This homeowner’s outdoor living area was redesigned to add some elegant characteristics. In order to do this, various materials were used. The retaining walls found along the property were made from PA Fieldstone Wallstone. The textures and various colors found throughout this stone easily enhance the outdoor area and offer visual stimulation. Ashler pattern brownstone was used throughout the patio, creating a clean and polished look. This patio surrounded a beautiful swimming pool that was aligned with brownstone caps along the border.The materials that were used in this landscape exterior created a relaxing and enjoyable space, perfect for the family.

Mid-sized elegant light wood floor and beige floor bedroom photo in Other with purple walls and no fireplace

The mammoth phalanxes of white-brick apartment houses that proliferated in the 1960s occupy an architectural purgatory; generic, with boxy interiors devoid of detail, many aren’t even interesting enough to excite a raised eyebrow. Our solution for this exemplar near Astor Place, which fortunately was blessed with premium skyline views, was to relieve the interior ordinariness by stimulating the senses with tactile variety. Axis Mundi created a complexly layered textural palette that injects visual adrenaline into the architectural envelope: a television set into a waxed steel panel topped by clerestory windows with a built-in planter for grasses; wenge wood walls rising from richly figured walnut floors; white subway tile surrounding a subtly colored penny-tile mosaic tub and wall; in the kitchen, Venetian plaster, steel, stone and wood mix harmoniously as a surprisingly spiced exotic concoction. The interiors exude a confident masculinity that challenges the complacency of bland, white-box living. Project Team: John Beckmann and Esther Sperber | Studio ST Photography: Andrew Garn Contractor: John Marsh © Axis Mundi Design LLC

Upon acquiring the property, the homeowner faced a compact backyard dominated by a neglected lawn that offered little usability. The ambition was not only to enhance the outdoor space's utility but to inject it with vibrant aesthetics and dynamism through the hardscape. To bring this vision to life, we embraced a palette of colorful materials, choosing multicolored concrete, pavers, and tiles that introduce a playful yet sophisticated charm. Further creativity was applied in the design through the use of curvy lines that flow organically throughout the space, leading the eye and inviting movement. Beach rocks were thoughtfully embedded into decorative bands, adding a tactile and visual texture that complements the curvilinear approach. This strategic combination of color, texture, and form transformed the backyard into a visually stimulating and highly functional outdoor living area.

COLOR INSPIRATION Bathroom design in purple: color of lilac and lavender flowers. This color relates to imagination and spirituality. It stimulates the imagination and inspires high ideals.

The elements of fire, water, wood, and stone were very important in creating the organic modern feel of this design. The layered effect along the back wall creates visual stimulation across the length of the yard, without overwhelming the senses. Rather than creating walls only of hard materials, we used Ipe wood to create horizontal screen walls of a more organic nature. At either end, the raised wall and the fire feature are finished in a large-scale porcelain tile, with the look of stained concrete. Custom stainless steel scuppers, by a local fabricator, create a soothing sound of falling water. The low wall at the center of the project is faced in natural ledgestone, and carries a color palette that set the tone for the entire project. Behind this wall and in front of one of the Ipe screens are three Desert Steel Giant Agave sculptures. The unique fire feature isnt quite a fire place, nor is it a fire pit. It is a linear fire burner, surrounded by a 4 thick cantilevered Leuder limestone hearth, with a backdrop wall of blue glazed clay tile. Although the pool was initially planned as a plaster pool, as the project began to take shape, the client elected to go all the way, and finish it in a beautiful blue glass mosaic. Custom fabricated stainless steel cannon jets send a delicate arch of water over this deep blue, and draw attention to the three square wok planters on the far side of the yard. For the decking on this project, we elected to work with Mother Nature, rather than against her. Two and a half inch thick concrete pavers, set on a bed of compacted decomposed granite allow for movement around the pool that is easily fixed. If an area of deck moves around, we can simply lift the affected areas, re-level the DG bed, and re-set the pavers.

In this dramatic foyer remodel, we wanted to create a welcoming space that beckons you into the home. The beautiful curved staircase gracefully winds down to greet you with its playfully sophisticated custom iron banister work. For an added attention to detail, mosaic stone tile adorns each stair riser. The gorgeous curved storage etagers don't overcrowd the space, which allows for an incredible energetic abstract art piece to be the center of attention. Stunning accessories fill the open shelves and stimulate the senses with their exotic finishes and color. Design by: Wesley-Wayne Interiors Photo by: Stephen Karlisch

Navajo tan 3/4" granite rock covers the ground, tan flagstone and various types and colors of boulders offer contrast and stimulate visual interest.
Inspiration for a small modern drought-tolerant and full sun front yard stone flower bed in Other for summer.

We worked around the style of the bed to stimulate a subtle mood that stands firmly on the thin line between contemporary and minimal. We created custom walnut nightstands that help certify the bed as the rooms throne. By pushing the kitchen walls further to the center of the apartment, we were able to grant the residents with their own personal hallway. Within this hallway we maximized the amount of space available for storing clothes and shoes. The recessed lighting and walnut flooring in the hallway encompasses the essence of a modern day boutique. The walk in closet is merely an extension of the same materials and quality.

