Luxurious Penthouse With Bright Red Accents

This amazing penthouse is located in New York and has everything you can dream about. The interior is very spectacular and impressive, with colorful accents like rich brown and bright red. The master suite is the ultimate retreat featuring two large walk-in closets and a tranquil marble master bath designed for the ultimate in relaxation. Luxury here is in every detail: fantastic natural wood, Marilyn Monroe portrait in the kitchen, cool candle lamp in the dining room, fantastic stone wall with a fireplace in the living room, marble in the bathroom, an amazing wooden deck with Jacuzzi. Exclusive design and absolute comfort � isn�t that a dream?

Via

Light and Dark Apartment Design Inspiration

Many modern apartment designs, including those featured on this site, rely on bright neon pops of color to give the rooms a more playful feel. However, there is always something to be said for the more subdued and sophisticated choice of monochromatic design. In the first of these two urban apartments, both photographed by the ever reliable Hey!Cheese, we can see that black, white, and shades of grey can create an almost zen-like modern atmosphere. In the second home, while dark colors pervade, earthy accent walls manage to warm up the design.

 With a crisp white bedroom that opens up onto a cozy balcony covered in greenery, we see a wonderful space to relax and unwind at any time of day.

 The marble half wall, where an LCD television is mounted, creates a comfortable office nook that is separate from the living area, but not closed off from the house. This makes it easy to forget about work, but equally easy to jump into it comfortably.

 While the kitchen is typically a place that bursts of color find their home, this one has been kept a gleaming white from cabinetry to countertop.

 The light wood breakfast table that is nestled up against the marble bar makes it easy to entertain larger groups, or have a cozy family meal, even without a lot of square footage.

 The massive built-in storage unit in the living room creates a black accent wall when closed, and tons of hidden storage space when every door opens up.

  

Of course, what bedroom is complete with a slightly funky rabbit lamp on the bedside table.  

Via

Master on the Main

In the 1970�s a group of architects, designers and engineers began to develop a series of guidelines meant to revolutionize the design of our cities, towns and homes.  They sought an approach to design that would make the built environment more useful to more people for a greater period of time.  They gave voice to the concept of Universal Design.

Now, here we are forty years later and you probably have never heard of Universal Design and you probably don�t care to now.  So I�ll spare you the history lesson, but I will say that even if you haven�t heard of it, you are seeing the concepts of Universal Design infiltrate your home.

Master Bedroom Addition on the Main Level

One of the most commonly requested additions onto a home is the addition of a master bedroom and bathroom located on the main level.  Homeowners have begun to realize the benefits of such an arrangement.  They see the value of having a bedroom space that is accessible without going up or down a flight of stairs or one that is removed from the other bedrooms to provide privacy.  They see what designers who ascribe to universal design concepts have seen all along; that a home with accessible living and sleeping spaces has a much greater appeal to a much wider audience.

This is why most new homes being constructed in the United States have a master bedroom suite on the main level of the home.  It makes good sense and serves a family well through all seasons of life.  For example, when a young family moves into a home, they typically want all the bedrooms grouped on the same level of the house so the parents have easy access to the children.  They also realize that when they have overnight guests, it is best for the guests to be removed from the sometimes chaotic nighttime rituals of young children.  A separated bedroom on the main level of the house is perfect for guests and for aging grandparents to use while visiting.  When the kids have grown and developed their independence, the parents often find that some separation is good for everyone and they move into the main level bedroom suite.  Planned correctly, this main level master suite can also make late night sneak-ins and sneak-outs more difficult.  Finally, when the kids have moved out and now send monthly stipends to their cherished parents, the parents can remain comfortably in their main level bedroom suite.  They don�t even have to heat or cool the upstairs until their children and grandchildren arrive for a visit.  When they do arrive they all get to stay upstairs and the parents maintain their privacy and sanity in their main level bedroom.  Sounds great, right?  Well, this client thought so.

Master Bath Addition on the Main Level

Curbless Shower is Accessible

Here is an example of a renovation project to add a master suite onto the main level of the house.  The homeowners wanted a master suite on the main even though they have a young child whom they want to be near right now.  So this new bedroom suite currently serves as the guest suite for visitors and occasionally a retreat from a snoring spouse.  The bedroom is open and airy with a vaulted ceiling and timber beam accents.  The bay window helps to flood the space with natural light.   

The adjoining bathroom is designed for two.  The double vanity is spacious and provides great storage space.  The walk-in closet is accessible from the bathroom and the shower floor is recessed to allow a zero threshold entry.  The skylight provides natural lighting while maintaining privacy.  Multiple shower heads and a built-in bench seat in the over sized shower provide a soothing place to just sit and relax.

