Awarded "Best Smart Home of the Year" by EH. Spire outfitted this beautiful Michigan home with the best in high quality luxury technology. The homeowners enjoy the complete control of their home, from lighting and shading to entertainment and security, through the Savant Control System. Homeowners and guests can easily create “scenes” to manage their days and social gatherings. Lutron shades help maintain light, climate and privacy to balance the inside and outside views. Outdoor entertaining is easy with the Sonance Landscape Audio System, Lutron light controls for pools and fountains and Savant control of outdoor fire pits. The fully managed Whyreboot network allows for uninterrupted system control. To maintain security, Holovision doors and gates are equipped with Doorbird system to notify residents of visitors and to give control to open and close doors and gates. Music lovers can enjoy the highest level in audio from Meridian 7200 speakers in the lower level, as well as, Sonance in wall and in ceiling speakers throughout the home. In order for the homeowners to enjoy different music and entertainment in various rooms, 14 zones of video and 26 zones of audio were necessary. Spire added many special touches to this amazing home. The master bathroom boasts a MirrorTV so owners can enjoy some entertainment while preparing for the day. A floor lift in the kitchen and dining room allows for entertainment, but can be tucked away when distractions are not wanted. A floor lift in the bedroom makes watching TV convenient, but can be put away when not in use. A fingerprint lock was placed at the bar for peace of mind. Spire’s expertise and commitment to detail were key to the intricate design concepts throughout the home. Spire worked closely with design teams to ensure under cabinet lighting was just right.

With a background in interior design, our client had a clear vision of the palette and classic look they desired in the garden. They wanted to achieve clean, simple lines, and to use restraint when choosing the planting palette. The simple planting scheme enhances the natural surroundings rather than creating distraction. Photography by Lee Ann White

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

Children’s waiting room interior design project at Princeton University. I was beyond thrilled when contacted by a team of scientists ( psychologists and neurologists ) at Princeton University. This group of professors and graduate students from the Turk-Brown Laboratory are conducting research on the infant’s brain by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI), to see how they learn, remember and think. My job was to turn a tiny 7’x10′ windowless study room into an inviting but not too “clinical” waiting room for the mothers or fathers and siblings of the babies being studied. We needed to ensure a comfortable place for parents to rock and feed their babies while waiting their turn to go back to the laboratory, as well as a place to change the babies if needed. We wanted to stock some shelves with good books and while the room looks complete, we’re still sourcing something interactive to mount to the wall to help entertain toddlers who want something more active than reading or building blocks. Since there are no windows, I wanted to bring the outdoors inside. Princeton University‘s colors are orange, gray and black and the history behind those colors is very interesting. It seems there are a lot of squirrels on campus and these colors were selected for the three colors of squirrels often seem scampering around the university grounds. The orange squirrels are now extinct, but the gray and black squirrels are abundant, as I found when touring the campus with my son on installation day. Therefore we wanted to reflect this history in the room and decided to paint silhouettes of squirrels in these three colors throughout the room. While the ceilings are 10′ high in this tiny room, they’re very drab and boring. Given that it’s a drop ceiling, we can’t paint it a fun color as I typically do in my nurseries and kids’ rooms. To distract from the ugly ceiling, I contacted My Custom Creation through their Etsy shop and commissioned them to create a custom butterfly mobile to suspend from the ceiling to create a swath of butterflies moving across the room. Their customer service was impeccable and the end product was exactly what we wanted! The flooring in the space was simply coated concrete so I decided to use Flor carpet tiles to give it warmth and a grass-like appeal. These tiles are super easy to install and can easily be removed without any residual on the floor. I’ll be using them more often for sure! See more photos of our commercial interior design job below and contact us if you need a unique space designed for children. We don’t just design nurseries and bedrooms! We’re game for anything!

Everything about this striking space says "Modern Muskoka". From the band saw texture and X-detailing on the White Oak island, to the refreshing marbled white quartz countertop, to the traditional detailing in the moulding and mullions, to the spacious design - perfect for cozy meals in the kitchen or preparing for a large dinner down by the lake. The custom wooden range hood is a dramatic but cohesive focal point, and the two-tone cabinets ensure you don't miss the intricate details of either half of the space. Clever storage solutions can be found throughout this kitchen, all in streamlined, practical ways that add to the design, rather than distracting from it. This is truly the ideal retreat for cottage dwellers in northern Ontario.

