Contemporary studio in Bellevue, Washington. Interior design by award winning interior design firm, Hyde Evans Design Photo by Benni adams

Kitchen looking towards Dining Room and Living Room beyond. Photo by Clark Dugger

How does one solve the dilemma of a bedroom where all the walls have windows and doors? With a custom headboard/screen of course. Photographer: Dustin Peck

Photos By Shawn Lortie Photography

Going up the Victorian front stair you enter Unit B at the second floor which opens to a flexible living space - previously there was no interior stair access to all floors so part of the task was to create a stairway that joined three floors together - so a sleek new stair tower was added. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography

This custom home was thoughtfully designed for a young, active family in the heart of wine country. Designed to address the clients’ desire for indoor / outdoor living, the home embraces its surroundings and is sited to take full advantage of the panoramic views and outdoor entertaining spaces. The interior space of the three bedroom, 2.5 bath home is divided into three distinct zones: a public living area; a two bedroom suite; and a separate master suite, which includes an art studio. Casually relaxed, yet startlingly original, the structure gains impact through the sometimes surprising choice of materials, which include field stone, integral concrete floors, glass walls, Honduras mahogany veneers and a copper clad central fireplace. This house showcases the best of modern design while becoming an integral part of its spectacular setting.

Photography: Eric Staudenmaier

Good design must reflect the personality of the client. So when siblings purchased studios in Downtown by Philippe Starck, one of the first buildings to herald the revitalization of Manhattan’s Financial District, the aim was to create environments that were truly bespoke. The brother’s tastes jibed synchronously with the insouciant idea of France’s most popular prankster converting a building that once housed the buttoned-up offices of JP Morgan Chase. His collection of Takashi Murakami works, the gallery-like centerpiece of the main area, announces his boldness and flair up front, as do furnishings by Droog, Moooi and, of course Starck, as well as hide rugs and upholstery, and a predominantly red palette. His sister was after something soothing and discreet. So Axis Mundi responded with a neutrals and used glass to carve out a bedroom surrounded by drapes that transform it into a golden cocoon. Hide (albeit less flamboyantly applied) evokes a familial commonality, and built-in furniture and cabinetry optimize space restrictions inherent in studio apartments. Design Team: John Beckmann, with Richard Rosenbloom Photography: Mikiko Kikuyama © Axis Mundi Design LLC

Family room with dining area included. Cathedral ceilings with tongue and groove wood and beams. Windows along baack wall overlooking the lake. Large stone fireplace.

Oakland Hills Whole Hose Remodel. Award-winning Design for Living’s Dream Kitchen Contest in 2007. Design by Twig Gallemore at Elevation Design & Architecture. Photo of dining room to living room and fireplace

Rob Karosis Photography www.robkarosis.com

The Eagle Harbor Cabin is located on a wooded waterfront property on Lake Superior, at the northerly edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, about 300 miles northeast of Minneapolis. The wooded 3-acre site features the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior, a lake that sometimes behaves like the ocean. The 2,000 SF cabin cantilevers out toward the water, with a 40-ft. long glass wall facing the spectacular beauty of the lake. The cabin is composed of two simple volumes: a large open living/dining/kitchen space with an open timber ceiling structure and a 2-story “bedroom tower,” with the kids’ bedroom on the ground floor and the parents’ bedroom stacked above. The interior spaces are wood paneled, with exposed framing in the ceiling. The cabinets use PLYBOO, a FSC-certified bamboo product, with mahogany end panels. The use of mahogany is repeated in the custom mahogany/steel curvilinear dining table and in the custom mahogany coffee table. The cabin has a simple, elemental quality that is enhanced by custom touches such as the curvilinear maple entry screen and the custom furniture pieces. The cabin utilizes native Michigan hardwoods such as maple and birch. The exterior of the cabin is clad in corrugated metal siding, offset by the tall fireplace mass of Montana ledgestone at the east end. The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and snow protection; and metal siding for maximum durability. Sustainable interior finish materials include bamboo/plywood cabinets, linoleum floors, locally-grown maple flooring and birch paneling, and low-VOC paints.

Eric Straudmeier

Ziger/Snead Architects with Jenkins Baer Associates Photography by Alain Jaramillo

This project was a complete kitchen remodel of a 1980’s kitchen that maintained the current floor plan while redefining the relationship between the kitchen and family room. The cabinetry includes high glass cupboards to house special curios and allows for an easy, elegant transition into the contiguous family room. Surfaces such as the soap stone counter surrounding the farm sink and the wooden dining bar, were selected to accommodate the preferences of an active cook.

clean and simple master bath, countertop made from Cesarstone, FSC cabinets,low VOC paint, low flow shower components

Caroline McCredie