Surrounded by 30 year old trees, the homeowners were looking for an organic, modern, low maintenance finish to their outdoor environment. Utilizing the pre-existing mature apple tree in the backyard VisionScapes developed a tranquil retreat that extended the sq.ft of the home through a series of terraced concrete and wood decks. Pathways and patio systems were locally sourced from a quarry on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. Photo credit: Jamen Rhodes

This Superior Woodcraft custom-made home entertainment system is handcrafted in natural cherry. The built-in cabinetry in the family game room houses a flat screen TV, stereo system, beverage refrigerator, wine glasses, locked cabinetry to safely store alcohol, display of art work and ample room for storage. This handcrafted custom cabinetry provides great utility for a game room. Plus it blends nicely with the rustic wood beams and wainscot panels. Photo Credit: Randl Bye

Photo Credit: Carl Mayfield Architect: Kevin Harris Architect, LLC Builder: Jarrah Builders "A space for dining outside utilizing their existing furnishings and positioned in a part of the loggia to take advantage of both the interior and exterior views."

Terren Landscapes http://www.terrenlandscapes.com 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $30,000-$60,000 Award Level: Silver Project Description: Our company was contracted to do a master plan for the family who was in desperate need of a rear yard renovation. The existing lawn area remained saturated throughout most of the year and the runoff from the neighboring property ran across their back yard, down the side of their property and all the way to the sidewalk in front of their house. The water was so intense that it had begun to cut through the back yard and erode the soil across the sidewalk and into the nearby storm drain. By identifying these drainage problems and discussing solutions with the homeowner, we were able to design and create the aesthetically pleasing and sustainable solution of a rain garden. The goal was to slow down storm water runoff, and catch pollution and sediment by creating a rain garden that acts as a filter prior to entering the storm drain, while enhancing the aesthetics of the property. The rain garden created was a shallow depression, 12 - 16" deep that collects rainfall runoff from all downspouts of the home and water collected into perforated pipes underneath the lawn area. The perforated pipe begins at the highest elevation in the yard and ends in the rain garden, the new lowest elevation that has been excavated down to an 8" depth. The perforated pipe captures the runoff water and allows the water to seep slowly back into the ground as it runs across the property and into the garden. The garden was lined with a geotextile filter fabric to aide in removing contaminants from the water, prevent migration of the stone in to the soil, and minimalize maintenance. A large variety of plant material was chosen, focusing mainly on native wetland species for their tolerance of our local soil types, moisture conditions and the habitat they provide for wildlife. The garden was abundant with native wildlife and was a sustainable ecosystem for birds and butterflies upon completion of the project. After planting, we arranged decorative stone throughout the garden to slow the flow of water and help prevent erosion. The combination of vegetative and stone surfaces provides temporary storage for runoff before the water either evaporates or infiltrates the soil. The surrounding beds throughout the property were also all amended with compost and replanted with plants that work in harmony with the rain garden. The front, side, and rear yards are a beautiful display of colors that bloom throughout the seasons and the plants throughout the entire property provide food and shelter for native wildlife. The rear yard that was once a muddy play space for the kids is now a dry lawn space that can be utilized by the family and their neighbors. This multi­ functional garden has become the focal point of the residence. Photo Credit: Terren Landscapes

Architect: Michelle Penn, AIA This luxurious European Romantic design utilizes a high contrast color palette. We used reclaimed barn siding for the accent wall. My client knows how to put on a great party and it all starts here in the amazing Cowboy theme bar area! Watch two games on two TVs and enjoy the company! Sherwin Williams Paint - Backdrop SW7025 Photo Credit: Jackson Studios

DeCurtis Design utilized an awkward space underneath the staircase by creating a built-in cabinet and media unit. Decorative accents add a fun pop of colour to the neutral palette of the room. Photo Credit: Adrian Boxall

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

The owners of this beautiful home and property discovered the talents of the Fred Parker Company "Design-Build" team on Houzz.com. Their dream was to restore and renovate an old barn into a new guest house and to design and build an elaborate outdoor kitchen (See Separate Houzz Project- "Rustic-Luxe" Guest House- Barn Renovation ). The elaborate “Gourmet” Outdoor-Kitchen was designed and built to be utilized with their existing outdoor living and swimming areas. The husband loved outdoor cooking and wanted to fully incorporate all the latest accessories which included a stone pizza oven, gas grill, smoker, refrigerator, sink, storage, and leathered granite countertops. The structure was architecturally designed to blend with the existing residence, which included plaster stucco finish, steep pitch hip roof with turned overhang, custom metal gutters, and 12’ ceilings with decorative ceiling beams. Credits: -Ron Parker AIBD: Building Designer, Custom Builder -Lila Parker: ASID Interior Designer -Richard Berry: Associate Building Designer -Paul Diseker: Project Manager -Bryce Moore: Photographer

This is a Viking Cambridge with a Shasta Spillover spa in the Blue Sapphire shell. This backyard features a multilevel patio that used Unilok Pavers for the patio. There is also a glass fire table that was built. This pool utilizes a Salt Water Pool System. Photo Credit: Jim Eiler

The owners of this beautiful home and property discovered the talents of the Fred Parker Company "Design-Build" team on Houzz.com. Their dream was to restore and renovate an old barn into a new guest house and to design and build an elaborate outdoor kitchen (See Separate Houzz Project- "Rustic-Luxe" Guest House- Barn Renovation ). The elaborate “Gourmet” Outdoor-Kitchen was designed and built to be utilized with their existing outdoor living and swimming areas. The husband loved outdoor cooking and wanted to fully incorporate all the latest accessories which included a stone pizza oven, gas grill, smoker, refrigerator, sink, storage, and leathered granite countertops. The structure was architecturally designed to blend with the existing residence, which included plaster stucco finish, steep pitch hip roof with turned overhang, custom metal gutters, and 12’ ceilings with decorative ceiling beams. Credits: -Ron Parker AIBD: Building Designer, Custom Builder -Lila Parker: ASID Interior Designer -Richard Berry: Associate Building Designer -Paul Diseker: Project Manager -Bryce Moore: Photographer

pho.to.shoot (credit)
Kitchen - modern kitchen idea in Los Angeles

The owners of this beautiful home and property discovered the talents of the Fred Parker Company "Design-Build" team on Houzz.com. Their dream was to restore and renovate an old barn from the original farm before it was developed into a new Luxury Guest House and to design and build an Elaborate Outdoor Kitchen (See Separate Houzz Project- "Rustic-Luxe" Guest House- Barn Renovation ). The elaborate “Gourmet” Outdoor-Kitchen was designed and built to be utilized with their existing Outdoor Living and Swimming Areas. The husband loved outdoor cooking and wanted to fully incorporate all the latest accessories which included a stone pizza oven, gas grill, smoker, refrigerator, sink, storage, and leathered granite countertops. The structure was architecturally designed to blend with the existing residence, which included plaster stucco finish, steep pitch hip roof with turned overhang, custom metal gutters, and 12’ ceilings with decorative ceiling beams. Credits: -Ron Parker AIBD: Building Designer, Custom Builder -Lila Parker: ASID Interior Designer -Richard Berry: Associate Building Designer -Paul Diseker: Project Manager -Bryce Moore: Photographer

