The unique opportunity and challenge for the Joshua Tree project was to enable the architecture to prioritize views. Set in the valley between Mummy and Camelback mountains, two iconic landforms located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, this lot “has it all” regarding views. The challenge was answered with what we refer to as the desert pavilion. This highly penetrated piece of architecture carefully maintains a one-room deep composition. This allows each space to leverage the majestic mountain views. The material palette is executed in a panelized massing composition. The home, spawned from mid-century modern DNA, opens seamlessly to exterior living spaces providing for the ultimate in indoor/outdoor living. Project Details: Architecture: Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ // C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB // www.drewettworks.com Builder: Bedbrock Developers, Paradise Valley, AZ // http://www.bedbrock.com Interior Designer: Est Est, Scottsdale, AZ // http://www.estestinc.com Photographer: Michael Duerinckx, Phoenix, AZ // www.inckx.com

The Spanish style of the home is carried into the outdoor environment with unique fire and water features as well as a raised spa and in-pool fire pits. The home's porticos also provide outdoor lounging and dining areas.

Photo: Michael K. Wilkinson The owners of this 1923 home in Washington DC wanted a master suite, and originally considered combining two rooms on the second floor to serve this purpose. However, they showed our team the home’s attic and expressed an interest in seeing a design option for a master suite in that space. Our designer was immediately inspired. The appeal of moving the master suite to the attic was that it offered an opportunity to create a unique space that was larger and had more design options than combining two bedrooms. The original attic had wood paneling on the walls and ceiling and was mostly used for storage and as a retreat for the cats. The 7-foot walls did not capture the volume of the roof line, nor did it take advantage of the square footage. We removed the existing paneling and pushed the existing walls back so they had a lower height around the perimeter. This provides a dramatic contrast to the new high ceiling and dramatic angles of the roofline. We maintained an open floor plan and used glass panels and doors for privacy and separation of different functions. The finished square footage is 650 sq.ft. There is about 350 sq.ft. of unfinished the storage area. We also installed larger windows in the front dormer. The new windows are casement windows for egress purposes, which are required by code in a bedroom. The front dormer was also reframed in a shape that follows the original frame, which adds more volume. We installed two long steps inside the dormer to hide the ducts underneath and provide seating and storage. The space needed some detailing to balance the large volume. The open plan also required a visual delineation of the different areas. Our designer added three beams across the ceiling over the bed to define the master bedroom. The beams were finished with the same dark stain used to refinish the attic’s original pine flooring. Dimmable recessed lights in the ceiling are placed in accordance with the beams location.

Our studio transformed this Zionsville kitchen into a luxurious 21st-century space with modern finishes including a stylish bronze-tiled backsplash. Light beige walls provide an airy vibe, while darker wood cabinet fronts create a dramatic contrast against their white frames. The stunning marble-patterned countertops create a luxurious aura, while terracotta-colored chairs around a beautiful breakfast table provide a pop of cheerfulness. ---Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/modern-kitchen-transformation/

When a family living in Singapore decided to purchase a New York City pied-à-terre, they settled on the historic Langham Place, a 60-floor building along 5th Ave which features a mixture of permanent residencies and 5-star hotel suites. Immediately after purchasing the condo, they reached out to Decor Aid, and tasked us with designing a home that would reflect their jet-setting lifestyle and chic sensibility. Book Your Free In-Home Consultation Connecting to the historic Tiffany Building at 404 5th Ave, the exterior of Langham Place is a combination of highly contemporary architecture and 1920’s art deco design. And with this highly unique architecture, came highly angular, outward leaning floor-to-ceiling windows, which would prove to be our biggest design challenge. One of the apartment’s quirks was negotiating an uneven balance of natural light throughout the space. Parts of the apartment, such one of the kids’ bedrooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light, while other areas, such as one corner of the living room, receive little natural light. By sourcing a combination of contemporary, low-profile furniture pieces and metallic accents, we were able to compensate for apartment’s pockets of darkness. A low-profile beige sectional from Room & Board was an obvious choice, which we complemented with a lucite console and a bronze Riverstone coffee table from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. Circular tables were placed throughout the apartment in order to establish a design scheme that would be easy to walk through. A marble tulip table from Sit Down New York provides an opulent dining room space, without crowding the floor plan. The finishing touches include a sumptuous swivel chair from Safavieh, to create a sleek, welcoming vacation home for this international client.

