Cottage brown floor foyer photo in Chicago with white walls and a black front door

Photos ©RK Productions
Inspiration for a timeless front door remodel in Portland

Nathan Schroder Photography BK Design Studio Robert Elliott Custom Homes
Inspiration for a contemporary built-in desk dark wood floor home office remodel in Dallas with blue walls and no fireplace

4 lite French doors
Elegant exterior home photo in New York

This traditional white bathroom beautifully incorporates white subway tile and marble accents. The black and white marble floor compliments the black tiles used to frame the decorative marble shower accent tiles and mirror. Completed with chrome fixtures, this black and white bathroom is undoubtedly elegant. Learn more about Chris Ebert, the Normandy Remodeling Designer who created this space, and other projects that Chris has created: https://www.normandyremodeling.com/team/christopher-ebert Photo Credit: Normandy Remodeling

My client for this project was a builder/ developer. He had purchased a flat two acre parcel with vineyards that was within easy walking distance of downtown St. Helena. He planned to “build for sale” a three bedroom home with a separate one bedroom guest house, a pool and a pool house. He wanted a modern type farmhouse design that opened up to the site and to the views of the hills beyond and to keep as much of the vineyards as possible. The house was designed with a central Great Room consisting of a kitchen area, a dining area, and a living area all under one roof with a central linear cupola to bring natural light into the middle of the room. One approaches the entrance to the home through a small garden with water features on both sides of a path that leads to a covered entry porch and the front door. The entry hall runs the length of the Great Room and serves as both a link to the bedroom wings, the garage, the laundry room and a small study. The entry hall also serves as an art gallery for the future owner. An interstitial space between the entry hall and the Great Room contains a pantry, a wine room, an entry closet, an electrical room and a powder room. A large deep porch on the pool/garden side of the house extends most of the length of the Great Room with a small breakfast Room at one end that opens both to the kitchen and to this porch. The Great Room and porch open up to a swimming pool that is on on axis with the front door. The main house has two wings. One wing contains the master bedroom suite with a walk in closet and a bathroom with soaking tub in a bay window and separate toilet room and shower. The other wing at the opposite end of the househas two children’s bedrooms each with their own bathroom a small play room serving both bedrooms. A rear hallway serves the children’s wing, a Laundry Room and a Study, the garage and a stair to an Au Pair unit above the garage. A separate small one bedroom guest house has a small living room, a kitchen, a toilet room to serve the pool and a small covered porch. The bedroom is ensuite with a full bath. This guest house faces the side of the pool and serves to provide privacy and block views ofthe neighbors to the east. A Pool house at the far end of the pool on the main axis of the house has a covered sitting area with a pizza oven, a bar area and a small bathroom. Vineyards were saved on all sides of the house to help provide a private enclave within the vines. The exterior of the house has simple gable roofs over the major rooms of the house with sloping ceilings and large wooden trusses in the Great Room and plaster sloping ceilings in the bedrooms. The exterior siding through out is painted board and batten siding similar to farmhouses of other older homes in the area. Clyde Construction: General Contractor Photographed by: Paul Rollins

Praised for its visually appealing, modern yet comfortable design, this Scottsdale residence took home the gold in the 2014 Design Awards from Professional Builder magazine. Built by Calvis Wyant Luxury Homes, the 5,877-square-foot residence features an open floor plan that includes Western Window Systems’ multi-slide pocket doors to allow for optimal inside-to-outside flow. Tropical influences such as covered patios, a pool, and reflecting ponds give the home a lush, resort-style feel.

