Inspiration for a large coastal family room remodel in New York

Gorgeous farmhouse style exterior with front cedar porch. Photo by Spacecrafting
Cottage white two-story exterior home idea in Minneapolis with a shingle roof

Home Theater Seating -- Front Facing
Home theater - large traditional enclosed carpeted home theater idea in Other with beige walls and a projector screen

Revitalizing a 1950’s Ranch The owners of this property purchased the dilapidated 1950’s ranch with the intention of demolishing it and building a modern residence in its place. A yearlong demolition delay caused the owners to rethink their plan, and instead, looked to Slocum Hall to design an addition and reconfigure the existing home to meet their programmatic needs. The prominent two-car front-facing garage was converted into Living Space with 12’ ceilings. An addition towards the rear of the property housed a new Garage, Mudroom and expanded Kitchen spaces. All the living spaces were reconfigured to function more efficiently, creating four bedroom suites and an expansive basement for recreation and informal entertaining.

Photo: Kayla Stark © 2015 Houzz
Transitional exterior home photo in New Orleans

Beautiful modern exterior with a large driveway winding down and large front-facing windows.
Minimalist white exterior home photo in Minneapolis

As a cottage, the Ridgecrest was designed to take full advantage of a property rich in natural beauty. Each of the main houses three bedrooms, and all of the entertaining spaces, have large rear facing windows with thick craftsman style casing. A glance at the front motor court reveals a guesthouse above a three-stall garage. Complete with separate entrance, the guesthouse features its own bathroom, kitchen, laundry, living room and bedroom. The columned entry porch of the main house is centered on the floor plan, but is tucked under the left side of the homes large transverse gable. Centered under this gable is a grand staircase connecting the foyer to the lower level corridor. Directly to the rear of the foyer is the living room. With tall windows and a vaulted ceiling. The living rooms stone fireplace has flanking cabinets that anchor an axis that runs through the living and dinning room, ending at the side patio. A large island anchors the open concept kitchen and dining space. On the opposite side of the main level is a private master suite, complete with spacious dressing room and double vanity master bathroom. Buffering the living room from the master bedroom, with a large built-in feature wall, is a private study. Downstairs, rooms are organized off of a linear corridor with one end being terminated by a shared bathroom for the two lower bedrooms and large entertainment spaces. Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography Builder: Douglas Sumner Builder, Inc. Interior Design: Vision Interiors by Visbeen

This contemporary style home located in Bocage is a 2-story with 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 1 powder room, and 1 outdoor bathroom. The square footage for the conditioned spaces is 6,064 sq ft and the total under roof square footage is 8,229 sq ft. It is strategically positioned and designed to maximize the desired interior and exterior spaces on a narrow lot. As you enter the home, the foyer leads you between the kitchen and living room, passing by an office with a large window facing the front yard. The kitchen comes with a large island, scullery pantry, and bar. It flows directly into a casual dining area, featuring a large round table and expansive views of the backyard. From there you’ll find a utility room down a hall that leads to the garage and a side entry from the driveway. A porte cochere also provides a drop off entry point for the sculler and kitchen. The living room becomes one with the rear porch when you open the tall, bi-folding doors. Here you can access the outdoor living area with a fireplace and cooking area. Back inside past the living room, is a guest suite to the left and the master suite to your right. The guest suite has a large window facing the front yard, while the master bedroom has great views of the backyard and pool. Upstairs you’ll find 3 more bedrooms, which have their own ensuite bathrooms. Up here you will also find a small laundry room, and a large sitting area with bunk beds ready for sleepovers!

This contemporary style home located in Bocage is a 2-story with 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 1 powder room, and 1 outdoor bathroom. The square footage for the conditioned spaces is 6,064 sq ft and the total under roof square footage is 8,229 sq ft. It is strategically positioned and designed to maximize the desired interior and exterior spaces on a narrow lot. As you enter the home, the foyer leads you between the kitchen and living room, passing by an office with a large window facing the front yard. The kitchen comes with a large island, scullery pantry, and bar. It flows directly into a casual dining area, featuring a large round table and expansive views of the backyard. From there you’ll find a utility room down a hall that leads to the garage and a side entry from the driveway. A porte cochere also provides a drop off entry point for the sculler and kitchen. The living room becomes one with the rear porch when you open the tall, bi-folding doors. Here you can access the outdoor living area with a fireplace and cooking area. Back inside past the living room, is a guest suite to the left and the master suite to your right. The guest suite has a large window facing the front yard, while the master bedroom has great views of the backyard and pool. Upstairs you’ll find 3 more bedrooms, which have their own ensuite bathrooms. Up here you will also find a small laundry room, and a large sitting area with bunk beds ready for sleepovers!

