This landscape of this transitional dwelling aims to compliment the architecture while providing an outdoor space for high end living and entertainment. The outdoor kitchen, hot tub, tiered gardens, living and dining areas as well as a formal lawn provide ample space for enjoyment year round. Photographs courtesy of The Richards Group.

Photography: Gerardine and Jude Vargas
Pool - mid-sized 1960s backyard custom-shaped and decomposed granite infinity pool idea in Phoenix

This living/dining room combined is open and airy to the sliding glass doors leading to the covered patio. A great place to entertain, yet relax and enjoy the beauty.

Example of a large transitional open concept light wood floor and brown floor living room design in Miami with white walls and a wall-mounted tv

The homeowners had a very large and beautiful meadow-like backyard, surrounded by full grown trees and unfortunately mosquitoes. To minimize mosquito exposure for them and their baby, they needed a screened porch to be able to enjoy meals and relax in the beautiful outdoors. They also wanted a large deck/patio area for outdoor family and friends entertaining. We constructed an amazing detached oasis: an enclosed screened porch structure with all stone masonry fireplace, an integrated composite deck surface, large flagstone patio, and 2 flagstone walkways, which is also outfitted with a TV, gas fireplace, ceiling fan, recessed and accent lighting.

Rustic Farmhouse: Garvin-Weeks Farmstead The Garvin-Weeks Farmstead in beautiful North Reading, built c1790, has enjoyed a first floor makeover complete with a new kitchen, family room and master suite. Particular attention was given to preserve the historic details of the house while modernizing and opening up the space for today’s lifestyle. The open concept farmhouse style kitchen is striking with its antique beams and rafters, handmade and hand planed cabinets, distressed floors, custom handmade soapstone farmer’s sink, marble counter tops, kitchen island comprised of reclaimed wood with a milk paint finish, all setting the stage for the elaborate custom painted tile work. Skylights above bathe the space in natural light. Walking through the warm family room gives one the sense of history and days gone by, culminating in a quintessential looking, but fabulously updated new England master bedroom and bath. A spectacular addition that feels and looks like it has always been there! Photos by Eric Roth

Karen and Chad of Tower Lakes, IL were tired of their unfinished basement functioning as nothing more than a storage area and depressing gym. They wanted to increase the livable square footage of their home with a cohesive finished basement design, while incorporating space for the kids and adults to hang out. “We wanted to make sure that upon renovating the basement, that we can have a place where we can spend time and watch movies, but also entertain and showcase the wine collection that we have,” Karen said. After a long search comparing many different remodeling companies, Karen and Chad found Advance Design Studio. They were drawn towards the unique “Common Sense Remodeling” process that simplifies the renovation experience into predictable steps focused on customer satisfaction. “There are so many other design/build companies, who may not have transparency, or a focused process in mind and I think that is what separated Advance Design Studio from the rest,” Karen said. Karen loved how designer Claudia Pop was able to take very high-level concepts, “non-negotiable items” and implement them in the initial 3D drawings. Claudia and Project Manager DJ Yurik kept the couple in constant communication through the project. “Claudia was very receptive to the ideas we had, but she was also very good at infusing her own points and thoughts, she was very responsive, and we had an open line of communication,” Karen said. A very important part of the basement renovation for the couple was the home gym and sauna. The “high-end hotel” look and feel of the openly blended work out area is both highly functional and beautiful to look at. The home sauna gives them a place to relax after a long day of work or a tough workout. “The gym was a very important feature for us,” Karen said. “And I think (Advance Design) did a very great job in not only making the gym a functional area, but also an aesthetic point in our basement”. An extremely unique wow-factor in this basement is the walk in glass wine cellar that elegantly displays Karen and Chad’s extensive wine collection. Immediate access to the stunning wet bar accompanies the wine cellar to make this basement a popular spot for friends and family. The custom-built wine bar brings together two natural elements; Calacatta Vicenza Quartz and thick distressed Black Walnut. Sophisticated yet warm Graphite Dura Supreme cabinetry provides contrast to the soft beige walls and the Calacatta Gold backsplash. An undermount sink across from the bar in a matching Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertop adds functionality and convenience to the bar, while identical distressed walnut floating shelves add an interesting design element and increased storage. Rich true brown Rustic Oak hardwood floors soften and warm the space drawing all the areas together. Across from the bar is a comfortable living area perfect for the family to sit down at a watch a movie. A full bath completes this finished basement with a spacious walk-in shower, Cocoa Brown Dura Supreme vanity with Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertop, a crisp white sink and a stainless-steel Voss faucet. Advance Design’s Common Sense process gives clients the opportunity to walk through the basement renovation process one step at a time, in a completely predictable and controlled environment. “Everything was designed and built exactly how we envisioned it, and we are really enjoying it to it’s full potential,” Karen said. Constantly striving for customer satisfaction, Advance Design’s success is heavily reliant upon happy clients referring their friends and family. “We definitely will and have recommended Advance Design Studio to friends who are looking to embark on a remodeling project small or large,” Karen exclaimed at the completion of her project.