This tiny home has utilized space-saving design and put the bathroom vanity in the corner of the bathroom. Natural light in addition to track lighting makes this vanity perfect for getting ready in the morning. Triangle corner shelves give an added space for personal items to keep from cluttering the wood counter. This contemporary, costal Tiny Home features a bathroom with a shower built out over the tongue of the trailer it sits on saving space and creating space in the bathroom. This shower has it's own clear roofing giving the shower a skylight. This allows tons of light to shine in on the beautiful blue tiles that shape this corner shower. Stainless steel planters hold ferns giving the shower an outdoor feel. With sunlight, plants, and a rain shower head above the shower, it is just like an outdoor shower only with more convenience and privacy. The curved glass shower door gives the whole tiny home bathroom a bigger feel while letting light shine through to the rest of the bathroom. The blue tile shower has niches; built-in shower shelves to save space making your shower experience even better. The bathroom door is a pocket door, saving space in both the bathroom and kitchen to the other side. The frosted glass pocket door also allows light to shine through. This Tiny Home has a unique shower structure that points out over the tongue of the tiny house trailer. This provides much more room to the entire bathroom and centers the beautiful shower so that it is what you see looking through the bathroom door. The gorgeous blue tile is hit with natural sunlight from above allowed in to nurture the ferns by way of clear roofing. Yes, there is a skylight in the shower and plants making this shower conveniently located in your bathroom feel like an outdoor shower. It has a large rounded sliding glass door that lets the space feel open and well lit. There is even a frosted sliding pocket door that also lets light pass back and forth. There are built-in shelves to conserve space making the shower, bathroom, and thus the tiny house, feel larger, open and airy.

View of the open pantry with included appliance storage. Custom by Huntwood, flat panel walnut veneer doors. Pass-through to entry. Beveled subway tile backsplash in a herringbone pattern. Pot filler over induction cooktop for convenience. Nathan Williams, Van Earl Photography www.VanEarlPhotography.com

Elegant kitchen photo in Charlotte

The design dilemma: Develop a privacy solution, for a charming glass panel front door and sidelights, that is both beautiful and functional. The solution occurred in two parts. First, we added fully closing drapery panels that offer privacy for the family while inside their home. We used a sheer fabric that allows light to pass through but obscures the view from the outside. This solved the privacy needs while inside the home. However, the drapery can not be fully closed when the family is away from their home. Which leads us to the second part of our design solution. We fabricated a custom flat panel sheer that can easily be added or removed when the family leaves the home. The sheer fabric was doubled and acts similarly to the drapery in that it allows light to pass through but obscures the view from the outside. Clear, 3M brand removable hooks were attached to the door and the grommet heading fabric panel easily attaches to the hooks. The result is both beautiful and functional! Designed by: Jennifer Gardner Design Photographed by: Marcela Winspear

Leigh Ann Rowe Chad Mellon
Urban brown floor living room photo in Orange County with white walls

San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close- knit family. San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close-knit family. Facing the Back Bay, overlooking downtown and the Bay Bridge, this property presented us with a unique opportunity to design a vacation home with a dual personality. One side faces a bustling harbor with a constant parade of yachts, cargo vessels and military ships while the other opens onto a deep, quiet contemplative garden. The home’s shingle-style influence carries on the historical Coronado tradition of clapboard and Craftsman bungalows built in the shadow of the great Hotel Del Coronado which was erected at the turn of the last century. In order to create an informal feel to the residence, we devised a concept that eliminated the need for a “front door”. Instead, one walks through the garden and enters the “Great Hall” through either one of two French doors flanking a walk-in stone fireplace. Both two-story bedroom wings bookend this central wood beam vaulted room which serves as the “heart of the home”, and opens to both views. Three sets of stairs are discretely tucked away inside the bedroom wings. In lieu of a formal dining room, the family convenes and dines around a beautiful table and banquette set into a circular window bay off the kitchen which overlooks the lights of the city beyond the harbor. Working with noted interior designer Betty Ann Marshall, we designed a unique kitchen that was inspired by the colors and textures of a fossil the couple found on a honeymoon trip to the quarries of Montana. We set that ancient fossil into a matte glass backsplash behind the professional cook’s stove. A warm library with walnut paneling and a bayed window seat affords a refuge for the family to read or play board games. The couple’s fine craft and folk art collection is on prominent display throughout the house and helps to set an intimate and whimsical tone. Another architectural feature devoted to family is the play room lit by a dramatic cupola which beacons the older grandchildren and their friends. Below the play room is a four car garage that allows the patriarch space to refurbish an antique fire truck, a mahogany launch boat and several vintage cars. Their jet skis and kayaks are housed in another garage designed for that purpose. Lattice covered skylights that allow dappled sunlight to bathe the loggia affords a comfortable refuge to watch the kids swim and gaze out upon the rushing water, the Coronado Bay Bridge and the romantic downtown San Diego skyline. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Betty Ann Marshall Construction: Bill Lyons Photographer: Laura Hull Styling: Zale Design Studio

