INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNER. 2018 NKBA Design Competition Best Overall Kitchen. 2018 TIDA International USA Kitchen of the Year. 2018 Best Traditional Kitchen - Westchester Home Magazine design awards. The designer's own kitchen was gutted and renovated in 2017, with a focus on classic materials and thoughtful storage. The 1920s craftsman home has been in the family since 1940, and every effort was made to keep finishes and details true to the original construction. For sources, please see the website at www.studiodearborn.com. Photography, Adam Kane Macchia and Timothy Lenz

Design ideas for a contemporary full sun gravel landscaping in San Francisco.

big and airy kitchen
Inspiration for a large mid-century modern galley kitchen remodel in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Benjamin Benschneider The studio apartment above the garage was permitted under Seattle’s recent zoning policies, designed to encourage affordable housing in single family neighborhoods.

Jeffrey Totaro
Enclosed kitchen - transitional u-shaped black floor enclosed kitchen idea in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

The Carmody Table features a sturdy planked top and trestle legs, and provides comfortable seating for six. Customize your tabletop and legs, available in either our classic Espresso or White Distressed finish. Optional hammered steel corner brackets in Black or Copper can be added. Light assembly required (comes assembled for local pickup). All of our tables are handcrafted from solid wood in our woodworking shop in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Our furniture is finished with a multi-step process of distressing and hand-applying layers of varnish to give each piece the look of a cherished antique. Each of our works showcase the natural characteristics of wood, including variations in color, mineral streaks, knots and burls. In addition, our finishing process highlights the organic texture of wood with its pores, ridges, slits and grooves; each piece is a tactile work of art that is truly meant to be appreciated by touch. Every decorative bracket is made from steel, hand-cut and meticulously hammered to create a one-of-a-kind rustic accent for our wood furniture. Available for local pickup or shipment within 5-7 business days. DIMENSIONS: Overall: 72" long x 36" wide x 30" high Tabletop: 1.5" thick Apron: 1.5" high Distance between legs: 48" outside; 42" inside Weight: 151.6 pounds CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Dust with a soft, dry lint-free cloth. Soak up any water immediately with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid the use of harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners. Photo Credit: Michael Blevins

Example of a mid-sized beach style enclosed beige floor living room design in Boston with gray walls

Built by Pearson Landscape, photography by Paul Finkel
Example of a mid-sized trendy front door design in Austin

Example of a trendy patio design in Los Angeles with decking and an awning

Powder room - victorian powder room idea in Los Angeles with an undermount sink and a two-piece toilet

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

The industrious clients came to us with dreams of a new garage structure to provide a home for all of their passions. The design came together around a three car garage with room for a micro-brewery, workshop and bicycle storage – all attached to the house via a new three season porch – and a native prairie landscape and sauna structure on the roof. Designed by Jody McGuire Photographed by Corey Gaffer

John Evans
Huge elegant u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Up the ante of your bachelor's retreat (and alternative rooms) aesthetic by adding a meticulously stylised cornice boards. The cornice boards in this house includes (2) different materials, an upholstered wood top molding and absolutely symmetrical handicraft on the curtains. Also, the (4) animal skin wing-backed chairs square measure superbly adorned with nail-heads that are carried throughout the design. This bachelor retreat features a stunning pendant and hand-tufted ottoman table. This house is warm and welcoming and perfect for intimate conversations amongst family and friends for years to come. Please take note - when using cornices, one should decide what proportion return is required. Return is the distance your material hangs away from the wall. Yes, this additionally affects the proportion. Usually, return is 3½ inches. However, larger or taller windows might need a deeper return to avoid the fabric from getting squashed against the wall. An example of a mid-sized transitional formal dining area in Houston, Texas with dark hardwood floors, more, however totally different, large damask wallpaper on the ceiling, (6) custom upholstered striped fabric, scroll back chairs surrounding a gorgeous, glass top dining table, chandelier, artwork and foliage pull this area along for a really elegant, yet masculine space. As for the guest chambers, we carried the inspiration from the bachelor retreat into the space and fabricated (2) more upholstered cornices and custom window treatments, bedding, pillows, upholstered (with nail-heads used in the dining area chairs) headboard, giant damask wallpaper and brown paint. Styling tips: (A) Use nail-heads on furnishings within the alternative rooms to display a reoccurring motif among the house. (B) Use a similar material from one amongst your upholstered furnishing items on the cornice board for visual uniformity. Photo by: Kenny Fenton

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Photo Credit: Giles Ashford
Enclosed kitchen - contemporary galley enclosed kitchen idea in New York with an undermount sink, open cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

A little girls room with a pale pink ceiling and pale gray wainscoat This fast pace second level addition in Lakeview has received a lot of attention in this quite neighborhood by neighbors and house visitors. Ana Borden designed the second level addition on this previous one story residence and drew from her experience completing complicated multi-million dollar institutional projects. The overall project, including designing the second level addition included tieing into the existing conditions in order to preserve the remaining exterior lot for a new pool. The Architect constructed a three dimensional model in Revit to convey to the Clients the design intent while adhering to all required building codes. The challenge also included providing roof slopes within the allowable existing chimney distances, stair clearances, desired room sizes and working with the structural engineer to design connections and structural member sizes to fit the constraints listed above. Also, extensive coordination was required for the second addition, including supports designed by the structural engineer in conjunction with the existing pre and post tensioned slab. The Architect’s intent was also to create a seamless addition that appears to have been part of the existing residence while not impacting the remaining lot. Overall, the final construction fulfilled the Client’s goals of adding a bedroom and bathroom as well as additional storage space within their time frame and, of course, budget. Smart Media

Up the ante of your bachelor's retreat (and alternative rooms) aesthetic by adding a meticulously stylised cornice boards. The cornice boards in this house includes (2) different materials, an upholstered wood top molding and absolutely symmetrical handicraft on the curtains. Also, the (4) animal skin wing-backed chairs square measure superbly adorned with nail-heads that are carried throughout the design. This bachelor retreat features a stunning pendant and hand-tufted ottoman table. This house is warm and welcoming and perfect for intimate conversations amongst family and friends for years to come. Please take note - when using cornices, one should decide what proportion return is required. Return is the distance your material hangs away from the wall. Yes, this additionally affects the proportion. Usually, return is 3½ inches. However, larger or taller windows might need a deeper return to avoid the fabric from getting squashed against the wall. An example of a mid-sized transitional formal dining area in Houston, Texas with dark hardwood floors, more, however totally different, large damask wallpaper on the ceiling, (6) custom upholstered striped fabric, scroll back chairs surrounding a gorgeous, glass top dining table, chandelier, artwork and foliage pull this area along for a really elegant, yet masculine space. As for the guest chambers, we carried the inspiration from the bachelor retreat into the space and fabricated (2) more upholstered cornices and custom window treatments, bedding, pillows, upholstered (with nail-heads used in the dining area chairs) headboard, giant damask wallpaper and brown paint. Styling tips: (A) Use nail-heads on furnishings within the alternative rooms to display a reoccurring motif among the house. (B) Use a similar material from one amongst your upholstered furnishing items on the cornice board for visual uniformity. Photo by: Kenny Fenton

This vibrant, Craftsman-style kitchen features an island with a built-in microwave, Quartz countertops, and a custom subway tile backsplash.
Inspiration for a large craftsman light wood floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, quartz countertops, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, gray countertops and white backsplash