This homeowner’s outdoor living area was redesigned to add some elegant characteristics. In order to do this, various materials were used. The retaining walls found along the property were made from PA Fieldstone Wallstone. The textures and various colors found throughout this stone easily enhance the outdoor area and offer visual stimulation. Ashler pattern brownstone was used throughout the patio, creating a clean and polished look. This patio surrounded a beautiful swimming pool that was aligned with brownstone caps along the border.The materials that were used in this landscape exterior created a relaxing and enjoyable space, perfect for the family.

This feminine color palette was intentionally selected to appropriately age with the girls. These stimulating patterned textiles have all been selected and treated to be children,friendly and paired with graceful art pieces.

WINNER - ASID Design Ovation Award 2019 - First Place Residential Powder Room Click here for a before and after image: https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/before-and-after-pinehurst-powder-bath-dallas-phvw-vp~143281756 Concept: To create a Pool Powder Room with privacy from the kitchen and living room with additional storage. The client desired a Wow! feeling that was fully explosive with pattern and color. Birds and butterflies were requested as a nod to the client’s favorite hobby, gardening. The main challenge for this design was to keep the existing foot print, yet make a more private and useable bath with better storage. Closing off the two existing doorways and creating one pocket door off the main hallway solved the privacy issues from the kitchen and second living room, in addition to giving more usable square footage for storage. A larger vanity with storage drawers along with floor to ceiling wall cabinets provide for the additional storage needed for pool towels and gardening items. Layering strong color and stimulating patterns created a visually stunning space that was personalized to the client’s specific request, Wow! The strong use of color and pattern play well with each other. The antique vanity mirror has been recycled from the previous bath and given a fresh coat of bold, cobalt blue paint, which is the client’s all-time favorite color. The requested bird motif is reflected in the wall covering as well as the details of the hardware. The combination of bird and feather shaped hardware gives the Powder Room a fun flair and unique style.

Who wouldn't want to hang out in this vibrant kitchen morning, noon, night and snack time? This rivetingly colorful kitchen never fails to wow. Appetite stimulating red cabinets feature wood knobs and pulls. There's island seating as well as a breakfast nook with a view and ample bench seating with extra storage. The custom maple countertops are polished on the sink side of the kitchen but unpolished on the kitchen island. Kitchen features multi layered lighting including cans, undercabinet, pendant and natural. Photos by Terry Poe Photography.

This 100 room assisted living housing center had been purchased by new owners. Their primary motive for the exterior of the property was to create an inviting and interactive setting for residents, visitors, employees, and family. Healthcare research shows that comfortable and stimulating seating areas close to the daily activity of the front doors are generally well used and popular areas among seniors and employees as well to prevent "workplace burnout". A crushed granite seating area, wooden benches, a recirculating waterfall, and a variety of plantings surround the front entry island. Seasonal color, texture, motion, shade, wildlife interest, mass and scale is provided by the mix of entryway, foundation, and entry island plantings.

The Belmont's study is a serene and inspiring space designed for productivity and focus. Large windows allow abundant natural light to fill the room, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere. The white walls provide a clean and fresh backdrop, promoting a sense of calmness and clarity. A sturdy wooden desk takes center stage, offering ample workspace for tasks, projects, or study sessions. Its natural beauty adds a touch of warmth and elegance to the room. Whether it's tackling work assignments, diving into research, or indulging in creative pursuits, the Belmont's study provides the ideal environment to stimulate concentration and creativity. The combination of natural light, white walls, and a well-crafted wooden desk creates a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality, ensuring that the study is a space where ideas can flow freely and work can be accomplished with ease.

The idea of this project was to create a special environment that stimulates all senses in the human body, an environment that is vibrant and most importantly interactive for all ages. We began by searching for the right materials to create a specific feeling of time and space. Placement of the water feature was designed by studying how the customer used their home. The waterfalls and streams connect separate outdoor spaces and accommodate for all views outdoors and indoors. A sense of mystery is designed into every detail in this water feature. The layout of the ponds play accordingly with the sun for excellent reflections, and each rock formation has time designed into it. The environment is inviting, and interactive. Each person that walks out to explore the environment has his or her curiosity rewarded by discovering plant life, trickling streams, and several waterfalls only to be discovered by the inquisitive explorer. Photos by: Linda Oyama Bryan

**Featured Baltimore Sun's Dream Home** In need of a place to call home in the States, this Australian family with a primary residence in Hong Kong needed a turn-key residence, complete with kitchen utensils and linens. We carefully designed each room with a color scheme that matches its function. The children's room features stimulating primary colors. The kitchen utilized bold blue to inspire creativity. Warm and relaxing tones are used in the living room and bedroom. Assisted by Jenny Wohl of Turner Design Firm

