RV garage. Very challenging to make an enormous garage look small. The goal was to add detail which would help the scale not feel so large. It is difficult to see here but the building is well "tucked into" the site.

A machined hood, custom stainless cabinetry and exposed ducting harkens to a commercial vibe. The 5'x10' marble topped island wears many hats. It serves as a large work surface, tons of storage, informal seating, and a visual line that separates the eating and cooking areas. Photo by Lincoln Barber

Here, an enormous farmhouse-style walnut dining table is flanked by 8 Eames-style molded plywood chairs. Four Tom Dixon Beat pendants hang overhead. Round, hammered-brass trays complete the tablescape. A view of the kitchen is in the background. It was important to keep styling simple in this open-plan dining area so as not to overpower its modernity. Photo by Claire Esparros.

With enormous rectangular beams and round log posts, the Spanish Peaks House is a spectacular study in contrasts. Even the exterior—with horizontal log slab siding and vertical wood paneling—mixes textures and styles beautifully. An outdoor rock fireplace, built-in stone grill and ample seating enable the owners to make the most of the mountain-top setting. Inside, the owners relied on Blue Ribbon Builders to capture the natural feel of the home’s surroundings. A massive boulder makes up the hearth in the great room, and provides ideal fireside seating. A custom-made stone replica of Lone Peak is the backsplash in a distinctive powder room; and a giant slab of granite adds the finishing touch to the home’s enviable wood, tile and granite kitchen. In the daylight basement, brushed concrete flooring adds both texture and durability. Roger Wade

PHILLIP ENNIS
Large transitional u-shaped travertine floor and beige floor kitchen photo in New York with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, white backsplash, an island, marble countertops and recessed-panel cabinets

This partially wooded, acre and a half lot in West Dundee presented many challenges. The clients began working with a Landscape Architect in the early spring, but after not getting the innovative ideas they were seeking, the home builder and Architect suggested the client contact our landscape design/build firm. We immediately hit it off with the charismatic clients. They had a tall order for us: complete the design and implement the construction within a three month period. For many projects this would be a reasonable time frame. However construction delays and the coordination of multiple trades left a very short window to complete the work. Beyond the tight time frame the site required specific care in preserving the many mature surrounding trees, as well as addressing a vast grade change. Over fifteen feet of grade change occurs from one end of this woodland property to the other. All of these constraints proved to be an enormous challenge as we worked to include and coordinate the following elements: the drive layout, a dramatic front entry, various gardens, landscape lighting, irrigation, and a plan for a backyard pool and entertainment space that already had been started without a clear plan. Fortunately, the client loved our design ideas and attention to detail and we were able to mobilize and begin construction. With the seamless coordination between our firm and the builder we implemented all the elements of this grand project. In total eight different crews and five separate trades worked together to complete the landscape. The completed project resulted in a rewarding experience for our firm, the builder and architect, as well as the client. Together we were able to create and construct a perfect oasis for the client that suited the beautiful property and the architecture of this dream home.

We started the design with the wallpaper. It met the owner's requirement to be bold, colorful and include a little whimsy. The stripe on the chairs is a way to balance the enormous amount of detail in the wallpaper because without it, your eye would be drawn only to the wallpaper. The chairs, tables, and accessories are all custom made by Architexture.

Renovisions recently remodeled a first-floor bath for this South Shore couple. They needed a better solution to their existing, outdated fiberglass shower stall and had difficulty squatting to enter the shower. As bathroom designers, we realize that a neo-angle shower is a simple and minimalistic design option where space is a premium. The clipped corner creates an angled opening that allows easy access to the shower between other fixtures in the bathroom. This new shower has a curb using a combination of glass and tile for the walls. Taking advantage of every possible inch for the shower made an enormous difference in comfort while showering. A traditional shower head along with a multi-function hand-held shower head and a shampoo niche both save space and provide a relaxing showering experience. The custom 3/8″ thick glass shower enclosure with mitered corners provides a clean and seamless appearance. The vanity’s bead-board design in sage green compliments the unique veining and hues in the quartz countertop. Overall, the clients were ecstatic with their newly transformed bathroom and are eager to share it with friends and family. One friend in fact, exclaimed that the bathroom resembled one she had seen in a five star resort!

