Elegant bathroom photo in Minneapolis with a vessel sink and orange walls

In this combination living room/ family room, form vs function is at it's best.. Formal enough to host a cocktail party, and comfortable enough to host a football game. The wrap around sectional accommodates 5-6 people and the oversized ottoman has room enough for everyone to put their feet up! The high back, stylized wing chair offers comfort and a lamp for reading. Decorative accessories are placed in the custom built bookcases freeing table top space for drinks, books, etc. Magazines and current reading are neatly placed in the rattan tray for easy access. The overall neutral color palette is punctuated by soft shades of blue around the room. LORRAINE G VALE photo by Michael Costa

Family room adjacent to kitchen. Paint color on fireplace mantel is Benjamin Moore #1568 Quarry Rock. The trim is Benjamin Moore OC-21. The bookcases are prefinished by the cabinet manufacturer, white with a pewter glaze. Designed by Julie Williams Design, Photo by Eric Rorer Photgraphy, Justin Construction

Photo - Jessica Glynn Photography
Inspiration for a small transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room remodel in New York with blue walls and no fireplace

Office and laundry room combo.
Example of a cottage laundry room design in San Francisco

This Greek Revival row house in Boerum Hill was previously owned by a local architect who renovated it several times, including the addition of a two-story steel and glass extension at the rear. The new owners came to us seeking to restore the house and its original formality, while adapting it to the modern needs of a family of five. The detailing of the 25 x 36 foot structure had been lost and required some sleuthing into the history of Greek Revival style in historic Brooklyn neighborhoods. In addition to completely re-framing the interior, the house also required a new south-facing brick façade due to significant deterioration. The modern extension was replaced with a more traditionally detailed wood and copper- clad bay, still open to natural light and the garden view without sacrificing comfort. The kitchen was relocated from the first floor to the garden level with an adjacent formal dining room. Both rooms were enlarged from their previous iterations to accommodate weekly dinners with extended family. The kitchen includes a home office and breakfast nook that doubles as a homework station. The cellar level was further excavated to accommodate finished storage space and a playroom where activity can be monitored from the kitchen workspaces. The parlor floor is now reserved for entertaining. New pocket doors can be closed to separate the formal front parlor from the more relaxed back portion, where the family plays games or watches TV together. At the end of the hall, a powder room with brass details, and a luxe bar with antique mirrored backsplash and stone tile flooring, leads to the deck and direct garden access. Because of the property width, the house is able to provide ample space for the interior program within a shorter footprint. This allows the garden to remain expansive, with a small lawn for play, an outdoor food preparation area with a cast-in-place concrete bench, and a place for entertaining towards the rear. The newly designed landscaping will continue to develop, further enhancing the yard’s feeling of escape, and filling-in the views from the kitchen and back parlor above. A less visible, but equally as conscious, addition is a rooftop PV solar array that provides nearly 100% of the daily electrical usage, with the exception of the AC system on hot summer days. The well-appointed interiors connect the traditional backdrop of the home to a youthful take on classic design and functionality. The materials are elegant without being precious, accommodating a young, growing family. Unique colors and patterns provide a feeling of luxury while inviting inhabitants and guests to relax and enjoy this classic Brooklyn brownstone. This project won runner-up in the architecture category for the 2017 NYC&G Innovation in Design Awards and was featured in The American House: 100 Contemporary Homes. Photography by Francis Dzikowski / OTTO

This LEED-H Platinum-certified custom luxury home in Oregon demonstrates an exceptional commitment to excellence. Designed by Green Hammer architect Jan Fillinger, the Fineline House was designed and built with unprecedented precision — from the interior finishes to the state-of-the-art lighting, ventilation, and built-in home energy-monitoring systems. It utilizes Passivhaus detailing and 100% of the lumber used for the structure and framing of the project was Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)-certified.

Built around1700, the house underwent additions in the 19th century and suff ered from overgrown greenery, sagging structure and decades of deferred maintenance. The vision for the home’s next 100 years was crafted by a team of experts all working together. Curative measures included structural repairs, waterproofing, temperature control, and a complete new circulatory system of wiring and sprinklers. Equipped with “Smart House” intuitive technologies, the homeowner maintains full control over lighting, audio, video, computer, heating, cooling, security systems and outbuildings from a central bank of self-monitoring operations. New design features included converting a poorly enclosed “porch” into a four-season naturally floodlit sunroom with heated floors, and a bump-out addition that incorporates a new back stair, mud room, family room and master suite. New kitchen cabinetry and counters were crafted to showcase the original stonework and the original chimney was retrofitted with new ventilation above the range. A raised porch steps down to the formal lawn and gardens. This project was featured in a 10-page spread in the April/May issue of Chesapeake Home magazine. Anne Gummerson Photography

This loft style office space is a study in contrasts. The brick wall is the perfect compliment to the stark white interior walls. A variety of different height work spaces serves multiple functions. By Kenneth Brown Design.

Study room - contemporary built-in desk dark wood floor study room idea in New York with blue walls

This award-winning Craftsman style Master bedroom was awarded second place, Whole Room Integration, at the 2008 International Window Coverings Expo design Competition. It included my tweaking the client's plans for a bed custom made by a member of the New Roycrofter's Guild, to ensure the headboard was visible above the rows of pillows designed for reading in bed. An outline quilted bedspread in an embroidered botanical silk from Kravet and custom pillow in a coordinating botanical fabric completes the bed. A warm green from Benjamin Moore complements the oak finish. And an original custom window treatment inspired by the furniture designs of Harvey Ellis completes the ensemble. Nightstands are from Stickley's Mission collection, in Centennial finish.

