Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Example of an eclectic dining room design in New York

Frosted pocket doors seductively invite you into this master bath retreat. Marble flooring meticulously cut into a herringbone pattern draws your eye to the stunning Victoria and Albert soaking tub. The window shades filter the natural light to produce a romantic quality to this spa-like oasis. Toulouse Victoria & Albert Tub Ann Sacks Tile (walls are White Thassos, floor is Asher Grey and shower floor is White Thassos/Celeste Blue Basket weave) JADO Floor mounted tub fill in polished chrome Paint is Sherwin Williams "Waterscape" #SW6470 Matthew Harrer Photography

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

Beach style dark wood floor home office photo in Other

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Dining room - eclectic medium tone wood floor dining room idea in New York with multicolored walls

Overlooking the tree-lined boulevard, this Lovett designed townhome feels light and spacious. A walled courtyard provides privacy for the first floor bedroom/study and welcomes you into the formal entry leading you upstairs. Well equipped to entertain, this open floor plan hosts the formal dining room, kitchen with breakfast nook and living room. The primary retreat has a generous sitting area and bathroom with double sinks separate shower, and jacuzzi tub to escape. Also on the third floor, a secondary bedroom could also double as a convenient study. With only two other units, this gated community is kept, while being situated in the center of famed cultural institutions, and steps away from Hermann Park.

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

Phillis Morris designed wallpaper "Faces"
Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in Los Angeles with black walls

Overlooking the tree-lined boulevard, this Lovett designed townhome feels light and spacious. A walled courtyard provides privacy for the first floor bedroom/study and welcomes you into the formal entry leading you upstairs. Well equipped to entertain, this open floor plan hosts the formal dining room, kitchen with breakfast nook and living room. The primary retreat has a generous sitting area and bathroom with double sinks separate shower, and jacuzzi tub to escape. Also on the third floor, a secondary bedroom could also double as a convenient study. With only two other units, this gated community is kept, while being situated in the center of famed cultural institutions, and steps away from Hermann Park.

A young Mexican couple approached us to create a streamline modern and fresh home for their growing family. They expressed a desire for natural textures and finishes such as natural stone and a variety of woods to juxtapose against a clean linear white backdrop. For the kid’s rooms we are staying within the modern and fresh feel of the house while bringing in pops of bright color such as lime green. We are looking to incorporate interactive features such as a chalkboard wall and fun unique kid size furniture. The bathrooms are very linear and play with the concept of planes in the use of materials.They will be a study in contrasting and complementary textures established with tiles from resin inlaid with pebbles to a long porcelain tile that resembles wood grain. This beautiful house is a 5 bedroom home located in Presidential Estates in Aventura, FL.

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Stuart Wade, Envision Web If you are looking for a lifestyle change, whether it is retirement or just a new way of life, Clarkesville is the perfect location. Recently named "The Friendliest Town" by Blue Ridge Country Magazine, Clarkesville prides itself on its rich hospitality. A lively and friendly small town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains; Clarkesville is a thriving small town like the ones you remember from your childhood. Clarkesville is a place where you can escape the hustle and bustle and become part of a friendly community. Come for a visit and you may never want to leave! Unique shops, art galleries, cafes and restaurants are all within walking distance on Washington Street's tree lined brick sidewalks in Downtown Clarkesville... Our historic buildings, relaxing benches and quaint charm make Clarkesville a thoroughly enjoyable place to live and visit. Numerous popular events and festivals take place downtown throughout the year. The heart of Appalachian culture and heritage, Clarkesville annually hosts the Mountain Laurel Festival - the oldest festival of its type in Georgia. From golfing to bird watching, Clarkesville's outdoor recreation includes two award-winning championship golf courses; the picturesque Sam Pitts Park and Mary Street Park, the Clarkesville Greenways Trail, hiking, biking and fishing. The scenic Soque River plays a unique role, as it is the only river in the state to begin and end in the same county. Stocked with trophy trout, the Soque River has been touted "The best fly-fishing east of the Mississippi" by fly fishing enthusiasts. Brigadoon Lodge and Blackhawk Fly Fishing have played host to visitors from all over the country- including celebrities! Arts and music abound in Downtown! Catch a live show at our Historic Habersham Community Theater, located downtown, which has been providing entertainment to our community for nearly 75 years. Dance the night away at the Grant Street Music Room, the live music venue located at the Old Clarkesville Mill, or grab a bite from our downtown restaurants and enjoy the live music offered weekly! If history is your passion, Clarkesville is certainly the place for you! With a rich and notable past spanning hundreds of years, Clarkesville is unique because of its historic homes and significant architecture. The Historic Mauldin House serves as the Visitors Center and is an example of the once common, now rare, Victorian cottages in Clarkesville. The small farmhouse, adjacent to downtown, includes a historic millinery shop and Big Holly Cabin, a one-room, hand-hewn cabin built in the early 19th century. One block away is the Old Clarkesville Cemetery, an outdoor museum recording Clarkesville history. Guided evening tours with theatrical reenactments are held on the third Friday of each month from April - November. For education, Clarkesville sits proudly in the middle of two colleges: Piedmont College and North Georgia Technical College. Founded in 1897, Piedmont College is a comprehensive liberal arts institution and also offers a variety of career-oriented majors, including education, business and nursing. Total enrollment is approximately 2,800 students on campuses in Demorest and Athens. North Georgia Technical College is a public, residential, multi-campus, two-year technical college whose mission is to provide quality technical education, adult education, continuing education, and business and industry training to individuals who can benefit from these programs and services. These efforts improve the quality of life of individuals by preparing them to succeed as literate and technically competent members of the workforce and by promoting the economic growth and development of the Northeast Georgia region. The college offers both traditional and distance learning courses that lead to the certificate, the diploma, and the associate degree.

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

Architect: Carol Sundstrom, AIA Accessibility Consultant: Karen Braitmayer, FAIA Interior Designer: Lucy Johnson Interiors Contractor: Phoenix Construction Cabinetry: Contour Woodworks Custom Sink: Kollmar Sheet Metal Photography: © Kathryn Barnard

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida