Search results for "Smart approach" in Home Design Ideas

Mid-Century Remodel on Tabor Hill
This sensitively sited house was designed by Robert Coolidge, a renowned architect and grandson of President Calvin Coolidge. The house features a symmetrical gable roof and beautiful floor to ceiling glass facing due south, smartly oriented for passive solar heating. Situated on a steep lot, the house is primarily a single story that steps down to a family room. This lower level opens to a New England exterior. Our goals for this project were to maintain the integrity of the original design while creating more modern spaces. Our design team worked to envision what Coolidge himself might have designed if he'd had access to modern materials and fixtures.
With the aim of creating a signature space that ties together the living, dining, and kitchen areas, we designed a variation on the 1950's "floating kitchen." In this inviting assembly, the kitchen is located away from exterior walls, which allows views from the floor-to-ceiling glass to remain uninterrupted by cabinetry.
We updated rooms throughout the house; installing modern features that pay homage to the fine, sleek lines of the original design. Finally, we opened the family room to a terrace featuring a fire pit. Since a hallmark of our design is the diminishment of the hard line between interior and exterior, we were especially pleased for the opportunity to update this classic work.

The simple lines of Denali and Hilton come together for a sensible approach to modern style; designed to complement today's busy lifestyle. Denali's textured surface offers rich dimensional flair, while Hilton adds a touch of glimmer with a reflective gloss surface. Both finishes come together on the island as a design focal point offering seating, a second sink and generous storage.

One of our favorite details! A drawer-within-a-drawer. Especially handy when you've got little kids, this helps keep knives and other sharp kitchen utensils away (or at least harder to access). And it's also just really cool.
Kitchen and dining room staging by Allison Scheff of Distinctive Kitchens.
Photos by Wynne H Earle
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Small eclectic enclosed medium tone wood floor living room photo in New York with gray walls, a standard fireplace and no tv
Small eclectic enclosed medium tone wood floor living room photo in New York with gray walls, a standard fireplace and no tv

Designed by Ivanka Kowalski
Fire Line Automatic 3 is the most intelligent and luxurious bio fireplace available today. Driven by state of the art technology it combines the stylish beauty of a traditional fireplace with the fresh approach of modern innovation.

LEICHT by Elan Kitchens.
Fabulous LEICHT kitchen in this luxury apartment in the heart of fashionable King's Road, Chelsea.
KITCHEN FURNITURE - Elan Kitchens | LEICHT Classic-FS Arctic and Alpine grey
APPLIANCES - Elan Kitchens | Siemens
WORKTOP - Elan Kitchens | Silestone Blanco Zeus

Dave Adams Photography
Mid-sized trendy built-in desk light wood floor and beige floor study room photo in Sacramento with white walls and no fireplace
Mid-sized trendy built-in desk light wood floor and beige floor study room photo in Sacramento with white walls and no fireplace

Sponsored
Plain City, OH
The Creative Kitchen Company
Columbus Area Kitchen Remodeling and Refacing Professional

Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it.
Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy.
Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy.
The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors.
Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house.
The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood.
The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Staging: Da Lusso Design
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed
Location: Los Altos, CA
Year completed: 2017

Photo: Danielle Sykes © 2016 Houzz
Inspiration for a farmhouse partial sun backyard formal garden in Boston for summer.
Inspiration for a farmhouse partial sun backyard formal garden in Boston for summer.

Inspiration for a huge transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands and shaker cabinets

Example of a transitional l-shaped brown floor kitchen design in Denver with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, gray cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a transitional guest bedroom design in Seattle with white walls

Sponsored
Plain City, OH
The Creative Kitchen Company
Columbus Area Kitchen Remodeling and Refacing Professional

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing
7RR-Ecohome:
The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together?
The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot.
Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Interior Design, Interior Architecture, Custom Millwork Design, Furniture Design, Art Curation, & AV Design by Chango & Co.
Photography by Sean Litchfield
See the feature in Domino Magazine

DESIGNED BY TOC design
CONSTRUCTION BY TOC design & Construction inc.
PHOTOS BY : Tania Scardellato
I was fortunate to have a young family approach me in desperate need to renovate there only 3 piece bathroom. This space was In dire need of a remodel, with old brown wall to wall tiles and a dated bulky yellow brown single sink vanity.
Storage was a must, lighting a necessity, and proper accessibility to the shower bath area.
We had a tight budget to respect, but a full gut of this bathroom was required. And a good thing too, once we started doing the demolition we noticed that mildew and rotting floors and walls had accumulated throughout the years. Doing it right the first time is no joke when dealing with water and electrical issues.
We discarded all reminisce of old and built from scratch, new walls, new plumbing, new electrical ,new insulation and a new window, a new fan that actually exhausted outside ( I say this laughing as you would be amazed at how many fans are installed but don’t exhaust outside, and you the client would never know unless you go inside the attic space.
Once all the hard stuff was done, the rest is just a matter of smart design. If you have a small bathroom here are some tips to guide you.
10 tips for making a small bathroom feel larger
Is your tiny bathroom cramping your functionality and style, leaving you longing for the enormous bathrooms gracing the pages of design magazines? Even if your bathroom is a fraction of the size, all it takes is some design savvy to make the most of the space you have. Consider these 10 smart tips that will help your bathroom look, feel and function like those larger contenders.
1-Get creative with corners
Space is at a premium in small bathrooms, so it's important to maximize every inch. Corners, for example, provide extra space for shelving, storage units and even hooks. Get creative and install unique design solutions that are not only functional, but also eye-catching. If you love the airiness of floating cabinets, add baskets or decorative boxes under for extra storage. If you are installing floating cabinets insure that they are installed securely to studs or plywood at wall.
2- Let solid colors shine
Busy patterns have a shrinking effect and make small bathrooms seem even smaller. Conversely, light natural hues make a space feel more open. If you're itching to get creative with design, experiment with textures but keep overpowering patterns to a minimum. Tone on tone is the best to achieve this.
3 - Maximize your bathtub
A bathtub takes up a significant portion of the room, but modern, compact options with curved basins, can make the tub feel larger when in use, all while conserving space.
4 - Select a smaller faucet
A faucet is jewelry for the bathroom. And just as accessories can overpower an outfit, a big bulky faucet isn't flattering in a small bath. Single-handle designs conserve counter space, while a wall-mount installation frees it up all together and can create quite the wow-factor, if the budget can accommodate the required changes to plumbing behind the wall.
5 - Make vanity storage simple
If you're in a storage war with your small bathroom, you're not alone in the battle. Toiletries and personal supplies without a place to call home only add clutter and chaos. Store smart with a space-saving vanity, the dual sink vanity shown here, looks quite simple, but in reality it has 4 sets of full extension drawers, and the vanity tower adds extra storage without overpowering the use of space.
6 - Show off the shower
Shower curtains may be pretty, but they interrupt the visual flow of a bathing space and make it feel significantly smaller. In bathrooms with small footprints, opt for a clear glass sliding shower door that doesn't require the clearance of one with a hinged design. Or as shown in this design and for fraction less expensive a half hinged panel installed on a fixed tempered glass panel. If you're embarking on a big remodel, create the illusion of more space by using same tile in the shower that's used throughout; instead of seeing them as two separate zones, the eye will read them as one.
7 - Discover the treasure of hidden storage
Work with a contractor, and you just might find some serious storage potential hidden behind your walls. Whether it's utilizing space between the studs for shallow shelving or a creating a small linen closet by annexing space from an adjacent room, even small additions can make a big difference.
8 - Focal Point
Tile is a beautiful, durable addition to any bathroom. For dainty spaces, consider installing tile at a diagonal to accentuate the focal point or as in this bathroom I used an oversized textured pattern to bring depth to the space at the window wall.
9 - Choose the right lights
Strategically install light to reflect and brighten a small bathroom to make it appear larger. Recessed lighting is an affordable solution for tiny rooms, offering ample light while taking up little space. Wall sconces alongside a mirror also reflect off the walls and make a room feel bright and airy. I always recommend going with LED lighting at 2800 to 3000K.
10 – Accessorize
This is your time to shine in your decorating skills, have fun with your towels, you can change the color scheme daily just by adding pops of color in your accessories, make sure to get items that serve a dual purpose, like baskets, boxes they can always be used as hampers, storing of towels and even a nice display for your guest.

Sponsored
Plain City, OH
The Creative Kitchen Company
Columbus Area Kitchen Remodeling and Refacing Professional

The new kitchen is not only more open and airy, but a window was knocked out to put in a dutch door that leads to the new deck.
Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped kitchen/dining room combo remodel in New York with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, mirror backsplash and stainless steel appliances
Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped kitchen/dining room combo remodel in New York with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, mirror backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Photography by Jim Tetro
This house, built in the 1960s, sits southfacing on a terrific wooded lot in Bethesda, Maryland.
The owners desire a whole-house renovation which would improve the general building fabric and systems, and extend the sense of living out of doors in all seasons.
The original sixties-modern character is preserved and the renovation extends the design forward into a contemporary, modern approach. Connections to and through the site are enhanced through the creation of new larger window and door openings.
Screened porches and decks perch above the sloped and wooded site. The new kitchen and bathrooms allow for opportunities to feel out-of -doors while preparing, cooking, dining, and bathing.
Smart passive strategies guide the environmental choices for this project, including envelope improvements, updated mechanical systems, and on-site stormwater management.
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