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It requires time to make your dream home, and also to find a location in your dream neighborhood. Shona and Shaun Carcary waited 17 years until both brothers left for faculty — to eventually snag a cabin in Bayshore Beautiful, an oak-filled community inTampa, Florida, just steps from the bay.

Natives of South Africa, the Carcarys (she’s a personal trainer; he’s a property investor) managed to check past the pink walls and dark brown carpet that sullied the cottage’s 1940s interior. “We can see the huge workload involved but may see the property’s charm and great bones,” Shona says. The couple spent six years revamping and tailoring the house to their own liking. They painted floors, gutted and remodeled the bathrooms and the kitchen, converted the detached garage into a workout studio and “individual space,” and gave the entire house a dreamy, all-white makeover.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Shaun and Shona Carcary, and their Chihuahuas, Dinky, Peatri, Bumpy and Dobby
Location: Bayshore Beautiful neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
Size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1940

Mina Brinkey

The few ripped out of the dark brown carpet throughout the house to show hardwood floors. Shona is a huge fan of white painted the floors, pink walls and timber fireplace mantel the exact same color, Ultra Pure White by Behr.The couple also replaced the original windows.

Shona Attempts to store locally as muchas possible, and worked closely with designer Christy McGeachy of Nest Designs and Katy Gagnon of Tampa’s Blue Moon Trading Company. The majority of the living area furniture, including the couch, side table, tree trunk coffee table, lighting and decorative accents, are from Gagnon’s store.

The best way to paint your hardwood floors

Chaise: Deconstructed French Victorian Right-Arm Chaise, Restoration Hardware; wall and floor paint: Ultra Pure White PPU18-6,Behr

Mina Brinkey

An oversize floor mirror draped in series lights helps create the illusion of a bigger space.

An area Shona uses as her home office is observable through the French doors. “It is where I gather my thoughts and organize my times,” she says. She also converted a former garden table into a desk by adding a custom glass top.

Mirror, wooden vase, classic oar, cable light fixture: Blue Moon Trading Company; desk base: Anthropologie (no more available)

Mina Brinkey

Shona’s love of a (nearly) all-white palette mixes nicely with the earthy, nature-inspired accents. “I have found that natural elements such as wood, stone, metal and shells are what I’m attracted to,” she says.

Go gutsy with white floors

Mina Brinkey

Vintage French armchairs add a bit of elegance to Shona’s office. To supply some privacy from the living space, the owners added French doors, which they painted the exact same shade of white as the rest of the inside; they make a smooth transition between chambers.

Mina Brinkey

Painted staircase and risers sporting house numbers lead upstairs into the couple’s bedroom. Shona bought a different number each time she went into a hardware store, amassing a collection over time. “I added them because I count measures as I go up and down,” she says.

Curio cabinet: Blue Moon Trading Company

Mina Brinkey

The few fashioned a stair railing in the birch branch that they bought at Michaels.

Mina Brinkey

A local artisan created the dining area dividers light using materials salvaged from a chicken coop. “I love the eclectic sense of mixing new and old, repurposing items and using them in surprising ways,” Shona says.

Table: Sequoia Dining Table, Z Gallerie; dining chairs: Marshalls; mirror, lighting: Blue Moon Trading Company

Mina Brinkey

The Carcarys finished the kitchen remodel themselves, inspired by compact kitchens with spacious shelving which they saw during excursions to Italy and France. The tin ceiling proved to be the most demanding element, as every tile required to be laid individually. (Shaun set up the pieces while Shona held the ladder.) The countertops are marble, although the kitchen island was created from barn wood floors.

The general cost of the kitchen renovation was $20,000, including appliances and materials.

Shelves: Ekby Mossby/Ekby Bjärnum, Ikea; island: Blue Tooth Company; tin ceiling tiles: eBay; decorative items: T.J.Maxx and Marshalls; backsplash tile: The Home Depot

Mina Brinkey

The first-floor guest bedroom was kept light and airy, with both the floors and walls painted entirely white.

Vintage door, console, lighting: Blue Tooth Company; bed: Lydia, Anthropologie

Mina Brinkey

From the master bedroom upstairs, the few removed a cupboard to create the shower, which they enclosed with a glass wall to create the space feel bigger and look more spacious.

Dual vanity: Ikea; bed: Italian Campaign Canopy Bed, Anthropologie; alloy hanging letters: Blue Tooth Company; wall paint: Ultra Pure White PPU18-6, Behr

Mina Brinkey

Shona and Shaun did all of the labor on their bathroom remodel. They sourced both the bathtub and the emerald-green and gold mosaic tile eBay.

Pendant: Long Hanging Capiz Pendant Lamp, West Elm (no more available)

Mina Brinkey

Shona painted the master bedroom floors black but adhered to white with the linens. The nightstand is a bird bath that Shona fitted with a custom glass top.

By the time the few found thishome, both of the daughters were grown and had moved from the house. (One of these, a real estate agent, helped them find this property.) The Bayshore Beautiful house is smaller compared to the Carcarys’ preceding place, so Shona attempts to maintain things as clutter free as possible. “Now we’ve got less wall area and storage, therefore that I only have things out that imply something or that I use,” she says.

Oversize mirror: Summer House Marketplace; birdbath: Lowe’s

Mina Brinkey

Shona splurged on this vintage-style shelf from Anthropologie, also uses it to display her collection of stage shoes and travel knickknacks. She is especially fond of the leather purse, which she bought on a trip to Ibiza. “I love to spend some time on the weekends searching for one-of-a-kind finds,” she says.

