The new low maintenance foundation plantings surrounding this charming house are dwarf so as to not overwhelm the beautiful front porch. Flowering shrubs, perennials, bulbs and groundcovers provide season interest spring thru fall. Landscape lighting was added to provide safe access from the front walk.

Open concept great room provides ease of access between indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Trendy family room photo in Phoenix

The fold down counter allows for lower cabinet access while providing a lot of folding space for this small laundry room. Photography // @christatippmann Design // @hairpinhomes Wallpaper // @spoonflower Countertops // @wilsonart Cabinetry // @connollycustomcabinets Cabinetry color: Icy Lemonade // @sherwinwilliams Flooring // Marmoleum @forboflooringsystems Lighting // @lightcenterinc

This striking glass elevator is proof it is never too late to make your home accessible. The elevator tower was added to the exterior of this multistory house to provide access to all five levels. The combination of the tower’s windows and the windows incorporated into the elevator’s cab lets natural light shine into the home while ensuring the gorgeous view of the private, woodland backyard is never obstructed. This home elevator project was a true marvel that allows the homeowners to age in place and enjoy their beautiful woodland oasis home for many years to come.

Kitchen relocated from basement to main level after basement was inundated during superstorm Sandy. Back wall opened up with new folding glass doors to provide light and access to the backyard via a new wood deck. Role: project manager at Garrison Architects Photography: Andrew Rugge

This Oakland hills project began with very steep front & back yard areas. The design was created to provide a functional entry access to the house as well as create an outdoor back yard space for the family and their young children. The front yard area was unusable with dilapidated wood steps and overgrown weeds. The back yard area was non-existent because of a lack of patio space, broken wood retaining walls & steep terrain. The design included developing retaining walls to create terraces and functional spaces. for the backyard, it was important to create as much patio space for the kids to have outdoor play areas. ornamentals shrubs, no-mow lawn and a maple were plants specified to create a modern aesthetic. landscape lighting provided function and mood.

House had alley access, so 1-car garage was located in the back. The large arborvitae hedge provides excellent privacy in the back yard.

Warmly contemporary, airy, and above all welcoming, this single-family home in the heart of the city blends family-friendly living – and playing – space with rooms designed for large-scale entertaining. As at ease hosting a team’s worth of basketball-dribbling youngsters as it is gathering hundreds of philanthropy-minded guests for worthy causes, it transitions between the two without care or concern. An open floor plan is thoughtfully segmented by custom millwork designed to define spaces, provide storage, and cozy large expanses of space. Sleek, yet never cold, its gallery-like ambiance accommodates an art collection that ranges from the ethnic and organic to the textural, streamlined furniture silhouettes, quietly dynamic fabrics, and an arms-wide-open policy toward the two young boys who call this house home. Of course, like any family home, the kitchen is its heart. Here, linear forms – think wall upon wall of concealed cabinets, hugely paned windows, and an elongated island that seats eight even as it provides generous prep and serving space – define the ultimate in contemporary urban living. Photo Credits: Werner Straube

Joshua McHugh photographer Desk with hidden work surface, lighting transom for art display. Floating top lifts up providing access to lap top computers and creates instant work environment that disappears within minutes hiding any signs of office environment. Anigree wood with seagrass wall, fumed oak flooring. See photo with desk in open position.

The homeowners built their barn to be more than a simple outbuilding. In addition to storing vehicles and equipment, it's decked out with space for having fun and entertaining. The landscape continues the party, providing additional gathering space while maintaining access for trailers and other large vehicles.

The screen porch showcases the three-story bank of windows that illuminate the inside stair tower and provides french door access tot he breakfast room and great room. Knotty pine ceiling, phantom screens, and trex decking. Photo by Mike Kaskel.

Modern Row House For this new home in Boston’s oldest neighborhood, Flavin Architects imagined an elegant structure that capitalizes on the natural light and beautiful views abundant in Charlestown. Our firm sought to respect the historic fabric of the city while designing for the 21st century. The façade, with its projecting two-story bay, divided windows and vertical proportions respect the adjacent urban pattern. Stripped down and elegant detailing, devoid of ornament, connects the structure to today’s modern Boston. The exterior combines cedar shingles and shiplap boards with jet mist granite. This dark grey exterior contrasts with a bright white interior washed with sunlight. Each floor is accessed by a stairwell illuminated by a Wasco skylight. Sunlight pours down and refracts through glass paneling run underneath a natural wood handrail down the stairwell. The dining room and adjacent sitting room are bathed in warmth and light from a double-sided fireplace. In the dining room, floor-to-ceiling windows open to the street, and frame a view of the stained glass windows in St. Mary’s Church. Above the bedrooms and master suite on the third floor, a rooftop deck provides our client with views of Charlestown, Boston, and the Bunker Hill Monument.

This modern farmhouse kitchen features a beautiful combination of Navy Blue painted and gray stained Hickory cabinets that’s sure to be an eye-catcher. The elegant “Morel” stain blends and harmonizes the natural Hickory wood grain while emphasizing the grain with a subtle gray tone that beautifully coordinated with the cool, deep blue paint. The “Gale Force” SW 7605 blue paint from Sherwin-Williams is a stunning deep blue paint color that is sophisticated, fun, and creative. It’s a stunning statement-making color that’s sure to be a classic for years to come and represents the latest in color trends. It’s no surprise this beautiful navy blue has been a part of Dura Supreme’s Curated Color Collection for several years, making the top 6 colors for 2017 through 2020. Beyond the beautiful exterior, there is so much well-thought-out storage and function behind each and every cabinet door. The two beautiful blue countertop towers that frame the modern wood hood and cooktop are two intricately designed larder cabinets built to meet the homeowner’s exact needs. The larder cabinet on the left is designed as a beverage center with apothecary drawers designed for housing beverage stir sticks, sugar packets, creamers, and other misc. coffee and home bar supplies. A wine glass rack and shelves provides optimal storage for a full collection of glassware while a power supply in the back helps power coffee & espresso (machines, blenders, grinders and other small appliances that could be used for daily beverage creations. The roll-out shelf makes it easier to fill clean and operate each appliance while also making it easy to put away. Pocket doors tuck out of the way and into the cabinet so you can easily leave open for your household or guests to access, but easily shut the cabinet doors and conceal when you’re ready to tidy up. Beneath the beverage center larder is a drawer designed with 2 layers of multi-tasking storage for utensils and additional beverage supplies storage with space for tea packets, and a full drawer of K-Cup storage. The cabinet below uses powered roll-out shelves to create the perfect breakfast center with power for a toaster and divided storage to organize all the daily fixings and pantry items the household needs for their morning routine. On the right, the second larder is the ultimate hub and center for the homeowner’s baking tasks. A wide roll-out shelf helps store heavy small appliances like a KitchenAid Mixer while making them easy to use, clean, and put away. Shelves and a set of apothecary drawers help house an assortment of baking tools, ingredients, mixing bowls and cookbooks. Beneath the counter a drawer and a set of roll-out shelves in various heights provides more easy access storage for pantry items, misc. baking accessories, rolling pins, mixing bowls, and more. The kitchen island provides a large worktop, seating for 3-4 guests, and even more storage! The back of the island includes an appliance lift cabinet used for a sewing machine for the homeowner’s beloved hobby, a deep drawer built for organizing a full collection of dishware, a waste recycling bin, and more! All and all this kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful! Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure

On a site that slopes gently down to Penobscot Bay, a Washington couple with four grown children sought to develop a house that would serve as a summer home and vacation destination for the family. Drawing from the New England vernacular of simple forms and traditional materials, the house provides modern spaces for living with two parallel but offset two-story gabled wings linked by a bridge spanning an open Great Room. This soaring space, anchored at one end by a large granite-clad fireplace, serves to link the house together, and to provide premier views of the ocean to the east. A wall of windows and doors opens to a combination covered and screened porch, providing access to a lawn sloping to the rocky coast. An open Kitchen serves the Dining Area and porch, as well as a link to the south yard and a view to an intimate cove. A private Library on the west wall provides a quiet away space. At the north wing, the Master Suite, including a Study, gains access to a private patio with commanding views of the ocean below. The upper levels of the north and south wings, provide bedrooms for the children and their families. An open bridge links the wings and provides views to the Great Room below, the sea beyond, and the front entry court to the north. A detached garage keeps cars out of view and provides a second-story get-away room. This house was completed in the summer of 2015.

The award-winning 2,040 sq ft Brittany is known for its overall appearance and charm. The open-concept style and incredible natural light provide luxurious and spacious rooms fit for the entire family. With a centralized kitchen including counter-height seating, the surrounding great room with fireplace, dinette, and mudroom are all within view. The master suite showcases a spacious walk-in closet and master bath with his and her sinks. The two additional bedrooms include generously sized closets and a shared bath just around the corner. The conveniently located 3 car garage provides direct access to the mudroom, laundry room, and additional bath. Ideal for families that are on the go, The Brittany has everything a growing family needs. More Info: http://demlang.com/portfolio/brittany/

The shape and size of the access structure on the roof was dictated by both the historic rules listed above and structural/code issues. The shape of structure was also dictated by the stairs below. The new stairs had to be angled over the stairs from the first to the second floor such that the lower set of stairs provided head clearance. That set the L-shape and angles of the roof access structure. We used a 3D modeling program called Revit to review four critical height locations. This assured us the design provided the necessary stair clearance without making structure on roof visible from the street. The clients wanted a contemporary look for the stairs, and selected stainless steel cable rail. This material also allows natural light to pass through. We also rebuilt the stairs from the first floor to the second floor, so all the stairs have a consistent look. HDBros

French doors with sturdy metal hardware that provide easy access to built-in under bench storage.
Example of a transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with recessed-panel cabinets and white cabinets

Situated on the shore of newfound lake in central new hampshire, this outdoor retreat looks west over the spring fed waters toward the mountains beyond. Our design intent was to provide the homeowners with a viewing perspective that captured the feel of lakefront living. The fire pit terrace, situated on a plane aligned with the home’s main floor, uses native granite from a nearby quarry to create a refined campfire retreat. This carefully calculated elevation makes the upper plateau appear to jut out into the lake. A quick walk down a grass path with granite lawn treads brings us to a private beach for lounging and water access. Transitioning from refined to rustic successfully makes the landscape feel cohesive and inviting.

This custom home located in Washington, DC features a beautiful Overhead Door™ Allura Free-Standing Alley Door. This door was designed specifically to provide security and restrict unwanted access from the street into driveways in high traffic areas.