For this project we were given the pleasure of working with one of our repeat clients—and quite the project it was. Situated in one of Austin’s most premiere locations, before we got our hands on it the landscape for this house was left in significant disrepair. There were broken water features, limbs damaging the sides of the house, overgrown grass and weeds, and overgrown vines. The homeowners trusted us to come up with new ways to enhance and cleanup the space on this beautiful property, while also keeping it dog friendly and adding some new raised planters for a vegetable garden. Two living walls and a custom water feature made this property unique from others like it, and native plants were chosen to frame the house, rather than distract from it, giving it our Native Edge touch. After several months of install, plus one outdoor shower and kitchen later, the finished product turned out to be well worth the effort.

Our client came to us with the objective of building an outdoor living space for his family to always come back to instead of going on separate vacations. They needed a space that felt like a retreat from the world. A space for relaxing and spending quality family time together without the day-to-day distractions. Our team provided a rustic, industrial looking outdoor entertaining area with sports watching as the main goal to provide years of family fun through the seasons! Our biggest challenge on this project was to design and build a beautiful, custom triangular floor to ceiling outdoor fireplace that was the centerpiece of this project. The entire project included building a porch roof over a flagstone patio. All surfaces were clad in cedar with built in bluetooth speakers, ceiling fan, recessed lighting, and a gas heater. We also built an outdoor kitchen with bar height table top and gas grill. The floor to ceiling stone fireplace in the corner of the patio included a custom mantle and mounted TV.

This rustic cabin in the woods is the perfect build for a day on the bay or curling up on the couch with a good book. The lush green landscapes paired with the many tall trees make for a relaxing atmosphere free of distractions. On the outdoor patio is a stainless-steel barbeque integrated into the stone wall creating a perfect space for outdoor summer barbequing. The kitchen of this Georgian Bay beauty uses both wooden beams and stone in different components of its design to create a very rustic feel. The Muskoka room in this cottage is classic from its wood, stone surrounded fireplace to the wooden trimmed ceilings and window views of the water, where guests are sure to reside. Flowing from the kitchen to the living room are rustic wooden walls that connect into structural beams that frame the tall ceilings. This cozy space will make you never want to leave! Tamarack North prides their company of professional engineers and builders passionate about serving Muskoka, Lake of Bays and Georgian Bay with fine seasonal homes.

This beautiful heritage renovated home hosts 2 spectacular islands. This kitchen hosts a 'center stage' gas range which has a quiet high efficiency range fan to avoid noise-distraction. The islands provide large food preparation areas which easily accommodates day to day family life, multiple cooks, and large groups. These islands have an abundance of storage behind invisible touch-latch doors. One island hosts two dish washers and a clever raised counter to hide any kitchen mess from people walking in the front door. This kitchen also incorporates a double wall oven in white, a bar fridge, and a tucked away pantry.

A custom kitchen in Rustic Hickory with a Distressed Painted Alder Island. Rich wood tones pair nicely with the lovely view of the woods and creek out the kitchen windows. The island draws your attention without distracting from the overall beauty of the home and setting.

This project earned its name 'The Herringbone House' because of the reclaimed wood accents styled in the Herringbone pattern. This project was focused heavily on pattern and texture. The wife described her style as "beachy buddha" and the husband loved industrial pieces. We married the two styles together and used wood accents and texture to tie them seamlessly. You'll notice the living room features an amazing view of the water and this design concept plays perfectly into that zen vibe. We removed the tile and replaced it with beautiful hardwood floors to balance the rooms and avoid distraction. The owners of this home love Cuban art and funky pieces, so we constructed these built-ins to showcase their amazing collection.

This new home with refined architecture has a timeless and fresh design. The main level greatroom features a massive 60' linear fireplace. The 17' x 6' clean concrete surround has a long, narrow gas fireplace set into the Granicrete concrete. The wall was hand-troweled with virtually no irregularities to give it a smooth finish. The custom coloring has soft whites and grays that don't distract from the contemporary living area.

