This 2022 project was a fully custom mix and writing suite designed for multi-Grammy and Dove Award–winning producer and songwriter Kyle Lee. The goal was to create an environment that mirrors his creative workflow—quiet, natural, highly accurate, and intentionally crafted for long sessions of collaboration and focused work. The layout is compact but feels open thanks to high ceilings, soft daylight from the surrounding windows, and a palette of warm textures and natural materials. The room maintains a clean, grounded aesthetic without sacrificing technical performance, balancing style and acoustical precision in a way that supports both creativity and accuracy. Acoustic isolation was a core priority. The suite is fully separated from the rest of the home using sound-reducing wall assemblies, custom bass management including a full soft-ceiling trap and a false rear wall trap, and full-lite doors designed for controlled leakage. The result is a private, self-contained environment that integrates seamlessly with the home’s flow yet transforms into a focused creative space the moment the doors close. Monitoring was built around Kyle’s preferred ATC SCM45A loudspeakers, paired with Dynaudio subwoofers and calibrated specifically to the room’s frequency response. Every treatment, material, and speaker position was selected to ensure what Kyle hears while mixing precisely translates to the final master. The finished suite delivers an effortless feel with professional-grade performance—an inspiring, accurate, and dependable space built to support Kyle’s work at the highest level.

This master bathroom renovation in Frisco was completed for a repeat USI Design & Remodeling client as part of a larger first-floor transformation of the home. The original bathroom reflected a very typical North Texas layout of its era — dark stained cabinetry, granite countertops, compartmentalized vanities, a built-in tub adjoining a framed shower, and separated spaces that no longer aligned with how the homeowners wanted to live. As their aesthetic evolved toward a more transitional and contemporary direction, the goal became less about replacing finishes and more about redefining the experience of the room itself. The project needed to feel calmer, more architectural, and far more intentional in how the space functioned visually and emotionally. One of the most important changes was removing the original shower curb and pony wall in favor of a fully open curbless shower with ultra-clear ½-inch heavy glass. Achieving that look required recessing the slab, re-floating the shower floor toward a linear drain, and engineering the space so the room would read as visually uninterrupted from end to end. Throughout the project, many of the design decisions were rooted in restraint rather than excess. The oversized 24x48 Porcelanosa flooring carries very little shade variation, creating a quieter visual field, while the cabinetry was executed in rift-sawn white oak specifically because it produces a far more controlled and consistent finish outcome than more common cuts of wood. In luxury projects, consistency itself becomes part of the refinement. The floating vanity was designed more like custom furniture than traditional cabinetry, utilizing waterfall mitered edges and fully reworked plumbing locations so both homeowners could share in having generous functional countertop space. The original makeup station was repurposed into integrated storage with powered drawers and concealed organization for everyday items such as blow dryers and flat irons. Along the vanity wall, wall-mounted plumbing fixtures were paired with ribbed natural marble surfaces — a detail that required intentional planning long before construction began. Rather than allowing the ribbed material to terminate awkwardly behind the fixtures, the backsplash and stone transitions were specifically designed to resolve those conditions cleanly. Those are the types of details that distinguish highly coordinated design-build work from projects that simply assemble materials together. While the room contains a significant amount of luxury detailing — from the freestanding tub and geoprism marble focal wall to the custom rift-sawn white oak closet doors and elongated mirrors that leverage the 11-foot ceiling heights — the project was always guided by quiet luxury rather than visual competition. Even the water closet enclosure was handled with restraint through the use of a satin-etched glass door rather than another heavy solid opening. The intent throughout was to create a bathroom that feels restorative and serene rather than overdesigned. In our view, the best luxury spaces are the ones that feel composed long after the initial impression wears off.

INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPING INC. I.L.I. is a well respected and highly decorated award-winning Landscape Design/Construct/Maintain firm. To learn more about the services that I.L.I. can offer you, please visit our website www.internationallandscaping.com. Let our experience help enhance your property, and turn your vision into reality.

Small trendy travertine floor and beige floor hallway photo in Sydney with gray walls

Right from the start, these clients had a very specific wish list: A spot for all the things! The existing Kitchen was really lacking in storage space for everyday life. There just wasn’t enough room for things like Water Bottles, Lunch Boxes, Spices, Toaster, Coffee Machine, Kitchen Aid Mixer, and Containers - which left everything feeling jam packed and chaotic. Embracing function was first priority - we looked for ways to create a hard working and streamlined Kitchen. That came to life by incorporating as many Kitchen organization accessories as possible: A Blind corner pullout, Cutlery and Utensil Organizers, Drawers galore, Pantry Rollout shelving, A Recycling station pullout, moved the Microwave to the Peninsula, and added a Beverage Fridge. One of the favourite wins was doing away with the corner sink and redesigning the Kitchen to feature the sink area centred to the Window. We also extended the usable counter space of the Island and to allow for seating for 3 at the Peninsula. To keep things light but also add some interesting layers - we used a unique geometric 3 dimensional wall tile as the backsplash across the entire length of the range wall and right into the nook area. This textured wall tile was a pivotal element for durability but also for the aesthetic - which the clients say is one of their favourite parts of the new space.

