Vivian Johnson
Example of a small transitional living room design in San Francisco with white walls

Designed by RJohnston Interiors, this dining area provides the perfect Southern California outdoor dining experience. Integrated solar shades provide shade when needed and an infrared heater provides just the warmth you need for those late fall and winter evenings. Izumi Tanaka Photography

Perched above the beautiful Delaware River in the historic village of New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania sits this magnificent custom home designed by OMNIA Group Architects. According to Partner, Brian Mann,"This riverside property required a nuanced approach so that it could at once be both a part of this eclectic village streetscape and take advantage of the spectacular waterfront setting." Further complicating the study, the lot was narrow, it resides in the floodplain and the program required the Master Suite to be on the main level. To meet these demands, OMNIA dispensed with conventional historicist styles and created an open plan blended with traditional forms punctuated by vast rows of glass windows and doors to bring in the panoramic views of Lambertville, the bridge, the wooded opposite bank and the river. Mann adds, "Because I too live along the river, I have a special respect for its ever changing beauty - and I appreciate that riverfront structures have a responsibility to enhance the views from those on the water." Hence the riverside facade is as beautiful as the street facade. A sweeping front porch integrates the entry with the vibrant pedestrian streetscape. Low garden walls enclose a beautifully landscaped courtyard defining private space without turning its back on the street. Once inside, the natural setting explodes into view across the back of each of the main living spaces. For a home with so few walls, spaces feel surprisingly intimate and well defined. The foyer is elegant and features a free flowing curved stair that rises in a turret like enclosure dotted with windows that follow the ascending stairs like a sculpture. "Using changes in ceiling height, finish materials and lighting, we were able to define spaces without boxing spaces in" says Mann adding, "the dynamic horizontality of the river is echoed along the axis of the living space; the natural movement from kitchen to dining to living rooms following the current of the river." Service elements are concentrated along the front to create a visual and noise barrier from the street and buttress a calm hall that leads to the Master Suite. The master bedroom shares the views of the river, while the bath and closet program are set up for pure luxuriating. The second floor features a common loft area with a large balcony overlooking the water. Two children's suites flank the loft - each with their own exquisitely crafted baths and closets. Continuing the balance between street and river, an open air bell-tower sits above the entry porch to bring life and light to the street. Outdoor living was part of the program from the start. A covered porch with outdoor kitchen and dining and lounge area and a fireplace brings 3-season living to the river. And a lovely curved patio lounge surrounded by grand landscaping by LDG finishes the experience. OMNIA was able to bring their design talents to the finish materials too including cabinetry, lighting, fixtures, colors and furniture.

Innovative Wine Cellar Designs is the nation’s leading custom wine cellar design, build, installation and refrigeration firm. As a wine cellar design build company, we believe in the fundamental principles of architecture, design, and functionality while also recognizing the value of the visual impact and financial investment of a quality wine cellar. By combining our experience and skill with our attention to detail and complete project management, the end result will be a state of the art, custom masterpiece. Our design consultants and sales staff are well versed in every feature that your custom wine cellar will require.

Inspiration for a 1960s living room remodel in Orange County

Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in San Francisco.

Michele Lee Willson Photography
Example of a trendy light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, wood countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Kids' room - transitional gender-neutral carpeted kids' room idea in Other with gray walls

Photograph © Sharon Risedorph
Living room - large contemporary formal and open concept light wood floor living room idea in San Francisco with white walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace and no tv

