This Commercial interior Design Architectural Rendering is a splendid example of modern luxury with ethnic elements. The most striking thing about it is how exquisitely designer played with shapes, textures and colors. Round chairs, soft tables looking like African drums, complicated wall decor – all that has a mesmerizing effect.

We began by digging the footings for the deck and sunroom; however, we immediately ran into a problem. The back of the lot was built on fill dirt, which meant the structure would need extra support. Fortunately for the customer, with over 20 years of experience in the industry and having dealt with this type of problem before, we were able to contact our structural engineer who devised a plan to take care of the issue. Therefore, what would have been a large problem turned into a simple time delay with some additional cost requirements. To fix the situation, we would up having to dig 12-foot-deep footings with an excavator before adding some additional helical piers for the deck posts and sunroom foundation (FYI – typical footing depth is two feet). Since the customer understood that this was an unexpected situation, we created a change order to cover the extra cost. Still, it’s important to note that the very nature of construction means that hidden situations may occur, so it’s always wise for customers to have contingency plans in place before work on the home begins. In the end, we finished on time and within the homeowners budget, and they were thrilled with the quality of our work.

Real entertaining occurs in a formal dining room. Having a well-appointed, sophisticated and mature dining room make guests feel catered to. My clients wanted a Timeless and Romantic environment for large parties as well as a candlelight dinner for two. We started with the light and airy feeling of the rug. Although traditional, it grounds the room. As described on ETHAN ALLEN’s website, the Barrymore Dining Table is stunning. Precise lines, an exotic wood finish, and graceful saber legs come together elegantly. This chic transitional design was absolutely what this room needed for a good foundation. The antiqued mirror glass and circular-cut mullions of the Brandt Buffet gave the room instant ambiance. Lastly, by mixing the chairs we allowed the room to remain fresh and whimsical. The Inspired Chinese Chippendale designs of the Jacqueline side chairs maintain transitional flair while the luxurious details of the Verlaine host/hostess chairs grab your attention when walking in the room. Glass, crystal and nickel then allow the room to sparkle!

Home built by Hibbs Homes, St Louis custom home builder. This new construction custom home was built for a family on a private wooded lot in Wildwood. Surrounded by acres of forest, this home offers total privacy, while allowing for ample natural light and views of the nearby scenery. Light colors, beautiful wood, natural light, and custom tile are a design theme throughout the home. The light color palette paired with the large windows, which allow in natural light, makes the home light and bright. Beautiful wood is a feature throughout the home. Timber beams accent the main floor, extending from the kitchen, through the dining, and living rooms. The kitchen island and bathroom vanities all feature reclaimed wood paired with white ceramic sinks. A finished lower level was built for this family’s young children to have plenty of space to play. The lower level features Earthwerks Derby Plank flooring throughout. The flooring is naturally beautiful and durable – forgiving of messes and accidents that may occur when young children play.

This Roswell basement is designed around this gorgeous bar-height Braylon Double Asterisk table. With a surfaced farm top and metal base, this table is a perfect fusion of industrial and farmhouse. This table is 108″Long, 40″Wide, and 42″High. The top is crafted out of White Oak hardwoods with a Surfaced Farm Top. It has a Standard Rustic Level and Rustic Cream finish. The top is supported by two, angled, Braylon Asterisk metal bases in a Natural Matte Low Gloss finish. A Rustic Cream tabletop like this easily transforms a dark, dated space to fresh and contemporary. The naturally occurring cathedral grain gives exquisite, unique character while not looking too rustic. These table bases were modified in size and style to accommodate the bar height. This industrial base style is comfortable for seating at any size, especially at bar height. Legroom is no issue here! The seating selection in this home enhances the modern character of the custom table. The black metal legs of the Freeman bar stool create a cohesive visual with the Natural Steel hand-welded table base. If you like this look, by selecting a hardwood stool the rustic character could easily be enhanced.

The architecture of the Karoo Wilderness Center is a result of a thorough process of investigation into the origins and character of the Karoo landscape and the flora and fauna that result from its particular qualities. The tectonic events that produced the specific topography of the site, trajectories of water runoff, wind movement, soil composition, and effects of plant and animal species on the landscape have converged to create the conditions of the site chosen for the Center. Each of these factors have in turn been subject to the impact of human inhabitation and vernacular building practices, amplified in recent generations to a harmful degree by shortsighted agricultural strategies and their associated effects of overgrazing, water over-manipulation and erosion. Fundamental to the architectural response is the premise that the human species is an inherent part of the conditions that comprise and affect the landscape. The significance of the Center, enhanced and informed by the activities that occur within and as an extension of it, lies in the co-dependence of the Center and the ecosystem as inherently bound entities. The architecture of the Center is intended to make evident the natural processes of the Karoo and establish a new precedent for building within and through an ecosystem defined by dynamic flux.

