Home Ideas

Fusion Landscape Design worked with PATH to remake the backyard into a grown-up playground. Under the stairwell sits a tiny custom cedar sauna and an outdoor shower—just a literal hop, skip, and jump away from the sprawling in-ground eight-by-ten-foot hot tub. Down three short stairs, Gloster’s Elan dining table from Design Within Reach is surrounded by Spark chairs by Don Chadwick for Knoll and a built-in fire pit and DCS grill by Fisher & Paykel—all resting on a smooth surface of bluestone pavers.

A strip of clerestory windows brings in lots of natural light to the living room, while their high sills encourage privacy from the lane.

The home's furnishings and decor reflect the couple's personal style, with a blend of midcentury modern and Scandinavian-inspired pieces.

8. "How often do I like to communicate with my realtor and what's the best way to do so?" "Your agent should know how you like to check in and by what method—text, email, or phone,” explains Hoffman. “The biggest complaints we hear from clients who have worked with other agents is that their agent did not communicate with them in the way they wanted."

In an effort to keep costs within budget without sacrificing looks, the fully gutted and renovated kitchen features IKEA cabinetry framework with shaker-style fronts by Semihandmade. The cabinets were painted Farrow & Ball Pigeon.

By removing walls and a counter peninsula jutting into the room, interior designer Corine Maggio was able to create enough space for a generous island. The stove wall is a fitting focal point with a hood vent accented in tigerwood and a quartz slab backsplash that helps to tie the space together.

“We chose a gray veined marble (Vermont Royal Danby, from ABC Worldwide) for the kitchen counter,” Barker says. “We found bleached walnut floors from Madera to tie the parlor floor together.”

Part modern farmhouse, part gallery, this vacation home just outside Tahoe National Forest is composed of four distinct gable forms separated by square, stone-clad volumes. It was designed by Tahoe-based architect Clare Walton. The interiors were a collaborative effort between the owner, who is an artist and art collector, and interior designer Brittany Haines of ABD Studio. In the kitchen, a custom-made, six-person breakfast banquet, crafted from walnut, is organized around a table that features cold roll steel table top and a turned wood base that has been ebonized black.

A peek into the master bath.

The house has two spacious outdoor patios for entertaining.

"For example, if you are building an entry vestibule with a turn, you may want to plan your renovation so that large furniture is brought in before the vestibule is built out,” she says. “Otherwise, you may not get it around the turn.”

You may think that a library has to be its own room, but books can be stored and read just about anywhere. Lining a hallway with books turns it into a library that you’ll walk through, and be inspired by, every day. Cabinets below provide extra storage and even a place to sit and read.

She used cedar planks from Lowe's and stained them to match the vanity and other wood elements in the room. “We sealed the cedar planks with tung oil, and after a year it's held up wonderfully against water seepage,” says Bertolini

A piece by John Belingheri hangs in the living room of the Bancroft family’s home, which is centered by an Antonio Citterio sofa and Robert Marinelli tables.