A clean, contemporary, spa-like master bathroom was on the list for this new construction home. The floating double vanity and linen storage feature sealed and varnished plank sap walnut doors with the horizontal grain matching end to end, contrasting with the dark gray tile throughout. The freestanding soaking tub is constructed of blue-stone, a composite of quartzite and bio-resin that is durable, anti-microbial, eco-friendly, and feels like natural stone. The expansive shower is adorned with modern Milano fixtures and integrated lighting for a true luxurious experience. This is appealing to the professional who desires a Pacific West Coast feel in Upstate NY

A cabin in Western Wisconsin is transformed from within to become a serene and modern retreat. In a past life, this cabin was a fishing cottage which was part of a resort built in the 1920’s on a small lake not far from the Twin Cities. The cabin has had multiple additions over the years so improving flow to the outdoor space, creating a family friendly kitchen, and relocating a bigger master bedroom on the lake side were priorities. The solution was to bring the kitchen from the back of the cabin up to the front, reduce the size of an overly large bedroom in the back in order to create a more generous front entry way/mudroom adjacent to the kitchen, and add a fireplace in the center of the main floor. Photographer: Wing Ta Interior Design: Jennaea Gearhart Design

Working from the existing home’s deficits, we designed a bright and classic home well-suited to today’s living. Instead of a dark tunnel-like entry, we have a skylight custom curving stair that no one can believe is not original. Instead of a maze of rooms to reach the gorgeous park-like backyard, we have a clear central axis, allowing a sightline right through from the top of the stairs. Instead of three bedrooms scattered all over the house, we have zoned them to the second floor, each well-proportioned with a true master suite. Painted wood paneling, face-frame cabinets, box-beam beilings and Calacatta counters express the classic grandeur of the home.

A pre-war West Village bachelor pad inspired by classic mid-century modern designs, mixed with some industrial, traveled, and street style influences. Our client took inspiration from both his travels as well as his city (NY!), and we really wanted to incorporate that into the design. For the living room we painted the walls a warm but light grey, and we mixed some more rustic furniture elements, (like the reclaimed wood coffee table) with some classic mid-century pieces (like the womb chair) to create a multi-functional kitchen/living/dining space. Using a versatile kitchen cart with a mirror above it, we created a small bar area, which was definitely on our client's wish list! Photos by Matthew Williams

With authentic coloring and natural underflow, Adura® "Margate Oak" luxury vinyl plank flooring has the look of centuries-old reclaimed wood with a sense of craftsmanship found in times past. Available in 6" wide planks and 4 colors (Harbor shown here).

This breathtaking project by transFORM is just part of a larger renovation led by Becky Shea Design that transformed the maisonette of a historical building into a home as stylish and elegant as its owners. Attention to detail was key in the configuration of the master closets and dressing rooms. The women’s master closet greatly elevated the aesthetic of the space with the inclusion of posh items like ostrich drawer faces, jewelry-like hardware, a dedicated shoe section, and glass doors. The boutique-inspired LED lighting system notably added a luxe look that’s both polished and functional. Custom Closet by transFORM Interior Design by Becky Shea Design Photography by Sean Litchfield Photography

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

Kitchen by Jinx McDonald Interior Designs
Example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen design in Tampa with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photo by Christopher Carter
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional master gray tile and marble tile porcelain tile and gray floor bathroom remodel in Denver with a hinged shower door, black walls, marble countertops and gray countertops

