Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Traditional one-story brick exterior home idea in Dallas

Trent Bell
Example of a transitional bedroom design in Portland Maine with blue walls

Bathroom - transitional bathroom idea in Philadelphia

Inspiration for a large contemporary rectangular pool remodel in Denver

Robert Brittingham
Example of a 1960s open concept dark wood floor living room design in Seattle with white walls

The goal for these clients was to build a new home with a transitional design that was large enough for their children and grandchildren to visit, but small enough to age in place comfortably with a budget they could afford on their retirement income. They wanted an open floor plan, with plenty of wall space for art and strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces to maintain the original garden feeling of the lot. A unique combination of cultures is reflected in the home – the husband is from Haiti and the wife from Switzerland. The resulting traditional design aesthetic is an eclectic blend of Caribbean and Old World flair. Jim Barsch Photography

The goal for these clients was to build a new home with a transitional design that was large enough for their children and grandchildren to visit, but small enough to age in place comfortably with a budget they could afford on their retirement income. They wanted an open floor plan, with plenty of wall space for art and strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces to maintain the original garden feeling of the lot. A unique combination of cultures is reflected in the home – the husband is from Haiti and the wife from Switzerland. The resulting traditional design aesthetic is an eclectic blend of Caribbean and Old World flair. Jim Barsch Photography

This retired couple loves their home, cook daily meals and spend much of their time together in the kitchen. Our goal was to create a simple update that gave the homeowners a more comfortable feel of the space and a convenient way to work together in this new stage of their lives. Keeping the simplicity of the design was important, but it also needed to reflect 21st-century amenities. With this in mind, they chose a 36" SS Wolf Pro Gas Cooktop 18K Burner w/LED Indicators (CG365P/S) because they prefer to cook gas, loved the 5-burner setup and the knob location in the lower right corner of the unit. They were extremely excited about the DD36-SS ventilation with the concealed controls located in the drawer, as it works perfectly with the clean lines of the kitchen. One of the couple's favorite amenity in the kitchen is the Wolf WGCO100S Countertop oven. The recessed appliance garage was re-built with a stainless door specifically to house this unit. Felt pads have been applied to the feet to ensure our clients can pull the oven in and out for everyday use. They hate to admit it, but this may be their favorite appliance in the kitchen as they are now just cooking every day for two!

A couple wanted a weekend retreat without spending a majority of their getaway in an automobile. Therefore, a lot was purchased along the Rocky River with the vision of creating a nearby escape less than five miles away from their home. This 1,300 sf 24’ x 24’ dwelling is divided into a four square quadrant with the goal to create a variety of interior and exterior experiences while maintaining a rather small footprint. Typically, when going on a weekend retreat one has the drive time to decompress. However, without this, the goal was to create a procession from the car to the house to signify such change of context. This concept was achieved through the use of a wood slatted screen wall which must be passed through. After winding around a collection of poured concrete steps and walls one comes to a wood plank bridge and crosses over a Japanese garden leaving all the stresses of the daily world behind. The house is structured around a nine column steel frame grid, which reinforces the impression one gets of the four quadrants. The two rear quadrants intentionally house enclosed program space but once passed through, the floor plan completely opens to long views down to the mouth of the river into Lake Erie. On the second floor the four square grid is stacked with one quadrant removed for the two story living area on the first floor to capture heightened views down the river. In a move to create complete separation there is a one quadrant roof top office with surrounding roof top garden space. The rooftop office is accessed through a unique approach by exiting onto a steel grated staircase which wraps up the exterior facade of the house. This experience provides an additional retreat within their weekend getaway, and serves as the apex of the house where one can completely enjoy the views of Lake Erie disappearing over the horizon. Visually the house extends into the riverside site, but the four quadrant axis also physically extends creating a series of experiences out on the property. The Northeast kitchen quadrant extends out to become an exterior kitchen & dining space. The two-story Northwest living room quadrant extends out to a series of wrap around steps and lounge seating. A fire pit sits in this quadrant as well farther out in the lawn. A fruit and vegetable garden sits out in the Southwest quadrant in near proximity to the shed, and the entry sequence is contained within the Southeast quadrant extension. Internally and externally the whole house is organized in a simple and concise way and achieves the ultimate goal of creating many different experiences within a rationally sized footprint. Photo: Sergiu Stoian

