nancyemorin's ideas
Orchard designed this simple but effective log bench himself. “It’s made from tubular box-frame steel. I had the bits sent to me, including all the corner pieces,” he says. “You slot it all together and tighten it up with an Allen key. Everybody could make one of these. “It has an iroko hardwood top, which was left over from another client project. But you could use treated [wood] from your local builder’s merchant or scaffold planks; it could be anything,” he continues. “It has that industrial look, and the steel will rust and turn reddy brown, which is very popular.” The bench is versatile too. “Rather than having something built in, you can move the bench, and it has the secondary purpose of a log store, though I wanted to fill it for aesthetics,” Orchard says.
The plants here are all ones that can handle semishade,” Orchard says. “The [yard] is east-facing, so it gets the morning sun, and then loses it at about 11 o’clock. You’ve got to be very careful to pick the right plants.” The living wall will require a little maintenance. “Some plants will grow more aggressively than others, and you don’t want them to take over and swamp out other ones,” he says. “So the grasses might trail down and cover things in trays below. Don’t be afraid to cut off the odd leaf or trailing stem to keep it looking good. Go out with a cup of tea and gently shape it.” Orchard adds that he always tries to create some kind of pattern in his living walls. “Here, I picked plants that would complement and contrast with each other nicely, so you can see the diagonal pattern. I planted in drifts rather than just dotting them around, which would look a little disordered and a bit of mess I think,” he says. The living wall is planted with Hart’s tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium, USDA zones 6 to 8; find your zone), ‘Everest’ sedge (Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’, zones 5 to 9), ‘Everillo’ sedge (Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’, zones 5 to 9); autumn fern (Dryopteris eryth...
The luscious living wall adds soft greenery that really brings the terrace to life. “Often, the problem with patios and terraces is, it’s quite hard landscaping,” Orchard says. “Yes, you can have potted plants, but a living wall really changes how the space works. “As they turn from the side of the house, round the corner, people stop dead in their tracks. They look at the wall and say, ‘Wow, I wasn’t expecting that!’ Then, when you’re inside, you’re looking out onto it too. It looks nice from the house as well as outside,” he says.
The custom-designed fence helps to create a striking, modern look in this area of the garden. Orchard alternated one wide plank with two slim ones all the way up to give it more visual interest. People often forget what a difference fences can make. “If you can work them into the design, it looks quite contemporary, rather than just something you want to hide away with plants,” he says. The fence has been painted anthracite to match the bifold doors and step risers.
In the wet room, matte black penny glass mosaic flooring provides contrast and a nonslip surface. “We liked having the black accents and thought this would be a really fun spot for this pop of black,” Milljour says. On the walls, 4-by-4-inch zellige-style tiles have varying creamy tones. “We wanted something that would give us a clean look without being sterile,” Chelsea says. “We like the variation in this tile.”
The custom inset rift-cut white oak cabinets feature a custom finish, maple melamine interiors and dovetail drawer boxes. “They wanted something warm and durable,” Johnson says. “The door style on these cabinets is different than a standard Shaker-style door, with thinner and more contemporary 1¼-inch stiles and rails.” Refinished red oak flooring anchors the room in additional warmth. Off-white walls, crisp white range hood and ceiling (Simply White by Benjamin Moore) and creamy zellige-style backsplash tile provide a light and airy feel.
