Gridley + Graves Photographers BeDe Design
Example of a cottage exterior home design in Philadelphia

This glowing, colorful Magic front garden was once a lawn with a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Now full of drought tolerant perennials, spiral stone paths, and no lawn at all!

We were privileged to start with a fabulous octagon shaped area surrounded by windows with spectacular views of the lake. Our intention was to bring the outdoors in while providing function and good use of space. We were able to accomplish this by selecting natural products and coordinating comfort and style. The Lorts antique distressed round dining table and base is finished with a high gloss wax for durability and is surrounded by Lee Natchez Granite fabric placed on Lorts armless side chairs. Six fit comfortably around the 72” solid round table with two positioned in the room for pull up with additional guests. As chairs have become larger to accommodate the increase in the size of Americans, it is important to note that the width of seats creates a tighter fit than in the past. Keep this in mind when selecting for your space. The Fireworks jewel graphite pearl sisal round rug perfectly enhances the space and its pattern coordinates with the upholstered chairs. The Jonathan Charles limed wood and walnut lined drinks cabinet with hammered bronzed openwork base and abstract leaf details to the doors is inspired by European luxury furniture of the 1940’s. The interior has a mirrored inset and is back lit providing ambient lighting to bounce off crystal wine glasses hanging from above. The interior glistens. This piece completes the look of this fabulous room and takes top position as its focal point. The antler chandelier was the client’s favorite and crowns the room perfectly. Since there is adequate wall space for a buffet server, I commissioned a custom island for the kitchen with a walnut finish countertop on wheels that can be rolled in for dinner parties. This piece maximizes limited space in both areas while providing function and style. ©2018 All Rights Reserved, Photography by Mike Gullon

Floating wood and smooth stucco entry wall with stainless mounted address numbers. Decorative gravel in custom modular concrete pads. Contemporary wood bench. Dry stream bed with natural river rock boulders offsets the tight geometry of the entry. Xeriscape drought tolerant landscape plants with succulents, native grasses and shrubs. Plants include Kangaroo Paw, Agave Attenuata, Coleonema 'Sunset', Agave 'Blue Glow', Pennisetum 'Fireworks', Cercidium 'Desert Museum', Salvia Gregii, Escallonia Fradesii, Festuca Glauca, and several varieties of Echeveria. Photos by Dominic Masiello. Plants sourced from budgetplants.com.

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless family room remodel in Baltimore with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace

Alongside Jeff King & Company, Marina Blvd., won CotY 2016 National Winner of Landscape Design/Outdoor Living The project was to transform an existing flat roof and master bedroom suite floor into a dramatic deck with kitchen, dining and living areas leading to a stair to an upper deck for America’s Cup race viewing. The existing home is a 3-story 4,000 square foot Spanish Mission-style home built in the 1920’s and sits directly across from the St. Francis Yacht Club on Marina Boulevard in San Francisco – a prime location. No changes were possible for the historic façade and the new construction was to be out of view from the street, as much as possible. Going up the traditionally detailed stairway with decorative railing, you land at the third floor which becomes contemporary in style for the redesigned master bedroom suite, guest bath, sitting room and the roof deck. Large roof decks require careful attention to waterproofing and a Bison pedestal system was used to create a level deck surface and easy maintenance. Heavy ceramic tile pavers were interspersed with walkable in-floor skylights on the main deck with ipe wood floors at the upper deck and stairs. From both the master bedroom and the outdoor deck you can access a sitting room with large pocket or sliding doors to enclose it. If watching the fireworks on July 4th and it gets cold, people can move to the sitting room which has a fireplace to watch in a heated environment. The sitting room gas fireplace is surrounded by steel with a figured steel panel re-purposed from old sea pier metal that has been cleaned and sealed. A guest bath is adjacent to the master bath for guest use. A square recessed pattern tile was used to tie the old Spanish Mission-style feeling into the new more contemporary walls. In a large home that was short on storage, a large built-in armoire was built into the master bathroom for extra capacity. The project took two and a half years to complete including design and construction, in part due to historic reviews by the State of California.

