The lower level of this modern farmhouse features a large game room that connects out to the screen porch, pool terrace and fire pit beyond. One end of the space is a large lounge area for watching TV and the other end has a built-in wet bar and accordion windows that open up to the screen porch. The TV is concealed by barn doors with salvaged barn wood on a shiplap wall. Photography by Todd Crawford

The spacious great room in this home, completed in 2017, is open to the kitchen and features a linear fireplace on a floating honed limestone hearth, supported by hidden steel brackets, extending the full width between the two floor to ceiling windows. The custom oak shelving forms a display case with individual lights for each section allowing the homeowners to showcase favorite art objects. The ceiling features a step and hidden LED cove lighting to provide a visual separation for this area from the adjacent kitchen and informal dining areas. The rug and furniture were selected by the homeowners for everyday comfort as this is the main TV watching and hangout room in the home. A casual dining area provides seating for 6 or more and can also function as a game table. In the background is the 3 seasons room accessed by a floor-to-ceiling sliding door that opens 2/3 to provide easy flow for entertaining.

From Plain to Fabulous A great thing about building a new home is that you are starting fresh. Being a Florida decorator, many of our clients are moving from the Northern or Mid-West states. We advise them to leave their often dark, large pieces of traditional furniture behind and just bring pieces that have value to them whether sentimental or monetary. This dining room was a pleasure because it was a clean slate with large windows letting in the morning sun. The floors are hand-scraped engineered wood in Brazilian walnut which give the entire home a warm feel to counteract the stark white walls. The home owners have a large art collection and specifically chose the white paint so that the paintings can be seen at their best and moved around the home easily. The owners host many dinner parties throughout the year and wanted a table that was virtually indestructible, and that visitors didn’t have to be careful with. This long Mango wood trestle table comfortably seats between eight and ten and has an antique grey, distressed look that is similar to driftwood. We alternated turquoise and light blue dining chairs for some contrast. An outstanding centerpiece for the room is a dazzling grey chandelier with an outstanding display of brilliant graphite crystals. Hundreds of faceted crystals are suspended from ten fluted glass arms. Wall sconces in chrome with grey linen shades were added and all the lighting is on dimmers for a choice of bright or mood lighting depending on the required ambience. To control the harsh Florida sunlight that can leech color out of furnishings within weeks, we installed light grey Silhouette window shades which keep approximately 97% of harmful UV rays out but still let in light even when fully closed. Traversing draperies were installed floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall providing a spectacular color wall of cream, green, purple and turquoise. The hardware is hidden behind the crown moulding for a clean, modern look. The best part of this design story lies in the large-scale artwork. The home owner had been given the painting years ago when she lived in Philadelphia but the colors didn’t suit her Northern palette. The painting was hidden in the attic but during the move was crated and sent to Florida. After not seeing it for sixteen years she had forgotten what it looked like and when she saw the crate about to be off-loaded asked the removal crew to take it away. At the last minute she decided to look in the crate and was surprised and delighted to find the perfect artwork for her dining room! Lastly, hand-torn wallpaper was installed in a custom color in the tray ceiling. As this room is used for dinner parties, games and even casual dining we decided not to install a rug for ease of use and movement around the table. Photographer: Rolando Diaz

The owners of this beautiful historic farmhouse had been painstakingly restoring it bit by bit. One of the last items on their list was to create a wrap-around front porch to create a more distinct and obvious entrance to the front of their home. Aside from the functional reasons for the new porch, our client also had very specific ideas for its design. She wanted to recreate her grandmother’s porch so that she could carry on the same wonderful traditions with her own grandchildren someday. Key requirements for this front porch remodel included: - Creating a seamless connection to the main house. - A floorplan with areas for dining, reading, having coffee and playing games. - Respecting and maintaining the historic details of the home and making sure the addition felt authentic. Upon entering, you will notice the authentic real pine porch decking. Real windows were used instead of three season porch windows which also have molding around them to match the existing home’s windows. The left wing of the porch includes a dining area and a game and craft space. Ceiling fans provide light and additional comfort in the summer months. Iron wall sconces supply additional lighting throughout. Exposed rafters with hidden fasteners were used in the ceiling. Handmade shiplap graces the walls. On the left side of the front porch, a reading area enjoys plenty of natural light from the windows. The new porch blends perfectly with the existing home much nicer front facade. There is a clear front entrance to the home, where previously guests weren’t sure where to enter. We successfully created a place for the client to enjoy with her future grandchildren that’s filled with nostalgic nods to the memories she made with her own grandmother. "We have had many people who asked us what changed on the house but did not know what we did. When we told them we put the porch on, all of them made the statement that they did not notice it was a new addition and fit into the house perfectly.” – Homeowner

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2014 Houzz
Example of an eclectic staircase design in New York

When we started this project there were 3 lights, red carpet, and fake panel doors where the built-in bookcases are now. This home is an old historic home so it was important to update the space for their kids and guests to come and stay as well as try to make the space appear bigger then it actually was. I went with whitewashed flooring, beautiful tables that were distressed with a white & grey finish. Kept the colors neutral but added a pop of blue. We built the bookshelves so that they could have storage for games and art, the sofa also serves as a sleeper. The desk with mirror above help reflect the light and also allow them to work down there. Client was so thrilled!!

