Completed in 2011 this 4 BR, 3 1/2 bath custom home is situated on a very tight urban infill lot in Northern, Virginia. Our clients were relocating to the D.C. area from New England and wanted to retain some of the New England vernacular they were familiar with in their new home. Due to heavy zoning restrictions, stylistic CCR's and a large program of almost 7000 sf, our design response is a modern take on a traditional hipped 4-square. We intentionally kept the skin and form of the building simple in order to contain cost and allow for a higher level of interior finish. The main level employs our favorite Great Room scheme that merges cooking, eating and entertaining into one seamless space that flows onto an expansive deck overlooking the rear yard. The entry elevation welcomes guests with a traditional front porch and stone path that passes by a small rain garden. The basement accommodates a guest room, media room, exercise area, and full shop while the upper level orients 2 kid's bedrooms, a Jack-n-Jill bath and the master suite toward a territorial view of the rear yard. All of this program is housed beneath a hipped roof that minimizes the scale of the house while presenting a thoughtful appearance toward the street and neighbors.

This is a very small space that measures approximately 20x14 feet and gets very little sunlight. The client is from New Orleans where they still maintain a house and wanted something that would remind them of home so we went with a contemporary take on the New Orleans-style courtyard. This space was unused and the landscape died as a result of poor soil conditions, poor drainage and heavy shade long before we took on the project. Our mission was to 1) Invite the homeowner into a space they were familiar and comfortable with, and 2) Involve all of their senses (aesthetics for the eyes, water fountain for the ears, fragrant flowers and herbs for the nose). This picture is the right side of this outdoor living space which features an area that allows the homeowner to read, one of their favorite activities, in a cozy and private environment. We used multiple flowers and colors, along with a variety of ground cover.

Indy Ferrufino EIF Images eifimages@gmail.com
Example of a mid-sized transitional open concept family room design in Phoenix with white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

This Spanish Revival takes its place among the graceful and genteel tradition of Santa Barbara architecture. Located in a secreted area of Montecito, the house is tucked amidst a wooded glen along a riparian creek bed. Carefully sited at the top of a rolling green, the building provides a strong form in the natural landscape. With its reference to historical precedent, the house is both undeniably familiar and tangibly rich. Site sensitivity and pure spatial relationships combine in new ways, showing that what’s old can be new again. An entry courtyard concealed behind a pair of wooden doors of Moorish design begins the entry sequence. The courtyard, wrapped around an existing mature oak tree, creates an outdoor room, which establishes an interplay between interior and exterior spaces, a theme that recurs throughout the house. An exercise in scale and proportion, the 5,000-square-foot residence is imbued with classic detail and richness found in the Spanish Colonial architecture characteristic of George Washington Smith and others. Interior spaces are created through pure and varied geometric volumes, and are elaborated by opened beamed ceilings, groin vaults and Moorish arches.

The 5,600 square foot Willow Creek ranch home blends industrial and organic design elements for a modern but classic design scheme. For an aesthetic that is simultaneously traditional and contemporary, By Design Interiors utilized Banker Wire’s fine woven wire mesh pattern S-12 in two separate areas of the home—the French Country inspired kitchen, and the game room bar—to provide unexpected touch points while creating a cohesive design experience. The modern French Country inspired kitchen was designed from the ground up. As a central point in the open concept home, the theme of organic-meets-industrial originates here. Specified in an antique brass finish, Banker Wire’s S-12—a fine woven wire mesh pattern—was fabricated into the front of the kitchen cabinets. The robust woven wire mesh provides a warm aesthetic touch to the surrounding neutral color palette while also giving a near opaque cover to the storage space. The highly faceted surface of S-12 both absorbs and reflects the colors of its surroundings, adding texture and depth to the striking design. “Banker Wire’s S-12 provides the integral industrial element in the kitchen area, helping to create the high/low aesthetic of the space—accentuating the organic materials, such as the leathered quartzite countertop island and single-sided waterfall edge, and the custom zinc vent range hood,” says Ayca Stiffel, Senior Interior Designer, Design Interiors. “The nearby dining room chandelier, grey-white walls, and natural light add a softness to the space, when contrasted with the industrial look and feel of the mesh.” Departing from the traditional French touchpoints found in the kitchen, By Design Interiors leaned more heavily on industrial accents to realize the custom game room bar. The homeowner’s requested a fun “industrial” space different from any home bar they had seen before. Using Banker Wire’s fine woven wire mesh pattern S-12, multiple sliding screen doors were crafted to create customizable storage space for the bar. The antique brass finish of the mesh reflects the warm light, adding a lighter tone that contrasts the chocolate browns and matte black finishes of the surrounding space. Leather chairs and metal work on the foot bars, bar front and frame compliment the woven wire mesh, creating a cohesive environment that is both unique and welcoming. Edgy, sophisticated, and familiar, the Willow Creek Texas Ranch Home exemplifies the role that unique materiality—such as Banker Wire’s architectural woven wire mesh—can play in a contemporary residential design scheme.

This classic architecturally significant Newton home built in the 1920’s had an outdoor porch over the garage that was nice but rarely enjoyed due to wind, snow, cold, heat, bugs and the road noise was too loud. Sound familiar? By adding the Four Seasons 10’ x 18’ Georgian Conservatory the space is now enlarged and feels like outdoor space that can be enjoyed year round in complete comfort thanks to the Exclusive high performance and sound deadening characteristics of patented Conserva-Glass with Stay Clean Technology. We also added some of window walls system under the adjacent space to enclose new and existing areas. By working collaboratively with the homeowners and their carpenter, who did the site work and finish work, we were able to successfully get the best design, quality and performance all at the lowest price. Stay tuned for future finished photos with furniture and tasteful decorating for a drop dead gorgeous retreat. This Georgian Conservatory is sure be this nice family’s favorite room in the house!