Low-Maintenance Look You want a great-looking garden but you’re not a gardener? Split the difference with a low-maintenance garden. With the right design approach and judicious plant selection, your yard can be a relaxing spot rather than another chore on your to-do list. Garden styles vary, but there are some overarching design tips for any low-maintenance installation. Start with a plan that works with your existing yard, rather than fighting the space. Place patios and decks where they’ll get either sun in a cooler garden or shade in one that often bakes — and use flooring materials that are easy to care for, such as concrete or composite or wood decking. Follow the same approach for plants, choosing tried-and-true sun- or shade-loving varieties for each area of the garden. Edit your plant list to just a few dependable and self-sufficient picks, rather than including many varieties. Use evergreen shrubs to provide continuity and a sense of structure and flow. Tip: Use organic mulch to cut down on weeding and watering and to add polish. How to Design a Low-Maintenance Yard
The foliage of Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, zones 4 to 9), particularly hybrids like ‘Aureola’ or ‘All Gold’, doesn’t change color in fall, staying golden throughout the growing season (early spring to fall in cold climates; year-round elsewhere). Water requirement: Moderate water for autumn fern; moderate to regular water for Japanese forest grass Light requirement: Partial to full shade
23. This beach house by Oak Hill Architects in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has a yellow kitchen that’s at once sweet and sophisticated. With beaded inset cabinets and marble counters, its traditional styling feels youthful in the buttery yellow hue. And the warm color — inspired by the living room color in the owners’ first home — will make even rainy days at the beach feel cheery.
19. Glossy ceramic tile in various shades of green create a verdant backsplash that complements the custom character oak cabinets in this Los Angeles kitchen by Kelly Martin Interiors.
11. The cold-rolled steel backsplash and range hood give a stylish, industrial vibe to this Atlanta kitchen by Virtual Studio Innovations. The gold wall tiles that flank the range complement the gold details in the hood.
8. Eight tiles featuring copper relief combine to create an image of a tree above the range in this New Orleans kitchen by Lisa Greiner / Sea Pointe Construction. The surrounding tiles produce a dark backdrop, allowing the copper to stand out.
7. Prospect Refuge Studio titled this red-and-green Minneapolis project “Gucci Kitchen” in reference to the Italian luxury fashion house. The backsplash is mint green back-painted glass.
This Massachusetts kitchen by Lawless Design features a white quartz slab with minimal veining behind the range. The rustic stone-look accent backsplash flanking the quartz is ceramic tiles with raised imprints of stone.
A large slab of Carrara marble in this Columbus, Ohio, kitchen creates a stunning backsplash that breaks up the pale yellow (Hay by Farrow & Ball) cabinets and custom range hood designed by Schrock’s Woodworking.
Ornamental peppers, Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata ‘Colorama’), preserved milo berries, bronze mums (Chrysanthemum sp.) and flowering kalanchoes adorn this Chicago balcony. “Artificial materials can be a great accent,” says Kathy Molnar Simpson, the designer of the planters; she added the milo berries for a stronger hit of red. Water requirement: Moderate to high; the coconut coir-lined planters here dry out quickly and receive 10 minutes of daily drip irrigation Light requirement: Full sun
Nearly all components of this container garden design by Amy Wilbur of Sweet Dirt Designs have a hint of a striped pattern, whether it’s the yellow veins of the croton (Codiaeum variegatum) leaves, the variegated border of the ‘Ascot Rainbow’ spurge (Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’) foliage, the deep red veins of the edible sorrel or the ridges of the pumpkin perched on the corner. Both the subtle pattern coordination and crisp color palette of yellow, gold and green make for a pleasing doorstep combination. Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
A low-curb entry leads to the slightly elevated wet room. The ADA-compliant, 30-by-54-by-14¾-inch tub sits partially below the shower floor and flush with the main bathroom floor. The walls are 12-by-24-inch polished marble-look porcelain tiles that give a light and airy look. “Less grout so it’s nice and clean-looking,” Brazier says. The shower floor is the same porcelain tile as the walls but in a 2-by-2-inch mosaic version. Brazier laid them in a diagonal pattern for visual interest. The wall-mounted shower head and handheld shower feature a luxe gold finish. “The handheld shower is incredibly useful for cleaning down this kind of space, especially the glass,” Brazier says. She moved a new awning window a little higher than the previous window to improve privacy while still allowing in natural light. Wet-room tile: Duomo Bianchi honed, 2 by 2 inches (flooring) and 12 by 24 inches (walls), Emser Tile
On the wall, Stripes Blue Glossy from the Homey collection by Ceramiche Piemme
A geometric-patterned porcelain shower tile adds modern pizzazz to this Omaha, Nebraska, bathroom. Designed by Jana Valdez of Haven Design & Construction, the 60-square-foot bathroom has a custom vanity painted in Onyx by Benjamin Moore and topped with Caesarstone in London Grey. The wood-look tile flooring conceals a radiant heat system, which adds both literal and visual warmth to the black-and-white space.
