, and a different company installed the flooring and carpets.) The results speak for themselves: a peaceful, restorative space to facilitate health and healing for the studio’s community. Looking to renovate your place of business? Contact the Houseplay team; we’ll help make it happen! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Terren Landscapes http://www.terrenlandscapes.com Project Entry: Pembrooke Estate Rain Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Sustainable Landscape &60,000-$120,000 Award Level: Silver Project Description: The client contracted our company to solve multiple existing drainage problems. In a heavy rain event the existing French drain system would overflow, causing water to pool in the driveway. After investigating the system we found that the capacity of the French drain was undersized for the amount of storm water from the large rain events received in recent years. As a result of our findings and at the request of the homeowner, we designed a storm water management system to capture all storm water from the structures on the property and regenerate the underground aquifers for the volume of a 5.8” rainstorm. In addition to the new drain system, the homeowners wanted a rain garden to provide a backdrop for an existing formal garden, provide a habitat for wildlife, and provide screening from an adjacent neighbor. Throughout the design process many challenges were presented, including an existing gas line, which ran directly through the area that best suited the bioswale. The existence of the gas line caused us to alter the shape and depth of the bioswale in some areas. We also inspected the existing downspouts to make sure there were no obstructions that would impede the system’s efficiency, and then conducted a test pit dig to make sure we had sufficient percolation rates for disposal of storm water. To effectively capture the storm water runoff, the existing downspouts were piped from the main house and the large detached garage to a large catch basin located at the low point in the driveway. The driveway catch basin contains two outlet pipes at different elevations within the basin allowing water from smaller rain events to enter the bioswale and rain garden area to percolate into the soil before excess water overflows into a sediment trap which filters out any debris and is then piped to an underground StormTech® pit to slowly percolate into the ground. The other outlet pipe in the driveway catch basin is used for larger storm water events, taking the water directly to the StormTech® pit. Accepting and slowing the velocity of the storm water, mitigation of erosion, and filtering out pollutants contained in the “first flush” of rainfall are the primary functions of the bioswale and rain garden. Planting these areas with mostly native plant species helps carry out these functions while attracting and providing shelter for wildlife. The ‘Niobe’ weeping willow is the centerpiece of the rain garden, connecting with the axis of the existing formal garden. To screen the neighboring property we chose Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’ for its graceful evergreen habit and tolerance of wet sites. ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood and Panicum ‘Cloud Nine’ were used for screening as well as winter interest. To provide deciduous structure to the garden Taxodium distichum and Magnolia virginiana were used in conjunction with witch hazel. Mostly native wetland perennials were used due to their tolerance of wet conditions and occasional drought. The area above the StormTech® pit provides space for the client’s family to relax. The rain garden and bioswale provide screening, storm water management, a habitat for wildlife, and plants that enhance the adjacent formal garden. Photo Credit: Terren Landscapes

Photo Credit: Robert C. Lautman (Originally published in Architectural Digest 2012)
Large trendy formal and open concept dark wood floor living room photo in DC Metro with white walls and a stone fireplace

Accoya was selected as the ideal material for this breathtaking home in West Vancouver. Accoya was used for the railing, siding, fencing and soffits throughout the property. In addition, an Accoya handrail was specifically custom designed by Upper Canada Forest Products. Design Duo Matt McLeod and Lisa Bovell of McLeod Bovell Modern houses switched between fluidity, plasticity, malleability and even volumetric design to try capture their process of space-making. Unlike anything surrounding it, this home’s irregular shape and atypical residential building materials are more akin to modern-day South American projects that stem from their surroundings to showcase concrete’s versatility. This is why the Accoya was left in its rough state, to accentuate the minimalist and harmonious aesthetics of its natural environment. Photo Credit: Martin Tessler

Global Garden is a workplace that minimizes the impact on the environment and considers the needs of its co-workers. The concept is formal garden layouts, and the main focus is easily accessible and convenient for co-workers. The office is fair use for individuals of all abilities in terms of the use of wayfinding and a variety of work settings. This Interior focuses on staying close to nature in various aspects to boost the level of well-being and increase employees' performance throughout the office. These crucial aspects of design will help flexibility, socialization, and productivity between individuals to contribute to the process of growth, learning, and transition. The collaborative design of the facility will inspire people to collaborate both in the office and with others globally. In Conclusion, the design for this specific space will be developed to create an atmosphere that encourages the inclusiveness of co-workers' safety and well-being. Designer Credit: https://www.instagram.com/mahsa_intd/

Carolyn & Peter were looking brighten their kitchen space, expand its ocean view, and update their cabinetry. To begin their kitchen renovation, we created a 3D rendering that addressed all their goals. During the design process, Carolyn & Peter selected Decora cabinetry for their kitchen; Prescott Maple Extra White cabinetry with a Prescott Maple Retreat painted island. They were happy with original footprint, so we updated that very little. Instead, we focused on ways to increase their storage and functionality all while, lightening the room to make it appear larger and blending the color palette into their home and their beautiful ocean view. Photo credit: Nicola Richard