For a family who believes fitness is not only an essential part of life but also a fun opportunity for the whole family to connect, build and achieve greatness together there is nothing better than a custom designed obstacle course right in your back yard. THEME The theme of this half mile trail through the woods is evident in the fun, creative and all-inclusive obstacles hidden in the natural flow of the land around this amazing family home. The course was created with adults and children, advanced and beginner athletes, competitive and entertaining events all accounted for. Each of the 13 obstacles was designed to be challenging no matter the size, skill or ability of the athlete lucky enough to run the course. FOCUS The focus for this family was to create an outdoor adventure that could be an athletic, social and personal outlet for their entire family while maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape and without altering the sweeping views from the home. The large scale of the challenging obstacles is camouflaged within the landscape using the rolling hills and mature trees as a natural curtain in every season. The beauty of the course does not diminish the functional and demanding nature of the obstacles which are designed to focus on multiple strength, agility, and cardio fitness abilities and intensities. STORAGE The start of the trail includes a raised training area offering a dedicated space clear from the ground to place bags, mats and other equipment used during the run. A small all-terrain storage cart was provided for use with 6 yoga mats, 3 medicine balls of various weights, rings, sprinting cones, and a large digital timer to record laps. GROWTH The course was designed to provide an athletic and fun challenge for children, teens and adults no matter their experience or athletic prowess. This course offers competitive athletes a challenge and budding athletes an opportunity to experience and ignite their passion for physical activity. Initially the concept for the course was focused on the youngest of the family however as the design grew so did the obstacles and now it is a true family experience that will meet their adapting needs for years. Each obstacle is paired with an instructional sign directing the runners in proper use of the obstacle, adaptations for skill levels and tips on form. These signs are all customized for this course and are printed on metal to ensure they last for many years. SAFETY Safety is crucial for all physical activity and an obstacle course of this scale presents unique safety concerns. Children should always be supervised when participating in an adventure on the course however additional care was paid to details on the course to ensure everyone has a great time. All of the course obstacles have been created with pressure treated lumber that will withstand the seasonal poundings. All footer pilings that support obstacles have been placed into the ground between 3 to 4 feet (.9 to 1.2 meters) and each piling has 2 to 3 bags of concrete (totaling over 90 bags used throughout the course) ensuring stability of the structure and safety of the participants. Additionally, all obstacle lumber has been given rounded corners and sanded down offering less splintering and more time for everyone to enjoy the course. This athletic and charismatic family strives to incorporate a healthy active lifestyle into their daily life and this obstacle course offers their family an opportunity to strengthen themselves and host some memorable and active events at their amazing home.

This functional, light-filled home takes full advantage of its bucolic site. With the introduction of the butterfly roof, natural light, ventilation and views are brought into the main gathering spaces. Distance between the private and public zones is created by a shift in geometry where those two meet in plan, to provide a calming and rejuvenating private retreat for the occupants. The structured juxtaposition of materials brings order and warmth to the home’s overall experience, complementing the textures and beauty of the site. Photo: ©Cesar Rubio

Daniel Shea
Example of a large trendy l-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen design in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, black backsplash, an island, an undermount sink and solid surface countertops

The property is one of the original farm houses located on the main street of a small town. It has been in the family for many years and our client just inherited the property. They were trying to have balance of preserving the old while realizing modern day living has its benefits too. The house had a large addition added using mostly old style materials, but designed with function and modern day luxuries. Our goal was to carry that theme to the outside. Our first problem we had to address was how to transition between the first floor elevation changes. The lower room was the husband’s office. He stated in the future he may have clients over and it would be nice to have an area to sit outside. The wife’s main concern was to renew the four corner garden. She also felt it was very important to be able to see it from the kitchen area. Finally there was an old wishing well stuck right outside the kitchen. They both felt it would be neat to be able to incorporate this in some how. They wanted a patio area with a built in grill to accommodate there family and friends. They also wanted to keep a large play area for the kids. We were able to pull this off successfully. We addressed the first issue by having a small lower level flagstone area. This area is large enough for 1 to 2 people to sit comfortably. It also provides a transition from his office to the larger patio area. We installed a simple small gravel sitting area opposite of the main patio. This provides our client a secluded place to relax or do business. Mrs.... told me she is amazed how much her and her husband enjoys this area. It is so peaceful looking at the small creek over a glass of wine. We built a natural limestone retaining wall to create the patio terrace. The stone was chosen to extend the houses architectural elements into the landscape. Irregular broken flagstone was used to give it a more casual feel. We installed three Serviceberries into the patio terrace to replace some trees that were taken down during the remodeling. She was very concern that they would block the view of the four corner garden. We new they were crucial to nestle in the terrace, so we placed them for a couple days for her to decide. Fortunately she agreed they not only kept the view open, but helped frame the garden. The four corner garden was designed to be viewed from afar and experienced up close. We wanted the space to have some formal structure while keeping with the casual farm house feel. Another natural limestone retaining wall was created. This leveled the garden terrace and helped associate it with the rest of the property. The four corner garden is nestled into the existing woods edge. This provides three distinct experiences to entering the garden; a more formal from the driveway, an open feel from the lower lawn, and a more natural / casual experience from the wooded area. The Plymouth brown gravel was used for the center of the garden. This helped highlight the stone post that was found during construction. The gravel also brings the sense of sound into the garden space. Lamb’s ear was chosen as a fun way to get kids interest in horticulture. The balance of using the new to create the old feel is what makes this project a success. The property has already hosted a local historical society event and won an award for its preservation efforts. When Mrs.... can’t find her husband, she knows he is either reading the newspaper by the grill or resting in the hammock along the wood’s path.

