This Boerum Hill, Brooklyn backyard features an ipe deck, knotty cedar fencing, artificial turf, a cedar pergola with corrugated metal roof, stepping stones, and loose Mexican beach stones. The contemporary outdoor furniture is from Restoration Hardware. Plantings are a lush mix of grasses, cherry trees, bamboo, roses, trumpet vines, variegated irises, hydrangeas, and sky pencil hollies.

All photos by Linda Oyama Bryan. Home restoration by Von Dreele-Freerksen Construction
Mid-sized arts and crafts backyard stone patio kitchen photo in Chicago with a pergola

Variegated loriope

Colorful bromeliads and agaves adorn this lovely Palm Beach Gardens, Florida tropical landscape designed by Pamela Crawford, who designs landscapes in Palm Beach County. Learn her secrets in her latest book, "Easy Gardens for South Florida" and see over 2000 images of her projects at pamela-crawford.com. Photographed by Allen Rokach.

Alabama limestone, 'Silver shadow' from Vetter Stone Co. Polished and honed on living room side. Custom steel f.p. surround. Photo by: Chad Holder
Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian formal and enclosed light wood floor living room remodel in Minneapolis with white walls, a standard fireplace, no tv and a tile fireplace

Example of a large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with white cabinets, gray backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, white countertops, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets and quartz countertops

Photography by Eirik Johnson
Mid-sized trendy enclosed concrete floor living room photo in Seattle with a two-sided fireplace, a metal fireplace and no tv

This open loft is the perfect place to chill out. With a balcony on the front and the back it's perfect for enjoying those summer days.
Inspiration for a large farmhouse loft-style light wood floor and beige floor family room remodel in Calgary with white walls

This client loved wood. Site-harvested lumber was applied to the stairwell walls with beautiful effect in this North Asheville home. The tongue-and-groove, nickel-jointed milling and installation, along with the simple detail metal balusters created a focal point for the home. The heavily-sloped lot afforded great views out back, demanded lots of view-facing windows, and required supported decks off the main floor and lower level. The screened porch features a massive, wood-burning outdoor fireplace with a traditional hearth, faced with natural stone. The side-yard natural-look water feature attracts many visitors from the surrounding woods.

Pinnacle Mountain Homes
Kitchen/dining room combo - rustic dark wood floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Denver with gray walls

Photos: Kat Alves Photography Architect: Erica Severns
Example of a transitional u-shaped enclosed kitchen design in Sacramento with shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Drop-in bathtub - small contemporary kids' white tile and terra-cotta tile porcelain tile and gray floor drop-in bathtub idea in Santa Barbara with dark wood cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Aaron Usher http://aaronusher.com/
Inspiration for a coastal u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Providence with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

Oxalis, caladiums and variegated liriope is a low maintenance combo to plant under trees. These plants will all appreciate a bit of shade. Relax and play in this lush backyard landscape featuring a custom stone hot tub surrounded by seasonal color and perennials, a tucked-away stone patio, and a serene palette. Plantings are colorful yet low-maintenance. Pockets for annual color changes are provided so the homeowners can enjoy the changing of the seasons. A custom built stone fire place becomes a central focal point for outdoor entertaining. Strategically placed patio planters and hanging baskets make the space feel lush.

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Landscape Water Feature Design & Installation Rochester NY Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls brought this Rochester (NY) front yard landscape to life with the installation of this stunning custom designed water feature which consists of bubbling urns, waterfalls, led lighting and beautiful aquatic plants. The sound of water running softly through this lovely water feature provides a relaxing sound that inspires relaxation which makes you want to sit down, relax, and enjoy all the simple pleasures life has to offer. Not only are water features lovely, they will make any space look more aesthetically pleasing and are the next best thing to living on a lovely lake or a sparking fish pond. This water feature has bubbling urns which can be installed with multiple sizes in groupings or we can design & install your water feature to have only one gorgeous stand alone urn. We love installing these beautiful urns in pondless waterfalls as well as in streams and fish ponds while adding LED lighting to them. Another cool feature is the addition of FIRE to the top of our fountains which really enhances the whole garden and makes the house stand out from the rest. The owners can sip their morning coffee on the porch and see a myriad of lovely birds and other pretty wildlife stop by for a quick sip of water. It’s a simple pleasure, but it brings a smile to the lives of our Western NY clients in Rochester & Buffalo New York (NY) and we love what we do. Our unique water features are also easy to maintain! Homeowners worry their new custom water feature requires ample work to maintain, but they do not. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls design experts are happy to discuss seasonal care of water features with our clients to ensure they’re being cared for properly, no matter the season. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls can help you design and install a beautiful water feature to add that peace and tranquility to your outdoor spaces. For large or small projects, there are always solutions to adding a water feature in your garden weather you are thinking about installing a pondless waterfall, one of a kind fish pond, custom water feature or large recreational pond. Acorn works with you from beginning to end so you can have a worry free addition to your backyard.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2016 Houzz
Example of a trendy living room design in New York

Ryan Garvin
Mid-sized beach style u-shaped light wood floor open concept kitchen photo in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Robert M. Gurney, FAIA
Modern gray two-story flat roof idea in DC Metro