Montgomery Place Townhouse The unique and exclusive property on Montgomery Place, located between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West, was designed in 1898 by the architecture firm Babb, Cook & Willard. It contains an expansive seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two powder rooms. The firm was simultaneously working on the East 91st Street Andrew Carnegie Mansion during the period, and ensured the 30.5’ wide limestone at Montgomery Place would boast landmark historic details, including six fireplaces, an original Otis elevator, and a grand spiral staircase running across the four floors. After a two and half year renovation, which had modernized the home – adding five skylights, a wood burning fireplace, an outfitted butler’s kitchen and Waterworks fixtures throughout – the landmark mansion was sold in 2014. DHD Architecture and Interior Design were hired by the buyers, a young family who had moved from their Tribeca Loft, to further renovate and create a fresh, modern home, without compromising the structure’s historic features. The interiors were designed with a chic, bold, yet warm aesthetic in mind, mixing vibrant palettes into livable spaces. Photography: Annie Schlechter www.annieschlechter.com © DHD / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Architect of Record: David Burton, photographer: Paul Dyer
Small transitional concrete floor home office photo in San Francisco

Photo: Hado Photo © 2017 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in DC Metro

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

This is an example of a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

This project was designed and installed by Cottage Gardener, LTD. These photos highlight our effort to create seasonal interest throughout the entire year.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary built-in desk medium tone wood floor home office remodel with yellow walls and no fireplace

Photography by Christopher Sturnam
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional black floor eat-in kitchen remodel in New York with medium tone wood cabinets, no island, white countertops, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, multicolored backsplash and black appliances

Transitional master gray floor corner shower photo in Nashville with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door and gray countertops

“Greensboro’s Grandest House” was recently selected as the 2013 ShowHouse presented by the Junior League of Greensboro and national media sponsor Traditional Home. Among the local and national design talent featured in this special fundraising event was design duo Patti Allen and Stephanie James of Furnitureland South, who transformed the estate’s patio into a classic, colorful and cozy space. Built in the early 1920s, the Adamsleigh estate is more than 15,000 square feet and covers 13.5 acres that include pools, a lake, tennis courts, a stone gazebo and a five-car garage. The 30×60 patio presented a special design challenge – the space was in disrepair and sat unevenly on a downward slope. Rising to the challenge, Patti and Stephanie partnered with Outer Space Landscapes to change the elevation of the patio in order to draw attention to the focal point and inspiration of the project: a beautiful canopy sofa by Century Furniture. The addition of 6 tons of landscaping material included Pennsylvania blue stone, pebbles, sand, cherry trees, azaleas and geraniums all blooming in the colors of the latest Sunbrella fabrics featured in the outdoor furnishings: crisp, sandy white, fuchsia and tangerine. Patti and Stephanie wanted to showcase clean and classic outdoor style with an edge of color and unexpected elements. Playful ottomans by Baker float in the space for multiple functions, adding an extra pop of color to the sophisticated setting which includes a dining table by Oscar de la Renta, organic spot tables from Phillips Collection, and daybeds and seating from Century Furniture. Combining their passion for interior spaces with signature designs, Allen and James Designs gave this outdoor space the comfort, color and style it deserved. Patti and Stephanie, co-founders of Allen and James Designs, are committed to inspire and influence unique spaces for home, work, play and relaxation. With over 25 years of experience and a dedication to client relationships, their infusion of international inspiration with style, color, texture and vision make Patti and Stephanie a creative duo capable of exceeding the expectations of any client’s design project. By forming over 400 connections with key manufactures such as Henredon, Century, Lillian August, Dovetail, Maitland Smith and Huntington House, Allen and James Designs can provide a broad range of options that virtually meet any need a client has to create their dream home.

Saturday, August 8, 11:00am to 12:30pm | Englewood | Pondbank House by Herb Schaal, FASLA, with architect Don Ruggles of Ruggles Mabe Terrell Architecture, landscape contractor Philip Steinhauer of Designscapes, and general contractor Jeff Barnett of J.K. Barnett, Ltd. In keeping with the grand Palladian architectural style of the Pondbank House, the landscape architect has created an impressive series of complementary Mediterranean garden spaces using local stone for terracing and High Plains adapted plants. In addition to a kitchen and cutting garden and diverse planting schemes featuring over 250 species, there are many delightful pieces of garden art and creative garden details. Decorative fountain walls distribute roof and storm drainage to terraced plantings. An infinity lawn edge creates a “ha-ha” effect from the pool terrace to the borrowed landscape in the distance. A lovely moon gate leads to a secluded Japanese-style spa garden, an “aromabo” for contemplative relaxation and outdoor aromatherapy. And a shallow water basin in the strolling garden is positioned to reflect the rising moon. Photo by Emily Minton Redfield

Nestled in historic NoHo, graphite matte lacquer Lignum et Lapis doors give structural elegance to a kitchen framed by stunning charcoal and ivory marble. With the vertical staving distinctive to the #Arclinea line, the added touch of sophistication is subtle but breathtaking, in a home showcasing natural elements of wood and stone to excellent effect. Designer: Sally Rigg - http://www.riggnyc.com

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2015 Houzz
Example of a classic dining room design in Los Angeles

Patrick Reynolds
Inspiration for a contemporary blue two-story wood gable roof remodel in Auckland

Arts and crafts home office photo in Salt Lake City

With the look and feel of real wood, AZEK Rail Premier offers unmatched beauty and durability. Paired here with a Lighted Island Cap, AZEK Rail Premier offers the timeless appeal of a classic Victorian profile. AZEK Rail Premier complements any exterior and works well with AZEK Deck - with completely hidden fastening for a sleek appearance. With a 20 year warranty, AZEK Rail Premier will not rot, peel, or blister and never requires painting or staining. eel, or blister and never requires painting or staining. AZEK Rail Premier is available in five colors and can be customized with five unique in-fill options: composite balusters, round aluminum balusters, square aluminum balusters, cable rail and glass panels.

Tamara Alvarez
Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical partial sun front yard brick landscaping in Miami.

Photo: Caroline Sharpnack © 2017 Houzz
Example of a 1950s living room design in Nashville

Mid-sized trendy open concept ceramic tile and gray floor family room library photo in Boise with white walls, a two-sided fireplace, a metal fireplace and no tv