Rich colors, minimalist lines, and plenty of natural materials were implemented to this Austin home. Project designed by Sara Barney’s Austin interior design studio BANDD DESIGN. They serve the entire Austin area and its surrounding towns, with an emphasis on Round Rock, Lake Travis, West Lake Hills, and Tarrytown. For more about BANDD DESIGN, click here: https://bandddesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://bandddesign.com/dripping-springs-family-retreat/

Inspiration for a cottage patio remodel in San Luis Obispo

Example of a small minimalist single-wall light wood floor open concept kitchen design in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months. With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of

Photo: Design Fixation © 2016 Houzz
Example of a cottage kids' room design in Boston

The swimming pool is raised approximately 18", and set tight to the rear year wall to maximize space and creates a stepped "jewel box" effect. The pool coping is chicago common brick, as is the balance of the hardscape in the rear yard. The pool is directly opposite the Great Room, and adjacent to the bar and outdoor cooking kitchen, creating an environment that is both beautiful and efficiently arranged. Design Principal: Gene Kniaz, Spiral Architects; General Contractor: Eric Linthicum, Linthicum Custom Builders

2011 NARI CAPITAL COTY FINALIST AWARD WINNER This Cape Cod home located in Great Falls, VA, was in need of a major face lift. The front elevation had no defining character. Because the homeowners have three young active boys, their outdoor living space is important. They wanted to be able to have a porch to relax on while watching over the kids, have them hold a camp fire outdoors, and be able to entertain on the new side patio. Also the home’s entrance needed to be much more appealing. The new design included a new front covered porch made out of solid concrete walls with crawl space underneath for shed storage. Entire walls, floor, steps and walkway were done in flagstone. The half columns and patio with its retaining walls were also done in the same flagstone. The entire front face of old home was demolished. Then a 10’x30’ covered porch was framed-up to match the existing front elevation. Matching siding and roofing tied this look together. The front entrance was widened and includes a new mahogany door with leaded glass. A new bow window was added to bring more daylight into living room. Inside, a new kitchen with blond cabinetry, dark granite counters and rich wood floors has become a central gathering place. New stainless steel appliances, including a range hood, form a highly efficient work triangle. A tile backsplash and recessed lighting complete the redesign. The Arts & Crafts front porch with wide columns and railing, beaded ceiling panel, embedded lighting and ceiling fan made the front appearance a delightful place for the family to hang out. Implementing this front porch into the existing flat front Cape Cod had a major impact on the total appearance of this home. Now it looks like a brand new home has been added to the neighborhood.

Photo ©Kim Jeffery
Inspiration for a large transitional master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel in Toronto with white walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Taking into account the client’s lifestyle, needs and vision, we presented a contemporary design with an industrial converted-warehouse feel inspired by a photo the clients love. The showpiece is the functioning garage door which separates a 3-season room and open deck. While, officially a 3-season room, additional features were implemented to extend the usability of the space in both hot and cold months. Examples include removable glass and screen panels, power screen at garage door, ceiling fans, a heated tile floor, gas fire pit and a covered grilling station complete with an exterior-grade range hood, gas line and access to both the 3-season room and new mudroom. Photography: John Cole

Since moving into her Dublin home two and a half years ago, Nancy Sanford has been peeling off the decades—quite literally. Built in the 1980s, the home was “very well-maintained, but very little had been done to it” in terms of updating the finishes or style, Sanford says. Plush white carpet ran from wall-to-wall-to-wall, almond-colored laminate coated the kitchen cabinets and wallpaper ran rampant—even covering some ceilings. Despite her efforts, Sanford knew it was going to take more than cosmetic editing to shake the ‘80s and make the home her own. Although she lives in the traditional-leaning Muirfield community, Sanford adores a minimalist, contemporary style—and admits to devouring design magazines “ad nauseam.” To implement her thoroughly modern vision, Sanford turned to Brigid Norton, an interior designer and family friend, and Kristi Youles, a kitchen designer with The JAE Company. Working together, the trio created a carefully considered contemporary design that’s easy on the eyes, and the body. In addition to improving the flow of the kitchen—by removing a V-shaped peninsula that angled out into the room—and adding appliances like a stainless steel refrigerator, Sanford’s short list of must-haves included clean, uncluttered lines and no wall cabinets over the countertops. “I’ve found as I’ve aged, I’ve gotten shorter and just don’t use the upper cabinets,” Sanford explains. Easy-access, smooth-slide drawers with clean slab fronts were the answer—resulting in strong visual lines, an open, airy feel and enhanced ergonomics. Starting with a “needs assessment,” Youles and Norton designed the space quite literally around Nancy. By looking at factors such as her height and which items she uses most frequently, they were able to determine the optimum placement for everything from canned goods in the pantry to cutlery, pans and plates in the customized drawers, all of which helped to achieve the ultimate kitchen organization. But there’s more to the kitchen cabinets smooth façade than clean-lined storage. Walnut drawer fronts—found on the oven and the base of the island—are book-matched, allowing the grain to continue from drawer to drawer. And even in spaces where drawers weren’t feasible, beneath the sink and in a desk area, the designers continued the look with cabinet doors crafted to resemble drawers. The visual continuity of these lines might not be as impactful if it weren’t for the careful selection of contrasting finishes. The designers filled the space with pure, glossy white—using a specific type of quartz, White Cliff by Cambria, to accent the bold rectangular design of the island. Then, to break up the expanse of accompanying white painted drawers, walnut was selected to bring the contrasting warmth and grain of wood without red undertones. It is commonly found in modern furniture design, as well as current productions of mid-century designs like the iconic Eames Lounge Chair from Herman Miller, Youles says.

