Eric Hausman for TRENDS
Example of a transitional galley dark wood floor kitchen design in Chicago with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and marble backsplash

Barry Grossman Photography
Living room - contemporary white floor living room idea in Miami with a bar

Jeri Koegel
Example of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash and an island

A custom handmade wall covering recalls historical canopy beds transforming the bed now to the scale of the space. Vancouver's Stanley Park provides the tonal inspiration set underneath a luminous gold sky. Photo by: David Mitchell

Large trendy backyard deck photo in Hobart with a roof extension

Huge beach style formal and open concept light wood floor family room photo in Miami with white walls, a wall-mounted tv, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

The former chicken coop is now a guest cottage - still in progress. Photo by Brea McDonald http://www.breamcdonald.com/

Example of a mid-sized classic master carpeted and beige floor bedroom design in Boston with blue walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Example of a transitional master beige tile and white tile beige floor and double-sink alcove shower design in Oklahoma City with recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door, gray countertops and a built-in vanity

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional master corner shower remodel in San Francisco with an undermount tub, gray walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door and a niche

A machined hood, custom stainless cabinetry and exposed ducting harkens to a commercial vibe. The 5'x10' marble topped island wears many hats. It serves as a large work surface, tons of storage, informal seating, and a visual line that separates the eating and cooking areas. Photo by Lincoln Barber

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Example of a country alcove shower design in San Francisco

Douglas VanderHorn Architects From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

How do you expand an L shaped Eichler with the challenge of extending a long dark entry? Klopf Architecture's solution, to design a light filled atrium in the hallway to open up the bedroom expansion with green plants, sky lights and a glass wall. Not to mention the thoughtfulness of a blind door with wood siding similar to the rest of the home. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Geoff Campen, Jeffrey Prose, and Angela Todorova Contractor: William Lowe Construction Photography ©2013 Mariko Reed Location: Palo Alto, CA Year completed: 2013

Japanese Tatami Dining Room featuring Tatami Mats and Garden View. Design and Build by Trilogy Partners. Photos Roger Wade Photography. Featured Architectural Digest May 2010

Trendy open concept family room photo with a ribbon fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Kitchen - mediterranean l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This couple purchased a second home as a respite from city living. Living primarily in downtown Chicago the couple desired a place to connect with nature. The home is located on 80 acres and is situated far back on a wooded lot with a pond, pool and a detached rec room. The home includes four bedrooms and one bunkroom along with five full baths. The home was stripped down to the studs, a total gut. Linc modified the exterior and created a modern look by removing the balconies on the exterior, removing the roof overhang, adding vertical siding and painting the structure black. The garage was converted into a detached rec room and a new pool was added complete with outdoor shower, concrete pavers, ipe wood wall and a limestone surround. Kitchen Details: -Cabinetry, custom rift cut white oak -Light fixtures, Lightology -Barstools, Article and refinished by Home Things -Appliances, Thermadore, stovetop has a downdraft hood -Island, Ceasarstone, raw concrete -Sink and faucet, Delta faucet, sink is Franke -White shiplap ceiling with white oak beams -Flooring is rough wide plank white oak and distressed