Design ideas for a mid-sized craftsman shade backyard concrete paver landscaping in Chicago with a fire pit for spring.

Our firm (Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders) was the architect and builder of this home. Photo Credits: Brian Vanden Brink
Example of a beach style exterior home design in Boston

Our clients were relocating from the upper peninsula to the lower peninsula and wanted to design a retirement home on their Lake Michigan property. The topography of their lot allowed for a walk out basement which is practically unheard of with how close they are to the water. Their view is fantastic, and the goal was of course to take advantage of the view from all three levels. The positioning of the windows on the main and upper levels is such that you feel as if you are on a boat, water as far as the eye can see. They were striving for a Hamptons / Coastal, casual, architectural style. The finished product is just over 6,200 square feet and includes 2 master suites, 2 guest bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, sunroom, home bar, home gym, dedicated seasonal gear / equipment storage, table tennis game room, sauna, and bonus room above the attached garage. All the exterior finishes are low maintenance, vinyl, and composite materials to withstand the blowing sands from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

This lovely master closet is finished with traditional white melamine and thermofoil raised panel fronts to closely match the existing bathroom area. Using the full height of the room allowed for open shelving above clothing sections used for decorative display. The center island contains 2 tilt out hampers and 6 drawer banks for added storage. The countertop is Grey Savoie by Victostone. To create a column effect around the window, tall pull outs were used on both sides for scarf/necklace storage for her and belt/tie storage for him. The finishing touches include matte round aluminum rods, clear Lucite jewelry tray, valet rods, belt racks, hidden wall safe, and a pull out ironing station cabinet. LED lighting was routed into the shelving above all rods and puck lights above the two dresser areas, creating additional pizzazz and glamour to the space. The goal of this closet was to make the dressing area for a couple as a meeting place, conducive to conversation and organization. Designed by Donna Siben for Closet Organizing Systems

Hired in conjunction with John Lum Architects, RBD collaborated in the redesign of this three bedroom, four bath home for an art savvy family of four in Noe Valley. RBD's key contributions include the design and decoration of the kitchen breakfast nook, fireplace, four bathrooms and reconfiguration of the existing master bathroom and downstairs guest room/family room. The reconfiguration of the master bathroom creates a more open layout while also featuring a custom danish modern hairpin leg vanity as its focal point. Downstairs, the guest room/family room, designed for an open, one-room concept, showcases custom built-in millwork for excellent TV watching and game storage. Finishing off the space architecturally, a custom built-in walnut entry bench and coat cabinet help modestly accentuate their secondary entry into the home given this is the family's main entrance. Working on an extremely tight budget, RBD mixed low and high end finishes and fixtures to achieve a high end overall look without breaking the bank. Key Contributors: John Lum Architects and Mick Clarke Construction

Near the banks of the Stono River sits this custom elevated home on Johns Island. In partnership with Vinyet Architecture and Polish Pop Design, the homeowners chose a coastal look with heavy emphasis on elements like ship lap, white interiors and exteriors and custom elements throughout. The large island and hood directly behind it serve as the focal point of the kitchen. The ship lap for both were custom built. Within this open floor plan, serving the kitchen, dining room and living room sits an enclosed wet bar with live edge solid wood countertop. Custom shelving was installed next to the TV area with a geometric design, mirroring the Master Bedroom ceiling. Enter the adjacent screen porch through a collapsing sliding door, which gives it a true eight-foot wide opening to the outdoors. Reclaimed wooden beams add character to the living room and outdoor fireplace mantels.

Inspiration for a large coastal master carpeted and beige floor bedroom remodel in Orange County with beige walls and no fireplace

This mid-century Chagrin Falls remodel successfully illustrates how we connected 3-level living into beautiful and contemporary space. Challenges to this project included: carefully placing complimentary banks of windows to animate the windowless exteriors and light up the interior: wiping away low soffits over cabinets and obstructive walls to create a fresh, freely flowing central living space. The kitchen now connects to a beautiful living area, gracious indoor dining, outside bar area, and the raised level forming the entry and formal living room. The simple design aesthetic of the stairways and railings utilize minimalist principles that complement the modern sensibility that the homeowners wished to convey. In addition, the stairway creates a harmonizing and centralizing element to the home. The master remodel replaced hollow-core bifold doors with clever his and hers walk-in closets and creating a unified and modern master bath experience.

