This contemporary staircase serves as a striking focal point in the home's sun-filled entryway. Black mono-beam stringers support thick natural-stained oak treads, creating a bold structural framework. The absence of risers maintains complete openness, allowing natural light from the surrounding private forest to flow freely through the space. Glass panel railings echo the foyer's numerous windows, maintaining visual continuity throughout, while the black metal cap rail reinforces the industrial aesthetic of the stringers. Together, these elements create an anchoring stair system that enhances the contemporary home's connection to light and landscape. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Creating this open airy master retreat involved removing a space consuming corner W.C. and an awkwardly deep linen closet. Using tall glass panels to separate the shower and toilet gives privacy while maintaining the newly acquired spaciousness. The glass panels transition from frosted around the toilet to clear around the roomy barrier free shower. By reducing the original closet opening, we gained necessary wall space for a modern freestanding tub. Tall cabinets provide plenty of storage space for linens and toiletries. A pair of pull-out cabinets – one on each side of the sink – conceal convenient grooming stations. An extra wide sink can easily accommodate two and still leaves plenty of counterspace on either side. The large mirror is mounted to a shallow framework concealing recessed lighting and softly illuminating the wall behind. The faucets and hand-held shower feature a knurled detail lending a bit of biker industrial to the modern surroundings. Access to the walk-in-closet is through a clean open doorway, while a wide modern style barn door slides open on the master bedroom side. Photo credit: Fred Donham of Photographerlink

With natural wood and bold black metal elements, this staircase creates a stunning modern architectural statement. The treads seem to float upward, balanced upon the Seattle stringer from the Prestige Metal Line. Black horizontal metal rods form a sleek balustrade system that echoes the stringer's industrial aesthetic. An oak horizontal handrail adds warmth and provides a comfortable grip, creating balance between the strong metal framework and natural wood elements. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Within the framework of the old house, there existed an elegance, a comprehension of a life less than ordinary; it is not to be found in the contemporary vernacular. Here, the new designs were placed, against the backdrop of the old, that they might each serve in contrast to the other, and in so doing, be enlivened.

The existing pool created the framework for this contemporary landscape in Lawrence Park. Credit Valley flagstone and walling stone are a staple for Toronto landscaping. The matching red brick ties the cabana structure into the house giving this landscape a seamless approach in its execution.

This contemporary staircase serves as a striking focal point in the home's sun-filled entryway. Black mono-beam stringers support thick natural-stained oak treads, creating a bold structural framework. The absence of risers maintains complete openness, allowing natural light from the surrounding private forest to flow freely through the space. Glass panel railings echo the foyer's numerous windows, maintaining visual continuity throughout, while the black metal cap rail reinforces the industrial aesthetic of the stringers. Together, these elements create an anchoring stair system that enhances the contemporary home's connection to light and landscape. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Custom wood bathroom Cathedral ceilings and seamless cabinetry complement this kitchen’s river view The low ceilings in this ’70s contemporary were a nagging issue for the 6-foot-8 homeowner. Plus, drab interiors failed to do justice to the home’s Connecticut River view. By raising ceilings and removing non-load-bearing partitions, architect Christopher Arelt was able to create a cathedral-within-a-cathedral structure in the kitchen, dining and living area. Decorative mahogany rafters open the space’s height, introduce a warmer palette and create a welcoming framework for light. The homeowner, a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, wanted to emulate the famed architect’s use of reddish-brown concrete floors, and the result further warmed the interior. “Concrete has a connotation of cold and industrial but can be just the opposite,” explains Arelt. Clunky European hardware was replaced by hidden pivot hinges, and outside cabinet corners were mitered so there is no evidence of a drawer or door from any angle.

