For this one we had to build the fireplace surround from metal studs and plywood to make sure that it was dead level, laser flat and did not warp or move. We also hot glued one row of tiles onto the plywood to set the datums that the millworkers used to get the floating shelf elevations. With premium details the order of operations needs to be set befroe the job starts during pre-construction planning to make sure that everyone involved gets a say in what has to happen before they arrive.

Careful pre-construction planning and close trade partners allowed for all the elements of this fireplace/millwork/hidden door to get built seemlessly. We had learned from a previous project that in order for a door like this to work it needs a special hinge and magnets to pull the door 100% shut. Without that the door almost inevitably stays 10% open all the time because you cannot fully close it when there is no door handle.

The Long Lake Cottage House Plan # 07124, Casual Dining, Design by Michael W. Garrell of Garrell Associates, Inc.
Elegant dining room photo in Atlanta

The Long Lake Cottage House Plan 11069, Lodge Room, Design by Michael W. Garrell of Garrell Associates, Incorporated
Arts and crafts family room photo in Atlanta

The Long Lake Cottage House Plan 07124, front elevation. Design by Michael W. Garrell of Garrell Associates, Inc.
Inspiration for a craftsman exterior home remodel in Atlanta

Peter Vanderwarker
Great room - mid-sized 1960s open concept light wood floor and brown floor great room idea in Boston with white walls, no tv, a two-sided fireplace and a concrete fireplace

Large trendy galley dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Phoenix with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, an island, white countertops, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and paneled appliances

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern white tile, mosaic tile and gray tile tub/shower combo remodel in San Francisco with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, solid surface countertops, an undermount tub, white walls, light wood cabinets and a hinged shower door

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2017 Houzz Laundry Room: Blue and White Bliss Designer: Dina Bandman Interiors

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Example of a mid-sized transitional light wood floor and brown floor utility room design in Nashville with an undermount sink, white cabinets, white walls, open cabinets, limestone countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer and brown countertops

REFLEXA is a kitchen in post-forming shiny brushed laminated available in six colours: WHITE, RED BORDEAUX, GEM, ACORN, TITANIUM and LIGHT BLUE; the horizontal border of the doors frame is in PVC profiles of matching colour. It is an particularly eye catching product both in terms of look as well as composition, thanks to the lightness of its shapes, volumes and colours, all this combined to technological appliances of exceptional structural and functional quality.

Transitional kids' room photo in New York

David Burroughs Photography
Inspiration for a large coastal two-story wood exterior home remodel in Baltimore

Coronado, CA The Alameda Residence is situated on a relatively large, yet unusually shaped lot for the beachside community of Coronado, California. The orientation of the “L” shaped main home and linear shaped guest house and covered patio create a large, open courtyard central to the plan. The majority of the spaces in the home are designed to engage the courtyard, lending a sense of openness and light to the home. The aesthetics take inspiration from the simple, clean lines of a traditional “A-frame” barn, intermixed with sleek, minimal detailing that gives the home a contemporary flair. The interior and exterior materials and colors reflect the bright, vibrant hues and textures of the seaside locale.

Eddy Joaquim
Freestanding bathtub - mid-sized modern master gray tile and stone tile marble floor freestanding bathtub idea in San Francisco with a trough sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, solid surface countertops and white walls

Jeri Koegel
Transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Orange County with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This 3200 square foot home features a maintenance free exterior of LP Smartside, corrugated aluminum roofing, and native prairie landscaping. The design of the structure is intended to mimic the architectural lines of classic farm buildings. The outdoor living areas are as important to this home as the interior spaces; covered and exposed porches, field stone patios and an enclosed screen porch all offer expansive views of the surrounding meadow and tree line. The home’s interior combines rustic timbers and soaring spaces which would have traditionally been reserved for the barn and outbuildings, with classic finishes customarily found in the family homestead. Walls of windows and cathedral ceilings invite the outdoors in. Locally sourced reclaimed posts and beams, wide plank white oak flooring and a Door County fieldstone fireplace juxtapose with classic white cabinetry and millwork, tongue and groove wainscoting and a color palate of softened paint hues, tiles and fabrics to create a completely unique Door County homestead. Mitch Wise Design, Inc. Richard Steinberger Photography

Example of a mountain style light wood floor open concept kitchen design with an undermount sink, brown cabinets, window backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands, gray countertops and recessed-panel cabinets