Toby Ponnay
Staircase - coastal wooden l-shaped open staircase idea in Orange County

Paul Dyer
Mid-sized farmhouse stone side porch photo in San Francisco with a roof extension

Wet bar - contemporary dark wood floor and brown floor wet bar idea in Charleston with no sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, red backsplash, brick backsplash and white countertops

studio29
Living room - small contemporary formal and enclosed light wood floor living room idea with gray walls

Giles Ashford
Inspiration for a modern white tile and subway tile walk-in shower remodel in New York

Patio kitchen - mid-sized traditional backyard stamped concrete patio kitchen idea in Dallas with no cover

Casey Dunn
Example of a trendy freestanding bathtub design in Austin with beige walls

The entry door to the laundry was converted to a pocket door to maximize floor space available for storage, and open shelving below the folding table provides ample storage for laundry baskets. The glazed floor tile was infused with Microban®, an antimicrobial solution, to provide long-lasting protection from bacteria and other harmful microbes in the high-use laundry room.

Photography by Spacecrafting
Elegant screened-in porch photo in Minneapolis with decking and a roof extension

Example of a 1960s rectangular pool design in Houston

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.

Example of a minimalist kitchen design in Mumbai

Cesar Rubio
Pivot front door - modern pivot front door idea in San Francisco with a light wood front door

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard retaining wall landscape in Austin for spring.

Looking for a nice clean crown molding, but what something different? These homeowners did just that with a simple clean flat molding applied to the wall and ceiling to create this look.

Example of a bedroom and mid-sized eclectic gender-neutral dark wood floor and brown floor kids' bedroom design in Austin with white walls

Example of a mid-sized classic 3/4 beige tile and stone tile bathroom design in Milwaukee with a vessel sink, furniture-like cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, a two-piece toilet and beige walls

Peter McMenamin
Example of an arts and crafts front door design in Los Angeles with a white front door

Space Crafting
Country white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile alcove bathtub photo in Minneapolis with gray walls