Advice on interior design is available everywhere—from TV shows and websites to books, magazines and apps. We love seeing people become engaged in design and educated on the wide range of possibilities. But we hope you’ll proceed with caution. It’s not that style errors are a matter of life and death. It’s just that it’s easy to choose designs that aren’t necessarily reflective of your own personality and character. And since you’re typically stuck with your interior design decisions for years, styles that don’t quite fit can tend to grate on you. Interiors that give one person comfort may unleash chaos in someone else. This goes beyond favorite colors or hot trends, right to the heart of interior design, where you find questions of composition, balance, repetition, space and more. The goal is to find that unique combination of design elements that gives you comfort, support and balance. In one home, that perfect balance was struck through the use of symmetry. A pair of comfortable swivel chairs sit beneath matching indigo patterned paintings. Matching bookcases below the paintings contain similar, but not identical, arrangements of books, vases and bowls. Woods and bronzes help warm up the simple white bookcase shelving. Two matching poufs in front of the fireplace provide additional seating. The sofa is accented with a pair of pillows with a blue pattern that echoes the artwork. The effect of the symmetry is to achieve order and simplicity, which I promote at every opportunity. After all, your home interiors should be the setting or the backdrop of your life—not center stage. Antique bronze and blue are complementary colors. Together, they offer a rich palette of richness and depth, which brings out the beauty of wood and stone. In the home office, a unique, whitewash-stained wooden desk rests on metal, Sawhorse-inspired legs for a warm, rustic look. The black leather chair features a contemporary silhouette with an antique brass frame. An adjustable desk lamp has bronze accents. The bookcase combines a sleek, black metal frame with concrete shelves, for another unusual pairing. It’s kept uncluttered for an orderly, peaceful look. Items on the shelves include a bronze-accented lamp and a pair of high gloss-finished wooden bookends. The elegant artwork behind the desk is a simple midnight-blue and bronze with mottled white. Deep blues are again picked up in the rug, which adds a stately vibe with a modern pattern and satisfying texture. Within the framework of symmetry, the living room repeats the blue-and-bronze color scheme. A large midcentury brass clock above the fireplace keeps the natural stone visible, rather than hidden behind a painting or television, while its straight lines and color create a beautiful contrast. The sofa is a soft, neutral blue. The pattern on the round brass side table features echoes the darker blue-patterned rug, as well as the rug in the office, tying the rooms together. Indigo blue books adjacent to bronze vases on the shelves repeat the color scheme. The soapstone-topped coffee table echoes the shape of the fireplace. A pair of tall, matching floor lamps with long wooden bases, brass pulls and simple linen shades combine both the colors and symmetry found throughout the home.

When framing photos, do small pictures in large frames. Do all the same framework, example: face shots. Frames from IKEA, mats cut at a local frame shop Frames $6.99 Mats $6.50

Completed in 2021, Ramble Retreat is a stone-clad home designed by PLATT Architects in Asheville’s coveted Ramble community. The interior impresses with soaring timber framework, hand-beveled and scraped flooring, and walls and ceilings fully paneled in poplar and oak—an ode to luxury craftsmanship. A rustic back porch serves as a stunning outdoor retreat, featuring natural stone flooring and a stone fireplace, along with stone pillars and walls that create a sense of enduring elegance. Seamless screens allow for an unobstructed connection to nature, making this cottage a luxurious mountain escape just minutes from Asheville’s urban life.

Custom mantel built to customer specifications and size from a photo by SpartaCraft
Elegant living room photo in Charlotte

With natural wood and bold black metal elements, this staircase creates a stunning modern architectural statement. The treads seem to float upward, balanced upon the Seattle stringer from the Prestige Metal Line. Black horizontal metal rods form a sleek balustrade system that echoes the stringer's industrial aesthetic. An oak horizontal handrail adds warmth and provides a comfortable grip, creating balance between the strong metal framework and natural wood elements. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

This contemporary staircase serves as a striking focal point in the home's sun-filled entryway. Black mono-beam stringers support thick natural-stained oak treads, creating a bold structural framework. The absence of risers maintains complete openness, allowing natural light from the surrounding private forest to flow freely through the space. Glass panel railings echo the foyer's numerous windows, maintaining visual continuity throughout, while the black metal cap rail reinforces the industrial aesthetic of the stringers. Together, these elements create an anchoring stair system that enhances the contemporary home's connection to light and landscape. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

This kitchen pairs modern architecture with warmth introduced through furnishings and styling. Streamlined cabinetry and a long horizontal window establish a clean, structured framework, while the mitered stone island becomes a central gathering point. Sculptural wood stools and layered textures soften the tailored lines, adding comfort and visual depth. The furnishing plan was designed to enhance flow, encourage connection, and bring a lived-in balance to a highly architectural space.