This exclusive guest home features excellent and easy to use technology throughout. The idea and purpose of this guesthouse is to host multiple charity events, sporting event parties, and family gatherings. The roughly 90-acre site has impressive views and is a one of a kind property in Colorado. The project features incredible sounding audio and 4k video distributed throughout (inside and outside). There is centralized lighting control both indoors and outdoors, an enterprise Wi-Fi network, HD surveillance, and a state of the art Crestron control system utilizing iPads and in-wall touch panels. Some of the special features of the facility is a powerful and sophisticated QSC Line Array audio system in the Great Hall, Sony and Crestron 4k Video throughout, a large outdoor audio system featuring in ground hidden subwoofers by Sonance surrounding the pool, and smart LED lighting inside the gorgeous infinity pool. J Gramling Photos

©Finished Basement Company
Basement - large rustic look-out medium tone wood floor and beige floor basement idea in Chicago with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

The Hidden Gem is a lake house nestled on a private lake in NJ. This house was taken down to the studs and rebuilt. The renovated kitchen is perfect for cooking and gathering. The nook holds a table with seating for 4 and is the perfect place for pancakes or afternoon tea. The dining room has a wet with an Art TV in the center so no one will miss the game while eating Thanksgiving dinner. The living room is a great spot to unwind at the end of the day. A gas fireplace with a reclaimed wood, live edge mantel is the focal point. The bonus room over the garage is ideal for teenagers to gather and play video games or watch movies. This house is light and airy and the summer sun floods in through all the windows. It's also cozy for brisk autumn nights and cooler spring days.

We renovated the master bathroom, the kids' en suite bathroom, and the basement in this modern home in West Chester, PA. The bathrooms as very sleek and modern, with flat panel, high gloss cabinetry, white quartz counters, and gray porcelain tile floors. The basement features a main living area with a play area and a wet bar, an exercise room, a home theatre and a bathroom. These areas, too, are sleek and modern with gray laminate flooring, unique lighting, and a gray and white color palette that ties the area together. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016 and 2017. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017 and 2018, which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: JMB Photoworks

Game room - mid-sized traditional enclosed carpeted and beige floor game room idea in Dallas with blue walls, no fireplace and a media wall

Boasting views of the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, the Beaux Arts and French Renaissance style building built in 1900 was once home to a luxury hotel. Over the years multiple hotel rooms were combined into the larger apartment residences that exist today. The resulting units, while large in size, lacked the continuity of a single formed space. StudioLAB was presented with the challenge of re-designing the space to fit a modern family’s lifestyle today with the flexibility to adjust as they evolve into their tomorrow. Thus, the existing configuration was completely abandoned with new programmatic elements being relocated in each and every corner of the space. For clients that are big wine connoisseurs, the focal point of entry and circulation lies in a 400 bottle, custom built, blackened steel and glass, temperature controlled wine cabinet. The once enclosed living room was demolished to create one main entertaining space that includes a new dining area and open kitchen. Hafele bi-folding pocket door slides were used in the Living room wall unit to conceal the television, bar and display shelves when not in use. Posing as kitchen cabinetry, a hidden integrated door opens to reveal a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom. Down the hallway of wide plank ebony stained walnut flooring, a compact powder room was built to house an original Paul Villinski installation of small butterflies cut from recycled aluminum cans, entitled Mistral. Continuing down the hall, and through one of the walnut veneered doors, is the shared kids bedroom where a custom-built bunk bed with integrated storage steps and desk was designed to allow for play space and a reading corner. The kids bathroom across the hall is decorated with custom Lego inspired hand cast concrete tiles and integrated pull-out footstools residing underneath the floating vanity. The master suite features a bio-ethanol fireplace wrapped in blackened steel and integrated into the Tabu veneered built-in. The spacious walk-in closet serves several purposes, which include housing the apartment’s new central HVAC system as well as a sleeping spot for the family’s dog. An integrated URC control system paired with Lutron Radio RA lighting keypads were installed to control the AV, HVAC, lighting and solar shades all by the use of smartphones.

Laura Dante
Dining room - contemporary medium tone wood floor dining room idea in Tampa with blue walls

Inspiration for a timeless home theater remodel in San Francisco with a wall-mounted tv

Family room - coastal dark wood floor and vaulted ceiling family room idea in Sacramento with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a concealed tv

This is the lower level of lovely town house in Northern Virginia. The client and her teenage daughter wanted a place to hang out, watch TV, play games, use a laptop and do homework. Our goal was to allocate space for each request while not overwhelming the whole room. We achieved this by keeping the lines and color palette simple, but certainly not boring. The dramatic deep blue accent walls acts as a backdrop to the furnishings and draws the eye to the far reaches of the long room. The high table and 4 leather barstools are perfect for dining, games or working on a laptop. The sectional is a soft and comfy place to land after a long day. David Keith Photography

Example of a transitional playroom design in Seattle

Top floor is comprised of vastly open multipurpose space and a guest bathroom incorporating a steam shower and inside/outside shower. This multipurpose room can serve as a tv watching area, game room, entertaining space with hidden bar, and cleverly built in murphy bed that can be opened up for sleep overs. Recessed TV built-in offers extensive storage hidden in three-dimensional cabinet design. Recessed black out roller shades and ripplefold sheer drapes open or close with a touch of a button, offering blacked out space for evenings or filtered Florida sun during the day. Being a 3rd floor this room offers incredible views of Fort Lauderdale just over the tops of palms lining up the streets. Color scheme in this room is more vibrant and playful, with floors in Brazilian ipe and fabrics in crème. Cove LED ceiling details carry throughout home. Photography: Craig Denis

Putra Indrawan
Bedroom and mid-sized trendy boy carpeted kids' bedroom photo in Perth with multicolored walls