I got an induction stove because we live where I can't get natural gas. It's very powerful, the controls quickly respond like a gas stove, and we sear a lot of meat. The cooking run replaced a lot of deep cabinets that were very inconvenient. The uppers were not set back so there was also no usable work space on that side before. While good cabinets are pretty spendy (about $10K in this case), the custom shops can usually beat the prices of good cabinets from a big box store. The shelves were not made by the cabinet shop. I got the corbels from a small shop in Colorado, and the carpenters and painter did the planks. Top shelf is 12" deep and lower shelf is 9" deep. Photo by Catharine Krueger

When asked what they love most about the home, they both responded that they love the natural light and how it makes them feel. “Even during the gray days of winter, it’s still light and bright in the house. The right house can actually make you feel better, happier. It’s not like we were depressed at our last house–there’s just something about this one that’s cheerful–I think it’s light. It’s warm and comforting. Even with the concrete floors and open spaces, it still feels cozy. We feel like we’re living in a spa.”

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2016 Houzz
Eclectic living room photo in New York

Our clients for this home in the Los Altos Hills — an active, athletic family of five — wanted a home that would reflect their zest for life and accommodate their highly social lifestyle. We responded by creating an inviting interior with a Hamptons-style vibe that combines elegant sophistication and a relaxed, playful approach in equal measure. A background of bright white woodwork and shiplap allows nautical blues, woven textures and touches of leather to pop, and rustic brick in the mudroom and pantry bring the outdoors in. In the gameroom, Ralph Lauren menswear wallpaper and seating backed in plaid are cozy and inviting, and a powder room cloaked in riveted charcoal grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries is a favorite.

According to this poll, LED lighting in all forms is expected to increase in popularity as pricing comes down and it becomes more and more difficult to find incandescent bulbs. Halogen lights and CFL’s are currently popular choices, though respondents to this NKBA survey expect use of these options to decline in favor of LED lighting. Photo by Chrissy Racho

Our clients for this home in the Los Altos Hills — an active, athletic family of five — wanted a home that would reflect their zest for life and accommodate their highly social lifestyle. We responded by creating an inviting interior with a Hamptons-style vibe that combines elegant sophistication and a relaxed, playful approach in equal measure. A background of bright white woodwork and shiplap allows nautical blues, woven textures and touches of leather to pop, and rustic brick in the mudroom and pantry bring the outdoors in. In the gameroom, Ralph Lauren menswear wallpaper and seating backed in plaid are cozy and inviting, and a powder room cloaked in riveted charcoal grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries is a favorite.

Io designed all of the landscapes for this new infill subdivision in historic Ogden, Utah. The homes were designed by Sanders Associates Architects, and are a modern interpretation of the historic Prairie School of design. We designed the modern landscapes to compliment the architecture, including a gabion basket wall wrapping the entire subdivision. The lines of the sidewalks and walls respond to the lines on the homes. The planting design incorporates modern groupings of ornamental grasses, with drought tolerant and native plants used throughout the side and back-yards of each home. Phase one of this project was completed in 2019, with future phases coming in the next few years!

When asked what they envisioned for their living and dining room Tweak, the clients responded with “colorful WOW factor”, so we gave it to them! We utilized the baby grand piano that was already in the space and took cues from the rest of the home when deciding on the decor. The home itself is decorated with strong pastel colors like deep aqua/blues, lavender, and pink colors so we chose to go bold! Moving the piano toward the center of the living room and hanging a 60" chandelier over top, cranked up the bold factor. We chose hot pink, lime green, and blue for accent colors that perfectly tied the pre-existing decor together, while still allowing the space to retain its classic black and white style. Choosing large scaled items like the massive chandelier, art, and the beautiful gold mirror in the dining room, gave drama to the spaces giving our homeowner's the WOW factor they were looking for.

