Everyday Living - Photos & Ideas

5th Street NE - Apt #1

New Vision Properties

Example of a transitional living room design in DC Metro

Hand-crafted Modern

Lucy Interior Design

Architect: Sala Architects | Builder: Merdan Custom Builders Inc. | Photography: Spacecrafting
Inspiration for a mid-century modern master light wood floor and beige floor bedroom remodel in Minneapolis with white walls and no fireplace

A U R O R A L I C

Lion x Lamb

Inspiration for a contemporary galley medium tone wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen remodel in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, paneled appliances, a peninsula and white countertops

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I've Been So Patient, I've Been So Good

Geshtalt homes

Designed and built by Geshtalt Homes, this luxury Colleyville, Texas renovation reimagines the heart of the home through a sophisticated open-concept great room that seamlessly connects the kitchen and family living areas. The design embraces warmth, craftsmanship, and timeless elegance, creating a space that is equally suited for everyday living and entertaining. At the center of the kitchen, a substantial island with waterfall-edge quartzite countertops serves as both a visual focal point and a functional gathering space. Rich, dark-stained custom cabinetry establishes a sense of depth and refinement, while select cabinet elevations feature decorative custom grilles backed with French antique mirror, introducing texture, character, and subtle reflection throughout the room. Beneath the cabinetry, dark hand-scraped wood flooring grounds the space and complements the home's sophisticated palette. The adjoining family room is anchored by a dramatic linear fireplace framed with a floor-to-ceiling stone surround, creating a striking architectural feature that draws the eye upward and reinforces the room's scale. Custom built-in wine storage on either side of the fireplace adds both function and visual balance while enhancing the home's entertainment-focused design. Thoughtfully planned and meticulously executed, this multi-room renovation reflects Geshtalt Homes' commitment to creating distinctive living environments that blend luxury materials, architectural detail, and everyday comfort into a cohesive and highly personalized home.

Open-Concept Dining & Living Room with Bold Architectural Details

Brittany Lyons Interiors

An open-concept dining and living space by Brittany Lyons Interiors that balances bold design with comfortable everyday living. The dining area features graphic wallpaper, custom patterned drapery, a natural wood table, contrasting black chairs and a statement crystal chandelier. Beyond, rich blue-green millwork and wall paneling frame the fireplace, creating a dramatic focal point and visually defining the living room. Layered textures, statement lighting and a mix of warm wood, black accents and saturated color create a cohesive Dallas interior that feels sophisticated, inviting and distinctly personal.

The Gathering House

Living with Lolo

Kitchen in The Gathering House | Room Type: Whole Home (Full Renovation + Furnishings) | Project Name: The Gathering House | Key Feature: A reimagined open-concept home centered around an oversized kitchen island that functions as the heart of the home, designed to support connection, entertaining, and everyday living. Challenge: The existing home had a dated, closed-off layout with poor flow, limited pantry space, and structural constraints that made the kitchen feel cramped and disconnected from the main living areas. Solution: The design team reworked the floor plan to open up the main living spaces, expanded the kitchen footprint, and introduced an oversized island to anchor the home. Thoughtful material selections, improved storage solutions, and layered lighting created a cohesive, modern environment that balances functionality with warmth and livability. Materials: Iron Adobe, Cactus Doors, Ferguson, My Knobs, Spellman hardware | Budget: $100K- $150K | Timeline: Approximately 6 months, completed January 2026.

There's A Place I Like To Hide

USI Design & Remodeling

Located in Argyle, Texas, this comprehensive whole-home renovation was conceived by USI Design & Remodeling who reimagined the home's interior architecture, transforming a collection of compartmentalized rooms into a cohesive environment designed for modern living, entertaining, and daily comfort. The project encompassed the kitchen, family room, dining room, lounge, office, primary bathroom, and supporting circulation spaces, creating a unified experience that feels both expansive and intentional. Throughout the home, refined materials, custom millwork, and carefully curated finishes establish a sense of understated luxury while maintaining warmth and livability. At the heart of the renovation is a completely reconfigured kitchen and gathering space designed around functionality, hospitality, and visual connection. Architectural barriers were removed to improve sightlines and circulation, allowing the kitchen, dining, and family spaces to function as a single integrated living environment. A dramatic five-foot workstation sink anchors the kitchen, while custom cabinetry and furniture-inspired details elevate the space beyond conventional residential design. Adjacent to the kitchen, the former pantry, laundry, and service corridor were reimagined as a hybrid scullery and utility suite, creating a highly functional support space that discreetly accommodates food preparation, storage, organization, and household operations without compromising the elegance of the primary living areas. The renovation extends beyond aesthetics to create a home tailored to the family's evolving needs. The primary bathroom was transformed into a spa-inspired retreat, while the lounge, office, and dining spaces were redesigned to support both everyday living and entertaining. Consistent architectural detailing, layered textures, and thoughtful proportions establish continuity throughout the residence, allowing each room to feel connected to the larger design narrative. The result is a sophisticated yet approachable home that balances practical performance with timeless design, delivering a renewed living experience that is both highly functional and distinctly luxurious.

