The staircase and catwalk form a large part of the open plan living space. We updated the handrails and spindles with more contemporary square options, transforming the space.

Light and airy, the new white windows, walls and automated blinds and walls modernize the Living Room space. The mid-century aesthetic of the Owners is reflected in the bright accent colors and furniture. Photography by 22 pages

Photo by Susan Gilmore Photography
Inspiration for a timeless living room remodel in Minneapolis

We completely transformed this office space into a gentlemen's poker room. We designed a custom made poker table to seat four players comfortably. New hardwood floors, accent wall tile, lighting, and paint were all chosen carefully to create this moody aesthetic.

The fireplace was on the right in this family room, making it impossible to center furniture or place a television correctly. We moved the fireplace to the center of the wall for symmetry and drama, and refaced it with the stunning slab of travertine. We wanted to take advantage of the view of the gorgeous back yard, so our chairs swivel and the sofa faces the view, but is perfectly situated for TV viewing. The leather on the sofa is family friendly, perfect for a young family. Two pairs of mirrors on the walls flanking the sofa add depth to the room and bling. We love this room!

Tim Burleson
Mid-sized trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Vance Fox
Inspiration for a rustic living room remodel in San Francisco

In Southern California there are pockets of darling cottages built in the early 20th century that we like to call jewelry boxes. They are quaint, full of charm and usually a bit cramped. Our clients have a growing family and needed a modern, functional home. They opted for a renovation that directly addressed their concerns. When we first saw this 2,170 square-foot 3-bedroom beach cottage, the front door opened directly into a staircase and a dead-end hallway. The kitchen was cramped, the living room was claustrophobic and everything felt dark and dated. The big picture items included pitching the living room ceiling to create space and taking down a kitchen wall. We added a French oven and luxury range that the wife had always dreamed about, a custom vent hood, and custom-paneled appliances. We added a downstairs half-bath for guests (entirely designed around its whimsical wallpaper) and converted one of the existing bathrooms into a Jack-and-Jill, connecting the kids’ bedrooms, with double sinks and a closed-off toilet and shower for privacy. In the bathrooms, we added white marble floors and wainscoting. We created storage throughout the home with custom-cabinets, new closets and built-ins, such as bookcases, desks and shelving. White Sands Design/Build furnished the entire cottage mostly with commissioned pieces, including a custom dining table and upholstered chairs. We updated light fixtures and added brass hardware throughout, to create a vintage, bo-ho vibe. The best thing about this cottage is the charming backyard accessory dwelling unit (ADU), designed in the same style as the larger structure. In order to keep the ADU it was necessary to renovate less than 50% of the main home, which took some serious strategy, otherwise the non-conforming ADU would need to be torn out. We renovated the bathroom with white walls and pine flooring, transforming it into a get-away that will grow with the girls.

The dining table blended with our client's desire for a more contemporary flair served as inspiration for the Kitchen and Dining Area. Two focal points exist in this area - the 7' tall custom designed built-in storage unit in the dining area, and a magnificent 11' long honed marble, waterfall wrapped kitchen island. The primitive style built in cabinetry was finished to relate to the traditional elements of the dining table and the clean lines of the cabinetry in the Kitchen Area simultaneously. The result is an eclectic contemporary vibe filled with rich, layered textures. The Kitchen Area was designed as an elegant backdrop for the 3 focal points on the main level open floor plan. Clean lined off-white perimeter cabinetry and a textured, North African motif patterned backsplash frame the rich colored Island, where the client often entertains and dines with guests.

Example of a large transitional dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room design in New York with gray walls

Christopher Stark Photo
Inspiration for a large cottage open concept dark wood floor family room remodel in San Francisco with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace and a media wall

Elegant medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room photo with beige walls

Same exact space, but now 100% useful! It includes an art area, a pretend school and even a secret space behind that closed door!
Mid-sized transitional gender-neutral carpeted and beige floor playroom photo in New York with purple walls

After a furnishing project in 2016, this family had us do a complete refresh on their traditional home in the Willow Bend Neighborhood of Plano, TX. With fresh paint and wallpaper, refinished wood floors, updated tile in the kitchen and baths, and modern appliances this home was totally transformed. The kitchen is the showstopper here with totally new upper cabinets, an updated back-splash and countertops, and all new (and reconfigured) appliances. From the herringbone brick floor in the laundry room to the mix of modern and traditional elements in the powder room, we just love the updates (and so do our amazing clients)!

Inspiration for a farmhouse living room remodel in New York with beige walls and a standard fireplace

Before photo of dining table base.

Our clients moved into their 1957 home a year prior and needed more space with their 1st child on the way! We decided to bump the kitchen out 13' to gain approximately 300 square feet of new space to meet their needs. The new space included an ample sized mudroom, kitchen and dining area, as well as a new bar. The transformation was very rewarding as the light began to pour into the entire house, not to mention all the handcrafted custom finishes!

I wanted to update the lighting and the homeowners requested that the kitchen be bright with lots of lights. New recessed LED lights are installed in the ceiling, all with dimmers. JRY & Co.