Basement - contemporary basement idea in New York

Rachael Ormond
Example of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Nashville with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, gray walls and an island

Patio - country backyard concrete patio idea in San Francisco with a pergola

J.E. Evans
Elegant two-story exterior home photo in Columbus with a hip roof

Waking up to vaulted ceilings, reclaimed beams, and natural lighting is our builder's prescription to a morning that starts on the right note! Add a few extraordinary design details like this modern chandelier and a bold accent wall and you may think you are still dreaming...

Harbor View is a modern-day interpretation of the shingled vacation houses of its seaside community. The gambrel roof, horizontal, ground-hugging emphasis, and feeling of simplicity, are all part of the character of the place. While fitting in with local traditions, Harbor View is meant for modern living. The kitchen is a central gathering spot, open to the main combined living/dining room and to the waterside porch. One easily moves between indoors and outdoors. The house is designed for an active family, a couple with three grown children and a growing number of grandchildren. It is zoned so that the whole family can be there together but retain privacy. Living, dining, kitchen, library, and porch occupy the center of the main floor. One-story wings on each side house two bedrooms and bathrooms apiece, and two more bedrooms and bathrooms and a study occupy the second floor of the central block. The house is mostly one room deep, allowing cross breezes and light from both sides. The porch, a third of which is screened, is a main dining and living space, with a stone fireplace offering a cozy place to gather on summer evenings. A barn with a loft provides storage for a car or boat off-season and serves as a big space for projects or parties in summer.

Since we wanted this nursery to be mostly neutral with some pastel accents, I opted for unpainted, natural wood furniture paired with white for an eclectic feel and decided on these great pieces from Oeuf. A wood beaded pendant hangs from the ceiling and mirrors the natural vibe. The crib bedding is super simple with just a patterned sheet. Design by Little Crown Interiors, Photo by Full Spectrum Photography.

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Boston

photos by Trina Roberts 949.395.8341 trina@grinphotography.com www.grinphotography.com
Inspiration for a coastal exterior home remodel in Orange County

Uneek Image
Example of a trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Orlando with white walls and a wall-mounted tv

Wow! Pop of modern art in this traditional home! Coral color lacquered sink vanity compliments the home's original Sherle Wagner gilded greek key sink. What a treasure to be able to reuse this treasure of a sink! Lucite and gold play a supporting role to this amazing wallpaper! Powder Room favorite! Photographer Misha Hettie. Wallpaper is 'Arty' from Pierre Frey. Find details and sources for this bath in this feature story linked here: https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/90312718/list/colorful-confetti-wallpaper-makes-for-a-cheerful-powder-room

Architect: Blaine Bonadies, Bonadies Architect Photography By: Jean Allsopp Photography “Just as described, there is an edgy, irreverent vibe here, but the result has an appropriate stature and seriousness. Love the overscale windows. And the outdoor spaces are so great.” Situated atop an old Civil War battle site, this new residence was conceived for a couple with southern values and a rock-and-roll attitude. The project consists of a house, a pool with a pool house and a renovated music studio. A marriage of modern and traditional design, this project used a combination of California redwood siding, stone and a slate roof with flat-seam lead overhangs. Intimate and well planned, there is no space wasted in this home. The execution of the detail work, such as handmade railings, metal awnings and custom windows jambs, made this project mesmerizing. Cues from the client and how they use their space helped inspire and develop the initial floor plan, making it live at a human scale but with dramatic elements. Their varying taste then inspired the theme of traditional with an edge. The lines and rhythm of the house were simplified, and then complemented with some key details that made the house a juxtaposition of styles. The wood Ultimate Casement windows were all standard sizes. However, there was a desire to make the windows have a “deep pocket” look to create a break in the facade and add a dramatic shadow line. Marvin was able to customize the jambs by extruding them to the exterior. They added a very thin exterior profile, which negated the need for exterior casing. The same detail was in the stone veneers and walls, as well as the horizontal siding walls, with no need for any modification. This resulted in a very sleek look. MARVIN PRODUCTS USED: Marvin Ultimate Casement Window

The front entry features CNC milled custom beech cabinets, an open display shelf, and a custom wood/glass front door. Photo: Benjamin Benschneider
Mid-sized minimalist light wood floor entry hall photo in Seattle with a medium wood front door

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Back Exterior of the Breezehouse by Blu Homes. Photo by Adza
Example of a mid-sized trendy brown one-story wood flat roof design in San Francisco

Huge traditional red three-story brick house exterior idea in New York with a hip roof and a shingle roof

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Our clients had enjoyed their home for more than 25 years, but little had changed during that time. They were ready for a full main level renovation. We started by working collaboratively to re-envision the kitchen space to ensure we achieved key goals: open sight lines to the eating area and family room; space for an island with seating; new locations for the range and refrigerator; and removal of an awkward pantry and unused desk. The redesigned space called for removing a load bearing wall to allow space for the island and to repurpose the pantry and desk square footage for wall ovens, refrigerator, and pantry. The clients selected a warm white paint for the perimeter cabinetry (Medallion Cabinetry, White Icing) and balanced the design with a stained cherry island and hood (Medallion Cabinetry, French Roast). The dramatic Cambria Helmsley was chosen for the island countertop, with the serene Silestone Eternal Marfil for the perimeter. The simple subway backsplash ensures the bronze metal tile, laid in a herringbone pattern over the range, is the focal point on the perimeter walls. Bronze accents with the sink (Elkay, Mocha), lighting, cabinetry hardware, and furniture reinforce the warm atmosphere. Our clients chose beautiful, yet durable, Armstrong Alterna luxury vinyl tile in Artisan Forge for the kitchen. For the other spaces — living room, dining room, foyer, family room, office, and powder room — we laid Armstrong Paragon Oak hardwood in Countryside Brown. Final touches included a buffet in the eating area, new hardwood staircase with iron balusters, wool stair runner, two custom area rugs, and new powder room vanity and accessories.

Siesta Key Low Country great room and kitchen featuring custom cabinetry, exposed wood beams, vaulted ceilings, and patio area. This is a very well detailed custom home on a smaller scale, measuring only 3,000 sf under a/c. Every element of the home was designed by some of Sarasota's top architects, landscape architects and interior designers. One of the highlighted features are the true cypress timber beams that span the great room. These are not faux box beams but true timbers. Another awesome design feature is the outdoor living room boasting 20' pitched ceilings and a 37' tall chimney made of true boulders stacked over the course of 1 month.