Guest Bath and Powder Room. Vintage dresser from the client's family re-purposed as the vanity with a modern marble sink. photo: David Duncan Livingston

Creation of a new master bathroom, kids’ bathroom, toilet room and a WIC from a mid. size bathroom was a challenge but the results were amazing. The master bathroom has a huge 5.5'x6' shower with his/hers shower heads. The main wall of the shower is made from 2 book matched porcelain slabs, the rest of the walls are made from Thasos marble tile and the floors are slate stone. The vanity is a double sink custom made with distress wood stain finish and its almost 10' long. The vanity countertop and backsplash are made from the same porcelain slab that was used on the shower wall. The two pocket doors on the opposite wall from the vanity hide the WIC and the water closet where a $6k toilet/bidet unit is warmed up and ready for her owner at any given moment. Notice also the huge 100" mirror with built-in LED light, it is a great tool to make the relatively narrow bathroom to look twice its size.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This client came to us wanting some help with updating the master bath in their home. Their primary goals were to increase the size of the shower, add a rain head, add a freestanding tub and overall freshen the feel of the space. The existing layout of the bath worked well, so we left the basic footprint the same, but increased the size of the shower and added a freestanding tub on a bit of an angle which allowed for some additional storage. One of the most important things on the wish list was adding a rainhead in the shower, but this was not an easy task with the angled ceiling. We came up with the solution of using an extra long wall-mounted shower arm that was reinforced with a meal bracket attached the ceiling. This did the trick, and no extra framing or insulation was required to make it work. The materials selected for the space are classic and fresh. Large format white oriental marble is used throughout the bath, on the floor in a herrinbone pattern and in a staggered brick pattern on the walls. Alder cabinets with a gray stain contrast nicely with the white marble, while shiplap detail helps unify the space and gives it a casual and cozy vibe. Storage solutions include an area for towels and other necessities at the foot of the tub, roll out shelves and out storage in the vanities and a custom niche and shaving ledge in the shower. We love how just a few simple changes can make such a great impact! Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

We turned an attic into a writer's garret. Honey-toned wood floors combine with warm gray wainscoting to make for an appealing space. Lighting by Portland's own Cedar & Moss. A live-edge wall-to-wall walnut wood desk provides ample room for writing, and mapping out research and story materials. Custom file folder and shelves tuck underneath. A large built-in bookcase turns one half of the attic in to a library and reading room. Photos by Laurie Black.

Lisa Monteagudo - Photographer
Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Seattle with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige backsplash and stainless steel appliances

2013 Fort Worth Dream Home Built by AG Builders, Featured in Fort Worth Magazine and Electronics design/installation performed by H. Customs Audio Video. This media room features a 120" projection screen, 3 Episode Front Stage In-Wall Speakers, 4 - 8" In-Ceiling Surround Speakers, Episode Triple 10" Subwoofers, Onkyo Surround Sound Receiver, SnapAV Matrix Switcher, Bluray DVD, AppleTV, Custom Rack. Design by H. Customs Audio Video and AG Builders Entire home is Control4 automated. For more information please contact H. Customs. Photography by Fort Worth Magazine

Transitional master gray tile drop-in bathtub photo in Indianapolis with gray walls and marble countertops

This cute cottage, one block from the beach, had not been updated in over 20 years. The homeowners finally decided that it was time to renovate after scrapping the idea of tearing the home down and starting over. Amazingly, they were able to give this house a fresh start with our input. We completed a full kitchen renovation and addition and updated 4 of their bathrooms. We added all new light fixtures, furniture, wallpaper, flooring, window treatments and tile. The mix of metals and wood brings a fresh vibe to the home. We loved working on this project and are so happy with the outcome! Photographed by: James Salomon

Double shower in bay window. The bench is cantilevered out over the exterior wall below. Design, color scheme, lighting, and installation by Addhouse. Photo by Monkeyboy Productions

