The layout of this early 90’s home was adequate for the husband when he was just living there. However, now the family of three and their loving cat live there together; the space quickly became confined and inadequate. The Clients contacted us to discuss what their options may be to help the home feel more spacious. After a few weeks of design and engineering, we went to work on opening up the first floor to increase the size of the rooms while creating continuity with the adjoining rooms. A once tired and confined layout became a spacious, comfortable, & aesthetically pleasing space to live and entertain.

This rain garden for the disconnected downspout celebrates the bounty of winter water. Photo by Amy Whitworth Installation by Creative Touch Landscaping

Original wall space wasn’t well utilized with cabinet height, and there was a major need for increased (and creative) storage solutions. The double sink was hard to use, 4 burners at the cooktop were not enough, and the lighting in the space was very poor. Cabinet height was maximized, taken to the full exterior wall height. A double bowl with a low divide helped with cleaning larger items. A 36” range with 6-burners better fit the client’s cooking style. A new lighting plan with ample task lighting greatly elevates the entire space.

When this family wanted to renovate their 1-bedroom apartment, they called on Houseplay to help. Together, we created a cozy, modern layout that both facilitates relationships and increases the value of their home. Specifically, the new layout features a larger bathroom, a new standing shower, an open plan kitchen with an island, and a laundry closet too. Our team installed new bamboo flooring, new doors and mouldings, and new recessed and feature lighting throughout the space; we also painted the entire apartment. It’s amazing what a difference the layout of a space can make. If you’re struggling with a sub-par layout in your home or apartment, don’t wait; contact Houseplay for a consultation today! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Roger Foley Photography
Photo of a contemporary landscaping in Boston.

When your home is a go-to spot for the neighbourhood you need a kitchen that can keep up. The first step was overhauling the floor plan. We flipped the kitchen from the small dark side of the house to the opposite side of the house giving us the increased light & square footage. A a spacious island and large kitchen table (a refinished piece from the client’s grandmother), large-plank hardwood floors, custom seating, and statement light fixtures make this a gathering spot for the ages.

Basket of fresh cut herbs | Lore Patterson
Photo of a small rustic landscaping in Seattle.

When this family wanted to renovate their 1-bedroom apartment, they called on Houseplay to help. Together, we created a cozy, modern layout that both facilitates relationships and increases the value of their home. Specifically, the new layout features a larger bathroom, a new standing shower, an open plan kitchen with an island, and a laundry closet too. Our team installed new bamboo flooring, new doors and mouldings, and new recessed and feature lighting throughout the space; we also painted the entire apartment. It’s amazing what a difference the layout of a space can make. If you’re struggling with a sub-par layout in your home or apartment, don’t wait; contact Houseplay for a consultation today! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Q: What do you like the most about your Hallmark 44 sauna? Homeowner Answer: The simplicity of it all. From putting it together with little help and training, to being able to utilize the SaunaLogic2 Control's Bluetooth capabilities to start the sauna from afar so that it is increasingly HOT and “quite stressful” as per protocol (Matt Dixon, PurplePatch) by the time I’m back from an indoor bike and/or outdoor run.

Independent Home just recently completed a Florida walk in tub installation in the city of Pensacola for our customer Claire S. Learn about the process and why it may be a good idea to add one to your home! Our installation process starts with a pre-installation meeting with the customer to go over what type of walk in tub is best for their needs, what the best location would be, and what type of the finish the customer wants. At the meeting with Claire, she told us that she wanted a tub that could prove a safe bathing experience but also help with her arthritis and leg pain. Our installation experts decided that the celebrity walk in tub was the best option for Claire. The celebrity walk in tub was the best option for Claire’s Florida home because of the safety features it is able to provide. Claire’s previous bathtub had a 15 inch edge, which made her nervous of getting in and out. Her old tub also had a non-secure seat giving Claire the fear that she may fall. The celebrity walk in tub has a low threshold eliminating the high edge. It also has a 17” ADA compliant seat, giving Claire that extra security that she needed. As stated before Claire suffers from arthritis and leg pain and she wanted her new tub to help with the pain. The celebrity walk in tub was a great choice because you are able to add hydrotherapy features. Hydrotherapy is the use of water to help decrease physical discomfort. It works by the jets greater range of motion. The jets waves allow an increase in circulation causing the joint inflammation to decrease, which will help eliminate Claire’s pain. Installing Claire’s walk in tub took just a couple of days to complete. The process included removing Claire’s old tub including the foundation, putting in the proper plumbing, connecting the water, making sure there weren’t any leaks, and finally building the shelf area around the tub. Claire is extremely happy with her new walk in tub. Her worries of falling are behind her. She enjoys that when she is in a hurry and can’t enjoy a full soak there is an extendable shower wand. Overall, every time Claire gets a bath she feels like she is at her own private spa.