"I cannot say enough good things about the Innovative Construction team and work product. They remodeled our water-damaged, 1930s basement, and exceeded all of our expectations - before and after photos simply cannot do this project justice. The original basement included an awkward staircase in an awkward location, one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen and small living space. We had a difficult time imagining that it could be much more than that. Innovative Construction's design team was creative, and thought completely out of the box. They relocated the stairwell in a way we did not think was possible, opening up the basement to reconfigure the bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, living space, but also adding an office and finished storage room. The end result is as functional as it is beautiful. As with all construction, particularly a renovation of an old house, there will be inconveniences, it will be messy, and plenty of surprises behind the old walls. The Innovative Construction team maintained a clean and safe work site for 100% of the project, with minimal disruption to our daily lives, even when there was a large hole cut into our main living room floor to accommodate new stairs down to the basement. The team showed creativity and an eye for design when working around some of the unexpected "character" revealed when opening the walls. The team effectively uses technology to keep everyone on the same page about changes, requests, schedules, contracts, invoices, etc. Everyone is friendly, competent, helpful, and responsive. I felt heard throughout the process, and my requests were responded to quickly and thoroughly. I recommend Innovative Construction without reservation."

The owners of this waterfront property were in search of an estate that would afford retirement in style. They envisioned Sunday family dinners, pool parties for their grandchildren, and philanthropic galas with one hundred guests. Our charge was to design a residence that could support events of a grand scale without losing the intimacy of their home. Taking our inspiration from the shingle-style homes on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cape Cod, we developed a layout that responds to the 270-degree water views and the mountains beyond.

Nestled in the heart of Dallas, our clients enjoy a 4-acre estate where they have developed the property for a "park" and "garden" like feel with lots of privacy and sound barrier from the neighbors and busy street along the front. They travel a lot for work and want to be able to come home and enjoy their own backyard oasis that is properly maintained and cared for. They also have 4 grandchildren who live on part of the property and roam around everywhere, so having lots of manicured lawn space to drive their toys around on, explore, etc. is important too. We service the property one day per week, since they retain a full-time porter. However, he is stretched thin as doesn't tend to much of the landscaping as needed as he's typically working on other side projects for the client. In order to complete our maintenance work within 5 hours on our service day, we work diligently with the client and the client’ assistant to constantly communicate issues we see and/or need to have resolved. Thankfully our client is very quick to respond and allows us an abundance of freedom to make necessary improvements when deemed necessary. Additionally, last minute work functions and/or parties are often hosted at their house. We often times have to respond quickly with an extra service visit, service date change, seasonal color change, bed mulching, etc. to help get it ready for their company. We value the trust and communication we have with this client and look forward to working with them for years to come!

Weighted hedging mirrors the architecture of this traditional English Tudor cottage. The garden entrance lines up with a bay window whose dimensions are replicated in the brick-banded landings on either side of the lawn ellipse. Chiseled boxwood hedges respond to the graduated steps and English Ivy banding. The purity of the lawn ellipse is juxtaposed by irregular stepping pads while an elliptical holly mirrors the timbering present in the home's façade. Handmade ironwork features custom designed flanking shields while a perennial garden gives soft contrast to the rigid hedging, offering a perfect balance between the formal and informal elements in the English cottage garden.

The Stressless Panorama sofa (medium seat) is perfectly designed for the modern home. The combination of soft lines in the cushion and the armrest’s rounded shape creates an exclusive look. The legs in solid wood come in seven different finishes, and can fit in with your existing decor. Unlike other Stressless sofas, the Stressless Panorama has a fixed angle between seat and back. When seated, you will feel the BalanceAdapt™ system effortlessly adjusts the seat and back to your desired sitting angle. The seat and back respond to your movements with a subtle and comfortable rocking movement, offering personal comfort and perfect BalanceAdapt balance to each seat. Available bow legs in steel or seven wood stain options. The Stressless Panorama perfectly matches the Stressless View recliner.

