This bathroom needed help as it was tired, dated and cramped! The vanity area was open to the master bedroom and sandwiched between a closet and existing bathroom wall. Behind the bathroom wall, was a second sink, a small walk-in shower and the commode. A poorly placed linen closet ate into the area and there was a soffit over the shower adding to the cramped feeling. The ceiling was cluttered with old-school heating lamps, flush-mount fixtures and ventilation grills. The “movie star” lighting meant to add some glamour only made the bathroom feel dated and sad. Our clients wanted to bring this bathroom to life. We built a wall and added a door between the bedroom and bathroom to ensure more privacy and define the space. In addition, we removed the wall separating the actual bathroom and vanity area to make the master bathroom larger. The linen closet was also taken out so the shower could be expanded significantly. Our homeowner had recently suffered a knee injury so they were looking for future solutions that would work for them as they continued to age. We made the shower large enough to include a bench and installed a handheld sprayer located near the seat. Shower walls were reinforced so that when the day came that a grab bar was needed, they would be ready. We added a tall cabinet that featured two, deep rollouts and interior shelving to keep linens and bathroom supplies organized. Beneath the sinks, we included rollout drawers so items would not get lost in those dark areas under the plumbing. Everything that had been cluttering the ceiling was removed including the shower soffit and heat lamp. With those gone, we added evenly-spaced, recessed ceiling lights to help brighten the space making it safer and more practical. We chose a custom blue-green paint for the cabinets which was understated enough to provide a sense of serenity while still offering a splash of color to help liven up the room. Walnut-framed mirrors added a touch of warmth and the patterned floor tile made the whole room fun! An old bathroom came alive!

Elegant dining room photo in Philadelphia

For this color, we have both floating floor and glue down tiles. - Installation Type: Floating / Glue Down - Edge type: square edge (seamless floor) - Finish: Three coats German water based polyurethane - Made with formaldehyde free adhesives - 25 year warranty (residential installation) - Underlayment not required - Hypo-allergenic - Healthy alternative to carpet - Excellent thermal and acoustic insulation - Stain resistant - Naturally resistant to insects, mould, mildew due to anti-microbial properties. - Low slip surface - Excellent surface for seniors, children or people suffering from arthritis or joint pain *** Price for glue down tile: $2.39/sqft ***Price for floating floor (straight edge): $3.33/sqft Price may change without notice. Please check our website for the guaranteed price. Order FREE SAMPLES on our website: www.icorkfloor.com

Finding a home is not easy in a seller’s market, but when my clients discovered one—even though it needed a bit of work—in a beautiful area of the Santa Cruz Mountains, they decided to jump in. Surrounded by old-growth redwood trees and a sense of old-time history, the house’s location informed the design brief for their desired remodel work. Yet I needed to balance this with my client’s preference for clean-lined, modern style. Suffering from a previous remodel, the galley-like bathroom in the master suite was long and dank. My clients were willing to completely redesign the layout of the suite, so the bathroom became the walk-in closet. We borrowed space from the bedroom to create a new, larger master bathroom which now includes a separate tub and shower. The look of the room nods to nature with organic elements like a pebbled shower floor and vertical accent tiles of honed green slate. A custom vanity of blue weathered wood and a ceiling that recalls the look of pressed tin evoke a time long ago when people settled this mountain region. At the same time, the hardware in the room looks to the future with sleek, modular shapes in a chic matte black finish. Harmonious, serene, with personality: just what my clients wanted. Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

In addition to the siding and trim issues associated with this home, it was also suffering from poor grading and drainage. We installed roof drainage as well as subterranean drainage around the house. With new siding, trim, and metal flashings throughout, as well as new landscaping, this restored cape is now the gem of the neighborhood. Berkshire Mountain Design Build. -Log Home -Timber Framing -Post and Beam -Historic Preservation

Inspiration for a french country landscaping in San Francisco.

