This bedroom and full bathroom are part of an adventuresome project my wife and I embarked upon to create a complete apartment in the basement of our townhouse. We designed a floor plan that creatively and efficiently used all of the 385-square-foot-space, without sacrificing beauty, comfort or function – and all without breaking the bank! To maximize our budget, we did the work ourselves and added everything from thrift store finds to DIY wall art to bring it all together. A partial double closet bar adds a little extra space while still leaving room for longer hanging clothes.

Completed in 2018, this Westlake Hills duplex, designed by Alterstudio Architects, underwent a dramatic transformation by mixing light & airy with dark & moody design. The goal of the project was to create a more intimate environment using a more saturated and dramatic palette. Additionally, it draws from warmer wood tones such as walnut alongside luxurious textures, particularly in navy, dark grey, and emerald green. The end result is an elegant, timeless, and comfortable space conducive to cozying up with a book at the end of a long day.

Staircase - cottage staircase idea in San Francisco

Photo courtesy of Detour Marketing, LLC
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless open concept dark wood floor and brown floor family room remodel in Milwaukee with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Harpeth River Woodworks
Example of a mid-sized country master medium tone wood floor bedroom design in Nashville with blue walls

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Originally, the exterior of the Napa ranch residence was a standard knocked down stucco finish. We covered over the entire exterior of the house with a natural plaster product that has been made in Italy for centuries, known as Rialto or Vero. This product is a combination of slaked lime mixed with 60% reconstituted crushed marble dust. Quarried from the legendary Carrara marble mines. The finish itself is a vertically combed striated texture embedded into the plaster. While it cures, a transparent group of patinas are applied to the stone-like plaster substance to create a look of an aged villa.

Unique pivot front door with frosted glass.
Front door - large contemporary dark wood floor front door idea with beige walls and a glass front door

The potential of converting six laneway parking spaces at the back of the property into housing was apparent to architect Zuzanna Krykorka from the moment she laid eyes on the Parkdale, Toronto house her family ended up purchasing in 2018. Unique for a laneway house, the house has windows on all sides, bringing in lot of natural light while also interacting with the life of a city laneway. The "lit" house at night makes it obvious that this is an inhabited living space, occupants becoming part of the neighbourhood rather than tucked away in secret. The ground floor is a light-filled open-plan kitchen, dining and living room with views to the backyard framed by 3 massive 150 year old maple trees. Upstairs a spa-inspired bathroom with a large skylight surrounded by the tree canopy. Looking in either direction reveals that the central hall lines up with the north and south second-floor windows, again a nod to the house's laneway origins. Construction details follow passive house principles. The large window at the top of the stairs— again framing a view of the sky—is a feature called "the oculus." By night, the oculus glows warmly from the outside, while during the day it can be opened so as to function as a cooling shaft. Heating is provided by in-floor hydronic radiant on both floors powered by an electric boiler. A heat pump water heater does the domestic hot water. Meanwhile, dense-pack cellulose insulation retains this heat during the winter and minimizes the need for air-conditioning in the summer. But this system doesn't mean a stuffy interior: ventilation is enabled by Lunos "breathing wall" technology, a through-wall variable system that is coupled with a ceramic regenerative heat exchanger. Operating in pairs, these devices are installed directly through an exterior wall and provide continuous circulation without the need for duct-work, all of which has the added benefit of furthering the open, clean design aesthetic. The laneway house sits comfortably among the many garages of this Parkdale lane. With its steel roof, wood siding and dark robust exterior, it wears its Toronto garage vernacular proudly, an active part of the laneway urban environment. Project Details: Area: 1020 sf; 2 storey Height: 2 stories; 6m Rooms: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 powder room, open ground floor concept Mechanical: in floor hydronic heating both floors, electric boiler, separate domestic hot water heat pump water heater, 2 ductless mini split heat pump units upstairs Insulation: dense pack cellulose insulation, walls and ceiling, Roofing: corrugated metal roof Windows: triple pane high performance windows from Kastrup, Denmark

Budget Blinds blackout roller shades, photo credit installer Adam Brannick
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest bedroom design in Cedar Rapids with gray walls and no fireplace

Photo: Sarah Dowlin © 2019 Houzz

Pivot Doors revolve around a hinge that is offset from where a hinge would be on a traditional door. The craftsmanship and technology of a Pivot hinge allows for a larger opening than most other types of doors since traditional hinges cannot carry the same kind of weight. This is why we recommend Pivot doors for doors that are 42" or larger. This design has its practical uses but it also provides a clean, seamless aesthetic for a home. We strongly support using Pivot doors in a home that has a contemporary, modern, and transitional aesthetic. The Glenview Haus Pivot Front Door collection provides a sleek welcome into any contemporary, transitional and modern Chicago or North Shore home. With state-of-the-art insulation, our Pivot Door Collection is the first of its kind when it comes to practicality in more extreme Chicago or North Shore climates. With a sturdy door thickness, complimentary multi-point lock and a double rabbeted jamb; this door is as safe as it is beautiful.

Katherine Sfeir
Example of an urban home bar design in Miami

“With the open-concept floor plan, this kitchen needed to have a galley layout,” Ellison says. A large island helps delineate the kitchen from the other rooms around it. These include a dining area directly behind the kitchen and a living room to the right of the dining room. This main floor also includes a small TV lounge, a powder room and a mudroom. The house sits on a slope, so this main level enjoys treehouse-like canopy views out the back. The bedrooms are on the walk-out lower level.“These homeowners liked grays and neutrals, and their style leaned contemporary,” Ellison says. “They also had a very nice art collection.” The artwork is bright and colorful, and a neutral scheme provided the perfect backdrop for it. They also liked the idea of using durable laminate finishes on the cabinetry. The laminates have the look of white oak with vertical graining. The galley cabinets are lighter and warmer, while the island has the look of white oak with a gray wash for contrast. The countertops and backsplash are polished quartzite. The quartzite adds beautiful natural veining patterns and warm tones to the room.

Example of a farmhouse staircase design in San Francisco

Aesthetically styled, this outdoor dream is one of our favorites. The classy & modern feel, pairs well with the design of the house. Giving off a spacious feel, the patio provides a great area to grill out in the open, as well as lounge under the open sky! The sleek ledge stone accompanying the porch is done in Kingsford Grey veneer. Furthering the pop of dark colors, we matched the dusky stonework to go well with the well-defined Amazon Mist color of decking. Accented with exposed timber, the ceiling is one of the main focal points as well as the stone columns. With a natural gas fireplace to set the mood, underneath the porch is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors no matter the elements!

Bar Countertop Materials: Zinc
Large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Atlanta with recessed-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

mayitadinosphotography.com
Design ideas for a tropical landscaping in Los Angeles.

Shiloh Cabinetry. Polar White, Inset
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