Green Oxen was started with the mission to help developers of modern residences and commercial projects realize their vision through artfully designed products. We have quickly become the go-to solution for those who aim to increase their property value through high-end, modern, and sustainable products. As a leader in manufacturing high-quality aluminum railings, baseboards, doors and lighting in South Florida, all of our products meet LEED requirements and can be finished with different colors and applications.

The layout of this early 90’s home was adequate for the husband when he was just living there. However, now the family of three and their loving cat live there together; the space quickly became confined and inadequate. The Clients contacted us to discuss what their options may be to help the home feel more spacious. After a few weeks of design and engineering, we went to work on opening up the first floor to increase the size of the rooms while creating continuity with the adjoining rooms. A once tired and confined layout became a spacious, comfortable, & aesthetically pleasing space to live and entertain.

When this family wanted to renovate their 1-bedroom apartment, they called on Houseplay to help. Together, we created a cozy, modern layout that both facilitates relationships and increases the value of their home. Specifically, the new layout features a larger bathroom, a new standing shower, an open plan kitchen with an island, and a laundry closet too. Our team installed new bamboo flooring, new doors and mouldings, and new recessed and feature lighting throughout the space; we also painted the entire apartment. It’s amazing what a difference the layout of a space can make. If you’re struggling with a sub-par layout in your home or apartment, don’t wait; contact Houseplay for a consultation today! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

This house was in need of a true master suite. The mid-century home had a small master bedroom with a half bathroom. In the daylight basement, there was a beautiful room with a fireplace, large windows, a utility closet, and a separate bathroom. This was a perfect space to remodel the bathroom and make it a true master suite. We doubled the bathroom's size by taking a utility room in the garage. This allowed us to add floor space and large windows for maximum daylight. We also added an oversized tiled shower, double sinks, and a linen closet to help increase the function of the space. This home has a lot of charm with the unusual rooms in it. The house didn’t present itself in a true mid-century modern feel, but more on the traditional side. This allowed us to design with some unique features such as the patterned tile flooring, satin brass fixtures, floating vanity, and simple flat moldings. Updating the space gave this growing family a quiet oasis for mom and dad to wind down properly.

Example of a farmhouse light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in Omaha with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and gray countertops

Dry-laid (all natural, no mortar) Stone Retaining wall installed in this garden as a planting bed. Cobblestone, marble slabs, and slate were all reused from the original landscape in this wall. Natural Garden Landscape Design & Build

Green Oxen was started with the mission to help developers of modern residences and commercial projects realize their vision through artfully designed products. We have quickly become the go-to solution for those who aim to increase their property value through high-end, modern, and sustainable products. As a leader in manufacturing high-quality aluminum railings, baseboards, doors and lighting in South Florida, all of our products meet LEED requirements and can be finished with different colors and applications.

