Mudroom - mid-sized country gray floor and porcelain tile mudroom idea in Richmond with white walls and a dark wood front door

John Bedell Photography, Interiors by Angela Free Design
Home design - traditional dark wood floor home design idea in San Francisco with open cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops and white walls

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

The homeowners desired an outdoor space that felt more rustic than their refined interior spaces, but still related architecturally to their house. Cement plaster support arbor columns provide enough of visual tie to the existing house exterior. Oversized wood beams and rafter members provide a unique outdoor atmosphere. Structural bolts and hardware were minimized for a cleaner appearance. Structural connections and supports were engineered to meet California's stringent earthquake standards. Ali Atri Photography

Example of a transitional kitchen design in Minneapolis

Dining room - mid-sized mid-century modern dining room idea in Los Angeles with green walls

Living room - mid-sized transitional open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Boston with gray walls, a stone fireplace, a tv stand and a standard fireplace

Designer: Dawn Adamec | Photographer: Sarah Utech
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room remodel in Milwaukee with beige walls and no fireplace

We absolutely love how this Southlake TX kitchen turned out! Crisp, clean, white, and beautiful. In this kitchen we painted their existing cabinets in this crisp white, and installed a small section of custom cabinetry. Lambert Home.

Inspiration for a timeless master freestanding bathtub remodel in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an undermount sink and brown walls

We absolutely love how this Southlake TX kitchen turned out! Crisp, clean, white, and beautiful. In this kitchen we painted their existing cabinets in this crisp white, and installed a small section of custom cabinetry. Lambert Home.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2014 Houzz
Bedroom - industrial bedroom idea in New York with white walls

Venetian Plaster
Mid-sized trendy open concept family room photo in Orange County with white walls, a wall-mounted tv, a ribbon fireplace and a concrete fireplace

Photography by Ken Wyner 2101 Connecticut Avenue (c.1928), an 8-story brick and limestone Beaux Arts style building with spacious apartments, is said to have been “the finest apartment house to appear in Washington between the two World Wars.” (James M. Goode, Best Addresses, 1988.) As advertised for rent in 1928, the apartments were designed “to incorporate many details that would aid the residents in establishing a home atmosphere, one possessing charm and dignity usually found only in a private house… the character and tenancy (being) assured through careful selection of guests.” Home to Senators, Ambassadors, a Vice President and a Supreme Court Justice as well as numerous Washington socialites, the building still stands as one of the undisputed “best addresses” in Washington, DC.) So well laid-out was this gracious 3,000 sf apartment that the basic floor plan remains unchanged from the original architect’s 1927 design. The organizing feature was, and continues to be, the grand “gallery” space in the center of the unit. Every room in the apartment can be accessed via the gallery, thus preserving it as the centerpiece of the “charm and dignity” which the original design intended. Programmatic modifications consisted of the addition of a small powder room off of the foyer, and the conversion of a corner “sun room” into a room for meditation and study. The apartment received a thorough updating of all systems, services and finishes, including a new kitchen and new bathrooms, several new built-in cabinetry units, and the consolidation of numerous small closets and passageways into more accessible and efficient storage spaces.

We absolutely love how this Southlake TX kitchen turned out! Crisp, clean, white, and beautiful. In this kitchen we painted their existing cabinets in this crisp white, and installed a small section of custom cabinetry. Lambert Home.

Designer: Dawn Adamec | Photographer: Sarah Utech
Great room - mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room idea in Milwaukee with beige walls and no fireplace

Designer: Dawn Adamec | Photographer: Sarah Utech
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room remodel in Milwaukee with beige walls and no fireplace

Designer: Dawn Adamec | Photographer: Sarah Utech
Great room - mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room idea in Milwaukee with beige walls and no fireplace

Large farmhouse light wood floor dining room photo in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, no island, white walls and a standard fireplace