Example of a small classic 3/4 white tile and stone tile mosaic tile floor alcove shower design in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite countertops, a two-piece toilet and gray walls

Hallmark Floors Real Reclaimed Look, Organic 567 Oolong Engineered Hardwood installation and remodeled living room. http://hallmarkfloors.com/hallmark-hardwoods/organic-567-engineered-collection/ Organic 567 Engineered Collection for floors, walls, and ceilings. A blending of natural, vintage materials into contemporary living environments, that complements the latest design trends. The Organic 567 Collection skillfully combines today’s fashions and colors with the naturally weathered visuals of reclaimed wood. Like our Organic Solid Collection, Organic 567 fuses modern production techniques with those of antiquity. Hallmark replicates authentic, real reclaimed visuals in Engineered Wood Floors with random widths and lengths. This unique reclaimed look took three years for our design team to develop and it has exceeded expectations! You will not find this look anywhere else. Exclusive to Hallmark Floors, the Organic Collections are paving the way with innovation and fashion. Coated with our NuOil® finish to provide 21st century durability and simplicity of maintenance. The NuOil® finish adds one more layer to its contemporary style and provides a natural look that you will not find in any other flooring collection today. The Organic 567 Collection is the perfect choice for floors, walls and ceilings. This one of a kind style is exclusively available through Hallmark Floors.

The boucle upholstered beds and textured area rug create an inviting bedroom for guests to relax in. The wall-mounted reading lights offer a stylish and unique design solution to provide light in this small space.

Inspiration for a large eclectic enclosed medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room library remodel in Nashville with black walls, no fireplace and no tv

This bathroom uses classic sand color tile with white marble accents. The wall mounted light sconces are a great source of direct task light, but also provide a unique and refined look. The glass vessel bowl and single hole faucet complete this space.

The classic black and white floor is given an elegant twist with a custom mosaic border. One of Artsaics many specialties are borders such as these, that provide unique character and detail to any space.

Special Wine room project that actually has a bigger focus to display unique bottles of all types of whisky. Complete glass enclosure providing a lighted tasting counter inside and being a key work of art when entering the home.

Soothing Shades of Grey provide the backdrop for a harmonious blend of pattern and texture.
Powder room - contemporary powder room idea in Phoenix

This studio apartment is 380 square feet. Basically one room for the living room, dining room and bedroom. It was challenging as walkways needed to be created and the colours within each living area needed to match to obtain a peaceful feeling as you walked into the unit. If you are trying to sell or rent out units in your building, give us a call. We can provide furniture within your budget or you can rent it from us. Call Joanne Vroom 514-222-5553. Unique Home Solutions Inc. has been in business since 2006.

Photos: Beth Singer Architect & Builder: LUXE Homes Design + Build Interior design: Ellwood Interiors, Inc
Enclosed dining room - transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room idea in Detroit with brown walls