Large elegant kitchen photo in DC Metro

Arched brick ceiling with a custom made light fixture. The owners found the parts for this light fixture over the island and had a local artist create this one of a kind fixture. The table with the seating is made from an old bowling alley lane. The pin placement marks can still be seen on the table top. The table is free standing so it can be moved off the island if desired. A reclaimed scupper box is the transition piece from the range hood to the duct work with red accent paint. Peter Nilson Photography

Incredible great room with enormous built in cabinetry. That tv is 75" but looks small in the scope of the room. This magnificent room is brightened by floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lushly landscaped back yard.

In this beautiful Houston remodel, we took on the exterior AND interior - with a new outdoor kitchen, patio cover and balcony outside and a Mid-Century Modern redesign on the inside: "This project was really unique, not only in the extensive scope of it, but in the number of different elements needing to be coordinated with each other," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "Our entire team really rose to the challenge." OUTSIDE The new outdoor living space includes a 14 x 20-foot patio addition with an outdoor kitchen and balcony. We also extended the roof over the patio between the house and the breezeway (the new section is 26 x 14 feet). On the patio and balcony, we laid about 1,100-square foot of new hardscaping in the place of pea gravel. The new material is a gorgeous, honed-and-filled Nysa travertine tile in a Versailles pattern. We used the same tile for the new pool coping, too. We also added French doors leading to the patio and balcony from a lower bedroom and upper game room, respectively: The outdoor kitchen above features Southern Cream cobblestone facing and a Titanium granite countertop and raised bar. The 8 x 12-foot, L-shaped kitchen island houses an RCS 27-inch grill, plus an RCS ice maker, lowered power burner, fridge and sink. The outdoor ceiling is tongue-and-groove pine boards, done in the Minwax stain "Jacobean." INSIDE Inside, we repainted the entire house from top to bottom, including baseboards, doors, crown molding and cabinets. We also updated the lighting throughout. "Their style before was really non-existent," says Lisha Maxey, senior designer with Outdoor Homescapes and owner of LGH Design Services in Houston. "They did what most families do - got items when they needed them, worrying less about creating a unified style for the home." Other than a new travertine tile floor the client had put in 6 months earlier, the space had never been updated. The drapery had been there for 15 years. And the living room had an enormous leather sectional couch that virtually filled the entire room. In its place, we put all new, Mid-Century Modern furniture from World Market. The drapery fabric and chandelier came from High Fashion Home. All the other new sconces and chandeliers throughout the house came from Pottery Barn and all décor accents from World Market. The couple and their two teenaged sons got bedroom makeovers as well. One of the sons, for instance, started with childish bunk beds and piles of books everywhere. "We gave him a grown-up space he could enjoy well into his high school years," says Lisha. The new bed is also from World Market. We also updated the kitchen by removing all the old wallpaper and window blinds and adding new paint and knobs and pulls for the cabinets. (The family plans to update the backsplash later.) The top handrail on the stairs got a coat of black paint, and we added a console table (from Kirkland's) in the downstairs hallway. In the dining room, we painted the cabinet and mirror frames black and added new drapes, but kept the existing furniture and flooring. "I'm just so pleased with how it turned out - especially Lisha's coordination of all the materials and finishes," says Wayne. "But as a full-service outdoor design team, this is what we do, and our all our great reviews are telling us we're doing it well."