10 Ideas for Turning Your Garage into a Modern Industrial Neighborhood Bar By Elizabeth Aldrich Host happy hours and cocktail parties worthy of a full page spread – in your own garage. Leave the brick exposed, the concrete floors as is, and the wood unfinished and it costs more? The sophisticated older brother of the shabby-chic trend, urban industrial style, is taking over. Real estate agents are able to tack on a few extra grand to a flat if they can include “exposed brick” in their advertisements, and designer chefs and master mixologists are moving into warehouses and industrial districts in urban areas across the nation. A friend recently invited me to dinner at Portland, Oregon’s newest, hippest charcuterie spot, and when we pulled up to the building it was in a warehouse where I used to go to underground raves in high school. These industrial style spaces that were once seen as unfinished or lacking in coziness are now seriously coveted. Their rawness is considered authentic, their grit a mark of character. But if you’re a homeowner, there’s a good chance you already have one of them built right into your house: your garage. I like to preach about how much people underutilize their garage spaces, piling them full of storage bins they never touch. Whether you turn it into a workspace or a playroom, there’s a lot of value in a creatively-used garage space. For the overly ambitious, the design lover, or the hostess with the mostess, here’s one idea that blows the rest out of the water. Turn your garage into a multi-purpose, urban industrial wonderland for work and play. Originally outfitted for factories and warehouses, the industrial style facilitates productivity. Now that it’s also being appreciated as a great aesthetic for bars and restaurants, these rooms can serve both form and function, doubling as work and entertaining spaces. This is great for people who have always dreamed of having that extra basement space for hosting friends, complete with a wet bar and a billiards table, but lack the square footage. Just keep in mind that your friends might love it so much, they’ll start ditching their favorite happy hour spot and showing up at your doorstep instead. Here are ten ideas forbuilding the perfect workshop by day and cocktail bar by night in your garage. 1. Clean out the space. Get rid of everything you don’t need. Part of the beauty of industrial style designs is their simplicity and abundance of open space. Excessive clutter can make people feel boxed in, and that’s not conducive to productivity or to social activity. Out of sight, out of mind. Build shelving up high for storing must-keep belongings, much like a warehouse. For bonus points, store your belongings in wooden crates for aesthetic consistency. Or consider stacking them on a pallet, wrapping them in excessive amounts of plastic wrap, and loading them onto the next cross-country freighter. You won’t miss them. 2. Install storage for frequently used objects. The brilliant thing about the urban industrial look is that your tools, tool boxes, and tool storage cabinets already fit right in. Metal storage cabinets and file cabinets are perfect additions to the space. While grey is certainly the color pallet for this style, 50 shades might be a few too many. Mix it up by spray painting one of your cabinetsto add a pop of color. Make a small pegboard to hold up your tools and hang larger items such as bicycles and recreational equipment by pegs. If you have a lot of storage bins that you have to keep, look upward instead of storing them on the floor. Insert a tracking system onto your garage ceiling and slide the bins into place. For extra credit, get an old locker to use as a coat closet when guests come over. 3. Heat the space.Since you’re not turning the garage into a full-time living space, such as a spare bedroom, you really don’t need to go through the work and additional cost of installing full-blown heating and insulation systems. If you don’t need to use the space when the temperature drops, or if you live in a consistently temperate climate, you might not need to do anything. But if you do want to be able to host people through the winter, a simple garage heater will suffice. Here are some good options for installing garage heating. Take it one step further, and get a couple patio heaters to help with the next step. 4. Turn your driveway into a patio space. Even the best restaurants and cocktail bars are nothing in the summertime without a solid patio space. Leave the garage door open on warmer nights and invite your guests to go outdoors. Place some stylish folding chairs and a patio table out for comfort. Place a few potted plants here and there to make the space feel more inviting. For a really lively patio scene, put a portable fire pit out on the driveway or front lawn and surround it with workbenches from your garage. 5. Build your bar. Pick a corner in your garage for the bar, and get started. You can build a bar pretty cheaply and easily with reclaimed pallets, and get some industrial-style barstools. Behind the bar, you’ll have both your tools and your liquor, and there’s no need to build expensive cabinetry. If you’re serving quality, why cover it up? Build shelving or open cubicles to house your liquor. Put out metal buckets filled with ice to chill beers.Be sure to serve up cocktails worthy of the space. The Hemingway Daiquiri served straight up is a unique way to dress down, or industrialize, a traditionally frou-frou cocktail. To go the extra mile, build a bar with laid brick.Install an extra fridge in the garage so you can avoid having to trek into the kitchen to refill chilled drinks, and you can store dips, vegetables, and other hors d'oeuvres right at your fingertips. 6. Bring on the games. To really turn your hosting space into a fun time, be sure to offer ample play options. For the low on space, a dart board will suffice, whereas if you’ve got a five-car garage and can’t manage to fill the space, put in a couple billiard tables. Ping pong tables are ideal for most because they’re great fun and can easily be folded up and stored. If you want to keep your guests playing until the wee hours of the morning, get an old pinball machine, a vintage arcade game, or a small Skee-Ball alley. 7. The heart of your space.Build along worktable that doubles as a table for your guests right in the center of your garage. It should be tall enough to be used while standing, although you can place a few barstools along with it. Having a table space for drinks but limited seating will encourage guests to walk around and mingle. Build it out of wood and make sure to maintain a natural finish. Don’t be afraid to rough up the work table by day. The dings and marks created while you build will only lend authenticity to the piece. 8. Install lighting. Remember, the urban industrial style is all about function and showcasing materials in their raw form. There’s no need to buy expensive floor lamps or install a fancy lighting system. The most popular lighting in these types of spaces is exposed bulb lighting. Just open up the wiring on your current lighting system and drop down some bulbs. For additional lighting, string up exposed bulb patio lights and place some vintage metal desk lamps on the tables and bar area. 9. Brand your space. Use the designs for the stuff you build by day as wall art. Blow up sketches, blueprints, schematics, and architectural drawings to hang up for decoration. Choose one wall that could use a splash of color, perhaps the wall behind your bar, and get a friend to paint a mural, or whip out the spray paint for a real urban feel. Splurge a little and get a custom neon sign made of your last name or the word “bar” to hang behind the bar. 10. The garage door. For the finishing touch, and to really wow your guests, get a brand new modern, industrial style garage door installed. Look for the window-paneled types that restaurants use, like this contemporary aluminum and glass beauty. You can leave it half open when you want to utilize your driveway-patio space. On nights when you have to close it all the way, the glass panels let your guests still look out onto the stars, making it feel like a patio space even when it’s too cold for one. Once your garage bar is up and running, put on your denim suit and get ready to call yourself the Joneses. No one will be able to keep up with you.

