Project Overview: (via Architectural Record) The four-story house was designed to fit into the compact site on the footprint of a pre-existing house that was razed because it was structurally unsound. Architect Robert Gurney designed the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house to appear to be two-stories when viewed from the street. At the rear, facing the Potomac River, the steep grade allowed the architect to add two additional floors below the main house with minimum intrusion into the wooded site. The house is anchored by two concrete end walls, extending the four-story height. Wood framed walls clad in charred Shou Sugi Ban connect the two concrete walls on the street side of the house while the rear elevation, facing southwest, is largely glass.

Weatherwell Elite shutters come in 4 standard colors and 1 standard wood grain powder coat. Seen here, the standard walnut wood grain powder coat is a perfect compliment to the pre-existing pavilion. From retrofitting, to a custom build with standard colors or custom colors, your space can transform to an oasis.

This project involved adding a cedar pergola to the existing covered patio and an outdoor kitchen for entertaining convenience! Built in to the existing patio, a concrete slab was poured making additional space for outdoor dining and seating underneath the pergola. An outdoor kitchen was tied into the covered patio. Stone-faced with gorgeous granite countertops, this kitchen provides ample storage space and the opportunity to prepare and grill any cuisine! Tongue and groove pre-stained ceiling was added to the existing patio cover as well as additional recessed lighting. Our clients created a trophy-winning patio complete with Texas A&M décor, perfect for hosting football season parties! This combination of patio cover and pergola provides optimum shade coverage and the chance to enjoy some natural lighting underneath the partial shade structure.

Across from Hudson River Park, the Classic 7 pre-war apartment had not renovated in over 50 years. The new owners, a young family with two kids, desired to open up the existing closed in spaces while keeping some of the original, classic pre-war details. Dark, dimly-lit corridors and clustered rooms that were a detriment to the brilliant natural light and expansive views the existing apartment inherently possessed, were demolished to create a new open plan for a more functional style of living. Custom charcoal stained white oak herringbone floors were laid throughout the space. The dark blue lacquered kitchen cabinets provide a sharp contrast to the otherwise neutral colored space. A wall unit in the same blue lacquer floats on the wall in the Den.

Total Gut Renovation. Combining two large apartment units to create a spacious contemporary residence, including all new windows, large Master Bedroom Suite, enlarged Gourmet Kitchen, new Bathrooms, fireplace and all new fixtures and finishes throughout. (Photos by Jack M. Kucy, JMK Gallery at www.JMK-Gallery.com)

Reconfiguration of the exising kitchen/living room area yielded a more gracious entertaining space with unobstructed views and natural lighting. The pre-finished flooring is a 5" width plank from Dansk Hardwood: Vintage Birch Hard-scraped Solid in the "Toast" finish with satin sheen. Last I checked, it was discontinued by the manufacturer.

Wood reclaimed from barns in upstate New York for the beams and cross-beams and Oklahoma flagstone brings a warm and rustic outdoor feel to this unique outdoor living space. This new addition complements the home as well as being reminiscent of the home owner’s Wisconsin house. Within you will discover a custom wood-fired pizza oven and outdoor fireplace built with the same stone. Completing this outdoor living space design, we included custom heaters and motorized retractable screens creating an enclosed patio so that the homeowners could enjoy their backyard year-round. Hidden within the archways, the screens are unnoticeable when the homeowners choose to enjoy the breeze. These screens can be installed on new structures, as well as retrofitted for pre-existing structures. One Specialty also constructed the retaining wall with archway, gate and fencing. The custom landscaping and landscape lighting finish the entire project. http://www.onespecialty.com/reclaimed-retreat/

Moonwallstickers.com Traditional Spanish Tile Stickers This set consists of 16 wall tile stickers which you can attach easily. Designed to makeover your kitchen tiles , backsplash tiles or bathroom tiles , each sticker perfectly matches your tile-size (please select a size above) since we deliver pre-cut parts. These wall tile covers can be added to liven up your tiles without any real work or commitment, Traditional Spanish Tiles are the perfect choice. Just peel them off when you get tired of them. Transform your bathroom or kitchen wall tiles, quick and mess free with Traditional Spanish Tiles . All our self adhesive stickers for wall tiles are: Very easy to install on any sleek and clean surface. Ideal for renters to improve a kitchen backsplash Ideal for both Kitchen and Bathroom tiling. Made from solid, durable material. Heat and water resistant. Can be applied over existing tiles, directly onto the wall or onto any smooth non-porous surface. Will cover existing tiles without showing the tile underneath. Complete instructions included with each set. Instalation Instructions: Clean the tiles you wish to cover using a non-abrasive cleaner. Align Tile with the top of the tile. Adjust as needed then press firmly with a straight edge tool (a credit card works perfectly) from top to bottom, carefully pushing out any air bubbles. The tiles can be installed by anyone without making any mess. Note: Your tiles should be clean, smooth and free of irregularities. Materials & Characteristics for your sticker .Made of Antibacterial PVC, high quality and resistant to abrasion or washing. .This wall tile stickers are water-resistant and can bear temperature up to 70°C / 158ºF. .For cleaning just use a cloth and normal bathroom cleanser. .They’re fully waterproof. .Fitting instructions are supplied with all our tile stickers and installation is as easy as peeling from the backing sheet and applying the design to the tile smoothing down with your finger. .Printed on a white background .