DESIGNED BY TOC design CONSTRUCTION BY TOC design & Construction inc. PHOTOS BY : Tania Scardellato I was fortunate to have a young family approach me in desperate need to renovate there only 3 piece bathroom. This space was In dire need of a remodel, with old brown wall to wall tiles and a dated bulky yellow brown single sink vanity. Storage was a must, lighting a necessity, and proper accessibility to the shower bath area. We had a tight budget to respect, but a full gut of this bathroom was required. And a good thing too, once we started doing the demolition we noticed that mildew and rotting floors and walls had accumulated throughout the years. Doing it right the first time is no joke when dealing with water and electrical issues. We discarded all reminisce of old and built from scratch, new walls, new plumbing, new electrical ,new insulation and a new window, a new fan that actually exhausted outside ( I say this laughing as you would be amazed at how many fans are installed but don’t exhaust outside, and you the client would never know unless you go inside the attic space. Once all the hard stuff was done, the rest is just a matter of smart design. If you have a small bathroom here are some tips to guide you. 10 tips for making a small bathroom feel larger Is your tiny bathroom cramping your functionality and style, leaving you longing for the enormous bathrooms gracing the pages of design magazines? Even if your bathroom is a fraction of the size, all it takes is some design savvy to make the most of the space you have. Consider these 10 smart tips that will help your bathroom look, feel and function like those larger contenders. 1-Get creative with corners Space is at a premium in small bathrooms, so it's important to maximize every inch. Corners, for example, provide extra space for shelving, storage units and even hooks. Get creative and install unique design solutions that are not only functional, but also eye-catching. If you love the airiness of floating cabinets, add baskets or decorative boxes under for extra storage. If you are installing floating cabinets insure that they are installed securely to studs or plywood at wall. 2- Let solid colors shine Busy patterns have a shrinking effect and make small bathrooms seem even smaller. Conversely, light natural hues make a space feel more open. If you're itching to get creative with design, experiment with textures but keep overpowering patterns to a minimum. Tone on tone is the best to achieve this. 3 - Maximize your bathtub A bathtub takes up a significant portion of the room, but modern, compact options with curved basins, can make the tub feel larger when in use, all while conserving space. 4 - Select a smaller faucet A faucet is jewelry for the bathroom. And just as accessories can overpower an outfit, a big bulky faucet isn't flattering in a small bath. Single-handle designs conserve counter space, while a wall-mount installation frees it up all together and can create quite the wow-factor, if the budget can accommodate the required changes to plumbing behind the wall. 5 - Make vanity storage simple If you're in a storage war with your small bathroom, you're not alone in the battle. Toiletries and personal supplies without a place to call home only add clutter and chaos. Store smart with a space-saving vanity, the dual sink vanity shown here, looks quite simple, but in reality it has 4 sets of full extension drawers, and the vanity tower adds extra storage without overpowering the use of space. 6 - Show off the shower Shower curtains may be pretty, but they interrupt the visual flow of a bathing space and make it feel significantly smaller. In bathrooms with small footprints, opt for a clear glass sliding shower door that doesn't require the clearance of one with a hinged design. Or as shown in this design and for fraction less expensive a half hinged panel installed on a fixed tempered glass panel. If you're embarking on a big remodel, create the illusion of more space by using same tile in the shower that's used throughout; instead of seeing them as two separate zones, the eye will read them as one. 7 - Discover the treasure of hidden storage Work with a contractor, and you just might find some serious storage potential hidden behind your walls. Whether it's utilizing space between the studs for shallow shelving or a creating a small linen closet by annexing space from an adjacent room, even small additions can make a big difference. 8 - Focal Point Tile is a beautiful, durable addition to any bathroom. For dainty spaces, consider installing tile at a diagonal to accentuate the focal point or as in this bathroom I used an oversized textured pattern to bring depth to the space at the window wall. 9 - Choose the right lights Strategically install light to reflect and brighten a small bathroom to make it appear larger. Recessed lighting is an affordable solution for tiny rooms, offering ample light while taking up little space. Wall sconces alongside a mirror also reflect off the walls and make a room feel bright and airy. I always recommend going with LED lighting at 2800 to 3000K. 10 – Accessorize This is your time to shine in your decorating skills, have fun with your towels, you can change the color scheme daily just by adding pops of color in your accessories, make sure to get items that serve a dual purpose, like baskets, boxes they can always be used as hampers, storing of towels and even a nice display for your guest.

When this family wanted to renovate their 1-bedroom apartment, they called on Houseplay to help. Together, we created a cozy, modern layout that both facilitates relationships and increases the value of their home. Specifically, the new layout features a larger bathroom, a new standing shower, an open plan kitchen with an island, and a laundry closet too. Our team installed new bamboo flooring, new doors and mouldings, and new recessed and feature lighting throughout the space; we also painted the entire apartment. It’s amazing what a difference the layout of a space can make. If you’re struggling with a sub-par layout in your home or apartment, don’t wait; contact Houseplay for a consultation today! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography