This Symphony Showhouse was fairly small, but we made use of every square inch! Plenty of seating, storage and even a game table were used to maximize this room. Deep, rich furnishings were punched up with the use of fabrics, florals, accessories and oil paintings. Normally, we don't use mirrors above a fireplace, but this was a good choice because the mantel was fairly low. Two mirrors in place of the oils, and a vertical oil over the fireplace would work well too.

Bainbridge island garden | Lore Patterson
Photo of a mid-sized eclectic partial sun backyard formal garden in Seattle for summer.

Photo Credit Novelli PhotoDesign
Dining room - transitional dark wood floor dining room idea in Chicago with gray walls

PL705 Pro Ball Turf & Bocce ball.

This Symphony Showhouse was fairly small, but we made use of every square inch! Plenty of seating, storage and even a game table were used to maximize this room. Deep, rich furnishings were punched up with the use of fabrics, florals, accessories and oil paintings. Normally, we don't use mirrors above a fireplace, but this was a good choice because the mantel was fairly low. Two mirrors in place of the oils, and a vertical oil over the fireplace would work well too.

Lindsay Chambers Design, Roger Davies Photography
Freestanding bathtub - mid-sized transitional master white tile and marble tile marble floor and white floor freestanding bathtub idea in Los Angeles with a two-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door, shaker cabinets, purple cabinets and marble countertops

This West Lafayette "Purdue fan" decided to turn his dark and dreary unused basement into a sports fan's dream. Highlights of the space include a custom floating walnut butcher block bench, a bar area with back lighting and frosted cabinet doors, a cool gas industrial fireplace with stacked stone, two wine and beverage refrigerators and a beautiful custom-built wood and metal stair case. Riverside Construction transformed this dark empty basement into the perfect place to not only watch Purdue games but to host parties and lots of family gatherings! Dave Mason, isphotographic

Wine rack and display units; Built in storage and Acoustic ceiling Photo by: Jeffrey Edward Tryon
Example of a large trendy look-out carpeted and gray floor basement design in Philadelphia with white walls

Garrett Rowland
Kids' bedroom - bedroom coastal gender-neutral carpeted and multicolored floor kids' bedroom idea in New York with white walls

The upstairs rooms open onto a second floor landing, envisioned as a gathering space – part office, part reading room, part hangout area, providing a communal location for family and visitors to plan the day’s activities. Custom, built-in book shelves house games, vintage first edition classics (also found at the Alameda antique fair), family mementoes and objet d’art.

Photo by Julie Mikos.
Bedroom - eclectic light wood floor bedroom idea in San Francisco

Dog trot house in Greene county © jim rounsevell
Example of a small minimalist exterior home design

Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge, Bob Ganser AIA, Nate Dodge Photographer: Alyssa Lee www.alyssaleephotography.com
Example of a trendy kitchen design in Minneapolis

The basement is developed into a family activity area, with bookcase, games table, pool table, table tennis, foosball and built-in bar. A fully-equipped media room is located in an alcove adjacent to the play area. User-programmable LED lights accent the raised ceiling areas. The basement also incorporates a gym, guest bedroom, a large storage area/workshop and a wine cellar.

Tim Burleson
Mid-sized trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

A custom home in Jackson, Wyoming
Large elegant open concept dark wood floor family room photo with brown walls and no fireplace

Laura
Mid-sized minimalist detached two-car garage workshop photo in Los Angeles

The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call "tweeners"; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area. This was done by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing portion of the patio, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished, limestone-colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into it's surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool with their bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge, Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls (which were overwhelming in the space) and also opened up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive Pecan tree at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited for proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks added, and once again expertly married into the existing decks, opening the area to house a large dining table and a newly built-in BBQ area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property. Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscape as possible. But, the surrounding decks, walls and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. However, upon closer inspection, one can see the subtle-yet-transformative changes that came together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, as well as to improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of this massive hardscape.

THEME The overall theme for this space is a functional, family friendly escape where time spent together or alone is comfortable and exciting. The integration of the work space, clubhouse and family entertainment area creates an environment that brings the whole family together in projects, recreation and relaxation. Each element works harmoniously together blending the creative and functional into the perfect family escape. FOCUS The two-story clubhouse is the focal point of the large space and physically separates but blends the two distinct rooms. The clubhouse has an upper level loft overlooking the main room and a lower enclosed space with windows looking out into the playroom and work room. There was a financial focus for this creative space and the use of many Ikea products helped to keep the fabrication and build costs within budget. STORAGE Storage is abundant for this family on the walls, in the cabinets and even in the floor. The massive built in cabinets are home to the television and gaming consoles and the custom designed peg walls create additional shelving that can be continually transformed to accommodate new or shifting passions. The raised floor is the base for the clubhouse and fort but when pulled up, the flush mounted floor pieces reveal large open storage perfect for toys to be brushed into hiding. GROWTH The entire space is designed to be fun and you never outgrow fun. The clubhouse and loft will be a focus for these boys for years and the media area will draw the family to this space whether they are watching their favorite animated movie or newest adventure series. The adjoining workroom provides the perfect arts and crafts area with moving storage table and will be well suited for homework and science fair projects. SAFETY The desire to climb, jump, run, and swing is encouraged in this great space and the attention to detail ensures that they will be safe. From the strong cargo netting enclosing the upper level of the clubhouse to the added care taken with the lumber to ensure a soft clean feel without splintering and the extra wide borders in the flush mounted floor storage, this space is designed to provide this family with a fun and safe space.