Saturday, September 26, 1:00 to 2:30pm | Highland Park Garden by Lake Michigan by Maria Smithburg of Artemisia This property by Lake Michigan provided a magnificent framework for the new space by using the reflective quality of the water as a metaphor for the creation of the garden: a moving landscape of passing clouds by the lake. The owners were empty nesters and had no need to keep the swimming pool alive. The landscape architect’s idea was to replace this pool with a collection of water features to include a series of sculptures. The soft rhythm of the undulating pools captures the sky in the water and echoes the colors of the lake. This is emphasized by the combination of perennials and ornamental grasses that follow the movement of the lines. The water cascades down into different levels until it reaches the lower pools in the garden. Intimate seating areas were nestled among the pools, providing the perfect spot to enjoy the lake views and the sunset. Photo by Maria Smithburg

Reprioritizing & reconfiguring spaces to update master bath and create guest accommodations. Project Details: These homeowners loved the light, the views, and the compactness of their condo unit. The dining space could accommodate the whole family, they had private areas for quiet reading time, and they loved the location, the building and the community. They definitely did not want to leave. However, the wasted space in the guest bath, the dark, depressing, heavy-feeling in the master bath and the lack of closet space for guests were all problems for them. They wanted a brighter, more inviting bathroom with more functionality and storage, better accommodations for guests, and the tv room to become a comfortable place to relax and actually enjoy the incredible view they had. The unit was designed specifically for the needs of the previous owner, but they needed their home to fit their own needs and lifestyle. Our team helped this couple create the bright master bath they wanted, complete with additional functionality and storage options. The guest bath and sitting room were also both reconfigured. The guest bath was reworked to become smaller - but more functional, and the sitting room was expanded to become a fully-functioning guest room. The reprioritization and reworking of spaces in this unit is a great example of working within an existing framework to create rooms that better fit the needs and wants of a homeowner. The new spaces are a much better fit for the lifestyle and aesthetic of this couple, while mimicking the warmth and welcoming feel of the existing spaces they already enjoyed. They are now able to fully take advantage of the views in all living areas of the unit and can easily accommodate guests in comfort whenever they desire.

This project transformed an existing outdoor space into a functional, all-season retreat with the addition of a custom waterproof pergola system. Built using white UCS panels with an integrated gutter, the structure provides reliable weather protection while maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic. The pergola was constructed on the home’s existing 6x6 pressure-treated posts, originally part of a trellis system, allowing for an efficient build while preserving the existing framework. Structural flexibility was built into the design, including provisions for an additional support post and potential height adjustments to ensure long-term performance and adaptability. To enhance comfort and usability, integrated lighting and a patio heater were added, extending the functionality of the space into the evening and cooler months. The end result is a refined outdoor living area that combines durability, protection from the elements, and year-round comfort—all while seamlessly blending with the home’s existing structure.

A full update of an existing home with new furnishings and finishes throughout the main floor. Located in the heart of Forrest Hill, this project was a real pleasure to work on. With stunning great rooms, and 20 foot ceilings, we had an outstanding framework to build upon. A new custom made fireplace was created to be the focal point of the living room. New paint and fixtures were carefully selected to enhance the ambiance of the dining room. Updates to the main entrance area, and the creation of a new bedroom and bathroom were excellent additions to this stunning home.

Sunken seating areas are becoming common design elements that peak many client’s wish lists. A sunken seating area can be one of many features yet often is a great location for a fire pit. They provide a vantage point that is not customary yet quite desirable. As when you are nestled into the framework of a surrounding outdoor living environment one can’t help to feel secure and cozy. When placed pool side the views across the water elevation evokes a sense of calm. It seems quite simple, as the once under-appreciated idea of lowering ones vantage point is now quite popular.