This home is located on a one acre parcel of land near the banks of the Milwaukee River in the older established subdivision of Sleepy Hollow Estates in Mequon, Wisconsin. The inspiration for this Glen Cove Residence was to bring the desired by many, contemporary and modern lifestyle of a down town loft and establish it in a neighborhood in the suburbs amongst traditional style homes. Sleepy Hollow Estates like many older established neighborhoods throughout the North shore and Westside communities of Milwaukee had great local architects such as John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson, who built contemporary master pieces amongst very traditional style homes. This created diversity in the style of homes in these neighborhoods which for the people living in them and the people just passing by, an experience of harmony and cultural lifestyle. Unfortunately today, many new neighborhood developments lack harmony and cultural lifestyle and don’t allow for homes such as this Glen Cove Residence to be built. And for that matter many of the homes built by John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson back in the 1950’s. When driving through these new developments, one would experience beautiful traditional style homes, but all the homes tend to look the same. There is no diversity in the styles of homes thus these neighborhoods lack the harmony and a cultural life style for the people who live there or what people are looking for when buying a home that reflects their lifestyle. This Glen Cove Residence is an example that a contemporary home which offers a modern lifestyle that many desires can be established amongst traditional homes while blending in with the neighborhood. Don’t be fooled by the flat roof of this home, building technology has come a long way since Frank Lloyd Wright! The roof system on this home is more energy efficient than most roof systems builders are putting on traditional homes today and it doesn’t leak! This Glen Cove Residence was built using all traditional building materials that you would see in homes being built in new developments today. There is a misconception out there that modern homes are expensive to build. That is not true! This Glen Cove Residence was built for roughly $130 per square foot which is the same price one would pay for a similar builder’s model traditional style home with the same upgrades. This Glen Cove Residence consists of three bedrooms and three and one half baths. All bedrooms are located on second floor with laundry, guest bath and a master suite. Located between the first and second floors off of the landing is an office/den space. The first floor is open concept with the kitchen, dining and living areas located at the rear of the home with expansive windows allowing a great connection to back yard area and outdoors. On the back of the home is a covered deck area allowing for outdoor entertaining without the worry of the elements. The first floor also offers a powder room, mudroom and walk-in pantry off the kitchen area. From the mudroom there is access to an attached four car tandem garage. From the first floor to the finished basement is an open stair allowing the basement area to feel as part of the house and not just a basement? The basement consists of a main living area, game area with wet bar, exercise room, kids play room with 14’ ceilings, full bathroom and mechanical room with storage closets throughout.

Transforming a large and under utilized master bath into a useful and beautiful space can be challenging. For this project we built a custom double vanity with three drawer banks and incorporated a custom linen cabinet to make use of a unique wall space. The large spa-like corner shower features a beautiful tiled column running from from floor to ceiling that hosts the shower controls and a large rain head.

While the master bathroom may be the most simple of all the bathrooms in terms of the design, it was actually the most difficult to execute. The homeowners wanted a serene, clean escape, but needed ample storage and wanted to incorporate a slightly more luxurious feel. Alongside the homeowner Daniella, the designers looked through many different tile options, finally settling on Bianco Dolomiti – Direto polished marble. They all loved the bright white background with the slight variation and veining, which gave it more character than a traditional Thassos. The designers opted to use 12 x 24 tiles to create a focus wall behind the vanity, which created the perfect backdrop for the custom-made floating vanity, medicine cabinets, wall mounted faucets and sconces. The designers originally wanted the floor to be cement, but when they saw the Area grey porcelain tile installed at the NEMO Tile Red Bank showroom, they knew it would be perfect. They opted for the larger 48 x 48 tiles to minimize the number of seams, which maintains the focus on the beautiful Bianco Dolomiti – Direto marble.