Mellissa Larson - Photographer
Example of an urban bedroom design in Boise

When you upgrade to today's luxury mattress standards, you'll want a bed that's 100% natural, chemical free, luxuriously comfortable, and long-lasting. Plushbeds is proud to offer 100% Natural Sri Lankan Botanical Latex with no synthetic blends or petroleum based products. With a more dense, supportive 100% natural dunlop core to prevent sagging and a less-dense top layer of 100% natural talalay latex for maximum pressure relief, you receive a mattress that offers optimized pressure relief and uncompromising support, resulting in deeper, restorative sleep. Our Botanical Bliss covers are created with soft Joma New Zealand 100% natural wool. The Botanical Bliss mattress is ideal for those who suffer from feather, down, or synthetic bedding products allergies. Our quilted mattress covers are naturally fire-resistant, ensure natural temperature regulation, are hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and are dust mite resistant. Plushbeds Botanical Bliss 100% Organic Natural Latex Mattress comes in 9", 10" and 12" and in soft (19-21 ILD); medium (24-26 ILD); medium-firm (29-31 ILD) and extra-firm (34-36 ILD), in the following sizes: Twin (38" x 75") Twin XL (38" x 80") Full (54" x 75") Queen (60" x 80") King (76" x 80") Cal King (72" x 84") Split King (2) Twin XL PlushBeds is not just a mattress retailer, but also the manufacturer. This gives us a broad range of options in the comfort levels we can offer. Each mattress is custom made and we can accommodate virtually any request. The PlushBeds comfort exchange program offers an affordable and convenient solution to adjusting your mattress firmness without the hassle of having to return the whole mattress. PlushBeds offers removable, adjustable layers so you can simply unzip your cover and rotate your layers of latex to adjust the firmness of your mattress. If you decide that your Plushbeds latex mattress is not for you within 100 nights of receiving your mattress, just call us and we'll pick up the mattress for a full refund of your purchase price, minus a flat $99 return shipping fee. The latex mattresses we deliver to our customers are the same latex mattresses we sleep on ourselves, which is why we are proud to offer the strongest 25 year manufacturer's warranty in the industry.

Independent Home just recently completed a Florida walk in tub installation in the city of Pensacola for our customer Claire S. Learn about the process and why it may be a good idea to add one to your home! Our installation process starts with a pre-installation meeting with the customer to go over what type of walk in tub is best for their needs, what the best location would be, and what type of the finish the customer wants. At the meeting with Claire, she told us that she wanted a tub that could prove a safe bathing experience but also help with her arthritis and leg pain. Our installation experts decided that the celebrity walk in tub was the best option for Claire. The celebrity walk in tub was the best option for Claire’s Florida home because of the safety features it is able to provide. Claire’s previous bathtub had a 15 inch edge, which made her nervous of getting in and out. Her old tub also had a non-secure seat giving Claire the fear that she may fall. The celebrity walk in tub has a low threshold eliminating the high edge. It also has a 17” ADA compliant seat, giving Claire that extra security that she needed. As stated before Claire suffers from arthritis and leg pain and she wanted her new tub to help with the pain. The celebrity walk in tub was a great choice because you are able to add hydrotherapy features. Hydrotherapy is the use of water to help decrease physical discomfort. It works by the jets greater range of motion. The jets waves allow an increase in circulation causing the joint inflammation to decrease, which will help eliminate Claire’s pain. Installing Claire’s walk in tub took just a couple of days to complete. The process included removing Claire’s old tub including the foundation, putting in the proper plumbing, connecting the water, making sure there weren’t any leaks, and finally building the shelf area around the tub. Claire is extremely happy with her new walk in tub. Her worries of falling are behind her. She enjoys that when she is in a hurry and can’t enjoy a full soak there is an extendable shower wand. Overall, every time Claire gets a bath she feels like she is at her own private spa.

Pepper Watkins
Living room - scandinavian living room idea in DC Metro

Finding a home is not easy in a seller’s market, but when my clients discovered one—even though it needed a bit of work—in a beautiful area of the Santa Cruz Mountains, they decided to jump in. Surrounded by old-growth redwood trees and a sense of old-time history, the house’s location informed the design brief for their desired remodel work. Yet I needed to balance this with my client’s preference for clean-lined, modern style. Suffering from a previous remodel, the galley-like bathroom in the master suite was long and dank. My clients were willing to completely redesign the layout of the suite, so the bathroom became the walk-in closet. We borrowed space from the bedroom to create a new, larger master bathroom which now includes a separate tub and shower. The look of the room nods to nature with organic elements like a pebbled shower floor and vertical accent tiles of honed green slate. A custom vanity of blue weathered wood and a ceiling that recalls the look of pressed tin evoke a time long ago when people settled this mountain region. At the same time, the hardware in the room looks to the future with sleek, modular shapes in a chic matte black finish. Harmonious, serene, with personality: just what my clients wanted. Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

