The home has a Genkan entry - a feature of Japanese houses – where the exterior stone paving continues into the entry, and then the interior floor raises 6” – where one then walks with their shoes off. Banding the top of the first floor is an 18-ich tall slot window that wraps around all sides. This window acts to create a visual separation between the box volume of the second floor and the walls of the first floor. It also allows for interior views to the tree canopies beyond, and to bring in soft light. Photographer: Joe Fletcher

Full Home Renovation and Addition. Industrial Artist Style. We removed most of the walls in the existing house and create a bridge to the addition over the detached garage. We created an very open floor plan which is industrial and cozy. Both bathrooms and the first floor have cement floors with a specialty stain, and a radiant heat system. We installed a custom kitchen, custom barn doors, custom furniture, all new windows and exterior doors. We loved the rawness of the beams and added corrugated tin in a few areas to the ceiling. We applied American Clay to many walls, and installed metal stairs. This was a fun project and we had a blast! Tom Queally Photography

Inspired by the surrounding landscape, the Craftsman/Prairie style is one of the few truly American architectural styles. It was developed around the turn of the century by a group of Midwestern architects and continues to be among the most comfortable of all American-designed architecture more than a century later, one of the main reasons it continues to attract architects and homeowners today. Oxbridge builds on that solid reputation, drawing from Craftsman/Prairie and classic Farmhouse styles. Its handsome Shingle-clad exterior includes interesting pitched rooflines, alternating rows of cedar shake siding, stone accents in the foundation and chimney and distinctive decorative brackets. Repeating triple windows add interest to the exterior while keeping interior spaces open and bright. Inside, the floor plan is equally impressive. Columns on the porch and a custom entry door with sidelights and decorative glass leads into a spacious 2,900-square-foot main floor, including a 19 by 24-foot living room with a period-inspired built-ins and a natural fireplace. While inspired by the past, the home lives for the present, with open rooms and plenty of storage throughout. Also included is a 27-foot-wide family-style kitchen with a large island and eat-in dining and a nearby dining room with a beadboard ceiling that leads out onto a relaxing 240-square-foot screen porch that takes full advantage of the nearby outdoors and a private 16 by 20-foot master suite with a sloped ceiling and relaxing personal sitting area. The first floor also includes a large walk-in closet, a home management area and pantry to help you stay organized and a first-floor laundry area. Upstairs, another 1,500 square feet awaits, with a built-ins and a window seat at the top of the stairs that nod to the home’s historic inspiration. Opt for three family bedrooms or use one of the three as a yoga room; the upper level also includes attic access, which offers another 500 square feet, perfect for crafts or a playroom. More space awaits in the lower level, where another 1,500 square feet (and an additional 1,000) include a recreation/family room with nine-foot ceilings, a wine cellar and home office. Photographer: Jeff Garland

A serene bathroom with beautiful grey tiled floor, freestanding bathtub and chrome details. Photography by Vicky Tan

Photographer: Tom Crane Interior Designer: Meadowbank Designs, Wayne, PA

This house was designed as a second home for a Bay Area couple as a summer retreat to spend the warm summer months away from the fog in San Francisco. Built on a steep slope and a narrow lot, this 4000 square foot home is spread over 3 floors, with the master, guest and kids bedroom on the ground floor, and living spaces on the upper floor to take advantage of the views. The main living level includes a large kitchen, dining, and living space, connected to two home offices by way of a bridge that extends across the double height entry. This bridge area acts as a gallery of light, allowing filtered light through the skylights above and down to the entry on the ground level. All living space takes advantage of grand views of Lake Washington and the city skyline beyond. Two large sliding glass doors open up completely, allowing the living and dining space to extend to the deck outside. On the first floor, in addition to the guest room, a “kids room” welcomes visiting nieces and nephews with bunk beds and their own bathroom. The basement level contains storage, mechanical and a 2 car garage. Photographer: Aaron Leitz

