This 800 square foot Accessory Dwelling Unit steps down a lush site in the Portland Hills. The street facing balcony features a sculptural bronze and concrete trough spilling water into a deep basin. The split-level entry divides upper-level living and lower level sleeping areas. Generous south facing decks, visually expand the building's area and connect to a canopy of trees. The mid-century modern details and materials of the main house are continued into the addition. Inside a ribbon of white-washed oak flows from the entry foyer to the lower level, wrapping the stairs and walls with its warmth. Upstairs the wood's texture is seen in stark relief to the polished concrete floors and the crisp white walls of the vaulted space. Downstairs the wood, coupled with the muted tones of moss green walls, lend the sleeping area a tranquil feel. Contractor: Ricardo Lovett General Contracting Photographer: David Papazian Photography

outdoor living room
Mid-sized beach style backyard stone patio photo in Boston with a fire pit and a pergola

This is an example of a contemporary full sun garden path in Seattle.

Forget just one room with a view—Lochley has almost an entire house dedicated to capturing nature’s best views and vistas. Make the most of a waterside or lakefront lot in this economical yet elegant floor plan, which was tailored to fit a narrow lot and has more than 1,600 square feet of main floor living space as well as almost as much on its upper and lower levels. A dovecote over the garage, multiple peaks and interesting roof lines greet guests at the street side, where a pergola over the front door provides a warm welcome and fitting intro to the interesting design. Other exterior features include trusses and transoms over multiple windows, siding, shutters and stone accents throughout the home’s three stories. The water side includes a lower-level walkout, a lower patio, an upper enclosed porch and walls of windows, all designed to take full advantage of the sun-filled site. The floor plan is all about relaxation – the kitchen includes an oversized island designed for gathering family and friends, a u-shaped butler’s pantry with a convenient second sink, while the nearby great room has built-ins and a central natural fireplace. Distinctive details include decorative wood beams in the living and kitchen areas, a dining area with sloped ceiling and decorative trusses and built-in window seat, and another window seat with built-in storage in the den, perfect for relaxing or using as a home office. A first-floor laundry and space for future elevator make it as convenient as attractive. Upstairs, an additional 1,200 square feet of living space include a master bedroom suite with a sloped 13-foot ceiling with decorative trusses and a corner natural fireplace, a master bath with two sinks and a large walk-in closet with built-in bench near the window. Also included is are two additional bedrooms and access to a third-floor loft, which could functions as a third bedroom if needed. Two more bedrooms with walk-in closets and a bath are found in the 1,300-square foot lower level, which also includes a secondary kitchen with bar, a fitness room overlooking the lake, a recreation/family room with built-in TV and a wine bar perfect for toasting the beautiful view beyond.

Example of a transitional home design design in New York

Inspiration for a mid-sized full sun backyard landscaping in Other for spring.

Alek Lisefski / tiny-project.com
Example of a trendy living room design in San Francisco

Staging and Photos by: Betsy Konaxis, BK Classic Collections Home Stagers
Example of a small transitional open concept medium tone wood floor living room design in Boston with beige walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Sommerhus is a private retreat for two empty-nesters. The clients purchased the previous cabin after falling in love with its location on a private, lakefront peninsula. However, this beautiful site was a challenging site to build on, due to its position sandwiched between the lake and protected wet land. The clients disliked the old cabin because it could only be used in the summer months, due to its lack of both insulation and heat. In addition, it was too small for their needs. They wanted to build a new, larger retreat, but were met with yet another constraint: the new cabin would be limited to the previous cabin’s small footprint. Thus, they decided to approach an architect to design their dream cabin. As the clients described, “We visited Denmark for a family wedding in 2015, and while biking near Gilleleje, a fishing village on the Baltic Sea, we fell in love with the aesthetic of ‘Sommerhus’: dark exteriors, clean, simple lines, and lots of windows.” We set out to design a cabin that fit this aesthetic while also meeting the site’s constraints. The clients were committed to keeping all existing trees on their site. In addition, zoning codes required the new retreat to stay within the previous cabin's small footprint. Thus, to maximize the square footage of the cabin without removing trees or expanding the footprint, the new structure had to grow vertically. At the same time, the clients wanted to be good neighbors. To them, this meant that their cabin should disappear into the woods, especially when viewed from the lake. To accomplish both these requests, the architect selected a dark exterior metal façade that would visually retreat into the trees. The metal siding is a modern, low-maintenance, and cost-effective solution, especially when compared to traditional wood siding. Warm wood on the soffits of the large roof overhang contrast with the metal siding. Sommerhus's resulting exterior is just as the clients’ requested: boldly modern yet respectful of the serene surroundings. The homeowners desired a beach-house-inspired interior, full of light and warmth, in contrast to the dark exterior. As the homeowner explained, “I wanted it to feel like a porch inside.” To achieve this, the living room has two walls of sliding glass doors that connect to the wrap-around porch. This creates a beautiful, indoor-outdoor living space. The crisp and bright kitchen also connects to the porch with the window that opens to an outdoor counter - perfect for passing food and drinks to those lounging on the porch. The kitchen is open to the rest of the first-floor entertaining space, and brings a playful, beach-house feel to the cabin. After the completion of the project, the homeowners remarked, “Working with Christopher and Eric [of CSA] was a wonderful experience. We absolutely love our home, and each season on the lake is more special than the last.”

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info. Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

This 400 s.f. studio apartment in NYC’s Greenwich Village serves as a pied-a-terre for clients whose primary residence is on the West Coast. Although the clients do not reside here full-time, this tiny space accommodates all the creature comforts of home. The kitchenette combines custom cool grey lacquered cabinets with brass fittings, white beveled subway tile, and a warm brushed brass backsplash; an antique Boucherouite runner and textural woven stools that pull up to the kitchen’s coffee counter punctuate the clean palette with warmth and the human scale. The under-counter freezer and refrigerator, along with the 18” dishwasher, are all panelled to match the cabinets, and open shelving to the ceiling maximizes the feeling of the space’s volume. The entry closet doubles as home for a combination washer/dryer unit. The custom bathroom vanity, with open brass legs sitting against floor-to-ceiling marble subway tile, boasts a honed gray marble countertop, with an undermount sink offset to maximize precious counter space and highlight a pendant light. A tall narrow cabinet combines closed and open storage, and a recessed mirrored medicine cabinet conceals additional necessaries. The stand-up shower is kept minimal, with simple white beveled subway tile and frameless glass doors, and is large enough to host a teak and stainless bench for comfort; black sink and bath fittings ground the otherwise light palette. What had been a generic studio apartment became a rich landscape for living.

Example of a large urban master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile corner shower design in DC Metro with a trough sink, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, a two-piece toilet, flat-panel cabinets and gray walls

Compost is a natural, long-lasting way to feed your soil, and a wonderfully sustainable way to dispose of kitchen and garden waste. These spacious bins are big enough to fit plenty of vegetable scraps as well as lawn clippings and leaves. Systems are made entirely of rot-resistant cedar and enclosed on all sides with sturdy wire mesh that allows air to flow to and through the compost. Removable front panels and hinged lids make for easy access. Systems are available in triple, double, and single bin configurations. Comes with the classic book about composting Let it Rot!: The Gardener's Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell.

Wing Wong, Memories TTL
Powder room - small eclectic powder room idea in New York with a wall-mount sink, a wall-mount toilet and multicolored walls

It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with the owners of this custom home while it was still under construction. The early planning allowed LWB to design the topographic features of the site to fit into the amenities that the clients desired such as an organically shaped swimming pool, a spa, planting, etc. The extreme grades in the backyard created an opportunity to place the spa overlooking the pool. The unique grading situation also allowed the pool utilities to be built underneath the lawn in a vented room, hidden from view. Waterfalls in the pool and a water wall help to create a relaxing experience in the homeowner's backyard. This Project was awarded with a coveted Grand Award in Residential Installation $50,001 & Over by the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with the owners of this custom home while it was still under construction. The early planning allowed LWB to design the topographic features of the site to fit into the amenities that the clients desired such as an organically shaped swimming pool, a spa, planting, etc. The extreme grades in the backyard created an opportunity to place the spa overlooking the pool. The unique grading situation also allowed the pool utilities to be built underneath the lawn in a vented room, hidden from view. Waterfalls in the pool and a water wall help to create a relaxing experience in the homeowner's backyard. This Project was awarded with a coveted Grand Award in Residential Installation $50,001 & Over by the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

Example of a large eclectic home design design in Richmond

These owners know craftsmanship and appreciate high-quality details. The owner hand crafted some of the furniture pieces included in this remodel, including the master bed frame. To update the home and do justice to the owner’s own furniture pieces, we installed a sky light in the upstairs bedroom hallway to bathe the space in light and added new doors with brass hardware. The master bathroom was transformed into an oasis and the kitchen underwent a remodel to make it more functional with modern appliances. Photos by Kimberly Gavin Photography

Our client, with whom we had worked on a number of projects over the years, enlisted our help in transforming her family’s beloved but deteriorating rustic summer retreat, built by her grandparents in the mid-1920’s, into a house that would be livable year-‘round. It had served the family well but needed to be renewed for the decades to come without losing the flavor and patina they were attached to. The house was designed by Ruth Adams, a rare female architect of the day, who also designed in a similar vein a nearby summer colony of Vassar faculty and alumnae. To make Treetop habitable throughout the year, the whole house had to be gutted and insulated. The raw homosote interior wall finishes were replaced with plaster, but all the wood trim was retained and reused, as were all old doors and hardware. The old single-glazed casement windows were restored, and removable storm panels fitted into the existing in-swinging screen frames. New windows were made to match the old ones where new windows were added. This approach was inherently sustainable, making the house energy-efficient while preserving most of the original fabric. Changes to the original design were as seamless as possible, compatible with and enhancing the old character. Some plan modifications were made, and some windows moved around. The existing cave-like recessed entry porch was enclosed as a new book-lined entry hall and a new entry porch added, using posts made from an oak tree on the site. The kitchen and bathrooms are entirely new but in the spirit of the place. All the bookshelves are new. A thoroughly ramshackle garage couldn’t be saved, and we replaced it with a new one built in a compatible style, with a studio above for our client, who is a writer.