Brian McWeeney
Transitional built-in desk concrete floor and gray floor study room photo in Dallas with white walls

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2015 Houzz
Inspiration for a large tropical master freestanding bathtub remodel in Los Angeles with furniture-like cabinets and dark wood cabinets

Designing additions for Victorian homes is a challenging task. The architects and builders who designed and built these homes were masters in their craft. No detail of design or proportion went unattended. Cummings Architects is often approached to work on these types of projects because of their unwavering dedication to ensure structural and aesthetic continuity both inside and out. Upon meeting the owner of this stately home in Winchester, Massachusetts, Mathew immediately began sketching a beautifully detail drawing of a design for a family room with an upstairs master suite. Though the initial ideas were just rough concepts, the client could already see that Mathew’s vision for the house would blend the new space seamlessly into the fabric of the turn of the century home. In the finished design, expanses of glass stretch along the lines of the living room, letting in an expansive amount of light and creating a sense of openness. The exterior walls and interior trims were designed to create an environment that merged the indoors and outdoors into a single comfortable space. The family enjoys this new room so much, that is has become their primary living space, making the original sitting rooms in the home a bit jealous. Photo Credit: Cydney Ambrose

Eric Rorer
Example of a farmhouse concrete floor living room design in San Francisco with white walls

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zelmar-Kitchen-Designs-More/136528272620

Example of a beach style dark wood floor bedroom design in Boston with white walls

Old fixer-uppers often require two competing levels of priorities from their new homeowners. First and foremost is the need to immediately attend to those repairs that ensure the continued functioning and general well being of the house’s structure. By nature, these usually demand “house on fire!” status, especially when compared to other types of remodeling work that simply enhances aesthetics and general comfort. In the case of a Delaware couple, a structural issue with the front of their 125 year old Victorian (it was sinking!), along with some other more pressing challenges, put a 13 year long hold on getting the bathroom for which they had long dreamed. The shower enclosure features a base of hexagon patterned tile, bordered by marble subway tiles. The shower enclosure features a base of hexagon patterned tile, bordered by marble subway tiles. By the time Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers was hired to handle the construction, the couple certainly had put plenty of thought into converting a spare second-floor bedroom into the master bath. Courtney Burnett, Fox’s Interior Design Manager on the project, credits the owners for “having great creative minds, with lots of ideas to contribute.” By the time it came to put a formal design plan into place, the client “drove the look while we devised how the space would function.” It’s worth noting that there are drawbacks in being given too much time for advance planning. Owners’ tastes in design may change, while a steady stream of new fixtures and building products always demand consideration up to the last minute. “We had been collecting ideas for a while…pictures of what we liked, but as it turned out, when it came time to select fixtures, tile, etc., we used little from those pictures,” the owners admit. A framed herringbone pattern of subway tiles provides a perfect focal point for the shower. A framed herringbone pattern of subway tiles provides a perfect focal point for the shower. The finished bath exudes an art deco spirit that isn’t true to the home’s Victorian origins, which Burnett attributes to being more of a reflection of the homeowners’ preferences than the actual era of the structure. Despite that incongruity, everyone feels that they have remained true to the house by selecting vintage style elements, including subway tiles for the walls, hexagonal tile for the floors, and a pedestal sink that served as the focal point for the entire room. But as with all dreams, once one is achieved, a new one soon beckons. With the bathroom’s strikingly beautiful turquoise paint barely dry, the completion of that long-awaited project has served to kick-start plans for finishing off the remainder of the Victorian’s second floor.

phillip harris
Inspiration for a rustic carpeted dining room remodel in San Francisco

Gregory Butler – Prime Folio, Inc
Coastal white two-story exterior home idea in Charleston with a hip roof

Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen design in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, beige backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Contemporary wood exterior home idea in Minneapolis with a hip roof

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

This Award-winning kitchen proves vintage doesn't have to look old and tired. This previously dark kitchen was updated with white, gold, and wood in the historic district of Monte Vista. The challenge is making a new kitchen look and feel like it belongs in a charming older home. The highlight and starting point is the original hex tile flooring in white and gold. It was in excellent condition and merely needed a good cleaning. The addition of white calacatta marble, white subway tile, walnut wood counters, brass and gold accents keep the charm intact. Cabinet panels mimic original door panels found in other areas of the home. Custom coffee storage is a modern bonus! Sub-Zero Refrig, Rohl sink, seeded glass cabinets, brass wire grille,

http://www.houzz.com/pro/robkarosis/rob-karosis-photography

Photography by Paul Bardagjy
Inspiration for a small contemporary concrete floor powder room remodel in Austin with a wall-mount sink, a one-piece toilet and multicolored walls

Catch up with guests in high fashion with the Cole collection. The finish of the fabrics bring the instant glamour while the track arms and tapered feet give the space a laid back, confident feel. Neutral-hued, high gloss accessories have a calming effect on the dramatic rug and ottoman.

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard stone patio design in Philadelphia with no cover

Tricia Shay Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary master medium tone wood floor and brown floor freestanding bathtub remodel in Milwaukee with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white walls and a hinged shower door