Modern - Interior Design projects by J Design Group Miami. http://www.JDesignGroup.com JW Magazine publishes a client’s luxury waterfront condo in Miami and she states: WHEN JENNIFER CORREDOR OF THE J Design Group designed this 2- bedroom, 2½-bath, waterfront condo in Miami, her biggest challenge was to add color and create a dining area out of a small but charming space. The Coral Gables-based designer had never met the couple when they hired her earlier this year to transform their 15thfloor, 2000-square-foot vacation home into a modern, minimalist stunner with splashy sub-tropical colors. The globe-trotting, Barcelona-based executive and his engineer wife had seen Corredor’s work on the Internet and were blown away by her use of art, color and clean design to create a livable environment. They learned through continuous telephone conversations that the designer understood how to utilize the beauty of Miami and its dazzling waterfront while keeping the home spare, lean and bright. So they hired her at the end of January to work her magic on their new American home “This was a fascinating project that moved at lightning speed,” says Corredor, a native of Jamaica. “The wife is Colombian and the husband is Canadian. They live in Spain with their two children, and basically hired me by phone to furnish their condo.But I had changes in mind to help them enjoy Miami. And they agreed.” For example, Corredor thought the powder room needed to be dressed up, so she changed the doors to become modern and warm with clean lines. She also ordered a special green glass treatment that she designed and had installed by K&G. She added a green frosted glass pedestal sink and matching green sun fixture on the wall. For the den/guest room, she added a glass partition and worked to transform a dark and somber space into a playful palette of bold color. “I added a red wall in geometric design and a frosted door outlined with exotic wood,” she says. “I used furnishings to make the den lively, including a modern carpet from Sweden, and I added punches of color.” For the difficult dining area, she incorporated the table into an island junction off of the kitchen, adding a clever vignette that is both functional and fashionable. The dining table was custom designed, produced and installed by the Miami Wall Unit Group, a company that knows how to incorporate furniture into tight spaces. “The island is used for dining and doing work,” the designer says. “The family can eat at the table, and for other purposes that they choose, it also becomes a standard island. This is a vacation home, so the family doesn’t cook much. But they will spend more time here now that the design is complete.” Corredor found just the right places in the kitchen to add color. The backspash shines in aqua glass emulating tones from the ocean, and the vivid green bar stools which double as dining chairs by Icon Furniture blend with the earth tones of the cabinets, bases and countertops as well as the stainless steel appliances. Bold greens in the floral art work hanging on the wall are intended to capture the purity of Miami and play off of the color of the bar stools. The contemporary living room/family room is another brilliant use of color on white, which again, started as a virtual blank palette. With great floor-to-ceiling window/door views of Biscayne Bay leading to Key Biscayne, the designer had to decide what colors would work with the outside sneaking in via a spacious balcony. So she found a bold orange contemporary painting to hang above the white sofa made of versatile Alcantara fabric from KMP Furniture. She picked a splashy orange and white throw rug to go over the Opus Stone floors. The orange painting brings out the orange in the rug, adding understated zip to the room. Atop the rug is an imported tempered glass coffee table curved underneath for magazines. White swivel chairs round out the vignette. She designed a green wall as the backdrop to the Samsung LED7000 TV and used cable lighting and sconces to complete the ambience in this room. The outdoor colors work well with the great water views visible through the window/doors. Similarly, the master bedroom has beautiful bay views with the blue of the water and sky dominating a full side of the room from window/doors leading to the balcony. The room has a hushed silence in pure white repeated by the low, modern, king-sized bed appointed in white with a beige pillow. Above is a rectangular framed painting absent of bright color but for yellow. To perk up the room and accentuate the yellow, Corredor added a red swivel chair, which plays off of the hanging pendant lamps in red glass. “We are in Miami and with an all-white apartment, I had to bring back warmth and color,” she laughs. “Besides, the clients wanted something different from what they have in Barcelona. I made it refreshing and revitalizing.” The children’s room also has the water views and features a pair of Trundle beds with white side tables and lamps with glass shades on pedestals from WestElm. The walls are off white so the designer added a sassy green stripe to jazz it up. “This room is different from what you would expect,” says Corredor. “I wanted the stripe across the wall to add both color and design to the all-white room. People like color, and I love to integrate it into these wonderful water views.” She went for more outdoor colors on the balcony that wraps around the condo. Green bean bag chairs surround a modern resin coffee table with stained glass legs, continuing on the outside what she had accomplished inside. “We did quite a bit in a short amount of time, and it all blends to showcase the beauty of the water,” she says. It’s no secret that Corredor loves her work. To recreate such a bland space into a spectacular contemporary condo in less than a year is quite a task. But the clients gave her free reign to do her thing, and they have no regrets. “I feel exhilarated when I look at the finished product,” says Corredor. “I do every project with heart. But I feel especially proud of this one and am pleased with the materials we selected. In the end, it is all about the client’s happiness. From the look of excitement on their faces, I know we have a winner.” J Design Group 225 Malaga Ave. Coral Gable, FL 33134 http://www.JDesignGroup.com Call us at: 305.444.4611 “Home Interior Designers” "Miami modern" “Contemporary Interior Designers” “Modern Interior Designers” “House Interior Designers” “Coco Plum Interior Designers” “Sunny Isles Interior Designers” “Pinecrest Interior Designers” "J Design Group interiors" "South Florida designers" “Best Miami Designers” "Miami interiors" "Miami decor" “Miami Beach Designers” “Best Miami Interior Designers” “Miami Beach Interiors” “Luxurious Design in Miami” "Top designers" "Deco Miami" "Luxury interiors" “Miami Beach Luxury Interiors” “Miami Interior Design” “Miami Interior Design Firms” "Beach front" “Top Interior Designers” "top decor" “Top Miami Decorators” "Miami luxury condos" "modern interiors" "Modern” "Pent house design" "white interiors" “Top Miami Interior Decorators” “Top Miami Interior Designers” “Modern Designers in Miami” 225 Malaga Ave. Coral Gable, FL 33134 http://www.JDesignGroup.com Call us at: 305.444.4611