Paul Crosby Architectural Photography
Elegant mudroom photo in Minneapolis with an orange front door and white walls

Angle Eye Photography
Inspiration for a timeless white tile and marble tile powder room remodel in Philadelphia with furniture-like cabinets, marble countertops and white countertops

Inspiration for a timeless subway tile bathroom remodel in Atlanta with a pedestal sink

design by Pulp Design Studios | http://pulpdesignstudios.com/ photo by Kevin Dotolo | http://kevindotolo.com/

Example of a classic stone exterior home design in San Francisco

Bedroom - coastal bedroom idea in Miami with beige walls

Built around1700, the house underwent additions in the 19th century and suff ered from overgrown greenery, sagging structure and decades of deferred maintenance. The vision for the home’s next 100 years was crafted by a team of experts all working together. Curative measures included structural repairs, waterproofing, temperature control, and a complete new circulatory system of wiring and sprinklers. Equipped with “Smart House” intuitive technologies, the homeowner maintains full control over lighting, audio, video, computer, heating, cooling, security systems and outbuildings from a central bank of self-monitoring operations. New design features included converting a poorly enclosed “porch” into a four-season naturally floodlit sunroom with heated floors, and a bump-out addition that incorporates a new back stair, mud room, family room and master suite. New kitchen cabinetry and counters were crafted to showcase the original stonework and the original chimney was retrofitted with new ventilation above the range. A raised porch steps down to the formal lawn and gardens. This project was featured in a 10-page spread in the April/May issue of Chesapeake Home magazine. Anne Gummerson Photography

WHAT MAKES VILLA TERRA GREEN? 1. Rammed Earth and PISE Walls Beyond it’s beautiful qualities and “Old World” look, the rammed earth and PISE walls (pneumatically impacted stabilized earth) drastically reduce the use of trees for the initial wall framing lumber. And because this “Earth Structure” will far outlast any wood frame building, trees are again saved many times over, creating the foundation for the true model of sustainability. We have created a house that will essentially last forever, instead of having to be rebuilt every 50 to 75 years. The 18” thick PISE walls and concrete floors also provide thermal mass, an integral part of the passive solar design of the house. These features help keep the house naturally cooler in summer and retaining heat in winter, greatly reducing the heating and cooling loads and energy use. 2. High Content Fly Ash Concrete Foundation Use of high content (25%) fly ash (industrial waste byproduct) in place of Portland Cement results in reduction of energy consumption and green house gas emissions associated with Portland cement production (second only to petroleum in terms of carbon dioxide emissions). 3. Reclaimed Plumbing Fixtures All lavatory sinks and tubs were bought from salvage yards (tub is reportedly from the Jack Benny house in Hollywood). Reclaimed Carrara marble fountain has been made into the powder room sink. 4. Natural Daylighting Use of numerous skylights and high transom windows to reduce electrical lighting loads during the day. Natural daylighting also has documented benefits on mood, productivity, and enjoyment of the space. 5. Photo Voltaic Solar Panels Use of PV solar electric generation system to reduce electrical grid consumption, and bi-directional meter sends power back to the grid when it is needed most, on hot summer afternoons. 6. Hydronic Radiant Heat Floor Use of hydronic radiant floor heating system saves energy, is more efficient for residential heating, is more comfortable for inhabitants, and promotes superior indoor air quality over forced air systems. 7. Natural/Passive Ventilation Use of operable skylights operable high windows and ceiling fans, creates a natural convection current, thereby eliminating the need for an air conditioning system. 8. Passive Solar Design Use of extensive east and south facing glass, proper overhangs, high interior mass, deciduous grape vines on appropriately placed trellises, to passively heat the home in winter, and protect the house from unnecessary heat gain in summer. 9. Reclaimed Lumber - Douglas fir ceiling beams reclaimed from the Town & Country Village Shopping Center (now Santana Row) in San Jose. - Douglas fir ceiling decking reclaimed from the 118 year old Notre Dame High School in downtown San Jose. TJI joists reclaimed from the “Millenium Man” movie set in Alameda used for floor and roof framing. Redwood ceiling beams reclaimed from a Los Altos cabana/trellis. 10. Extensive Use of Other Reclaimed Materials Two antique reclaimed European stone fireplace mantles grace the family room and master bedroom fireplaces. Interior doors with glass knobs reclaimed from the original house located at the property. Two large terraces utilize used brick salvaged from at least 15 different locations. Courtyard fountain is tiled using recycled and restored ceramic tiles from a 1928 California Colonial house in Los Altos. Cabinet lumber from original house used for closet shelving. Plywood from crates that the windows and doors were delivered in were used to create garage shear walls. Foundation forms were salvaged and rip cut for use as interior stud walls. Garage doors were salvaged from a remodel project in Mountain View. 11. Ground Source Heat Pump - Ground source heat pump uses geothermal energy to heat the house and domestic water, greatly reducing natural gas and fossil fuel consumption. 12. Low VOC Paint Clay Plaster Wall Finishes VOC-free interior paint and stain finishes promotes healthy indoor air quality, reduces exacerbation of respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. Extensive use of American Clay Plaster integral color wall finish eliminates need for painted walls. 13. High Efficiency Windows Use of energy efficient dual pane thermal glazing with “Low e” coating at all doors and windows reduces heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter, cutting energy use. 14. Engineered Structural Lumber Extensive use of engineered lumber for structural framing and sheathing reduces cutting of old growth forests, and encourages use of “crop lumber”. 15. FSC Certified Mill Work Extensive use of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sustainable lumber products for cabinetry, hardwood flooring, trim, etc. further protects the environment through third party monitoring and certification of the entire supply chain. 16. Cotton Insulation Formaldehyde-free cotton insulation made from recycled blue jeans used extensively for attic insulation. photography by Frank Paul Perez