This gorgeous, walkable grass alternative is literally watered ONCE A MONTH folks!!! In the summertime! This is true water conservation! Large, historic home from the 1930's overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. My clients are self-described "plantaholics" and tend to buy many plants, only to have them die. They have an extensive gardening area and low water budget. Our main goal was to make the overall design cohesive between various areas of the garden while utilizing interesting and unusual plant selections - a very fun project for me! We removed over 3,000 square feet of traditional grass and replaced it with several lawn alternatives. The first is a walkable groundcover that uses a fraction of the water of regular grass (and can be seen here in several seasons, one of which has tiny flowers); The second is a California native grass that grows long (or can be kept short) and can tolerate some shade. Both of these are excellent choices for clients with children or dogs who want a green patch without using excessive water. My clients love plants from Australia and South Africa so plants from the Proteacea and other Southern Hemisphere beauties are used predominantly throughout the project. Clean, flowing water is so important for wildlife and the beautiful stone fountain is a constant gathering spot for birds and other animals. My clients are beyond thrilled with their gorgeous, nature-filled garden and ever-expanding plant knowledge.

Silverton Custom Homes, based out of Austin Tx, is very proud to be 2013 co- Southern Living Builder of the Year. This home, built on Lake Travis, is the result of the collaborative work of Silverton Custom Homes, Home Front Design, Heather Scott Design and Geschke Group Architecture. This award-winning home strikes the right balance of casual-elegance. The exterior is timeless, but the interior is unique and fresh. It has been described as a Texas marriage between beach and barn, if the barn was in the French countryside and the beach was in the Hamptons. Taken by: Ryann Ford Photography

Cozy Guest Room with attached Bath Sophisticated Elegance describes this Custom Carmel Style Estate Style Home. Solid Alder wood doors, brilliant wide plank walnut hardwood floors, lots of windows with remote control blinds. This luxurious home has been thoughtfully designed by Chris Spalding for everyday family comforts or grand entertaining. Chef's kitchen, designed for a gourmet cook with fine cabinetry with soft closing drawers, Taj Mahal granite counters and decorative tile backsplash, Thermador appliances, including 48" 6-burner stove top, built in double oven, refrigerator and microwave. Large center island with sink and breakfast bar plus a walk in pantry, impressive great room with fireplace. Grand iron door entry, opens to a spacious floor plan. The interior spans 3,016 sq. ft. of living space and features four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Private backyard, professionally landscaped. Feng Shui'ed by Feng Shui Style, and designed by Jennifer A. Emmer and Stacy Carlson

Tropical Rainforest There are not enough words to describe the countless detail in this one-of-a-kind scene. From the spa to the outdoor dining room, every square inch of this swimming pool scene is a tapestry designed for the rainforest retreat effect. We encourage you to invest your time in the pictures and the video and feast your eyes on every pixel-perfect image. We've had people ask if these are computer renderings, but in fact, we achieved this level of perfection in real life. All thanks to our client, who had the vision & creativity to guide her imagination into the hands of our design & build teams. Because we hope you agree, this Dream is real!

They always loved their house – its shape and size, and the piece of land it sits on; but the interior left a lot to be desired. In fact, they hated it. They wanted it to be aesthetically more pleasing and to have much more function and flow. These homeowners challenged Lagois to make it the home of their dreams, and that’s exactly what happened. One of the homeowners loves to cook, but the kitchen was dark. The space was difficult and frustrating. The new kitchen is bigger, brighter, and more functional. It now has all the prep space he needs and the task lighting he always wanted. They also love their new spa bathroom, which is beautiful and warm and exactly what they had in mind. One of the homeowners describes himself as fussy and impatient, and at first he had been anxious about the whole prospect of renovation. He said afterwards that the team made him feel comfortable, listened to, and unconcerned. One factor that made them so at ease with choosing Lagois was the “in house” aspect of their services. The person who designed their home, the one who did the drawings, and the person who managed the construction are all Lagois employees. The homeowners liked knowing those critical functions weren’t outsourced. Another thing they love about their home is the finishes that are exactly to their taste. The homeowners are delighted with the new interior of their home. It is now something they love – both outside and inside.