The mammoth phalanxes of white-brick apartment houses that proliferated in the 1960s occupy an architectural purgatory; generic, with boxy interiors devoid of detail, many aren’t even interesting enough to excite a raised eyebrow. Our solution for this exemplar near Astor Place, which fortunately was blessed with premium skyline views, was to relieve the interior ordinariness by stimulating the senses with tactile variety. Axis Mundi created a complexly layered textural palette that injects visual adrenaline into the architectural envelope: a television set into a waxed steel panel topped by clerestory windows with a built-in planter for grasses; wenge wood walls rising from richly figured walnut floors; white subway tile surrounding a subtly colored penny-tile mosaic tub and wall; in the kitchen, Venetian plaster, steel, stone and wood mix harmoniously as a surprisingly spiced exotic concoction. The interiors exude a confident masculinity that challenges the complacency of bland, white-box living. Project Team: John Beckmann and Esther Sperber | Studio ST Photography: Andrew Garn Contractor: John Marsh © Axis Mundi Design LLC

German Embassy in Pristina - Kosovo, contracted the architecture office “Ferizi + Ferizi Architects” to plan and implement an Annex Office building for their purposes. As detached part of this building is designed the waiting area, as alone standing structure. This Office Building is constructed by assembling of Eight used office containers that were delivered on trucks and set up after only a few hours on the basis of the LEGO principle, according to the planning on strip foundations. By removing the flexible exterior wall panels, a large room of 115 m² was created, with the counter wall as a room partition between two office spaces, each with seven workstations as well as three counters for agents on one side and a room for visitors on the other side. With this system, room solutions can be easily implemented in all dimensions. The container, seen as a geometric shape, is a simple, octagonal, solid box. The standardized perfection of its dimensions is striking: 2.44 meters wide, 2.59 meters high and 6.06 meters or 12.19 meters long. Since its introduction in 1956 by the American transport entrepreneur Malcom McLean, the container has become a standardized transport module worldwide, whether on ships, trucks or construction sites. The shipping containers have additionally revolutionized the transport industry, pushed the globalization noticeably, and thus directly or indirectly influenced all our lives. But after only a few years, when the first overseas containers wore out, many engineers recognized the positive properties of used shipping containers for building houses, especially since they are robust, flexible, multifunctional and second-hand relatively inexpensive to purchase. The time has long passed by to treat containers exclusively as transport objects. As a "measure of all things", containers can hardly be ignored in construction. Their use is no longer limited to temporary use since school containers, information containers, office containers or entire residential buildings are now part of our everyday life in the construction industry. However, current examples of the container architecture prove that even the most demanding solutions for container building are feasible. For their specific aesthetic and spatial qualities, containers also serve as design parameters for the development of new forms of architecture and urbanity. The office building as an extension of the visa section, characterized by modern materials and contemporary aesthetics has been designed and built mainly as a low-energy building. Extensive insulation to achieve a comfortable and sustainable constant temperature in the interior, high window quality and low energy consumption make the building energy-efficient. The sophisticated lighting technology, networks, heating systems and air-conditioning systems are also components of this equipment. It creates an overall harmonic picture and guarantees the highest standard in sustainable construction, taking into consideration the fact that environmentally friendly recycling and reutilization have become an increasingly important issue in our society. West and East side of the wooden facade is compact and has few openings, while the southern facade is completely open with lot of glass. Its spatial openness ensures a transparent, friendly work environment, which allows a lot of light into the space. This openness allows an uninterrupted, pleasant and close-to-nature view from interior spaces into the beautiful garden. During the installation of sophisticated light sources in the garden, emphasis was not only put on functionality and security, but also on the beauty of the garden shown through the illumination in the evening. Large, horizontal white “brisole” serve as external sun protection systems, mounted on the canopies of the entrance areas of the modular construction and the enclosure, adeptly cast shade on these areas and at the same time shape the entire architectural language. While on one hand, the two quadratic ledges suspended in the air, are docked with steel stairs and match the wooden façade, lead the staff to their office space, the artful modern interior, on the other hand, perfectly unites the functionality, innovative technology, culture and positive effects on the employees' efficiency and wellbeing. A lot of white, interjected by warm wooden and colored accents, determines the ambience. In the case of the lighting solution, the mainly linear ceiling lighting is used as the overlapping design element both for the offices of the visa section as well as for the counters and the waiting area for the visitors. They underline the puristic design in order to create a pleasant light for a desired general illumination and ensure optimal light conditions without causing disturbing reflections on the computer screens. In addition, precisely positioned pendant luminaires are installed at the workstations, which ensure pleasant room brightness. In the entrance area, the harmonic and uniform lighting effect from the ground highlights the integration of photography and architecture. Photographs of landscapes, people, places, expressing unforgettable, impressive moments and memories have been lovingly engraved on 8 x 8cm square oak blocks. The idea of an effective, impressive environment that stimulates and inspires the work was the premiss on which the whole design concept was based. Consequently, the modular construction was no longer viewed through its history of utilization and scars, but rather as a structure of work ambiance, art and elegance. FERIZI + FERIZI Architects Photo: Arben Llapashtica