Transitional exterior home idea in Denver

Amy E. Photography
Example of a mid-sized classic dark wood floor and beige floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Phoenix with white walls and no fireplace

Photo Credit: TammiTPhotography
Inspiration for a huge scandinavian brown two-story wood exterior home remodel in Denver

House of Jade Interiors. Modern farmhouse kids' bedroom.
Example of a farmhouse gender-neutral kids' room design in Salt Lake City with multicolored walls

Immagery Intelligence
Example of a large trendy master ceramic tile freestanding bathtub design in Dallas with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls and an undermount sink

James Crowley
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Other with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, black appliances and an island

Phillip Jeffries wallcovering. Custom "frog" table designed specifically for the space with frog hardware. Custom designed and carved silver leaf mirror. Boyd Silk Chandelier with quartz finial. Michael Taylor bench and area rug by Jasper Showroom Los Angeles. Custom glass door by San Soucie Art Glass. Dean Fueroghne Photography

LP SmartSide 8" lap siding pre-finished with Diamond-Kote Maple. Photo Courtesy of Diamond Kote
Example of a large trendy brown two-story exterior home design in Minneapolis

This client grew up in this 1950’s family home and has now become owner in his adult life. Designing and remodeling this childhood home that the client was very bonded and familiar with was a tall order. This modern twist of original mid-century style combined with an eclectic fusion of modern day materials and concepts fills the room with a powerful presence while maintaining its clean lined austerity and elegance. The kitchen was part of a grander complete home re-design and remodel. A modern version of a mid-century His and Hers grand master bathroom was created to include all the amenities and nothing left behind! This bathroom has so much noticeable and hidden “POW” that commands its peaceful spa feeling with a lot of attitude. Maintaining ultra-clean lines yet delivering ample design interest at every detail, This bathroom is eclectically a one of a kind luxury statement. The concept in the laundry room was to create a simple, easy to use and clean space with ample storage and a place removed from the central part of the home to house the necessity of the cats and their litter box needs. There was no need for glamour in the laundry room yet we were able to create a simple highly utilitarian space. If there is one room in the home that requires frequent visitors to thoroughly enjoy with a huge element of surprise, it’s the powder room! This is a room where you know that eventually, every guest will visit. Knowing this, we created a bold statement with layers of intrigue that would leave ample room for fun conversation with your guests upon their prolonged exit. We kept the lights dim here for that intriguing experience of crafted elegance and created ambiance. The walls of peeling metallic rust are the welcoming gesture to a powder room experience of defiance and elegant mystical complexity. It's a lucky house guest indeed who gets to stay in this newly remodeled home. This on-suite bathroom allows them their own space and privacy. Both Bedroom and Bathroom offer plenty of storage for an extended stay. Rift White Oak cabinets and sleek Silestone counters make a lovely combination in the bathroom while the bedroom showcases textured white cabinets with a dark walnut wrap. Photo credit: Fred Donham of PhotographerLink

The cabin typology redux came out of the owner’s desire to have a house that is warm and familiar, but also “feels like you are on vacation.” The basis of the “Hewn House” design starts with a cabin’s simple form and materiality: a gable roof, a wood-clad body, a prominent fireplace that acts as the hearth, and integrated indoor-outdoor spaces. However, rather than a rustic style, the scheme proposes a clean-lined and “hewned” form, sculpted, to best fit on its urban infill lot. The plan and elevation geometries are responsive to the unique site conditions. Existing prominent trees determined the faceted shape of the main house, while providing shade that projecting eaves of a traditional log cabin would otherwise offer. Deferring to the trees also allows the house to more readily tuck into its leafy East Austin neighborhood, and is therefore more quiet and secluded. Natural light and coziness are key inside the home. Both the common zone and the private quarters extend to sheltered outdoor spaces of varying scales: the front porch, the private patios, and the back porch which acts as a transition to the backyard. Similar to the front of the house, a large cedar elm was preserved in the center of the yard. Sliding glass doors open up the interior living zone to the backyard life while clerestory windows bring in additional ambient light and tree canopy views. The wood ceiling adds warmth and connection to the exterior knotted cedar tongue & groove. The iron spot bricks with an earthy, reddish tone around the fireplace cast a new material interest both inside and outside. The gable roof is clad with standing seam to reinforced the clean-lined and faceted form. Furthermore, a dark gray shade of stucco contrasts and complements the warmth of the cedar with its coolness. A freestanding guest house both separates from and connects to the main house through a small, private patio with a tall steel planter bed. Photo by Charles Davis Smith

A small enclosed kitchen is very common in many homes such as the home that we remodeled here. Opening a wall to allow natural light to penetrate the space is a must. When budget is important the solution can be as you see in this project - the wall was opened and removed but a structural post remained and it was incorporated in the design. The blue modern flat paneled cabinets was a perfect choice to contras the very familiar gray scale color scheme but it’s still compliments it since blue is in the correct cold color spectrum. Notice the great black windows and the fantastic awning window facing the pool. The awning window is great to be able to serve the exterior sitting area near the pool. Opening the wall also allowed us to compliment the kitchen with a nice bar/island sitting area without having an actual island in the space. The best part of this kitchen is the large built-in pantry wall with a tall wine fridge and a lovely coffee area that we built in the sitting area made the kitchen expend into the breakfast nook and doubled the area that is now considered to be the kitchen.

Tara Sullivan
Example of a mid-sized classic backyard tile and rectangular lap pool house design in Boston

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped travertine floor eat-in kitchen photo in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula