Search results for "Explains" in Home Design Ideas

Learn seed starting basics and get a jump start on growing the flower garden of your dreams with the new book, Cut Flower Garden. In this striking guide you will find everything you need to grow, harvest, and arrange stunning seasonal blooms. With equal parts instruction and inspiration, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden welcomes you into Erin Benzakein’s abundant, bloom-filled world, and is a feast for every flower lover’s eyes and soul. Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden. Written by Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai. Photos by Michèle M. Waite. Published by Chronicle Books.

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Houston Interior Designer Lisha Maxey took this Museum District condo from the dated, mirrored walls of the 1980s to Mid Century Modern with a gallery look featuring the client's art collection.
"The place was covered with glued-down, floor-to-ceiling mirrors," says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Homescapes of Houston and principal at LGH Design Services in Houston. "When we took them off the walls, the walls came apart. We ended up taking them down to the studs."
The makeover took six months to complete, primarily because of strict condo association rules that only gave the Houston interior designers very limited access to the elevator - through which all materials and team members had to go.
"Monday through Friday, we could only be noisy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and if we had to do something extra loud, like sawing or drilling, we had to schedule it with the management and they had to communicate that to the condo owners. So it was just a lot of coordination. But a lot of Inner City Loopers live in these kinds of buildings, so we're used to handling that kind of thing."
The client, a child psychiatrist in her 60s, recently moved to Houston from northeast Texas to be with friends. After being widowed three years ago, she decided it was time to let go of the traditionally styled estate that wasn't really her style anyway. An avid diver who has traveled around the world to pursue her passion, she has amassed a large collection of art from her travels. Downsizing to 1,600 feet and wanting to go more contemporary, she wanted the display - and the look - more streamlined.
"She wanted clean lines and muted colors, with the main focus being her artwork," says Maxey. "So we made the space a palette for that."
Enter the white, gallery-grade paint she chose for the walls: "It's halfway between satin and flat," explains Maxey. "It's not glossy and it's not chalky - just very smooth and clean."
Adding to the gallery theme is the satin nickel track lighting with lamps aimed to highlight pieces of art. "This lighting has no wires," notes Maxey. "It's powered by a positive and negative conduit."
The new flooring throughout is a blended-grey porcelain tile that looks like wood planks. "It's gorgeous, natural-looking and combines all the beauty of wood with the durability of tile," says Maxey. "We used it throughout the condo to unify the space."
After Maxey started looking at the client's bright, vibrant, colorful artwork, she felt the palette couldn't stay as muted anymore. Hence the Mid Century Modern orange leather sofas from West Elm and chartruese chairs from Joybird, plus the throw pillows in different textures, patterns and shades of gold, orange and green.
The concave lines of the Danish-inspired chairs, she notes, help them look beautiful from all the way around - a key to designing spaces for loft living.
"The table in the living room is very interesting," notes Maxey. "It was handmade for the client in 1974 and has a signature on it from the artist. She was adamant about including the piece, which has all these hand-painted black-and-white art tiles on the top. I took one look at it and said 'It's not really going to go.'"
However, after cutting 6 inches off the bottom and making it look a little distressed, the table ended up being the perfect complement to the sofas.
The dining room table - from Design Within Reach - is a solid piece of mahogany, the chair upholstery a mix of grey velvet and leather and the legs a shiny brass. "The side chairs are leather and the end ones are velvet," says Maxey. "It's a nice textural mix that lends depth and texture."
The galley kitchen, meanwhile, has been lightened and brightened, with white quartz countertops and backsplashes mimicking the look of Carrara marble, stainless steel appliances and a velvet green bench seat for a punch of color. The cabinets are painted a cool grey color called "Silverplate."
The two bathrooms have been updated with contemporary white vanities and vessel sinks and the master bath now features a walk-in shower tiled in Dolomite white marble (the floor is Bianco Carrara marble mosaic, done in a herringbone pattern.
In the master bedroom, Homescapes of Houston knocked down a wall between two smaller closets with swing doors to make one large walk-in closet with pocket doors. The closet in the guest bedroom also came out 13 more inches.
The client's artwork throughout personalizes the space and tells the story of a life. There's a huge bowl of shells from the client's diving adventures, framed art from her child psychiatry patients and a 16th century wood carving from a monastery that's been in her family forever.
"Her collection is quite impressive," says Maxey. "There's even a framed piece of autographed songs written by John Lennon." (You can see this black-framed piece of art on the wall in the photo above of two green chairs).
"We're extremely happy with how the project turned out, and so is the client," says Maxey. "No expense was spared for her. It was a labor of love and we were excited to do it."
Find the right local pro for your project

