The original gardens of this Fort Worth estate date back to 1936 when the famous Kansas City landscape architecture firm Hare & Hare designed the grounds featuring sculpted boxwood english knot garden. The homeowner purchased the adjacent lot and called on the accomplished Dallas & Fort Worth architect Ralph Duesing to create a design to honor the original design but scale to encompass the full four and a half acres. This extensive remodel included the extension of the perimeter walls, wrought iron elements and the addition of a classical carved limestone lily pond and Diana sculptured pedestal by Davis Cornell.

Design ideas for a large southwestern drought-tolerant and partial sun front yard landscaping in Dallas for spring.

Smaller master bathroom complete with LARGE ideas! Travertine shower with horizontal border catches your eye. Ultra-modern vanity imported from our friends at Tampa Home Designs is a staple in our designs.

Photos courtesy of BrazelBerries Blueberry Glaze patio pot by Brazelberries
Inspiration for a landscaping in Portland.

The dry stream bed was planted with a rich assortment of groundcovers and perennials to soften its edges and to give it a natural appearance.
Inspiration for a large transitional partial sun backyard landscaping in Cleveland for summer.

With this client who has been passionate about plants all his life, there was naturally a close collaboration and a lot of input from him. Upon closer inspection you'd find some very exceptional plants that are sort of experimental but "all worth the try" in Gordon's eyes. And he is right! I relished the opportunity to use Star Magnolia stellata, Redbud Cercis 'Avondale' and 'Silver Cloud', Arabian Lilac 'Grand Duke of Tuscany', Royal Bromeliad Vriesea imperialis, also many unusual bulbs such as Scilla. Besides structure providing shrubs and trees (Tecoma, existing Indian Hawthorne with beautiful structures, Sweet Pea Bush, Golden Breath of Heaven, Ilex, Ginkgo, Bronze Loquat etc.) you'll see here also my favorite perennials, succulents and grasses, all as low care and undemanding as well as low-water as possible, to keep the landscape colorful and interesting year round. One of the highlights of this garden are the dry stream beds, bird bath and garden bench that we added. Built originally by himself and his wife, the dry stream beds were overgrown, mostly hidden by plant debris, or half rolling down hill. We had fun selecting a mixed collection of colorful and richly textured boulders of various sizes over, and with the input from 7 team members: Gordon, me, the contractor, the supervisor and three workers, we re-created the stream beds, making sure that anchor stones on the sides were well embedded in the slope, and that stone shelves and “top dressing” with smaller pebbles would add to the visual interest. Now these beds form very pleasing architectural features that look like they have always been there. We were all surprised how quickly all plants adapted to the site and started growing and putting out bloom. Now the old birdbath, a traditional white thing with dove figurines resting on the scalloped bowl, looked out of place, and I suggested to replace it with a stone bowl. And that part of the garden just called for a bench under the Macademia nut tree, to observe the birds and contemplate the whole creation. Only stone would do, but not any stone! Gordon picked a Basalt boulder that was naturally bowl shaped. It’s so heavy that it took 8 men to heave it into place! The Basalt bench was not much lighter, and together they make a very inviting scene. This job should last for a while. Photographed by Emma Almendarez at http://www.emmatheodoraphotography.com/

Example of a small minimalist guest carpeted and brown floor bedroom design in Dallas with yellow walls

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   The homeowners came to us looking to update the kitchen in their historic 1897 home. The home had gone through an extensive renovation several years earlier that added a master bedroom suite and updates to the front façade. The kitchen however was not part of that update and a prior 1990’s update had left much to be desired. The client is an avid cook, and it was just not very functional for the family. The original kitchen was very choppy and included a large eat in area that took up more than its fair share of the space. On the wish list was a place where the family could comfortably congregate, that was easy and to cook in, that feels lived in and in check with the rest of the home’s décor. They also wanted a space that was not cluttered and dark – a happy, light and airy room. A small powder room off the space also needed some attention so we set out to include that in the remodel as well. See that arch in the neighboring dining room? The homeowner really wanted to make the opening to the dining room an arch to match, so we incorporated that into the design. Another unfortunate eyesore was the state of the ceiling and soffits. Turns out it was just a series of shortcuts from the prior renovation, and we were surprised and delighted that we were easily able to flatten out almost the entire ceiling with a couple of little reworks. Other changes we made were to add new windows that were appropriate to the new design, which included moving the sink window over slightly to give the work zone more breathing room. We also adjusted the height of the windows in what was previously the eat-in area that were too low for a countertop to work. We tried to keep an old island in the plan since it was a well-loved vintage find, but the tradeoff for the function of the new island was not worth it in the end. We hope the old found a new home, perhaps as a potting table. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2015 Houzz
Eclectic pool photo in Dallas

