veronique_dillon's ideas
Dyer Studio Inc.EmailSave 2. Concrete or Concrete-Look Sinks Porcelain is far and away the most common material used for sinks, but if you’re looking for something a little edgier, some designers on our panel recommend going with a concrete or concrete-look sink. Manufacturers are making concrete sinks in a variety of styles. “The colors and textures are refreshing and inspiring, and with a high level of design they’re more likely to stand the test of time,” designer Stephanie Dyer says. Her team at Dyer Studio used a concrete vessel sink for this bathroom makeover in Portland, Oregon. Two Fold Interiors Designer Veronica Martin of Two Fold Interiors also loves the look of a concrete sink, but she notes that some clients are hesitant about the upkeep. “We have been pushing our clients to use more real stone in a washroom, but this is mostly on the floors or walls,” Martin says. “They’re still looking at porcelain or quartz for areas with a sink.” For that reason, Martin used a concrete-look quartz sink surround in this bathroom remodel in Toronto — providing the look of stone without any of the worry.
8. Clean Lines If minimalist spaces and orderly lines put your mind at ease, you may find a sense of peacefulness in this elegant patio in Washington, D.C., designed by GardenWise. The designers created the floor with cut stone pavers set in lines, interspersed half with granite cobbles and half with tufts of dark green mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus). It forms an interesting but restful pattern that draws one’s eye through the space.
Raised planters varying from 16 to 31 inches in height enclose a new patio space and allow growing room for a variety of easy-care shrubs and perennials. A trio of European white birch (Betula pendula) anchored around a corner will fill in to form a slim canopy. Space-saving bench seating centered around a fire pit creates a lovely destination for drinks when the homeowner has friends over.
The architects at Dodd-Studio decided to remove the loft to create a light-filled great room with a soaring ceiling. “It was a very dark living area with a loft above it,” Van Sluyter says. “They didn’t think they had any use for the loft, and by opening it up it created this light, bright modern space.” Behind the wall with the modern art, the builders created a walk-in closet for the master suite. Dodd calls the removal of the loft “the big aha moment” in the home’s redesign, by unifying the space and dramatically increasing natural light. “One big thing we did for livability was to create a great room. In the process we got rid of the loft, so the whole volume of that space became one,” he says. “By taking the loft out, you got a path of sun throughout the day through the clerestory windows. This was the biggest transition architecturally.”
The black beam on the island adds an industrial element and is a structural feature. It had to be added when a wall that supported the roof was removed. “That’s kind of what drove the shape of the island. There’s storage that faces the pantry, which is convenient and creates a walkway to the dining and living space.” The sliding barn-style doors were custom manufactured with frosted glass and black-steel framing that mimics the island’s black-steel beam. Behind the door, there’s a 27-inch-deep pantry on the right side and a separate closet with a hanging rod, cubbies above, and a bench to sit on with space for shoes underneath. The gray chair on the right of the photo is in the dining area.
The renovation created a bright new space with a mix of finishes and a soaring vaulted ceiling. The black walnut flooring and wooden ceiling beams wrapped in hemlock warm the glossy gray cabinets and white countertops. “The dramatic angles were so unique that we wanted to find a way to accentuate that and carry the beams throughout the house,”
Location: Bethesda, Maryland Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters); 10 feet tall (3 meters) by 10 feet wide by 10 feet long Architects: Amy Gardner and Brittany Williams of Gardner Architects, who designed the shed and oversaw the stormwater-management measures taken during the home renovation Landscape Architect: Holt Jordan of Jordan Honeyman Landscape Architecture, who designed the planting master plan and oversaw stormwater-management measures regarding the shed Structural Engineer: Christopher Cobb of 1200 Architectural Engineers General Contractor: Alan Kanner of Added Dimensions The shed design was part of a larger master plan for managing rainwater — with some measures put into place during a recent renovation of the main house (which the architects had completed) — and for creating a habitat for local wildlife outside of a home in Bethesda, Maryland. The goal for the shed was that it would become a catch-all for garden hoses, tools, a wheelbarrow and bicycles while still presenting a stylish exterior that would complement the home. The house had been built without a garage or other typical storage areas and needed a spot to store these household items.
The bathroom has plenty of room for both girls’ towels. In addition to the luggage rack over the toilet, a cleverly recessed towel bar niche keeps them out of the way. Recessing the bar means there’s no bumping into it in the tight space — another instance where eking out just a few inches made a big difference. Another part of the renovation involved replacing all of the doors in the house with new white laminated glass doors. The natural wood on these doors has a custom satin stain. The glass allows light to move between spaces but also gives privacy.
The watery glass mosaic tile used for the niche inside the tub-shower was picked out by the older sister and was another early choice. The niche has ample room for both girls to store all their bathing items. Wilson played off the colors in the niche by using light gray elongated glass subway tiles with pale green undertones on the walls. These tiles have a subtle pebble-like texture that bounces light around. She covered the side of the tub with the same quartz used on the countertop. The floor tile is gray porcelain in an understated pattern that doesn’t compete with the other elements.
Maximizing storage was a priority. The vanity has six large drawers as well as a cabinet door. Each sister has her own recessed mirrored medicine cabinet, and there’s a third one above the other end of the vanity. Wilson added mirrored panels with integrated lights on either end for a sleek look. In a space where every inch counts, shaving a few inches off the vanity’s depth was an important space saver. By using a wall-mounted faucet, Wilson was able to design a vanity 19 inches deep, 2 inches less than the standard 21 inches.