Master Suite Addition

Bench Seat for Relaxing

Everything the homeowner needs to live and thrive in this home for years and years to come has been provided.  This simple, yet well designed addition will serve the needs of this family both now and in the future.  It is a design that is customized to the personality and character of the homeowner, yet it takes advantage of universal design elements that can be applied to most any project you have in mind.

How to Prevent your "FLIP" from Becoming a "FLOP"

�Flipping� a house or buying a home, fixing it up and reselling it right away is something almost everyone I talk to has thought about doing at one time or another.  You may have even dreamed of making it rich this way.  People watch TV shows like Flip This House, Property Ladder and Flipping Out and think to themselves, �Hey, I could do that!�  Many people try, but few succeed.  So, what determines if a project is a successful flip or an all-out flop?

Contrasting flooring cuts the space in half

The key to a successful flip is having the right team in place.  You need to have a knowledgeable realtor with foreclosure and short sale experience, a reliable lender who can actually lend money for properties that are not considered fully habitable, a design professional who can guide you into making the least amount of modifications for the most impact and a series of contractors and sub-contractors who can get the work done in a timely manner without sacrificing quality.  Of course, this is easier said than done.

Five contrasting wall colors is a Nightmare

The home we were buying was a foreclosure so the bank had �winterized� the home which meant they had all the pipes drained and all the utilities disconnected.  This is typical for foreclosures.  The problem is that your ability to inspect or have the home inspected is limited because you may not be able to get utility service restored until you own the property.  You are taking a risk by assuming the electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems are fully operable.  Another hurdle involved the financing of the project.

No carpet = Uninhabitable by banks

Since this home had all the carpeting on the second level removed, it was considered by conventional lenders to be uninhabitable.  Basically, most lenders will not loan you money on a home they consider to be uninhabitable because if you default on the loan they are stuck with a home that they would have to fix up to sell.  Sounds crazy right?  Well that�s way it is.  Conventional lenders who are required to abide by government regulations make it very difficult to obtain a loan on an investment property.  You will most likely need to find an alternate lender.

Once you have the secured the financing and purchased the home, the next critical decision is determining which renovations will net you the most profit.  This is where an experienced designer makes all the difference.  In order for you to ultimately sell your property quickly and for the amount you are asking, it needs to be renovated right.  There are minor changes that can net a major profit and there are major changes that can cost you more than you will get back.  Knowing the difference between the two will determine whether or not your project is a successful flip or a colossal flop.

In Desperate Need of a Finish Facelift

I see contractors make design mistakes time and again that cost them thousands of dollars because they wanted to save money by cutting out the designer or architect.  If you truly want to make money on a flip, you need to invest in an experienced professional designer who understands how to design a luxury home on a low income budget.  A good solid design will sell faster and for more money every time.

Quality Finishes and Appliances Make all the Difference

"Staging" Helps Buyers Feel at Home

When the project is complete, furnish and stage the home before listing the property.  Your designer or realtor will be able to guide you through this process.  By following these recommendations, you are far more likely to successfully flip your property rather than being stuck with a flop.

The Right Colors, Finishes and Light Fixtures Transforms this Outcast House into a Gorgeous Home

MAN CAVE MADNESS

Open &Airy Take on the Traditional Man Cave

The term "man cave" either inspires nostalgic longing and thoughts of frat-like freedom or it brings to mind the image of grown men refusing to grow up.  Either way, the term has been around since printed in a newspaper article in 1992 and the desire for an all male retreat has been around since God plucked a rib from Adam and created Man 2.0 also know as woman.  The only difference is that corporate America discovered a new demographic of consumers that they had not tapped into.  Thus the rise of the Man Cave in our culture.

Large Dormer Provides Seating Area and Natural Lighting

Regardless of what you call it, men have always sought a place of their own.  Today this space comes in many shapes and sizes and can be as unique as men themselves.  It can be located in a basement, an attic, a garage, a tree house or an out house.  The location is not as important as the fact that this space is typically all boy! 

Salvaged Bar & Reclaimed Pine Flooring

Tabletop Shuffle Board Spans the Stair

I recently had the privilege of working on one such retreat and found it to be a fun and rewarding experience.  In this project the homeowner wanted to build a detached two-car garage with an additional bay for a workroom.  He also wanted an upper level studio that would serve as his Man Cave.  We designed a structure that would blend with the existing home and created an easily accessible stair that could be closed off from the garage below.  We provided a half bath conveniently tucked underneath the stair.  The studio is a wide open space with access out onto a deck overlooking the golf course.  We added a dormer to provide a seating area and more natural lighting.  The vaulted ceiling helps make the space feel larger than it is and the tabletop shuffle board takes advantage of unused space by spanning across the stairwell. 

