Inspiration for a victorian family room remodel in Boston with black walls

Allowing the owners to supervise all the fun, the much-loved and frequently used pool is visible from the primary function spaces of the kitchen.
Large elegant medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, wood backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Vertical shelf dividers for storing small items, such as sweaters and button-ups. This cabinet features finished interiors with glass framed doors. All cabinets are Wood-Mode 84 featuring the Barcelona Raised door style on Cherry with an Esquire finish. Wood-Mode Promotional Pictures, all rights reserved

Jeff Herr
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern galley medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

The homeowners of this beachfront home in Jamestown, RI, enjoy a stunning view of Mackerel Cove. In order to better entertain their friends and family and make the most of their seaside views, they decided to add a new porch to the existing building. The homeowners needed a screen solution for their new porch that would provide insect protection, and preserve the clear view of the water without taking away from the elegance of the home. In order to maintain the architectural integrity, the homeowners insisted the screens must retract completely out of sight when not in use. Phantom’s Executive motorized retractable screens were installed in recessed housings and are completely invisible when not in use. Due to frequent strong ocean breezes, the screens are also connected to a wind sensor. The sensor protects the screens from damage by automatically raising them when the wind reaches 40 MPH. When winter arrives, the screens are safely stored in their recessed housings until they are needed the following spring.

Custom cabinetry by Warmington & North Architect: Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Photography: Haris Kenjar
Inspiration for a timeless u-shaped kitchen pantry remodel in Seattle with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops and white backsplash

Mike Kaskel
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized craftsman l-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash and white appliances

This beautiful 1881 Alameda Victorian cottage, wonderfully embodying the Transitional Gothic-Eastlake era, had most of its original features intact. Our clients, one of whom is a painter, wanted to preserve the beauty of the historic home while modernizing its flow and function. From several small rooms, we created a bright, open artist’s studio. We dug out the basement for a large workshop, extending a new run of stair in keeping with the existing original staircase. While keeping the bones of the house intact, we combined small spaces into large rooms, closed off doorways that were in awkward places, removed unused chimneys, changed the circulation through the house for ease and good sightlines, and made new high doorways that work gracefully with the eleven foot high ceilings. We removed inconsistent picture railings to give wall space for the clients’ art collection and to enhance the height of the rooms. From a poorly laid out kitchen and adjunct utility rooms, we made a large kitchen and family room with nine-foot-high glass doors to a new large deck. A tall wood screen at one end of the deck, fire pit, and seating give the sense of an outdoor room, overlooking the owners’ intensively planted garden. A previous mismatched addition at the side of the house was removed and a cozy outdoor living space made where morning light is received. The original house was segmented into small spaces; the new open design lends itself to the clients’ lifestyle of entertaining groups of people, working from home, and enjoying indoor-outdoor living. Photography by Kurt Manley. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/artists-victorian/

The wood deck cantilevers over a limestone bluff and overlooks Ranger Creek below and a private nature preserve beyond. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara
Inspiration for a modern deck remodel in Austin

design by Pulp Design Studios | http://pulpdesignstudios.com/
 photo by Kevin Dotolo | http://kevindotolo.com/

Mid-sized transitional white two-story brick exterior home photo in Atlanta with a shingle roof

Organized Living freedomRail is a practical and economically solution for any linen closet. Use freedomRail ventilated shelves to make items easy to see and incorporate freedomRail O-Boxes with chrome baskets to keep linens and supplies separate.

The existing kitchen was in a word, "stuck" between the family room, mudroom and the rest of the house. The client has renovated most of the home but did not know what to do with the kitchen. The space was cut off from the family room, had underwhelming storage capabilities, and could not accommodate family gatherings at the table. Access to recently redesigned backyard was down a step and through the mud room. We began by relocating the entrance to the yard into the kitchen with a French door. The remaining space was converted into a walk in pantry accessible from the kitchen. Next we opened a window to the family room so the children were visible from the kitchen side. The old peninsula plan was replaced with a beautiful blue painted island with seating for 4. The outdated appliances received a major upgrade with Sub Zero Wolf cooking and food preservation products. The visual beauty of the vaulted ceiling is enhanced by long pendants and oversized crown molding. A hard working wood tile floor grounds the blue and white colorway. The colors are repeated in a lovely blue and white screened marble tile. White subway tiles frame the feature. The biggest and possibly the most appreciated change to the space was when we opened the wall into the dining room to connect the disjointed rooms. Now the family has experienced a new appreciation for their home. Rooms which were previously storage areas and now integrated in to the family lifestyle. The open space is so conducive to entertaining visitors frequently just "drop in" In the dining area, we designed custom cabinets complete with a window seat the perfect spot for additional diners or a perch for the family cat. The tall cabinets store all of the china and crystal once stored in a back closet. Now it is always ready to be used. The last found space is now home to a refreshment center. Cocktails and coffee are easily stored and served convenient to the kitchen but out of the main cooking area.