This home is located on a one acre parcel of land near the banks of the Milwaukee River in the older established subdivision of Sleepy Hollow Estates in Mequon, Wisconsin. The inspiration for this Glen Cove Residence was to bring the desired by many, contemporary and modern lifestyle of a down town loft and establish it in a neighborhood in the suburbs amongst traditional style homes. Sleepy Hollow Estates like many older established neighborhoods throughout the North shore and Westside communities of Milwaukee had great local architects such as John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson, who built contemporary master pieces amongst very traditional style homes. This created diversity in the style of homes in these neighborhoods which for the people living in them and the people just passing by, an experience of harmony and cultural lifestyle. Unfortunately today, many new neighborhood developments lack harmony and cultural lifestyle and don’t allow for homes such as this Glen Cove Residence to be built. And for that matter many of the homes built by John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson back in the 1950’s. When driving through these new developments, one would experience beautiful traditional style homes, but all the homes tend to look the same. There is no diversity in the styles of homes thus these neighborhoods lack the harmony and a cultural life style for the people who live there or what people are looking for when buying a home that reflects their lifestyle. This Glen Cove Residence is an example that a contemporary home which offers a modern lifestyle that many desires can be established amongst traditional homes while blending in with the neighborhood. Don’t be fooled by the flat roof of this home, building technology has come a long way since Frank Lloyd Wright! The roof system on this home is more energy efficient than most roof systems builders are putting on traditional homes today and it doesn’t leak! This Glen Cove Residence was built using all traditional building materials that you would see in homes being built in new developments today. There is a misconception out there that modern homes are expensive to build. That is not true! This Glen Cove Residence was built for roughly $130 per square foot which is the same price one would pay for a similar builder’s model traditional style home with the same upgrades. This Glen Cove Residence consists of three bedrooms and three and one half baths. All bedrooms are located on second floor with laundry, guest bath and a master suite. Located between the first and second floors off of the landing is an office/den space. The first floor is open concept with the kitchen, dining and living areas located at the rear of the home with expansive windows allowing a great connection to back yard area and outdoors. On the back of the home is a covered deck area allowing for outdoor entertaining without the worry of the elements. The first floor also offers a powder room, mudroom and walk-in pantry off the kitchen area. From the mudroom there is access to an attached four car tandem garage. From the first floor to the finished basement is an open stair allowing the basement area to feel as part of the house and not just a basement? The basement consists of a main living area, game area with wet bar, exercise room, kids play room with 14’ ceilings, full bathroom and mechanical room with storage closets throughout.

Ryann Ford
Country two-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Austin

WoodForm Concrete® is a lightweight engineered composite that looks like wood and acts like stone. It will not split, crack, splinter, stain or rot. Multiple color choices, edge details, accessories and more make this material a must-have if you truly want the look of, “wood without the worry”. This revolutionary product enables wood to be used in areas that real wood would be impossible or impractical. This product has more than 50% recycled content, 0% waste in its production, it's lightweight and easy to transport, will last longer than wood and has a lower Embodied Energy in its production.

This fall, Amethyst had the opportunity to partner with Freeman Custom Homes of Kansas City to furnish this 5000 sq ft European Modern designed home for the Artisan Home Tour 2020! Every square inch of this home was magical -- from the secret staircase in the master bath leading to a private shuttered plunge pool to the vaulted kitchen with sky high mushroom colored cabinetry and handmade zellige tile. We met the builders during the cabinetry phase and watching their final, thoughtful design details evolve was such full of over-the-top surprises like the unique valet-like storage in the entry and limestone fireplace! As soon as we saw their vision for the home, we knew our furnishings would be a great match as our design style celebrates handmade rugs, artisan handmade custom seating, old-meets-new art, and let's be honest -- we love to go big! They trusted us to do our thing on the entire main level and we enjoyed every minute. The load in took 3 full trucks and fortunately for us -- the homeowners fell in love with several pieces so our uninstall trip was significantly lighter. I think we were all a little emotional leaving this masterpiece but sooooo happy for the owners and just hoping we get invited to a Christmas party... Here are some of the highlights -- 90% of the furnishings and rugs were from our shop and we filled in the gaps with some extra special pieces!