The flooring is reclaimed wide plank pine and the bar is a salvaged piece that fits beautifully in the space.  The homeowner is a graduate of North Carolina State University (in case you couldn't tell), so that is the motif he chose to drive his decor.

 This man cave is not cave like at all, in fact is it quite airy and open with abundant natural light and high vaulted ceilings, but it a retreat for hanging out with friends and family (male and female) to enjoy sporting events, cocktails or just some good ole fashion conversation.

Design Strategies to help you "Age In Place"

A beautiful bench seat in the shower is desirable to all ages

One of the most traumatic and easily avoidable events faced by seniors in our society occurs when able minded homeowners feel forced to leave their homes because it is no longer accessible or safe for them to stay.  This scenario looms in the minds of hundreds of thousands of Americans and it's reality is closing in faster and faster.

As of April 2010, 40.3 million Americans were over the age of 65.  They account for over 13% of the US population.  81% of these Americans own their own home and over 60% plan to remain in their homes for as long as they can.

The reality is; however, that most American homes are not designed to accommodate the unique needs of the elder population.  In fact, most homes cannot serve the needs of persons of any age who have temporary or long term disabilities.  Impairments due to the natural aging process begin as early as age 40 and gradually increase over the next few decades.  By the age of 75, 50% of people suffer from significant vision and hearing losses that contribute to social isolation, one of the most harmful factors affecting the health and well-being of seniors in our society.

The good news is that there are a series of adjustments that can be made to the majority of homes that will allow aging Americans or those with disabilities to remain in their homes, maintain their independence and increase the value and usability of their home all at the same time.  These principles can be applied to new or existing homes and they can be done for far less money than is required to move into an assisted living or nursing facility.

In Greenville, SC, a group of experts will come together during the Spring 2013 session to offer a unique series of courses dedicated to helping people who want to stay in their homes and live an independent life.  Through the OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) program located at Furman University, the course titled "There is No Place Like Home" will bring together panelist including Interim Healthcare, Kustom Home Design and a series of  legal, financial, and insurance experts to lead an 8 week course focusing on ways to keep homeowners in their homes.

As a professional designer with parents approaching this milestone I have first hand knowledge and experience with the sentiments and emotions that drive many of the hesitations, fears and decisions involved with charting a course for this stage of life.  It is for this reason that I have partnered with this group of dedicated professionals and have volunteered to lead the April 16th course by offering professional design insight, advice and strategies for seniors who wish to stay in their homes longer and more comfortably.   I will explore the changing needs of seniors, explain the design implications of such needs and apply Universal Design strategies to provide real world solutions for those who wish to "Age in Place".  There are many challenges we all face with aging related issues, but with proper planning and professional direction staying in your home and maintaining your independence does not need to be one of them.

Registration for the course begins February 26, 2013 on the Furman University website  http://www.campusce.net/olliatfurman/category/category.aspx

Finding Online Design Inspiration

There are things about our homes that drive us crazy.  No matter what makes us long for a change eventually we decide to do something about it.  And so we fire up our computers and we become ensnared in the endless array of images, ads and blogs.  We become overwhelmed at the possibilities.

Don't be discouraged.  There is an online resource designed for homeowners who want to find inspiration, images or a trusted local professional to lead them on their way.  This place is called Houzz.com.  Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.5 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality.

I use houzz.com for inspiration.  I use it to share images with my clients, to provide visual examples of proposed design elements and to showcase my own professional designs.  In fact, I recently received the �Best Of Houzz� 2013 Customer Satisfaction award which is based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodeling professionals in 12 categories ranging from architects, and interior designers to contractors and other residential remodeling professionals.

I am honored to receive this award because I firmly believe that the true measure of a successful design can only be found in the satisfaction of an appreciative client and this award affirms my dedication to providing my clients with creative design solutions and superior service.  There is nothing more rewarding than hearing the praise of a client who says they love their new home more than they ever imagined.  

The five star reviews I received from my clients were sent directly from the client to Houzz.com where they undergo a confirmation process.  I was unaware of the reviews until Houzz notified me by email.  The reviews are authentic and can be trusted.

So when you decide to dive into cyberspace for some design inspiration, make sure you choose the path of least resistance and begin with trusted resources like Houzz.com and KustomHomeDesign.com.