Homeowners desire outdoor rooms for a variety of both fun and practical reasons. Outdoor dining is a big motivation in Southern California. San Diego and Orange County homeowners enjoy mild, sunny weather year-round, so with the right outdoor living scenario outdoor dining can be just as, if not more, comfortable as indoor dining! Western Outdoor Design & Build will sit down with you and establish what features your outdoor room needs to suit your lifestyle. Some owners swoon at the idea of an outdoor home theatre, fully equipped with a flat screen television and surround sound speakers. Other homeowners want an outdoor bar setting, a Hawaiian themed cabana that transforms their backyard into an exotic resort. Many homeowners have trouble deciding between a cabana, bungalow, pergola, sunroom or pool house. Our knowledgeable and experienced team of landscape design professionals and outdoor living specialists will sit down with you and explain the features and benefits of each structure. Whatever your dreams may be, Western Outdoor Design & Build can turn them into reality. (800) 789-7510!

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

This 1910 West Highlands home was so compartmentalized that you couldn't help to notice you were constantly entering a new room every 8-10 feet. There was also a 500 SF addition put on the back of the home to accommodate a living room, 3/4 bath, laundry room and back foyer - 350 SF of that was for the living room. Needless to say, the house needed to be gutted and replanned.
Kitchen+Dining+Laundry-Like most of these early 1900's homes, the kitchen was not the heartbeat of the home like they are today. This kitchen was tucked away in the back and smaller than any other social rooms in the house. We knocked out the walls of the dining room to expand and created an open floor plan suitable for any type of gathering. As a nod to the history of the home, we used butcherblock for all the countertops and shelving which was accented by tones of brass, dusty blues and light-warm greys. This room had no storage before so creating ample storage and a variety of storage types was a critical ask for the client. One of my favorite details is the blue crown that draws from one end of the space to the other, accenting a ceiling that was otherwise forgotten.
Primary Bath-This did not exist prior to the remodel and the client wanted a more neutral space with strong visual details. We split the walls in half with a datum line that transitions from penny gap molding to the tile in the shower. To provide some more visual drama, we did a chevron tile arrangement on the floor, gridded the shower enclosure for some deep contrast an array of brass and quartz to elevate the finishes.
Powder Bath-This is always a fun place to let your vision get out of the box a bit. All the elements were familiar to the space but modernized and more playful. The floor has a wood look tile in a herringbone arrangement, a navy vanity, gold fixtures that are all servants to the star of the room - the blue and white deco wall tile behind the vanity.
Full Bath-This was a quirky little bathroom that you'd always keep the door closed when guests are over. Now we have brought the blue tones into the space and accented it with bronze fixtures and a playful southwestern floor tile.
Living Room & Office-This room was too big for its own good and now serves multiple purposes. We condensed the space to provide a living area for the whole family plus other guests and left enough room to explain the space with floor cushions. The office was a bonus to the project as it provided privacy to a room that otherwise had none before.

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Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Pauline Hartogh of Wetherly’s Interiors was endowed with the task to create a transitional home for a family of four that melded modern luxury with functionality. She divided the home into three residential wings, all of which are structured in clean, contemporary lines.
The heart of the home was created by connecting the indoors to the outdoors using floor-to-ceiling glass, which set an open focus for easy entertainment. The landscape further enhanced the clients’ desire to embrace the indoor/outdoor lifestyle that Florida’s climate offers. Amid warm, tropical landscaping, a Chartes-inspired stone labyrinth provides beauty while also providing a place for meditation and relaxation.
An exceptional home calls for exceptional products, and when researching which stone to use, Hartogh went straight for Eldorado Stone. “I feel strongly that the use of Eldorado Stone’s products greatly enriched two of the areas in this project which won design awards,” Hartogh explained. The joints are seamless and the end result is always exactly what she aimed for. Hartogh chose Dry Creek Stacked Stone for the entire exterior, including patio walls and pillars, because not only looks current but also allows her the flexibility to create any design. The use of this product not only helped establish the overall tone for the home but it also allowed for architectural details, which was validated by winning the American Society of Interior Design Award 2013 – Outdoor Living, Single Family Home.
Accolades:
American Society of Interior Design Award 2013 – Bathroom Design, Transitional
American Society of Interior Design Award 2013 – Single Residential Space, Contemporary
American Society of Interior Design Award 2013 – Outdoor Living, Single Family Home
Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Exterior Façade – Dry Creek Stacked Stone
Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Master Bathroom – Pearl White CoastalReef
Interior Design: Pauline Hartogh, Wetherlys Interiors
Website: www.wetherlysinteriors.com
Phone: (561) 691-4707
Architecture: Henry Franky, Franky & Associates Architect, Inc.
Website: www.frankyarchitect.com
Phone: (561) 338-3309
Home Builder: Gary Hartogh, Couture Homes
Website: www.couture-homes.com
Phone: (561) 776-0511
Photographer: David Durbak
Website: www.durbak.com
Phone: (561) 271.0706

