Example of a large country medium tone wood floor and brown floor foyer design in Dallas with white walls and a glass front door

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.

GC: Ekren Construction Photo Credit: Tiffany Ringwald
Inspiration for a large transitional master white tile and marble tile marble floor, gray floor, single-sink and vaulted ceiling walk-in shower remodel in Charlotte with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, beige walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, gray countertops and a built-in vanity

Inspiration for a farmhouse 3/4 gray tile and subway tile porcelain tile and gray floor alcove shower remodel in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and gray countertops

Inspiration for a transitional bathroom remodel in Minneapolis

Benny Chan
Mid-sized trendy master beige tile and stone tile medium tone wood floor corner shower photo in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount tub, an undermount sink, limestone countertops, a one-piece toilet and white walls

This brick and limestone, 6,000-square-foot residence exemplifies understated elegance. Located in the award-wining Blaine School District and within close proximity to the Southport Corridor, this is city living at its finest! The foyer, with herringbone wood floors, leads to a dramatic, hand-milled oval staircase; an architectural element that allows sunlight to cascade down from skylights and to filter throughout the house. The floor plan has stately-proportioned rooms and includes formal Living and Dining Rooms; an expansive, eat-in, gourmet Kitchen/Great Room; four bedrooms on the second level with three additional bedrooms and a Family Room on the lower level; a Penthouse Playroom leading to a roof-top deck and green roof; and an attached, heated 3-car garage. Additional features include hardwood flooring throughout the main level and upper two floors; sophisticated architectural detailing throughout the house including coffered ceiling details, barrel and groin vaulted ceilings; painted, glazed and wood paneling; laundry rooms on the bedroom level and on the lower level; five fireplaces, including one outdoors; and HD Video, Audio and Surround Sound pre-wire distribution through the house and grounds. The home also features extensively landscaped exterior spaces, designed by Prassas Landscape Studio. This home went under contract within 90 days during the Great Recession. Featured in Chicago Magazine: http://goo.gl/Gl8lRm Jim Yochum

Elegant blue tile and subway tile gray floor freestanding bathtub photo in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue walls, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Custom Surface Solutions (www.css-tile.com) - Owner Craig Thompson (512) 430-1215. This project shows a complete Master Bathroom remodel with before, during and after pictures. Master Bathroom features a Japanese soaker tub, enlarged shower with 4 1/2" x 12" white subway tile on walls, niche and celling., dark gray 2" x 2" shower floor tile with Schluter tiled drain, floor to ceiling shower glass, and quartz waterfall knee wall cap with integrated seat and curb cap. Floor has dark gray 12" x 24" tile on Schluter heated floor and same tile on tub wall surround with wall niche. Shower, tub and vanity plumbing fixtures and accessories are Delta Champagne Bronze. Vanity is custom built with quartz countertop and backsplash, undermount oval sinks, wall mounted faucets, wood framed mirrors and open wall medicine cabinet.

This 60's Style Ranch home was recently remodeled to withhold the Barley Pfeiffer standard. This home features large 8' vaulted ceilings, accented with stunning premium white oak wood. The large steel-frame windows and front door allow for the infiltration of natural light; specifically designed to let light in without heating the house. The fireplace is original to the home, but has been resurfaced with hand troweled plaster. Special design features include the rising master bath mirror to allow for additional storage. Photo By: Alan Barley

Four targeted spray heads, a rain-style shower head, and a handheld shower head are sure to create an invigorating shower experience. Photo Credit: Sue Moyer

What started solely as a master bath project soon spiraled into working with the homeowners to redefine and remodel most of this split level home. Opening things up in the kitchen not only helped with the flow of things, but you get a wonderful view of each room when you walk in the front door. These cabinets are made of book matched walnut, meaning the grain of the tree lines up from door to door. Photography by LOMA Studios, lomastudios.com

Imagine relaxing in this luxurious sunken bathtub, with whirlpool jets! Photo Credit: Sue Moyer
Example of a large trendy master black and white tile and ceramic tile mosaic tile floor drop-in bathtub design with black cabinets, gray walls, a vessel sink, marble countertops and glass-front cabinets

The Tranquility Residence is a mid-century modern home perched amongst the trees in the hills of Suffern, New York. After the homeowners purchased the home in the Spring of 2021, they engaged TEROTTI to reimagine the primary and tertiary bathrooms. The peaceful and subtle material textures of the primary bathroom are rich with depth and balance, providing a calming and tranquil space for daily routines. The terra cotta floor tile in the tertiary bathroom is a nod to the history of the home while the shower walls provide a refined yet playful texture to the room.

The roof deck of the Cycle House by chadbourne + doss architects includes a cantilevered roof that provides covered space for outdoor lounging. photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Jon Friedrich
Alcove shower - small traditional master white tile and porcelain tile marble floor alcove shower idea with furniture-like cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, a console sink, quartz countertops and a hinged shower door

Living room - contemporary medium tone wood floor and orange floor living room idea in Atlanta with green walls and a ribbon fireplace

Example of a mid-sized classic master gray tile and marble tile marble floor and gray floor claw-foot bathtub design in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, brown walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, gray countertops and a hinged shower door

Reverse Shed Eichler This project is part tear-down, part remodel. The original L-shaped plan allowed the living/ dining/ kitchen wing to be completely re-built while retaining the shell of the bedroom wing virtually intact. The rebuilt entertainment wing was enlarged 50% and covered with a low-slope reverse-shed roof sloping from eleven to thirteen feet. The shed roof floats on a continuous glass clerestory with eight foot transom. Cantilevered steel frames support wood roof beams with eaves of up to ten feet. An interior glass clerestory separates the kitchen and livingroom for sound control. A wall-to-wall skylight illuminates the north wall of the kitchen/family room. New additions at the back of the house add several “sliding” wall planes, where interior walls continue past full-height windows to the exterior, complimenting the typical Eichler indoor-outdoor ceiling and floor planes. The existing bedroom wing has been re-configured on the interior, changing three small bedrooms into two larger ones, and adding a guest suite in part of the original garage. A previous den addition provided the perfect spot for a large master ensuite bath and walk-in closet. Natural materials predominate, with fir ceilings, limestone veneer fireplace walls, anigre veneer cabinets, fir sliding windows and interior doors, bamboo floors, and concrete patios and walks. Landscape design by Bernard Trainor: www.bernardtrainor.com (see “Concrete Jungle” in April 2014 edition of Dwell magazine). Microsoft Media Center installation of the Year, 2008: www.cybermanor.com/ultimate_install.html (automated shades, radiant heating system, and lights, as well as security & sound).