Urban Lens
Large arts and crafts master gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile alcove shower photo with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, a hot tub and blue walls

A two-level pergola, circular firepit area and outdoor kitchen with a charcoal-gas combo grill star in this Houston patio addition designed for entertaining large crowds in style. "The client was an attorney with a passion for cooking and entertaining," says the project's principal designer, Lisha Maxey of LGH Designs. "Her main objective with this space was to create a large area for 10 to 20 guests, including seating and the prep and cooking of meals." Located in the backyard of the client's home in Spring, TX, this beautiful outdoor living and entertaining space includes a 28-by-12-foot patio with Fantastico silver travertine tile flooring, arranged in a Versailles pattern. The walkway is Oklahoma wister flagstone. Providing filtered shade for the patio is a two-level pergola of treated pine stained honey gold. The larger, higher tier is about 18 by 10 feet; the smaller, lower tier is about 10 feet square. "We covered the entire pergola with Lexan - a high-quality, clear acrylic sheet that provides protection from the sun, heat and rain," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. Beneath the lower tier of the pergola sits an L-shaped, 12-by-9-foot outdoor kitchen island faced with Carmel Country ledgestone. The island houses a Fire Magic® combination charcoal-gas grill and lowered power burner, a Pacific Living countertop pizza oven and a stainless steel RCS trash drawer and sink. The countertops and raised bar are Fantastico silver travertine (18-square-inch tiles) and the backsplash is real quartz. "The most unique design item of this kitchen area is the hexagon/circular table we added to the end of the long bar," says Lisha. This enabled the client to add seating for her dining guests." Under the higher, larger tier of the pergola is a seating area, made up of a coffee table and espresso-colored rattan sofa and club chairs with spring-green-and-white cushions. "Lighting also plays an important role in this space, since the client often entertains in the evening," says Wayne. Enter the chandelier over the patio seating arrangement and - over the outdoor kitchen - pendant lamps and an industrial-modern ceiling fan with a light fixture in the center. "It's important to layer your lighting for ambiance, security and safety - from an all-over ambient light that fills the space to under-the-counter task lighting for food prep and cooking to path and retaining wall lighting." Off the patio is a transition area of crushed granite and floating flagstone pavers, leading to a circular firepit area of stamped concrete. At the center of this circle is the standalone firepit, framed at the back by a curved stone bench. The walls of the bench and column bases for the pergola, by the way, are the same ledgestone as the kitchen island. The top slab on the bench is a hearth piece of manmade stone. "I think the finish materials blend with the home really well," says Wayne. "We met her objectives of being able to entertain with 10 to 12 to 20 people at one time and being able to cook with charcoal and gas separately in one unit. And of course, the project was on time, on budget." "It is truly a paradise," says the client in her Houzz review of the project. "They listened to my vision and incorporated their expertise to create an outdoor living space just perfect for me and my family!"

Plenty of storage and folding space.
Utility room - small transitional u-shaped dark wood floor utility room idea in Toronto with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white cabinets

This Transitional Farmhouse Kitchen was completely remodeled and the home is nestled on the border of Pasadena and South Pasadena. Our goal was to keep the original charm of our client’s home while updating the kitchen in a way that was fresh and current. Our design inspiration began with a deep green soapstone counter top paired with creamy white cabinetry. Carrera marble subway tile for the backsplash is a luxurious splurge and adds classic elegance to the space. The stainless steel appliances and sink create a more transitional feel, while the shaker style cabinetry doors and schoolhouse light fixture are in keeping with the original style of the home. Tile flooring resembling concrete is clean and simple and seeded glass in the upper cabinet doors help make the space feel open and light. This kitchen has a hidden microwave and custom range hood design, as well as a new pantry area, for added storage. The pantry area features an appliance garage and deep-set counter top for multi-purpose use. These features add value to this small space. The finishing touches are polished nickel cabinet hardware, which add a vintage look and the cafe curtains are the handiwork of the homeowner. We truly enjoyed the collaborative effort in this kitchen. Photography by Erika Beirman

A luxury kitchen with all the fixings. Unique backsplash made from hand-made glass tile, satin brass hardware and fixtures, custom cabinetry and a gorgeous gold-white-blue color palette are just some of the outstanding features of this awesome project.

The portion of the space to the left of the column was added to the back of our clients' home to give them an expanded yet still casual and open dining space. The original breakfast area was converted to a play area for their 2-year-old. A fireplace that was originally on the back of the home was relocated to the current wall of the Family Room, and flanked with built-in cabinets, tile, and a millwork surround for the TV.

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/

Giallo Fiorito Countertops. Demi Waterfall Edge Profile. 2x4 Mexican Noche Travertine Backsplash. 50/50 Stainless Steel Under Mount Sink. Giallo Fiorito is a multi-color granite with warm peach and orange tones, and flecks of black/brown that origins from Brazil.

Brownstone, an original AZEK Deck color from the Harvest Collection®, has set the standard for homeowners who want calming earth tone decking with a cathedral grain texture. Brownstone offers a consistent board-to-board color and can be installed with hidden fasteners. This tried and true color option has been a perennial favorite with unrivaled low maintenance and long lasting durablity. All AZEK Deck products offer a limited lifetime warranty and are designed to last beautifully.

John Uttenreither
Trendy laundry room photo in Nashville

Home theater area with ceiling beams and knee wall. ©Finished Basement Company
Basement - mid-sized transitional look-out dark wood floor and brown floor basement idea in Chicago with brown walls and no fireplace

Metropolitan ShowHouse Collection slab door style in rift cut white oak with Driftwood stain. Perimeter countertops in White Zeus Silestone and stainless steel island countertop

Mid-sized 1950s concrete floor and gray floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Los Angeles with gray walls and no fireplace

Transitional kitchen photo in Providence

Kitchen - transitional galley dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen idea in Denver with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, gray backsplash, matchstick tile backsplash and an island

The Leach Residence is a 1700SF single floor residence located on a remaining fragment of the original 6000 acre “Big Grove” that once sprinkled the prairie landscape of Champaign County. The current site is surrounded by uneven development that includes multi-story apartment to the south, small neighborhood houses to the north, new moderate income development to the east, and the original homestead to the west. The form of the house invokes vernacular building forms, which are then combined with contemporary exterior materials of dark-finished metal and vertical black locust siding. The simple plan features an open plan with carefully placed windows that maximize the landscape experience while also maintaining privacy from adjacent developments. A clerestory spine traverses the full interior in a north-south direction, tracking the sun throughout the day. This volume unites the other shared spaces of the design, creating a gestalt perception of the object from both the interior and the exterior.

Jerry Nealon
Example of a large classic gray tile and stone tile slate floor freestanding bathtub design in Denver with granite countertops and brown walls

Example of a trendy medium tone wood floor kitchen design in New York with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops and white appliances

Mark Freeman Multi-Disciplinary Architecture Firm the Tri Cities Area
Bedroom - mid-sized industrial master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea with multicolored walls