Elegant and energy efficient. This bathroom was part of a Net Zero Ready home that we recently built. Net Zero homes produce as much energy as they consume and are 80% more efficient than current homes built to code. To help reduce energy consumption in this bathroom, we installed low flow fixtures, LED lights in the mirrors and an ERV (energy recovery ventilator). Because less energy is required to lower the temperature of dry air compared to moist air, an ERV can reduce the work your air conditioner needs to do and save you money. It also brings in fresh air flow and help with humidity levels, improving overall health and air quality. Another great feature of this bathroom is the shower which has a large clear glass window. This allows for direct sunlight from the window to access the shower, while the patterned glass on the bathroom/vanity side still provides a level of privacy for the user. We’re certain that these clients will be enjoying many sunny mornings in this oasis.

Elegant and energy efficient. This bathroom was part of a Net Zero Ready home that we recently built. Net Zero homes produce as much energy as they consume and are 80% more efficient than current homes built to code. To help reduce energy consumption in this bathroom, we installed low flow fixtures, LED lights in the mirrors and an ERV (energy recovery ventilator). Because less energy is required to lower the temperature of dry air compared to moist air, an ERV can reduce the work your air conditioner needs to do and save you money. It also brings in fresh air flow and help with humidity levels, improving overall health and air quality. Another great feature of this bathroom is the shower which has a large clear glass window. This allows for direct sunlight from the window to access the shower, while the patterned glass on the bathroom/vanity side still provides a level of privacy for the user. We’re certain that these clients will be enjoying many sunny mornings in this oasis.

This bedroom is small and had a tiny existing closet and poor flow, so we had to get creative. We reworked the layout to allow for a walk in closet and replaced old carpet with bamboo flooring. By adding a loft bed, we gained a large custom desk space, complete with tool chest as desk storage. Since my client’s view of the ceiling got a little closer, we added interest with bold color and design. A contemporary dresser and comfortable reading chair round out the space. The existing bathroom had a leaking shower with odd angles. To save money, we kept the angles and added a European shower tower, maximizing luxury and function in a tight space. The wall mounted vanity is visually lighter than a traditional vanity and makes the room feel larger. And we can’t forget the giraffe – a fun and colorful accent for a true animal lover! Photos by Mike Martin www.martinvisualtours.com

Elegant and energy efficient. This bathroom was part of a Net Zero Ready home that we recently built. Net Zero homes produce as much energy as they consume and are 80% more efficient than current homes built to code. To help reduce energy consumption in this bathroom, we installed low flow fixtures, LED lights in the mirrors and an ERV (energy recovery ventilator). Because less energy is required to lower the temperature of dry air compared to moist air, an ERV can reduce the work your air conditioner needs to do and save you money. It also brings in fresh air flow and help with humidity levels, improving overall health and air quality. Another great feature of this bathroom is the shower which has a large clear glass window. This allows for direct sunlight from the window to access the shower, while the patterned glass on the bathroom/vanity side still provides a level of privacy for the user. We’re certain that these clients will be enjoying many sunny mornings in this oasis.

Elegant and energy efficient. This bathroom was part of a Net Zero Ready home that we recently built. Net Zero homes produce as much energy as they consume and are 80% more efficient than current homes built to code. To help reduce energy consumption in this bathroom, we installed low flow fixtures, LED lights in the mirrors and an ERV (energy recovery ventilator). Because less energy is required to lower the temperature of dry air compared to moist air, an ERV can reduce the work your air conditioner needs to do and save you money. It also brings in fresh air flow and help with humidity levels, improving overall health and air quality. Another great feature of this bathroom is the shower which has a large clear glass window. This allows for direct sunlight from the window to access the shower, while the patterned glass on the bathroom/vanity side still provides a level of privacy for the user. We’re certain that these clients will be enjoying many sunny mornings in this oasis.

We staged this beach oasis in Jacksonville Beach. It was a lovely home just needed some room definition and flow creation. Call us to see how we can help you stage your home or listing to get top dollar quickly. It is proven, the numbers don't lie... Staged homes sell quicker and as a result for more money than vacant listings. ) Office: 904-273-7890 Mobile: 904-874-9944 (Jared Biby) www.showhomesjacksonville.com Instagram @Showhomes_JAX_Staging_Design Facebook @ShowhomesJacksonville

Inspiration for a small modern partial sun backyard stone formal garden in Denver.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard concrete patio remodel in Los Angeles with no cover

Kitchen - large contemporary u-shaped white floor and porcelain tile kitchen idea in Toronto with beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and an undermount sink

This bedroom is small and had a tiny existing closet and poor flow, so we had to get creative. We reworked the layout to allow for a walk in closet and replaced old carpet with bamboo flooring. By adding a loft bed, we gained a large custom desk space, complete with tool chest as desk storage. Since my client’s view of the ceiling got a little closer, we added interest with bold color and design. A contemporary dresser and comfortable reading chair round out the space. The existing bathroom had a leaking shower with odd angles. To save money, we kept the angles and added a European shower tower, maximizing luxury and function in a tight space. The wall mounted vanity is visually lighter than a traditional vanity and makes the room feel larger. And we can’t forget the giraffe – a fun and colorful accent for a true animal lover! Photos by Mike Martin www.martinvisualtours.com

Kitchen - mid-sized 1960s u-shaped light wood floor, beige floor and exposed beam kitchen idea with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, green backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

We did these beautiful floors for a customer of ours. One of the best looks for your stairs, it can really give your home a much more elegant look and is well worth the money. The white MDF at the base really makes the dark wood pop and give it such a gorgeous look that flows well with the house colors and the hand rails going up. Definitely an option to consider when doing your stairs.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

Gibeon Photography

DAVID CANNON
Country medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room photo in Atlanta with gray walls

Stairways are technically a pathway that gains elevation by steps. Depending on the slope and grade of your property, stairs can provide both a functional and aesthetic value in landscape design. In Colorado, plentiful redstone is a natural choice for durability (the elements are fierce here!). Sometimes incorporating a couple of stone stairs in an area near the house can make a world of difference in the ease of going to other parts of the yard. (Think trips to the compost pile or the stacked firewood area away from the house.) People with outdoor wooden stairs, especially in mountain communities, face spending a lot of money on upkeep, or worse, danger with rotting wood. When making upgrades to your landscape, ask the question: would the flow of my yard be improved by some robust stone stairs?

Designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn helped a neighbor and friend to update a “builder grade” kitchen into a personal, family space that feels luxurious and inviting. The homeowner wanted to solve a number of storage and flow problems in the kitchen, including a wasted area dedicated to a desk, too-little pantry storage, and her wish for a kitchen bar. The all white builder kitchen lacked character, and the client wanted to inject color, texture and personality into the kitchen while keeping it classic.

Inspiration for a modern galley eat-in kitchen remodel in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, glass sheet backsplash and stainless steel appliances