Inspiration for a coastal family room remodel in Orange County

Dramatic framework forms a matrix focal point over this North Scottsdale home's back patio and negative edge pool, underlining the architect's trademark use of symmetry to draw the eye through the house and out to the stunning views of the Valley beyond. This almost 9000 SF hillside hideaway is an effortless blend of Old World charm with contemporary style and amenities. Organic colors and rustic finishes connect the space with its desert surroundings. Large glass walls topped with clerestory windows that retract into the walls open the main living space to the outdoors.

This original "gaslight" style is one of our oldest designs. Decorative accents are cast by hand directly onto the iron framework. Turned spindles are solid brass castings. Available in black iron with silver highlights and antique brass accents and as a bed or headboard alone.

Bernard Andre
Example of a minimalist exterior home design in San Francisco

Ryan Wells - OK Real Estate Photography
Elegant nursery photo in Oklahoma City

This mid-century modern kitchen was developed with the original architectural elements of its mid-century shell at the heart of its design. Throughout the space, the kitchen’s repetition of alternating dark walnut and light wood uses in the cabinetry and framework reflect the contrast of the dark wooden beams running along the white ceiling. The playful use of two tones intentionally develops unified work zones using all modern day elements and conveniences. For instance, the 5’ galley workstation stands apart with grain-matched walnut cabinetry and stone wrap detail for a furniture-like feeling. The mid-century architecture continued to be an emphasis through design details such as a flush venting system within a drywall structure that conscientiously disappears into the ceiling affording the existing post-and-beams structures and clerestory windows to stand in the forefront. Along with celebrating the characteristic of the mid-century home the clients wanted to bring the outdoors in. We chose to emphasis the view even more by incorporating a large window centered over the galley kitchen sink. The final result produced a translucent wall that provokes a dialog between the outdoor elements and the natural color tones and materials used throughout the kitchen. While the natural light and views are visible because of the spacious windows, the contemporary kitchens clean geometric lines emphasize the newly introduced natural materials and further integrate the outdoors within the space. The clients desired to have a designated area for hot drinks such as coffee and tea. To create a station that could house all the small appliances & accessories and was easily accessible we incorporated two aluminum tambours together with integrated power lift doors. One tambour acting as the hot drink station and the other acting as an appliance garage. Overall, this minimalistic kitchen is nothing short of functionality and mid-century character. Photo Credit: Fred Donham of PhotographerLink

This backwoods lodge is nothing short of a true mountain retreat. Hand Hewn Timbers and Locus Railing set the framework for the wrap-around porch overlooking the lake. Our custom cabinetry team crafted the kitchen cabinets, bar top and bathroom vanities. The inside on this home features a variety of our wall and ceiling materials. The walls are lined with our painted Barn Wood, Hayley Bark and Veneers. The vaulted ceiling is outfitted with our mixed Barn Wood to tie in the color variety and texture across the entire home. Photo by Kevin Meechan

King sized platform bed made from reclaimed heart pine timbers. Steel fabricated headboard framework and accents.
Bedroom - large rustic master light wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea in Raleigh with gray walls and no fireplace

Kim Smith
Example of a minimalist exterior home design in New York

The ajuga, daylilies and ornamental onion provide a low-profile framework around the brick walkway. Low perennial plantings like these are near permanent landscape plantings that will always be in style.

Example of a trendy backyard outdoor kitchen deck design in Minneapolis with decking and a pergola

The Sater Design Collection's luxury, home plan "Ravello" (Plan #6952). saterdesign.com
Bedroom - large mediterranean master carpeted bedroom idea in Miami with beige walls and no fireplace

Window seat in master bedroom. Another of our goals for this project was to create, simultaneously, a juxtaposition of the man-made and the natural, as well as a window--literally or metaphorically--to nature, a space to meditate upon nature. These two aims are quite closely intertwined: The clear, straight, simple geometry of this window is juxtaposed upon the lovely random chaos of the oak tree beyond. These are complimentary contrasts rather than contradictory. Each actually enhances the other. Rather than 'nature' and the 'artificial'/man-made being considered perpetually at odds, we can see how intentional juxtaposition can allow us a framework--in this case literally--to meditate on both. Photographer: Eric Rorer

#houseplan 51761HZ comes to life in Tennessee Specs-at-a-glance 3 beds 2.5 baths 1,900+ sq. ft. #51761HZ #readywhenyouare #houseplan #countryfarmhouse #homesweethome

http://www.usa-gardening.com
Inspiration for a cottage exterior home remodel in Chicago

The path to the back door is shown. The air-conditioning unit is concealed with a short lattice fence. The lace cap hydrangea adds color to the planting bed.

