Lake Front Country Estate Entry Porch, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling
Single front door - huge traditional single front door idea with a medium wood front door

These clients came to my office looking for an architect who could design their "empty nest" home that would be the focus of their soon to be extended family. A place where the kids and grand kids would want to hang out: with a pool, open family room/ kitchen, garden; but also one-story so there wouldn't be any unnecessary stairs to climb. They wanted the design to feel like "old Pasadena" with the coziness and attention to detail that the era embraced. My sensibilities led me to recall the wonderful classic mansions of San Marino, so I designed a manor house clad in trim Bluestone with a steep French slate roof and clean white entry, eave and dormer moldings that would blend organically with the future hardscape plan and thoughtfully landscaped grounds. The site was a deep, flat lot that had been half of the old Joan Crawford estate; the part that had an abandoned swimming pool and small cabana. I envisioned a pavilion filled with natural light set in a beautifully planted park with garden views from all sides. Having a one-story house allowed for tall and interesting shaped ceilings that carved into the sheer angles of the roof. The most private area of the house would be the central loggia with skylights ensconced in a deep woodwork lattice grid and would be reminiscent of the outdoor “Salas” found in early Californian homes. The family would soon gather there and enjoy warm afternoons and the wonderfully cool evening hours together. Working with interior designer Jeffrey Hitchcock, we designed an open family room/kitchen with high dark wood beamed ceilings, dormer windows for daylight, custom raised panel cabinetry, granite counters and a textured glass tile splash. Natural light and gentle breezes flow through the many French doors and windows located to accommodate not only the garden views, but the prevailing sun and wind as well. The graceful living room features a dramatic vaulted white painted wood ceiling and grand fireplace flanked by generous double hung French windows and elegant drapery. A deeply cased opening draws one into the wainscot paneled dining room that is highlighted by hand painted scenic wallpaper and a barrel vaulted ceiling. The walnut paneled library opens up to reveal the waterfall feature in the back garden. Equally picturesque and restful is the view from the rotunda in the master bedroom suite. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Jeffrey Hitchcock Enterprises Contractor: Synergy General Contractors, Inc. Landscape Design: LZ Design Group, Inc. Photography: Laura Hull

Built by Highland Custom Homes
Single front door - mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and beige floor single front door idea in Salt Lake City with beige walls and a blue front door

Architect: Blaine Bonadies, Bonadies Architect Photography By: Jean Allsopp Photography “Just as described, there is an edgy, irreverent vibe here, but the result has an appropriate stature and seriousness. Love the overscale windows. And the outdoor spaces are so great.” Situated atop an old Civil War battle site, this new residence was conceived for a couple with southern values and a rock-and-roll attitude. The project consists of a house, a pool with a pool house and a renovated music studio. A marriage of modern and traditional design, this project used a combination of California redwood siding, stone and a slate roof with flat-seam lead overhangs. Intimate and well planned, there is no space wasted in this home. The execution of the detail work, such as handmade railings, metal awnings and custom windows jambs, made this project mesmerizing. Cues from the client and how they use their space helped inspire and develop the initial floor plan, making it live at a human scale but with dramatic elements. Their varying taste then inspired the theme of traditional with an edge. The lines and rhythm of the house were simplified, and then complemented with some key details that made the house a juxtaposition of styles. The wood Ultimate Casement windows were all standard sizes. However, there was a desire to make the windows have a “deep pocket” look to create a break in the facade and add a dramatic shadow line. Marvin was able to customize the jambs by extruding them to the exterior. They added a very thin exterior profile, which negated the need for exterior casing. The same detail was in the stone veneers and walls, as well as the horizontal siding walls, with no need for any modification. This resulted in a very sleek look. MARVIN PRODUCTS USED: Marvin Ultimate Casement Window