In a walkable neighborhood near the center of town, a historic masonry and timber frame structure has a new future as a residence containing 10 apartments. The property was originally built by the Elks in 1913 and later became a Masonic lodge, which included a bar, kitchen, meeting rooms and office space. The new apartments range from studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units from 500 square feet to 1000 square feet. In conformance with the municipality’s 20% affordable housing requirements, two of the apartment units will be priced as affordable housing. The top floor of the existing building is double-height, allowing for mezzanine space. Apartments are designed as loft style, with modern detailing; a “SoHo aesthetic.” The character of the building is being restored and preserved, and where possible original brick, stucco, and wood are exposed and refinished. The exterior gains a new stair and elevator tower addition, along with new window openings where necessary. A new plaque designed for the building describes its historic roots in Princeton. With the inclusion of a green roof, LEED for Homes certification is being pursued for the project.

Vicky’s Homes described this home as an entertainer’s dream as the U shaped kitchen seats 11 people and the two built in televisions offer guests the option to watch two different channels at the same time. Vicky’s Homes noted that the home has a plethora of innovative features such as: heated flooring through-out the main floor, basement and garage; built in coffee bar in the nook; RGB LED lighting can change colours in the bulkheads, art niches and toe-kicks; and a custom designed glass enclosed wine cellar with custom built-in cabinetry.

If we were to describe this Savage, Minnesota remodel in just a few words; it would be “relaxing at-home oasis.” While the original bathroom design had its fair share of spa-like qualities, including a corner whirlpool tub, it’s safe to say it needed an update. Replacing the whirlpool tub with a built-in bench allowed us to expand the walk-in tile shower for a truly luxurious master bathroom. We added a new glass panel to enclose one side of the shower but left the other completely open. In between the dual sinks is a spacious tower cabinet, perfect for storing toiletries and linens. Topping the vanity is a gorgeous quartz countertop from Cambria. Completing this beautiful master bath transformation is brand-new lighting and tile floors with in-floor heating. Our team loved helping these homeowners give their space a facelift, and we couldn’t be happier with the result!

Passion, character, nostalgia Think of a style that resembles you. Of a meeting with elegance as an expression of personality Chose your dimension in each detail. Key-words for Grand Elegance and main issues leading our philosophy from the very early steps. Our basic idea consists of shifting to ceramics all the living passions so that ceramics itself rises as metaphorical reference for life styles and little daily fads. So the sea and sailing, flowers, gardens, animals, classic sport, country-side and leisure time become all bricks of our imagination. Just like a classic novel, Grand Elegance collection describes our tradition that emphasizes individual attitudes and choices.

Transitional Style in interior design and furniture design refers to a blend of traditional and contemporary styles, midway between old world traditional and the world of chrome and glass contemporary; incorporating lines that are less ornate than traditional designs, but not as severely basic as contemporary lines. No other word could describe this home better.

Understated elegance describes this coastal-inspired dining room. The laid-back whitewash finish on the table and chairs contrasts with the structured striped upholstery and nailhead trim on the chairs. Add some blues, accessories, and a large coastal art piece complete the look.

Sophisticated Elegance describes this Custom Carmel Style Estate Style Home. Solid Alder wood doors, brilliant wide plank walnut hardwood floors, lots of windows with remote control blinds. This luxurious home has been thoughtfully designed by Chris Spalding for everyday family comforts or grand entertaining. Grand iron door entry, opens to a spacious floor plan. The interior spans 3,016 sq. ft. of living space and features four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Chef's kitchen, designed for a gourmet cook with fine cabinetry with soft closing drawers, Taj Mahal granite counters and decorative tile backsplash, Thermador appliances, including 48" 6-burner stove top, built in double oven, refrigerator and microwave. Large center island with sink and breakfast bar plus a walk in pantry, impressive great room with fireplace. Private backyard, professionally landscaped. Feng Shui'ed by Feng Shui Style, and designed by Jennifer A. Emmer and Stacy Carlson

Interior designer Emily Henderson collaborated with architect Annie Usher to design her brother’s house on the banks of the Willamette River near Portland, Oregon. The now-complete new build is described by Henderson as a “contemporary Pacific Northwest river cabin.” Henderson used windows from the Marvin Ultimate collection to frame the natural landscape surrounding the home and to let in plenty of natural light. Many of the windows are clad in White Oak, infusing the space with warmth and texture.

By Ancient Surfaces Product: Antique Smooth Kronos Limestone for wall cladding Contact us at: (212) 461-0245 Email at: sales@ancientsurfaces.com Visit our website at: www.Asurfaces.com Antique stone wall for the living room, dining room even for the shower walls, back splashes and the entire exterior of the home.This stone is one of our favorites when used as a cladding stone. It gives you this feeling of perpetual serenity, no matter how hectic your day was like. We describe it as draping your living spaces with shades of smooth silk. Also worth noting that the 'Kronos Stone' is one of the few stones in the world stable for both wall stone cladding as well as exterior stone paving and indoor floor covering!

