Download our free ebook, Remodeling a House, Creating a Home. DOWNLOAD NOW   Featured in Houzz International Editorial (Russia): http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/47414631/list Studio West Photography

Blue tiger’s eye, white oak, steel and a golden back splash create a rich and luxurious tone. Kitchen Design: Mikal Otten Photography: Emily Minton Redfield

Large minimalist white one-story stucco flat roof photo in Las Vegas

This roofdeck highlights some of the best elements of outdoor construction materials. Highlighted with an array of reclaimed timber including Elm and Oak to the Ipe decking. A steel and cedar pergola help frame the Chicago skyline behind the stone fireplace. Cynthia Lynn

Upstate Door makes hand-crafted custom, semi-custom and standard interior and exterior doors from a full array of wood species and MDF materials. Custom white painted single 20 lite over 12 panel door with 22 lite sidelites

Photo by Casey Dunn
Sunroom - contemporary beige floor sunroom idea in Houston with a corner fireplace, a stone fireplace and a standard ceiling

Our client wanted to create a fresh outdoor living space within their outdated backyard and to give a makeover to their entire property. The overall setting was a tremendous asset to the spaces - a large wetland area just behind their home, full of interesting birds and wildlife that the homeowner values. We designed and built a spacious covered outdoor living space as the backyard focal point. The kitchen and bar area feature a Hestan grill, kegerator and refrigerator along with ample counter space. This structure is heated by Infratech heaters for maximum all-season use. An array of six skylights allows light into the space and the adjacent windows. While the covered space is the focal point of the backyard, the entire property was redesigned to include a bluestone patio and pathway, dry creek bed, new planting, extensive low voltage outdoor lighting and a new entry monument. The design fits seamlessly among the existing mature trees and the backdrop of a beautiful wetland area beyond. The structure feels as if it has always been a part of the home. William Wright Photography

Nestled along the base of the Snake River, this house in Jackson, WY, is surrounded by nature. Design emphasis has been placed on carefully located views to the Grand Tetons, Munger Mountain, Cody Peak and Josie’s Ridge. This modern take on a farmhouse features painted clapboard siding, raised seam metal roofing, and reclaimed stone walls. Designed for an active young family, the house has multi-functional rooms with spaces for entertaining, play and numerous connections to the outdoors. Photo by Tuck Fauntleroy Photo by Tuck Fauntleroy

jeremy bittermann
Contemporary exterior home idea in Portland

[Re-Use Malta Grey 12"x24" with 2"x2" mosaics on back wall] Complete your bathroom's design with elegant and beautiful tile from Ceramic Tile Design. CTD is a family owned business with a showroom and warehouse in both San Rafael and San Francisco. Our showrooms are staffed with talented teams of Design Consultants. Whether you already know exactly what you want or have no knowledge of what's possible we can help your project exceed your expectations. To achieve this we stock the best Italian porcelain lines in a variety of styles and work with the most creative American art tile companies to set your project apart from the rest. Our warehouses not only provide a safe place for your order to arrive but also stock a complete array of all the setting materials your contractor will need to complete your project saving him time and you, money. The warehouse staff is knowledgeable and friendly to help make sure your project goes smoothly.

photos by Steve Chenn
Great room - rustic dark wood floor great room idea in Houston with a stone fireplace

Dining room / Stair view
Dining room - coastal medium tone wood floor dining room idea in Seattle with white walls

This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house. George Mendel

Photo: Adrienne DeRosa © 2015 Houzz It was of utmost importance to the homeowners to find a space that could highlight their extensive art collection. Representing an array of mediums, much of the collection is sourced from local galleries, such as Medelson Gallery, as well as Weisshouse. "I feel the artwork makes it a home," says Stacy. Here in the entry hall, Weiss thoughtfully placed large-scale works to bring intimacy into the grand space. "It adds a personal touch that you cannot achieve otherwise," she states. While at times it can be a challenge to create balance in such an architectural environment, the homeowners have overcome this with their choice of furnishings. Unified through color and form, modern chairs punctuate the walkway. Their geometric designs give them an architectural quality that supports the environment without overwhelming it. With a mixture of new and vintage pieces, the look is effortless and chic. Armchairs: Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina

Jordan Sleeth
Inspiration for a large contemporary wooden medium tone wood floor great room remodel in Portland with brown walls and no fireplace

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

Guru of Luxury, LLC

[Stone Box Bright Grey 6"x36"] Escape to a luxurious retreat that is right in your backyard with beautiful tile from Ceramic Tile Design. CTD is a family owned business with a showroom and warehouse in both San Rafael and San Francisco. Our showrooms are staffed with talented teams of Design Consultants. Whether you already know exactly what you want or have no knowledge of what's possible we can help your project exceed your expectations. To achieve this we stock the best Italian porcelain lines in a variety of styles and work with the most creative American art tile companies to set your project apart from the rest. Our warehouses not only provide a safe place for your order to arrive but also stock a complete array of all the setting materials your contractor will need to complete your project saving him time and you, money. The warehouse staff is knowledgeable and friendly to help make sure your project goes smoothly.

Inspiration for a mid-sized full sun backyard formal garden for spring.