The Updated Traditional Meet Kim: a partner in a downtown law firm. To say that she is short on time is a giant understatement. In the rare event she has a free moment, she wants to spend it with her kids, not fussing over home decor. That’s my cue! Kim is my favorite type of client. She didn’t know where to go or what to do. She leaned on me to explain and articulate design and style. She looked to me to make her home a mirror of her best self. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Fantastic human giving me a blank slate? Yes please! While Kim’s traditional home had a great layout and good bones, it needed updating to make it contemporary and fresh. It needed fixtures and knobs from this century. It needed a Lulu DK roman shade in the powder room. It needed a durable, snuggle-ready sofa with tufting and little patterns of texture. It needed drapery with small-scale drama. Throw in a Thomas O’ Brian cocktail table, and now there’s no shortage of conversation pieces. Little spaces make me happy – they are the most intimate snapshot of your entire home’s aesthetic – and this house has some good ones. I couldn’t wait to work with the nooks and crannies of this house. Kim’s sitting room, a small den off of the master bedroom, morphed into a craveable cozy space, a quiet adult respite from the occasional chaos of raising a family. The kitchen evolved into something quite unique: playful yet modest, dressed-up but centered. We used a favorite Lucy Rose fabric and Galbraith & Paul pillows to work perfectly with a fresh color palette selected during a prior-to-me renovation. A locally made kitchen farm table fit right in with the high-fashioned quirky blend of color, texture, and pattern. High-End + Color = Fun + Functional This is how we articulated Kim’s style and personality. She trusted me with her inner self, allowing me to get to know her and her real, everyday life. I built her a special space to reflect the beautiful life she made for herself. Nothing too fancy or off-limits to little hands, nothing too stuffy (snore!). Everything 100% HER. #nailedit See more Safferstone stuff at www.safferstone.com. Connect with us on Facebook, get inspired on Pinterest, and share modern musings on life & design on Instagram. Or, send us a love note at hello@safferstone.com. Photo: Angie Seckinger

In this project Lazar has created another of his hyper-livable top floors—half indoors, half outdoors—that could arguably be the beating heart of the home. A sunny gathering space and gourmet kitchen are gathered under an elevated ceiling. Lined with windows and stocked with gleaming counters, the big room opens onto an equally spacious ocean-view deck that could morph either way: as everyday living space or party central. Practical highlights include a vestibule that connects to a bathroom, an elevator and a covert set of stairs that run down the exterior of the house. “From the pool you can run down the stairs and into the master bathroom,” says Lazar. “Or straight into the kids wing. Either way, you don’t run through the house dripping wet.” Thoughtfully designed by Steve Lazar design+build by South Swell. designbuildbysouthswell.com Photography by Joel Silva.

The architectural, historic preservation for this MCM gem of a home gave detailed attention to everything from restoring and repairing the once painted over wood siding to, repairing the windows, and bringing back the iconic patio fin detail that had morphed through the years. This meticulous attention to detail per the architect earned the distinction of being formally recognized as a historic home and ultimately qualifying for the coveted California Mills act. With stretches of glass walls and a seamless flow from outside-in and and inside-out - the connection to the landscape design ties the property all together with a variety of spaces to either entertain, play, or relax.

What began as a renovation project morphed into a new house, driven by the natural beauty of the site. The new structures are perfectly aligned with the coastline, and take full advantage of the views of ocean, islands, and shoals. The location is within walking distance of town and its amenities, yet miles away in the privacy it affords. The house is nestled on a nicely wooded lot, giving the residence screening from the street, with an open meadow leading to the ocean on the rear of the lot. The design concept was driven by the serenity of the site, enhanced by textures of trees, plantings, sand and shoreline. The newly constructed house sits quietly in a location advantageously positioned to take full advantage of natural light and solar orientations. The visual calm is enhanced by the natural material: stone, wood, and metal throughout the home. The main structures are comprised of traditional New England forms, with modern connectors serving to unify the structures. Each building is equally suited for single floor living, if that future needs is ever necessary. Unique too is an underground connection between main house and an outbuilding. With their flowing connections, no room is isolated or ignored; instead each reflects a different level of privacy and social interaction. Just as there are layers to the exterior in beach, field, forest and oceans, the inside has a layered approach. Textures in wood, stone, and neutral colors combine with the warmth of linens, wools, and metals. Personality and character of the interiors and its furnishings are tailored to the client’s lifestyle. Rooms are arranged and organized in an intersection of public and private spaces. The quiet palette within reflects the nature outside, enhanced with artwork and accessories.

In this project Lazar has created another of his hyper-livable top floors—half indoors, half outdoors—that could arguably be the beating heart of the home. A sunny gathering space and gourmet kitchen are gathered under an elevated ceiling. Lined with windows and stocked with gleaming counters, the big room opens onto an equally spacious ocean-view deck that could morph either way: as everyday living space or party central.

Nestled on the shore of New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, is a family’s winter ski retreat. Contrary to the norm, this vacation home sees more use in the winter months than in the summer season. Breathtaking views of Mount Washington against a backdrop of shoreline dominate the scene; this vista was a driving force in the decision-making process. Doors and windows on the lakeside of the house were enlarged and expanded on to enhance the owners’ appreciation of their vantage point. The homeowners embraced, with a bit of convincing, a dark blue trim color for the exterior rather than the ubiquitous forest green common in the White Mountains. What began as a small renovation project morphed into a full renovation; the location warranted the upgrade. The client’s trust in the design team resulted in a home that is unique: contemporary while still offering the warmth and coziness of a winter retreat. The introduction of soft wood tones, a custom copper kitchen hood, and a warm muted color palate for interior trim and doors brings a coziness to the space without evoking a mountain ski lodge. The materials chosen further enhanced the natural elements of the site location: organic features include an antler chandelier, salvaged wood throughout for the mantel, ceilings, stair newels, and interior barn doors, and a live edge built-in bench in the mudroom. Spaces were designed to encourage family interaction and togetherness. The importance of solitude was thoughtfully crafted into the architecture and interiors of the family’s vacation home. SV Design made sure there were spaces where individual family members can pursue their own interests: a dedicated craft space, a family office, and a kids’ loft area. The redesign was forward thinking, to take the family into future phases in life, from the current teenage years through college years, and into the beyond of expanded family possibilities.

This project initially started as a discussion about remodeling the kitchen but morphed into a major renovation of the entire second floor including the addition of a new master suite and bath. This handsome new master bath has been created in a former small bedroom adjacent to the new master bedroom.

This Toronto condo lobby underwent extensive renovations with our design firm. We transformed the common space, reception area and lobby into a luxurious space with show-stopping features and high end finishes. From the detailed ceiling design to the gorgeous millwork this space truly morphed into a breathtaking condo lobby.

One of the joys of living in New York State is enjoying four distinct seasons. This special garden becomes an outdoor room, with walls growing out of the earth as the spring progresses to summer. At the onset of autumn, the rooms begin to morph as harvesting takes place. Winter creates a solemn composition on the land at rest. This garden is an annual engaging and educational experience for our children. Companion planting techniques encourage an abundance of flowers and food- especially tomatoes! The garden also offers welcome respite to bees and birds. Photos: Land Art Fine Gardening

Nestled on the shore of New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, is a family’s winter ski retreat. Contrary to the norm, this vacation home sees more use in the winter months than in the summer season. Breathtaking views of Mount Washington against a backdrop of shoreline dominate the scene; this vista was a driving force in the decision-making process. Doors and windows on the lakeside of the house were enlarged and expanded on to enhance the owners’ appreciation of their vantage point. The homeowners embraced, with a bit of convincing, a dark blue trim color for the exterior rather than the ubiquitous forest green common in the White Mountains. What began as a small renovation project morphed into a full renovation; the location warranted the upgrade. The client’s trust in the design team resulted in a home that is unique: contemporary while still offering the warmth and coziness of a winter retreat. The introduction of soft wood tones, a custom copper kitchen hood, and a warm muted color palate for interior trim and doors brings a coziness to the space without evoking a mountain ski lodge. The materials chosen further enhanced the natural elements of the site location: organic features include an antler chandelier, salvaged wood throughout for the mantel, ceilings, stair newels, and interior barn doors, and a live edge built-in bench in the mudroom. Spaces were designed to encourage family interaction and togetherness. The importance of solitude was thoughtfully crafted into the architecture and interiors of the family’s vacation home. SV Design made sure there were spaces where individual family members can pursue their own interests: a dedicated craft space, a family office, and a kids’ loft area. The redesign was forward thinking, to take the family into future phases in life, from the current teenage years through college years, and into the beyond of expanded family possibilities.