Unique pull out utensil bins.
Example of a tuscan kitchen design in Dallas

Taking into account the client’s lifestyle, needs and vision, we presented a contemporary design with an industrial converted-warehouse feel inspired by a photo the clients love. The showpiece is the functioning garage door which separates a 3-season room and open deck. While, officially a 3-season room, additional features were implemented to extend the usability of the space in both hot and cold months. Examples include removable glass and screen panels, power screen at garage door, ceiling fans, a heated tile floor, gas fire pit and a covered grilling station complete with an exterior-grade range hood, gas line and access to both the 3-season room and new mudroom. Photography: John Cole

Calista Chandler Photography
Example of an eclectic kitchen design in San Francisco

2011 NARI CAPITAL COTY FINALIST AWARD WINNER This Cape Cod home located in Great Falls, VA, was in need of a major face lift. The front elevation had no defining character. Because the homeowners have three young active boys, their outdoor living space is important. They wanted to be able to have a porch to relax on while watching over the kids, have them hold a camp fire outdoors, and be able to entertain on the new side patio. Also the home’s entrance needed to be much more appealing. The new design included a new front covered porch made out of solid concrete walls with crawl space underneath for shed storage. Entire walls, floor, steps and walkway were done in flagstone. The half columns and patio with its retaining walls were also done in the same flagstone. The entire front face of old home was demolished. Then a 10’x30’ covered porch was framed-up to match the existing front elevation. Matching siding and roofing tied this look together. The front entrance was widened and includes a new mahogany door with leaded glass. A new bow window was added to bring more daylight into living room. Inside, a new kitchen with blond cabinetry, dark granite counters and rich wood floors has become a central gathering place. New stainless steel appliances, including a range hood, form a highly efficient work triangle. A tile backsplash and recessed lighting complete the redesign. The Arts & Crafts front porch with wide columns and railing, beaded ceiling panel, embedded lighting and ceiling fan made the front appearance a delightful place for the family to hang out. Implementing this front porch into the existing flat front Cape Cod had a major impact on the total appearance of this home. Now it looks like a brand new home has been added to the neighborhood.

This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months. With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of

Built by SoCalContractor.com
Mid-sized trendy dark wood floor bedroom photo in Los Angeles with gray walls

Interior Design, Renovation Design and Management--Lisa Teague. Photo--Jamie Solomon. Kitchen space planning--Susan Durling Designs. Implementation--Star Island Builders.

This 2,700 square-foot renovation of an existing brick structure has provided a stunning, year round vacation home in the Lake Sunapee region. Located on the same footprint as the original brick structure, the new, one-story residence is oriented on the site to take advantage of the expansive views of Mts. Sunapee and Kearsarge. By implementing a mix of siding treatments, textures and materials, and unique rooflines the home complements the surrounding site, and caps off the top of the grassy hill. New entertainment rooms and porches are located so that the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains are always prominent. Dressed in bright and airy colors, the spaces welcome conversation and relaxation in spectacular settings. The design of three unique spaces, each of which experience the site differently, contributed to the overall layout of the residence. From the Adirondack chairs on the colonnaded porch to the cushioned sofas of the sunroom, personalized touches of exquisite taste provide an undeniably comforting atmosphere to the site. Photographer: Joseph St. Pierre

AV Architects + Builders Location: Great Falls, VA, USA Our modern farm style home design was exactly what our clients were looking for. They had the charm and the landscape they wanted, but needed a boost to help accommodate a family of four. Our design saw us tear down their existing garage and transform the space into an entertaining family friendly kitchen. This addition moved the entry of the home to the other side and switched the view of the kitchen on the side of the home with more natural light. As for the ceilings, we went ahead and changed the traditional 7’8” ceilings to a 9’4” ceiling. Our decision to approach this home with smart design resulted in removing the existing stick frame roof and replacing it with engineered trusses to have a higher and wider roof, which allowed for the open plan to be implemented without the use of supporting beams. And once the finished product was complete, our clients had a home that doubled in space and created many more opportunities for entertaining and relaxing in style. Stacy Zarin Photography