Cella Architecture - Erich Karp, AIA Laurelhurst Portland, OR This new Tudor Revival styled home, situated in Portland’s Laurelhurst area, was designed to blend with one of the city’s distinctive old neighborhoods. While there are a variety of existing house styles along the nearby streets, the Tudor Revival style with its characteristic steeply pitched roof lines, arched doorways, and heavy chimneys occurs throughout the neighborhood and was the ideal style choice for the new home. The house was conceived with a steeply pitched asymmetric gable facing the street with the longer rake sweeping down in a gentle arc to stop near the entry. The front door is sheltered by a gracefully arched canopy supported by twin wooden corbels. Additional details such as the stuccoed walls with their decorative banding that wraps the house or the flare of the stucco hood over the second floor windows or the use of unique materials such as the Old Carolina brick window sills and entry porch paving add to the character of the house. But while the form and details for the home are drawn from styles of the last century, the home is certainly of this era with noticeably cleaner lines, details, and configuration than would occur in older variants of the style.

This is a kitchen that was small in size and contained by walls. We opened it up to living and dining room and created a island extending into living room. Complete kitchen makeover.

Sea Arches is a stunning modern architectural masterpiece, perched atop an eleven-acre peninsular promontory rising 160 feet above the Pacific Ocean on northern California’s spectacular Mendocino coast. Surrounded by the ocean on 3 sides and presiding over unparalleled vistas of sea and surf, Sea Arches includes 2,000 feet of ocean frontage, as well as beaches that extend some 1,300 feet. This one-of-a-kind property also includes one of the famous Elk Sea Stacks, a grouping of remarkable ancient rock outcroppings that tower above the Pacific, and add a powerful and dramatic element to the coastal scenery. Integrated gracefully into its spectacular setting, Sea Arches is set back 500 feet from the Pacific Coast Hwy and is completely screened from public view by more than 400 Monterey cypress trees. Approached by a winding, tree-lined drive, the main house and guesthouse include over 4,200 square feet of modern living space with four bedrooms, two mezzanines, two mini-lofts, and five full bathrooms. All rooms are spacious and the hallways are extra-wide. A cantilevered, raised deck off the living-room mezzanine provides a stunningly close approach to the ocean. Walls of glass invite views of the enchanting scenery in every direction: north to the Elk Sea Stacks, south to Point Arena and its historic lighthouse, west beyond the property’s captive sea stack to the horizon, and east to lofty wooded mountains. All of these vistas are enjoyed from Sea Arches and from the property’s mile-long groomed trails that extend along the oceanfront bluff tops overlooking the beautiful beaches on the north and south side of the home. While completely private and secluded, Sea Arches is just a two-minute drive from the charming village of Elk offering quaint and cozy restaurants and inns. A scenic seventeen-mile coastal drive north will bring you to the picturesque and historic seaside village of Mendocino which attracts tourists from near and far. One can also find many world-class wineries in nearby Anderson Valley. All of this just a three-hour drive from San Francisco or if you choose to fly, Little River Airport, with its mile long runway, is only 16 miles north of Sea Arches. Truly a special and unique property, Sea Arches commands some of the most dramatic coastal views in the world, and offers superb design, construction, and high-end finishes throughout, along with unparalleled beauty, tranquility, and privacy. Property Highlights: • Idyllically situated on a one-of-a-kind eleven-acre oceanfront parcel • Dwelling is completely screened from public view by over 400 trees • Includes 2,000 feet of ocean frontage plus over 1,300 feet of beaches • Includes one of the famous Elk Sea Stacks connected to the property by an isthmus • Main house plus private guest house totaling over 4300 sq ft of superb living space • 4 bedrooms and 5 full bathrooms • Separate His and Hers master baths • Open floor plan featuring Single Level Living (with the exception of mezzanines and lofts) • Spacious common rooms with extra wide hallways • Ample opportunities throughout the home for displaying art • Radiant heated slate floors throughout • Soaring 18 foot high ceilings in main living room with walls of glass • Cantilevered viewing deck off the mezzanine for up close ocean views • Gourmet kitchen with top of the line stainless appliances, custom cabinetry and granite counter tops • Granite window sills throughout the home • Spacious guest house including a living room, wet bar, large bedroom, an office/second bedroom, two spacious baths, sleeping loft and two mini lofts • Spectacular ocean and sunset views from most every room in the house • Gracious winding driveway offering ample parking • Large 2 car-garage with workshop • Extensive low-maintenance landscaping offering a profusion of Spring and Summer blooms • Approx. 1 mile of groomed trails • Equipped with a generator • Copper roof • Anchored in bedrock by 42 reinforced concrete piers and framed with steel girders. 2 Fireplaces Deck Granite Countertops Guest House Patio Security System Storage Gardens

The garden window was wrapped with the same granite used for the countertops, as well as touched with the same matte white tile from the backsplash to blend it into the kitchen.

