Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary formal and open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Chicago with beige walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Example of a mid-sized mid-century modern white two-story brick gable roof design in Austin with a metal roof and a gray roof

1950s freestanding desk gray floor, exposed beam, vaulted ceiling and wood ceiling home office photo in San Francisco with white walls

We used an insulated glass garage door for both the dining room living room door to the screened porch off the side of the house.
Dining room - industrial dining room idea in Nashville

Transitional kitchen photo in Atlanta

Philip Courtois
Example of an eclectic exterior home design in Austin

Example of a minimalist kitchen design in New York

A niche built into the banquette seating area houses cat food and water. Out of the way for people traffic, but easy access for the cats.
Mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in St Louis with beige walls

ProDek tiles on an outside patio with tables and couches.
Patio container garden - mid-sized contemporary backyard patio container garden idea in Chicago with no cover

Inspiration for a large timeless open concept dark wood floor living room remodel in Columbus with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Photo: Robb Farrington
Inspiration for a cottage dining room remodel in Portland

With a sizeable backyard and a love for entertaining, these clients wanted to build a covered outdoor kitchen/bar and seating area. They had one specific area by the side of their pool, with limited space, to build the outdoor kitchen. There were immediate concerns about how to incorporate the two steps in the middle of the patio area; and they really wanted a bar that could seat at least eight people (to include an additional seating area with couches and chairs). This couple also wanted to use their outdoor living space year round. The kitchen needed ample storage and had to be easy to maintain. And last, but not least, they wanted it to look beautiful! This 16 x 26 ft clear span pavilion was a great fit for the area we had to work with. By using wrapped steel columns in the corners in 6-foot piers, carpenter-built trusses, and no ridge beams, we created good space usage underneath the pavilion. The steps were incorporated into the space to make the transition between the kitchen area and seating area, which looked like they were meant to be there. With a little additional flagstone work, we brought the curve of the step to meet the back island, which also created more floor space in the seating area. Two separate islands were created for the outdoor kitchen/bar area, built with galvanized metal studs to allow for more room inside the islands (for appliances and cabinets). We also used backer board and covered the islands with smooth finish stucco. The back island housed the BBQ, a 2-burner cooktop and sink, along with four cabinets, one of which was a pantry style cabinet with pull out shelves (air tight, dust proof and spider proof—also very important to the client). The front island housed the refrigerator, ice maker, and counter top cooler, with another set of pantry style, air tight cabinets. By curving the outside edge of the countertop we maximized the bar area and created seating for eight. In addition, we filled in the curve on the inside of the island with counter top and created two additional seats. In total, there was seating for ten people. Infrared heaters, ceiling fans and shades were added for climate control, so the outdoor living space could be used year round. A TV for sporting events and SONOS for music, were added for entertaining enjoyment. Track lighting, as well as LED tape lights under the backsplash, provided ideal lighting for after dark usage. The clients selected honed, Fantasy Brown Satin Quartzite, with a chipped edge detail for their countertop. This beautiful, linear design marble is very easy to maintain. The base of the islands were completed in stucco and painted satin gray to complement their house color. The posts were painted with Monterey Cliffs, which matched the color of the house shutter trim. The pavilion ceiling consisted of 2 x 6-T & G pine and was stained platinum gray. In the few months since the outdoor living space was built, the clients said they have used it for more than eight parties and can’t wait to use it for the holidays! They also made sure to tell us that the look, feel and maintenance of the area all are perfect!

Kitchen - mid-sized 1960s u-shaped light wood floor, beige floor and exposed beam kitchen idea with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, green backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Patio - large eclectic patio idea in Sacramento

This is another complete remodel. Almost everyone has a home with a bathtub that can be converted, such as this space, "More and more people prefer larger showers to shower-tub combinations. This layout is a very common builder layout, too." We just luxed it up by adding a curbless shower, this means the shower floor is level with the main floor in the bathroom, no step up to get in. We also installed a liner drain! The client wanted modern and white. The tile design in the shower is stainless steel pebble tile on the wall cut in on a curve, along with a white glossy tile that has a metal reveal running horizontal. The same tile is contentious throughout bathroom. We tiled all the walls in the bathroom from floor to ceiling. Note the linear drain too.