The Aluria Cove Lighting System from Green Oxen is a powerful and simple-to-install solution for energy-saving lighting in offices, homes, businesses and hotels. The design creates a hidden aesthetic that is modern and casts a sophisticated reflective light that is soft, intimate, yet ubiquitous. Each fixture is custom built to fit any wall in any room. The industrial aluminum construction ensures a sturdy, seamless mount that disappears behind any room’s accents.

If you're like most people, you've probably spent a lot of time in a kitchen. Kitchens can be magical places, especially when they're built or remodeled properly. This kitchen boasts open spaces and lots of light. All of the windows in the space make the room feel expansive and bright. The dark soapstone countertops give a bit of necessary contrast to an otherwise very bright room. The island in the center of the kitchen breaks the space up nicely and allows for company in the kitchen. A multi-color terracotta tiled back splash and red oak hardwood floors give this kitchen just the touch of warmth that it needs to pull everything together!

This spectacular French estate and gardens is located in the prestigious Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. The dramatic architecture is surrounded by expansive grounds and lushly planted gardens. The property features a grand entrance and decorative gates, a private lake, luxury pool with glass tile finish, tennis routs, bocce court, putting green, walking paths and fire pit.

When Irvine designer, Richard Bustos’ client decided to remodel his Orange County 4,900 square foot home into a contemporary space, he immediately thought of Cantoni. His main concern though was based on the assumption that our luxurious modern furnishings came with an equally luxurious price tag. It was only after a visit to our Irvine store, where the client and Richard connected that the client realized our extensive collection of furniture and accessories was well within his reach.
“Richard was very thorough and straight forward as far as pricing,” says the client. "I became very intrigued that he was able to offer high quality products that I was looking for within my budget.”
The next phases of the project involved looking over floor plans and discussing the client’s vision as far as design. The goal was to create a comfortable, yet stylish and modern layout for the client, his wife, and their three kids. In addition to creating a cozy and contemporary space, the client wanted his home to exude a tranquil atmosphere. Drawing most of his inspiration from Houzz, (the leading online platform for home remodeling and design) the client incorporated a Zen-like ambiance through the distressed greyish brown flooring, organic bamboo wall art, and with Richard’s help, earthy wall coverings, found in both the master bedroom and bathroom.
Over the span of approximately two years, Richard helped his client accomplish his vision by selecting pieces of modern furniture that possessed the right colors, earthy tones, and textures so as to complement the home’s pre-existing features.
The first room the duo tackled was the great room, and later continued furnishing the kitchen and master bedroom. Living up to its billing, the great room not only opened up to a breathtaking view of the Newport coast, it also was one great space. Richard decided that the best option to maximize the space would be to break the room into two separate yet distinct areas for living and dining.
While exploring our online collections, the client discovered the Jasper Shag rug in a bold and vibrant green. The grassy green rug paired with the sleek Italian made Montecarlo glass dining table added just the right amount of color and texture to compliment the natural beauty of the bamboo sculpture. The client happily adds, “I’m always receiving complements on the green rug!”
Once the duo had completed the dining area, they worked on furnishing the living area, and later added pieces like the classic Renoir bed to the master bedroom and Crescent Console to the kitchen, which adds both balance and sophistication. The living room, also known as the family room was the central area where Richard’s client and his family would spend quality time. As a fellow family man, Richard understood that that meant creating an inviting space with comfortable and durable pieces of furniture that still possessed a modern flare. The client loved the look and design of the Mercer sectional. With Cantoni’s ability to customize furniture, Richard was able to special order the sectional in a fabric that was both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Selecting the color scheme for the living room was also greatly influenced by the client’s pre-existing artwork as well as unique distressed floors. Richard recommended adding dark pieces of furniture as seen in the Mercer sectional along with the Viera area rug. He explains, “The darker colors and contrast of the rug’s material worked really well with the distressed wood floor.” Furthermore, the comfortable American Leather Recliner, which was customized in red leather not only maximized the space, but also tied in the client’s picturesque artwork beautifully. The client adds gratefully, “Richard was extremely helpful with color; He was great at seeing if I was taking it too far or not enough.”
It is apparent that Richard and his client made a great team. With the client’s passion for great design and Richard’s design expertise, together they transformed the home into a modern sanctuary. Working with this particular client was a very rewarding experience for Richard. He adds, “My client and his family were so easy and fun to work with. Their enthusiasm, focus, and involvement are what helped me bring their ideas to life. I think we created a unique environment that their entire family can enjoy for many years to come.”
https://www.cantoni.com/project/a-contemporary-sanctuary