This beautiful colonial in Marion, Massachusetts is even more gorgeous with its new GAF Timberline HD roof! There is more to a roof than shingles – in fact there are several components to a professionally installed GAF Lifetime Roofing System. Here is the anatomy of our Marion homeowner’s roof: GAF Timberline HD Shingles Marion, MAGAF Timberline HD Roof Shingles: A beautiful architectural shingle at an affordable price! This is our most popular roof shingle here at Care Free Homes! Our Marion customer selected the classic color, Charcoal. This high performance shingle features a 130 mph wind rating and highest possible fire rating. Underlayment: A felt/paper product that is installed over the entire roof deck, underlayment provides an additional layer of protection between the roof deck and the roof shingles. Ice Dam and Water Shield: After a brutal winter and unprecedented snow fall, many New England homes suffered damage from ice dams. Ice Dam and Water Shield provides added protection for eves, rakes, valleys as well as flashed areas around vent pipes, chimneys, dormers, and skylights. Whether it’s a winter wonderland or a hurricane, this homeowner will not have to worry about ice dams or driving rain. GAF Timberline HD, Marion, MA Dormers Premium Aluminum Drip Edge: Installed along the rakes, drip edge serves several purposes. It improves the efficiency of water shedding, prevents leaking from a wind-driven rain as well as movement between the deck and fascia boards. Drip edge also keeps pesky insects from infiltrating the space between the roof deck and the fascia boards. With a choice of three colors, white, brown and gray, it provides a finished look for a roof. GAF Pro-Start Eave/Rake Starter Strip: Every story has a beginning and every roof should have a starter strip. Here in New England we’ve got to have our roof be tougher than mother nature. To prevent shingle blow off, an ultra-adhered starter strip properly secures shingles in place during a storm. In contrast, the amateur roofer will often use cut-up shingles as a starter course. This weakened “starter course” lowers the wind resistance of a roof and makes it more susceptible to both wind and water damage. With straighter edges, Dura-Grip adhesive, and outstanding warranties – starter strip will provide beauty, performance and peace of mind. GAF Cobra Ridge Vent: Ridge vents provide necessary airflow to remove excess heat and moisture in an attic. It inhibits the growth of mold and protects the health of the homeowners as well as their stored possessions. A properly vented attic will also protect homes in harsh winter climates from ice damming. Why wait? Contact us today and make your house a Care Free home!

Edward Duarte, duartephoto.com
Urban porcelain tile kitchen photo in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Large open kitchen with professional grade appliances, distressed cabinetry, large windows over looking the valley views and deck, and a huge island with granite top for all of your baking needs!

The G.G. Gerbing azaleas in full spectacular bloom. David Morello
Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in Houston.

The carriage house has as much design as the rest of this amazing property. From the sliding barn door to the Cypress shiplap accent wall to the hammock style chair, there are so many special details. We particularly love the canvas photograph of "Little Blue," one of Hunting Island's last cottages, recently torn down after suffering damage from Hurricane Matthew.

This lovely colonial revival in Scarsdale New York with classic lines suffered from a dated, cramped kitchen. Studio Dearborn worked with the client to expand the space and design a layout than enabled seating around the island and plentiful storage. All appliances by Miele; countertops, Jet Mist granite; Backsplash, Crackle subway by Vermeere Classics; Bar Stools, Crate and Barrel; hardware, Alexander Jeffrey Belcastel collection; pendants, Restoration Hardware

Independent Home just completed a walk in tub installation for a couple in West Chester. Check out how our installation process works and how a walk in tub could benefit you. Our installation process starts with a pre-installation meeting. Our experts met with Allison and Greg to find out what type of walk in tub would best fit their needs, the best location, and what type of finish they would want. At the meeting, our experts learned that Allison and Greg already had a walk in shower. However, it wasn’t providing them with what they needed. They both suffer from arthritis and restless leg syndrome and were looking for relief. The Supreme Walk in Bathtub model was the perfect solution for Allison and Greg because not only do they suffer from arthritis and restless leg syndrome they also are bariatric clients and needed a wider tub. The Supreme model is large, has a non-slip floor, two safety grab bars, and hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is what will help reduce Allison and Greg’s pain. Their pain will decrease each time they enjoy a deep soaking massage that is provided by the air and whirlpool jets. The jets work in a greater range of motion that causes an increase in circulation. As Allison and Greg’s circulation increase, their muscles will begin to rehabilitate and reduce the pain. The installation only took a couple days to complete. That included taking out their old shower along with removing the foundation, bringing in the new bathtub, making sure the legs are level, hooking up the new plumbing, and making sure that there aren’t any leaks. The last part of the installation is building the finish. Allison and Greg had wanted our experts to maintain their bathroom tile.

The Master Bath needed some updates as it suffered from an out of date, extra large tub, a very small shower and only one sink. Keeping with the Mood, a new larger vanity was added in a beautiful dark green with two sinks and ample drawer space, finished with gold framed mirrors and two glamorous gold leaf sconces. Taking in a small linen closet allowed for more room at the shower which is enclosed by a dramatic black framed door. Also, the old tub was replaced with a new alluring freestanding tub surrounded by beautiful marble tiles in a large format that sits under a deco glam chandelier. All warmed by the use of gold fixtures and hardware.