This baby boomer couple recently settled in the Haymarket area. Their bathroom was located behind the garage from which we took a few inches to contribute to the bathroom space, offering them a large walk in shower, with Digital controls designed for multiple shower heads . With a new waterfall free standing tub/ faucet slipper tub taking the space of the old large decked tub. We used a Victoria & Albert modern free standing tub, which brought spa feel to the room. The old space from the closet was used to create enough space for the bench area. It has a modern look linear drain in wet room. Adding a decorative touch and more lighting, is a beautiful chandelier outside of the wet room. Behind the new commode area is a niche. New vanities, sleek, yet spacious, allowing for more storage. The large mirror and hidden medicine cabinets with decorative lighting added more of the contemporariness to the space. Around this bath, we used large space tile. With a Classic look of black and white tile that complement the mosaic tile used creatively, making this bathroom undeniably stunning. The smart use of mosaic tile on the back wall of the shower and tub area has put this project on the cover sheet of most design magazine. The privacy wall offers closure for the commode from the front entry. Classy yet simple is how they described their new master bath suite.

Natasha Dixon Photography Edmonton Award Winning Boutique Interior Design Studio Edmonton's award winning boutique interior design studio. We are ready to listen to your needs and develop the perfect interior design solution for your project. Marie started interiorsBYDESIGNinc. because she loves what she does and is crazy passionate about creating the perfect space for her clients all within budget! We resource the best products and shop for the perfect materials and finishes that add up to truly unique interiors. Our passion and attention to detail has also got us amazing media attention. Being voted BEST OF HOUZZ in interior design and customer service SIX YEARS IN A ROW, we've also been featured in local, regional, national and international websites and magazines! Marie is a true, modern Canadian designer with strong classical roots. Described as fresh, inspired and timeless, Marie has a wide vocabulary of stylistic approaches and artfully balances form, function and style as well she can integrate the past with present trends. Her interiors are nuanced and tailored and have a lasting quality that is always the hallmark of every project. Marie's endless creative ideas, design process and budget strategies expedite a project's process. Simply put - we deliver extraordinary interiors.

An Outdoor Kitchen truly becomes a social gathering area. Our most common outdoor kitchens are simply a cooking space with a built in grill and some expanded counter space. However, some kansas city outdoor kitchens also include a bar, whether raised, or counter height, a refrigerator, a set of drawers and even an outdoor kitchen with a kegerator and flat-screen tv. As a Landscape Contractor that merges old and new construction into the landscape design, it's difficult to describe, but people just want to spend time in the new area, whether at the bar of the outdoor kitchen, fire pit, patio, or covered porch. When a space becomes a large part of the homeowners' daily life, that's when I know a project has been completed with excellence. For a space to be relaxing, it must feel easy. A quality landscape design must allow the space to feel like it flows from the adjoining room inside the home out. When accomplished correctly, the patio and outdoor living space feels like an extension of the home, or another "room" of the home and feels wrapped with fresh, low-maintenance landscaping. Whether traditional or modern, simple, or decked-out, an outdoor kitchen becomes a wonderful hub for entertaining and outdoor living!

Cozy, rich, elegant and relaxing were the descriptive words the client used to describe what she wanted for her master bedroom. Custom bedding was created using lush brown velvet fabrics adorned with gold and bronze metallic threads and hints of shimmer. The archway encompassing the master bedroom sitting area in front of the fireplace was trimmed in in stained wood to frame the cozy reading nook out looking the beautiful landscape. The travertine tile around the fireplace is printed with a scroll-like pattern to look like old pieces of stone pulled from ancient homes while the iron and glass screen was specially made to fit over the fireplace. By Design Interiors, Erika Barczak. Builder: Keechi Creek Photographer: Brad Carr

Silverton Custom Homes, based out of Austin Tx, is very proud to be 2013 co- Southern Living Builder of the Year. This home, built on Lake Travis, is the result of the collaborative work of Silverton Custom Homes, Home Front Design, Heather Scott Design and Geschke Group Architecture. This award-winning home strikes the right balance of casual-elegance. The exterior is timeless, but the interior is unique and fresh. It has been described as a Texas marriage between beach and barn, if the barn was in the French countryside and the beach was in the Hamptons.