Photo: Heather Banks © 2015 Houzz
Kitchen - 1960s kitchen idea in Austin

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, this majestic lodge was custom designed by MossCreek to provide rustic elegant living for the extended family of our clients. Featuring four spacious master suites, a massive great room with floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive porches, and a large family room with built-in bar, the home incorporates numerous spaces for sharing good times. Unique to this design is a large wrap-around porch on the main level, and four large distinct and private balconies on the upper level. This provides outdoor living for each of the four master suites. We hope you enjoy viewing the photos of this beautiful home custom designed by MossCreek. Photo by Todd Bush

These clients came to my office looking for an architect who could design their "empty nest" home that would be the focus of their soon to be extended family. A place where the kids and grand kids would want to hang out: with a pool, open family room/ kitchen, garden; but also one-story so there wouldn't be any unnecessary stairs to climb. They wanted the design to feel like "old Pasadena" with the coziness and attention to detail that the era embraced. My sensibilities led me to recall the wonderful classic mansions of San Marino, so I designed a manor house clad in trim Bluestone with a steep French slate roof and clean white entry, eave and dormer moldings that would blend organically with the future hardscape plan and thoughtfully landscaped grounds. The site was a deep, flat lot that had been half of the old Joan Crawford estate; the part that had an abandoned swimming pool and small cabana. I envisioned a pavilion filled with natural light set in a beautifully planted park with garden views from all sides. Having a one-story house allowed for tall and interesting shaped ceilings that carved into the sheer angles of the roof. The most private area of the house would be the central loggia with skylights ensconced in a deep woodwork lattice grid and would be reminiscent of the outdoor “Salas” found in early Californian homes. The family would soon gather there and enjoy warm afternoons and the wonderfully cool evening hours together. Working with interior designer Jeffrey Hitchcock, we designed an open family room/kitchen with high dark wood beamed ceilings, dormer windows for daylight, custom raised panel cabinetry, granite counters and a textured glass tile splash. Natural light and gentle breezes flow through the many French doors and windows located to accommodate not only the garden views, but the prevailing sun and wind as well. The graceful living room features a dramatic vaulted white painted wood ceiling and grand fireplace flanked by generous double hung French windows and elegant drapery. A deeply cased opening draws one into the wainscot paneled dining room that is highlighted by hand painted scenic wallpaper and a barrel vaulted ceiling. The walnut paneled library opens up to reveal the waterfall feature in the back garden. Equally picturesque and restful is the view from the rotunda in the master bedroom suite. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Jeffrey Hitchcock Enterprises Contractor: Synergy General Contractors, Inc. Landscape Design: LZ Design Group, Inc. Photography: Laura Hull

This 1960 house was in need of updating from both design and performance standpoints, and the project turned into a comprehensive deep energy retrofit, with thorough airtightness and insulation, new space conditioning and energy-recovery-ventilation, triple glazed windows, and an interior of incredible elegance. While we maintained the foundation and overall massing, this is essentially a new house, well equipped for a new generation of use and enjoyment.

The Back Bay House is comprised of two main structures, a nocturnal wing and a daytime wing, joined by a glass gallery space. The daytime wing maintains an informal living arrangement that includes the dining space placed in an intimate alcove, a large country kitchen and relaxing seating area which opens to a classic covered porch and on to the water’s edge. The nocturnal wing houses three bedrooms. The master at the water side enjoys views and sounds of the wildlife and the shore while the two subordinate bedrooms soak in views of the garden and neighboring meadow. To bookend the scale and mass of the house, a whimsical tower was included to the nocturnal wing. The tower accommodates flex space for a bunk room, office or studio space. Materials and detailing of this house are based on a classic cottage vernacular language found in these sorts of buildings constructed in pre-war north america and harken back to a simpler time and scale. Eastern white cedar shingles, white painted trim and moulding collectively add a layer of texture and richness not found in today’s lexicon of detail. The house is 1,628 sf plus a 228 sf tower and a detached, two car garage which employs massing, detail and scale to allow the main house to read as dominant but not overbearing. Designed by BC&J Architecture.

Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Chicago

The back yard patio is the new living room. Let’s discuss. If you’ve tried to purchase an outdoor, propane heater, new grill, or even outdoor seating in the past six months, this is not news to you. We’re all doing our best to manage through the pandemic while still enjoying social connections and time with family and friends. The solution that so many of us have adopted is to spend more time outside. There’s a Norwegian saying that says, “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing.” It’s a mantra worth adopting these days. We have a lot of customers who are ready to bundle up and enjoy their back yards as much as they enjoy their living rooms. But these lucky homeowners have had that opportunity for the past six months. Reading any further may make you pretty jealous, but we hope that it inspires you for a future project in your own back yard.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

With complimenting colors, this entertainment space is just as enjoyable to look at as it is to be in. The dark tones warm up the space and can be seen throughout in accent pieces and the large wooden media stand that the TV has been mounted on. Although lacking in natural light, this basement has definitely been brightened up with shimmer, glam and exciting colors. Photo Credit: Normandy Remodeling

A light and airy living room with clean line furniture allows this room to feel comfortable yet sophisticated in this 1930's original home. The rustic chic wood ceiling is what gives this space its character along with the custom furniture selections. The homeowner enjoys entertaining with the conversation starter abstract floral art.

St. Joe Club & Resorts
Example of a beach style bedroom design in Orlando