In this Edina, Minnesota, primary bathroom, Jkath Design Build + Reinvent paired a spacious custom vanity with custom black metal mirrors, black vanity lights and gold-tone hardware. Its painted black finish (Off-Black by Farrow & Ball) picks up the little black octagon details in the marble floor tile. Like the Dolomite wall tiles and the hexagonal tile on the curbless shower’s floor, the main floor tiles have a natural honed finish, a smart, nonslippery choice for wet environments.
Designer Kylie K. Bass of KKB Interiors complemented the custom vanity’s countertop with a border of Arabescato Corchia marble around the shower entrance, which has a bold black-framed door and a low curb to keep water and a bath mat in their places. The main floor and shower walls are Bianco Dolomiti marble tiles, the unlacquered brass fixtures are from Waterworks and the walls are lime-washed, which adds a “timeless yet old-world aesthetic,” Bass says.
f you’re looking for something more interesting than paint for interior walls, there was plenty on offer at Decorex this year, from the sumptuous illustrations of swans on Avalana Designs’ Lake Santharia mural to the post-industrial landscapes on Hit the North cork wallpaper (pictured) by The Monkey Puzzle Tree. Paneling designs have also been taken up a notch, with Orac Decor showing how to incorporate its 3D wallcoverings within colorful contemporary rooms.
The property line runs diagonally along the the top of this plan, and the stepped arrangement of the retaining walls can be seen below it. The pergola is at the bottom left. Another detail to note is the way the cantilevered bench lines up with the fire pit table. The water feature is near the center of the plan. The steppingstones begin at the far-right side of the plan and continue down out of frame along the left side of the house.
The fountain repeats the stepped motif and hugs the corner formed by the retaining walls. It is smooth concrete and has a wide spout that lets the water splash into a linear lower basin. The bottoms of both basins are lined in Mexican beach pebbles. The sound of the fountain can be enjoyed from anywhere on the deck, creating a sense of calm. It also provides a nice view from inside the house.
The new Trex composite decking looks like wood and runs parallel with the back of the house. The new walls are concrete, covered with a smoother stucco finish than the old walls had. While the pergola defines the outdoor dining room, Rogers designed the new retaining walls beyond it to create a lounge nook. He anchored the lounge with a semicustom concrete fire table that has its own gas line. A detail worth noting is the way the bench juts out beyond the retaining wall on the right. “This was a cool way to engage the space. The fire table sits outside of the retaining walls, so we pulled the bench out to line up with the outer edge of it,” Rogers says. “It also shows off how it’s cantilevered from all three sides so that you get the idea of the wood hanging in a sculptural way.” Those entering from the side yard can see the area from the opposite end of the patio, so it draws them toward it.
In between the retaining walls and the property line, Rogers placed a series of privacy screens in lieu of a fence. “The other house is very close, but we didn’t want a huge wall of fencing that would overwhelm the deck and make it feel claustrophobic,” he says. Instead, he designed 9-foot-wide individual panels with gaps between them. “It still feels private, but these have a stand-alone sculptural feel,” he says. Rogers repeated the aluminum and cedar used on the pergola for a cohesive look. The aluminum frames have channels in the center that he slid the cedar slats into; he separated the horizontal slats with spacers to add to the open feeling. The larger shrubs seen here are ‘August Beauty’ gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’, USDA zones 7 to 10; find your zone). “These are robust and will grow into a nice monochromatic evergreen hedge,” Rogers says. They also will provide a lovely fragrance when they flower in late summer or early fall. For contrast, he planted creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia, zones 3 to 9) as a brighter green ground cover. “The homeowners can decide if they want this to engage the retaining walls by letting it spill over, or keep it clean...