The jumping-off point for the style began with the clients’ desire for edge-grain bamboo cabinetry. “Bamboo is sustainable, and the verticality in the wood grain has a contemporary look,” Wilson says. The doors and drawers are bookmatched, which means the pattern is continuous across the vanity. Sleek drawer pulls add another contemporary touch. The designer opted for a waterfall countertop in a subtly speckled quartz. “A waterfall is a nice way to terminate the end of a cabinet,” she says. “Especially in a wet area like a bathroom — it protects the cabinets, and it’s easy to clean.”
Use a shower base instead of tiling the floor. Architectural designer Alison Strickland was not a fan of having to clean grout lines in the shower. So she used a shower base for the floor of her shower stall and designed the space around it. The ledge and the base seen here are made from a material called Krion from Porcelanosa.
LEDs can be as small as the head of a pin, and this allows us to light our homes more discreetly and with more precision than ever. LED strips can be hidden inside cabinets, drawers, closet rods, shelves and just about any place you can imagine. We can place light where it is needed instead of attempting to fill a room with a broad wash of light that often causes glare.
But tearing out all the bluestone pavers would have been too expensive. Instead, Raj found a subcontractor to apply an architectural concrete screed on top of the bluestone pavers. The screed is almost like a plaster, he says, and includes white pigment, which helps brighten the room, and a sand mixture that gives it a textured look. “It gave us the feel and look without necessarily redoing the entire structure,” Raj says.
globes of light at bottom of bed
faucet and sink
The design team at Pedini Los Angeles had the wall mirror cut into a trapezoid to mimic the shape of the vanity in this stylish Los Angeles powder room.
i like the light streaming into the house
like the style
concrete table
use the gym locker. paint it!
A chalkboard, concrete flooring and plenty of storage options combine to make a rough-and-tumble
This minimalist mudroom in Vancouver features a floating gray-washed bench and a trio of felt-y storage boxes above
YES!
love this idea: The magnetic back wall is a great spot for the family to post notes.
The opening in the storage lockers in this Boston mudroom allows stinky winter gear to air out. This custom space was designed by Jan Gleysteen Architects.
love the idea of hiding the coats and HANGING the coats.
like the wooden seat
The home’s exterior is clad in cedar, giving it a rustic feel that reflects the Laurel Canyon locale. The front door is painted a striking blue from Sydney Harbour Paint Co.
In the great room, the windows, a large stone fireplace and an oversize sliding barn door add more of these architectural elements. Starla notes that when she looked up barn doors like this online she saw that they cost thousands of dollars each. Instead she had the trim carpenter custom-build five interior sliding barn doors for around $2,000 total.
Yes
YES YES YES
find an interesting for for a coffee table. def a modern fireplace cover shelves behind
Stucco primer
Gleaming glam metal baseboards. Here’s an uncommon but really cool concept. Stainless steel and other metal sheeting can make a functional baseboard while adding a bit of shine to your home. The metal baseboard shown here coordinates well with the concrete floor, picking up on the gray tones and industrial, architectural flair and echoing the other subtle metallic accents in the room for a sense of rhythm and continuity.
like the walls
whimsical wine rack
like windows top and side
nice swing
Pillow and throw stash space. Extra pillows and throws are the daytime layers that dress up a bed, but discarding them sideways at bedtime isn’t a good or relaxing look. A storage ottoman or blanket box isn’t a novel idea, but dedicating it to the pieces used for styling might be. The end of the bed can be a convenient position, or use the space under the window instead.
like the seats by windows
like the walls
Recessed downlights, sometimes called can lights, are a feature of many well-lit homes and a favorite tool of professional lighting designers. These often-discreet fixtures are great for adding drama or lighting countertops, but they can also create overly dark interiors and even blinding glare. Here are three brilliant upsides to downlights and three common downsides to consider before installing them. Traditional by David K Warfel Lighting Design David K Warfel Lighting Design Email Save Why do many design professionals love downlights? Because when it comes to adding drama, creating pushed (focused) light or concealing a light source, recessed fixtures are an ideal choice.
The design team left the staircase and fieldstone planter in their original condition but added a painted wood screen to separate the stairs from the lower-level family room and bedroom, the latter of which is now used as an office. Pushing out the entry door gave the foyer a bit more breathing room, and new porcelain tile flooring updated the look. i like the glass on both sides of the front door
Illustrating the power of fresh paint and a new and stylish garage, the home’s exterior is now a stunner. The team at Balodemas Architects boosted the curb appeal by installing a new entry door and sidelights; new windows, including an enlarged opening for the second-floor living room; new fiber cement siding for the upper level; and a new wood garage door. maybe put garage on left side of house (with openings in front and back?) use stylish garage door like this wooden one. also, make front door a double door. make it red!
Pastels also were found on accessories and lighting. The Sawaru cylinder lamp by Nendo for Flos, originally launched at Euroluce 2017, has a turquoise hue reminiscent of the 1980s.
The Houzz exhibit, designed by Studio In, used a palette of lush pastels from Alcro. The powder pink on the shelf to the right looks extra prominent against the deep green chair from Sofacompany.com and a paneled wallpaper from Rebel Walls. Find chairs in all shades of green
Above the living space, glass separates the building from the brick wall and adds a shaft of light.
More drama unfolds at the rear of the property, where a sculptural 2½-story addition sets a contemporary tone. Smith wanted to combine recycled materials with modern textures, so he juxtaposed the rawness of original bricks from old retaining walls on the site with slick cedar slats to exaggerate the mix of old and new. love this for adding an upstairs
like what-washed walls
window shelf is good. maybe storage on sides?
7. Stencil a Message Eschew the typical welcome mat in favor of something more creative: words stenciled directly on the ground. Paint words on the steps, front walk or porch floor for a personal touch.
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