Our client wanted an outdoor living space for her Border Collies and rescued cats. We used her existing patio and gave it a good power washing, fresh paint and we brought in Rough Sawn Redwood to create the fence and cat walks. We also added the trellis to support her healthy plants that would provide shade during the hotter months and bring several hummingbirds to home. PC: Aaron Gilless

Bernard Andre Photography
Large minimalist beige two-story house exterior photo in San Francisco with a metal roof

Freestanding bathtub - scandinavian beige tile and wood-look tile gray floor freestanding bathtub idea in San Francisco with a hinged shower door

Alcove shower - small contemporary 3/4 white tile and subway tile porcelain tile, white floor and single-sink alcove shower idea in Atlanta with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an undermount sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door, a niche and a freestanding vanity

Two deep planter boxes will make a fine home for organic vegetables. Photo by Steve Masley
Example of a classic deck design in San Francisco

Angle Eye Photography
Sunroom - mid-sized farmhouse brick floor and red floor sunroom idea in Philadelphia with no fireplace and a standard ceiling

Kitchen, bathroom and partial renovation of a residence. Design intent was to create a design complimentary to the existing mid century house while introducing hints and love of Japanese lifestyle. Photographed by: Bo Sundius

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Huge island style master medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in Hawaii with white walls

Andrew Buchanan of Subtle Light Photography
Beach style backyard stone and rectangular infinity pool photo in Seattle

Inspiration for a cottage bedroom remodel in Detroit

Completely remodeled farmhouse to update finishes & floor plan. Space plan, lighting schematics, finishes, furniture selection, and styling were done by K Design Photography: Isaac Bailey Photography

Photos by Muffy Kibbey
Kitchen - contemporary u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and a peninsula

Freestanding bathtub - huge transitional master gray tile porcelain tile freestanding bathtub idea in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink and granite countertops

Design ideas for a mid-sized asian full sun front yard concrete paver walkway in Seattle.

Inspiration for a coastal medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Portland Maine with gray walls

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional partial sun courtyard stone driveway in Boston with white walls for summer.

Rob Karosis
Example of a cottage bathroom design in New York

This backyard landscape design is inspired by our Blu Grande Smooth patio slab. Perfect paving slab for modern poolsides and backyard design, Blu Grande Smooth is a large concrete patio stone available in multiple colors. It's smooth texture is sleek to the eye but rougher to the touch which avoids it from getting slippery when wet. The large rectangular shape works as an easy add-on into Blu 60 regular modular patterns but can also work as a stand-alone to create a very linear look. Check out the HD2 Blu Grande Smooth which is all about seamless looks with a tighter/poreless texture and anti-aging technology. Check out our website to shop the look! https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/slabs/blu-grande-smooth/