Technology and function. While a TV is the centerpiece of a traditional family room, Ferrer eschewed the eyesore of a wall-mounted TV and tucked it away in a custom-built Cabinet Tronix television cabinet. With a touch of a button, the TV emerges, neatly and discretely, connected to half a dozen media peripherals, including a Blu-Ray player and X-Box, which are also hidden away, enclosed in a compartment at the bottom of the unit. Inside the cabinet, the family’s former tiny TV was upsized and upgraded with a 43" TCL Roku TV. Since streaming is the new cable, the family cut the cord, and cost, and now uses a TERK Trinity Indoor Amplified HDTV antenna to get basic channels sans subscription. Atop the cabinet, a stylish Sonos Playbar connects to the TV via optical cable and lends rich AV sound. The app-controlled system connects with other Sonos speakers in the house to stream free and paid playlists from sites like Pandora, Amazon Music, and Spotify. To amplify Wi-Fi throughout the house, a TP-Link VR900 modem/router is paired with the eero extender system to boost bufferless audio and video streaming. Above the lift cabinet, Ferrer used the wall space as a projection screen for a ZTE Spro2 projector. The palm-sized tablet-like projector transforms the living room into a cinema, streaming directly from the device or connecting to other devices via USB or HDMI cable. After some research, Ferrer learned that the best color wall for projection was not white, as one might expect, but grey. She chose Sherwin-Williams Passive Gray to make the colors pop and show vividly on the wall.

This exceptional family home on the Upper North Shore has been designed for all year round entertaining. The home flows easily from the front entrance through the open plan living rooms through to the kitchen and outdoor living areas. The kitchen has been cleverly divided to provide additional storage and allows room for a sizable, walk-in butler’s pantry. Fitted with an additional sink means food can be prepared and dishes stored out of sight when entertaining. Gitani Stone, Ancient Reef island bench, Sareen Stone mosaic splashback and pewter handles transform what is predominantly a white kitchen into a vibrant living and working space. Practicality and ease of use were a must for this kitchen: custom cabinetry was designed and manufactured in Art of Kitchens Mt Kuring-gai factory and fitted with the latest Blum internal hardware. Miele appliances are featured throughout the kitchen. The kitchen is beautifully lit with a combination of ambient, task, and general lighting: natural light streams through the large windows and french doors, LED ceiling lights enhance the natural lighting and under cabinet lighting provides task lighting. Art of Kitchens completed the interior kitchen, outdoor kitchen, bathrooms and custom bedroom joinery in this brand new Upper North Shore Meadowbank Home.

Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in Portland.

Inspiration for a traditional landscaping in Portland.

Deck and Patio’s outdoor living expert was called in by the pool company to design a pool area that would hold up against a steep hill through the addition of a large retaining wall. A hot springs spa (right) was nestled into the slope using a hidden wall. www.deckandpatio.com

Jay McCormick

Bailey Construction & Landscape Group, Inc.
Design ideas for a large traditional full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in Atlanta with a fire pit.

This beautiful award-winning water feature consists of a stream, waterfalls and pond, and is the perfect spot for letting the day’s cares melt away. Enchanting Echinacea (coneflowers) and magenta Lythrum are some of the plants brightening this pondscape. www.deckandpatio.com

A new porch highlights the front door, once difficult to find, on this variation of a traditional Cape Cod home. Ample windows on axis with the living room entry focus a visitor’s attention on a sun filled garden terrace and water feature. From above, light streams through a ridge clerestory, inspired by the client’s love of the Stanford University Barn’s similar roof detail. The newly raised ceiling creates a lofty, inviting space. Below the living room, a new basement home theater is finished with fine wood paneling and accented with art from their collection.

Enjoy the view from your own breathtaking kitchen. Despite the scenic view outside the kitchen window, it’s your Dura Supreme Crestwood Cabinetry kitchen that takes your breath away. A panoramic mantel hood soars over the stainless steel range creating a stunning architectural focal point. Beveled glass cabinet doors twinkle in the early morning sunlight. A picturesque kitchen island stands amid the stream of family activities as you begin and end each day in the heart of your home – your Dura Supreme kitchen. Although Dura Supreme Cabinetry is crafted with quality materials and construction, it was the bounty of delicious design details that cemented your decision. Of course the delicate dent it made on your pocket book was a nice surprise as well. Request a FREE Dura Supreme Cabinetry Brochure Packet at: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure

This contemporary living room features warm hardwood flooring paired with crisp white walls. A brown leather armchair with a cream pillow sits opposite a flat-screen television. Natural light streams through a large black-framed window overlooking greenery, complemented by a cozy gray bean bag chair.

This challenging site near Wolf Trap had an existing swimming pool at the end of the property. With twelve feet of grade change across the backyard, our landscape design dilemma was; how to connect the new pool with the house, create lots of living space, and still get people to the landscape below. The entire rear of the house was renovated, giving us an opportunity to build a new composite multi-level deck. We crafted a covered living space under the deck and sunroom. Techo-Bloc pavers, a stone dive rock at the deep end and the natural stream bed with waterfalls that cascades into the pool. Photography by Mike Bonomo

VanBrouck & Associates: Inspired by the classical architecture of Palladio, this Italian villa was designed with a procession of beautifully proportioned, ordered spaces, with strong axial sightlines, to draw the eye through the spaces and beckon the individual to explore. Beautifully sited on acreage, the interior and exterior spaces are thoughtfully orchestrated to interact together, and to connect to the land. Stone loggias, at the entry, rear, and side of the residence, visually and literally extend the interior living spaces. View-lines extend through the house from the open courtyard and infinite landscape vistas of the front to the wooded terrain of the rear. Gentle cross-breezes flow and natural light streams into the rooms from a series of French doors lyrically arranged throughout the spaces.

A daring combination of forms and finishes yielded an exciting contemporary/industrial hybrid. In a converted wedge-shaped factory building, this loft’s quirky shape was celebrated, not disguised. Contrasting flooring demarcates what is, in fact, a literal work triangle. The island’s unusual five-sided shape proudly reiterates the room’s footprint; the three waterfall ends accentuate its one-of-a-kind geometry. Four different materials were chosen to establish a playful dialogue between light, dark, and texture: caramel-stained rift cut oak on open cabinets; matte charcoal gray paint on tall and wall cabinets; brushed bronze oil-rubbed wire mesh inserts for bases; and panels in a laminate resembling knotty weathered wood. White quartz countertops provide a unifying feature. Open cabinets are singular for their asymmetrical placement and, in some spots, open-ended configuration within the tall units. The breathtaking dining table was fashioned from two free-form live edge planks, joined by a ribbon of clear epoxy resin, thus creating the illusion of a stream meandering through fallen trees. Black elements contribute an industrial edge: an open-framed metal wall shelf over the sink; iron table legs; a mix of dining chairs in mid-century wire mesh, molded plastic, and retro aluminum; and machinery castors on the low-slung coffee table. This project was designed by Bilotta Designer Daniel Popescu in collaboration with MeldNYC. Photography is by Nico Arellano.

Inspiration for a traditional landscaping in Portland.

Showing: *Custom-designed waterfall with stream and re-used water circulating. *Custom bridge to patio *Pergola over the new bluestone patio
This is an example of a large mid-century modern drought-tolerant backyard river rock and wood fence waterfall in San Francisco.

The natural wood textures in this breakfast room pair well with the lively, fresh apple green walls and sunlight streaming in from the large windows.

View from the paver patio overlooking an emphemeral stream towards the house.
Photo of a large rustic partial sun hillside concrete paver garden path for summer.

Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Portland.