Photography: Werner Straube
Small transitional powder room photo in Chicago with gray cabinets, black walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, recessed-panel cabinets and white countertops

Transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in San Francisco with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and a farmhouse sink

Salisbury, CT This 4,000 square foot vacation house in northwest Connecticut sits on a small promontory with views across a lake to hills beyond. While the site was extraordinary, the owner’s existing house had no redeeming value. It was demolished, and its foundations provided the base for this house. The new house rises from a stone base set into the hillside. A guest bedroom, recreation room and wine cellar are located in this half cellar with views toward the lake. Above the house steps back creating a terrace across the entire length of the house with a covered dining porch at one end and steps down to the lawn at the other end. This main portion of the house is sided with wood clapboard and detailed simply to recall the 19th century farmhouses in the area. Large windows and ‘french’ doors open the living room and family room to the terrace and view. A large kitchen is open to the family room and also serves a formal dining room on the entrance side of the house. On the second floor a there is a spacious master suite and three additional bedrooms. A new ‘carriage house’ garage thirty feet from the main house was built and the driveway and topography altered to create a new sense of approach and entry.

Challenge This 2001 riverfront home was purchased by the owners in 2015 and immediately renovated. Progressive Design Build was hired at that time to remodel the interior, with tentative plans to remodel their outdoor living space as a second phase design/build remodel. True to their word, after completing the interior remodel, this young family turned to Progressive Design Build in 2017 to address known zoning regulations and restrictions in their backyard and build an outdoor living space that was fit for entertaining and everyday use. The homeowners wanted a pool and spa, outdoor living room, kitchen, fireplace and covered patio. They also wanted to stay true to their home’s Old Florida style architecture while also adding a Jamaican influence to the ceiling detail, which held sentimental value to the homeowners who honeymooned in Jamaica. Solution To tackle the known zoning regulations and restrictions in the backyard, the homeowners researched and applied for a variance. With the variance in hand, Progressive Design Build sat down with the homeowners to review several design options. These options included: Option 1) Modifications to the original pool design, changing it to be longer and narrower and comply with an existing drainage easement Option 2) Two different layouts of the outdoor living area Option 3) Two different height elevations and options for the fire pit area Option 4) A proposed breezeway connecting the new area with the existing home After reviewing the options, the homeowners chose the design that placed the pool on the backside of the house and the outdoor living area on the west side of the home (Option 1). It was important to build a patio structure that could sustain a hurricane (a Southwest Florida necessity), and provide substantial sun protection. The new covered area was supported by structural columns and designed as an open-air porch (with no screens) to allow for an unimpeded view of the Caloosahatchee River. The open porch design also made the area feel larger, and the roof extension was built with substantial strength to survive severe weather conditions. The pool and spa were connected to the adjoining patio area, designed to flow seamlessly into the next. The pool deck was designed intentionally in a 3-color blend of concrete brick with freeform edge detail to mimic the natural river setting. Bringing the outdoors inside, the pool and fire pit were slightly elevated to create a small separation of space. Result All of the desirable amenities of a screened porch were built into an open porch, including electrical outlets, a ceiling fan/light kit, TV, audio speakers, and a fireplace. The outdoor living area was finished off with additional storage for cushions, ample lighting, an outdoor dining area, a smoker, a grill, a double-side burner, an under cabinet refrigerator, a major ventilation system, and water supply plumbing that delivers hot and cold water to the sinks. Because the porch is under a roof, we had the option to use classy woods that would give the structure a natural look and feel. We chose a dark cypress ceiling with a gloss finish, replicating the same detail that the homeowners experienced in Jamaica. This created a deep visceral and emotional reaction from the homeowners to their new backyard. The family now spends more time outdoors enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Their professional lives allow them to take a trip to paradise right in their backyard—stealing moments that reflect on the past, but are also enjoyed in the present.

Trendy brown two-story wood house exterior photo in Detroit with a hip roof

Stacy Zarin-Goldberg
Open concept kitchen - mid-sized craftsman single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, glass tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and gray countertops

Large minimalist concrete floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Grand Rapids with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Denver Image Photography - Tahvory Bunting
Kitchen - large contemporary u-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.

Ed Butera
Drop-in bathtub - traditional beige tile drop-in bathtub idea in Miami with an undermount sink and dark wood cabinets

Jim Westphalen
Large minimalist formal and open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Burlington with brown walls and no tv

Transitional white floor pivot front door photo in Milwaukee with gray walls and a dark wood front door

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

LEICHT by Elan Kitchens. Fabulous LEICHT kitchen in this luxury apartment in the heart of fashionable King's Road, Chelsea. KITCHEN FURNITURE - Elan Kitchens | LEICHT Classic-FS Arctic and Alpine grey APPLIANCES - Elan Kitchens | Siemens WORKTOP - Elan Kitchens | Silestone Blanco Zeus

Architect: Blaine Bonadies, Bonadies Architect Photography By: Jean Allsopp Photography “Just as described, there is an edgy, irreverent vibe here, but the result has an appropriate stature and seriousness. Love the overscale windows. And the outdoor spaces are so great.” Situated atop an old Civil War battle site, this new residence was conceived for a couple with southern values and a rock-and-roll attitude. The project consists of a house, a pool with a pool house and a renovated music studio. A marriage of modern and traditional design, this project used a combination of California redwood siding, stone and a slate roof with flat-seam lead overhangs. Intimate and well planned, there is no space wasted in this home. The execution of the detail work, such as handmade railings, metal awnings and custom windows jambs, made this project mesmerizing. Cues from the client and how they use their space helped inspire and develop the initial floor plan, making it live at a human scale but with dramatic elements. Their varying taste then inspired the theme of traditional with an edge. The lines and rhythm of the house were simplified, and then complemented with some key details that made the house a juxtaposition of styles. The wood Ultimate Casement windows were all standard sizes. However, there was a desire to make the windows have a “deep pocket” look to create a break in the facade and add a dramatic shadow line. Marvin was able to customize the jambs by extruding them to the exterior. They added a very thin exterior profile, which negated the need for exterior casing. The same detail was in the stone veneers and walls, as well as the horizontal siding walls, with no need for any modification. This resulted in a very sleek look. MARVIN PRODUCTS USED: Marvin Ultimate Casement Window

Photography by Jeff Herr
Trendy l-shaped black floor eat-in kitchen photo in Atlanta with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, purple cabinets, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a bedroom and large contemporary girl carpeted and multicolored floor kids' bedroom remodel in Houston with pink walls

Beach style light wood floor sunroom photo in Minneapolis with no fireplace and a standard ceiling

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Austin