After living in my motorhome for 2 years as a widowed guy I met a wonderful woman and asked her to Marry me. I was in the process of building a new shop in the middle of a small apple orchard to house my Motorhome (and myself), When I asked my honey to Marry me she asked where should we live...…..I said I would get back to her and some time later, this is how my shop morphed into a Shouse! We moved in on Thanksgiving weekend and love it, I hope you do as well. Photography by: Cascade Pro Media

A young couple bought a one bedroom apartment near Lincoln center that was a perfect size for two but needed a design makeover to make it more accommodating for overnight guests. We faced a challenge to design a room that would both provide privacy to guests while maintaining the sweeping city views when the room isn't occupied. We solved this by designing walls of switchable glass panels. Each glass wall can change appearance with the flip of a switch - transparent to enjoy the view, milky white and opaque for privacy. Throughout the apartment, custom wood millwork covers the window HVAC units in each room, turning the corner in the master bedroom to morph into an integrated his/hers closet, TV console, and desk.

Example of a mountain style living room design in Singapore

Our clients wanted to create a backyard area to hang out and entertain with some privacy and protection from the elements. The initial vision was to simply build a large roof over one side of the existing deck while providing a little privacy. It was important to them to carefully integrate the new covered deck roofline into the existing home so that it looked it was there from day one. We had our partners at Draw Design help us with the initial drawings. As work progressed, the scope of the project morphed into something more significant. Check out the outdoor built-in barbecue and seating area complete with custom cabinets, granite countertops, and beautiful outdoor gas fireplace. Stone pillars and black metal capping completed the look giving the structure a mountain resort feel. Extensive use of red cedar finished off the high ceilings and privacy screen. Landscaping and a new hot tub were added afterwards. The end result is truly jaw-dropping!

This 1900's Victorian home was a huge undertaking! We took a dilapidated, neglected duplex and gave it a full make over. The exterior windows, doors, trim and siding were rebuilt in the areas where the wood rot or dry rot was extensive using the same materials and style as the original structure. The interior had been morphed into a duplex over the years, but the bones showed the truth of the original structure in the header for a single front door.

The triplex penthouse by George Ranalli Architect showcases a breathtaking sculptural spiral staircase that elegantly weaves through three levels of thoughtfully crafted living quarters. This stunning feature is a testament to the exceptional design and meticulous attention to detail of this impressive project.

Nick Knox
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One can say that the redesign job on this Atlanta-area home was just what the doctor ordered, since physician Jim Linnane chose Cantoni designer Kohl Sudnikovich to help him re-imagine his 50s ranch-style residence. Online browsing, and a fondness for modern design, led the medical professional into our Georgia store/" title="Cantoni Modern Furniture Stores" class="crosslinking">showroom after purchasing the 50s-built home in early 2011. Since then, walls were torn down, the kitchen got a facelift, a lone loft morphed in to a music room, and the fireplace got haute while the pool became cool. As always, step one of the design process began with Kohl visiting the home to measure and scale-out floor plans. Next, ideas were tossed around and the client fell in love with the Mondrian sectional, in red. “Jim’s selection set the color scheme for the home’s living areas,” explains Kohl, “and he loves the punchy accents we added with art, both inside and out.” “Kohl worked closely with me, from start to finish, and guided me through the entire process,” explains Jim. “He helped me find a great contractor, and I’m particularly fond of the plan he conceived to replace the dated fireplace with a more contemporary linear gas box set in striated limestone.” Adds Kohl, “I love how we opened the loft and staircase walls by replacing them with metal and cable railings, and how we created a sitting area (in what was the dining room) to open to the living room we enhanced with mirrors.” A creative fix, like re-facing the cabinets, drawers and door panels in the kitchen, illustrates how something simple (and not too pricey) can make a big impact. The project, on a whole, is also a good example of how our full-service design studio and talented staff can help re-imagine and optimize your living space while working within your budget. “Meeting and working with Kohl was such a great experience,” says Jim, in closing. “He is so talented. He came up with great design ideas to completely change the look of my home’s interior, and I think the results are amazing.” Guess what, Jim? We think the results of your collaboration with Kohl are pretty amazing, too.

The design for this master started conservatively and kept morphing into a more spa-like retreat. Room was taken from the adjacent master bedroom and closet until a large shower and soaking tub had room to breath. Success!