Example of a beach style master dark wood floor bedroom design in Charleston with green walls

Mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Orange County with gray walls

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.”

Scott Amundson
Example of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, distressed cabinets, an island, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, a farmhouse sink, quartzite countertops and stainless steel appliances

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

Surrounded by vineyards, horse ranches, and open land, the home is in a great location that is reasonably close to town while retaining a secluded air. Our homeowners have enjoyed their country retreat for many years. They are blessed with a large extended family and love to host gatherings and entertain weekend guests. The only drawback to their gracious home was the drab and malfunctioning kitchen. First off, the cabinets were an out-dated whitewashed oak. Uggh! High ceilings were a plus feature that was negated by bizarrely stacked wall cabinets – making you think that maybe the original “designer” forgot about the 9 foot ceiling height. More likely, the original cabinets were stock items that didn’t come in the right size for the house. You can also see the lovely fluorescent light box tacked to the middle of the ceiling over the island. Why? Was there no thought to the style shown in the rest of the house? Secondly, the homeowners were fighting with a poor kitchen layout. The large built-in refrigerator and separate freezer were placed right in the main traffic flow from the hall, there was not enough counter space to the right of the sink, the dishwasher was crammed right next to the fridge, and a broom closet took up prime real estate next to the cook-top. Now, remember, guests are frequent in this home and often several people were trying to use the kitchen at one time. Cross traffic and outright pile-ups were inevitable as some folks gathered veggies from the fridge to sauté at the cook-top while others were rinsing used dishes for the dishwasher and still others were taking frozen items to the prep sink and then the microwave. Don’t get me started about the trash and recycling receptacles – complete inconvenience to all! So, our homeowners – the poor, benighted souls – were desperate for a remodel when they found San Luis Kitchen. On their first visit to our showroom, the couple fell in love with our French Country display. The display features soft white cabinets in a distressed cottage finish with a contrasting dark island and armoire; our homeowners were smitten. We knew everyone was up to the challenge and so we got right down to work. We visited their home and measured their kitchen. While we were there, we took stock of the house’s overall style and the homeowner’s décor. We asked what they liked best about their home, what worked well and what didn’t. We found that they loved their arched passageways, the trim details on their mantle and the soft curves of the posts at their stair rail. They also showed us many photos of kitchens that they liked – both from magazines and on-line. Using this information, we went back to the office and pulled together a design. We suggested swinging the refrigerator and freezer 90 degrees and setting them in place of the existing oven and hutch area. This brings them out of the traffic flow and into a comfortable relationship to the island counter. The fridge and freezer the homeowners chose were mismatched in width – we disguised the difference using custom detailing on the decorative panels. Deep storage cabinets above fill out the space. Moving the fridge/freezer gained lots of luxurious counter space to the right of the new farmhouse sink. We placed the broom closet near the hall and tucked the microwave behind closed cabinet doors (which tuck away when open) to the left of it. The beautiful existing wood floor insisted that the island remain in the same location, however we replaced it with luscious cherry cabinets in an antique burnished finish. The island retained its prep sink and gained a wine refrigerator and both a trash compactor and double bin recycling cabinet. A decorative pot rack now hangs in place of the ugly old fluorescent lights. The highlight of the new kitchen is the La Cornue range in a bright and bold blue! The homeowners traveled to a Bay area appliance showroom to see the ranges in person before purchasing to make sure that the ovens were of suitable size and that blue was truly the right color. The range was perfect, so it was purchased. The matching blue hood was created on site using a standard stainless hood as the base and painting a tapered drywall cover. To either side of the range we placed pullout base cabinets for oils and spices and such, each fronted with a turned post chosen to echo their stairway balusters. We also chose cabinet trim (crown, light rail and toe base) to harmonize with the homes existing details. We knew for sure that the completed kitchen was a success when the happy homeowners reported to us that over Thanksgiving they had five cooks working in the space with no conflict whatsoever. That’s a true complement to our design – Thank You!

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!

The homeowners of this California Cottage wanted a beach vibe in their 1700 sq. ft. home. They wanted to make the most of their spaces by widening doorways, adding wood floors throughout the house, and adding a skylight. The result is cozy, casual California living at its best with frequent family dinners and celebrations with friends. Photos by Erika Bierman www.erikabiermanphotography.com

Photo by Brian Barkley
Hallway - traditional medium tone wood floor hallway idea in Other with beige walls

The flooring that was originally envisioned for this house wasn't Wood Floor of the Year-caliber. When Steve Brattin, president at SVB Wood Floors in Grandview, Mo., got involved in the project, the designers were discussing a simple machine-sanded heart pine or reclaimed wood floor. But once Brattin visited the site—an old world traditional estate set on acreage with its own private lake—he knew it deserved more than a typical floor. "I chatted with the designers and said I would love to meet with the homeowners and have them in our showroom," he recalls. "I said I would really like to do something artistic with it." Brattin's mind was already envisioning the possibilities—something he says usually happens for him within a half hour of walking through a space. "I don't know how certain things come to me," he says, adding that often he draws things out and the designs don't end up being in the clients' budget. That wasn't the case here, however, and the final plans for the flooring called for five designs in various areas, including this Bordeaux parquet in the foyer. With the designs finalized, Brattin turned to Distinctive Floors' (Nashville, Tenn.) Dan Antes to create the walnut flooring, which called for hand-beveling with a circle-sawn and wire-brushed surface; in some areas the flooring was 10-inch plank. The width presented a challenge for Antes, as he had planned to contract out the circle-sawing, but the company he had in mind could handle widths only up to 81⁄2 inches. He decided he would have to do it himself. "We spent maybe $1,500 modifying $20,000 worth of equipment to end up with this awesome distressed product," he says. Due to a tight time frame to complete the job, once the flooring was milled, it was shipped to WD Flooring (Laona, Wis.) to be finished with hardwax oil—a choice Antes says he loves for its maintainability. The actual installation of all 3,000 square feet of flooring was uneventful, Brattin says, crediting his crew, experienced with high-end projects, for a great job. "They had a blast," he says. "They had so much fun out there on the project, and they do it quite frequently; it comes naturally for them at this point." Given the complexity of this job, from scribing around stone to large-scale chevron and mixed media, that's high praise. Antes, himself a Wood Floor of the Year winner and supplier to many more winning projects, sums up the scope of this job: "I think he could have entered any room in this house, really, and won."—K.M.W.

The flooring that was originally envisioned for this house wasn't Wood Floor of the Year-caliber. When Steve Brattin, president at SVB Wood Floors in Grandview, Mo., got involved in the project, the designers were discussing a simple machine-sanded heart pine or reclaimed wood floor. But once Brattin visited the site—an old world traditional estate set on acreage with its own private lake—he knew it deserved more than a typical floor. "I chatted with the designers and said I would love to meet with the homeowners and have them in our showroom," he recalls. "I said I would really like to do something artistic with it." Brattin's mind was already envisioning the possibilities—something he says usually happens for him within a half hour of walking through a space. "I don't know how certain things come to me," he says, adding that often he draws things out and the designs don't end up being in the clients' budget. That wasn't the case here, however, and the final plans for the flooring called for five designs in various areas, including this Bordeaux parquet in the foyer. With the designs finalized, Brattin turned to Distinctive Floors' (Nashville, Tenn.) Dan Antes to create the walnut flooring, which called for hand-beveling with a circle-sawn and wire-brushed surface; in some areas the flooring was 10-inch plank. The width presented a challenge for Antes, as he had planned to contract out the circle-sawing, but the company he had in mind could handle widths only up to 81⁄2 inches. He decided he would have to do it himself. "We spent maybe $1,500 modifying $20,000 worth of equipment to end up with this awesome distressed product," he says. Due to a tight time frame to complete the job, once the flooring was milled, it was shipped to WD Flooring (Laona, Wis.) to be finished with hardwax oil—a choice Antes says he loves for its maintainability. The actual installation of all 3,000 square feet of flooring was uneventful, Brattin says, crediting his crew, experienced with high-end projects, for a great job. "They had a blast," he says. "They had so much fun out there on the project, and they do it quite frequently; it comes naturally for them at this point." Given the complexity of this job, from scribing around stone to large-scale chevron and mixed media, that's high praise. Antes, himself a Wood Floor of the Year winner and supplier to many more winning projects, sums up the scope of this job: "I think he could have entered any room in this house, really, and won."—K.M.W.

The client’s red dining room acted as the inspiration for the kitchen’s color palette. The Cherry Cobbler Red, physically distressed island appears to have been added after the perimeter Buttermilk Yellow cabinets, which contributes to the authenticity of the farmhouse. Two dishwashers were included to assist with the clean up of frequent entertaining.

The vanity with the warm tones and custom distressed finish was designer to withstand frequent use, while maintaining the charm of the home. Peggy Fuller, ASID - By Design Interiors, Inc. Photo Credit: Brad Carr - B-Rad Studios

Outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware really made this Houston outdoor living space design project shine. “It really went well,” says Wayne Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. “It's not a huge space, but moving the existing two columns about four feet and bringing the roof out only three feet made all the difference in the world.” “This particular client wanted a larger space to entertain,” says senior designer Lisha Maxey, who served as an outdoor furniture consultant while managing construction for the project. The original space, Lisha explains, had two oddly placed columns blocking a clear view of the beautiful pool area from inside the home. “We removed those columns and gave her three more feet of roof, which extended her living area while also giving her the view she wanted.” Since the client - a woman in her mid-50s with grown children who visit frequently - only wanted a small outdoor kitchen island with a 30-inch RCS grill Outdoor Homescapes closed up a French door that led from the master bedroom (which she never used) and created a new stucco wall for the kitchen. “I would definitely call the style of this space ‘transitional,” says Lisha. The client is a very eclectic world traveler and a collector of art, yet wanted her outdoor living space to feel like a warm, homey living room once we placed the furniture and décor. In the end, her finishes centered around rustic stone, detailed columns and furniture leaning towards the contemporary.” Much of the warmth in the space, she says, comes from the colors of the dry-stacked Sunset Canyon ledgestone. “It looks just like it sounds – like the sun setting in a deep canyon!” “The columns are unique – decorative and fluted,” adds Wayne. The client, who’d received five free hours of outdoor furniture consultation as part of an ongoing promotion, also wanted Lisha to help her select, buy and help place furnishings. “I believe that now - more than ever - consumers are looking for turn-key operations in any type of service industry - a ‘one-stop-shop,’ so to speak,” says Lisha. “It gives us a more personal touch with the client, as well as an edge in the industry in terms of selling our designs, as the client is reassured that we’ll work with them in every aspect to give them the outdoor living space of their dreams.” The client ended up choosing the Biscayne collection – including a chair that rocks and swivels - from Restoration Hardware. They also went with a lower, unique teak coffee table from the Belvedere collection. “We mixed wicker with teak for an equally soft and hard look and added pops of color to bring out the beautiful art collection inside,” says Lisha. “The neutral gray wicker, by the way, was the perfect match for the distressed teak coffee table and credenza. The grays of the Key West granite countertop also echoed this color palette.” For the fabric, Lisha helped keep it neutral with a Mocha linen and popped the color with royal blue throw pillows matching the area rug: “To make the space truly her own, we added some unique copper pots from her collection and a few items she's collected abroad.” Ready to let outdoor furniture transform your living space? Contact us, and we'll get your outdoor design project started!