The existing kitchen was in a word, "stuck" between the family room, mudroom and the rest of the house. The client has renovated most of the home but did not know what to do with the kitchen. The space was visually cut off from the family room, had underwhelming storage capabilities, and could not accommodate family gatherings at the table. Access to the recently redesigned backyard was down a step and through the mud room. We began by relocating the access to the yard into the kitchen with a French door. The remaining space was converted into a walk-in pantry accessible from the kitchen. Next, we opened a window to the family room, so the children were visible from the kitchen side. The old peninsula plan was replaced with a beautiful blue painted island with seating for 4. The outdated appliances received a major upgrade with Sub Zero Wolf cooking and food preservation products. The visual beauty of the vaulted ceiling is enhanced by long pendants and oversized crown molding. A hard-working wood tile floor grounds the blue and white colorway. The colors are repeated in a lovely blue and white screened marble tile. White porcelain subway tiles frame the feature. The biggest and possibly the most appreciated change to the space was when we opened the wall from the kitchen into the dining room to connect the disjointed spaces. Now the family has experienced a new appreciation for their home. Rooms which were previously storage areas and now integrated into the family lifestyle. The open space is so conducive to entertaining visitors frequently just "drop in”. In the dining area, we designed custom cabinets complete with a window seat, the perfect spot for additional diners or a perch for the family cat. The tall cabinets store all the china and crystal once stored in a back closet. Now it is always ready to be used. The last repurposed space is now home to a refreshment center. Cocktails and coffee are easily stored and served convenient to the kitchen but out of the main cooking area. How do they feel about their new space? It has changed the way they live and use their home. The remodel has created a new environment to live, work and play at home. They could not be happier.

A Memorial area family commissioned us to create a natural swimming pool in their back yard. The family already had a standard pool on premises, but it was isolated in an area of the yard not particularly suited to seating guests or hosting get-togethers. What they wanted was a second, natural swimming pool built that would serve as the hub of a new home outdoor entertainment area consisting of a new stone patio, comfortable outdoor seating, and a fire pit. They wanted to create something unique that would preserve as much of the natural features of the landscape as possible, but that would also be completely safe and fully functional as a swimming pool. We decided to design this new landscaping plan around a pre-existent waterfall that was already on the property. This feature was too attractive to ignore, and provided the ideal anchor point for a new gathering area. The fountain had been designed to mimic a natural waterfall, with stones laid on top of one another in such a way as to look like a mountain cliff where water spontaneously springs from the top and cascades down the rocks. At first glance, many would miss the opportunity that such a structure provides; assuming that a fountain designed like a cliff would have to be completely replaced to install a natural swimming pool. Our landscaping designers, however, came up with a landscape plan to transform one archetypal form into the other by simply adding to what was already there. At the base of the rocks we dug a basin. This basin was oblong in shape and varied in degrees of depth ranging from a few inches on the end to five feet in the middle. We directed the flow of the water toward one end of the basin, so that it flowed into the depression and created a swimming pool at the base of the rocks. This was easy to accomplish because the fountain lay parallel to the top of a natural ravine located toward the back of the property, so water flow was maintained by gravity. This had the secondary effect of creating a new natural aesthetic. The addition of the basin transformed the fountain’s appearance to look more like a cliff you would see in a river, where the elevation suddenly drops, and water rushes over a series of rocks into a deeper pool below. Children and guests swimming in this new structure could actually imagine themselves in a Rocky Mountain River. We then heated the swimming pool so it could be enjoyed in the winter as well as the summer, and we also lit the pool using two types of luminaries for complimentary effects. For vegetation, we used mercury vapor down lights to backlight surrounding trees and to bring out the green color of foliage in and around the top of the rocks. For the brown color of the rocks themselves, and to create a sparkling luminance rising up and out of the water, we installed incandescent, underwater up lights. The lights were GFIC protected to make the natural swimming pool shock proof and safe for human use.