Across from the Mudroom is a small seat to put your shoes on or check your make up as you walk out the door. Even this space was thought through.
Hallway - traditional light wood floor hallway idea in Boston with beige walls

Example of a small trendy backyard stamped concrete and custom-shaped pool fountain design in Dallas

Wood reclaimed from barns in upstate New York for the beams and cross-beams and Oklahoma flagstone brings a warm and rustic outdoor feel to this unique outdoor living space. This new addition complements the home as well as being reminiscent of the home owner’s Wisconsin house. Within you will discover a custom wood-fired pizza oven and outdoor fireplace built with the same stone. Completing this outdoor living space design, we included custom heaters and motorized retractable screens creating an enclosed patio so that the homeowners could enjoy their backyard year-round. Hidden within the archways, the screens are unnoticeable when the homeowners choose to enjoy the breeze. These screens can be installed on new structures, as well as retrofitted for pre-existing structures. One Specialty also constructed the retaining wall with archway, gate and fencing. The custom landscaping and landscape lighting finish the entire project. http://www.onespecialty.com/reclaimed-retreat/

Nursery wallpaper installation – McKinney, TX This McKinney nursery features rustic-style wallpaper designed to mimic whitewashed shiplap. Applied behind the crib wall, the paper adds warmth and texture while maintaining a neutral palette. Installed using low-VOC paste and edge-sealed for safety, the room now feels both grounded and soothing for the newborn’s arrival.

Example of a southwest home design design in Phoenix

Living room - transitional living room idea in Baltimore

Inspiration for a traditional partial sun side yard stone landscaping in Houston.

With this client who has been passionate about plants all his life, there was naturally a close collaboration and a lot of input from him. Upon closer inspection you'd find some very exceptional plants that are sort of experimental but "all worth the try" in Gordon's eyes. And he is right! I relished the opportunity to use Star Magnolia stellata, Redbud Cercis 'Avondale' and 'Silver Cloud', Arabian Lilac 'Grand Duke of Tuscany', Royal Bromeliad Vriesea imperialis, also many unusual bulbs such as Scilla. Besides structure providing shrubs and trees (Tecoma, existing Indian Hawthorne with beautiful structures, Sweet Pea Bush, Golden Breath of Heaven, Ilex, Ginkgo, Bronze Loquat etc.) you'll see here also my favorite perennials, succulents and grasses, all as low care and undemanding as well as low-water as possible, to keep the landscape colorful and interesting year round. One of the highlights of this garden are the dry stream beds, bird bath and garden bench that we added. Built originally by himself and his wife, the dry stream beds were overgrown, mostly hidden by plant debris, or half rolling down hill. We had fun selecting a mixed collection of colorful and richly textured boulders of various sizes over, and with the input from 7 team members: Gordon, me, the contractor, the supervisor and three workers, we re-created the stream beds, making sure that anchor stones on the sides were well embedded in the slope, and that stone shelves and “top dressing” with smaller pebbles would add to the visual interest. Now these beds form very pleasing architectural features that look like they have always been there. We were all surprised how quickly all plants adapted to the site and started growing and putting out bloom. Now the old birdbath, a traditional white thing with dove figurines resting on the scalloped bowl, looked out of place, and I suggested to replace it with a stone bowl. And that part of the garden just called for a bench under the Macademia nut tree, to observe the birds and contemplate the whole creation. Only stone would do, but not any stone! Gordon picked a Basalt boulder that was naturally bowl shaped. It’s so heavy that it took 8 men to heave it into place! The Basalt bench was not much lighter, and together they make a very inviting scene. This job should last for a while. Photographed by Emma Almendarez at http://www.emmatheodoraphotography.com/

Open concept kitchen - mid-sized farmhouse u-shaped medium tone wood floor and gray floor open concept kitchen idea in Sacramento with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and gray countertops

Nursery wallpaper installation – McKinney, TX This McKinney nursery features rustic-style wallpaper designed to mimic whitewashed shiplap. Applied behind the crib wall, the paper adds warmth and texture while maintaining a neutral palette. Installed using low-VOC paste and edge-sealed for safety, the room now feels both grounded and soothing for the newborn’s arrival.