Inspiration for a small scandinavian living room remodel in Stockholm with gray walls

Interiors by SHOPHOUSE Design Kyle Born Photography
Living room - traditional formal dark wood floor living room idea in Philadelphia with white walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and no tv

This lovely little modern farmhouse is located at the base of the foothills in one of Boulder’s most prized neighborhoods. Tucked onto a challenging narrow lot, this inviting and sustainably designed 2400 sf., 4 bedroom home lives much larger than its compact form. The open floor plan and vaulted ceilings of the Great room, kitchen and dining room lead to a beautiful covered back patio and lush, private back yard. These rooms are flooded with natural light and blend a warm Colorado material palette and heavy timber accents with a modern sensibility. A lyrical open-riser steel and wood stair floats above the baby grand in the center of the home and takes you to three bedrooms on the second floor. The Master has a covered balcony with exposed beamwork & warm Beetle-kill pine soffits, framing their million-dollar view of the Flatirons. Its simple and familiar style is a modern twist on a classic farmhouse vernacular. The stone, Hardie board siding and standing seam metal roofing create a resilient and low-maintenance shell. The alley-loaded home has a solar-panel covered garage that was custom designed for the family’s active & athletic lifestyle (aka “lots of toys”). The front yard is a local food & water-wise Master-class, with beautiful rain-chains delivering roof run-off straight to the family garden.

Joe Fletcher Atop a ridge in the Santa Lucia mountains of Carmel, California, an oak tree stands elevated above the fog and wrapped at its base in this ranch retreat. The weekend home’s design grew around the 100-year-old Valley Oak to form a horseshoe-shaped house that gathers ridgeline views of Oak, Madrone, and Redwood groves at its exterior and nestles around the tree at its center. The home’s orientation offers both the shade of the oak canopy in the courtyard and the sun flowing into the great room at the house’s rear façades. This modern take on a traditional ranch home offers contemporary materials and landscaping to a classic typology. From the main entry in the courtyard, one enters the home’s great room and immediately experiences the dramatic westward views across the 70 foot pool at the house’s rear. In this expansive public area, programmatic needs flow and connect - from the kitchen, whose windows face the courtyard, to the dining room, whose doors slide seamlessly into walls to create an outdoor dining pavilion. The primary circulation axes flank the internal courtyard, anchoring the house to its site and heightening the sense of scale by extending views outward at each of the corridor’s ends. Guest suites, complete with private kitchen and living room, and the garage are housed in auxiliary wings connected to the main house by covered walkways. Building materials including pre-weathered corrugated steel cladding, buff limestone walls, and large aluminum apertures, and the interior palette of cedar-clad ceilings, oil-rubbed steel, and exposed concrete floors soften the modern aesthetics into a refined but rugged ranch home.

This functional, light-filled home takes full advantage of its bucolic site. With the introduction of the butterfly roof, natural light, ventilation and views are brought into the main gathering spaces. Distance between the private and public zones is created by a shift in geometry where those two meet in plan, to provide a calming and rejuvenating private retreat for the occupants. The structured juxtaposition of materials brings order and warmth to the home’s overall experience, complementing the textures and beauty of the site. Photo: ©Cesar Rubio

1950s bathroom photo in San Francisco