Traditional Black Fir Shou Sugi Ban siding offers a unique texture for interior and exterior applications.
Industrial black wood house exterior idea

Mid-sized arts and crafts guest carpeted and gray floor bedroom photo in Dallas with green walls and no fireplace

Clean and simple 1" penny round tile with a contrasting grey grout. Looks Great and easy to clean
Example of a mid-sized classic ceramic tile home design design in Boston

Photo of a transitional landscaping in Phoenix.

42"x8" entry door with two side panels leading to a 10' entry-way/hall.
Inspiration for a craftsman dark wood floor and brown floor foyer remodel in San Francisco with gray walls and a dark wood front door

Minimalist bedroom photo in Sacramento

Example of a small transitional u-shaped ceramic tile kitchen design in Charlotte with no island, flat-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an undermount sink

A 20-year old builder kitchen that desperately needed an update. That is why the Louds called us. A few years previously, we had completed a finished basement project for them that you can view here: https://www.allrd.com/project/loud-basement/ To connect the kitchen a little more with the dining room, we opened the doorway as wide and high as we could. One special feature of the kitchen is the beverage pantry. It was something the homeowner had seen online and wanted to make practical. Because pull outdoors would have been in the way, we went with slide-in, fold-out doors like what you would see in an entertainment center. The other unique feature of the kitchen is the center island. The blue was chosen to match the color theme of the connecting living room. The solid wood countertop is a striking centerpiece that steals the show. The cooktop was moved to the island, but because the homeowner did not want a bulky range hood hanging from the ceiling, we had to get creative with a downdraft range vent and a fan mounted on the outside of the house to pull the air out. Another interesting aspect to the cooktop is that we had originally recommended an induction cooktop instead of regular electric cooktop. The reason being that an induction cooktop cools instantly the moment the pot is removed whereas an electric cooktop stays hot but with no visual cue to warn you. The homeowner initially decided to go with the less expensive electric cooktop. But, before we had even finished construction, one of the family members slid their hand over the cooktop while walking by just after a pan had been removed and got burned. Immediately the homeowner requested we install the induction cooktop instead. Soft Maple Cabinets painted Simply White, Taj Mihal Granite countertops, farmhouse sink, 3” x 6” Antiqua Ceramic tile backsplash in Feelings Grigio, 30” Dacor HoodDowndraft vent, Luxury Vinyl tile floor, and LED i-Lighting undercabinet lighting.

Trendy pool photo in Los Angeles

Example of a mid-sized transitional porcelain tile hallway design in Kansas City with beige walls

Ian Roth Studios
Trendy staircase photo in Orlando

A complete kitchen makeover down to the studs, this project was a blend of french country kitchen styling with a hint of traditional and Industrial. We recreated the entire space for entertaining as well as tons of added cabinet storage space.

For more photos of this project visit our website: https://wendyobrienid.com.

Open concept office space, paneled wall with built-in TV, two fun redheads. This location and space was a lucky find on Foothill Blvd. Open concept layout and lots of natural light were high on my list of requirements. This space has both. Project designed by Courtney Thomas Design in La Cañada. Serving Pasadena, Glendale, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Altadena. For more about Courtney Thomas Design, click here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/portfolio/ctd-office/

Mid-sized eclectic carpeted straight wood railing staircase photo in New York with carpeted risers

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless wooden straight staircase remodel in Minneapolis with wooden risers

Guest bathroom features bold, geometric tile work. Photo by Maggie Matela
Alcove bathtub - mid-sized industrial green tile and cement tile ceramic tile and multicolored floor alcove bathtub idea with furniture-like cabinets, distressed cabinets, white walls, a drop-in sink, a one-piece toilet, concrete countertops and beige countertops

Atlantic Archives
Example of an eclectic eat-in kitchen design in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, turquoise cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, stone slab backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.