After six years of living in their Huntley IL home, Chris and Meghan were tired of their dark, dingy, outdated kitchen and it was finally time for a long-anticipated change. “The kitchen is the place where we live, it’s where we do everything,” Meghan said. “It was important that it be a space where we wanted to be.” Meghan loves cooking and enjoys including their girls in healthy meal prepping, this led them to want a brighter, more enjoyable kitchen with increased functionality and improved storage. For Chris especially, the laundry room was an entirely dysfunctional eyesore. “We had a washer and a dryer, but it was all kind-of cobbled together!” Chris said. “There were always laundry piles everywhere, we weren’t really sure what we wanted to do in there, but it was time for us to make a change.” The mess of the space was stressful every time they walked in the door from the garage each day. Kids’ backpacks and shoes piled up haphazardly in the makeshift boot-bench closet left the family feeling disorganized and stressed. They needed space for folding clothes and locker cubbies to help keep the family organized. Having known Christine and Todd in the Huntley community for years, Chris and Meghan were familiar with their work. “We already trusted them personally and having seen their projects for years we knew they did top notch work. After we reviewed the initial round of designs, we knew that hiring them was definitely the right choice,” Meghan and Chris said. Although Chris had done a lot of work in their home himself, the kitchen and laundry room renovation was such a large undertaking that he didn’t want to steal time away from his family to spend what would surely be many long weekends doing the job himself. “That would not have been a wise choice for us,” Chris laughed. “Our designer, Michelle was very, very, easy to work with; anything we wanted to see or weren’t sure about, she went above and beyond to make this easy for us. She was easy to get hold of and always quick to respond,” the couple said. Michelle pulled ideas that mirrored the couple’s taste and style and was adept at directing the couple to limited choices that didn’t overwhelm them and kept the process moving. “I have a hard time making decisions. Michelle made the decision-making process so easy. I loved how she listened to what I liked and then presented three great options for me to choose from,” Meghan said. The main objectives for the kitchen were better storage solutions, they wanted the space to reflect their lifestyle and taste, and they wanted it to last for years with low maintenance. One of the first steps in creating a more functional kitchen was relocating the refrigerator, creating an improved workflow for the busy family. “We didn’t know that we could even move the refrigerator to a new location where it is now, that was something that we never would have thought of,” Chris said. “The new refrigerator location makes the kitchen feel so much bigger. We didn’t add any space, but our whole kitchen with the new design just seems like it’s so much larger than before!” Meghan said. The perimeter mist colored cabinets helped warm and brighten the entire room, while the graphite colored cabinets on the island added contrast. Using this fresh, clean color palette satisfied the couple’s desire for a bright space that was the exact opposite of what they had before. Organization accessories were also added to the cabinets such as a spice drawer tray and roll outs to create hidden convenience. “I absolutely love the hidden spices – it makes cooking so much more enjoyable!” Chris said. “And all the pull outs, and the double trash bin, who would think you could get so excited about organization!” the couple said in unison. One thing they hated in their original kitchen was how dark the space felt. Added lighting on the ceiling with the new light fixtures combined with the lighter cabinetry colors throughout solved this problem. “Our new kitchen has this warm, almost cozy feeling that our old kitchen never had, it’s just a space that I love spending my time in now,” Meghan said. The light airy feeling was accentuated with the use of floating white shelves on either side of the decorative range hood. “We have so much cabinetry space, the new design is amazing we actually have more storage space than we will ever need,” Meghan said. The island was extended to create more work surface and added space for stool seating. “The new island changes how we live. Now the kids can be in the kitchen with us, doing homework, eating breakfast, and the three of us have special dinners there when Chris is working late,” Meghan said. The Carrara Marmi Quartz countertops were chosen because they are, not only beautiful, but are made from hard-working material that doesn’t require maintenance. The white subway tile backsplash that wraps to the ceiling behind the focal point cooktop range/hood compliments the crisp white countertops