James Kruger, LandMark Photography Interior Design: Martha O'Hara Interiors Architect: Sharratt Design & Company
Bedroom - mid-sized traditional master carpeted and beige floor bedroom idea in Minneapolis with blue walls and no fireplace

Handmade, Rookwood tile with glazed edges provide a clean transition the shower wall. A new transom window over the vanity provides extra light and openness to the space.

Casey Dunn
Example of a cottage dark wood floor and brown floor great room design in Austin with green walls

A custom handmade wall covering recalls historical canopy beds transforming the bed now to the scale of the space. Vancouver's Stanley Park provides the tonal inspiration set underneath a luminous gold sky. Photo by: David Mitchell

Foto Adriano Escanhuela - São Paulo
Example of a small eclectic blue tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile bathroom design with white walls

SJC Dramatic Remodel
Inspiration for a contemporary powder room remodel in Orange County with a drop-in sink, black cabinets, black walls and gray countertops

Evening lighting highlights the textural contrast of the stacked stone detailing around the corner gas fireplace. The soothing palette is adorned with metallic elements. Photo:Timothy Manning www.manningmagic.com

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.

Custom design by Cynthia Soda of Soda Pop Design Inc. in Toronto, Canada. Photography by Stephani Buchman Photography.
Inspiration for a transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor hallway remodel in Toronto with beige walls and no fireplace

Sam Balukonis
Large transitional ceramic tile and multicolored floor sunroom photo in Boston with a skylight

Example of an eclectic multicolored floor powder room design in Boston with raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white walls and a drop-in sink

KitchenLab Interiors’ first, entirely new construction project in collaboration with GTH architects who designed the residence. KLI was responsible for all interior finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and design including the stairs, casework, interior doors, moldings and millwork. KLI also worked with the client on selecting the roof, exterior stucco and paint colors, stone, windows, and doors. The homeowners had purchased the existing home on a lakefront lot of the Valley Lo community in Glenview, thinking that it would be a gut renovation, but when they discovered a host of issues including mold, they decided to tear it down and start from scratch. The minute you look out the living room windows, you feel as though you're on a lakeside vacation in Wisconsin or Michigan. We wanted to help the homeowners achieve this feeling throughout the house - merging the causal vibe of a vacation home with the elegance desired for a primary residence. This project is unique and personal in many ways - Rebekah and the homeowner, Lorie, had grown up together in a small suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Lorie had been Rebekah's babysitter and was like an older sister growing up. They were both heavily influenced by the style of the late 70's and early 80's boho/hippy meets disco and 80's glam, and both credit their moms for an early interest in anything related to art, design, and style. One of the biggest challenges of doing a new construction project is that it takes so much longer to plan and execute and by the time tile and lighting is installed, you might be bored by the selections of feel like you've seen them everywhere already. “I really tried to pull myself, our team and the client away from the echo-chamber of Pinterest and Instagram. We fell in love with counter stools 3 years ago that I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on, thank god, because then they started showing up literally everywhere", Rebekah recalls. Lots of one of a kind vintage rugs and furnishings make the home feel less brand-spanking new. The best projects come from a team slightly outside their comfort zone. One of the funniest things Lorie says to Rebekah, "I gave you everything you wanted", which is pretty hilarious coming from a client to a designer.

Inspiration for a small rustic master porcelain tile and gray floor alcove shower remodel in Richmond with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Example of a cottage white two-story gable roof design in Santa Barbara

These clients came to my office looking for an architect who could design their "empty nest" home that would be the focus of their soon to be extended family. A place where the kids and grand kids would want to hang out: with a pool, open family room/ kitchen, garden; but also one-story so there wouldn't be any unnecessary stairs to climb. They wanted the design to feel like "old Pasadena" with the coziness and attention to detail that the era embraced. My sensibilities led me to recall the wonderful classic mansions of San Marino, so I designed a manor house clad in trim Bluestone with a steep French slate roof and clean white entry, eave and dormer moldings that would blend organically with the future hardscape plan and thoughtfully landscaped grounds. The site was a deep, flat lot that had been half of the old Joan Crawford estate; the part that had an abandoned swimming pool and small cabana. I envisioned a pavilion filled with natural light set in a beautifully planted park with garden views from all sides. Having a one-story house allowed for tall and interesting shaped ceilings that carved into the sheer angles of the roof. The most private area of the house would be the central loggia with skylights ensconced in a deep woodwork lattice grid and would be reminiscent of the outdoor “Salas” found in early Californian homes. The family would soon gather there and enjoy warm afternoons and the wonderfully cool evening hours together. Working with interior designer Jeffrey Hitchcock, we designed an open family room/kitchen with high dark wood beamed ceilings, dormer windows for daylight, custom raised panel cabinetry, granite counters and a textured glass tile splash. Natural light and gentle breezes flow through the many French doors and windows located to accommodate not only the garden views, but the prevailing sun and wind as well. The graceful living room features a dramatic vaulted white painted wood ceiling and grand fireplace flanked by generous double hung French windows and elegant drapery. A deeply cased opening draws one into the wainscot paneled dining room that is highlighted by hand painted scenic wallpaper and a barrel vaulted ceiling. The walnut paneled library opens up to reveal the waterfall feature in the back garden. Equally picturesque and restful is the view from the rotunda in the master bedroom suite. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Jeffrey Hitchcock Enterprises Contractor: Synergy General Contractors, Inc. Landscape Design: LZ Design Group, Inc. Photography: Laura Hull

5. Dimension When it comes to design, vertical dimension, or the available space from floor to ceiling, is key. You can place curtains closer to the ceiling to make a room look much larger than it would with window treatments covering just your windows. When it comes to designing a closet, take advantage of all vertical space so that you not only get more storage, but you also open up the area to create the illusion of more square footage.

This entrance to a garden room consists of a trellis that supports a 'Cascade Falls' weeping bald cypress. Photo by Jay Sifford.
This is an example of an eclectic landscaping in Charlotte.

Large or small, Organized Living Classica will transform a closet in to an efficient space. Add drawers, shelves and hanging space depending on your storage needs. This Classica closet design is shown in bisque. Find a dealer at http://organizedliving.com/home/where-to-buy

Jason Roehner
Inspiration for an industrial bedroom remodel in Phoenix