When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Example of a mid-sized mountain style home weight room design in Minneapolis with gray walls

Intriguing mix of warm wood beams, oak floor and sophisticated neutral furnishings. White leather low profile bed and thumbprint rug are key pieces. Abstract art by Lou Hicks introduces a berry purple to the space. Bed, chair and rugs by Ligne roset. Custom side tables by David Osborne. 2010 A-List Award for Best Home Remodel

New Rear Facade engages the pool and creates an intimate setting for entertaining. The bow window at the breakfast room and the Juliette Balcony in the master bedroom bring the outdoors in.

This used to be a completely unfinished basement with concrete floors, cinder block walls, and exposed floor joists above. The homeowners wanted to finish the space to include a wet bar, powder room, separate play room for their daughters, bar seating for watching tv and entertaining, as well as a finished living space with a television with hidden surround sound speakers throughout the space. They also requested some unfinished spaces; one for exercise equipment, and one for HVAC, water heater, and extra storage. With those requests in mind, I designed the basement with the above required spaces, while working with the contractor on what components needed to be moved. The homeowner also loved the idea of sliding barn doors, which we were able to use as at the opening to the unfinished storage/HVAC area.

Trent Bell
Example of a trendy home gym design in Las Vegas

Photography: Lepere Studio
Home gym - large mediterranean home gym idea in Santa Barbara

The need for a productive and comfortable space was the motive for the study design. A culmination of ideas supports daily routines from the computer desk for correspondence, the worktable to review documents, or the sofa to read reports. The wood mantel creates the base for the art niche, which provides a space for one homeowner’s taste in modern art to be expressed. Horizontal wood elements are stained for layered warmth from the floor, wood tops, mantel, and ceiling beams. The walls are covered in a natural paper weave with a green tone that is pulled to the built-ins flanking the marble fireplace for a happier work environment. Connections to the outside are a welcome relief to enjoy views to the front, or pass through the doors to the private outdoor patio at the back of the home. The ceiling light fixture has linen panels as a tie to personal ship artwork displayed in the office.

Example of a large classic carpeted and gray floor basement design in DC Metro with gray walls and no fireplace

Audrey Hall

Tuscan backyard stone and rectangular lap pool photo

From CDK Architects: This is a new home that replaced an existing 1949 home in Rosedale. The design concept for the new house is “Mid Century Modern Meets Modern.” This is clearly a new home, but we wanted to give reverence to the neighborhood and its roots. It was important to us to re-purpose the old home. Rather than demolishing it, we worked with our contractor to disassemble the house piece by piece, eventually donating about 80% of the home to Habitat for Humanity. The wood floors were salvaged and reused on the new fireplace wall. The home contains 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, plus a home office and a music studio, totaling 2,650 square feet. One of the home’s most striking features is its large vaulted ceiling in the Living/Dining/Kitchen area. Substantial clerestory windows provide treetop views and bring dappled light into the space from high above. There’s natural light in every room in the house. Balancing the desire for natural light and privacy was very important, as was the connection to nature. What we hoped to achieve was a fun, flexible home with beautiful light and a nice balance of public and private spaces. We also wanted a home that would adapt to a growing family but would still fit our needs far into the future. The end result is a home with a calming, organic feel to it. Built by R Builders LLC (General Contractor) Interior Design by Becca Stephens Interiors Landscape Design by Seedlings Gardening Photos by Reagen Taylor Photography

Basement workout area with glass walls and workout equipment. ©Finished Basement Company
Multiuse home gym - mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and brown floor multiuse home gym idea in Denver with beige walls

Photo: Lisa Petrole
Inspiration for a huge contemporary black floor indoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court remodel in San Francisco with white walls

The Control/Shift House is perched on the high side of the site which takes advantage of the view to the southeast. A gradual descending path navigates the change in terrain from the street to the entry of the house. A series of low retaining walls/planter beds gather and release the earth upon the descent resulting in a fairly flat level for the house to sit on the top one third of the site. The entry axis is aligned with the celebrated stair volume and then re-centers on the actual entry axis once you approach the forecourt of the house. The initial desire was for an “H” scheme house with common entertaining spaces bridging the gap between the more private spaces. After an investigation considering the site, program, and view, a key move was made: unfold the east wing of the “H” scheme to open all rooms to the southeast view resulting in a “T” scheme. The new derivation allows for both a swim pool which is on axis with the entry and main gathering space and a lap pool which occurs on the cross axis extending along the lengthy edge of the master suite, providing direct access for morning exercise and a view of the water throughout the day. The Control/Shift House was derived from a clever way of following the “rules.” Strict HOA guidelines required very specific exterior massing restrictions which limits the lengths of unbroken elevations and promotes varying sizes of masses. The solution most often used in this neighborhood is one of addition - an aggregation of masses and program randomly attached to the inner core of the house which often results in a parasitic plan. The approach taken with the Control/Shift House was to push and pull program/massing to delineate and define the layout of the house. Massing is intentional and reiterated by the careful selection of materiality that tracks through the house. Voids and relief in the plan are a natural result of this method and allow for light and air to circulate throughout every space of the house, even into the most inner core. Photography: Charles Davis Smith

Matt Vacca
Pool - small southwestern backyard concrete and rectangular pool idea in Phoenix

This 1914 family farmhouse was passed down from the original owners to their grandson and his young family. The original goal was to restore the old home to its former glory. However, when we started planning the remodel, we discovered the foundation needed to be replaced, the roof framing didn’t meet code, all the electrical, plumbing and mechanical would have to be removed, siding replaced, and much more. We quickly realized that instead of restoring the home, it would be more cost effective to deconstruct the home, recycle the materials, and build a replica of the old house using as much of the salvaged materials as we could. The design of the new construction is greatly influenced by the old home with traditional craftsman design interiors. We worked with a deconstruction specialist to salvage the old-growth timber and reused or re-purposed many of the original materials. We moved the house back on the property, connecting it to the existing garage, and lowered the elevation of the home which made it more accessible to the existing grades. The new home includes 5-panel doors, columned archways, tall baseboards, reused wood for architectural highlights in the kitchen, a food-preservation room, exercise room, playful wallpaper in the guest bath and fun era-specific fixtures throughout.

Eric Roth Photography
Bathroom - mid-sized contemporary 3/4 gray tile bathroom idea in Boston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops and white walls

Fresh produce in the kitchen island, frozen foods in the pantry. Yogurt and juice in the breakfast room, chilled drinks in the exercise room, ice aplenty out by the pool. Sub-Zero refrigeration is anywhere refrigeration. Integrated drawers bring cold storage to any room in your home. Beverage centers keep you refreshed. Undercounter refrigerators and ice makers provide compact, convenient storage indoors or out. Our units fit in easily, seamlessly with the flow of your home, and the way you live.