perfectly, while brushed brass hardware and light fixtures keep the design fresh and new. The couple had a few fears at the beginning of the project, as most homeowners do. Their biggest fear was being out of their kitchen and laundry room for an extended time. The crew made it very easy for the family to work in a limited space keeping the washer and dryer hooked up the majority of the time, and also getting appliances working with minimal downtime. “They above and beyond accommodated us to get us through the process,” Meghan said. “They did a great job making sure we were as comfortable as possible throughout the process,” Chris added. “Our project manager DJ did a great job. He was very good at updating us on schedule changes, getting guys in as quickly as possible. Everyone that stepped in the house was nice and did great work,” said Chris. They thought Advance’s carpenter was phenomenal and were impressed when he took a conceptual idea from a photograph and worked with designer Michelle to create a one of a kind range/hood that has become the topic of conversation with friends and family who visit the new kitchen. “He was in our house literally every day for several weeks. He was easy to work with and good at what he did,” Meghan and Chris said. The focal point of the kitchen; a hand-crafted, custom-built ventilation hood was clad with handpicked reclaimed barnwood. Advance Design’s carpenter built the framework and the cladding to create a one-of-a-kind design element that the couple loves. “I think it was especially fun for him to create something unique from scratch, showcasing his talent in this area,” Meghan said. “I love that my kitchen is not like everyone else’s. I got to pick out the wood on my hood and watch it being built and was able to choose what pieces of wood went where on it. It’s totally unique.” Red Oak flooring was toothed-in throughout the kitchen and the rest of the first floor anywhere changes were made. Then the whole floor was refinished to tone down the orange undertones in the existing floor stain, ultimately changing the color complexion of the entire first floor. The result is a completely new feeling to the entire home. Renovating the laundry room was extremely important to Meghan and Chris, but they had trouble visualizing what the possibilities were for the seemingly small space. Michelle produced beautiful 3D illustrations that helped them envision the space in a whole new way. “I must have told Michelle 100 times that I am a visual person, seeing the designs in 3D made it so easy to make decisions and see what we could really do with our space,” Meghan said. A dividing wall and doorway were removed between the existing laundry room and hallway formerly containing a coat closet, providing space to design specialized graphite colored cabinetry matching the kitchen island to house custom storage cubbies for each family member. Adding the tall utility cabinetry in the new laundry area helped solve the storage issue, tucking away cleaning supplies, household items, and even the cat got its own cubby. “I love how everything is now hidden in its own space. I can’t tell you how much I hated coming home and seeing everything sitting around on counters,” Chris said. Electrical outlets were planned for the inside of utility cabinets, so devices could charge in hidden locations. Stacking the washer and dryer allowed for wider countertop space to provide a folding area and a special space for clothes to hang. “The way I do laundry has been completely transformed! I can actually fold clothes and hang them now right out of the washer and dryer,” Meghan said. “The end result in the kitchen and the laundry/mud room was an updated light and bright space, with a smarter work flow that better meets the needs of this family,” Michelle said. “I would totally recommend Advance Design,” Meghan said. “Sometimes I sit and just look at my kitchen and laundry room and think ‘Wow, I can’t believe I get to live here!’ It’s an understatement to say we love our new space.”

A stunning mountain retreat, this custom legacy home was designed by MossCreek to feature antique, reclaimed, and historic materials while also providing the family a lodge and gathering place for years to come. Natural stone, antique timbers, bark siding, rusty metal roofing, twig stair rails, antique hardwood floors, and custom metal work are all design elements that work together to create an elegant, yet rustic mountain luxury home.

The addition of a 2.5' concrete retaining wall along the South and West sides supports the new level backyard framework & divides the space into multi-functional areas, including patios, lawn, and the grow zone, a raised cedar box vegetable garden. The Sports court is behind the cedar privacy screen & shed, set 2.5' down lower, out of sight yet fully functional. NOTE: Use the light pink spring tree in the upper right section as reference to the (same) dark purple tree in the before photos