Example of a minimalist single-wall concrete floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen design in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photography by Aidin Mariscal
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern gray one-story wood house exterior remodel in Orange County with a hip roof and a metal roof

The rich color of the autumn landscape help to add mid-tones to an otherwise high contrast facade. The north east facing Japanese is the star of this yard. Photo Credit: Associate Landscape Designer Steffi Reyes-Thomas

2011 NARI CAPITAL COTY FINALIST AWARD WINNER This 1970’s split-level single-family home in an upscale Arlington neighborhood had been neglected for years. With his surrounding neighbors all doing major exterior and interior remodeling, however, the owner decided it was time to renovate his property as well. After several consultation meetings with the design team at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes, he settled on an exterior layout to create an Art & Craft design for the home. It all got started by excavating the front and left side of the house and attaching a wrap-around stone porch. Key design attributes include a black metal roof, large tapered columns, blue and grey random style flag stone, beaded stain ceiling paneling and an octagonal seating area on the left side of this porch. The front porch has a wide stairway and another set of stairs leads to the back yard. All exterior walls of the home were modified with new headers to allow much larger custom-made windows, new front doors garage doors, and French side and back doors. A custom-designed mahogany front door with leaded glass provides more light and offers a wider entrance into the home’s living area. Design challenges included removing the entire face of the home and then adding new insulation, Tyvek and Hardiplank siding. The use of high-efficiency low-e windows makes the home air tight. The Arts & Crafts design touches include the front gable over the front porch, the prairie-style grill pattern on the windows and doors, the use of tapered columns sitting over stone columns and the leaded glass front door. Decorative exterior lighting provides the finishing touches to this look. Inside, custom woodwork, crown molding, custom glass cabinets and interior pillars carry the design. Upon entering the space, visitors face a large partition that separates the living area from a gourmet Arts & Crafts kitchen and dining room. The home’s signature space, the kitchen offers contrasting dark and light cherry cabinets. Wide plank hard wood floors, exotic granite counters and stainless steel professional-grade appliances make this a kitchen fit for any chef.

Design ideas for a farmhouse landscaping in San Francisco.

- Tony Colangelo Photography - Everything you need to feel right at home. The grey and white colour scheme adds subdued elegance to the intricately designed island and classic shaker style cabinets. The subway tile backsplash offsets the black bordered glass front cabinets, which combine with the hanging pendants above the island to create a soft glow. The apron sink, hood fan and range, inset wine rackand fridge tower add a modern flair to the traditional design of this space.

Photo of a victorian stone landscaping in Columbus.

The shape of the angled porch-roof, sets the tone for a truly modern entryway. This protective covering makes a dramatic statement, as it hovers over the front door. The blue-stone terrace conveys even more interest, as it gradually moves upward, morphing into steps, until it reaches the porch. Porch Detail The multicolored tan stone, used for the risers and retaining walls, is proportionally carried around the base of the house. Horizontal sustainable-fiber cement board replaces the original vertical wood siding, and widens the appearance of the facade. The color scheme — blue-grey siding, cherry-wood door and roof underside, and varied shades of tan and blue stone — is complimented by the crisp-contrasting black accents of the thin-round metal columns, railing, window sashes, and the roof fascia board and gutters. This project is a stunning example of an exterior, that is both asymmetrical and symmetrical. Prior to the renovation, the house had a bland 1970s exterior. Now, it is interesting, unique, and inviting. Photography Credit: Tom Holdsworth Photography Contractor: Owings Brothers Contracting