In addition to the stepped-in retaining walls, Rogers broke up the deck with different levels. Seen here is the portion of the deck that is entered by people approaching it from the side yard. The sound of water cascading from a new water feature draws them around the corner to this area. This smaller area is also meant to be an intimate lounge (it was unfurnished during the photo shoot). The lighting scheme also was important to the homeowners. Integrated lights make the steps safer at night.
A stunning new pergola defines the dining area. It is painted aluminum, with cedar slats set within the structural frame. The cedar slats of the overhang continue down the side, adding a beautiful architectural element to the large expanse of stucco on the back facade of the house. Party lights provide a lovely ambiance at night. The pergola measures 16 by 14 feet. Rogers attached it to the house to provide support. This allowed him to place the support post on the left side in an unobtrusive spot, rather than at the outer corner, and creates a dramatic cantilevered look. Steel cable rails off the side of the deck keep the views of the trees open. You can’t see it in the photo, but the cedar handrail along the top intersects with a cedar slat on the pergola’s wall in a beautiful way.
I played off the architecture of the house with the design,” Rogers says. He took cues not only from the home’s exterior but also from its interior decor. “It’s very modern with a contemporary open floor plan, and the interiors were minimalist,” he says. The back property line runs on a diagonal and is farthest away from the house at the portion of the deck seen here. The setback requirements limited how far out Rogers could place the retaining walls that would edge the deck. He addressed these limitations by thoughtfully arranging the retaining walls in a stepped-back design. This divided the deck into three sections. The result is a large deck that has designated pockets of space for different uses and a more intimate feel. This largest portion serves as the main entertainment area and includes a dining area and fire table lounge. After ripping up the old deck, the crew regraded the ground that had been beneath it, creating a gravel-lined drainage swale to redirect the water. The swale prevents water from pooling and mosquitos from gathering.
A new frameless glass-enclosed shower adds to the light and airy feel, as does the updated color scheme. The walls are a blue-green-gray (Silvermist by Sherwin-Williams), and the trim, wainscoting and ceiling are white. The homeowners “likes greens and blues, and this color on the walls was a nice marriage between both,” McLaughlin says. “It’s not too light or too dark.” Black, white and gray hexagonal marble mosaic tiles add an eye-catching pattern. “It’s classy, and I love the almost vintage aspect of the design,” Moorhead says. “And the hexagon shape is seen elsewhere in my house.”
\
A simple drawer at the bottom of the cabinet is handy for storing items that aren’t used frequently. The drawer will be in an area where someone is often standing, so consider whether that’s practical. Note the steel rod running the length of the upper cabinet — it’s a simple and space-efficient way to hold towels.
Perhaps the most coveted sleeping spot in camp is the sleeping porch off the back of the second house. It’s perfect for breezy overnights or afternoon naps. Note the slatted rails around the bottom of the porch, which keep pets and people from damaging or falling through the screens.
A kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, coffeemaker and sink makes it easy to make coffee and heat up a pastry in the morning. But its relative lack of amenities is meant to draw everyone over to the main living space for meals together.
The second cabin has more of a communal playroom area than a family room. It includes a bedroom, a bunk room, a bathroom, a sleeping loft and a sleeping porch.
One detail to note in this photo of the second-story hallway is that the bedroom doors have transom windows over them. This strategy shares natural light between the hallway and the bedrooms. The whitewashed pine walls also add a lightness. “The whitewashing made things light and bright but still kept it rustic,” Cleary says.
The first floor of the main cabin also includes this primary bedroom and a bunk room. There are three bedrooms upstairs. The team designed the bedrooms to be as efficient as possible. For example, this bed has drawers for clothing storage in its base, and the walls have hooks that accommodate fishing gear.