Erik Grammer Photography - I recently came across a post on Facebook with a photo of an elderly couple with a quote saying "We were born in a time when if something was broken we would fix it, not throw it away..." This quote resonated with me. I found myself thinking of it while working on the same house - for the fourth time. I affectionately call this beautiful Southern California beach house the Humpty Dumpty home. I started a wonderful business relationship with one of my favorite clients back in 2003. Initially, I was called in to "fix" and finish what another designer started. Once completed and with everything just so, the couple unfortunately divorced and amicably divided the art, rugs and furnishings. I was hired for a second time to recreate each room as close as possible to replace all items that were missing. The house was happily restored back to the original design and all was well for a few years. My client relocated to the East Coast for a temporary job assignment and the house was rented to a person (whose name I can't say) from a famous all-girl band. During this time there was a problem with the upstairs laundry room and water damage occurred. I was hired for the third time to help repair and update (ever so slightly) some areas in the house. My client requested to keep the design and feeling of the house intact because he loved it so much. A few years passed before a pipe broke in the master bathroom while the new renter was out of town on vacation. Unfortunately, things like this do happen - and if not attended to quickly, major damage can occur. In this case, nearly the entire house was flooded requiring it to be completely gutted and stripped down to the floorboards and studs. In January of this year, I was hired to help the client, the insurance company, and the contractor put the house back together again. But unlike the Humpty Dumpty story, this house has actually been put back together again - several times over. Although, this house and client have experienced some challenges, I say this is a perfect example of design success. My client has had many opportunities to change and create something new in his environment with every mis-adventure. Instead, he realizes his home is exactly the way he likes it. It has been such an honor to work with this man who is definitive, trusting, and confident enough to create (or re-create) the perfect home that "fits" his personality and lifestyle. Although this Humpty Dumpty home has been good for my business, I hope the next project with this client is to decorate another property - perhaps a New York City Apartment!

Differences in Installation: Concrete slab is somewhat easy to install, but the material takes time to dry and cure. The installation process includes excavation, grading, preparation of the foundation, setting forms, and pouring the concrete. One of the major downsides to concrete is it can crack when the ground below flexes. It is also very important to get the grading just right with a concrete installation, as it can be a very costly error to fix once the concrete has been poured. Improper concrete grading can lead to low spots which will retain water, leaving discolorations and staining. Paving stones require a lot more preparation which makes for a more labor intensive installation. The paver installation process includes: excavation, grading, sub-base compaction, geotextile fiber install, base preparation, base compaction, sand preparation, lay the pavers, cut the borders, prepare the bond beam, compact the stones, and finally seal the pavers upon completion. Since there is no curing time with paving stones, the paver installation is ready to use immediately upon completion. Also, if the grading happened to be slightly off or settling occurred later down the line, the pavers can easily be readjusted to correct the issue.

Distributed by Timspec, Accoya was used chosen as the ideal material to clad a show home in Auckland. Accoya was selected for the black coated weatherboards on the front section of the house, due to its durability and stability benefits. Because of Accoya’s modification technique it is the ideal wood for external cladding such as this. Generally, problems can occur with darker coatings on cladding, due to shrink and swell being exasperated by the solar gain. But, Accoya wood’s superior dimensional stability negates this problem and maintenance intervals are dramatically extended. The cladding needed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as highly durable in order to withstand the extreme climates in New Zealand. Accoya was also chosen due to its rot resistant benefits and its ability to deter insects in these types of environments.

This exquisite residential outdoor living space highlights the Quarry Mill's Denali natural thin stone veneer. Denali natural stone veneer is a high density sandstone cut into rough rectangles forming the castle rock style. The stone gets its abundance of color from the heavy mineral staining. The mineral staining occurred naturally in the quarry over time as water washed minerals between the individual layers of stone. The colors include blue, light grey, tan and brown. Denali also has a very rugged and unique texture with a mix of dimpled, smooth and wavy pieces. This stone is sold as individual pieces intended to be installed by a professional masonry contractor. If you are looking for a rustic and colorful thin stone veneer Denali is a great choice.

Inspiration for a traditional front yard landscaping in Orange County.

Carpet Providing beauty and durability Warm, soft, quiet...carpet makes a house feel like a home. Aesthetically, carpet is the canvas on which the rest of your home sits – it can serve as anything from a neutral foundation to a striking focal point. The choices of materials, colors and styles available are seemingly endless. From a practical standpoint carpet has many advantages. It acts to absorb sound making the home more peaceful and insulates and protects against heat loss, making a home more energy efficient. For younger and older members of the family carpet provides a non-slip surface as well as a soft place to land should a fall occur. At Flooring Lane we have a wide variety of choices and experts ready to help you find the carpet that works for you.

