This project in Sarasota, Florida centered on creating an elegant backyard living space in which the Owners could live and entertain. Both design professionals, they requested a new pool house, pool and landscape layout that embraced modern design but had a sensitivity to the adjacent 1926 historic home that would share the site.

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2014 Houzz Design: Suzan Davidson Designs
Example of a tuscan patio design in Dallas

The office has glass french doors from the entry. There are large windows for a bright space. Gleaming Oak flooring contrasts the wood accent wall that displays "Boudreaux" the whale. A jack and jill bath is shared between the office and guest bedroom. Built by Jeff Frostholm Construction and desinged by Bob Chatham Custom Home Design. Photos by Bailey Chastang Photography.

This modern farmhouse by Visbeen Architects embodies contemporary luxury, beginning with the light-filled living spaces on the first floor and continuing into the spacious sleeping zones. The large, open dining room steps out to the back screened porch for easy indoor-outdoor interaction. The master suite presents owners with a bright sitting nook (surrounded on three sides with glass for plenty of natural light), a huge walk-in closet, and a spa-like bathroom with a large shower and two vanities. The nearby study can become an office, nursery, or even a room for a snoring partner. Upstairs, two bedrooms each boast a private bathroom and generous dimensions. The lower level can be finished as a relaxing family zone, complete with a wet bar, exercise room, and theater. Other highlights of the home include the well-organized storage spaces on the way in from the garage and the kitchen's big island.

Entry foyer looking into main living spaces with outdoor screened in porch to right with sun courtyard and shared shade courtyard to rear
Inspiration for a large transitional living room remodel in Houston

Here in Florida, we’re blessed with great weather year-round. So it’s no surprise that outdoor entertaining areas are an extremely popular way to enhance outdoor living. When our clients requested an update to their existing outdoor kitchen while they were away on vacation, we were ready to hit the ground running. While their beautiful 2-story home on a golf course had a pool and covered lanai area, the existing outdoor kitchen just didn’t function well for their needs. Mainly, they craved additional counter space and more seating. And, as avid football fans, with a son playing on a renown Division 1 college team, they also wanted a large screen TV to watch games. After all, what better way to share game day excitement than at a barbecue with family and friends? A Bigger, Better Kitchen Layout Our brilliant design team came up with a much larger, u-shaped outdoor kitchen layout for increased functionality. The extra base cabinets provided plenty of storage as well as a foundation for additional countertop space. Adjacent to the sink, we added a 24” outdoor refrigerator to keep food and beverages chilled, and the high top bar allowed for more seating around the perimeter. For cooking, our clients selected a much larger Lynx grill and side burner to replace the original grill. While the kitchen was already set up for a grilling area, it required a hood, so we built and installed a custom hood for proper ventilation. Then, we added a large screen TV above the hood for easy viewing. Finishing Touches To softly illuminate the entire space at night, we installed additional recessed light fixtures into the ceiling and under the grill hood. We also tied the Cypress wood ceiling and the crown molding together into the design with a luxurious cabinet stain. Along with these finishing touches, we added a decorative travertine stone backsplash behind the grill and homogenized the front face of the bar for a polished, matching look. Ventilation Challenges With the outdoor kitchen lanai located directly under a second-floor living area, we had expected to tuck away ventilation ductwork between the second-level floor joists and the exterior wall running parallel to the grill hood. However, upon further investigation, we discovered the second floor joist system, in fact, ran perpendicular to the grill hood. In short, we needed a new way to hide the venting without compromising the original design. Our team came up with an inspired solution: Construction of a false wall behind the outdoor kitchen allowed us to run ductwork without creating a visible chase for the vent, thus maintaining a symmetrical look on both sides of the grill and decorative hood. Exceeding Expectations In the end, we didn’t just meet our clients’ needs for a beautiful outdoor kitchen update – we exceeded them. As planned, we completed the new outdoor kitchen while they were out of town. But when our clients returned from vacation, they were so impressed with the results (and the stress-free design/build experience) that they promptly hired us for another extensive remodel – a stunning home addition!

Urban Loop Studio made thousands of decisions in order to get the old space to transform into the new one. Leverage our skill sets so that we can do the same for you. Book your complimentary 15-minute consultation over zoom with us today at www.urbanloopstudio.com/inquire, no matter where you live. We have the ability to design over zoom while screen sharing our 3D models with you (ask for samples)

This Craftsman design offers copious curb-appeal with an angled garage, decorative gables adorned with timber wood accents, a shed dormer, and a column-framed front porch. This floor plans thoughtful layout maximizes its square footage. The kitchen cooktop-island overlooks the great room and the spaces share a cathedral ceiling. A luxury screened porch enjoys a fireplace for year-round enjoyment and is topped with a cathedral ceiling and skylights. The master suite enjoys privacy at the rear of the home and opens to a relaxing porch. A mud room, oversized utility room, and walk-in pantry provide added functionality.

Builder: Falcon Custom Homes Interior Designer: Mary Burns - Gallery Photographer: Mike Buck A perfectly proportioned story and a half cottage, the Farfield is full of traditional details and charm. The front is composed of matching board and batten gables flanking a covered porch featuring square columns with pegged capitols. A tour of the rear façade reveals an asymmetrical elevation with a tall living room gable anchoring the right and a low retractable-screened porch to the left. Inside, the front foyer opens up to a wide staircase clad in horizontal boards for a more modern feel. To the left, and through a short hall, is a study with private access to the main levels public bathroom. Further back a corridor, framed on one side by the living rooms stone fireplace, connects the master suite to the rest of the house. Entrance to the living room can be gained through a pair of openings flanking the stone fireplace, or via the open concept kitchen/dining room. Neutral grey cabinets featuring a modern take on a recessed panel look, line the perimeter of the kitchen, framing the elongated kitchen island. Twelve leather wrapped chairs provide enough seating for a large family, or gathering of friends. Anchoring the rear of the main level is the screened in porch framed by square columns that match the style of those found at the front porch. Upstairs, there are a total of four separate sleeping chambers. The two bedrooms above the master suite share a bathroom, while the third bedroom to the rear features its own en suite. The fourth is a large bunkroom above the homes two-stall garage large enough to host an abundance of guests.