Inspiration for a coastal bathroom remodel in Minneapolis

These three images serve as a mood board for our Los Angeles Redesign. Incorporating nature back into Los Angeles was at the fore-front of our redesign. The top image is from Avatar the Last Airbender, called the Banyan-Grove Tree. This tree drove our figurative narrative concept of "roots" that connect the entire 1x1 mile square we were tasked to redesign. In the show, the banyan tree expands its roots all across the swap to plant more trees. The last two images serve as a visual aid for the "Routes to Roots" redesign. Lots of trees with expansive roots Narrative: Many years ago, a vast tree once enchanted the plains of Los Angeles. Scientists could not track the tree's age, deeming it immortal due to its many deeply ingrained and expansive roots across the city. To this day, scientists are still uncertain about the tree's origin. Its roots and lush branches sprawled anywhere it could, engulfing anything in its path. The tree had unique properties; anyone who touched the tree's foundations could communicate with another person a mile away and, on special occasions, grant auspicious fortunes. The city worshiped this magical tree because it was the center of all life. Or so it was. The discovery of the tree's healing sap quickly drove people mad, and in a frenzy, people began to chop at the tree. The growth of filmmaking and Hollywood attracted many people to LA because of the great weather and diverse landscape. Oil was discovered near the tree shortly after. Finally, oil production was the tipping point, and these three factors led to the demise of the immortal tree. By 1950, the vast tree had no longer enchanted the city. Nowadays, problems with constant traffic, heavy air pollution, and past effects of redlining have all repelled the potential residents of the territory. Gridding lurks within the city, unconsciously controlling the movement of people. The severe health risks from these problems and the water scarcity and well-being are making researchers rethink the city's future. Due to this, the government tasks architects from all over the country to redesign Los Angeles, but it has to relate to the once immortal tree. At the same time, they are providing solutions to these five issues: redlining, heat severity, accessibility, open spaces, and lastly, preserving essential landmarks and bringing back the city's roots while still housing the population. Years later, a team of architects pitched their 200-year redesign, reimagining the superfuture of Los Angeles. The mission will be titled "From Routes to Roots". Here's what they pitched:

