Inspiration for a contemporary wood l-shaped staircase in Orange County with open risers and glass railing.

Jean Allsopp
Photo of a beach style bathroom in Other with a freestanding tub, white walls and beige floor.

Chris Snook
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional front door in London with white walls, ceramic floors, a single front door, a green front door and multi-coloured floor.

Photographer: Jay Goodrich This 2800 sf single-family home was completed in 2009. The clients desired an intimate, yet dynamic family residence that reflected the beauty of the site and the lifestyle of the San Juan Islands. The house was built to be both a place to gather for large dinners with friends and family as well as a cozy home for the couple when they are there alone. The project is located on a stunning, but cripplingly-restricted site overlooking Griffin Bay on San Juan Island. The most practical area to build was exactly where three beautiful old growth trees had already chosen to live. A prior architect, in a prior design, had proposed chopping them down and building right in the middle of the site. From our perspective, the trees were an important essence of the site and respectfully had to be preserved. As a result we squeezed the programmatic requirements, kept the clients on a square foot restriction and pressed tight against property setbacks. The delineate concept is a stone wall that sweeps from the parking to the entry, through the house and out the other side, terminating in a hook that nestles the master shower. This is the symbolic and functional shield between the public road and the private living spaces of the home owners. All the primary living spaces and the master suite are on the water side, the remaining rooms are tucked into the hill on the road side of the wall. Off-setting the solid massing of the stone walls is a pavilion which grabs the views and the light to the south, east and west. Built in a position to be hammered by the winter storms the pavilion, while light and airy in appearance and feeling, is constructed of glass, steel, stout wood timbers and doors with a stone roof and a slate floor. The glass pavilion is anchored by two concrete panel chimneys; the windows are steel framed and the exterior skin is of powder coated steel sheathing.

Design ideas for a backyard patio in Houston with natural stone pavers, a roof extension and with fireplace.

Photo of a contemporary living room in Tampa with blue walls, a ribbon fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Cary Hazlegrove
Design ideas for a beach style formal living room in Boston with grey walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace surround.

This is a beautiful kitchen I had the opportunity to photograph for Rhatigan & Hick. They do the coolest kitchens I have ever been in. I love the fact that the home owners are always so enthusiastic about the work these guys do. This is a little different as it is Gary Hicks Kitchen part of the duo. With vaulted ceilings this kitchen started with the New York Loft Style extra tall book Case with hand draw glass fronted doors. The unit is 10ft tall and 10 ft wide. Bespoke Solid Wood Cabinetry from the New York Loft Collection- handprinted in Little Green from the Colour Scales range, French Grey (Island and oven run) and French Grey Dark (bookcase) Work Surface in Carrara Marble. Brian MacLochlainn www.BMLmedia.ie

This blue and white kitchen is the hub of the home for a busy young family. The white cabinets are broken up by glass fronts at the top. The dark granite and a fresh blue painted island add contrast, while the transitional pendant adds interest to the otherwise traditional space.

Joseph Alfano
Large contemporary master bathroom in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, white walls, a two-piece toilet, white tile, stone slab, slate floors, quartzite benchtops, grey floor and a hinged shower door.

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Photos Courtesy of Paul Dyer
Inspiration for a small contemporary home office in San Francisco with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a built-in desk.

Jamie Salomon, Stylist Susan Salomon
Design ideas for a country formal open concept living room in Boston with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a wood stove and no tv.

Photo of a country formal living room in Minneapolis with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

C.L. Fry Photo - www.clfryphoto.com
Country open plan dining in Austin.

John Elkins
Inspiration for a midcentury living room in Austin with medium hardwood floors.

Photo: Stacy Vazquez-Abrams
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in Toronto with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv and a stone fireplace surround.

Tatum Brown Custom Homes {Photo Credit: Danny Piassick}
This is an example of a mediterranean living room in Dallas with white walls and medium hardwood floors.

great room. looking from dining. feature wall - cedar post cross-sections. Photo credit: Allison Cartwright, TwistArt LLC
Inspiration for a modern living room in Austin with beige walls and a wall-mounted tv.