corten steel, planter, Japanese maple, courtyard, entrance, modern, boulders, river rock, native planting, commercial, garden beds, mulch, birch, dogwood, granite, condominium, condo, boulevard, natural, water management, maintenance, flower, lighting

Beautiful natural treatment in gardens equally as attractive in winter as a vista to look at from new recent renovation.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional landscaping in Toronto.

The flooring that was originally envisioned for this house wasn't Wood Floor of the Year-caliber. When Steve Brattin, president at SVB Wood Floors in Grandview, Mo., got involved in the project, the designers were discussing a simple machine-sanded heart pine or reclaimed wood floor. But once Brattin visited the site—an old world traditional estate set on acreage with its own private lake—he knew it deserved more than a typical floor. "I chatted with the designers and said I would love to meet with the homeowners and have them in our showroom," he recalls. "I said I would really like to do something artistic with it." Brattin's mind was already envisioning the possibilities—something he says usually happens for him within a half hour of walking through a space. "I don't know how certain things come to me," he says, adding that often he draws things out and the designs don't end up being in the clients' budget. That wasn't the case here, however, and the final plans for the flooring called for five designs in various areas, including this Bordeaux parquet in the foyer. With the designs finalized, Brattin turned to Distinctive Floors' (Nashville, Tenn.) Dan Antes to create the walnut flooring, which called for hand-beveling with a circle-sawn and wire-brushed surface; in some areas the flooring was 10-inch plank. The width presented a challenge for Antes, as he had planned to contract out the circle-sawing, but the company he had in mind could handle widths only up to 81⁄2 inches. He decided he would have to do it himself. "We spent maybe $1,500 modifying $20,000 worth of equipment to end up with this awesome distressed product," he says. Due to a tight time frame to complete the job, once the flooring was milled, it was shipped to WD Flooring (Laona, Wis.) to be finished with hardwax oil—a choice Antes says he loves for its maintainability. The actual installation of all 3,000 square feet of flooring was uneventful, Brattin says, crediting his crew, experienced with high-end projects, for a great job. "They had a blast," he says. "They had so much fun out there on the project, and they do it quite frequently; it comes naturally for them at this point." Given the complexity of this job, from scribing around stone to large-scale chevron and mixed media, that's high praise. Antes, himself a Wood Floor of the Year winner and supplier to many more winning projects, sums up the scope of this job: "I think he could have entered any room in this house, really, and won."—K.M.W.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional shade backyard stone and wood fence flower bed in Toronto for spring.

A marriage of Indiana Stone on the house carries through the entire landscape.
This is an example of a mid-sized front yard stone retaining wall landscape in Toronto.

Full property, front yard, backyard, modern house number, simple, elegant, boxwood hedge, hydrangea, narrow, columnar tree, driveway banding, umbrella, modern interlock, modern, natural stone boarder, outdoor lounge set, tall fence, rolling gate, rolling door, garage, brick, retrofitting, glass railing, pressure treated, custom, bespoke

Frederick Warren
Large eclectic front porch photo in Houston

Example of a mid-sized classic gender-neutral carpeted walk-in closet design in Philadelphia with shaker cabinets and dark wood cabinets

Geometric garden shaping and planting.
This is an example of a traditional front yard landscaping in Toronto.

Tasteful garbage bin enclosure with Indiana limestone path and Alabama gravel.
Design ideas for a contemporary landscaping in Toronto.

Privacy accomplished with IPE wood fences, gates, screens and tasteful use of frosted glass.
Photo of a contemporary backyard landscaping in Toronto.

Tuscan home design photo in DC Metro

Inspiration for a large timeless backyard stone and kidney-shaped pool landscaping remodel in Toronto

White floor mount pantry storage with vacuum and cleaning supplies storage. Transitional doors and drawer fronts, adjustable shelves, wine rack and storage. Chrome baskets and utility drawer and space optimizing corner shelving.

Example of a patio design in Toronto

Patio - small traditional backyard concrete paver patio idea in Toronto with a pergola

Inspiration for a contemporary open concept light wood floor living room remodel in Toronto with yellow walls and a wall-mounted tv

Jeffrey Aron Photography
Great room - huge transitional dark wood floor great room idea in Denver with gray walls

Basement - transitional basement idea in Denver