The Victoria era ended more then 100 years ago, but it's design influences-deep, rich colors, wallpaper with bold patterns and velvety textures, and high-quality, detailed millwork-can still be found in the modern-day homes, such as this 7,500-square-foot beauty in Medina. The home's entrance is fit for a king and queen. A dramatic two-story foyer opens up to 10-foot ceilings, graced by a curved staircase, a sun-filled living room that takes advantage of the views of the three-acre property, and a music room, featuring the homeowners' baby grand piano. "Each unique room has a sense of separation, yet there's an open floor plan", explains Andy Schrader, president of Schrader & Companies, the builder behind this masterpiece. The home features four bedrooms and five baths, including a stunning master suite with and expansive walk-in master shower-complete with exterior and interior windows and a rain showerhead suspended from the ceiling. Other luxury amenities include main- and upper level laundries, four garage stalls, an indoor sport court, a workroom for the wife (with French doors accessing a personal patio), and a vestibule opening to the husband's office, complete with ship portal. The nucleus of this home is the kitchen, with a wall of windows overlooking a private pond, a cathedral vaulted ceiling, and a unique Romeo-and-Juliet balcony, a trademark feature of the builder. Story courtesy or Midwest Home Magazine-August 2012 Written by Christina Sarinske Photographs courtesy of Scott Jacobson

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards Sara and Paul Matthews call their head-turning home, located in a sweet neighborhood just up the hill from downtown Petoskey, “a very human story.” Indeed it is. Sara and her husband, Paul, have a special-needs son as well as an energetic middle-school daughter. This home has an answer for everyone. Located down the street from the school, it is ideally situated for their daughter and a self-contained apartment off the great room accommodates all their son’s needs while giving his caretakers privacy—and the family theirs. The Matthews began the building process by taking their thoughts and needs to Stephanie Baldwin and her team at Edgewater Design Group. Beyond the above considerations, they wanted their new home to be low maintenance and to stand out architecturally, “But not so much that anyone would complain that it didn’t work in our neighborhood,” says Sara. “We were thrilled that Edgewater listened to us and were able to give us a unique-looking house that is meeting all our needs.” Lombardy LLC built this handsome home with Paul working alongside the construction crew throughout the project. The low maintenance exterior is a cutting-edge blend of stacked stone, black corrugated steel, black framed windows and Douglas fir soffits—elements that add up to an organic contemporary look. The use of black steel, including interior beams and the staircase system, lend an industrial vibe that is courtesy of the Matthews’ friend Dan Mello of Trimet Industries in Traverse City. The couple first met Dan, a metal fabricator, a number of years ago, right around the time they found out that their then two-year-old son would never be able to walk. After the couple explained to Dan that they couldn’t find a solution for a child who wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair, he designed a comfortable, rolling chair that was just perfect. They still use it. The couple’s gratitude for the chair resulted in a trusting relationship with Dan, so it was natural for them to welcome his talents into their home-building process. A maple floor finished to bring out all of its color-tones envelops the room in warmth. Alder doors and trim and a Doug fir ceiling reflect that warmth. Clearstory windows and floor-to-ceiling window banks fill the space with light—and with views of the spacious grounds that will become a canvas for Paul, a retired landscaper. The couple’s vibrant art pieces play off against modernist furniture and lighting that is due to an inspired collaboration between Sara and interior designer Kelly Paulsen. “She was absolutely instrumental to the project,” Sara says. “I went through two designers before I finally found Kelly.” The open clean-lined kitchen, butler’s pantry outfitted with a beverage center and Miele coffee machine (that allows guests to wait on themselves when Sara is cooking), and an outdoor room that centers around a wood-burning fireplace, all make for easy, fabulous entertaining. A den just off the great room houses the big-screen television and Sara’s loom— making for relaxing evenings of weaving, game watching and togetherness. Tourgoers will leave understanding that this house is everything great design should be. Form following function—and solving very human issues with soul-soothing style.