This Houston outdoor kitchen and entertaining area offers a modern take on Mediterranean style. Designed and built by Outdoor Homescapes of Houston, this fully loaded family and entertaining space echoes the stucco, travertine tile patio and Mediterranean style of the existing home while exuding a more modern, transitional style. “This was a high-profile client – both VPs of different oil and gas companies who entertain affluent guests on a regular basis – so they wanted to make sure they had high-end appliances and all the latest amenities they could order,” says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Outdoor Homescapes and owner of LGH Design Services in Houston. “They also have two kids, ages 7 and 10, and wanted a family gathering space that better accompanied their new, luxurious pool.” What really sets apart this outside kitchen design idea, however, is the way the elements are used throughout the space. “Usually, outdoor kitchen designs for a backyard are grouped into one island or cabinet,” explains Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. “But here, the patio, roof and fireplace were all in place, separated by stucco columns, and the outdoor kitchen elements had to work around them.” A 14-foot-long cooking island houses a built-in Fire Magic grill with a Magic View Window (allows the chef to check on food without lifting the lid and losing valuable heat). The island, the countertop of which is "Carnaval" granite from Lackstone, also features a Fire Magic power burner, warming drawer and trash drawer. On one side of the fireplace, forming an “L” with the cooking island, sits a built-in Primo ceramic grill. On the other side of the fireplace is a 3-foot-long cabinet housing a bar with a wine cooler, ice maker and upper cabinet. And finally, just outside the patio door is a 7-foot-long cabinet with a modern Kohler sink with a high-arc Moen faucet (sink and faucet from Faucets Direct), a trash drawer and another upper cabinet. Outdoor Homescapes of Houston, by the way, outfitted both cabinets with glass inserts, custom pulls and three-way sensor lighting. “At the beginning, this was basically a blank space with a fireplace in the middle,” says Maxey. So Outdoor Homescapes upgraded the fireplace with Austin Stack Stone in white (No. 401) from Colorstonescreenshot vickers mosaic tile rectangle. "The stone added that pop,” notes Maxey. The fireplace’s espresso-colored, distressed wood mantel (from Mantels.com) and upper wood cabinets were both stained with the Minwax color Jacobean. The ceiling fans were also updated with ones featuring similarly espresso-colored, wooden fan blades, to match. The table in the middle - a cast-iron, Mediterranean style gem with hand-forged scrollwork designs from Patio 1 in Houston – seats 10. “We wanted this kind of Mediterranean feel,” says Maxey. “We wanted rustic, but the appliance package was so new, with all its stainless steel, so we kept a the cabinets and the columns stucco instead of stone for a more clean, modern look and then did the custom tile backsplash and mosaic in more of a rustic, Mediterranean look." The backsplash is a 1-inch travertine tile background with 4-inch square metallic insets, both from Floor & Decor. The tile for the 18-by-24-inch rectangle mosaic came from Great Britain Tile Co. and included a Dianno Reale tumbled border and background. The bronze, diamond-shaped insets are tumbled Dark Emperdor tile and the scrolls are tumbled Noce tile. The client, who admits they have high standards, was more than pleased with the project – especially browsing through Outdoor Homescapes’ vast library of patio kitchen design ideas, the 3D virtual video tour that let them preview the project from every angle before construction. They also liked the personalized design consultation. "OH provides a very neat service where one of their designers will either shop/buy for you or shop with you for the more detailed pieces that will finish your home," reads the client's review on Houzz. "This was a very positive, personalized feature ... Lisha helped narrow down an enormous marketplace of materials and finishes to a few we could choose from."

A hip young family moving from Boston tackled an enormous makeover of an antique colonial revival home in downtown Larchmont. The kitchen area was quite spacious but benefitted from a small bump out for a banquette and additional windows. Navy blue island and tall cabinetry matched to Benjamin Moore’s Van Deusen blue is balanced by crisp white (Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace) cabinetry on the perimeter. The mid-century inspired suspended fireplace adds warmth and style to the kitchen. A tile covered range hood blends the ventilation into the walls. Brushed brass hardware by Lewis Dolan in a contemporary T-bar shape offer clean lines in a warm metallic tone. White Marble countertops on the perimeter are balanced by white quartz composite on the island. Kitchen design and custom cabinetry by Studio Dearborn. Countertops by Rye Marble. Refrigerator--Subzero; Range—Viking French door oven--Viking. Dacor Wine Station. Dishwashers—Bosch. Ventilation—Best. Hardware—Lewis Dolan. Lighting—Rejuvenation. Sink--Franke. Stools—Soho Concept. Photography Adam Kane Macchia.

Hear what our clients, Lisa & Rick, have to say about their project by clicking on the Facebook link and then the Videos tab. Hannah Goering Photography

Mid-sized arts and crafts multicolored two-story concrete fiberboard exterior home photo in Atlanta

Example of a small minimalist 3/4 beige tile, white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and beige floor bathroom design in New York with an integrated sink, medium tone wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, flat-panel cabinets, beige walls and solid surface countertops

Margot Hartford Photography
Inspiration for an eclectic master blue tile and subway tile beige floor bathroom remodel in San Francisco with blue walls

David Duncan Livingston
Open concept kitchen - transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in San Francisco with glass-front cabinets, gray cabinets, gray backsplash, ceramic backsplash, an island, a farmhouse sink and stainless steel appliances