In Southern California there are pockets of darling cottages built in the early 20th century that we like to call jewelry boxes. They are quaint, full of charm and usually a bit cramped. Our clients have a growing family and needed a modern, functional home. They opted for a renovation that directly addressed their concerns. When we first saw this 2,170 square-foot 3-bedroom beach cottage, the front door opened directly into a staircase and a dead-end hallway. The kitchen was cramped, the living room was claustrophobic and everything felt dark and dated. The big picture items included pitching the living room ceiling to create space and taking down a kitchen wall. We added a French oven and luxury range that the wife had always dreamed about, a custom vent hood, and custom-paneled appliances. We added a downstairs half-bath for guests (entirely designed around its whimsical wallpaper) and converted one of the existing bathrooms into a Jack-and-Jill, connecting the kids’ bedrooms, with double sinks and a closed-off toilet and shower for privacy. In the bathrooms, we added white marble floors and wainscoting. We created storage throughout the home with custom-cabinets, new closets and built-ins, such as bookcases, desks and shelving. White Sands Design/Build furnished the entire cottage mostly with commissioned pieces, including a custom dining table and upholstered chairs. We updated light fixtures and added brass hardware throughout, to create a vintage, bo-ho vibe. The best thing about this cottage is the charming backyard accessory dwelling unit (ADU), designed in the same style as the larger structure. In order to keep the ADU it was necessary to renovate less than 50% of the main home, which took some serious strategy, otherwise the non-conforming ADU would need to be torn out. We renovated the bathroom with white walls and pine flooring, transforming it into a get-away that will grow with the girls.

Ernesto Santalla was approached to create a new home for two Washington, DC lawyers wishing to downsize their living space. The move took them from a row house in Washington's historic Dupont Circle neighborhood to a two bedroom apartment in the vibrant, up-and-coming U Street Corridor. Our task was to transform a rather plain and generic apartment into a custom, sophisticated space in a few strategic moves. Ceiling details serve to define functional areas of the living space without creating divisions. Changing some doors from wood to frosted glass, creates a sense of continuity between spaces, and allows light to travel between spaces. Lighting was inserted strategically, to enhance certain functions of the home. The kitchen was partially enclosed with a plane of frosted glass to create visual separation from the main living space while still allowing natural light to filter in from the expansive wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Color was used to reinforce the architectural intent and simplify spaces, such as the entry, which as many doors and frames. Furniture was selected to blend with the client's collection of heirloom pieces, creating a sophisticated juxtaposition. Statement pieces like a ceiling light from Viabizzuno create impact while maintaining the visual simplicity of our minimal approach. Photography by Geoffrey Hodgdon

Custom wood-look tile flooring in wide width and narrower creates a base for the modern but warm interior in this living and dining area. Stacked stone, wood accents, black frame windows and white walls complete the space.

Do you have a small apartment or studio and need space ­saving furniture ideas? Do you have a den or office that needs to double as a guestroom? A Murphy Bed system might be just what you’re looking for! This style looks like a glossy lacquered wall in your room and when closed takes up very little space. When you want to study or work on your computer, just open the cabinet and drop down a desk! There’s plenty of room for office work, study books or even craft projects to fit on this roomy desk. When you’re tired and want to get some sleep, just open it all the way and the desk drops down, instantly giving you a twin bed ready to crawl into! In the morning, it all closes up, giving you an uncluttered, open area for your studio or apartment. If you’re using it in a study, you can keep the desk open and just open the bed for guests when they sleep over. This Murphy Bed system is constructed from the highest quality materials and the mechanism is technologically new gas springs, that open and close with no effort. Having a Murphy Bed System is like having a room in a box.