The Blue Pearl granite is used on the countertops and window sills. A home built in 1897 in the Central West End neighborhood in the City of St. Louis knocks down a wall to get a spacious, contemporary eat-in kitchen.

This dramatic contemporary residence features extraordinary design with magnificent views of Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the ever changing San Francisco Bay. The amazing great room has soaring 36 foot ceilings, a Carnelian granite cascading waterfall flanked by stairways on each side, and an unique patterned sky roof of redwood and cedar. The 57 foyer windows and glass double doors are specifically designed to frame the world class views. Designed by world-renowned architect Angela Danadjieva as her personal residence, this unique architectural masterpiece features intricate woodwork and innovative environmental construction standards offering an ecological sanctuary with the natural granite flooring and planters and a 10 ft. indoor waterfall. The fluctuating light filtering through the sculptured redwood ceilings creates a reflective and varying ambiance. Other features include a reinforced concrete structure, multi-layered slate roof, a natural garden with granite and stone patio leading to a lawn overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Completing the home is a spacious master suite with a granite bath, an office / second bedroom featuring a granite bath, a third guest bedroom suite and a den / 4th bedroom with bath. Other features include an electronic controlled gate with a stone driveway to the two car garage and a dumb waiter from the garage to the granite kitchen.

Photo: Amy Nowak-Palmerini
Living room - large coastal open concept and formal medium tone wood floor living room idea in Boston with white walls

Close up of the granite window sill and backsplash detail installed by us
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped porcelain tile eat-in kitchen idea in Newark with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

A custom home builder in Chicago's western suburbs, Summit Signature Homes, ushers in a new era of residential construction. With an eye on superb design and value, industry-leading practices and superior customer service, Summit stands alone. Custom-built homes in Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Western Springs, and other western suburbs.

Beautiful large bay window behind the sink that looks out into the backyard. It's such a nice look with the counter top extending all the way toward the window. Photos by Chris Veith.

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design | L. Cramer Builders + Remodelers, Builder | Troy Thies, Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

For these clients, opening the kitchen to the dining room, incorporating an island and moving the sink to the window were priorities. We were happy to accommodate! The new open concept makes for an airy and spacious kitchen that flows seamlessly into the dining room. The owner loves looking out her window from her sink. It's also where her orchids have a found the perfect place to bloom and thrive. Over-sized pendants above the dark gray island offers a striking and appealing contrast to the neutral medium gray perimeter cabinets. Oliver Bencosme, photographer

Sweet nursery with many shades of pinks and cream. The inspiration for the wall decal came from the client's existing crib. Pops of hot pink in the pillows, decal and chandelier keep the room fun!

Praised for its visually appealing, modern yet comfortable design, this Scottsdale residence took home the gold in the 2014 Design Awards from Professional Builder magazine. Built by Calvis Wyant Luxury Homes, the 5,877-square-foot residence features an open floor plan that includes Western Window Systems’ multi-slide pocket doors to allow for optimal inside-to-outside flow. Tropical influences such as covered patios, a pool, and reflecting ponds give the home a lush, resort-style feel.

Wow! Patio Lane recently fabricated a supersized bench cushion - a real stunner in this bay window seat using Duralee Grey Royal Palm with a Sunbrella Canvas Granite double welt. At nearly 13 feet long along the front edge, a truly custom cushion was needed for this trapezoid-shaped space. Now the satisfied homeowner has a cozy spot to stretch out and enjoy the view. https://patiolane.com/blog/trapezoid-window-seat-bench-cushion-stunner-duralee-grey-royal-palm/ CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL "I am very happy with the cushion that I recently received. The pic doesn't do justice, it looks amazing!!!"