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Columbus, OH

Bella Casa LLC17 Reviews

The Leading Interior Design Studio in Franklin County

Luxury Custom Home with Clean Lines, Natural Materials & Contemporary Style

Select Design & Build, a pahlisch company

This luxury modern kitchen combines high-end finishes with thoughtful, functional design. Clean lines, custom cabinetry, and a spacious open layout make this kitchen the perfect centerpiece for entertaining and everyday living. A large central island with waterfall countertops offers ample seating and prep space, while statement pendant lighting adds a touch of modern elegance. The kitchen flows seamlessly into the adjacent living and dining areas, creating a cohesive, open-concept living experience.

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present

Klopf Architecture

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present An iconic design updated with comfort, function, and flow for today. A Remodel That Balances Past and Present What started as a desire to update a classic Eichler soon became an exploration of how Mid-Century Modern design can successfully evolve for today. The client, a tech professional with a passion for scuba diving and underwater photography, wanted a home that would both honor its original character and feel tailored to his daily life. A lifelong technology enthusiast, he still owns the very first Mac desktop he saved up for as a teenager working at Radio Shack, a detail that underscores his appreciation for design that melds function and form. Honoring Separation While Expanding Possibility Unlike many contemporary remodels where walls are opened up to create expansive living spaces, this project took a more restrained approach. The client valued the defined rooms of the original plan and wanted to preserve as much wall space as possible for displaying his large-format underwater photography. The emphasis was not on dramatic spatial reinvention, but on thoughtful refinements. Klopf Architecture shaped a gallery-like backdrop while also expanding the primary suite, modernizing materials and fixtures throughout the home, and improving the functionality and layout of the kitchen. The finished home feels at once timeless and renewed, an Eichler that continues to inspire while fully supporting the lifestyle of its present-day owner. A major turning point came mid-design. The original project brief had not included an addition, but as the reconfiguration of the primary bedroom and bath unfolded, it became clear that an expansion was the best approach to achieve the client’s vision of a more spacious suite. Fortunately, the adjustment came at a stage when revisions were still manageable and was integrated seamlessly, showing how thoughtful course corrections can strengthen a project rather than hinder it. Navigating Challenges With Precision The design development included multiple conceptual rounds, balancing preservation with subtle expansion. During construction, an existing post previously thought to be load-bearing turned out not to be. The structural engineer was able to pivot quickly, and both the post and the cross beam that had been intended to replace it could be omitted, allowing the original rhythm of the Eichler beam bays to be preserved. Sustainability was not just a checklist item, but a way to align the home with the client’s values of simplicity, efficiency, and long-term functionality. R-38 roof insulation reduced energy usage, solar panels with battery storage provided independence and resilience, and passive comfort strategies eliminated the need forenergy-intensive air conditioning. An electric vehicle charger and an on-demand hot water recirculation system (with call buttons as opposed to having constant circulation) add to the home’s long-term efficiency factors. Together, these moves created a home that is quieter, more comfortable, and better equipped for the future, qualities that supported the client’s pragmatic approach to design and living lightly. Details That Respect the Eichler DNA The remodel carries forward the Eichler’s original spirit while introducing new layers of modern livability. Originally, the house was approached along a deep, narrow walk, with the garage on one side and the house on the other, leaving the front door tucked far back within this chasm-like space. By pulling the entry forward, the design reshaped the arrival experience, creating a clearer threshold and a natural drop-off zone for bags, shoes, and keys. This shift also made room for a custom bench at the entry that extends seamlessly through the glass sidelight. The bench and drop-off zone now work together as a single, integrated sequence that supports everyday living while offering a tactile reminder of Eichler’s philosophy of connectedness. At the client’s request, Klopf reintroduced a classic Eichler gesture by extending the exterior siding into the entry and living room. The detail reinforces a sense of indoor/outdoor continuity while providing a subtle architectural surface that allows the client’s photography to take visual precedence. The signature concrete masonry wall at the front was reconstructed using blocks sourced to match the originals, now strengthened with rebar for seismic resilience while maintaining a private outdoor courtyard, visually extending the kitchen outward. A decorative trellis element, a detail borrowed from a neighboring Eichler, restores a familiar mid-century modern architectural motif. At the courtyard entry door, a custom etched glass sidelight with an ocean-themed design featuring kelp and jellyfish serves as a subtle homage to the client’s passion for deep-sea diving. Landscaping became an integral part of the overall transformation. The homeowner engaged landscape architect Randi Johnsen of Third Nature Studio to shape a series of calm, inviting outdoor rooms that read as a natural extension of the interiors. While technically outside of the core construction scope, the landscape design proved central to achieving a sense of completeness and connectedness across the property. Such whole-property considerations often emerge as design ideas take shape, underscoring the importance of flexibility in planning and budgeting, as well as close collaboration among the design team starting early in the process. The Value of Evolving Scope As with many custom residential projects, the scope evolved during the design process. What began as a targeted remodel grew to include a new/expanded primary suite, a rebuilt CMU patio wall for strength and longevity, and a solar panel array and battery storage for energy resilience and carbon-reduction. Each thoughtful decision represented a conscious investment in the home’s performance and character, rather than a cost overrun. The result was a project delivered on schedule, tailored precisely to the client’s lifestyle, and positioned to add long-term value both functionally and aesthetically. By embracing scope evolution as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and relying on good design paired with transparent communication, this remodel demonstrates how Eichler homes can be adapted for contemporary living without erasing their DNA. Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, AIA, and Klara Kevane, Elise Webb and Nicholas LaNasa. Contractor: Golden Cove Construction Landscape Design: Third Nature Studio Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao Design Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2024 Location: Sunnyvale, CA

