This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.

Real Cedar Bark. Stripped off cedar log, dried, and installed on walls. Smells and looks amazing. Barnwood vanity with barnwood top, copper sink. Very cool powder room Bill Johnson

The knock down & rebuild revolution is here to stay. This new modern family home replaces a tired old house that was not designed to capitalise on its location, whereas this new contemporary modern building has been designed to capitalise on the natural environment – natural sunlight, sea breezes & sea views, to create a very liveable coastal family home. This new residence with its contemporary coastal styling utilises the natural finishes of modern materials to ground this family home’s context into this locations evolving executive seaside neighbourhood. This buildings design is a balance of form & function with a deliberate consideration of passive solar liveable design techniques, designed to capture the natural sunlight, sea breezes & sea views that this property offers. This new residence has been designed with a variety of indoor & outdoor living areas to capitalise on the natural environment & climate of this property’s location. This house incorporates design elements to allow the house to be comfortable all year round, providing a variety of areas for occupants to utilise, whether it be capturing natural sunlight & warmth in winter, creating cooling cross ventilation from sea breezes in summer & then there is the direct access to a beautifully natural landscaped garden, this new house will provide the occupants with a low maintenance, healthy living environment for years to come.

Mannington designed this stunning wood-styled Luxury Vinyl Tile to add the right amount of old-world fashion to high traffic and moisture areas of your home.

Example of a southwest bedroom design in San Francisco

Mountain style basement photo in Philadelphia

Exterior - Zane Williams Interiors - Jon Jallings
Farmhouse master light wood floor bedroom photo in Other with beige walls

Old World European, Country Cottage. Three separate cottages make up this secluded village over looking a private lake in an old German, English, and French stone villa style. Hand scraped arched trusses, wide width random walnut plank flooring, distressed dark stained raised panel cabinetry, and hand carved moldings make these traditional buildings look like they have been here for 100s of years. Newly built of old materials, and old traditional building methods, including arched planked doors, leathered stone counter tops, stone entry, wrought iron straps, and metal beam straps. The Lake House is the first, a Tudor style cottage with a slate roof, 2 bedrooms, view filled living room open to the dining area, all overlooking the lake. The Carriage Home fills in when the kids come home to visit, and holds the garage for the whole idyllic village. This cottage features 2 bedrooms with on suite baths, a large open kitchen, and an warm, comfortable and inviting great room. All overlooking the lake. The third structure is the Wheel House, running a real wonderful old water wheel, and features a private suite upstairs, and a work space downstairs. All homes are slightly different in materials and color, including a few with old terra cotta roofing. Project Location: Ojai, California. Project designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu and Calabasas, across the tri-county area of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills. Marc Whitman, architect Christopher Painter, contractor

Old world brownstone with black accent.
Large traditional two-story brick exterior home idea in Cedar Rapids

panelled bathroom with shower and operate roll top bath with traditional Burlington sink and toliet
Example of a mid-sized farmhouse master light wood floor, brown floor, single-sink, exposed beam and wall paneling bathroom design in Wiltshire with white cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, white walls, a wall-mount sink and a freestanding vanity

A formal dining room was proving to be wasted space in this young family’s home. After some discussion, we thought up all of the other ways they would like to use this space and made a room that could do it all. So, we made a dining room that doubles as a game room with soft upholstered chairs ready for cards, triples as a space to catch up on news with your morning coffee, and quadruples as a spot for that old fashioned at the end of the workday. The days of single-use rooms are over!

This Mediterranean-inspired kitchen blends warm wood cabinetry, natural stone accents, and hand-crafted architectural details to create a space rich in texture and Old-World charm. The custom cabinets feature deep, luxurious stain tones that pair beautifully with the stone hood surround and arched cooking niche—signature elements often found in high-end Mediterranean kitchen design. Wide-plank flooring and softly curved ceiling lines add warmth and authenticity, making the kitchen feel inviting and timeless. A large center island anchors the layout, offering both prep space and comfortable seating for casual dining. Decorative corbels, carved posts, and wrought-iron touches elevate the handcrafted aesthetic while modern appliances blend seamlessly into the design. This luxury Mediterranean kitchen remodel balances elegance and functionality, giving homeowners a warm, character-filled space perfect for entertaining, cooking, and gathering. Text us at (484) 278-1764 or Call us (215) 482-0700 to get more info about Design, Design-Build and other ways we can help you make your dream a reality!

Ron Rosenzweig
Example of a large transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Miami with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and blue cabinets

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info. Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

Diablo Flooring, Inc - Lafayette, CA Provenza Hardwood Wide Plank Flooring. The Old World Collection consists of wire brushed, hand distressed and scraped, in combination with an innovative technique of smoking and carbonizing to create this one-of-a-kind masterpiece for your home. Character grading varies between colors - from Select to Heavy Character.

Inspiration for a transitional light wood floor bedroom remodel in Burlington with white walls

Who said that a Burbank bungalow home needs to be doll and old fashioned. In this Burbank remodeling project we took this 1200sq. bungalow home and turned it to a wonderful mixture of European modern kitchen space and calm transitional modern farmhouse furniture and flooring. The kitchen was a true challenge since space was a rare commodity, but with the right layout storage and work space became abundant. A floating 5' long sitting area was constructed and even the back face of the cabinets was used for wine racks. Exterior was updated as well with new black windows, new stucco over layer and new light fixtures all around. both bedrooms were fitted with huge 10' sliding doors overlooking the green backyard.

Inspiration for an eclectic master dark wood floor bedroom remodel in Orange County with blue walls

This historic front porch stairs were built new by Westbrook Restorations in Seattle. These front porch stairs are made of pressure treated wood back framing, solid fir treads, fir risers, vertical grain cedar siding, custom made fir box tops. All stair wood transitional seams are fully glued and screwed, and sloped away from riser to prevent moisture penetration. As Master carpenters we use a mix of old and new techniques to ensure longevity of product.