Two Car Garage with Storage loft above.
Barn - large cottage detached barn idea in New York

The homeowners of this beachfront home in Jamestown, RI, enjoy a stunning view of Mackerel Cove. In order to better entertain their friends and family and make the most of their seaside views, they decided to add a new porch to the existing building. The homeowners needed a screen solution for their new porch that would provide insect protection, and preserve the clear view of the water without taking away from the elegance of the home. In order to maintain the architectural integrity, the homeowners insisted the screens must retract completely out of sight when not in use. Phantom’s Executive motorized retractable screens were installed in recessed housings and are completely invisible when not in use. Due to frequent strong ocean breezes, the screens are also connected to a wind sensor. The sensor protects the screens from damage by automatically raising them when the wind reaches 40 MPH. When winter arrives, the screens are safely stored in their recessed housings until they are needed the following spring.

Reminisce about your favorite beachfront destination and your mind’s eye evokes a serene, comfortable cottage with windows thrown open to catch the air and the relaxing sound of waves nearby. In the shade of the porch, a hammock sways invitingly in the breeze. The color palette is simple and clean, with hues of white, like sunlight reflecting off sand, and blue-grays, the color of sky and water. Wood surfaces have soft painted finishes or a scrubbed-clean, natural wood look. “Cottage” styling is carefree living, where every element conspires to create a casual environment for comfort and relaxation. This cottage kitchen features Classic White paint with a Personal Paint Match kitchen island cabinets. These selected soft hues bring in the clean and simplicity of Cottage Style. As for hardware, bin pulls are a popular choice and make working in the kitchen much easier. Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure Find a Dura Supreme Showroom near you today: http://www.durasupreme.com/dealer-locator

Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc. http://www.kalinoskylandscapinginc.com/ Project Entry: The Mountaintop Pool Project 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $60,000 & Over Award Level: Bronze Project Description: On their mountain top farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the clients desired a pool area that felt disjoint from their home, its own space. It had to feel calm. We feel we absolutely accomplished this as guests to the site frequently use the words ‘zen-like' to describe the experience. Your journey begins through a groomed forest on a meandering mulch path 400' in length. This acts as a compression to exaggerate the release you experience when encountering the pool floating in a field at the edge of the forest. There is no formal paving, just five flagstone slabs (4'x12') floating with simple chaises on them. There is a strong orthogonal grain to the architectural elements on the site with the pool, pool house, and stone walls all being parallel to each other. This countered by the soft, organic plantings and ribbons of field grass and mowed lawns all positioned on a playful diagonal bias. The plantings for the most part are native to the mid-atlantic region with some hybrids to softly add summer color and texture. We designed a functional pool house, both cairn and rustic in nature. There are hinged storm shutters for all the screened openings to protect the interior from the strong storms often experienced on this mountain. We chose 1/2" mild steel plates as the material to construct the fireplace with. The steel was allowed to oxidize to a beautiful rust-orange patina. The fireplace is modern and dynamic in form, a wonderful juxtaposition to the stone walls and soft field grass. We designed the fence to be a non-fence. The posts are arranged in a whimsical, playful pattern, not straight like a fence should be. With this playful post arrangement and its transparent wire mesh, the fence becomes innocuous, receding into the background. Where the fence interfaces with the walls it never does so at the ends. The walls always pass beyond the fence creating a dynamic, not static position. We designed and built aluminum and concrete vaults to accommodate the auto cover on the pool, which retracts underground to leave the surface of the pool uncluttered. Complete irrigation and lighting systems were also installed. The pool site is located 425' from the residence. We trenched and installed the utilities the entire length through the forest by hand. The hand trenching ensured minimal insult to the forest tree root systems. The mature pines in the field near the pool were protected by fencing during construction. And where root systems had to be traversed , we protected them from compaction with plywood, mulch, and geotextile roads. We also installed a dedicated septic system for the pool house. It should be noted the clients don't worship the sun. In response we planted large caliber shade trees on the south and west sides of the pool to provide shade by extending the forest to the waters' edge. Care was taken not to create a vignette in the field, but a landscape that has no visual boundaries. Through the use of native plants, natural architectural materials and the preservation of existing forest and field conditions, we have produced a calm, natural recreational environment. Photo Credit: Kalinosky Landscaping, Inc.