10 Ideas for Turning Your Garage into a Modern Industrial Neighborhood Bar By Elizabeth Aldrich Host happy hours and cocktail parties worthy of a full page spread – in your own garage. Leave the brick exposed, the concrete floors as is, and the wood unfinished and it costs more? The sophisticated older brother of the shabby-chic trend, urban industrial style, is taking over. Real estate agents are able to tack on a few extra grand to a flat if they can include “exposed brick” in their advertisements, and designer chefs and master mixologists are moving into warehouses and industrial districts in urban areas across the nation. A friend recently invited me to dinner at Portland, Oregon’s newest, hippest charcuterie spot, and when we pulled up to the building it was in a warehouse where I used to go to underground raves in high school. These industrial style spaces that were once seen as unfinished or lacking in coziness are now seriously coveted. Their rawness is considered authentic, their grit a mark of character. But if you’re a homeowner, there’s a good chance you already have one of them built right into your house: your garage. I like to preach about how much people underutilize their garage spaces, piling them full of storage bins they never touch. Whether you turn it into a workspace or a playroom, there’s a lot of value in a creatively-used garage space. For the overly ambitious, the design lover, or the hostess with the mostess, here’s one idea that blows the rest out of the water. Turn your garage into a multi-purpose, urban industrial wonderland for work and play. Originally outfitted for factories and warehouses, the industrial style facilitates productivity. Now that it’s also being appreciated as a great aesthetic for bars and restaurants, these rooms can serve both form and function, doubling as work and entertaining spaces. This is great for people who have always dreamed of having that extra basement space for hosting friends, complete with a wet bar and a billiards table, but lack the square footage. Just keep in mind that your friends might love it so much, they’ll start ditching their favorite happy hour spot and showing up at your doorstep instead. Here are ten ideas forbuilding the perfect workshop by day and cocktail bar by night in your garage. 1. Clean out the space. Get rid of everything you don’t need. Part of the beauty of industrial style designs is their simplicity and abundance of open space. Excessive clutter can make people feel boxed in, and that’s not conducive to productivity or to social activity. Out of sight, out of mind. Build shelving up high for storing must-keep belongings, much like a warehouse. For bonus points, store your belongings in wooden crates for aesthetic consistency. Or consider stacking them on a pallet, wrapping them in excessive amounts of plastic wrap, and loading them onto the next cross-country freighter. You won’t miss them. 2. Install storage for frequently used objects. The brilliant thing about the urban industrial look is that your tools, tool boxes, and tool storage cabinets already fit right in. Metal storage cabinets and file cabinets are perfect additions to the space. While grey is certainly the color pallet for this style, 50 shades might be a few too many. Mix it up by spray painting one of your cabinetsto add a pop of color. Make a small pegboard to hold up your tools and hang larger items such as bicycles and recreational equipment by pegs. If you have a lot of storage bins that you have to keep, look upward instead of storing them on the floor. Insert a tracking system onto your garage ceiling and slide the bins into place. For extra credit, get an old locker to use as a coat closet when guests come over. 3. Heat the space.Since you’re not turning the garage into a full-time living space, such as a spare bedroom, you really don’t need to go through the work and additional cost of installing full-blown heating and insulation systems. If you don’t need to use the space when the temperature drops, or if you live in a consistently temperate climate, you might not need to do anything. But if you do want to be able to host people through the winter, a simple garage heater will suffice. Here are some good options for installing garage heating. Take it one step further, and get a couple patio heaters to help with the next step. 4. Turn your driveway into a patio space. Even the best restaurants and cocktail bars are nothing in the summertime without a solid patio space. Leave the garage door open on warmer nights and invite your guests to go outdoors. Place some stylish folding chairs and a patio table out for comfort. Place a few potted plants here and there to make the space feel more inviting. For a really lively patio scene, put a portable fire pit out on the driveway or front lawn and surround it with workbenches from your garage. 5. Build your bar. Pick a corner in your garage for the bar, and get started. You can build a bar pretty cheaply and easily with reclaimed pallets, and get some industrial-style barstools. Behind the bar, you’ll have both your tools and your liquor, and there’s no need to build expensive cabinetry. If you’re serving quality, why cover it up? Build shelving or open cubicles to house your liquor. Put out metal buckets filled with ice to chill beers.Be sure to serve up cocktails worthy of the space. The Hemingway Daiquiri served straight up is a unique way to dress down, or industrialize, a traditionally frou-frou cocktail. To go the extra mile, build a bar with laid brick.Install an extra fridge in the garage so you can avoid having to trek into the kitchen to refill chilled drinks, and you can store dips, vegetables, and other hors d'oeuvres right at your fingertips. 6. Bring on the games. To really turn your hosting space into a fun time, be sure to offer ample play options. For the low on space, a dart board will suffice, whereas if you’ve got a five-car garage and can’t manage to fill the space, put in a couple billiard tables. Ping pong tables are ideal for most because they’re great fun and can easily be folded up and stored. If you want to keep your guests playing until the wee hours of the morning, get an old pinball machine, a vintage arcade game, or a small Skee-Ball alley. 7. The heart of your space.Build along worktable that doubles as a table for your guests right in the center of your garage. It should be tall enough to be used while standing, although you can place a few barstools along with it. Having a table space for drinks but limited seating will encourage guests to walk around and mingle. Build it out of wood and make sure to maintain a natural finish. Don’t be afraid to rough up the work table by day. The dings and marks created while you build will only lend authenticity to the piece. 8. Install lighting. Remember, the urban industrial style is all about function and showcasing materials in their raw form. There’s no need to buy expensive floor lamps or install a fancy lighting system. The most popular lighting in these types of spaces is exposed bulb lighting. Just open up the wiring on your current lighting system and drop down some bulbs. For additional lighting, string up exposed bulb patio lights and place some vintage metal desk lamps on the tables and bar area. 9. Brand your space. Use the designs for the stuff you build by day as wall art. Blow up sketches, blueprints, schematics, and architectural drawings to hang up for decoration. Choose one wall that could use a splash of color, perhaps the wall behind your bar, and get a friend to paint a mural, or whip out the spray paint for a real urban feel. Splurge a little and get a custom neon sign made of your last name or the word “bar” to hang behind the bar. 10. The garage door. For the finishing touch, and to really wow your guests, get a brand new modern, industrial style garage door installed. Look for the window-paneled types that restaurants use, like this contemporary aluminum and glass beauty. You can leave it half open when you want to utilize your driveway-patio space. On nights when you have to close it all the way, the glass panels let your guests still look out onto the stars, making it feel like a patio space even when it’s too cold for one. Once your garage bar is up and running, put on your denim suit and get ready to call yourself the Joneses. No one will be able to keep up with you.