Photo by Kelly M. Shea
Inspiration for a mid-sized country home design remodel in Other

The vision for my kitchen was to design a space that's chic, practical, and an extension of my personal style. I opted for an updated, contemporary neutral palette, using a soft green cabinetry for a touch of warmth. My favorite of these is the walnut pantry interior, which stores a ton of food, spices, and vitamins, and even has supplemental wine storage.

Blau-Thompson Residence This Civil War era, 1680-square-foot three-story row house is located in the Italian Market section of Philadelphia. The BluPath Design principals and their young child were the clients. The project goal was to upgrade a traditional housing type to meet a contemporary lifestyle, applying both sustainable criteria and clean, modern yet sensual aesthetics. The challenge of the property (only 830 square feet in lot size) was to create a design that was small, but smart. The structure formerly housed a luncheonette with two apartments above. The interior was gutted and renovated into a single family home. The construction of a small rear addition added a new kitchen on the first floor and new bathrooms on the second and third levels. The east-west orientation of the home was ideal for the roof-mounted solar collectors, which were installed to provide domestic hot water and supplement the new radiant floor heating system. Exterior sensors improve the efficiency of the heating system's response to fluctuations in outside temperature. A new white-coated, rubber membrane roof reduced the structure's heat gain by 20 percent. A water catch system collects rainwater and air conditioner condensation to water the home's small rear garden. Large windows and skylights bring light deep into the row house and reduce the use of light fixtures. The rear yard garden features ipe decking (a dense, water-repellent hardwood) on permeable compacted gravel to minimize storm water runoff. BluPath Design’s principals used the project to demonstrate how sustainability can be integrated with beauty and function, with sensual materials and colors, well-proportioned and light-filled rooms, economic use of space, and thoughtful details. Cherry flooring and custom stairs complement the Indian slate tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. The kitchen features custom walnut cabinets with blue granite counters and backsplashes. The first floor dining area is illuminated by a BluPath-designed fiber-optic chandelier. Ipe hardwood is also used for the master bath tub-surround and shower floor. Sliding frosted glass panels separating the master bath from other living areas allows light from the corner windows to naturally illuminate the adjacent room. Awards Honorable Mention for Sustainability and Energy Efficiency IIDA Philadelphia City Center Chapter 3rd Annual Interior Design Awards, June 2007 Bronze 2006 Commonwealth Design Award 10,000 Friends of PA, May 2006 Media HGTV ‘What You Get for the Money’ February 2007 Philadelphia Style Magazine March/April 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer June 11, 2006 Philadelphia CityPaper September 25-October 2, 2003 Photography by Barry Halkin

We borrowed square footage from the bedroom to create a luxurious en suite bathroom. In order to make sure the bedroom didn't feel too small, we designed custom built-ins in lieu of dressers. These drawer/shelf combination units perfectly blend with the white walls and, when supplemented with closet storage, provide clothing storage that is visually quiet and well-composed.

Inner city residence in the exclusive Mt. Royal neighborhood of Calgary. Front garden includes a low retaining wall and steps that separates the public street from the private residence. Once inside the property the stone walkways, trees and lush planting welcome the visitors to the residence. The rear garden is geared to entertaining and providing a place for the children and family pet to play. The centerpiece of the garden is the outdoor fireplace located on the upper patio that provides an oasis for the family to sit and relax from the downtown core only minutes away. Raised beds allow for extra seating in a more casual environment all supplemented by flowering pots and a lower lawn area for play. The hot tub is located at the basement level patio and only steps away from the man cave complete with poker room, home theatre and bar area fit for a Viking.

Mid-sized trendy 3/4 pebble tile ceramic tile and gray floor bathroom photo in Los Angeles with open cabinets, beige cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, a trough sink and glass countertops

The SÓLAS TWENTY6 VF is a versatile wall mount “landscape” design fireplace that can be placed in almost any room in a variety of home and commercial settings. The TWENTY6 VF is also an ideal model for homeowners who want to add supplemental zone heating at “couch height”. The TWENTY6 VF is the answer for an easy and flexible fireplace installation, with no requirement for non-combustible materials, specialized construction, framing, or venting

4,000 square foot Energy Star Home designed by Barry Price Architecture, built in 2009. Features: Passively heated and cooled, Radiant heated concrete slab and wood flooring supplemented with roof mounted Solar thermal panels.

Mexican Fence Post Cactus
Design ideas for a landscaping in Phoenix.

Mitsubishi Minisplit Installed in Residence for additional cooling. The Minisplit is a very popular supplemental cooling option to prevent from adding ductwork and having to do alot of demo to the residence.

This 4 bedroom (2 en suite), 4.5 bath home features vertical board–formed concrete expressed both outside and inside, complemented by exposed structural steel, Western Red Cedar siding, gray stucco, and hot rolled steel soffits. An outdoor patio features a covered dining area and fire pit. Hydronically heated with a supplemental forced air system; a see-through fireplace between dining and great room; Henrybuilt cabinetry throughout; and, a beautiful staircase by MILK Design (Chicago). The owner contributed to many interior design details, including tile selection and layout.