It was a pleasure to help this single dad transform a previous French Country motif into a Handsome Space with Masculine Vibe. The homeowner loves the blues you find in the Caribbean so we used those as accent colors throughout the rooms. Entry We painted the walls Sherwin Williams’ Latte (SW6108) to add warmth. We accessorized the homeowner’s beautiful burl wood cabinet with vibrant artwork and whimsical Chinese horses. I always recommend task lighting in a Foyer, if possible, and the rectangular lamp shade is the perfect shape to fit on the small end of the cabinet. Powder Room I adore the Candace Olson wallpaper we used in the Powder Room. The blocks look like sections of wood. It works great with the existing granite. Other examples of wallpaper here and here. Great Room We touched every surface in this Great Room from painting the walls Nomadic Desert (SW6107) to painting the ceiling Double Latte (SW9108) to make the room feel cozier to replacing the carpet with this transitional style with striated pattern to painting the white built-ins. Furniture placement was a real challenge because the grand piano needed to stay without blocking the traffic flow through the space. The homeowner also wanted us to incorporate his chess table and chairs. We centered a small seating area in front of the fireplace utilizing two oversized club chairs and an upholstered ottoman with a wood tray that slides. The wood bases on the chairs helps their size not overpower the room. The velvet ottoman fabric with navy, azure, and teal blues is a showstopper. We used the homeowner’s wonderful collection of unique puzzle boxes to accessorize the built-ins. We just added some pops of blues, greens and silver. The homeowner loves sculptural objects so the nickel twig wall decor was the perfect focal point above the mantle. We opted not to add anything to the mantle so it would not distract from the art piece. We added decorative drapery panels installed on short rods between each set of doors. The homeowner was open to this abstract floral pattern in greens and blues! We reupholstered the cushions for the chess table chairs in a fun geometric fabric that coordinates with the panel fabric. The homeowner does not use this set of doors to access the deck so we were able to position the table directly in front of them. Kelly Sisler of Kelly Faux Creations worked her magic on the built-ins. We used Sherwin Williams’ Mega Greige (SW7031) as the base and then applied a heavy bronze glaze. It completely transformed the Great Room. Other examples of painting built-ins here and here. We hoped you enjoyed this Handsome Space with Masculine Vibe. It was quite a transformation!

Previously, this yard was burdened by a typical boulder pile pool, that was heaped higher than typical, trying to hide the towering wall behind. At first, the clients sought merely to reconfigure the BBQ that was congesting the patio, but upon further analysis, they decided it was time to strip the entire yard, leaving only the pool shell. Bianchi’s solution introduced an array of four arbors to distract the eye from the wall behind, solving what the boulder waterfall could never do. Additionally, the wall was painted a dark earth tone to add contrast and depth. This strategy enabled the wall to recede into the distance, while the agave blue grey arbors floated forward visually from the background. Previously, the patios were a hodgepodge of deck islands that were impossible to navigate, and were of insufficient size to arrange furniture on. A well organized patio streamlined the traffic flow and the living space, featuring a cast in place concrete fire pit and banco couch, as well as a new outdoor bistro, glowing with filtered light from the canvas shade sails overhead. A turquoise glass overflow spa became the yards focal point, sharing the space between the pool and outdoor living. The striking symmetry of the spa and pot pedestal with regal cacti arrangement behind, flanked by the arbors on either side, created a stately first impression from the front door. This teaser was just a glimpse of what could not yet be seen serving as an invitation to explore and enjoy as the yard unfolds. See more about this project & hear from the homeowner here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eT3RkLkg5w&feature=youtu.be

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

Baby's first bedroom was a tribute to her name: Arabic for 'little butterfly'. Shades of lilac and lavender made the room soothing yet delicate enough for a baby. This custom butterfly mobile provides a soothing distraction over the change table area.

There is no formal trim or molding details. Instead, the plaster walls and floors are fully integrated and interconnected. To minimize distractions in an already minimal design. One large window lights the space, highlighting the room's lengthy row of built in cabinetry.

Interior spaces were designed to bring the serenity and calm of a scenic pond into the home. A gently curving ceiling, hidden lighting, and cherry and birch hardwoods evoke a peaceful, warm, and reflective mood.

Our designers used transparent chairs, a low profile table, and a light rug for the dining area of this Evanston condo’s great room to ensure that it didn’t visually distract from the main focuses: the stunning kitchen and the vibrant lounging area. Project designed by Skokie renovation firm, Chi Renovation & Design - general contractors, kitchen and bath remodelers, and design & build company. They serve the Chicago area and its surrounding suburbs, with an emphasis on the North Side and North Shore. You'll find their work from the Loop through Lincoln Park, Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, and all the way up to Lake Forest. For more about Chi Renovation & Design, click here: https://www.chirenovation.com