Our clients had just recently closed on their new house in Stapleton and were excited to transform it into their perfect forever home. They wanted to remodel the entire first floor to create a more open floor plan and develop a smoother flow through the house that better fit the needs of their family. The original layout consisted of several small rooms that just weren’t very functional, so we decided to remove the walls that were breaking up the space and restructure the first floor to create a wonderfully open feel. After removing the existing walls, we rearranged their spaces to give them an office at the front of the house, a large living room, and a large dining room that connects seamlessly with the kitchen. We also wanted to center the foyer in the home and allow more light to travel through the first floor, so we replaced their existing doors with beautiful custom sliding doors to the back yard and a gorgeous walnut door with side lights to greet guests at the front of their home. Living Room Our clients wanted a living room that could accommodate an inviting sectional, a baby grand piano, and plenty of space for family game nights. So, we transformed what had been a small office and sitting room into a large open living room with custom wood columns. We wanted to avoid making the home feel too vast and monumental, so we designed custom beams and columns to define spaces and to make the house feel like a home. Aesthetically we wanted their home to be soft and inviting, so we utilized a neutral color palette with occasional accents of muted blues and greens. Dining Room Our clients were also looking for a large dining room that was open to the rest of the home and perfect for big family gatherings. So, we removed what had been a small family room and eat-in dining area to create a spacious dining room with a fireplace and bar. We added custom cabinetry to the bar area with open shelving for displaying and designed a custom surround for their fireplace that ties in with the wood work we designed for their living room. We brought in the tones and materiality from the kitchen to unite the spaces and added a mixed metal light fixture to bring the space together Kitchen We wanted the kitchen to be a real show stopper and carry through the calm muted tones we were utilizing throughout their home. We reoriented the kitchen to allow for a big beautiful custom island and to give us the opportunity for a focal wall with cooktop and range hood. Their custom island was perfectly complimented with a dramatic quartz counter top and oversized pendants making it the real center of their home. Since they enter the kitchen first when coming from their detached garage, we included a small mud-room area right by the back door to catch everyone’s coats and shoes as they come in. We also created a new walk-in pantry with plenty of open storage and a fun chalkboard door for writing notes, recipes, and grocery lists. Office We transformed the original dining room into a handsome office at the front of the house. We designed custom walnut built-ins to house all of their books, and added glass french doors to give them a bit of privacy without making the space too closed off. We painted the room a deep muted blue to create a glimpse of rich color through the french doors Powder Room The powder room is a wonderful play on textures. We used a neutral palette with contrasting tones to create dramatic moments in this little space with accents of brushed gold. Master Bathroom The existing master bathroom had an awkward layout and outdated finishes, so we redesigned the space to create a clean layout with a dream worthy shower. We continued to use neutral tones that tie in with the rest of the home, but had fun playing with tile textures and patterns to create an eye-catching vanity. The wood-look tile planks along the floor provide a soft backdrop for their new free-standing bathtub and contrast beautifully with the deep ash finish on the cabinetry.

Builder: Thompson Properties, Interior Designer: Allard & Roberts Interior Design, Cabinetry: Advance Cabinetry, Countertops: Mountain Marble & Granite, Lighting Fixtures: Lux Lighting and Allard & Roberts, Doors: Sun Mountain Door, Plumbing & Appliances: Ferguson, Door & Cabinet Hardware: Bella Hardware & Bath Photography: David Dietrich Photography Tile: Artistic Tile Area Rug: Togar rugs

This transitional-inspired remodel to this lovely Bonita Bay home consists of a completely transformed kitchen and bathrooms. The kitchen was redesigned for better functionality, better flow and is now more open to the adjacent rooms. The original kitchen design was very outdated, with natural wood color cabinets, corian countertops, white appliances, a very small island and peninsula, which closed off the kitchen with only one way in and out. The new kitchen features a massive island with seating for six, gorgeous quartz countertops, all new upgraded stainless steel appliances, magnificent white cabinets, including a glass front display cabinet and pantry. The two-toned cabinetry consists of white permitter cabinets, while the island boasts beautiful blue cabinetry. The blue cabinetry is also featured in the bathroom. The bathroom is quite special. Colorful wallpaper sets the tone with a wonderful decorative pattern. The blue cabinets contrasted with the white quartz counters, and gold finishes are truly lovely. New flooring was installed throughout.

