photos by Susan Teare
Example of a minimalist exterior home design in Burlington

Inspiration for a scandinavian kids' room remodel

Overview: Wing-like roofline houses a dramatic white villa in Costa Rica jungle. Studio Saxe was commissioned to design a villa on the hilltops of Santiago in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. The primary objective was not only to provide dwellers with a connection with its jungle surroundings but also to generate an intimate relationship with an amazing view of the shoreline which brings its dwellers back to a more profound appreciation of the natural world. Concept Studio Saxe decided to create a large roof that would house within a series of bedrooms and living spaces that would all be turned sideways in order to face the prominent views. Interstitial spaces within the living volumes create gaps that enhance a deeper connection to the natural surroundings whilst moving about the dwelling. Design Every space in the home has been angled to view the ocean, and this twist creates a geometric relationship between the roofline and the spaces that became the primary element of design that both addresses the need for large overhangs (for climate control and comfort) but also generates a literal connection between the view and every space. This white house in the jungle acts as a canvas so that morning and sunset light reflect on its surfaces creating an array of colors that vary throughout the day. The angled surfaces also allow for the reflection of shadows and the textures of nature to play within the interstitial spaces that exist between the living spaces. Construction Due to the remoteness of the location and difficult access, Studio Saxe decided to create a light steel frame that could be prefabricated off-site, brought, and assembled in a fast and effective way. This not only ensured the quality of the construction in a very remote location, but it also allowed the process of construction to be very light touch and the intervention on the site to be very minimal while creating the sensation of large open spaces that bring the view in and at the same time are protected by a large roof held by steel “I” beams. Sustainability At Studio Saxe we believe that proper design with nature should be the first focus of sustainability and thus, this villa has been oriented properly to take advantage of predominant winds for cooling. Also, long overhangs protect from the sun and the rain in the most critical parts of the day creating comfort without the use of energy. A light touch construction method meant that the impact on the site was minimal during the implementation of the villa and the extended roofline also serves as a means to collect water and energy generation.

Example of a 1950s l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Raleigh with green cabinets, an island, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white countertops

Project: Kitsilano House Builder: Grenor Homes About this Project When our clients asked us to design their new house in the heart of Kitsilano, they wanted a space that showcased their personalities, travels, and experiences. Naturally, our team was instantly excited and eager to make this house a home. Layout: Prior to the renovation, the family room was adjacent to the kitchen and the formal living room at the other end of the space; in the middle was the dinning area. We looked at the main floor as an entire space and decided to combine the two living spaces into one and move the dining area towards the kitchen. The Kitchen: had always been an L shape with an island; previously there was a kitchen table by the windows. In the space planning period, we decided to eliminate the kitchen table to increase the overall size of the kitchen, giving us a bigger island for casual eating. The perimeter of the kitchen has many great features; a coffee nook, a freezer column, double ovens, a cooktop with drawers below, an appliance garage in the awkward corner, a pantry with ample storage and free-standing fridge. The Island also has many key features; a built-in unit for garbage/recycling/compost, a slide out tray underneath the sink for easy access to cleaning products, a dishwasher, and a bank of four drawer. On the outside of the island is an open shelf for cookbooks and display items. Below the countertop overhang is additional hidden storage for the items not accessed frequently. Dinning Area: we utilized the pre-existing niche by incorporating floating shelves in an asymmetrical design, which became the perfect area for the clients to display the art collected during their travels. Bar Area: The space between the kitchen and powder room became the perfect place to add a bar. Storage, counter space, and 2 bar fridges brought this little entertaining area to life. Fireplace: Using existing fireplace unit we cladded the surround with Dekton material, paneled the wall above with Walnut and a mantel made from Quarkus. These materials repeat them selves through the entire space.

Home design - transitional home design idea in Orange County

Benjamin Benschneider
Mountain style bedroom photo in Seattle with beige walls

David Burroughs
Home design - transitional home design idea in Baltimore

Inspiration for a kids' room remodel in San Diego

Photography: Tiffany Ringwald Builder: Ekren Construction
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped brown floor and medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, an island, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and white countertops

Donna Dotan Photography
Example of a beach style bathroom design in New York

A lovely yard that started as a long bowling alley of lawn. We wanted to create a more human scale in the lounge area without building too many visual barriers. The overall effect is splashes of woodland across a contemporary canvas.