A stunning center dormer with arched window and decorative wood brackets cap the entry to this extraordinary hillside estate home plan. Exposed wood beams enhance the magnificent cathedral ceilings of the foyer, great room, dining room, master bedroom and screened porch, while ten-foot ceilings top the remainder of the first floor. The great room takes in scenic rear views through a wall of windows shared by the media/rec room. Fireplaces add warmth and ambience to the great room, media/rec room, screened porch and the master suite's study/sitting. The kitchen is complete with its center island cook-top, pantry and ample room for two or more cooks. A three-and-a-half-car garage allows space for storage or a golf cart.

Howard Chu Photography
Living room - coastal living room idea in Providence with green walls

Photography: Lori Hamilton Designers: Kim Collins & Alina Dolan
Example of a beach style master gray tile alcove shower design in Miami with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an undermount sink and beige walls

This fantastic Lake Michigan home offers its owners quiet and retreat – while loudly boasting some amazing interior and exterior features. This lake home is nestled at the end of a long winding drive and at the top of a breathtaking Lake Michigan bluff. Extensive designing and planning ensured that every living space and bedroom has outstanding lake views. This lake home carries a light-hearted, beachy theme throughout – with welcoming blues and greens – accented by custom white cabinetry and superior trim details. The interior details include quartz and granite countertops, stainless appliances, quarter-sawn white oak floors, Pella windows, and beautiful finishing fixtures. The exterior displays Smart-Side siding and trim details, a screen room with the EZEBreeze screen system, composite decking, maintenance-free rail systems, and an upper turret to the most pristine views. This was an amazing home to build and will offer the owners, and generations to follow, a place to share time together and create awesome memories. Cottage Home is the premiere builder on the shore of Lake Michigan, between the Indiana border and Holland.

Small mountain style two-story house exterior photo in DC Metro with a shed roof and a metal roof

This is a finished look of the bathroom. Fixtures from Toto & Duravit with marble and porcelain tile mixtures.
Corner shower - small modern master white tile and porcelain tile marble floor and white floor corner shower idea in New York with flat-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, a vessel sink and a hinged shower door

Unique features and practical amenities are packed into a modest footprint in this one-story home plan. Columns lead to the cathedral great room, which is open to the island kitchen and dining room. The secondary bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and each enjoy private porch access. Designed for enjoying Mother Nature, a covered porch wraps the rear of the home plan, ending at the cozy screen porch with fireplace, skylights, and summer kitchen. The master suite includes an oversized walk-in closet and an incredible rotunda sitting room filled with windows.

This stately 2-story home features a designer Craftsman-style exterior complete with shakes, brick, stone, fiber cement siding, window bump outs with standing seam metal roofs, and tapered porch columns with brick piers. In addition to the 2-car side entry garage with finished mudroom, a breezeway connects the home to a 3rd car detached garage. Inside, with over 3,700 square feet and a floor plan excellent for entertaining, designer details abound, including wide door and window trim and baseboards, wainscoting, chair rails, custom ceiling treatments, lofty 10' ceilings on the first floor and 9' ceilings on the second floor, decorative stairway designs, and unique entryways. The 2-story Foyer is flanked by the Study and the formal Dining Room with coffered ceiling, and leads to the Great Room with 2-story ceilings and hardwood flooring. An expansive screened-in porch is accessible from the Great Room, the first floor Owner’s Suite, and the Breakfast Area. The sprawling Kitchen is conveniently open to, and shares a wooden beamed ceiling with the Breakfast Area and Hearth Room, which in turn share a unique stone archway. The Kitchen includes lots of counter space with granite tops and tile backsplash, a 9’x4’ island, wall oven, stainless steel appliances, pantry, and a butler’s pantry connecting to the Dining Room. The Hearth Room features a cozy gas fireplace with floor to ceiling stone surround. The luxurious first floor Owner’s Suite includes custom ceiling trim detail, a walkout bay window, oversized closet, and a private bathroom with a cathedral ceiling, large tile shower, and freestanding tub. The 2nd floor includes bedrooms 2, 3, and 4, plus 2 full bathrooms.​

This cozy lake cottage skillfully incorporates a number of features that would normally be restricted to a larger home design. A glance of the exterior reveals a simple story and a half gable running the length of the home, enveloping the majority of the interior spaces. To the rear, a pair of gables with copper roofing flanks a covered dining area and screened porch. Inside, a linear foyer reveals a generous staircase with cascading landing. Further back, a centrally placed kitchen is connected to all of the other main level entertaining spaces through expansive cased openings. A private study serves as the perfect buffer between the homes master suite and living room. Despite its small footprint, the master suite manages to incorporate several closets, built-ins, and adjacent master bath complete with a soaker tub flanked by separate enclosures for a shower and water closet. Upstairs, a generous double vanity bathroom is shared by a bunkroom, exercise space, and private bedroom. The bunkroom is configured to provide sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people. The rear-facing exercise has great views of the lake through a set of windows that overlook the copper roof of the screened porch below.