We designed this house ourselves and had it built in 2004 as our dream retirement home. Our goals were to have a low maintenance, smaller, house, reasonably economical to build but with luxury finishes, and good garden space. We shopped for months to find good sales on appliances and tile. We found a one acre lot just south of Dallas that sloped gently uphill from the road which motivated us to design a two story house for the view. The only part requiring paint on the outside of the house is the garage doors. The landscape, designed and planted mostly by myself, is fully drought tolerant using Texas native plants in what I call an English garden style. Sixteen foot glass block sidelights by the front door bring light into the interior while preserving privacy. From the foyer you see the dramatic, partially open stairway separating the living room from a two story dining room on the left. Notice the colorful glass platter installation highlighting the stair wall, and the 18’ drapes adorning the windows. The living room features a view of the private backyard through 8’x16’ sliding patio doors. The black porcelain tiled fireplace has a floating hearth and is set into a wall with niches to display art and to hide components behind the flat screen TV. The open kitchen is furnished with high gloss bird’s eye maple cabinets to evoke the feeling of furniture. There is a 48” professional style gas cooktop and a 48” built in refrigerator/freezer. Sliding doors in the kitchen give access to a sunroom with views of the backyard and access to the barbecue. We eat breakfast and lunch out there. The master bedroom is just off the living room and contains a raised, gas fireplace. The master bath is walled in marble but the most compelling feature of the master suite is ‘her’ 14’ closet. A smaller closet for him, and a safe room in case of tornadoes or burglars, completes the area. At the top of the stairs a large living space includes plenty of seating as well as a hobby area and an office space. All of the 3 extra bathrooms are finished with blue/gray slate mosaic tiles and high gloss blue cabinetry. Upstairs has a large guest room and a smaller one used as a second office.

Inspiration for a coastal living room remodel in Portland Maine

Us Army Retired Logo Rug. A perfect addition to a US Army Retired Solider's Man Cave!
Trendy medium tone wood floor basement photo in Richmond

Home theater - contemporary home theater idea in Miami

general contractor: Regis McQuaide, Master Remodelers... designer: Junko Higashibeppu, Master Remodelers... photography: George Mendell
Enclosed kitchen - large craftsman u-shaped enclosed kitchen idea in Other with green backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Mike Kaskel Retirement home designed for extended family! I loved this couple! They decided to build their retirement dream home before retirement so that they could enjoy entertaining their grown children and their newly started families. A bar area with 2 beer taps, space for air hockey, a large balcony, a first floor kitchen with a large island opening to a fabulous pool and the ocean are just a few things designed with the kids in mind. The color palette is casual beach with pops of aqua and turquoise that add to the relaxed feel of the home.

Home office - eclectic home office idea in Seattle

Whitney Blair Custom Homes. Photography by Frank Hart.
Powder room - coastal powder room idea in Raleigh with a vessel sink, white cabinets and marble countertops

These homeowners purchased this house for their retirement years. To make their retirement even more sweet, we took this confined and dated home and opened it up by raising and widening doorways, replacing carpet with hardwoods, and bringing more light through the whole space. To add detail and visual interest, 2-piece casing and paneling were added in the main hallway. The custom master bathroom includes inset cabinetry and a curved tub panel. All of these changes refreshed the property, creating a clean, contemporary, and welcoming space to fully enjoy retirement. Photos by Kimberly Gavin Photography

The main floor’s cramped, enclosed living areas were replaced with a bright, airy great room and an open kitchen. The master bath was relocated to the back of the house, where it now opens to a lovely garden.

Mark Hammer
Mid-sized modern brown one-story wood exterior home idea in Boston

Small danish open concept light wood floor and white floor family room photo in New York with white walls, a media wall and no fireplace

Example of a transitional built-in desk gray floor and wood ceiling study room design in Phoenix with white walls

John Granen
Example of a mid-sized minimalist one-story wood exterior home design

Casey Dunn
Trendy two-story wood exterior home photo in Austin with a shed roof

the great room was enlarged to the south - past the medium toned wood post and beam is new space. the new addition helps shade the patio below while creating a more usable living space. To the right of the new fireplace was the existing front door. Now there is a graceful seating area to welcome visitors. The wood ceiling was reused from the existing home. WoodStone Inc, General Contractor Home Interiors, Cortney McDougal, Interior Design Draper White Photography

Mindy Mellingcamp
Inspiration for a small transitional master carpeted and gray floor bedroom remodel in Orange County with white walls and no fireplace

Photo by Ed Gohlich
Small elegant white one-story wood exterior home photo in San Diego with a shingle roof

This ceiling was designed and detailed by dSPACE Studio. We created a custom plaster mold that was fabricated by a Chicago plaster company and installed and finished on-site.