Nestled in the heart of Dallas, our clients enjoy a 4-acre estate where they have developed the property for a "park" and "garden" like feel with lots of privacy and sound barrier from the neighbors and busy street along the front. They travel a lot for work and want to be able to come home and enjoy their own backyard oasis that is properly maintained and cared for. They also have 4 grandchildren who live on part of the property and roam around everywhere, so having lots of manicured lawn space to drive their toys around on, explore, etc. is important too. We service the property one day per week, since they retain a full-time porter. However, he is stretched thin as doesn't tend to much of the landscaping as needed as he's typically working on other side projects for the client. In order to complete our maintenance work within 5 hours on our service day, we work diligently with the client and the client’ assistant to constantly communicate issues we see and/or need to have resolved. Thankfully our client is very quick to respond and allows us an abundance of freedom to make necessary improvements when deemed necessary. Additionally, last minute work functions and/or parties are often hosted at their house. We often times have to respond quickly with an extra service visit, service date change, seasonal color change, bed mulching, etc. to help get it ready for their company. We value the trust and communication we have with this client and look forward to working with them for years to come!

Nestled in the heart of Dallas, our clients enjoy a 4-acre estate where they have developed the property for a "park" and "garden" like feel with lots of privacy and sound barrier from the neighbors and busy street along the front. They travel a lot for work and want to be able to come home and enjoy their own backyard oasis that is properly maintained and cared for. They also have 4 grandchildren who live on part of the property and roam around everywhere, so having lots of manicured lawn space to drive their toys around on, explore, etc. is important too. We service the property one day per week, since they retain a full-time porter. However, he is stretched thin as doesn't tend to much of the landscaping as needed as he's typically working on other side projects for the client. In order to complete our maintenance work within 5 hours on our service day, we work diligently with the client and the client’ assistant to constantly communicate issues we see and/or need to have resolved. Thankfully our client is very quick to respond and allows us an abundance of freedom to make necessary improvements when deemed necessary. Additionally, last minute work functions and/or parties are often hosted at their house. We often times have to respond quickly with an extra service visit, service date change, seasonal color change, bed mulching, etc. to help get it ready for their company. We value the trust and communication we have with this client and look forward to working with them for years to come!

The clients got a spacious, modern kitchen that they could entertain in, or simply cook for a large crew of first responders. They also kept what they wanted by refinishing and reworking what they already had for windows and floors. They were also able to live onsite during the renovation due to the low-VOC and water-based finishes, keeping their health while updating and increasing the health of their home.

Our clients for this home in the Los Altos Hills — an active, athletic family of five — wanted a home that would reflect their zest for life and accommodate their highly social lifestyle. We responded by creating an inviting interior with a Hamptons-style vibe that combines elegant sophistication and a relaxed, playful approach in equal measure. A background of bright white woodwork and shiplap allows nautical blues, woven textures and touches of leather to pop, and rustic brick in the mudroom and pantry bring the outdoors in. In the gameroom, Ralph Lauren menswear wallpaper and seating backed in plaid are cozy and inviting, and a powder room cloaked in riveted charcoal grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries is a favorite.

With a dramatic silhouette and ample proportions, the Stressless Arion sofa is amongst the most versatile models in our collection. Popular for building custom home cinema seating, the Stressless Arion comes with the patented Glide® and Plus® systems which respond to your body’s slightest movement. Coupled with individually reclining seat and an adjustable headrest option, this collection delivers superior support and unrivaled comfort. The Stressless Arion is available in a three seater, two seater, and single seat to create your perfect home theater solution. Enjoy home entertainment in beautiful comfort with Stressless.

Sometimes my clients ask what style I like to do? I respond that a good designer does the style best suited to the client and the project....which means as wide a variety of styles as there are clients. This room might look wild and crazy to a lot of people, but the owners of this home love it....and, so do their guests. It's certainly more interesting than beige or grey. What do you think??