This peach tree was nearly dead in an abandoned corner of the landscape. Peaches like more water and 'cool' feet than is available here in the high mountain desert. I revived this tree by adding deep mulch out past its drip line and planting a non-spreading variety of comfrey all around. Comfrey is one of the most amazing beneficial plants in the garden, it deserves an article, even a book of its own. In addition to herbal and medical properties comfrey is a powerful dynamic accumulator and mulch plant, it brings a variety of nutrients from deep in the ground and accumulates them on the surface in its leaves. The leaves break down quickly into rich black soil.

This home is located on a one acre parcel of land near the banks of the Milwaukee River in the older established subdivision of Sleepy Hollow Estates in Mequon, Wisconsin. The inspiration for this Glen Cove Residence was to bring the desired by many, contemporary and modern lifestyle of a down town loft and establish it in a neighborhood in the suburbs amongst traditional style homes. Sleepy Hollow Estates like many older established neighborhoods throughout the North shore and Westside communities of Milwaukee had great local architects such as John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson, who built contemporary master pieces amongst very traditional style homes. This created diversity in the style of homes in these neighborhoods which for the people living in them and the people just passing by, an experience of harmony and cultural lifestyle. Unfortunately today, many new neighborhood developments lack harmony and cultural lifestyle and don’t allow for homes such as this Glen Cove Residence to be built. And for that matter many of the homes built by John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson back in the 1950’s. When driving through these new developments, one would experience beautiful traditional style homes, but all the homes tend to look the same. There is no diversity in the styles of homes thus these neighborhoods lack the harmony and a cultural life style for the people who live there or what people are looking for when buying a home that reflects their lifestyle. This Glen Cove Residence is an example that a contemporary home which offers a modern lifestyle that many desires can be established amongst traditional homes while blending in with the neighborhood. Don’t be fooled by the flat roof of this home, building technology has come a long way since Frank Lloyd Wright! The roof system on this home is more energy efficient than most roof systems builders are putting on traditional homes today and it doesn’t leak! This Glen Cove Residence was built using all traditional building materials that you would see in homes being built in new developments today. There is a misconception out there that modern homes are expensive to build. That is not true! This Glen Cove Residence was built for roughly $130 per square foot which is the same price one would pay for a similar builder’s model traditional style home with the same upgrades. This Glen Cove Residence consists of three bedrooms and three and one half baths. All bedrooms are located on second floor with laundry, guest bath and a master suite. Located between the first and second floors off of the landing is an office/den space. The first floor is open concept with the kitchen, dining and living areas located at the rear of the home with expansive windows allowing a great connection to back yard area and outdoors. On the back of the home is a covered deck area allowing for outdoor entertaining without the worry of the elements. The first floor also offers a powder room, mudroom and walk-in pantry off the kitchen area. From the mudroom there is access to an attached four car tandem garage. From the first floor to the finished basement is an open stair allowing the basement area to feel as part of the house and not just a basement? The basement consists of a main living area, game area with wet bar, exercise room, kids play room with 14’ ceilings, full bathroom and mechanical room with storage closets throughout.

We planned a thoughtful redesign of this beautiful home while retaining many of the existing features. We wanted this house to feel the immediacy of its environment. So we carried the exterior front entry style into the interiors, too, as a way to bring the beautiful outdoors in. In addition, we added patios to all the bedrooms to make them feel much bigger. Luckily for us, our temperate California climate makes it possible for the patios to be used consistently throughout the year. The original kitchen design did not have exposed beams, but we decided to replicate the motif of the 30" living room beams in the kitchen as well, making it one of our favorite details of the house. To make the kitchen more functional, we added a second island allowing us to separate kitchen tasks. The sink island works as a food prep area, and the bar island is for mail, crafts, and quick snacks. We designed the primary bedroom as a relaxation sanctuary – something we highly recommend to all parents. It features some of our favorite things: a cognac leather reading chair next to a fireplace, Scottish plaid fabrics, a vegetable dye rug, art from our favorite cities, and goofy portraits of the kids. --- Project designed by Courtney Thomas Design in La Cañada. Serving Pasadena, Glendale, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Altadena. For more about Courtney Thomas Design, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/portfolio/functional-ranch-house-design/