This Jersey City, NJ space was the first permanent ‘home’ for the yoga studio, so it was essential for us to listen well and design a space to serve their needs for years to come. Through our design process, we helped to guide the owners through the fit-out of their new studio location that required minimal demolition and disruption to the existing space. Together, we converted a space originally used as a preschool into a welcoming, spacious yoga studio for local yogis. We created one main yoga studio by combining four small classrooms into a single larger space with new walls, while all the other program spaces (including designated areas for holistic treatments, massage, and bodywork) were accommodated into pre-existing rooms. Our team completed all demo, sheetrock, electrical, and painting aspects of the project. (The studio owners did some of the work themselves, and a different company installed the flooring and carpets.) The results speak for themselves: a peaceful, restorative space to facilitate health and healing for the studio’s community. Looking to renovate your place of business? Contact the Houseplay team; we’ll help make it happen! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Our clients loved the location of their duplex home with its peak-a-boo ocean view, but their existing kitchen was not suited for their growing family. They wanted a kitchen with a coastal vibe, plenty of storage space, and an eat-in area. We started by bringing the far wall into the kitchen space to accommodate a large panty and communication center for the family. Doing this allowed us to move the refrigerator out of the main traffic area and doubled the amount of storage space. Several new windows were added to bring in natural light. A half wall was moved to allow more countertop area and open up sight lines. The previously awkwardly shaped island was slimmed down to create better flow. There were a few venting challenges to overcome; gas lines and plumbing had to be re-routed without disturbing the unit below. To open up sight lines, soffits were eliminated which allowed the extension of cabinets to the ceiling. To stay within the homeowner’s budget, we match existing scraped flooring by lacing in and repairing patches. The old dining area was too small for table, so we designed and built a custom banquette to maximize the space and take advantage of the outdoor views. The overall space works for family meals as well as entertaining. A light summer palette was used to reflect the shades of the sand, sea and sky. Even though the new kitchen is actually smaller than the original space, its now far more functional and open.

This site offered a pre-existing "drainage ditch" that was somewhat functional but quite unattractive. We widened it, added some curves, and used 4 sizes of stone to give it a more natural look. Photo by Jay Sifford.

The client's purchased an 80's condo unit of the 4th floor. The main goal(s): To create a space suitable for aging-in-place and to successfully incorporate pre-existing furniture and decor from the client's previous home. The challenges: - To be able to fully incorporate existing furniture into a smaller space, as the client's had down-sized by moving into a condo unit. - Creating and providing a wide range of accessibility and universal design to accommodate certain health issues of one of the clients. Inspiration: Existing arches throughout the home. Treve Johnson Photography

What our clients needed: • Create a garden folly that doubles as a well-built shed for crafts and storage. • Size the structure large enough for comfortable storage without dominating the garden. • Discreetly locate the shed in the far corner of the rear yard while maintaining existing trees. • Ensure that the structure is protected from the weather and carefully detailed to deter access of wildlife and rodents. FUNCTION • Construct the shed slab close to grade to permit easy access for bicycle storage, while building shed walls above grade to ensure against termites and dryrot. • Install a French door and operable casement windows to admit plenty of daylight and provide views to the garden. • Include rugged built-in work bench, shelves, bike racks and tool storage for a rustic well-organized and efficient space. • Incorporate GFIC electrical service for safe access to power at this distant corner of the yard. • Position energy-efficient interior lighting to ensure space can be used year-round. • Switch control of exterior light from house and from shed for ease of command. AESTHETICS • Design and detail the shed to coordinate with the Arts and Crafts style house. • Include an arbor for future flowering vines, further softening the shed’s garden presence. • Simple and rustic interior surfaces ensure that the space is easy to clean. • Create an aged and softly weathered appearance, and protect the exterior siding by finishing the cedar with a custom-colored semi-transparent stain. INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION • Factory-built components were pre-assembled to allow for a speedy assembly and for a shorter on-site construction schedule. • Each component was easily transported through the yard without disturbing garden features. • Decorative exterior trim frames the door and windows, while a simpler trim is used inside the unadorned shed. OBSTACLE OVERCOME • The structure is located in the corner of the yard to avoid disturbance of a curly willow tree. • The low-profile structure is positioned close to property lines while staying beneath the allowable daylight plane for structures. • To comply with daylight plane close to fence, the roof form combines hip and gable forms, with door located at gable end. • The height of the modest interior is maximized, without exceeding the allowable building height. CRAFTSMANSHIP • The concrete slab was precisely formed and finished for ease of shed assembly before the factory-built components were delivered to site. • Precision planning meant the pre-framed door fit exactly between raised concrete curb.