from the great room . . . Sometimes, in remodel designs, it is best to keep things simple. Do small things to affect utility, flow and aesthetics. For this mid-century modern, for all their noted openness, the kitchen was closed off from the public, living areas. Hard to entertain to a wall. This we fixed. The other big flaw was the flow. While there was no way to economically change the path of travel through the kitchen. Nudging here and there could at least reduce the disruption at the core kitchen work areas. See the before and after plans and the photos: Photo Credits - Beatrice McGinnis

'Empty-nesters' restructured their home to better accommodate their new lifestyle. The laundry room (off the garage) was relocated to a portion of an upstairs bedroom. This former laundry area became a welcoming and functional mudroom as they enter the house from the garage. Melanie Hartwig-Davis (sustainable architect) of HD Squared Architects, LLC. (HD2) located in Edgewater, near Annapolis, MD. Credits: Kevin Wilson Photography, Bayard Construction

3 cm Pretoria Polished Granite | Edge Profile: 3 cm double pencil edge | Sink Type: undermount | Stone Supplier: EleMar | Remodeler | Daniel Gordon Reimer photo credit - de la tierra, inc. (07/2011)

This warm and inviting modern living room utilizes texture and a neutral color palette to create interest. Photo credit: Emily Redfield
Example of a mountain style living room design in Denver

All Weather teamed up with the Property Brothers and Darren Criss on this week’s episode of HGTV’s hit series Celebrity IOU. In the Darren Criss Makes Over his Managers Garage episode. the 34-year old actor, singer and songwriter trades in his guitar for a sledgehammer to help transform his decade-long best friend and manager Ricky’s old, detached garage into a beautiful, dedicated home office space with a spa like bathroom, kitchenette and living area. Darren wanted to express his heartfelt gratitude and thank Ricky, who he credits with helping to launch his career, for his years of support. “Ricky is easily one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life,” added the Emmy and Golden Globe winning multi talented star. “He has invested so much of himself into making my dreams come true. This is a small token of all my appreciation for everything he’s done.” In addition to the turning the garage into a much needed five star home office/flex space that can also be utilized as an in law suite, the Property Brothers give Ricky’s lackluster backyard a major upgrade including an outdoor kitchen and hot tub. All Weather’s Series 7000 Swing Door opens into the new spacious outdoor kitchen and dining space. All Weather Series 5000 casement windows allow natural light to brighten the renovated home office/in law suite. And to maximize space, All Weather Series 9100 Bifold Doors connect to the outdoor lounging area and hot tub tp create indoor/outdoor living. Check out the project photos from this epic transformation. As an added bonus, Darren Criss can turn anything into a musical moment. From harmonizing with the Property Brothers to bursting into song while helping host Jonathan Scott select design options for this epic transformation. Darren ends the episode by singing Celebrity IOU’s first ever theme song and jamming with his newest band that include Drew Scott on guitar, Jonathan Scott on cymbals and Ricky on drums. Now in its second season, Celebrity IOU gives celebrities a chance to show their deepest gratitude for someone who helped shape their life or career by giving their living space a complete redesign, courtesy of the Drew and Jonathan Scott.

This uber glamorous family room utilizes warm neutral textiles for a timeless look with pops of chrome, blue and chartreuse art glass, and lots of bling to give it life and a sense of high style and fun. Photo Credit: Michael Hunter