A communal-style living environment with small bedrooms encourages everyone to be out in the main living areas: the kitchen, the living room and, most important, the outdoors. They designed one cabin to serve as the main gathering spot for the whole group. The second cabin is geared more toward sleeping. Expansive windows make the views of the lake and woods the star. Exposed beams on the ceiling, pine floors and lightly pickled pine walls complement the outdoor views.
Who lives here: This is an extended family’s vacation property Location: Limington, Maine Size: 2,700 square feet (251 square meters); seven sleeping bedrooms, three bathrooms Architect: David Duncan Morris, Teresa Telander and Leah Schaffer of Caleb Johnson Studio Contractor and carpenter: Woodhull of Maine The site and the context influenced the size and placement of the new structures. Amid the other properties in the area, one house that could sleep 20 people would have looked obnoxious in scale. Instead, the architects broke it down into two structures. The orange shed seen behind the two houses is part of the original camp. The color was chosen by Carden’s Norwegian-Danish mother, who took her inspiration from brightly colored summer cottages in Norway. The architects carried the orange to the new cabins on elements like the exterior trim, some of the light fixtures and accents such as throw pillows.
The architects kept the buildings lower, with story-and-a-half designs. Gabled roofs with dormers allowed for the second stories while keeping things cozy. The exterior mixes cedar and hemlock siding and trim, with a standing-seam metal roof.
This bathroom, renovated by interior architect Hava Castro, is in an apartment in Paris owned by a family of four. The room is small but the designer managed to fit a bathtub, a shower and two sinks. This was more convenient for the homeowners, who have two young kids. The floor and the walls are covered with marble-look tile for a sophisticated look. The atmosphere is warmed up by the wooden cabinet and the brass touches make the room even more elegant and timeless.
Install a Waste Trap “Little and often” is a good mantra when it comes to cleaning, and a small preventative measure such as a waste trap can be a big help in cutting down on housework. “Always make sure you have a [drain] with a hair trap in both your sink and shower,” Rezende says. “You can then frequently remove it and quickly clean it to avoid hair clogging up waste pipes and prevent it from becoming an issue.”
h
The vintage rug brings in soft and muted tones. The nightstands add wood grain patterns, and the sconces have playful gold discs. “The light bounces off the gold in a really pretty way,” Curtis says.
“This house satisfied my stylistic split personality,” Curtis says. “I love dark and moody and I love peaceful and calm.” The second living-family room is the latter, with a bit of moodiness coming in through art and accents. Two custom structured sofas provide the specific comfortable seating the homeowners needed. An oversize coffee table fits the center of the room just right. And layered rugs add softness, texture and color. “The top rug adds some unexpected peachy-pink tones,” Curtis says. The bottom rug is jute with a crisscross pattern. This room has higher ceilings, so Curtis added wood beams for warm contrast and to tie into where the ceiling drops on the left side of the room. The beams also add an architectural element to the space.
The kitchen isn’t very large, but it feels open and airy thanks to the lack of an island. A vintage rug adds a warm touch on the floor. A large pantry cabinet is on the left. The backsplash is handmade terra-cotta tile. “With the open view of the kitchen, we knew we needed a color that would play well with the dark green,” Curtis says. It also adds a warm organic element to the kitchen. Because of the vertical orientation of the tiles, Curtis knew she needed to balance in some horizontality. The striped Roman shade over the window creates a large horizontal element, as do the white oak accents pieces on the cabinetry, vent hood and open shelves.
Set Up a Soaking Spot Instead of splurging for a backyard spa, the owner of this Portland backyard constructed his own bathhouse. Now, a repainted vintage claw-foot tub sits on top of a compacted bed of gravel, surrounded by a small deck made of salvaged cedar boards. Hot water runs from the house to the tub in an above-ground hose hidden in the shrubs.
A bespoke timber compost bin sits neatly in a corner of the garden. With its compact size it does not overwhelm the garden (as plastic compost bin may do) and provides valuable compost for the growing of vegetables. The front slats can be removed to allow easy access to the compost. The lids double up as a potting table.
Q