Views, check! Large lot, check! Pool, check! What else do you need? This beautiful La Habra Heights home has it all. 4 bedrooms, 2 of which are master bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Master retreat was added to the home about 10 years ago and features 2 sitting areas, walk-in closet, large master bath with soaking tub, dual vanities and even an office area. Most every room boasts amazing views of Orange County and the Disneyland fireworks on a nightly basis. Upstairs includes decks that wrap all the way around the house. Downstairs is the perfect space for entertaining. Kitchen is right in the middle of the house with everything flowing seamlessly around it. Large sliding doors flow to your outside oasis. Outdoor features include a private gazebo, fire pit and a pebble tech saltwater pool accented by a flowing rock waterfall. Finished 3 car garage, large basketball sized court area for playing ball or parking extra cars and an RV or overflow parking area as well. Buy this home before someone else does!

Zomnia Vasques
Inspiration for a mid-sized partial sun backyard landscaping in New York.

This contemporary dining area connects to the lower level family room. Color shouts from this space. The chandelier and artwork set this space apart. Roche Bobois acrylic dining chairs in crystal and smoke add dynamic style to this small gathering spot. Phot Credit: Beth Singer

Following the recession, the city saw a surge in people moving into the Southtown district of downtown San Antonio, buying old run-down homes and snatching up vacant lots. One such lot in the Lavaca neighborhood is the site for this brand new two-story traditional house, designed to complement the surrounding neighborhood vernacular through the use of a simple profile and traditional materials. The home maximizes it's northern views of downtown by providing a covered porch with a balcony above for star gazing and viewing downtown fireworks. The light and airy main floor of the house features an open floor plan and a private master suite. A detached garage and studio fill the back of the lot, accessed by a decomposed granite driveway and low-maintenance landscaping.

Walkway of square concrete pads in decorative gravel with modern geometry. Bluestone patio and outdoor seating. Ipe wood deck across from floating accent wall and fire pit. Drough tolerant plantings surround this lush landscape. All plants provided by BudgetPlants.com Dominic Masiello

Almost everything in this dining room follows a neutral palette, from the English firework chairs to the feather crystal chandelier and the photograph in between the sconces. Fresh flowers in the antique porcelain vases add a pop of color. The table also has a washed finish and stained top, which gives it a sleek look. Photo by Michael Hunter.

We removed a front lawn and created a gorgeous, textural garden in its place. A spiral stone path weaves through explosions of color. Photo: The Ardent Gardener Landscape Design

We were able to match the original trim and run it throughout the house. Custom shelves and cabinetry flank the seating area. Architectural design by Board & Vellum. Photo by John G. Wilbanks.

This glowing, colorful Magic front garden was once a lawn with a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Now full of drought tolerant perennials, spiral stone paths, and no lawn at all!

Lush colors and clean lines transform this living room into a modern and cohesive space. It is filled with a variety of textures, and a northwest natural influence.

Family room - mid-sized traditional family room idea in Baltimore with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace and a stone fireplace

Aesthetic Value: The subtle lines and light color of the radiata pine stringer model spiral provide nice contrast with the eccentric iron balustrade. Laser cut Tinkerbells and abstract Mickey Mouse and fireworks elements contribute unique detail. Stair Safety: The balustrade rejects a 4" sphere in all areas despite the complex detail of the components and floating rail above the laser cut elements. Quality: The balustrade features predominantly laser cut sections fabricated with minimal visible welds and custom finished in-house with a three step guilders paste application. Technical Challenge: Creating the complex ironwork design in a way that has aesthetically pleasing sections that fit the theme and space. Attention to meticulous details that convey the theme even at deepest levels of observing the stair.

Inspiration for a mid-century modern home design remodel in New York