Flower lover garden David Morello
This is an example of a mid-sized arts and crafts front yard garden for summer in Houston with natural stone pavers and with flowerbed.

Design ideas for a traditional one-storey brick exterior in Chicago.

TylerMandic Ltd
This is an example of a large traditional front door in London with a single front door, a black front door, white walls and ceramic floors.

Touches of color add interest to the all important curb appeal. Notice how the color draws your eyes toward the front door! Photo by Marilyn Peryer
Inspiration for a large country two-storey white house exterior in Raleigh with wood siding, a gable roof and a metal roof.

Shot for MainStreet Design Build, Birmingham, MI
Traditional blue exterior in Detroit with mixed siding.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
This is an example of a traditional front door in Boston with a single front door and a green front door.

Donald Chapman, AIA,CMB This unique project, located in Donalds, South Carolina began with the owners requesting three primary uses. First, it was have separate guest accommodations for family and friends when visiting their rural area. The desire to house and display collectible cars was the second goal. The owner’s passion of wine became the final feature incorporated into this multi use structure. This Guest House – Collector Garage – Wine Cellar was designed and constructed to settle into the picturesque farm setting and be reminiscent of an old house that once stood in the pasture. The front porch invites you to sit in a rocker or swing while enjoying the surrounding views. As you step inside the red oak door, the stair to the right leads guests up to a 1150 SF of living space that utilizes varied widths of red oak flooring that was harvested from the property and installed by the owner. Guest accommodations feature two bedroom suites joined by a nicely appointed living and dining area as well as fully stocked kitchen to provide a self-sufficient stay. Disguised behind two tone stained cement siding, cedar shutters and dark earth tones, the main level of the house features enough space for storing and displaying six of the owner’s automobiles. The collection is accented by natural light from the windows, painted wainscoting and trim while positioned on three toned speckled epoxy coated floors. The third and final use is located underground behind a custom built 3” thick arched door. This climatically controlled 2500 bottle wine cellar is highlighted with custom designed and owner built white oak racking system that was again constructed utilizing trees that were harvested from the property in earlier years. Other features are stained concrete floors, tongue and grooved pine ceiling and parch coated red walls. All are accented by low voltage track lighting along with a hand forged wrought iron & glass chandelier that is positioned above a wormy chestnut tasting table. Three wooden generator wheels salvaged from a local building were installed and act as additional storage and display for wine as well as give a historical tie to the community, always prompting interesting conversations among the owner’s and their guests. This all-electric Energy Star Certified project allowed the owner to capture all three desires into one environment… Three birds… one stone.

Photo by: Tripp Smith
Traditional hallway in Charleston with white walls and medium hardwood floors.

This is an example of a small modern two-storey brown exterior in Portland with wood siding.

At the top of the hill, this Kensington home had modest beginnings as a “1940’s Ranchburger”, but with panoramic views of San Francisco to the west and Tilden Park to the east. Inspired by the Owner’s desire to realize the property’s potential and meet the needs of their creative family, our design approach started with a drive to connect common areas of the house with the outdoors. The flow of space from living, family, dining, and kitchen areas was reconfigured to open onto a new “wrap-around deck” in the rear yard. Special attention to space, light, and proportion led to raising the ceiling in the living/dining room creating a “great hall” at the center of the house. A new master bedroom suite, with private terrace and sitting room, was added upstairs under a butterfly roof that frames dramatic views on both sides of the house. A new gable over the entry for enhanced street presence. The eclectic mix of materials, forms, and saturated colors give the house a playful modern appeal. Credits: Photos by Mark Costantini Contractor Lewis Fine Buildings

This is an example of a tropical one-storey green exterior in Miami with wood siding.

Last summer the Fine folks at Fine Gardening photographed all of our container designs for the this years annual edition of Container Gardening Magazine. With the help of Josh McCullough from www.phytophoto.com we supplied nearly all of the content for the issue. It's on shelves now...

This 3-acre property in the historic town of Concord merges a new home with surrounding topography and builds upon the neighborhood's historic and aesthetic influences. With ten entrances, the success of place making is rooted in expressing interior and exterior connections. Slabs of antique granite, Ipe decking, and stuccoed concrete risers with bluestone treads are instrumental in shaping the physical and visual experiences of the property. A formal entry walk of reclaimed bluestone and cobble slice through a sculptural grove of transplanted, mature mountain laurels and azaleas, and a new driveway sweeps past the front entrance of the house leading to a parking court. A meadow forms an intermediate zone between the domestic yard and the untamed woodland, and drifts of shrubs and perennials lend texture and scale to the home and outdoor spaces.

http://www.modernhometouraustin.com/2011/12/meet-5606-jeff-davis-street

Side Elevation
Mid-sized arts and crafts exterior in Salt Lake City with a gable roof.

The 1930s-era Tudor home fit right into its historic neighborhood, but the family couldn't fit all it needed for this decade inside—a larger kitchen, a functional dining room, a home office, energy efficiency. Photography by Morgan Howarth.

"The circular seating area links a large side yard with the equally large front yard, giving both a raison d'etre. The rounded "carpet" of crushed stone has some nice detailing, including the block edging and the flagstone path that cuts through it. Not too casual; not too formal. Definitely inviting. The rounded area (complete with two charming turquoise Adirondack chairs and a small side table) serves the same purpose as a front porch, providing bonus seating to the two benches on the entry threshold of this traditional home. This side yard treatment is both attractive and neighbor friendly." Debra Prinzing More at www.WestoverLD.com

Mid-sized traditional three-storey grey exterior in Chicago with wood siding and a gable roof.

Traditional exterior in Birmingham with wood siding and a hip roof.