Patricia Bean Expressive Architectural Photography
Mid-sized eclectic kitchen/dining room combo photo in San Diego with beige walls

Jim Bartsch Photography
Mid-sized transitional gray tile and stone tile mosaic tile floor bathroom photo in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, a wall-mount sink, a one-piece toilet, marble countertops and gray countertops

Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography Builder: Colonial Builders - Tim Schollart Interior Designer: Laura Davidson This large estate house was carefully crafted to compliment the rolling hillsides of the Midwest. Horizontal board & batten facades are sheltered by long runs of hipped roofs and are divided down the middle by the homes singular gabled wall. At the foyer, this gable takes the form of a classic three-part archway. Going through the archway and into the interior, reveals a stunning see-through fireplace surround with raised natural stone hearth and rustic mantel beams. Subtle earth-toned wall colors, white trim, and natural wood floors serve as a perfect canvas to showcase patterned upholstery, black hardware, and colorful paintings. The kitchen and dining room occupies the space to the left of the foyer and living room and is connected to two garages through a more secluded mudroom and half bath. Off to the rear and adjacent to the kitchen is a screened porch that features a stone fireplace and stunning sunset views. Occupying the space to the right of the living room and foyer is an understated master suite and spacious study featuring custom cabinets with diagonal bracing. The master bedroom’s en suite has a herringbone patterned marble floor, crisp white custom vanities, and access to a his and hers dressing area. The four upstairs bedrooms are divided into pairs on either side of the living room balcony. Downstairs, the terraced landscaping exposes the family room and refreshment area to stunning views of the rear yard. The two remaining bedrooms in the lower level each have access to an en suite bathroom.

Freestanding bathtub - traditional master freestanding bathtub idea in Miami with an undermount sink, white cabinets, white walls and raised-panel cabinets

Traditional Style Wall using Techo-Bloc's Baltimore wall & Piedimonte caps. Traditional Style platform steps framed with Piedimonte caps.
Inspiration for a huge traditional backyard retaining wall landscape in Other.

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects and Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Designed and built a new warm, modern, Eichler-inspired, open, indoor-outdoor home on a deeper-than-usual San Mateo Highlands property where an original Eichler house had burned to the ground. The owners wanted multi-generational living and larger spaces than the original home offered, but all parties agreed that the house should respect the neighborhood and blend in stylistically with the other Eichlers. At first the Klopf team considered re-using what little was left of the original home and expanding on it. But after discussions with the owner and builder, all parties agreed that the last few remaining elements of the house were not practical to re-use, so Klopf Architecture designed a new home that pushes the Eichler approach in new directions. One disadvantage of Eichler production homes is that the house designs were not optimized for each specific lot. A new custom home offered the team a chance to start over. In this case, a longer house that opens up sideways to the south fit the lot better than the original square-ish house that used to open to the rear (west). Accordingly, the Klopf team designed an L-shaped “bar” house with a large glass wall with large sliding glass doors that faces sideways instead of to the rear like a typical Eichler. This glass wall opens to a pool and landscaped yard designed by Arterra Landscape Architects. Driving by the house, one might assume at first glance it is an Eichler because of the horizontality, the overhanging flat roof eaves, the dark gray vertical siding, and orange solid panel front door, but the house is designed for the 21st Century and is not meant to be a “Likeler.” You won't see any posts and beams in this home. Instead, the ceiling decking is a western red cedar that covers over all the beams. Like Eichlers, this cedar runs continuously from inside to out, enhancing the indoor / outdoor feeling of the house, but unlike Eichlers it conceals a cavity for lighting, wiring, and insulation. Ceilings are higher, rooms are larger and more open, the master bathroom is light-filled and more generous, with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet compartment, and there is plenty of storage. The garage even easily fits two of today's vehicles with room to spare. A massive 49-foot by 12-foot wall of glass and the continuity of materials from inside to outside enhance the inside-outside living concept, so the owners and their guests can flow freely from house to pool deck to BBQ to pool and back. During construction in the rough framing stage, Klopf thought the front of the house appeared too tall even though the house had looked right in the design renderings (probably because the house is uphill from the street). So Klopf Architecture paid the framer to change the roofline from how we had designed it to be lower along the front, allowing the home to blend in better with the neighborhood. One project goal was for people driving up the street to pass the home without immediately noticing there is an "imposter" on this lot, and making that change was essential to achieve that goal. This 2,606 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Eichler-inspired new house is located in San Mateo in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Contractor: Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Photography ©2016 Mariko Reed Location: San Mateo, CA Year completed: 2016