Becky Hulsey, Envision Virtual Tours The Lodge at Gold Mine Falls A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity Awaits…. Have you dreamed of owning your own spectacular waterfall, a serene trout pond, or a one of a kind mountain lodge filled with high end touches, all near Lake Burton? If the answer is yes…..then “The Lodge at Gold Mine Falls” is for you! Located just off HW 76 .3 miles to Anchorage Marina, this unique 2.8 acre property borders the National Forest, boasts a fully remodeled 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2000+ square foot rock lodge that is adjacent to its own private, spectacular 60 foot waterfall all surrounded by native landscape such as rhododendron and mountain laurel. Tumbling under the 40 foot suspension bridge, the pristine, crystal clear water continues to ramble on its way to large pond ready to be stocked with trout. Picture yourself fly fishing for a trout dinner right at your front door, or delight your friends or family while entertaining on your new porch or extensive, multi-level deck that connects your new home to your own waterfall. The kids or grandkids will be entertained for hours wading in the pool at the base of the waterfall, exploring the crooks and crannies among the stream’s boulders while looking for salamanders, or panning for “fool’s gold” in the stream. Just imagine….The Lodge at Gold Mine Falls has all this and more! As you walk up the front steps to The Lodge at Gold Mine Falls, you will notice the craftsmanship of this uniquely one of a kind home made from local stone and granite from a period gone by. If you look closely at some of the stones, you will find raw garnets, some the size of a nail head. Upon opening the front door constructed of solid oak and a tasteful piece of leaded glass, you will be amazed at the spaciousness of the lodge room. Once upon a time, the 20 x 30 foot room with 10 foot ceilings was the entire home. The focal piece of the room is the new floor to ceiling field stone fireplace, hand honed solid maple mantel, rounded hearth, accentuated by a hand-cut keystone, and flanked by raw cedar columns. The new gas logs can be remotely controlled with programmable heat. A built-in floor to ceiling cherry wood wall unit, with granite serving surface, highlights a side wall and is topped off with a large piece of stained glass from an English pub. The mood lighting behind the stained glass and the antique library ladder really highlights this unique bookcase. Distinctive lighting fixtures and fans provide dining area lighting and circulation from the cool breezes off of Lake Burton. On the bottom, the solid oak 1.5 inch flooring is a remnant of the past on the top, the height of the ceilings is enhanced by double crown moldings throughout and a touch of the outdoors is brought indoors by the three new skylights. Surrounded by rustic cedar window boxes, additional ambient light streams through the four windows facing south, and the new French doors. As you open the French doors to the new porch, you are immediately struck by the sights and sound produced by the rushing water as it cascades over the spectacular multilevel waterfall. You will also notice that the mountain has literally been carved away as you view the layers and striations in the granite that surround the back of the porch. The peaked cathedral ceiling sports a glass apex and the bead board on the ceiling accentuated by the raw cedar plank framing and the five cedar trees used as cornerstones all bring the outdoors within your reach. The addition of “E-Z Breeze” vinyl windows along with the cast iron gas stove will allow you and your family to enjoy the beauty and continually changing scenery at The Lodge at Gold Mine Fall during all four seasons. Opening the Adirondack style door on the other side of the lodge room allows you to step into the Lodge’s addition built at a later date. The four foot wide hallway boasts stained glass light fixtures and an architectural feature from the new stairwell that divides the living and the bedroom spaces. Knowing that the east wall in the kitchen and study were once on the home’s exterior allowed us to investigate and reveal the true character of these walls by removing the two layers of drywall and 4 inches of plaster exposing a striking addition to both rooms…… beautiful granite rock walls. The hallway flows into the granite breakfast bar which fully complements the newly exposed granite wall. From the Viking SS refrigerator to gas Jenn Air ceramic cooktop and microwave the appliances are a chef’s delight. Lighting is a critical component in a gourmet kitchen and the light from the double window is enhanced by two spotlights over the cooking area, LED task lighting under the cabinets, mood lighting over the top cabinets, and four “Murano” hand blown glass pendant lights over the sink and bar area. Scoring points in the design category, the full wood “Thomasville” two tone glazed cabinets that are country white and palomino scream style and sophistication, and are accentuated by the cool copper glass backsplash and refined stainless steel hardware. The porcelain, two bowl farmhouse sink is large enough for your biggest pots while the stainless steel sink guards will protect it from scratches. The SS faucet is professional quality and the Insinkerator will help the chef in the house save time with instant 190 degree water. An eight foot long exposed cedar tree trunk hangs over the cooking area allowing the chef to hang his/her favorite utensils and pots or pans in full lodge style. And who wouldn’t crave a large walk in pantry with commercial grade slides that will up to 120 pounds. With all these features, the cook/cooks in the family will love spending time in this room. Across from the kitchen is a study/office area which can be closed off from the hallway by a double barn door. Except for the remarkable exposed granite rock wall mentioned earlier, the entire room has been paneled with raw cedar boards treated with Australian Tree Oil for true lodge feel. The triple crank out window provides a superb view of the pond and blazing Japanese maple