The project was designed by Giuseppe Abbrancati and installation was done by Gappsi professionals. This small backyard space was utilized to fit a swimming pool, patio, and cooking island. The swimming pool comes with many amenities along with porphyry patio and coping. A 28 x 28 x 14 L shaped vinyl lined swimming pool was built with many options, including LED lights, a gas heater, a chlorine salt generator, and stadium stairs across the 14 ft wide shallow area. The swimming pool was built with concrete walls and built 4 ft deep throughout the entire pool due to the high water table. Porphyry pavers and copings installed in this project, primarily contain gray colors with gold and rusty colored veins finished in a sandblasted and tumbled process. The texture and edges are very comfortable and timeless in look. They are manufactured in India in a French Pattern design. Installation was done on one inch of clean sand over four inches of poured concrete base and compacted sub base. The veneers for the cooking island are Nantucket Eldorado stacked stone, manufactured in 2 ft long panels. Custom-made corners and the yellow polished granite top for the cooking island is contrasted with the colors of the walls and the patio. All Twin Eagle appliances including a 42 inch grill, a bar sink, a garbage pail cabinet, storage cabinets, and door. By visiting the Gappsi Showroom display, you will find a large selection of porphyry pavers in many sizes and patterns imported from all over the world. Over the years, Gappsi has imported many porphyry pavers and copings and had specific products exclusively made for Gappsi that we have installed on many award winning projects throughout Long Island in both Nassau and Suffolk County. We have extended our connections with distributors and have accessed a wider selection to our porphyry pavers and coping products, including many sizes of veneers and tiles. For more information about Gappsi porphyry pavers and copings, please contact us at 631-543-1177 or visit our website at Gappsi.com.

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

We provide award-winning pool, spa, landscape design, and construction services. Contact our team today at https://creativeenvironments.com/contact-us/.

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Photo: Vance Fox The new home’s warm and inviting front facade with a mix of Craftsman and Contemporary elements only hints to the actual size and space contained inside.

This NARI Contractor of the Year (CotY) award-winning whole house remodel includes the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and entryway. The highly contemporary style is emphasized in the black cabinetry.

Kitchen in Bayside, NY completed by European Kitchen Center: Featuring cabinets from TheCut's award-winning Nativia collection designed by Alessandro Isola. It showcases a contrast of flat matt lacquered doors and fluted solid wood doors, as well as a combination of handleless cabinets and modern handles on the base cabinets. The kitchen features beautiful framed smoked glass display cabinets with internal LED lighting, a stunning island with triple waterfall edges, Le Mans internal mechanism in the pantry, pull-out spice rack, pull-out waste containers, internal drawers, soft-close hinges, integrated appliances, and under-cabinet LED lighting, making it a perfect combination of luxury and functionality. With thoughtful details and high-quality finishes, the kitchen creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, making it a wonderful place for cooking, entertaining, or simply enjoying a meal with family and friends.

Use code "green25%" Featuring simple and elegant lines reminiscent of Mid-Century Modern, Greenington’s Currant bedroom is crafted in 100% solid Moso bamboo. Available in both caramelized and Oiled Walnut finish. Greenington combines beautiful design, rich colors, and a winning green sustainability story. Mid-century with a modern refresh, our Currant Platform Bed features a uniquely designed headboard and sleek tapered legs which showcase the beautiful color and grain of solid bamboo. The Currant platform bed is designed for use with a mattress only, which is supported with a solid bamboo European slat system. The solid bamboo slat system eliminates the need for a box spring and provides constant ventilation for your mattress. Available in Queen, King, and California king sizes, the Currant’s elegant silhouette creates a timeless look to complement any style. Queen 65” W x 88”L x 13 1/2”FB / 39 1/2" HB California King 77” W x 92”L x 13 1/2”FB / 39 1/2”HB Eastern King 81” W x 88”L x 13 1/2”FB / 39 1 /2”HB Crafted in 100% solid Moso bamboo; contains no MDF, plywood, or particle board Eco-friendly and rapidly renewable, Moso bamboo Variation in grain and color enriches the natural beauty of bamboo furniture Solid Moso bamboo European slat system, no box spring needed Easy to use connected slats, lock into place Classic bamboo, 20% harder than Red Oak

Example of a 1960s exterior home design in Dallas

This award winning residential addition contains oversized windows including frameless edges.
Mid-sized one-story flat roof idea in DC Metro

This 2022 project was a fully custom mix and writing suite designed for multi-Grammy and Dove Award–winning producer and songwriter Kyle Lee. The goal was to create an environment that mirrors his creative workflow—quiet, natural, highly accurate, and intentionally crafted for long sessions of collaboration and focused work. The layout is compact but feels open thanks to high ceilings, soft daylight from the surrounding windows, and a palette of warm textures and natural materials. The room maintains a clean, grounded aesthetic without sacrificing technical performance, balancing style and acoustical precision in a way that supports both creativity and accuracy. Acoustic isolation was a core priority. The suite is fully separated from the rest of the home using sound-reducing wall assemblies, custom bass management including a full soft-ceiling trap and a false rear wall trap, and full-lite doors designed for controlled leakage. The result is a private, self-contained environment that integrates seamlessly with the home’s flow yet transforms into a focused creative space the moment the doors close. Monitoring was built around Kyle’s preferred ATC SCM45A loudspeakers, paired with Dynaudio subwoofers and calibrated specifically to the room’s frequency response. Every treatment, material, and speaker position was selected to ensure what Kyle hears while mixing precisely translates to the final master. The finished suite delivers an effortless feel with professional-grade performance—an inspiring, accurate, and dependable space built to support Kyle’s work at the highest level.

In an additional effort to conserve water while also contributing to the native plant and wildlife populations, we use drought tolerant perennial plants such as Echinacea and Salvia in our designs to attract pollinators and shrink the planting area of the thirsty annual flowers. The results were healthy plants, water savings and a happy customer.