Photo of a transitional landscaping in New York.

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.

Yard was just plain basic front yard with rock. Keeping the same rock to reduce the cost, I added some artificial turf and pulled the rock back then re distributed it throughout the rest of the yard where it was thin. I added some trees plants and irrigation. Last I added some concrete paver walk way in the form of steppers.

Front yard remodel/update with low water plant design of grasses, succulents and other drought tolerant plantings. Interesting colors and textures to add year round interest.

Seating area featuring built in bench seating and plenty of natural light. Table top is made of reclaimed lumber done by Longleaf Lumber. The bottom table legs are reclaimed Rockford Lathe Legs.

Built from the ground up on 80 acres outside Dallas, Oregon, this new modern ranch house is a balanced blend of natural and industrial elements. The custom home beautifully combines various materials, unique lines and angles, and attractive finishes throughout. The property owners wanted to create a living space with a strong indoor-outdoor connection. We integrated built-in sky lights, floor-to-ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings to attract ample, natural lighting. The master bathroom is spacious and features an open shower room with soaking tub and natural pebble tiling. There is custom-built cabinetry throughout the home, including extensive closet space, library shelving, and floating side tables in the master bedroom. The home flows easily from one room to the next and features a covered walkway between the garage and house. One of our favorite features in the home is the two-sided fireplace – one side facing the living room and the other facing the outdoor space. In addition to the fireplace, the homeowners can enjoy an outdoor living space including a seating area, in-ground fire pit and soaking tub.

This extraordinary and unique century home was designed and built in 1900 by architect Arthur Oviatt and was the 2002 Designer's Showhouse! This home is lovingly preserved and maintained in the character in which it was built but enhanced with today’s modern conveniences like central air and a gourmet kitchen! Hardwood floors, glass door knobs, and pedestal sinks are just a few of the period features you will see. This regal home sits behind a stone and wrought iron gated entry with a circular driveway and an expansive and majestic open front porch accented by several stately columns. Oh the summer evening cocktail parties you could have on this front porch! The rear yard gradually slopes and steps down to a wooded valley with a pond off to the left, a patio, a grassy area that's perfect for an in-ground pool, and a stream to the near-by lake. The yard is beautifully landscaped with lush easy-to-maintain perennials.

Low maintenance, seasonal garden added to this new front yard/ Complete with new raised sitting area. This new porch comes complete with heated flooring to get homeowners through the winter. New stairs make reaching their front entrance much easier. The new lights make it as enjoyable in the evening. * photo credentials and installation Greenscene Landscaping

Cure Design Group (636) 294-2343 https://curedesigngroup.com/ First things first…this renovation was certainly a labor of love for everyone involved, from our amazing clients, to the contractors, vendors and us, this project consumed all of us and the outcome is more than Gorgeous. This contemporary home is nestled back in a a great area of St Louis County. A brick ranch with contemporary touches…once adorned glass blocked bar and stairwell, a tiny galley kitchen and a remodeled garage that once housed their “dining and hearth room” but no one ever used that space. CURE Senior Designer, Cori Dyer took this space, completely and brilliantly re worked the configuration and entire floor plan and layout. Tearing out the dividing wall from the kitchen and what was once the garage, allowed the new kitchen layout to be flipped to the now long perpendicular wall, and created an open mega kitchen with great natural light, double islands, eat in kitchen and seating area, bar and open the great room. You can stand among the space at any point and are able to take in the entire view. Creating an uber chic space doesn’t happen on its own…it takes intricate design, research and planning. Custom made cabinets, a double island featuring two surfaces a butcher block and unforgettable marble. This clean color palette plays well with the new custom furniture in the great room, creating a seating area that sparks conversations.

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.

After a tear-down/remodel we were left with a west facing sloped front yard without much privacy from the street, a blank palette as it were. Re purposed concrete was used to create an entrance way and a seating area. Colorful drought tolerant trees and plants were used strategically to screen out unwanted views, and to frame the beauty of the new landscape. This yard is an example of low water, low maintenance without looking like grandmas cactus garden.

This room is the definition of ‘master retreat’. It is extra spacious with a wall of windows bringing in natural light and superior views of the lush, tropical landscape and pool area below. The attached outdoor deck has room for the whole family and over looks the expansive yard and surrounding hills. The navy colored accent walls anchor the headboard wall and bedroom area. The room then naturally divides into a private seating area, complete with cozy fireplace decked out in dramatic black marble and rustic wood mantel.

Lush green front yard with unique black and white retaining wall at our Sherman Oaks home remodel. This modern look simultaneously grants both privacy and curb appeal. A cement path leads from the gate to the small front craftsman's porch at the home's entry.

This serene master retreat seating area is situation in front of an electric fireplace and a large flat screen tv. The Loloi rug gives the neutral toned furniture a pop of personality. The Robert Allen Duralee fabric makes for a lush backdrop as the floor-to-ceiling drapery. Photo by Emily Minton Redfield

Family members enter this kitchen from the mud room where they are right at home in this friendly space. The Kitchens central banquette island seats six on cozy upholstered benches with another two diners at the ends. There is table seating for EIGHT plus the back side boasts raised seating for four more on swiveling bar stools. The show-stopping coffered ceiling was custom designed and features beaded paneling, recessed can lighting and dramatic crown molding. The counters are made of Labradorite which is often associated with jewels. It's iridescent sparkle adds glamour without being too loud. The wood paneled backsplash allows the cabinetry to blend in. There is glazed subway tile behind the range. This lovely home features an open concept space with the kitchen at the heart. Built in the late 1990's the prior kitchen was cherry, but dark, and the new family needed a fresh update. This great space was a collaboration between many talented folks including but not limited to the team at Delicious Kitchens & Interiors, LLC, L. Newman and Associates/Paul Mansback, Inc with Leslie Rifkin and Emily Shakra. Additional contributions from the homeowners and Belisle Granite. John C. Hession Photographer

Beach style exterior home photo in Orange County

Top floor family room with outstanding windows that filter the maximum amount of light into the room while you can take in the sites of unobstructed 360 degree views of water and mountains. This modern family room has water vapour fireplace, drop down Tv screen from ceiling for the ultimate TV viewing, full speaker system for home theatre inside and out. White leather modular furniture is great for hosting large crowds with teak accents. Aqua blue and green accents and silk shag area carpets adorn the room which look out to the front yards outdoor aqua glass blue 40 ft reflecting pond which is viewed from every room of this home. Open staircase with white concrete treads leads to the one of the three private living roof top decks. 40 ft x 30 foot roof top deck has complete lounging area surrounded by living grasses. Wood decking and concrete pavers trail pathways to ground the full seating area complete with fire table and music system. Enjoy the breathtaking unobstructed 360 degree views of ocean and mountain range along with entire back yard and beach for miles. John Bentley Photography - Vancouver

Photography: Roger Davies Interiors: Audrey Alberts Design Architect: Abramson Teiger Architects
Inspiration for a huge contemporary living room remodel in Los Angeles

Two adjacent front yards were renovated by replacing water intensive lawns with a low- water needs landscape. Included are several flowering shrubs and perennials, flagstone paths, and a lovely seating area with an arbor. As a bonus, a dry well placed in the center, drains rain water from the roof gutters into the landscape instead of draining into the street. Installed by: Paradise Garden and Landscape Photos:Patricia Larenas