Trendy living room photo in Surrey

Mariko Reed

Erika Bierman Photography www.erikabiermanphotography.com
Inspiration for a timeless bathroom remodel in Los Angeles

J. Kurtz Design's black-and-white California kitchen design features a modern mix of crisp colors and natural accent furniture--the perfect backdrop for the Bertazzoni Master Series 30 Convection Speed Oven and 48 inch All Gas Range, 6 Burner and Griddle. - Design: J. Kurtz Design // Photographer: Amy Bartlam

Sam Balukonis
Large transitional ceramic tile and multicolored floor sunroom photo in Boston with a skylight

The interior of the wharf cottage appears boat like and clad in tongue and groove Douglas fir. A small galley kitchen sits at the far end right. Nearby an open serving island, dining area and living area are all open to the soaring ceiling and custom fireplace. The fireplace consists of a 12,000# monolith carved to received a custom gas fireplace element. The chimney is cantilevered from the ceiling. The structural steel columns seen supporting the building from the exterior are thin and light. This lightness is enhanced by the taught stainless steel tie rods spanning the space. Eric Reinholdt - Project Architect/Lead Designer with Elliott + Elliott Architecture Photo: Tom Crane Photography, Inc.

Eric Zepeda
Living room - large contemporary open concept light wood floor and gray floor living room idea in San Francisco with a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace, beige walls and a wall-mounted tv

Open living space with corner fireplace, wall mounted TV, floating cabinetry with sliding glass doors opening to outdoor living space and pool. Views of desert landscape.

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

A tuscan triumph located as part of the historic Knapp Estate nested in the hills of Montecito, California, looking South towards Malibu. This kitchen displays beautifully crafted details in the cabinetry, corbels, coffered ceiling and tile work. Stunning and elegant, this kitchen designed by DesignArt Studios was exactly what the clients wanted. Features include paneled appliances, prep sink in the island, and a custom plaster hood,

Transitional dark wood floor family room photo in Dallas with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard stone patio design in New Orleans with a pergola

Landmark Photography
Example of a transitional backyard patio design in Minneapolis with a roof extension and a fireplace

Bedroom - mid-sized rustic guest dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea with white walls, a standard fireplace and a plaster fireplace

Exceptional custom-built 1 ½ story walkout home on a premier cul-de-sac site in the Lakeview neighborhood. Tastefully designed with exquisite craftsmanship and high attention to detail throughout. Offering main level living with a stunning master suite, incredible kitchen with an open concept and a beautiful screen porch showcasing south facing wooded views. This home is an entertainer’s delight with many spaces for hosting gatherings. 2 private acres and surrounded by nature.

Alex Lucaci
Large transitional master medium tone wood floor and gray floor bedroom photo in New York with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

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. Photography Eric Roth Photo

Relocating to Portland, Oregon from California, this young family immediately hired Amy to redesign their newly purchased home to better fit their needs. The project included updating the kitchen, hall bath, and adding an en suite to their master bedroom. Removing a wall between the kitchen and dining allowed for additional counter space and storage along with improved traffic flow and increased natural light to the heart of the home. This galley style kitchen is focused on efficiency and functionality through custom cabinets with a pantry boasting drawer storage topped with quartz slab for durability, pull-out storage accessories throughout, deep drawers, and a quartz topped coffee bar/ buffet facing the dining area. The master bath and hall bath were born out of a single bath and a closet. While modest in size, the bathrooms are filled with functionality and colorful design elements. Durable hex shaped porcelain tiles compliment the blue vanities topped with white quartz countertops. The shower and tub are both tiled in handmade ceramic tiles, bringing much needed texture and movement of light to the space. The hall bath is outfitted with a toe-kick pull-out step for the family’s youngest member!

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.