St. Joe Club & Resorts
Inspiration for a coastal kitchen remodel in Orlando

Our client saw our Miraloma Modern project and fell head over heels — to the extent that they inquired about replicating the design for their home. We honed in on elements they loved about the Miraloma Modern project and created a new design that incorporates their specific design perspective for a modern, yet timeless kitchen that felt down to earth. Her love for woods and an interesting backsplash served as the jumping off point for the project. The lilac marble backsplash and countertops pushed the clients' design sensibilities. Although theyt did not initially plan to incorporate violet tones into the kitchen, the couple both (naturally) loved the color. The dramatic lilac veining is juxtaposed with the client’s proclivity for handcrafted works, including the Bantam Mini Ceramic Pendants by Dumais Made that are positioned above the island and the hand-blown Smoke Glass Arc Pendant by Allied Maker in the Breakfast Room. Soft, wood elements are found throughout the space with the refinished existing oak wood floors and custom white oak cabinetry, while subtle nods to wood are found in the lighting fixtures.

4x8 Pinyon Studio SHED - these are a great way to store anything from lawn tools to art supplies or athletic gear. The Pinyon comes flat packed and is shipped as a DIY installation - a 1-2 day project depending on your building experience. One owner had his up in just 3 hours! Many choose to install their Pinyon against the side of their home. Pictured here: a Pinyon sits perpendicular to it's big brother, a 10x12 Studio Shed home office.

It's backyard entertaining at it's finest. Quartzite Ledge stone panels cover the bar in two tones. The dark Midnight Black is contrasted against the lighter Oyster Shell and stainless and black granite counter top. You can see yourself gathering about this bar with friends any day of the week.

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2015 Houzz
Inspiration for a rustic shed remodel in Dallas

Photo: Lauren Andersen © 2018 Houzz
Eclectic kitchen photo in San Francisco

The client purchased this property with grand plans of renovating the entire place; from top to bottom, and from inside to outside. And while the inside canvas was very generous and even somewhat forgiving, the outside space would be anything but. We wanted to squeeze in as much seating space as possible in their limited courtyard area, without encroaching on the already compact-sized pool. The first and most obvious solution was to get rid of the trees and shrubs that separated this house from its zero-lot-line neighbor. With the addition of Lueder limestone pavers, this new area alone would free up nearly 120 additional square feet, which happened to be the perfect amount of space for a mobile gas fire pit and sectional sofa. And this would make for the perfect place to enjoy the afternoon sunset with the implementation of a custom-built metal pergola standing above it all. The next problem to overcome was the disconnected feel of the existing patio; there were too many levels of steps and stairs, which meant that it would have been difficult to have any sort of traditional furniture arrangement in their outdoor space. Randy knew that it only made sense to bring in a wood deck that could be mated to the highest level of the patio, thus creating and gaining the greatest amount of continuous, flat space that the client needed. But even so, that flat space would be limited to a very tight "L-shape" around the pool. And knowing this, the client decided that the larger space would be more valuable to them than the spa, so they opted to have a portion of the deck built over it in order to allow for a more generous amount of patio space. And with the edge of the patio/deck dropping off almost 2 feet to the waterline, it now created the perfect opportunity to have a visually compelling raised wall that could be adorned with different hues of plank-shaped tiles. From inside the pool, the varying shades of brown were a great accent to the wood deck that sat just above. However, the true visual crowning jewel of this project would end up being the raised back wall along the fence, fully encased in a large format, 24x24 slate grey tile, complete with a custom stainless steel, square-tube scupper bank, installed at just the right height to create the perfect amount of water noise. But Randy wasn't done just yet. With two entirely new entertaining areas opened up at opposite ends of the pool, the only thing left to do now was to connect them. Knowing that he nor the client wanted to eliminate any more water space, he decided to bring a new traffic pattern right into the pool by way of two "floating", Lueder limestone stepper pads. It would be a visually perfect union of both pool and walking spaces. The existing steps and walkways were then cut away and replaced with matching Lueder limestone caps and steppers. All remaining hardscape gaps were later filled with Mexican beach pebble, which helped to promote a very "zen-like" feel in this outdoor space. The interior of the pool was coated with Wet Edge Primerastone "Blue Pacific Coast" plaster, and then lit up with the incredibly versatile Pentair GloBrite LED pool lights. In the end, the client ended up gaining the additional entertaining and seating space that they needed, and the updated, modern feel that they loved.