This 900 square foot NYC residence features a wealth of fold-out furniture, hidden storage, and other space-saving features. What really makes it feel expansive, though, is the use of specially-coated front-surface mirrors in strategic locations. These mirrors are placed above eye level to make the ceiling appear to extend far beyond the perimeter walls. Front-surface mirrors are also located directly adjacent to windows to multiply the views and increase the light brought into the space. It is a new take on an old idea, and one that subtly and invisibly reinforces the architecture. The loft is mainly one big open space that includes a kitchen and living room supplemented with a multi-use area that can serve as an office, guest bedroom, or 10-person dining room depending on the configuration of the retractable furniture.The bathroom and main bedroom are designed as small ͞cabinets͟ that flow from this space. White epoxy floors and gloss lacquered surfaces continue the sense of reflectivity, and contrast sharply with dark walnut cabinetry and panels at the perimeter. Dimmable concealed lighting at the perimeter combined with small point sources at art locations allow for a wide variety of moods depending on the light levels.The overall effect is minimal, yet warm and inviting. Architect: Specht Architects Contractor: TCM Photographer: Dror Baldinger

When the developer found this brownstone on the Upper Westside he immediately researched and found its potential for expansion. We were hired to maximize the existing brownstone and turn it from its current existence as 5 individual apartments into a large luxury single family home. The existing building was extended 16 feet into the rear yard and a new sixth story was added along with an occupied roof. The project was not a complete gut renovation, the character of the parlor floor was maintained, along with the original front facade, windows, shutters, and fireplaces throughout. A new solid oak stair was built from the garden floor to the roof in conjunction with a small supplemental passenger elevator directly adjacent to the staircase. The new brick rear facade features oversized windows; one special aspect of which is the folding window wall at the ground level that can be completely opened to the garden. The goal to keep the original character of the brownstone yet to update it with modern touches can be seen throughout the house. The large kitchen has Italian lacquer cabinetry with walnut and glass accents, white quartz counters and backsplash and a Calcutta gold arabesque mosaic accent wall. On the parlor floor a custom wetbar, large closet and powder room are housed in a new floor to ceiling wood paneled core. The master bathroom contains a large freestanding tub, a glass enclosed white marbled steam shower, and grey wood vanities accented by a white marble floral mosaic. The new forth floor front room is highlighted by a unique sloped skylight that offers wide skyline views. The house is topped off with a glass stair enclosure that contains an integrated window seat offering views of the roof and an intimate space to relax in the sun.

The rooms in this charming 1920’s Burns Park home were completely compartmentalized (typical for homes built in this period). The homeowners wanted a more open space with sightlines into the dining and living spaces, and a kitchen that could accommodate more than one cook! We removed a wall and replaced it with a beautiful Butternut beam and countertop seating, a more casual eating area to supplement their dining room. Bringing this home into 2018 while paying respect to its historic neighborhood was an important part of this project. The personality, cabinetry and contemporary finishes in this kitchen better mirror this cheerful and vibrant family.

In this project, we added 1,100 sf to this home for a convenient In-law suite. The bedroom and other living areas feature white walls with white trim, grey hardwood flooring, and bay windows with white trim for lots of natural lighting supplemented by recessed lighting in strategic locations long the tray ceiling.

This dining room has two large windows which allow in natural light. The natural light is supplemented by a dramatic chandelier which hangs over the center of the dining table. The dining room has beige walls with white trim. The room also features a china cabinet.

Tiered of the looking out at a shabby brown lawn in their front yard and unwilling to use the water to keep it green these homeowners decided to go for something different. The wife in this household worked from home and was motivated to have a better view from her home office. As an enthusiastic bird watcher, I wanted to give her a view that included happy birds fluttering about. The husband was annoyed by the fact that some of the neighbors allowed their dogs to use this corner lot a toilet without having the curtesy of cleaning up after them. My job was to create a low water landscape (also known as xeriscape) that attracted birds, bees and butterflies but kept the dogs off. We started with directing down spouts in to catch basins called infiltration swales. These swales capture water storing it in the soil where it can be accessed by plants months after the rains have stopped. Then we integrated primarily California native plants and succulents into the design. Special attention was payed to the water needs of the plants and the ideal growing conditions for each species so that the combination of earthworks and plant choice and placement this landscape can get by with zero supplemental irrigation after the period of establishment this landscape. By incorporating flowering California native plants, native birds and insects flocked to the site in a neighborhood otherwise dominated by lifeless landscapes. By surrounding the garden with decomposed granite and succulents we created a space that was unpleasant and unappealing for dogs to relive themselves while remaining appealing to more human sensibilities. Today this property sits on the corner in a suburban neighborhood of Goleta, California. Hopefully serving as inspiration to take out lawns and build beautiful gardens that work to integrate the man made landscape with the natural ecosystem in which it is built.

A light color scheme, vaulted ceilings, and multiple windows supplement the feeling of a substantial living room. This feeling is further added onto by the open concept floor plan. The living room features a wood burning stove as well, and large sliding glass doors lead out to the deck.

Microwave blender with supplements and the coffee station - concealed.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen remodel in Charleston with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartzite countertops, gray backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and gray countertops