Photo: Corynne Pless © 2013 Houzz
Example of a cottage chic patio design in New York with a fire pit

From Plain to Fabulous A great thing about building a new home is that you are starting fresh. Being a Florida decorator, many of our clients are moving from the Northern or Mid-West states. We advise them to leave their often dark, large pieces of traditional furniture behind and just bring pieces that have value to them whether sentimental or monetary. This dining room was a pleasure because it was a clean slate with large windows letting in the morning sun. The floors are hand-scraped engineered wood in Brazilian walnut which give the entire home a warm feel to counteract the stark white walls. The home owners have a large art collection and specifically chose the white paint so that the paintings can be seen at their best and moved around the home easily. The owners host many dinner parties throughout the year and wanted a table that was virtually indestructible, and that visitors didn’t have to be careful with. This long Mango wood trestle table comfortably seats between eight and ten and has an antique grey, distressed look that is similar to driftwood. We alternated turquoise and light blue dining chairs for some contrast. An outstanding centerpiece for the room is a dazzling grey chandelier with an outstanding display of brilliant graphite crystals. Hundreds of faceted crystals are suspended from ten fluted glass arms. Wall sconces in chrome with grey linen shades were added and all the lighting is on dimmers for a choice of bright or mood lighting depending on the required ambience. To control the harsh Florida sunlight that can leech color out of furnishings within weeks, we installed light grey Silhouette window shades which keep approximately 97% of harmful UV rays out but still let in light even when fully closed. Traversing draperies were installed floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall providing a spectacular color wall of cream, green, purple and turquoise. The hardware is hidden behind the crown moulding for a clean, modern look. The best part of this design story lies in the large-scale artwork. The home owner had been given the painting years ago when she lived in Philadelphia but the colors didn’t suit her Northern palette. The painting was hidden in the attic but during the move was crated and sent to Florida. After not seeing it for sixteen years she had forgotten what it looked like and when she saw the crate about to be off-loaded asked the removal crew to take it away. At the last minute she decided to look in the crate and was surprised and delighted to find the perfect artwork for her dining room! Lastly, hand-torn wallpaper was installed in a custom color in the tray ceiling. As this room is used for dinner parties, games and even casual dining we decided not to install a rug for ease of use and movement around the table. Photographer: Rolando Diaz

Bold colors and graphics ignite the senses for homework by children or adults. Whimsical, harm-free animal accents and silver and gold touches make work seem like fun. Jerry Hayes Photography

Photo Credit: Tamara Flanagan
Example of a large country freestanding desk medium tone wood floor home studio design in Boston with white walls and no fireplace

©2015 Andy Schwartz - Stylish Detroit Photography
Design ideas for a rustic gender-neutral outdoor playset in Detroit.

With adjacent neighbors within a fairly dense section of Paradise Valley, Arizona, C.P. Drewett sought to provide a tranquil retreat for a new-to-the-Valley surgeon and his family who were seeking the modernism they loved though had never lived in. With a goal of consuming all possible site lines and views while maintaining autonomy, a portion of the house — including the entry, office, and master bedroom wing — is subterranean. This subterranean nature of the home provides interior grandeur for guests but offers a welcoming and humble approach, fully satisfying the clients requests. While the lot has an east-west orientation, the home was designed to capture mainly north and south light which is more desirable and soothing. The architecture’s interior loftiness is created with overlapping, undulating planes of plaster, glass, and steel. The woven nature of horizontal planes throughout the living spaces provides an uplifting sense, inviting a symphony of light to enter the space. The more voluminous public spaces are comprised of stone-clad massing elements which convert into a desert pavilion embracing the outdoor spaces. Every room opens to exterior spaces providing a dramatic embrace of home to natural environment. Grand Award winner for Best Interior Design of a Custom Home The material palette began with a rich, tonal, large-format Quartzite stone cladding. The stone’s tones gaveforth the rest of the material palette including a champagne-colored metal fascia, a tonal stucco system, and ceilings clad with hemlock, a tight-grained but softer wood that was tonally perfect with the rest of the materials. The interior case goods and wood-wrapped openings further contribute to the tonal harmony of architecture and materials. Grand Award Winner for Best Indoor Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home This award-winning project was recognized at the 2020 Gold Nugget Awards with two Grand Awards, one for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home, and another for Best Interior Design of a One of a Kind or Custom Home. At the 2020 Design Excellence Awards and Gala presented by ASID AZ North, Ownby Design received five awards for Tonal Harmony. The project was recognized for 1st place – Bathroom; 3rd place – Furniture; 1st place – Kitchen; 1st place – Outdoor Living; and 2nd place – Residence over 6,000 square ft. Congratulations to Claire Ownby, Kalysha Manzo, and the entire Ownby Design team. Tonal Harmony was also featured on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design and received a 14-page editorial feature entitled “A Place in the Sun” within the magazine.

Aimee Mason Photography
Example of a beach style exterior home design in Baltimore

Mick Hales. Designed by Amy Aidinis Hirsch http://amyhirsch.com
Example of a mountain style shed design in New York

Block the sun and harmful UV rays, not the view . Beautiful sheers preserve the open feeling in this ocean front home.
Minimalist dining room photo in Tampa

A new Seattle modern house designed by chadbourne + doss architects houses a couple and their 18 bicycles. 3 floors connect indoors and out and provide panoramic views of Lake Washington. The stair uses reclaimed wood and steel. The stair winds around an interior wall of backlit translucent fiberglass. photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Photo by Gillean Proctor
Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in Vancouver

Our designer has achieved a stylish look by combining dark cabinets and light-colored marbles.

Block the sun and harmful UV rays, not the view . Beautiful sheers preserve the open feeling in this ocean front home.

Studio Nirvana
Example of a large urban concrete floor dining room design

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

Playful use of scale works across this compact space. Can’t place a large piece of furniture in a small space? Heck, why not? The scale of the furniture keeps the space from feeling cluttered. Use of a massive mirror creates depth and reflects light. daubmanphotography@cox.net

Equipped with full extension glides and made of plantation grown solid wood (no rainforests are harmed), this modern and uniquely designed dresser and mirror set in white is sure to enhance the comfort in your bedroom while adding a new feel of modernity and luxury. from modernfurniturebay.com

Example of a mountain style dark wood floor kids' room design in Denver with white walls

Emily Harms
Inspiration for a large modern backyard concrete paver patio remodel in Omaha with a fire pit and a gazebo