The original masonry fireplace, with brick veneer and floating steel framed hearth. The hearth was re-surfaced with a concrete, poured in place counter material. Low voltage, MR-16 recessed lights accent the fireplace and artwork. A small sidelight brings natural light in to wash the brick fireplace as well. Photo by Christopher Wright, CR

Darren Edwards Photographs
Example of a trendy light wood floor bedroom design in San Diego

photo by Seed Studio, editing by TR PhotoStudio
Photo of a small modern full sun backyard formal garden in San Francisco with a fire pit and decking.

Nearly two decades ago now, Susan and her husband put a letter in the mailbox of this eastside home: "If you have any interest in selling, please reach out." But really, who would give up a Flansburgh House? Fast forward to 2020, when the house went on the market! By then it was clear that three children and a busy home design studio couldn't be crammed into this efficient footprint. But what's second best to moving into your dream home? Being asked to redesign the functional core for the family that was. In this classic Flansburgh layout, all the rooms align tidily in a square around a central hall and open air atrium. As such, all the spaces are both connected to one another and also private; and all allow for visual access to the outdoors in two directions—toward the atrium and toward the exterior. All except, in this case, the utilitarian galley kitchen. That space, oft-relegated to second class in midcentury architecture, got the shaft, with narrow doorways on two ends and no good visual access to the atrium or the outside. Who spends time in the kitchen anyway? As is often the case with even the very best midcentury architecture, the kitchen at the Flansburgh House needed to be modernized; appliances and cabinetry have come a long way since 1970, but our culture has evolved too, becoming more casual and open in ways we at SYH believe are here to stay. People (gasp!) do spend time—lots of time!—in their kitchens! Nonetheless, our goal was to make this kitchen look as if it had been designed this way by Earl Flansburgh himself. The house came to us full of bold, bright color. We edited out some of it (along with the walls it was on) but kept and built upon the stunning red, orange and yellow closet doors in the family room adjacent to the kitchen. That pop was balanced by a few colorful midcentury pieces that our clients already owned, and the stunning light and verdant green coming in from both the atrium and the perimeter of the house, not to mention the many skylights. Thus, the rest of the space just needed to quiet down and be a beautiful, if neutral, foil. White terrazzo tile grounds custom plywood and black cabinetry, offset by a half wall that offers both camouflage for the cooking mess and also storage below, hidden behind seamless oak tambour. Contractor: Rusty Peterson Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Sarah Shields

Mark Lohman
Example of a classic light wood floor kitchen design in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Anice Hoachlander, Hoachlander Davis Photography
Mid-sized 1960s concrete paver front porch idea in DC Metro with a roof extension

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2018 Houzz
Example of an urban living room design in Los Angeles

This home has "doggone" good design! This design, by Kendra Roenker of Modern Builders Supply, makes pet care easy for the owners, and luxurious for the dogs. The amenities go way beyond the basics. The faucet is placed above the water bowls—no more toting water from the kitchen sink and leaving a wet trail behind. The beds aren't just beds—they are raised beds with stepping stools. The feeding station holds toys, food, leashes and dog grooming tools—there will be no problems finding necessities. What more could a dog or a dog owner need? Kendra specified StarMark Cabinetry's Viola door style in Cherry finished in a beautiful brown cabinet color called Hazelnut. Job well done Kendra! Modern Builders Supply is a StarMark Cabinetry dealer in Florence, Kentucky.

Kurtis Miller Photography, kmpics.com Timbered Porch with wooden bed porch swing. Circle sawn roof decking, custom timber truss. All materials provided by Sisson Dupont and Carder. www.sdclogandtimber.com

Master Bedroom with Red Bed Frame and custom drapery and bedding.
Bedroom - traditional master light wood floor bedroom idea in Charlotte

Master bathrrom
Freestanding bathtub - mid-sized contemporary master white tile and glass tile porcelain tile, gray floor and double-sink freestanding bathtub idea in New York with flat-panel cabinets, an integrated sink, solid surface countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops, medium tone wood cabinets, gray walls and a floating vanity

Mid-century modern white tile claw-foot bathtub photo in Los Angeles with a pedestal sink

Small elegant gray one-story mixed siding gable roof photo in Charleston

This was a project where we worked together with the client and helped them remove/edit their belongings and then came alongside and added artwork, bedding and all accessories. This approach saves the client money because we are not having to rent furniture. They were able to leave all the basic furniture pieces and then we added the rest for a fresh and finished look.

This was a project where we worked together with the client and helped them remove/edit their belongings and then came alongside and added artwork, bedding and all accessories. This approach saves the client money because we are not having to rent furniture. They were able to leave all the basic furniture pieces and then we added the rest for a fresh and finished look.

Living Lounge Refresh Sometimes the biggest transformations come from restraint rather than addition. Let's upgrade your tv while we're at it. For this living lounge refresh, we focused on simplifying the visual noise and allowing the architecture to take center stage. By refining the fireplace wall, introducing stronger contrast, editing accessories, and layering in natural textures, the room shifted from builder-basic to elevated and intentional. The result is a space that feels: • warmer • more architectural • more collected • and better suited for everyday living and gathering A reminder that great design isn't always about a full renovation. Sometimes it's about seeing the potential in what already exists and making thoughtful moves that completely change the experience of the room. Swipe to see how a few strategic updates transformed this lounge into a richer, moodier, more curated retreat.

This was a project where we worked together with the client and helped them remove/edit their belongings and then came alongside and added artwork, bedding and all accessories. This approach saves the client money because we are not having to rent furniture. They were able to leave all the basic furniture pieces and then we added the rest for a fresh and finished look.

This was a project where we worked together with the client and helped them remove/edit their belongings and then came alongside and added artwork, bedding and all accessories. This approach saves the client money because we are not having to rent furniture. They were able to leave all the basic furniture pieces and then we added the rest for a fresh and finished look.

This was a project where we worked together with the client and helped them remove/edit their belongings and then came alongside and added artwork, bedding and all accessories. This approach saves the client money because we are not having to rent furniture. They were able to leave all the basic furniture pieces and then we added the rest for a fresh and finished look.