In this beautiful Houston remodel, we took on the exterior AND interior - with a new outdoor kitchen, patio cover and balcony outside and a Mid-Century Modern redesign on the inside: "This project was really unique, not only in the extensive scope of it, but in the number of different elements needing to be coordinated with each other," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "Our entire team really rose to the challenge." OUTSIDE The new outdoor living space includes a 14 x 20-foot patio addition with an outdoor kitchen and balcony. We also extended the roof over the patio between the house and the breezeway (the new section is 26 x 14 feet). On the patio and balcony, we laid about 1,100-square foot of new hardscaping in the place of pea gravel. The new material is a gorgeous, honed-and-filled Nysa travertine tile in a Versailles pattern. We used the same tile for the new pool coping, too. We also added French doors leading to the patio and balcony from a lower bedroom and upper game room, respectively: The outdoor kitchen above features Southern Cream cobblestone facing and a Titanium granite countertop and raised bar. The 8 x 12-foot, L-shaped kitchen island houses an RCS 27-inch grill, plus an RCS ice maker, lowered power burner, fridge and sink. The outdoor ceiling is tongue-and-groove pine boards, done in the Minwax stain "Jacobean." INSIDE Inside, we repainted the entire house from top to bottom, including baseboards, doors, crown molding and cabinets. We also updated the lighting throughout. "Their style before was really non-existent," says Lisha Maxey, senior designer with Outdoor Homescapes and owner of LGH Design Services in Houston. "They did what most families do - got items when they needed them, worrying less about creating a unified style for the home." Other than a new travertine tile floor the client had put in 6 months earlier, the space had never been updated. The drapery had been there for 15 years. And the living room had an enormous leather sectional couch that virtually filled the entire room. In its place, we put all new, Mid-Century Modern furniture from World Market. The drapery fabric and chandelier came from High Fashion Home. All the other new sconces and chandeliers throughout the house came from Pottery Barn and all décor accents from World Market. The couple and their two teenaged sons got bedroom makeovers as well. One of the sons, for instance, started with childish bunk beds and piles of books everywhere. "We gave him a grown-up space he could enjoy well into his high school years," says Lisha. The new bed is also from World Market. We also updated the kitchen by removing all the old wallpaper and window blinds and adding new paint and knobs and pulls for the cabinets. (The family plans to update the backsplash later.) The top handrail on the stairs got a coat of black paint, and we added a console table (from Kirkland's) in the downstairs hallway. In the dining room, we painted the cabinet and mirror frames black and added new drapes, but kept the existing furniture and flooring. "I'm just so pleased with how it turned out - especially Lisha's coordination of all the materials and finishes," says Wayne. "But as a full-service outdoor design team, this is what we do, and our all our great reviews are telling us we're doing it well."

Enjoy spending time in your living room with travertine floors sold at Tile-Stones.com.
Design ideas for an expansive mediterranean formal open concept living room in Los Angeles with travertine floors, white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv and beige floor.

Roehner and Ryan
This is an example of a mid-sized modern open concept family room in Phoenix with a game room, grey walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

This is an example of a large contemporary open concept living room in Miami with a library, white walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv and white floor.

Michael Hunter
This is an example of a large modern family room in Houston with beige walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Design ideas for a large traditional open concept living room in Houston with yellow walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

This Paradise Valley stunner was a down-to-the-studs renovation. The owner, a successful business woman and owner of Bungalow Scottsdale -- a fabulous furnishings store, had a very clear vision. DW's mission was to re-imagine the 1970's solid block home into a modern and open place for a family of three. The house initially was very compartmentalized including lots of small rooms and too many doors to count. With a mantra of simplify, simplify, simplify, Architect CP Drewett began to look for the hidden order to craft a space that lived well. This residence is a Moroccan world of white topped with classic Morrish patterning and finished with the owner's fabulous taste. The kitchen was established as the home's center to facilitate the owner's heart and swagger for entertaining. The public spaces were reimagined with a focus on hospitality. Practicing great restraint with the architecture set the stage for the owner to showcase objects in space. Her fantastic collection includes a glass-top faux elephant tusk table from the set of the infamous 80's television series, Dallas. It was a joy to create, collaborate, and now celebrate this amazing home. Project Details: Architecture: C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB; Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ Interior Selections: Linda Criswell, Bungalow Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ Photography: Dino Tonn, Scottsdale, AZ Featured in: Phoenix Home and Garden, June 2015, "Eclectic Remodel", page 87.

Living Room || travertine flooring, walnut trim, zero clearance fireplace, natural stone veneer, Ketra lighting system, hydronic heating
Inspiration for an open concept living room in Kansas City with travertine floors, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor and vaulted.

Inspiration for a large traditional open concept living room in Austin with beige walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and brown floor.

Great Room. The Sater Design Collection's luxury, French Country home plan "Belcourt" (Plan #6583). http://saterdesign.com/product/bel-court/

This fireplace was once surrounded by a blue checkered tile that took away from the beautiful Moroccan tile in the center of the surround. We encased the tile with stone so that we did not disrupt the structure of the tile and brought more attention to the delicate design. The rondel collection was hand blown and we selected the colors of the glass to coordinate with the space. Michael Hunter Photography

Cozy family room in this East Bay home. Photos by Eric Zepeda Studio
Mid-sized midcentury open concept family room in San Francisco with white walls, travertine floors, a corner fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Las Vegas with beige walls, travertine floors, a corner fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv and beige floor.

Will Sullivan - Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography
Photo of an expansive beach style open concept living room in Miami with white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and travertine floors.

Inspiration for a transitional formal living room in Orange County with beige walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

This is an example of an expansive beach style living room in Miami with white walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Will Sullivan - Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography
Design ideas for an expansive beach style open concept living room in Miami with white walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Danny Clapp
Design ideas for a large modern open concept living room in Kansas City with grey walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

By painting the cabinets, walls, and ceiling lighter, we created a neutral backdrop for the pops of color through out this open floor plan. We were inspired by the existing large piece of art in the living room and played off of the color ways when selecting fabrics for pillows, throws, dining chairs, and reupholstering the ottoman. The pendants over the island and accessories in the kitchen cabinets are the needed accents in the kitchen used to tie it all together. Michael Hunter Photography