Introduction - Photos & Ideas

Our La Cañada studio designed this lovely home, keeping with the fun, cheerful personalities of the homeowner. The entry runner from Annie Selke is the perfect introduction to the house and its playful palette, adding a welcoming appeal. In the dining room, a beautiful, iconic Schumacher wallpaper was one of our happy finishes whose vines and garden colors begged for more vibrant colors to complement it. So we added bold green color to the trims, doors, and windows, enhancing the playful appeal. In the family room, we used a soft palette with pale blue, soft grays, and warm corals, reminiscent of pastel house palettes and crisp white trim that reflects the turquoise waters and white sandy beaches of Bermuda! The formal living room looks elegant and sophisticated, with beautiful furniture in soft blue and pastel green. The curtains nicely complement the space, and the gorgeous wooden center table anchors the space beautifully. In the kitchen, we added a custom-built, happy blue island that sits beneath the house’s namesake fabric, Hydrangea Heaven. ---Project designed by Courtney Thomas Design in La Cañada. Serving Pasadena, Glendale, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Altadena. For more about Courtney Thomas Design, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/portfolio/elegant-family-home-la-canada/

Brampton driveway and porch

Society Concrete Ltd

Minimalist home design photo in Toronto

Hydrangea Heaven

Coco Maison Design

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz

A Bathroom with a View

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Everyone dreams of a luxurious bathroom. But a bath with an enviable city and water view? That’s almost beyond expectation. But this primary bath delivers that and more. The introduction to this oasis is through a reeded glass pocket door, obscuring the actual contents of the room, but allowing an abundance of natural light to lure you in. Upon entering, you’re struck by the expansiveness of the relatively modest footprint. This is attributed to the judicious use of only three materials: slatted wood panels; marble; and glass. Resisting the temptation to add multiple finishes creates a voluminous effect. Slats of rift-cut white oak in a natural finish were custom fabricated into vanity doors and wall panels. The pattern mimics the reeded glass on the entry door. On the floating vanity, the doors have a beveled top edge, thus eliminating the distraction of hardware. Marble is lavished on the floor; the shower enclosure; the tub deck and surround; as well as the custom 6” thick mitered countertop with integral sinks and backsplash. The glass shower door and end wall allows straight sight lines to that all-important view. Tri-view mirrors interspersed with LED lighting prove that medicine cabinets can still be stylish. This project was done in collaboration with Sarah Witkin, AIA of Bilotta Architecture and Michelle Pereira of Innato Interiors LLC. Photography by Stefan Radtke.

Presidio Heights House, John Maniscalco Architecture

American Institute of Architects, San Francisco

Built in 1949 for a prominent San Francisco family by Campbell and Wong, the well-loved original house represented forward thinking for the time, with an emphasis on an open floor plan and indoor-outdoor relationships to a central courtyard. However, the configuration of spaces with living spaces on the ground floor, the northern orientation of the home, and architectural language deprived the home of natural light and failed to capture the significant views to the adjacent Presidio open space. The major design goal was to create a warm, inviting, and organic-feeling modern home for this family of four defined by the qualities of this unique site. The house needed to take advantage of sweeping views and its unique perch above 1500 acres of protected parklands, while bringing significant natural light and openness into the home. It was clear that the house needed to defer to the natural beauty of the Presidio and the feeling of a country home in the heart of the city. The principal move inverts the floor plan and moves the living spaces to the upper floor where opportunities for introducing natural light abound. By extending the house horizontally to the south, the new design takes advantage of the full width of the property, creating spaces that are expansive in every direction. The introduction of a 12 foot by 24 foot skylight at the center of the home extending over the full width and length of the kitchen floods light into the open, connected living spaces. Combined with the remainder of this southern addition, the house takes on a wide horizontality atypical of San Francisco's narrow, tall residential spaces. Photo by Christopher Stark

A Bathroom with a View

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Three Bath Home

Charlie Allen Renovations, Inc.

We recently completed three distinct bathroom renovation projects, all located in the same home. Each bathroom — a master, a children’s Jack & Jill bath, and a family/guest bath — was gutted and fully remodeled. We worked on the project with architect Michael Szalaji of Cambridge-based On the Boards Design. The Jack & Jill bath was one of two that needed to be expanded. We annexed an adjacent closet to provide extra square footage. This allowed for the comfortable introduction of a shower stall with a glass Dreamliner door and for the installation of a tall, semi-custom hamper cabinet. The cabinet and vanity were each fitted with Caesarstone countertop. The master bathroom also received an upgrade, with a new shower stall, baseboard and crown molding. The shower features decorative 5” Ogee Drop Tile and an accent border in Natural Stone Pencil. The custom shower door, by Prestige Glass, includes a translucent privacy band etched across the center of the glass. For comfort on cold mornings, radiant heating was installed. On the third floor, adjacent to the family room, a third bath was remodeled. Like the children’s bath, the footprint for this room was also expanded by annexing closet space. We added a shower stall here too, and this one features built-in bench seating. Window glass in the bathroom window was replaced with tempered, frosted glass for safety and privacy. Photos by Shelly Harrison