Master suite addition to an existing 20's Spanish home in the heart of Sherman Oaks, approx. 300+ sq. added to this 1300sq. home to provide the needed master bedroom suite. the large 14' by 14' bedroom has a 1 lite French door to the back yard and a large window allowing much needed natural light, the new hardwood floors were matched to the existing wood flooring of the house, a Spanish style arch was done at the entrance to the master bedroom to conform with the rest of the architectural style of the home. The master bathroom on the other hand was designed with a Scandinavian style mixed with Modern wall mounted toilet to preserve space and to allow a clean look, an amazing gloss finish freestanding vanity unit boasting wall mounted faucets and a whole wall tiled with 2x10 subway tile in a herringbone pattern. For the floor tile we used 8x8 hand painted cement tile laid in a pattern pre determined prior to installation. The wall mounted toilet has a huge open niche above it with a marble shelf to be used for decoration. The huge shower boasts 2x10 herringbone pattern subway tile, a side to side niche with a marble shelf, the same marble material was also used for the shower step to give a clean look and act as a trim between the 8x8 cement tiles and the bark hex tile in the shower pan. Notice the hidden drain in the center with tile inserts and the great modern plumbing fixtures in an old work antique bronze finish. A walk-in closet was constructed as well to allow the much needed storage space.

Using concrete tied the interiors to the building. “Millwork” was created using rough raw concrete pre-polished, and the fireplace and bookshelves run wall to wall. Oasis Chairs from Crate and Barrel slipcovered down. Custom walnut platform bed floating in the middle of the room and behind it is a desk. Colors of walls are concrete and stone colors to minimize the appearance of the huge existing concrete columns. Photo Credit: Tony Soluri

Mid-sized transitional master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in DC Metro with gray walls and no fireplace

AV Architects + Builders Location: Great Falls, VA, United States Our clients were looking to renovate their existing master bedroom into a more luxurious, modern space with an open floor plan and expansive modern bath design. The existing floor plan felt too cramped and didn’t offer much closet space or spa like features. Without having to make changes to the exterior structure, we designed a space customized around their lifestyle and allowed them to feel more relaxed at home. Our modern design features an open-concept master bedroom suite that connects to the master bath for a total of 600 square feet. We included floating modern style vanity cabinets with white Zen quartz, large black format wall tile, and floating hanging mirrors. Located right next to the vanity area is a large, modern style pull-out linen cabinet that provides ample storage, as well as a wooden floating bench that provides storage below the large window. The centerpiece of our modern design is the combined free-standing tub and walk-in, curb less shower area, surrounded by views of the natural landscape. To highlight the modern design interior, we added light white porcelain large format floor tile to complement the floor-to-ceiling dark grey porcelain wall tile to give off a modern appeal. Last not but not least, a frosted glass partition separates the bath area from the toilet, allowing for a semi-private toilet area. Jim Tetro Architectural Photography

When asked what they envisioned for their living and dining room Tweak, the clients responded with “colorful WOW factor”, so we gave it to them! We utilized the baby grand piano that was already in the space and took cues from the rest of the home when deciding on the decor. The home itself is decorated with strong pastel colors like deep aqua/blues, lavender, and pink colors so we chose to go bold! Moving the piano toward the center of the living room and hanging a 60" chandelier over top, cranked up the bold factor. We chose hot pink, lime green, and blue for accent colors that perfectly tied the pre-existing decor together, while still allowing the space to retain its classic black and white style. Choosing large scaled items like the massive chandelier, art, and the beautiful gold mirror in the dining room, gave drama to the spaces giving our homeowner's the WOW factor they were looking for.

Beautiful portable spa rests handsomely between pre-existing raised and lower patios. Boulders and plantings give it a set-in-garden look. longislandhottub.com