Available in Queen, King, and Cal King. Pumice Grey woven fabric(100% Polyester). Inspired by European 19th Century antiques that create an eclectic mix of found unique items. Features a Smoked Oak finish and the hardware features classic revival style with knobs and rings and Directoire shield back plates finished in a Dark Antique Brass finish.

Belleair Beach takes the iconic white vanity in a fresh, contemporary direction. Sophistication flows forth in beautifully sculpted sinks; to-the-floor side panels; and bar shaped hardware. Revving up the tempo are vanity tops in your choice of ceramic, thick quartz, or granite/marble stone. Cabinets, which range from 21-48 inches, can be expanded to 60 or 72 inches with a 12-inch drawer bank and double bowls — flexible enough for powder room or master suite. | Available at www.ShopStudio41.com

Arts and crafts medium tone wood floor hallway photo in Minneapolis with beige walls

Hall bath
Mid-sized cottage kids' subway tile travertine floor, beige floor and double-sink alcove bathtub photo in Tampa with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, white countertops and a built-in vanity

This dream bathroom has everything one can wish for an ideal bathroom escape. It doesn’t just look fabulous – it works well and it is built to stand the test of time. This bathroom was designed as a private oasis, a place to relax and unwind. Spa-like environment is created by expansive double-sink custom vanity, an elegant free standing tub, and a spacious two-person barrier-free shower with a floating bench. Toilet is concealed within a separate nook behind a pocket door. Main bathroom area is outlined by a tray ceiling perimeter. The room looks open, airy and spacious. Nothing interferes with the ceiling design and overall space configuration. It hasn’t always been that way. Former layout had serious pitfalls that made the room look much smaller. The shower concealed behind solid walls protruded into the main area clashing with the tray ceiling geometry. Massive shower stall took up significant amount of the room leaving no continuous wall space for a double sink vanity. There were two separate vanities with a dead corner space between them. At the same time, the toilet room was quite spacious with just one fixture in the far end. New layout not only looks better, it allows for a better functionality and fully reveals the space potential. The toilet was relocated to occupy the former linen closet space slightly expanded into adjacent walk-in closet. Shower was moved into the bigger alcove, away from the tray ceiling area. It opened up the room while giving space for a gorgeous wall-to-wall vanity. Having a full glass wall, the shower extends the space even further. Sparkling glass creates no barrier to the eyesight. The room feels clean, breezy and extra spacious. Gorgeous frameless shower enclosure with glass-to-glass clamps and hinges shows off premium tile designs of the accent shower wall. Free standing tub remained in its original place in front of the window. With no solid shower walls nearby, it became a focal point adorned with the new crystal chandelier above it. This two-tier gorgeous chandelier makes the bathroom feel incredibly grand. A touch of luxury is showing up in timeless polished chrome faucet finish selections as well. New expansive custom vanity has his and her full height linen towers, his and her sink cabinets with two individual banks of drawers on the sides and one shared drawer cabinet in the middle containing a charging station in the upper drawer. Vanity counter tops and floating shower seat top are made of high-end quartz. Vessel sinks resemble the shape and style of the free-standing tub. To make the room feel even more spacious and to showcase the shower area in the reflection, a full size mirror is installed over the vanity. Crystal sconces are installed directly into the mirror. Crisp classic white tile gives the room a timeless sense of polish and luxury. Walls around the perimeter of the entire bathroom are tiled half way. Three rows of 12”x 24” porcelain tile resembling white marble are crowned with a thin row of intricate glass tiles with marble accents, and a chair rail tile. Tile design flows into a spacious barrier-free two-person walk-in shower. Two more tile patterns of the same tile collection are brought into play. Rear wall is adorned with a picture frame made out of 12”x12” tiles laid at 45 degree angle within the same chair rail and glass tile border. Shower floor is made of small hexagon tiles for proper drainage. Shower area has two hidden from plain sight niches to contain shampoo bottles and toiletries. The rear side of the niches is made of glass mosaics for a waterfall effect. To showcase the picture frame inside the shower, the accent shower wall is washed with cascading light from a discrete LED strip tucked in a cove behind “floating” shower ceiling platform. Multiple shower heads (two ceiling-mount rain heads, one multi-functional wall mount shower head, and a handheld shower) are able to provide a fully customizable shower experience. Despite of many hard surfaces and shiny finishes, which can sometimes lead to a cold impersonal feeling, this bathroom is cozy and truly welcoming. This sense of warms is maintained by exclusive multi-functional layered lighting. Carefully designed groups of lights (all having a dimmer control) can be used simultaneously, in various combinations, or separately to create numerous different effects and perfect atmosphere for every mood and occasion. Some lights have smart controls and can be operated remotely. Amazing effect can be achieved by dimmable toe kick perimeter lighting. With the ceiling lights turned off, the vanity looks as if it is floating in the air. Multifaceted crystal fixtures produce cascades of sparkling rainbow reflections dancing around the room and creating an illusion of a starry sky. Programmable radiant heating floor offers additional warmth and comfort to the room. This bathroom is well suited for either a quick morning shower or a night in for ultimate relaxation with a champagne toast and a long soak in the freestanding tub.