trees in the fall. Outside, the hallway leads to the utility room which has been fully upgraded with all the modern amenities. The oak cabinetry with granite tops also has an extra deep sink with commercial kitchen sprayer. The sink area is surrounded by white subway tile while slate and green glass mini tile accents bring the outdoor colors inside. The doggy door, new exterior door and crank out window provide access to the back yard and additional light. From the new “Rinnai” point of use, gas hot water heater to the new “LG” full size, stackable washer and dryer, this utility room delivers. The master bedroom has four windows which provide outstanding light and air circulation. To take the chill off of nippy evenings, this bedroom also has its own romantic fireplace with travertine marble surround, remote controlled gas logs, and a beautiful antique oak and mirror mantle. To top it off, the en-suite bath contains high end fixtures, a spacious vanity, and floor to ceiling rain shower with independent valves allowing you to turn on the shower and not get wet. Multiple safety handrails and a fold down shower seat give bathers assurance and provide an additional measure of safety. The earthy color tiles, glass tile accents and hand blown light fixtures continue the lodge theme in this end of the house. Located across the hall, the guest bedroom is light and airy with its white window boxes and double crown molding, and also has an attached bathroom. This bathroom also has an entrance door leading to the hallway and doubles as the guest bathroom for the house. Its antique oak vanity and mirror, stained glass lights and wrought iron accents remind me of a past era while the vessel sink, modern fixtures, and floor to ceiling travertine and glass tile rain shower all bring the bathroom up to modern standards. Located at the end of the hallway, and next to the guest bathroom, is the handcrafted stairwell leading to the sleeping loft. The distinctive maple stair treads with their grain and raw edge being displayed, were milled locally in Clayton and then installed from underneath so that no screw or nail heads are visible. The staircase was completed with wrought iron spindles, raw cedar handrail and floor to ceiling end post. Upon your entry into the sleeping loft, you will notice the amount of light that enters through the two skylights and large window facing the pond. The sound of water rushing over the pond’s spillway is a delightful addition to this large sleeping loft. Finished with engineered hardwood flooring and two built in double beds with tree trunks for legs, the room can accommodate four additional twin beds. The sleeping loft is also equipped with a kitchenette and a distinctive cedar and rock walled bathroom. The bath features an antique dresser vanity with marble vessel sink, distinctive fixtures and a floor to ceiling polished travertine marble shower with rain head. This bathroom also has an exterior door leading to a secondary upstairs staircase in the back yard. Just envision the great sleepovers the kids or grandkids will have here or how your out of town friends or family will just love this special area designed with their comfort and needs in mind. Originally constructed in 1925 by “off Broadway” star Rose Grant, this property is rich in history. In the early years, this home was one of the first in Rabun County to generate its own electric from the waterfall. Several small cabins were also built on the property and rented out to guests who came for the waterfall, swim in the pond and connect with nature. Other notable residents were Mrs. and Doctor Fowler who was a local pediatrician. According to an aged newspaper article, Mrs. Fowler was very interested in the indigenous flora and fauna and grew a variety of native plants on the property including some that were rare or endangered. Many metal name tags still remain along the various paths on the property thus reminding you of times gone by and the true beauty of property. Lastly, this solidly built home has just been structurally solidified, become more energy efficient, and reconfigured to further usable space all while retaining the Lodge’s original charm. After removing the flooring in the kitchen, hall and both bathrooms, the home’s structure and roof were fortified with numerous concrete footers to support both bathrooms, kitchen, and stairwell walls that extend from floor to roof. To make this home more comfortable, energy efficient, and bring it up to modern standards, the electrical system was upgraded to 220 service with the wiring, outlets, electrical panels and fixtures replaced throughout the entire home. A whole house surge protector was also installed to protect against damage that may occur with lightning strikes. Speaking of electric…..the pond’s newly poured formed concrete wall contains a pipe enabling you to install your own hydro-electric system. And whether you might decide to tie into the grid or store you energy in a battery system, you could generate your own electric 24/7. The homes plumbing was also replaced with new pipes, energy/water efficient fixtures in each bathroom (including three Toto toilets), and a new cistern was installed behind the garage with a laboratory grade water filtration system. The task of water heating was completed by a gas Rinnai point of use hot water heater in the utility room and all windows were replaced with Anderson thermal pane and 6 Velux skylights were mounted to bring the outdoors inside. The home’s HVAC system was top of the line several years ago and both sets of new gas logs are controlled with remotes. Formerly a summer home, all exterior walls were studded out with insulation added, and whole house fans were installed in the attic and upstairs bathroom. Although many of these upgrades may not be visible, they allow the home to be more energy efficient and more comfortable……allowing The Lodge at Gold Mine Falls to become your four season retreat.

Basement mudroom with individual cubbies, rustic wood countertop
Inspiration for a small country porcelain tile entryway remodel in Philadelphia with a black front door