Photo Credit: Rob Karosis
Inspiration for a large coastal l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Boston with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, green backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This bath, mainly used by the family's young children so we used a kid-friendly, single-lever faucet, and laminated a slight lip to the perimeter of the Silestone countertop to contain water spills. A tip-out laundry hamper sits behind the left vanity door. The large, custom made, framed mirror sits low enough for kids to use and bounces light around the compact room. Usable for kids but polished enough for guests. General Contractor: Lee Kimball Designer: Tomhill Studio Photo Credit: Sam Gray

The historic restoration of this First Period Ipswich, Massachusetts home (c. 1686) was an eighteen-month project that combined exterior and interior architectural work to preserve and revitalize this beautiful home. Structurally, work included restoring the summer beam, straightening the timber frame, and adding a lean-to section. The living space was expanded with the addition of a spacious gourmet kitchen featuring countertops made of reclaimed barn wood. As is always the case with our historic renovations, we took special care to maintain the beauty and integrity of the historic elements while bringing in the comfort and convenience of modern amenities. We were even able to uncover and restore much of the original fabric of the house (the chimney, fireplaces, paneling, trim, doors, hinges, etc.), which had been hidden for years under a renovation dating back to 1746. Winner, 2012 Mary P. Conley Award for historic home restoration and preservation You can read more about this restoration in the Boston Globe article by Regina Cole, “A First Period home gets a second life.” http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2013/10/26/couple-rebuild-their-century-home-ipswich/r2yXE5yiKWYcamoFGmKVyL/story.html Photo Credit: Eric Roth

Mosaic surfboard shower Handcut glass on repurposed surfboard

Alice Cottrell Interior Design | Rick Rozas Design Photo Credit: Stephen Karlisch
Inspiration for a large 1960s master carpeted and gray floor bedroom remodel in Dallas with no fireplace and brown walls

Photo Credit: David Cannon; Design: Michelle Mentzer Instagram: @newriverbuildingco
Inspiration for a mid-sized farmhouse l-shaped gray floor and concrete floor utility room remodel in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, white countertops, quartz countertops and a side-by-side washer/dryer

Originally a nearly three-story tall 1920’s European-styled home was turned into a modern villa for work and home. A series of low concrete retaining wall planters and steps gradually takes you up to the second level entry, grounding or anchoring the house into the site, as does a new wrap around veranda and trellis. Large eave overhangs on the upper roof were designed to give the home presence and were accented with a Mid-century orange color. The new master bedroom addition white box creates a better sense of entry and opens to the wrap around veranda at the opposite side. Inside the owners live on the lower floor and work on the upper floor with the garage basement for storage, archives and a ceramics studio. New windows and open spaces were created for the graphic designer owners; displaying their mid-century modern furnishings collection. A lot of effort went into attempting to lower the house visually by bringing the ground plane higher with the concrete retaining wall planters, steps, wrap around veranda and trellis, and the prominent roof with exaggerated overhangs. That the eaves were painted orange is a cool reflection of the owner’s Dutch heritage. Budget was a driver for the project and it was determined that the footprint of the home should have minimal extensions and that the new windows remain in the same relative locations as the old ones. Wall removal was utilized versus moving and building new walls where possible. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography.

Photo Credit: Treve Johnson Photography
Inspiration for a craftsman u-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in San Francisco with glass-front cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, beige backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Photo Credit: Omar Salinas, HiTech Photo, Inc.
This is an example of a contemporary porch design in DC Metro with a roof extension.

Photo Credit: David Cannon; Design: Michelle Mentzer Instagram: @newriverbuildingco
Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage formal and open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Atlanta with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a tile fireplace

A live edge table by Urban Hardwoods is complemented by luxurious dining chairs and a beautiful modern organic chandelier by John Pomp. The host chairs feature a pattern which echoes the pattern of the rug in the living room. Photo credit: David Duncan Livingston

Photo Credit: Hilarie Holdsworth
This is an example of a farmhouse landscaping in Boston.

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.

Photo Credits to Marc Fowler of Metropolis Studio
Example of a trendy white tile gray floor alcove shower design in Ottawa with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, purple walls, an integrated sink and white countertops

New Construction for a young family with traditional American and Japanese backgrounds. Photo Credits: David Stansbury
Example of a dining room design in Boston with green walls

Succulents in a rectanglular planter on the dining table make for a modern centerpiece. Photo Credits- Sigurjón Gudjónsson
Example of a small 1950s light wood floor great room design in New York with white walls and no fireplace

"Raw" Copper Shower Pan with Matching Back Rest 153" x 75" x 3" Photo Credit: Copyright Brent Bingham
Example of a trendy white tile beige floor walk-in shower design in Denver

Photo Credit: Kenneth M Wyner Photography Inc
Living room library - transitional light wood floor living room library idea in DC Metro

Playroom decor by the Designer: Agsia Design Group Photo credit: PHL & Services
Playroom - large contemporary gender-neutral porcelain tile and gray floor playroom idea in Miami with white walls