Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscaping as possible. The surrounding decks, walls, and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. Upon closer inspection, however, one can see the subtle, yet transformative changes that come together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, and improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of the massive hardscape. The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call “tweeners”; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area, by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished limestone colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into its surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool in bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened, and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls, which were rather overwhelming in the space, as well as opening up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive pecan at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is quite possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited to proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks, once again expertly married into the existing, opening the area to house a large dining table and new built in bbq area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping, and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property.

This gorgeous kitchen accent wall features Buechel Stone's Fond du Lac Tailored Blend in coursed heights. Click on the tag to see more at a href=" http://www.buechelstone.com/shoppingcart/products/Fond-du-Lac-Tailored-Blend.html" rel="nofollow">www.buechelstone.com/shoppingcart/products/Fond-du-Lac-Ta...

This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house. George Mendel

Imagined for two sisters, this vibrant bedroom boasts anything a teenage girl could dream of. A playful pink and orange palette sets the stage for a hip, bohemian room complete with bespoke details. Notable pieces include fabrics from Robert Allen Design, vintage pieces sourced from Chairish and reimagined with Revitaliste, and original artwork from Simon Breitbard Fine Arts. Statement wallpaper from Nobilis and Flavor Paper (used on the ceiling) creates an environment that is at once impactful and girly without feeling overwhelming. Photo credit: David Duncan Livingston

Imagined for two sisters, this vibrant bedroom boasts anything a teenage girl could dream of. A playful pink and orange palette sets the stage for a hip, bohemian room complete with bespoke details. Notable pieces include fabrics from Robert Allen Design, vintage pieces sourced from Chairish and reimagined with Revitaliste, and original artwork from Simon Breitbard Fine Arts. Statement wallpaper from Nobilis and Flavor Paper (used on the ceiling) creates an environment that is at once impactful and girly without feeling overwhelming. Photo credit: David Duncan Livingston

The open floor plan, although no longer a novel element to home design, still can be very impactful when remodeling floor plans are executed in a thoughtful and purposeful way. This kitchen area had an expansive kitchen island with large pendulum lighting and a built in wine fridge. The cooking and prep spaces were notable and created the perfect gathering point for many guests and culinary elements to gather.

TJ Thoraldson
Inspiration for a modern two-story mixed siding exterior home remodel in Minneapolis

Notable decor elements include: vintage mid-century modern wood cabinet with stone top, vintage brass and lucite giant leaf sculpture from Caviar 20, Lee Jofa Mediterranea wallpaper in white, Studio Four NYC Capri wool rug in blue and lavender, curved chair upholstered in Perennials Very Terry fabric in french lilac, vintage metal coffee table with a glass top and mid-century modern stacking triangle side tables. Photography: Francesco Bertocci

Valerie Wilcox
Example of a transitional kitchen design in Toronto with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, metallic backsplash, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Photo: Jason Snyder © 2014 Houzz Design: Luca Construction and Design

The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call "tweeners"; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area. This was done by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing portion of the patio, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished, limestone-colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into it's surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool with their bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge, Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls (which were overwhelming in the space) and also opened up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive Pecan tree at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited for proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks added, and once again expertly married into the existing decks, opening the area to house a large dining table and a newly built-in BBQ area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property. Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscape as possible. But, the surrounding decks, walls and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. However, upon closer inspection, one can see the subtle-yet-transformative changes that came together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, as well as to improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of this massive hardscape.

Example of a trendy sunroom design in Ahmedabad

The client wanted to update this 1950's home into something more modern; with high efficiency windows, air conditioner, and functionality, as she was planning to sell. The floor plan changed slightly & made a huge impact. The most notable was the kitchen opening up into the living room. This allowed light to enter the kitchen & make a more cohesive floor plan where all family members could enjoy the space. The other big change was the Front door entered directly into the stove. We closed that in and created a much needed pantry. Another area is the living/dining room entry into the great room. It went from a small single doorway into a large entry way. This enabled the fireplace to be enjoyed from most of the home. There was a strange window cut-out / pass through in the middle of the wall between the dining room and family room, this was closed off. In the end the client was overjoyed and received her full asking price after less than one month on the market.

The client wanted to update this 1950's home into something more modern; with high efficiency windows, air conditioner, and functionality, as she was planning to sell. The floor plan changed slightly & made a huge impact. The most notable was the kitchen opening up into the living room. This allowed light to enter the kitchen & make a more cohesive floor plan where all family members could enjoy the space. The other big change was the Front door entered directly into the stove. We closed that in and created a much needed pantry. Another area is the living/dining room entry into the great room. It went from a small single doorway into a large entry way. This enabled the fireplace to be enjoyed from most of the home. There was a strange window cut-out / pass through in the middle of the wall between the dining room and family room, this was closed off. In the end the client was overjoyed and received her full asking price after less than one month on the market.

The client wanted to update this 1950's home into something more modern; with high efficiency windows, air conditioner, and functionality, as she was planning to sell. The floor plan changed slightly & made a huge impact. The most notable was the kitchen opening up into the living room. This allowed light to enter the kitchen & make a more cohesive floor plan where all family members could enjoy the space. The other big change was the Front door entered directly into the stove. We closed that in and created a much needed pantry. Another area is the living/dining room entry into the great room. It went from a small single doorway into a large entry way. This enabled the fireplace to be enjoyed from most of the home. There was a strange window cut-out / pass through in the middle of the wall between the dining room and family room, this was closed off. In the end the client was overjoyed and received her full asking price after less than one month on the market.

The client wanted to update this 1950's home into something more modern; with high efficiency windows, air conditioner, and functionality, as she was planning to sell. The floor plan changed slightly & made a huge impact. The most notable was the kitchen opening up into the living room. This allowed light to enter the kitchen & make a more cohesive floor plan where all family members could enjoy the space. The other big change was the Front door entered directly into the stove. We closed that in and created a much needed pantry. Another area is the living/dining room entry into the great room. It went from a small single doorway into a large entry way. This enabled the fireplace to be enjoyed from most of the home. There was a strange window cut-out / pass through in the middle of the wall between the dining room and family room, this was closed off. In the end the client was overjoyed and received her full asking price after less than one month on the market.

The client wanted to update this 1950's home into something more modern; with high efficiency windows, air conditioner, and functionality, as she was planning to sell. The floor plan changed slightly & made a huge impact. The most notable was the kitchen opening up into the living room. This allowed light to enter the kitchen & make a more cohesive floor plan where all family members could enjoy the space. The other big change was the Front door entered directly into the stove. We closed that in and created a much needed pantry. Another area is the living/dining room entry into the great room. It went from a small single doorway into a large entry way. This enabled the fireplace to be enjoyed from most of the home. There was a strange window cut-out / pass through in the middle of the wall between the dining room and family room, this was closed off. In the end the client was overjoyed and received her full asking price after less than one month on the market.

Kim Jeffery Photographer www.kimjeffery.com
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Toronto with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island