York Mills Private Residence

SM Design

York Mills Residence | Layered Contemporary Elegance This York Mills residence was designed around the idea of quiet luxury expressed through architectural detail rather than excess. The interior combines classical residential proportions with contemporary forms, creating a sophisticated environment that feels highly curated while remaining comfortable and inviting for everyday living. A key design strategy was to establish a continuous architectural language across the connected living, dining, and circulation spaces. Rather than designing each zone independently, the spaces are visually tied together through consistent wall paneling, warm oak flooring, carefully controlled neutral tones, and a coordinated lighting strategy. This creates a strong sense of continuity and allows the eye to move naturally through the home. The ceiling design plays an important role in defining the character of the interior. Elaborate geometric and curved coffering introduces a sculptural element overhead, transforming the ceiling into a fifth architectural surface. The integrated perimeter illumination emphasizes these forms after dark, while recessed lighting provides functional illumination without competing with the decorative architecture. The black stone fireplace provides a deliberate counterpoint to the predominantly light interior. Its strong visual weight anchors the living area and establishes a dramatic focal point, while the softer curved seating and neutral upholstery balance its intensity. This contrast between monumental architectural elements and tactile, rounded furnishings gives the room a contemporary character without losing its residential warmth. Furniture planning was approached as an exercise in conversation, proportion, and movement. The seating arrangement creates an intimate conversational zone while maintaining a clear visual and physical connection to the dining area. The curved forms soften the geometry of the architecture and introduce a more relaxed human scale within the larger room. The dining area extends the social function of the space and is visually framed by the architectural detailing and artwork. A sculptural chandelier establishes a focal point above the dining table, while the large-scale artwork introduces color, energy, and individuality into the otherwise restrained palette. This balance between a controlled architectural background and expressive art allows the homeowner's personality to become part of the design. The flooring contributes another layer of craftsmanship. The warm wood surface establishes continuity throughout the open interior, while geometric floor detailing and directional patterns subtly define zones without relying on physical partitions. This allows the architecture to remain open while still providing a sense of hierarchy and spatial organization. Artwork, decorative objects, greenery, and furnishings were intentionally selected to introduce moments of color, texture, softness, and visual contrast. The result is not a purely minimalist interior; instead, it is a layered composition in which restraint provides the foundation for carefully selected moments of expression. Overall, the project reflects a contemporary approach to traditional luxury, architectural, highly detailed, and timeless, but never overly formal. The design prioritizes proportion, craftsmanship, material relationships, natural light, and the experience of moving through the home, creating an interior that functions as both an elegant entertaining environment and a comfortable everyday living space.