Situated in the woods, this 2,700 square-foot cottage was renovated and completely transformed into a blissful retreat. In keeping with the simplistic aspect of the surrounding environment, the exterior cladding focused on returning the home to nature, allowing the adjoining landscape to visually capture. What defines this project is the total dedication in capturing the awe-inspiring moments achieved in nature, through the integration of structural and organic systems. Utilizing a bright, clean color palette for the interior and soft, memorable textiles, an undeniably cheery atmosphere has been created that provides moments of reflection and inspiration, perfect for the client; a writer. A partially open-concept plan has been laid out that offers space for large gatherings and for smaller, more intimate settings. Recognizing that the residence is situated in the woods is obvious from the exterior; however, upon entrance, a complete transformation occurs, causing one to feel both removed and a part of the natural environment. Photographer: MTA

This new construction custom home was built for a family on a private wooded lot in Wildwood. Surrounded by acres of forest, this home offers total privacy, while allowing for ample natural light and views of the nearby scenery. Light colors, beautiful wood, natural light, and custom tile are a design theme throughout the home. The light color palette paired with the large windows, which allow in natural light, makes the home light and bright. Beautiful wood is a feature throughout the home. Timber beams accent the main floor, extending from the kitchen, through the dining, and living rooms. The kitchen island and bathroom vanities all feature reclaimed wood paired with white ceramic sinks. A finished lower level was built for this family’s young children to have plenty of space to play. The lower level features Earthwerks Derby Plank flooring throughout. The flooring is naturally beautiful and durable – forgiving of messes and accidents that may occur when young children play.

Modern Farmhouse Bathroom Photo by: Leslie Goodwin Photography
Example of a farmhouse bathroom design in Toronto

This new construction custom home was built for a family on a private wooded lot in Wildwood. Surrounded by acres of forest, this home offers total privacy, while allowing for ample natural light and views of the nearby scenery. Light colors, beautiful wood, natural light, and custom tile are a design theme throughout the home. The light color palette paired with the large windows, which allow in natural light, makes the home light and bright. Beautiful wood is a feature throughout the home. Timber beams accent the main floor, extending from the kitchen, through the dining, and living rooms. The kitchen island and bathroom vanities all feature reclaimed wood paired with white ceramic sinks. A finished lower level was built for this family’s young children to have plenty of space to play. The lower level features Earthwerks Derby Plank flooring throughout. The flooring is naturally beautiful and durable – forgiving of messes and accidents that may occur when young children play. Photo by Dave Dierzbicki

This Roswell basement is designed around this gorgeous bar-height Braylon Double Asterisk table. With a surfaced farm top and metal base, this table is a perfect fusion of industrial and farmhouse. This table is 108″Long, 40″Wide, and 42″High. The top is crafted out of White Oak hardwoods with a Surfaced Farm Top. It has a Standard Rustic Level and Rustic Cream finish. The top is supported by two, angled, Braylon Asterisk metal bases in a Natural Matte Low Gloss finish. A Rustic Cream tabletop like this easily transforms a dark, dated space to fresh and contemporary. The naturally occurring cathedral grain gives exquisite, unique character while not looking too rustic. These table bases were modified in size and style to accommodate the bar height. This industrial base style is comfortable for seating at any size, especially at bar height. Legroom is no issue here! The seating selection in this home enhances the modern character of the custom table. The black metal legs of the Freeman bar stool create a cohesive visual with the Natural Steel hand-welded table base. If you like this look, by selecting a hardwood stool the rustic character could easily be enhanced.

This is the first burnished solid bronze workstation sink in existence. We recently introduced bronze sinks to the market as an alternative to brass, copper, and stainless steel. Every sink we manufacture is custom-designed with the homeowners. We do not stock sinks at all. As every family is different, the efficiency of the sink should be different. This is a top mount replacement sink in our innovative workstation design we call NexGen. The ledge, instead of a step, offers significant advantages over the typical workstation sink. The lost width that occurs with other workstation sinks is recaptured, offering 34 additional square inches of bowl space on a 36" sink. The design also affords the perforated grid to sit on the bottom of the bowl in the same orientation shown in the photo. In that position, you can wash on the right and set off on the grid on the left. You can also place your colander on the grid and pour your cooked pasta without the fear of "backwash".

Distributed by Timspec, Accoya was used chosen as the ideal material to clad a show home in Auckland. Accoya was selected for the black coated weatherboards on the front section of the house, due to its durability and stability benefits. Because of Accoya’s modification technique it is the ideal wood for external cladding such as this. Generally, problems can occur with darker coatings on cladding, due to shrink and swell being exasperated by the solar gain. But, Accoya wood’s superior dimensional stability negates this problem and maintenance intervals are dramatically extended. The cladding needed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as highly durable in order to withstand the extreme climates in New Zealand. Accoya was also chosen due to its rot resistant benefits and its ability to deter insects in these types of environments.