Example of a large farmhouse green tile and marble tile ceramic tile, beige floor and double-sink walk-in shower design in San Diego with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, white countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity

“Compelling.” That’s how one of our judges characterized this stair, which manages to embody both reassuring solidity and airy weightlessness. Architect Mahdad Saniee specified beefy maple treads—each laminated from two boards, to resist twisting and cupping—and supported them at the wall with hidden steel hangers. “We wanted to make them look like they are floating,” he says, “so they sit away from the wall by about half an inch.” The stainless steel rods that seem to pierce the treads’ opposite ends are, in fact, joined by threaded couplings hidden within the thickness of the wood. The result is an assembly whose stiffness underfoot defies expectation, Saniee says. “It feels very solid, much more solid than average stairs.” With the rods working in tension from above and compression below, “it’s very hard for those pieces of wood to move.” The interplay of wood and steel makes abstract reference to a Steinway concert grand, Saniee notes. “It’s taking elements of a piano and playing with them.” A gently curved soffit in the ceiling reinforces the visual rhyme. The jury admired the effect but was equally impressed with the technical acumen required to achieve it. “The rhythm established by the vertical rods sets up a rigorous discipline that works with the intricacies of stair dimensions,” observed one judge. “That’s really hard to do.”

Photo of a large contemporary drought-tolerant and full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in Orange County.

Pennsylvania Bluestone pool patio surrounding a rectangular/formal swimming pool. Emerald Green Arborvitae provide privacy.
Example of a mid-sized classic backyard rectangular lap pool design in New York

Country bathroom photo in Houston

Photography by Jack Gardner
Example of a large urban master beige tile and porcelain tile concrete floor freestanding bathtub design in Miami with a hinged shower door

Elegant multicolored floor laundry room photo in Minneapolis with white cabinets, a side-by-side washer/dryer and gray countertops

Salisbury, CT This 4,000 square foot vacation house in northwest Connecticut sits on a small promontory with views across a lake to hills beyond. While the site was extraordinary, the owner’s existing house had no redeeming value. It was demolished, and its foundations provided the base for this house. The new house rises from a stone base set into the hillside. A guest bedroom, recreation room and wine cellar are located in this half cellar with views toward the lake. Above the house steps back creating a terrace across the entire length of the house with a covered dining porch at one end and steps down to the lawn at the other end. This main portion of the house is sided with wood clapboard and detailed simply to recall the 19th century farmhouses in the area. Large windows and ‘french’ doors open the living room and family room to the terrace and view. A large kitchen is open to the family room and also serves a formal dining room on the entrance side of the house. On the second floor a there is a spacious master suite and three additional bedrooms. A new ‘carriage house’ garage thirty feet from the main house was built and the driveway and topography altered to create a new sense of approach and entry.

This transitional hall bathroom remodel transformed a closed-off tub-and-shower combination into a bright, spa-inspired guest bathroom with a frameless glass walk-in shower, arched ceiling, custom vanity, quartz countertops, vertically stacked white subway tile, decorative mosaic shower niche, matte black plumbing, champagne bronze accents, and floating marble shelves.

Example of a huge asian master gray tile and cement tile concrete floor and gray floor doorless shower design in San Diego with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, a trough sink and wood countertops

This spa-like Master Bathroom retreat features custom white painted, full-overlay European style cabinetry with Shaker style doors. The cabinet doors on the tower feature rain glass to obscure the cabinet’s contents. It also features a Kohler Archer BubbleMassage Air Bath Tub and a white, comfort height Kohler Memoirs Stately Toilet. Gorgeous Labradorite White granite was fabricated for the vanity top, tub deck and knee wall cap. The granite features iridescent blue-green fiery patches similar to the fire found in opals. The homeowner selected brushed nickel Delta Lahara tub and shower plumbing fixtures and towel bars, towel ring and toilet paper holder. Finish: stainless. The shower features a vertical rectangular-shaped, decorative waterfall tile treatment behind the shower head and continues on the shower ceiling.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2014 Houzz
Example of an eclectic beige tile drop-in bathtub design in New York with white walls and brown countertops

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern master gray tile and glass tile porcelain tile and gray floor corner bathtub remodel in Seattle with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and a hinged shower door

Marty Paoletta, ProMedia Tours
Inspiration for a transitional gray tile and mosaic tile ceramic tile bathroom remodel in Nashville with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops and gray walls

Linda Kasian Photography
Freestanding bathtub - modern master brown tile and porcelain tile medium tone wood floor freestanding bathtub idea in Los Angeles with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, a one-piece toilet and white walls

Inspiration for a modern white floor and double-sink bathroom remodel in Phoenix with light wood cabinets, an undermount sink, white countertops and a built-in vanity

This remodel was a small master bathroom in a ranch-style home in Los Gatos. It turned out beautifully. The owner chose natural stone tiles with oil rubbed bronze fixtures and a medium brown ‘antique-look’ cabinet. The green walls add tranquility and a spa-like feel. It’s a great space to relax now.

Photo by Vern Uyetake
Inspiration for a small mid-century modern beige tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile drop-in bathtub remodel in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet and beige walls

Emily Redfield
Example of a small transitional 3/4 multicolored tile ceramic tile corner shower design in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite countertops and white walls