Rustic hewn alder mantel with a light brown stain and black glaze. We build these mantels custom size, color & distressing can be made to suite your style.

Tracy Yohe
Open concept kitchen - large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Newman Ironworks
Example of a classic entryway design in New York

Inspiration for a timeless bedroom remodel in Chicago

Among our Houston outdoor kitchens, this one is unique because of its concrete countertops, pergola with stucco wrapping and custom storage. "It's not one of our biggest covered outdoor kitchens in Houston," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "But it's unique, and it looks really nice, too!" The client, a young family, wanted an outdoor kitchen with a more minimalistic, modern look, explains Outdoor Homescapes senior designer Lisha Maxey. "They're both doctors and very much attuned to detail," she says. "Their primary goal was to create a space where they could lounge while the children played as well as an area to entertain family and friends while cooking and dining outside." Like a growing number of people wanting small outdoor kitchens in Houston, this client expressed interest in using concrete as a surface material: "The look is contemporary and is easily paired with any type of outdoor furniture," says Maxey, "from wicker to teak to iron." Here's a closeup of the concrete countertops. You'll notice that they're glossy and smooth like glass, thanks to special sealers and a topcoat of UV-resistant resin that prevents the countertop from yellowing. Since these particular clients lean toward the minimalistic side of contemporary design, she continues, "the standard granite countertop of many Houston outdoor kitchens would not work, since it typically has a lot of movement and can be busy." Lisha sees the use of concrete as a growing outdoor design trend for Houston outdoor kitchens: "It's easy to maintain and again, leans towards a more modern look for outdoor." All the furniture and lighting is from Restoration Hardware, says Lisha, who's offering $500 in free outdoor furniture consultation services as a special promotion. (Interested? Just contact us!) The dining and lounge chairs are from the Antibes collection in cast aluminum with a bronze finish. The table is a Belgian Trestle made of weathered concrete and teak. Simple track lighting was used on the pergola in keeping with the minimalist look of the space. The pergola is a treated pine, stained a Minwax Jacobean, which appears almost black. "This client chose a pergola over a roof extension off the house because they wanted it to still seem light and airy in their outdoor space for their young children," explains Lisha. "They wanted a certain degree of sun and shade protection, which a pergola does provide, but they wanted it to seem a bit like a park for the kids to play in." "The seating/storage bin was not a part of the original design," says Lisha. "As the project progressed, the client expressed interest in some sort of chest for the new outdoor furniture cushions to be stored in." The design for the storage bin was developed to accommodate this request: "It eventually evolved into a seating area as well. And to keep the look consistent with the new kitchen, it was agreed that the stone be carried through the design. The wood top was necessary so we could design a hinged access for storage."

Interior Design: Pamela Pennington Studios. Photo Credit: Eric Zepeda
Inspiration for a contemporary hallway remodel in San Francisco

JeLi's Decor

A peek down the rabbit hole

Photo of a small modern drought-tolerant and full sun side yard gravel garden path in Denver for summer.

Grand entryway with entablature. Twelve feet in height, nine feet wide. The depth is two feet to the interior. The opening is a true keyed arch flanked by two rectangular pilasters topped with an elaborate entablature. The window above is framed with custom designed molding with a keyed arch. A belt-course extends off each side of the entablature plus the custom designed stone baseboard at the bottom of the entryway. This elegant entryway and architectural details are produced exclusively from our Macedonia Limestone of the Yucatan.

Scott Mehaffey, landscape architect
Inspiration for a mid-sized mid-century modern partial sun courtyard stone garden path in Chicago for spring.

Neve Terrazzo Perpetua
Inspiration for a small contemporary 3/4 beige tile and stone slab doorless shower remodel in Miami with beige walls

Stamped and Stained Concrete Walkway and Porch
Inspiration for a concrete exterior home remodel in Chicago

Elegant dining room photo in Dallas

Scott Buley, HTT&T, High Tech Turf & Trees

The landscape around this Mediterranean style home was transformed from barren and unusable to a warm and inviting outdoor space, cohesive with the existing architecture and aesthetic of the property. The front yard renovation included the construction of stucco landscape walls to create a front courtyard, with a dimensional cut flagstone patio with ground cover joints, a stucco fire pit, a "floating" composite bench, an urn converted into a recirculating water feature, landscape lighting, drought-tolerant planting, and Palomino gravel. Another stucco wall with a powder-coated steel gate was built at the entry to the backyard, connecting to a stucco column and steel fence along the property line. The backyard was developed into an outdoor living space with custom concrete flat work, dimensional cut flagstone pavers, a bocce ball court, horizontal board screening panels, and Mediterranean-style tile and stucco water feature, a second gas fire pit, capped seat walls, an outdoor shower screen, raised garden beds, a trash can enclosure, trellis, climate-appropriate plantings, low voltage lighting, mulch, and more!

Design by Young Home These by-pass rings allow the panels to be opened and closed over the brackets on a large slider door. Provided by The Fabricsmith.

Tuscan exterior home photo in San Francisco

Patrick & Topaze McCaffery - Taproot Garden Design & Fine Gardening "Evergreen California native Pacific Wax Myrtle (Myrica californica) is a fast growing shrub/tree. After only two years in the garden, it is twice its size, and covers a good portion of the fence. Myrica californica can be selectively pruned to a manageable size."