Old fixer-uppers often require two competing levels of priorities from their new homeowners. First and foremost is the need to immediately attend to those repairs that ensure the continued functioning and general well being of the house’s structure. By nature, these usually demand “house on fire!” status, especially when compared to other types of remodeling work that simply enhances aesthetics and general comfort. In the case of a Delaware couple, a structural issue with the front of their 125 year old Victorian (it was sinking!), along with some other more pressing challenges, put a 13 year long hold on getting the bathroom for which they had long dreamed. The shower enclosure features a base of hexagon patterned tile, bordered by marble subway tiles. The shower enclosure features a base of hexagon patterned tile, bordered by marble subway tiles. By the time Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers was hired to handle the construction, the couple certainly had put plenty of thought into converting a spare second-floor bedroom into the master bath. Courtney Burnett, Fox’s Interior Design Manager on the project, credits the owners for “having great creative minds, with lots of ideas to contribute.” By the time it came to put a formal design plan into place, the client “drove the look while we devised how the space would function.” It’s worth noting that there are drawbacks in being given too much time for advance planning. Owners’ tastes in design may change, while a steady stream of new fixtures and building products always demand consideration up to the last minute. “We had been collecting ideas for a while…pictures of what we liked, but as it turned out, when it came time to select fixtures, tile, etc., we used little from those pictures,” the owners admit. A framed herringbone pattern of subway tiles provides a perfect focal point for the shower. A framed herringbone pattern of subway tiles provides a perfect focal point for the shower. The finished bath exudes an art deco spirit that isn’t true to the home’s Victorian origins, which Burnett attributes to being more of a reflection of the homeowners’ preferences than the actual era of the structure. Despite that incongruity, everyone feels that they have remained true to the house by selecting vintage style elements, including subway tiles for the walls, hexagonal tile for the floors, and a pedestal sink that served as the focal point for the entire room. But as with all dreams, once one is achieved, a new one soon beckons. With the bathroom’s strikingly beautiful turquoise paint barely dry, the completion of that long-awaited project has served to kick-start plans for finishing off the remainder of the Victorian’s second floor.

This custom primary bathroom in Raleigh NC balances classic and contemporary design with a white double vanity, marble countertops, brass accents, and oversized mirrors. A frameless glass shower with white herringbone tile and recessed niches completes the light-filled, luxurious space.

Ryann Ford
Large tuscan master white tile marble floor walk-in shower photo in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets and white walls

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Photo by The Apple Group
Large asian master light wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in Chicago with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Master bathroom with (2) separate furniture piece vanities. Cabinetry is Brookhaven II framed cabinets manufactured by Wood-Mode, Inc. From this angle, the posts & decorative panels on sides of the cabinetry can be viewed.

The owners of this home, completed in 2017, wanted a fitted closet with no exposed hanging or shelving but with a lot of drawers in place of a conventional dresser or armoire in the bedroom itself. The glass doors are both functional and beautiful allowing one to view the shoes and accessories easily and also serves as an eye-catching display wall. The center island, with a quartz countertop, provides a place for folding, packing, and organizing with drawers accessed from both sides. Not shown is a similar half of the closet for him and a luggage closet. The designer created splayed shafts for the large skylights to provide natural light without losing any wall space. The master closet also features one of the flush doors that were used throughout the home. These doors, made of European wood grain laminate with simple horizontal grooves cut in to create a paneled appearance, were mounted with hidden hinges, no casing, and European magnetic locks.

Tuscan master medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in San Francisco with white walls

Nicole Yvette Canegata
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Design: Myra Flipsen, Photos: Dwayne Brown
Inspiration for a transitional master beige tile bathroom remodel in Toronto with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and a vessel sink

Master Bedroom
Trendy master carpeted bedroom photo in DC Metro with brown walls

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Example of a mid-sized trendy master white tile and marble tile marble floor, white floor and double-sink bathroom design in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops and a built-in vanity

Warm farmhouse kitchen nestled in the suburbs has a welcoming feel, with soft repose gray cabinets, two islands for prepping and entertaining and warm wood contrasts.

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.

Photography by Jack Gardner
Example of a large urban master beige tile and porcelain tile concrete floor bathroom design in Miami with a hinged shower door

cooperthwaite photography + productions
Inspiration for a large contemporary master white tile and stone slab marble floor walk-in shower remodel in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, a one-piece toilet and white walls

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