Jennifer and Dan have lived in their Deer Park Illinois home for 15 years, slowly making minor fixes like painting and decorating; but they had a new plan for their kitchen the entire time. An awkwardly placed garage door, and an island cooktop with a terrible downdraft made a full-scale kitchen remodel an absolute must. Jennifer had many ideas in mind and wanted to work with a company that could provide high-end work, while partnering with a designer that would tailor the kitchen to her ideas. She was intrigued by the phrase “Common Sense Remodeling” in Advance Design’s feature she discovered while perusing an issue of the community’s Quintessential Barrington Magazine. Doing further research on the company’s website, as she looked through project profiles and read about Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling” philosophy, she promptly scheduled an appointment to see if the people and ideas she read about were truly who they said they were. The more she read, the more she knew that the “Common Sense” approach to remodeling they described was exactly the type of company she was looking for. The partnership was sealed after an initial consultation with Owner Todd Jurs and Project Designer Michelle Lecinski. They displayed a combination of friendliness, professionalism and respect that was unmatched by any of the other companies Jennifer talked to. She knew that with Advance Design, she would be able to retain the vision that she had in mind with high-quality craftsmanship. “I reached out to Advance Design because of the ‘Common Sense Remodeling’ tagline,” Jennifer said. “That’s what lingered for me”. “Advance Design was the most respectful- of the house and of my design ideas, and the most professional of the handful of companies that looked at my project”. Soon after the meeting Jennifer began working with Michelle on the project design. They quickly developed chemistry. Jennifer loved how Michelle researched and located every detail that Jennifer wanted for the kitchen. Between the two of them, every concept and idea was worked through and perfected. “Jennifer had definite ideas about what she wanted the new kitchen to look like, she just didn’t know how to bring it all together. We worked together really well to make her ideas into the practical reality necessary for a well-functioning kitchen, with the look and feel that she had envisioned”, says Michelle. “Michelle was wonderful in using the CAD system she would show me new drawings every time we changed the layout while working through the design,” Jennifer said. “She was a really wonderful partner in execution, she made sure everything happened quickly and easily.” The finished design drew out elements of Jennifer’s style and personality. The pair call the look “sophisticated farmhouse” to describe the kitchen renovation to family and friends. The result was a beautifully crafted, authentic-feeling space that satisfied Jennifer’s dreams 15 years in the making. The whole project consisted of a kitchen remodel, mudroom upgrade with powder room, and garage entry relocation. “The projects I personally like the best, are the ones that put the client’s dreams on display,” Project Designer Michelle said. “And this is one of those projects.” The main focal point of the kitchen is custom zinc and brass ventilation hood with a vintage sheen, which was hand made to order by a small company in Indiana named Vogler Metalworking. “It’s like sculpture, a true work of art”, says Jennifer. Your eye is immediately drawn towards this elegant yet practical hood that eliminated the home’s downdraft problem and added a striking conversation piece at the same time. The carpenters had to use special gloves when transporting and installing it, so they didn’t smudge it with fingerprints. The beautiful hood centers proudly over the stunning black enamel and brass LaCornue Range. “I had a friend who had a LaCornue range and after learning how easy it was to cook perfect meals, I was convinced I wanted to have one”, says Jennifer. This unique, breathtaking combination anchors the entire kitchen and is apparent immediately as you walk into the great room the surrounds the space. DuraSupreme Crestwood cabinets with a Kendall Panel add function and sophistication. A custom gray paint color paired with a storm blue was developed so that the new kitchen looked like it belonged to the existing space. Unlacquered brass faucets and hardware were important to Jennifer because she wanted the living finishes to age over time. Remarkable brass diamond mesh cabinet door inserts imported from the UK continue to add this one-of-a-kind kitchen renovation; giving it a “you won’t see this everywhere” quality. The use of old railcar flooring for the coffee bar countertop and reclaimed oak for the open shelving gives an authenticity to the space uncommon in kitchens today. Jennifer and Michelle fell in love with the Limestone Grey Stone while they were investigating unique island countertop ideas. They liked the fact that the limestone as a living finish will age and change over time. Calcutta Miel Quartz countertops made for an excellent pairing around the perimeter, as it’s durable and perfect for cooking preparations. A textured white subway tile backsplash that runs to the ceiling keeps your eye moving towards the open shelving, and to the main focal point of the stunning range hood combination. “The kitchen functions beautifully, and it’s gorgeous,” beams Jennifer as she gestures with both hands while smiling ear to ear. “The most important thing was I wanted a kitchen that had a wonderful flow, cooked beautiful meals and was a great gathering place for family and friends, and this space does that perfectly! Beauty wise, it turned out exactly how I had envisioned. I felt the function part was the hardest part, and that was nailed”! Relocating the garage entry to the new mudroom was a huge priority and has finally separated the family’s arriving home functions from their kitchen. Now coats and shoes and bags have their own area for dropping once members arrive home. Matching gray DuraSupreme cabinetry helped create gorgeous, purposeful lockers for the family. A reclaimed vintage sink and custom wall paper were added to the tiny powder room to beautify the once previously only functional space. Advance Design was even able to create a custom space for their dog to sleep while the family is away. “It was unbelievable that a project of this size was completed in such a short time, and I think that’s because of the large amount of planning and preparation that went into it,” Jennifer marveled, “When we started, we were ready, and everything was prepared”. When it came to execution, Project Manager Justin Davis and his crew were quick, accessible, and organized. Projects like this kitchen are typically completed in as little as 8-10 weeks. Jennifer’s kitchen however despite the relocation of some challenging HVAC in a soffit and moving of an exterior door was completed remarkably fast in part because the team was working with an existing tile floor that ran throughout the first floor that the client really loved. “You get to know these people really well because they’re living in your house while you’re living in your house. They were so fast and really good, it didn’t take as long as even planned” reported Jennifer. “I would text Justin and he always responded almost immediately. I got to know all the guys who were working in our house and they were all wonderful people”. Details in a customized kitchen like this one require skill and care from the people who install it. “All the guys on the job were skilled at what the did. I wanted small details like little feet to look like furniture, that is where their carpentry skill came in to make these all perfect”, said Jennifer. “The tile guys were wonderful. They even let me determine how I wanted the texture with the grout to appear for a salt and pepper look; now that is a very skilled trade person making it custom”. In Jennifer’s interview, she continued to reference Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling”, so I took a minute to ask her exactly what that phrase meant to her and how it played out in her experience with her project and the Advance Design team. Here is what she said: “I was intrigued about Common Sense Remodeling and in my head that there would be clear costs and prices, great communication between the design team, the execution team and me”, said Jennifer. They did deliver on that, it was so clear about the cost breakdown, what I could expect from everyone who came to my house, and everything that we had ordered. That to me is the Common Sense”! It’s great to see a client take literally our assertion that a well-planned remodeling project is simply “Common Sense”! She anticipated each step of the way would be clear, concise, and predictable, all the while protecting the outcome due to the careful upfront planning. “Advance Design delivered on their ‘Common Sense Remodeling’ promise,” Jennifer said. “From the design team, to the execution team - everything was straight forward like I imagined. The project turned out exactly how I envisioned, I enjoyed this process and absolutely would recommend Advance Design Studio to anyone.”