The design challenge was to enhance the square footage, flow and livability in this 1,442 sf 1930’s Tudor style brick house for a growing family of four. A two story 1,000 sf addition was the solution proposed by the design team at Advance Design Studio, Ltd. The new addition provided enough space to add a new kitchen and eating area with a butler pantry, a food pantry, a powder room and a mud room on the lower level, and a new master suite on the upper level. The family envisioned a bright and airy white classically styled kitchen accented with espresso in keeping with the 1930’s style architecture of the home. Subway tile and timely glass accents add to the classic charm of the crisp white craftsman style cabinetry and sparkling chrome accents. Clean lines in the white farmhouse sink and the handsome bridge faucet in polished nickel make a vintage statement. River white granite on the generous new island makes for a fantastic gathering place for family and friends and gives ample casual seating. Dark stained oak floors extend to the new butler’s pantry and powder room, and throughout the first floor making a cohesive statement throughout. Classic arched doorways were added to showcase the home’s period details. On the upper level, the newly expanded garage space nestles below an expansive new master suite complete with a spectacular bath retreat and closet space and an impressively vaulted ceiling. The soothing master getaway is bathed in soft gray tones with painted cabinets and amazing “fantasy” granite that reminds one of beach vacations. The floor mimics a wood feel underfoot with a gray textured porcelain tile and the spacious glass shower boasts delicate glass accents and a basket weave tile floor. Sparkling fixtures rest like fine jewelry completing the space. The vaulted ceiling throughout the master suite lends to the spacious feel as does the archway leading to the expansive master closet. An elegant bank of 6 windows floats above the bed, bathing the space in light. Photo Credits- Joe Nowak

Beach style bedroom photo in Minneapolis

While the master bathroom may be the most simple of all the bathrooms in terms of the design, it was actually the most difficult to execute. The homeowners wanted a serene, clean escape, but needed ample storage and wanted to incorporate a slightly more luxurious feel. Alongside the homeowner Daniella, the designers looked through many different tile options, finally settling on Bianco Dolomiti – Direto polished marble. They all loved the bright white background with the slight variation and veining, which gave it more character than a traditional Thassos. The designers opted to use 12 x 24 tiles to create a focus wall behind the vanity, which created the perfect backdrop for the custom-made floating vanity, medicine cabinets, wall mounted faucets and sconces. The designers originally wanted the floor to be cement, but when they saw the Area grey porcelain tile installed at the NEMO Tile Red Bank showroom, they knew it would be perfect. They opted for the larger 48 x 48 tiles to minimize the number of seams, which maintains the focus on the beautiful Bianco Dolomiti – Direto marble.