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior.
This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Beautiful living room with tray ceiling, wood burning fireplace, oversized mantle, custom console table behind sofa. Round silver leaf glass coffee table with small side tables set next to both lounge chairs, Sky blue and plum accents.
Photo by Chika Sekiguchi

Houston Interior Designer Lisha Maxey took this Museum District condo from the dated, mirrored walls of the 1980s to Mid Century Modern with a gallery look featuring the client's art collection.
"The place was covered with glued-down, floor-to-ceiling mirrors," says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Homescapes of Houston and principal at LGH Design Services in Houston. "When we took them off the walls, the walls came apart. We ended up taking them down to the studs."
The makeover took six months to complete, primarily because of strict condo association rules that only gave the Houston interior designers very limited access to the elevator - through which all materials and team members had to go.
"Monday through Friday, we could only be noisy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and if we had to do something extra loud, like sawing or drilling, we had to schedule it with the management and they had to communicate that to the condo owners. So it was just a lot of coordination. But a lot of Inner City Loopers live in these kinds of buildings, so we're used to handling that kind of thing."
The client, a child psychiatrist in her 60s, recently moved to Houston from northeast Texas to be with friends. After being widowed three years ago, she decided it was time to let go of the traditionally styled estate that wasn't really her style anyway. An avid diver who has traveled around the world to pursue her passion, she has amassed a large collection of art from her travels. Downsizing to 1,600 feet and wanting to go more contemporary, she wanted the display - and the look - more streamlined.
"She wanted clean lines and muted colors, with the main focus being her artwork," says Maxey. "So we made the space a palette for that."
Enter the white, gallery-grade paint she chose for the walls: "It's halfway between satin and flat," explains Maxey. "It's not glossy and it's not chalky - just very smooth and clean."
Adding to the gallery theme is the satin nickel track lighting with lamps aimed to highlight pieces of art. "This lighting has no wires," notes Maxey. "It's powered by a positive and negative conduit."
The new flooring throughout is a blended-grey porcelain tile that looks like wood planks. "It's gorgeous, natural-looking and combines all the beauty of wood with the durability of tile," says Maxey. "We used it throughout the condo to unify the space."
After Maxey started looking at the client's bright, vibrant, colorful artwork, she felt the palette couldn't stay as muted anymore. Hence the Mid Century Modern orange leather sofas from West Elm and chartruese chairs from Joybird, plus the throw pillows in different textures, patterns and shades of gold, orange and green.
The concave lines of the Danish-inspired chairs, she notes, help them look beautiful from all the way around - a key to designing spaces for loft living.
"The table in the living room is very interesting," notes Maxey. "It was handmade for the client in 1974 and has a signature on it from the artist. She was adamant about including the piece, which has all these hand-painted black-and-white art tiles on the top. I took one look at it and said 'It's not really going to go.'"
However, after cutting 6 inches off the bottom and making it look a little distressed, the table ended up being the perfect complement to the sofas.
The dining room table - from Design Within Reach - is a solid piece of mahogany, the chair upholstery a mix of grey velvet and leather and the legs a shiny brass. "The side chairs are leather and the end ones are velvet," says Maxey. "It's a nice textural mix that lends depth and texture."
The galley kitchen, meanwhile, has been lightened and brightened, with white quartz countertops and backsplashes mimicking the look of Carrara marble, stainless steel appliances and a velvet green bench seat for a punch of color. The cabinets are painted a cool grey color called "Silverplate."
The two bathrooms have been updated with contemporary white vanities and vessel sinks and the master bath now features a walk-in shower tiled in Dolomite white marble (the floor is Bianco Carrara marble mosaic, done in a herringbone pattern.
In the master bedroom, Homescapes of Houston knocked down a wall between two smaller closets with swing doors to make one large walk-in closet with pocket doors. The closet in the guest bedroom also came out 13 more inches.
The client's artwork throughout personalizes the space and tells the story of a life. There's a huge bowl of shells from the client's diving adventures, framed art from her child psychiatry patients and a 16th century wood carving from a monastery that's been in her family forever.
"Her collection is quite impressive," says Maxey. "There's even a framed piece of autographed songs written by John Lennon." (You can see this black-framed piece of art on the wall in the photo above of two green chairs).
"We're extremely happy with how the project turned out, and so is the client," says Maxey. "No expense was spared for her. It was a labor of love and we were excited to do it."
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