Large travertine pavers are used to create easy access from the house to the pool and spa area. Artificial turf between the travertine provides the softness and splash of lush green needed to offset the hardscape and neutral color palate.

Tuscan entrance door with sidelights in a stained fiberglass door and door frame. Laminated glass made with no metal caming and provides privacy and is strong

When full-time Massachusetts residents contemplate building a second home in Telluride, Colorado the question immediately arises; does it make most sense to hire a regionally based Rocky Mountain architect or a sea level architect conveniently located for all of the rigorous collaboration required for successful bespoke home design. Determined to prove the latter true, Siemasko + Verbridge accompanied the potential client as they scoured the undulating Telluride landscape in search of the perfect house site. The selected site’s harmonious balance of untouched meadow rising up to meet the edge of an aspen grove and the opposing 180 degree view of Wilson’s Range spoke to everyone. A plateau just beyond a fork in the meadow provided a natural flatland, requiring little excavation and yet the right amount of upland slope to capture the views. The intrinsic character of the site was only enriched by an elk trail and snake-rail fence. Establishing the expanse of Wilson’s range would be best served by rejecting the notion of selected views, the central sweeping curve of the roof inverts a small saddle in the range with which it is perfectly aligned. The soaring wave of custom windows and the open floor plan make the relatively modest house feel sizable despite its footprint of just under 2,000 square feet. Officially a two bedroom home, the bunk room and loft allow the home to comfortably sleep ten, encouraging large gatherings of family and friends. The home is completely off the grid in response to the unique and fragile qualities of the landscape. Great care was taken to respect the regions vernacular through the use of mostly native materials and a palette derived from the terrain found at 9,820 feet above sea level. Photographer: Gibeon Photography