A description of the homeowners and space from Linnzy, the Presidential Pools, Spas & Patio designer who worked on this project: "The homeowners can be described as an active family of three boys. They tend to host family and friends and wanted a space that could fill their large backyard and yet be functional for the kids and adults. The contemporary straight lines of the pool match the interior of the house giving them a resort feel in the very own backyard! The large pergola is a perfect area to cool off in the shade while enjoying a large outdoor kitchen as well as an oversized fire pit for the cooler nights and roasting marshmallows. They wanted a wow factor as the pool is the main focal point from the living room, and the oversized wall and rain sheer did the trick!"

What is an ADU: Accessory Dwelling Units: An accessory dwelling unit, usually just called an ADU, is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot. The term “accessory dwelling unit” is a institutional-sounding name, but it’s the most commonly-used term across the country to describe this type of housing. While the full name is a mouthful, the shorthand “ADU” is better. ADUs vary in their physical form quite a bit, as there are detached ADU, attached ADU, second story ADU (above garage or work shop), addition ADU, internal ADU. IMPORTANT: There’s simply too few permitted ADUs to make a real difference in the housing stock. But, even if they aren’t going to solve all a city’s problems, they may help homeowners solve some of their problems. The most common motivation for ADU development is rental income potential, followed by the prospect of flexible living space for multigenerational households. We at FIDELITY GENERAL CONTRACTORS, providing a single point of contact to homeowners interested in this product, from conceptual stage including plans, city legwork, project managing of the construction stage including assistance with material purchase and other coordination, all the way to completion. (this project showcases a detached ADU, 400 SQ.)

The new island boasts lots of storage and is a center gathering place. We relocated the cook top to the island and included a hidden downdraft vent. The island also includes a warming drawer and a pop up mixer station. The island can seat 4 people comfortably while meals are being prepared. Photo Credit: Marc Golub

Decker Cabinets
Doorless shower - mid-sized contemporary master beige tile and porcelain tile concrete floor doorless shower idea in Kansas City with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, a two-piece toilet and beige walls

The shower was widened for an easier entry and comfort and the shower walls were faced with Calcutta 12”x24” tile.
Alcove shower - transitional master white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile alcove shower idea in San Francisco with white cabinets, quartzite countertops, green walls, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets and a one-piece toilet

Photo by Jay Sifford.
Photo of a landscaping in Charlotte.

Sommerhus is a private retreat for two empty-nesters. The clients purchased the previous cabin after falling in love with its location on a private, lakefront peninsula. However, this beautiful site was a challenging site to build on, due to its position sandwiched between the lake and protected wet land. The clients disliked the old cabin because it could only be used in the summer months, due to its lack of both insulation and heat. In addition, it was too small for their needs. They wanted to build a new, larger retreat, but were met with yet another constraint: the new cabin would be limited to the previous cabin’s small footprint. Thus, they decided to approach an architect to design their dream cabin. As the clients described, “We visited Denmark for a family wedding in 2015, and while biking near Gilleleje, a fishing village on the Baltic Sea, we fell in love with the aesthetic of ‘Sommerhus’: dark exteriors, clean, simple lines, and lots of windows.” We set out to design a cabin that fit this aesthetic while also meeting the site’s constraints. The clients were committed to keeping all existing trees on their site. In addition, zoning codes required the new retreat to stay within the previous cabin's small footprint. Thus, to maximize the square footage of the cabin without removing trees or expanding the footprint, the new structure had to grow vertically. At the same time, the clients wanted to be good neighbors. To them, this meant that their cabin should disappear into the woods, especially when viewed from the lake. To accomplish both these requests, the architect selected a dark exterior metal façade that would visually retreat into the trees. The metal siding is a modern, low-maintenance, and cost-effective solution, especially when compared to traditional wood siding. Warm wood on the soffits of the large roof overhang contrast with the metal siding. Sommerhus's resulting exterior is just as the clients’ requested: boldly modern yet respectful of the serene surroundings. The homeowners desired a beach-house-inspired interior, full of light and warmth, in contrast to the dark exterior. As the homeowner explained, “I wanted it to feel like a porch inside.” To achieve this, the living room has two walls of sliding glass doors that connect to the wrap-around porch. This creates a beautiful, indoor-outdoor living space. The crisp and bright kitchen also connects to the porch with the window that opens to an outdoor counter - perfect for passing food and drinks to those lounging on the porch. The kitchen is open to the rest of the first-floor entertaining space, and brings a playful, beach-house feel to the cabin. After the completion of the project, the homeowners remarked, “Working with Christopher and Eric [of CSA] was a wonderful experience. We absolutely love our home, and each season on the lake is more special than the last.”

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

Julia Valenti

The homeowner wanted something really fun. She loves wallpaper and has a very good theory that if you have a fun and interesting wallpaper in a powder room your guests are less likely to go riffling through the cabinets.

Photo: Nanette Wong © 2014 Houzz
Transitional living room photo in San Francisco

Casual elegance perfectly describes this classic family home. Delicate touches of color, loads of crisp white and a little bit of luxury are what brings this home to life.

Rolando Diaz
Powder room - small coastal powder room idea in Miami

The original ensuite bathroom in this condominium required renovations to replace problematic Kitec plumbing. The layout in the space remained the same, but improvements were made to address certain design challenges with lighting, automation, and space. The aim was to create a modern bathroom design with textured wood features, and the feel of metallic black accents. A number of prominent changes were made to improve the use of space. The original entry, a left-handed door swinging into the bathroom, was replaced. It interfered with the vanity clear floor space. It also made the use of the bathroom difficult when two users were present. It was changed to a soft closing pocket door. To avoid losing space it was installed by creating a wall cavity on the outside of the bathroom. This door also included frosted glass panels to allow natural light into the space. Double sliding glass shower doors were also installed to address access issues to the shower valve. Storage improvements included the installation of dual inset medicine cabinets, and pull out drawers within the wall hung vanity. The depth of the medicine cabinets were extended outwards, and this nice detail was finished with a textured wood finish. The addition of the wall hung vanity also created the feeling of more space beneath the units and allowed for under cabinet lighting. Lighting and automation improvements included the addition of HUE LED lighting. This was done by installing two shower pot lights, a 6” main potlight, and under cabinet lighting. These are all controlled by the Philips Hue App that programs routines, scenes, and other settings. Some of the other highlights of this modern bathroom include dark grout, which contrasts nicely with the elongated white tile, a thermostatic shower system, herringbone textured porcelain floor tile, and a Schluter Kerdi waterproofing shower system. This bathroom is made most unique though with the choice of wallpaper, which can be described as modern luxury, a graphic take on agate stone patterns with metallic embellishments.

Shop the Look and See the Photo Tour here: https://www.studio-mcgee.com/studioblog/2015/9/7/coastal-prep-in-the-pacific-palisades-entry-and-formal-living-tour?rq=Pacific%20Palisades Photos by Tessa Neustadt

Inspiration for a large coastal l-shaped light wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Jacksonville with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Metallic epoxy was applied to this living room floor.
Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic open concept concrete floor and brown floor family room remodel in Dallas with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

© Craig Bethel
Example of a trendy staircase design in Raleigh

“Dramatic” and “no detail spared” are two ways to describe this stunning home in Corona del Mar. Located on an oversized bluff side lot with views of Newport Harbor, Catalina, and the Pacific Ocean, the contemporary dwelling is the work of Brandon Architects Inc. and Spinnaker Development. Door and window systems from Western are used throughout, especially the Series 600 Multi-Slide, where it’s used to enhance features such as indoor/outdoor living areas and a guest casita that opens to a courtyard. Photos by Jeri Koegel.