Hydrangea Heaven

Coco Maison Design

Carlsbad Cottage

Ginger Rabe Designs, LLC

Incorporated both French doors and Dutch doors, aiming to enhance the indoor-outdoor connection. The addition of custom decks and stairs from the bedroom to the laundry space and backyard suggests a functional and aesthetic upgrade to the outdoor spaces. The introduction of a custom brick step from the main bedroom french doors leads you to the outside seating area and shower that brings a rustic and coastal charming touch to the space. This not only improves accessibility but also creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Ginger's attention to detail is evident through the custom-designed copper light-up address signs. These signs not only serve a practical purpose but also add a distinctive and stylish element to the home's exterior. Similarly, the custom black iron lights guiding the pathways around the home contribute to the overall ambiance while providing safety and visibility. By combining functional design elements, thoughtful aesthetics, and custom craftsmanship, it seems like the firm and Ginger have worked together to transform the outdoor areas into a unique and appealing extension of the home.

Hydrangea Heaven

Coco Maison Design

Spring Valley, OH Outdoor Oasis

Archadeck of West Central and Southwest Ohio

The deck is built using low-maintenance Fiberon decking in Rosewood with a vinyl Mount Hope rail in Cape Cod T-Rail. We installed Kichler low-voltage deck lighting for safety and for adding ambiance to the space as well. The deck features a custom-fabricated white vinyl pergola with innovative fixed louvers and interlocking slats which deliver optimum shade. Underneath the deck is just as noteworthy as the upper portion, as all the posts and beams are wrapped in rough-hewn cedar and finished with interlocking concrete pavers at their base. The introduction of cedar into this space adds an elegantly rustic contrast to the seamless design. Under the deck, is a finished, ultra-functional and versatile outdoor living space. This space was achieved by installing a DrySnap under-deck rain carrying system which allows the area under the deck be utilized to the same benefit evident in a covered porch or patio setting. Photos courtesy Archadeck of West Central and Southwest Ohio

Spring Valley, OH Outdoor Oasis

Archadeck of West Central and Southwest Ohio

Boston Suburban Home

Charlie Allen Renovations, Inc.

For a small family in the Boston suburbs, their modest sized home was just the right size. But with some smart changes, they wondered if it could be more enjoyable. Working with architect Joseph S. Artley, we came up with a number of solutions: • To make the kitchen a more comfortable work and gathering space, a bay window was removed and the kitchen itself bumped out slightly to allow for the introduction of an expansive island, as well as additional countertop and cabinetry. • The first floor half-bathroom was relocated to the end of the entry hall. This allowed us to connect the kitchen with what had been a three-season porch. • That three-season porch was properly heated and remodeled as a sunny breakfast nook: the perfect spot for the family to gather in the mornings. • Near the entry to the breakfast nook, an existing electrical box could not be moved. To conceal it, we suggested an oversized family bulletin board, which we provided as a gift to the homeowners. Now, it offers a great spot to catch up on the day’s activities and enjoy some family artwork while heading in for breakfast. • This family loves to read and they asked for custom built in bookshelves in the living room that would look original to the home and match existing shelving on the other side of the room. • The den is a favorite spot for the family to watch movies and play games, but the room, which had also been a three season porch prior to an earlier renovation, was drafty in the winter and hot in the summer. We introduced new, energy efficient windows and insulation throughout, resulting in a much more inviting and cozy room. Today, after barely increasing the footprint of the home, the family has a new breakfast room, a usable den, a larger and more inviting kitchen, and a better-situated first-floor bath. Lots of simple fixes = a much happier space for the whole family. Photos by Shelly Harrison

Unilock Artline®

Ultimate Outdoor Design

Some surfaces don't just guide the way. They elevate the experience of arriving. Artline® transforms every driveway into a statement of modern elegance, defined by clean lines, thoughtful proportion, and timeless design. Unilock Artline® features a sleek, modular layout with elongated shapes and smooth finishes that create a contemporary aesthetic. Made with EnduraColor™ technology for long-lasting color and wear resistance, this paver is ideal for sophisticated driveways that demand performance without sacrificing beauty. Imagine pulling into a space that feels architectural. The clean geometry under your tires. The way sunlight and shadow play across the textured surface. Artline® turns movement into design and makes every arrival feel intentional. This is more than a driveway. It is the introduction to your home’s character and the first impression of your lifestyle. Let’s explore how this material can bring your outdoor story to life. Schedule your consultation today: 516-522-8249