jeremy bittermann
Example of a trendy white tile mosaic tile floor alcove bathtub design in Portland with medium tone wood cabinets and white walls

While the owners are away the designers will play! This Bellevue craftsman stunner went through a large remodel while its occupants were living in Europe. Almost every room in the home was touched to give it the beautiful update it deserved. A vibrant yellow front door mixed with a few farmhouse touches on the exterior provide a casual yet upscale feel. From the craftsman style millwork seen through out, to the carefully selected finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms, to a dreamy backyard retreat, it is clear from the moment you walk through the door not a design detail was missed. Being a busy family, the clients requested a great room fit for entertaining. A breakfast nook off the kitchen with upholstered chairs and bench cushions provides a cozy corner with a lot of seating - a perfect spot for a "kids" table so the adults can wine and dine in the formal dining room. Pops of blue and yellow brighten the neutral palette and create a playful environment for a sophisticated space. Painted cabinets in the office, floral wallpaper in the powder bathroom, a swing in one of the daughter's rooms, and a hidden cabinet in the pantry only the adults know about are a few of the elements curated to create the customized home my clients were looking for.

This stunning 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home sits on just over one very private, mostly flat acre located at 22 Pigeon Hollow Rd San Rafael CA. The spacious home features a chef’s kitchen with granite counters, custom cabinets and high-end appliances. Adjoining the kitchen is a wonderful family room with cathedral ceilings, gas-burning fireplace and opens to the expansive patio, yard and gardens. The south-facing formal living room with wood-burning fireplace gets all day sun. With the formal dining room opening wide to the patio, you will enjoy indoor/outdoor living and entertaining at its finest. Three spacious bedrooms, including master suite with walk-in closet and access to yard through French doors, are all on the ground floor. The second floor fourth bedroom features a beautiful spa bath with jetted tub and separate stall shower. A great office with built-in bookcases also features exterior access through French doors. Hardwood floors throughout, except bedrooms, which are carpeted. A children’s play structure, trampoline and kids’ zipline, while out of site, complete the back yard, which also features a rose garden, raised beds and a pool site. Adjacent to the parking area at the front of the house is the sunken sports court. This spectacular property, located just one mile from Highway. 101, and in the Glenwood School District, is a home you will never want to leave.

Design: Abodwell Interior Design | Photographer: Dennis Owen — in Laguna Beach, CA.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard tile patio remodel in Orange County with no cover

This tropical modern coastal Tiny Home is built on a trailer and is 8x24x14 feet. The blue exterior paint color is called cabana blue. The large circular window is quite the statement focal point for this how adding a ton of curb appeal. The round window is actually two round half-moon windows stuck together to form a circle. There is an indoor bar between the two windows to make the space more interactive and useful- important in a tiny home. There is also another interactive pass-through bar window on the deck leading to the kitchen making it essentially a wet bar. This window is mirrored with a second on the other side of the kitchen and the are actually repurposed french doors turned sideways. Even the front door is glass allowing for the maximum amount of light to brighten up this tiny home and make it feel spacious and open. This tiny home features a unique architectural design with curved ceiling beams and roofing, high vaulted ceilings, a tiled in shower with a skylight that points out over the tongue of the trailer saving space in the bathroom, and of course, the large bump-out circle window and awning window that provides dining spaces.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.