Coastal blue two-story house exterior idea in San Luis Obispo with a hip roof and a tile roof

Complet bathroom remodeled with a barrier free shower. photos by ezaccessbathrooms.com
Mid-sized elegant master bathroom photo in Houston

The goal for these clients was to build a new home with a transitional design that was large enough for their children and grandchildren to visit, but small enough to age in place comfortably with a budget they could afford on their retirement income. They wanted an open floor plan, with plenty of wall space for art and strong connections between indoor and outdoor spaces to maintain the original garden feeling of the lot. A unique combination of cultures is reflected in the home – the husband is from Haiti and the wife from Switzerland. The resulting traditional design aesthetic is an eclectic blend of Caribbean and Old World flair. Jim Barsch Photography

The kitchen features a sophisticated mix of clean white cabinets and a large, dark wood central island. To the left, is a built-in hutch/coffee drink station in a bright saturated teal. Luxurious white countertops with light grey veining wrap the surfaces.Three large glass cloche pendant lights hang from a coffered ceiling, adding a touch of artisan flair. The island is paired with four eclectic dark wood stools from Baker Furniture featuring an intricate lattice-back design and pale blue cushions.

Our clients were relocating from the upper peninsula to the lower peninsula and wanted to design a retirement home on their Lake Michigan property. The topography of their lot allowed for a walk out basement which is practically unheard of with how close they are to the water. Their view is fantastic, and the goal was of course to take advantage of the view from all three levels. The positioning of the windows on the main and upper levels is such that you feel as if you are on a boat, water as far as the eye can see. They were striving for a Hamptons / Coastal, casual, architectural style. The finished product is just over 6,200 square feet and includes 2 master suites, 2 guest bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, sunroom, home bar, home gym, dedicated seasonal gear / equipment storage, table tennis game room, sauna, and bonus room above the attached garage. All the exterior finishes are low maintenance, vinyl, and composite materials to withstand the blowing sands from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Paula Casentini
Family room - contemporary open concept medium tone wood floor family room idea in Austin with a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and beige walls

Example of a classic kitchen design in New York

Transitional laundry room photo in Detroit

Karuna Passive House designed by Holst Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand. This high performance home meets the world's most demanding green building certifications. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann.

After moving into the home in the 80s, the homeowners had not invested much in upgrading their home, rather focusing on their careers and family. Now both retired and their family well established, it was time to invest in themselves and modernize their home into one that aligns with today’s goals as well as the future. A home that adapts with their life, a forever home. Our clients’ goals included creating a home that was functional, comfortable, and accessible while integrating the indoor/outdoor environments. Overall, the existing layout functioned well, but each area in the home had specific design goals to allow them to stay living in the home for years to come. Reimagining the arrangements of interior walls and removing sunken rooms accomplished single-level living that was accessible, comfortable, functional and cohesive. A more spacious and efficient kitchen and ensuite layout, wider interior doors, and expansive windows are just a few of the design elements that were incorporated to accomplish accessible living for aging in place. Expansive windows accomplished integrating the indoor with the outdoors while promoting natural light throughout the interior spaces. While the existing home was very well built for its time, the insulation, windows, and mechanical systems were due for an upgrade to help create a more comfortable space throughout. Our goal for this project is to accomplish Ottawa’s first Net-Zero Ready Renovation. In order for Lagois Design-Build-Renovate to accomplish this, we had to take a holistic approach, renovating a home for today while creating a home for the future. Insulation, windows, mechanical systems, and ventilation upgrades are for the most part simple to accomplish. The biggest challenge was creating an air-tight build with the existing envelope. A Net Zero home is a home that can generate as much energy as it is going to consume, typically meaning little-to-no expenses for utilities for the homeowner. While this is fantastic, the true value is the comfort created in the home.