Backyard string lights, custom cut to fit the space. 4 x 4 wood post were installed to support one end of the string light runs, otherwise the lights wouldn't be high enough to walk under.

Photo Credit: Matt Edington
Inspiration for a large craftsman gray three-story wood gable roof remodel in Seattle

Wally Sears, Julia Starr Sanford, Mark David Major
Beach style living room photo in Jacksonville with gray walls

Study room - mid-sized transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in Raleigh with beige walls

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor, brown floor and wainscoting enclosed dining room remodel in Richmond with green walls and no fireplace

Michael Stavaridis
This is an example of a modern porch design in Miami.

John Stillman Photography
Contemporary white two-story exterior home idea in Miami

Carol Bates
Inspiration for a large contemporary indoor concrete and rectangular lap pool remodel in New York

Laundry Room Troy Theis Photography
Dedicated laundry room - small transitional l-shaped brick floor dedicated laundry room idea in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored walls, a stacked washer/dryer and an undermount sink

Example of a trendy patio design in San Francisco

Settled between the trees of the Pacific Northwest, the sun rests on the Tradesman 48 Shop complete with cedar and Douglas fir. The 36’x 48’ shop with lined soffits and ceilings boasts Douglas fir 2”x6” tongue and groove siding, two standard western red cedar cupolas and Clearspan steel roof trusses. Western red cedar board and batten siding on the gable ends are perfect for the outdoors, adding to the rustic and quaint setting of Washington. A sidewall height of 12’6” encloses 1,728 square feet of unobstructed space for storage of tractors, RV’s, trucks and other needs. In this particular model, access for vehicles is made easy by three, customer supplied roll-up garage doors on the front end, while Barn Pros also offers garage door packages built for ease. Personal entrance to the shop can be made through traditional handmade arch top breezeway doors with windows.

Antique beams make a great sink base for this trough sink by Kohler. Photography by Michael Lee
Bathroom - mid-sized country brick floor bathroom idea in Boston with a trough sink

The yellow front door provides a welcoming touch to the covered porch.
Large farmhouse medium tone wood floor and brown floor entryway photo in Portland with white walls and a yellow front door

After opening up the stairwell between the kitchen and the living room, the homeowners had extra storage space under the stairs. Now it's used as the dog's crate area, complete with a custom doggy door. Photography by: William Manning

This adorable beach cottage is in the heart of the village of La Jolla in San Diego. The goals were to brighten up the space and be the perfect beach get-away for the client whose permanent residence is in Arizona. Some of the ways we achieved the goals was to place an extra high custom board and batten in the great room and by refinishing the kitchen cabinets (which were in excellent shape) white. We created interest through extreme proportions and contrast. Though there are a lot of white elements, they are all offset by a smaller portion of very dark elements. We also played with texture and pattern through wallpaper, natural reclaimed wood elements and rugs. This was all kept in balance by using a simplified color palate minimal layering. I am so grateful for this client as they were extremely trusting and open to ideas. To see what the space looked like before the remodel you can go to the gallery page of the website www.cmnaturaldesigns.com Photography by: Chipper Hatter

This concrete ramp is completely leveled to prevent possible falls, and easy access for wheelchairs. Handrails were added for extra security.
Transitional exterior home idea in Austin

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped porcelain tile utility room design in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets and white walls

Photos By; Nate Grant
Design ideas for a contemporary side yard wood fence landscaping in Portland.