Staining this floor made all the difference! We even used copper nails to tack down the flooring which sparkle like little gems.

The new floors are local Oregon white oak, and the dining table was made from locally salvaged walnut. The range is a vintage Craigslist find, and a wood-burning stove easily and efficiently heats the small house. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.

Mosaik Design & Remodeling recently completed a basement remodel in Portland’s SW Vista Hills neighborhood that helped a family of four reclaim 1,700 unused square feet. Now there's a comfortable, industrial chic living space that appeals to the entire family and gets maximum use. Lincoln Barbour Photo www.lincolnbarbour.com

The layout of this colonial-style house lacked the open, coastal feel the homeowners wanted for their summer retreat. Siemasko + Verbridge worked with the homeowners to understand their goals and priorities: gourmet kitchen; open first floor with casual, connected lounging and entertaining spaces; an out-of-the-way area for laundry and a powder room; a home office; and overall, give the home a lighter and more “airy” feel. SV’s design team reprogrammed the first floor to successfully achieve these goals. SV relocated the kitchen to what had been an underutilized family room and moved the dining room to the location of the existing kitchen. This shift allowed for better alignment with the existing living spaces and improved flow through the rooms. The existing powder room and laundry closet, which opened directly into the dining room, were moved and are now tucked in a lower traffic area that connects the garage entrance to the kitchen. A new entry closet and home office were incorporated into the front of the house to define a well-proportioned entry space with a view of the new kitchen. By making use of the existing cathedral ceilings, adding windows in key locations, removing very few walls, and introducing a lighter color palette with contemporary materials, this summer cottage now exudes the light and airiness this home was meant to have. © Dan Cutrona Photography

This kitchen was only made possible by a combination of manipulating the architecture of the house and redefining the spaces. Some structural limitations gave rise to elegant solutions in the design of the demising walls and the ceiling over the kitchen. This ceiling design motif was repeated for the breakfast area and the dining room adjacent. The former porch was captured to the interior for an enhanced breakfast room. New defining walls established a language that was repeated in the cabinet layout. A walnut eating bar is shaped to match the walnut cabinets that surround the fridge. This bridge shape was again repeated in the shape of the countertop. Two-tone cabinets of black gloss lacquer and horizontal grain-matched walnut create a striking contrast to each other and are complimented by the limestone floor and stainless appliances. By intentionally leaving the cooktop wall empty of uppers that tough the ceiling, a simple solution of walnut backsplash panels adds to the width perception of the room. Photo Credit: Metropolis Studio

Rat Race Studios

Taking full advantage of its spectacular setting on a sandy beach along the Great Lakes shoreline, this 70’s masterpiece was meticulously transformed into a bachelor’s space full of technology and light. Floor-to-ceiling windows encase the modern floor plan and illuminate the luster of the dark bamboo flooring and zebra wood cabinetry throughout. The great room commands particular attention, with a fireplace focal wall of marble placed on the diagonal and all-white furniture, making it aesthetically pleasing from every perspective. The master suite includes a custom-designed king-size bed and mirrored wall, an all-marble bathroom with a 12-head performance shower, and a full walk-in closet fit for a king