Mina Brinkey

Shona and Shaun utilize the family room the many and love to unwind together facing the TV.

The number 7 is very significant to Shona, as her brother passed away on December 7. This numerical accent is a small method of honoring and remembering him in one of her favourite spaces.

Sectional: Karlstad, Ikea; coffee table: Blue Moon Trading Company

Mina Brinkey

The outdoor places, like this deck which Shaun built, extend the inside with organic surfaces and bits of white. The few loves to entertain guests here, and hosts parties and evenings with wine often.

Wicker chairs put: HomeGoods

Mina Brinkey

This farm table on the rear deck provides Shaun and Shona plenty of chances to host al fresco meals.

Farm table, markets signal: Schiller’s Architectural Salvage; chairs: Blue Moon Trading Company

Mina Brinkey

The classic wrought iron bed at the end of the deck is where Shona and Shaun like to relax and look up at the stars.

Mina Brinkey

The desk, café chair and cart seat are classic and from Blue Moon Trading Company.

Mina Brinkey

The couple created a backyard bathing oasis with a salvaged claw-foot bath tub.

Mina Brinkey

A climbing plant shrouds the arbor leading to the converted garage, which now houses Shona’s gym and Shaun’s home pub.

Mina Brinkey

The couple split their detached garage into two distinct chambers. On the left is Shona’s gym, where she works from home. These French doors lead to what Shaun calls his “individual space,” where he buys time living in front of the TV.

Mina Brinkey

The pub in Shaun’s space is made of a kitchen doorway which the few salvaged during their remodel. The rear shelf was created from a headboard that they brought over from South Africa, while the walls are decorated with construction materials in the school in South Africa in which Shona used to work as a nursery school teacher.

Mina Brinkey

Hardwood floors grace the home exercise studio, in which Shona tends to customers as a personal trainer and nutrition expert.

Mina Brinkey

The cabin is nestled behind grand oaks on an old brick-lined street just steps from the bay. When the Carcarys transferred in, the exterior featured a mix of yellow siding, blue trim and exposed brick. The few painted the entire house precisely the same shade of white as the inside. Since they converted their garage into living space, they park their cars in the driveway.

Exterior paint: Ultra Pure White PPU18-6, Behr

Mina Brinkey

Shona and Shaun moved their family from South Africa to Florida nearly two decades ago. Reflecting on the change, Shona (shown here with their four energetic Chihuahuas) says, “I wake up daily sense grateful and blessed to be in this wonderful nation — our home.”

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Taylor Russell has seen a lot of interiors. After living in hotels for six years — her job in a communications agency had her moving every four weeks to places like Kuwait, Pakistan, Spain and Barbados — she underwent hundreds of distinct living spaces. Over enough to realize what fashion was right for her.

“I was most drawn to bright, airy spaces that were open and inviting, with pretty and intriguing pieces — places where you could curl up comfortably on the couch one night and host a cocktail party the next,” Russell says.

Burned out from her busy schedule, Russell quit her job from a pay phone in Heathrow airport back in 2007 while transitioning from a project in Kuwait to Jamaica. She bought a one-way ticket for her hometown of Toronto and chose about the flight to get a home. Four days after she bought a preconstruction condominium unit in the King West neighborhood.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Taylor Russell, entrepreneur, and her mini Australian shepherd, Hayete
Location: King West neighborhood of Toronto
Size: 1,250 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 baths

Andrew Snow Photography

Russell’s globe-trotting crash course in interior layout was not the one thing on her side. Her parents greatly influenced her new home decoration, too.

Their sculptures and paintings are featured throughout the area, and when Russell’s mother retired as a interior designer and owner of B.B. Bargoon’s, a well-known Toronto design store, Russell (shown here) inherited a number of her mother’s beautiful pieces that Russell had grown up . “Our homes were always beautifully decorated while being inviting and comfortable,” Russell says. “My parents never wanted to live in a museum but wanted to make spaces for us to like a family and while entertaining friends. The house was always full of wonderful pieces from around the world, each with its own story.”

Russell and Hayete relax on the living room couch, which came out of her mother’s store. A refuge for downtown dog owners, the neighborhood has six nearby parks and quick access to the waterfront, which the duo takes full advantage of.

Sofa: classic, B.B. Bargoon’s

Andrew Snow Photography

Needing her home to feel hot in the winter and cool in the summer, she landed a palette of mainly whites and camel browns with a bit of blue in the bedroom and green from the many plants to give the room a refreshing feel.

Russell’s sister discovered the massive coffee table with a chrome base on the road and wrapped it home. Russell’s mother painted the flower painting.

Chairs: classic, Lazy Farmer Antiques; coffee table: vintage, located on the road; painting: Bonnie Bickel

Andrew Snow Photography

This rock mantel came from Russell’s childhood home.

Andrew Snow Photography

Sofa, chair, lamp: B.B. Bargoon’s

Andrew Snow Photography

A cupboard near the stairs includes a collection of artifacts and other objects. Feminine elements, such as the gilded mirror, are contrasted with rustic, industrial pieces, such as the rusted letters.

Andrew Snow Photography

Tucked underneath the stairs, Russell’s office area — she co-owns Tkaro, that creates a portable drinking glasswith her sister — joins ornate, crafted elements using midcentury classics. The planter stand originally stood in her childhood home, and the painting on the wall is with her mother.

Office chair: Eames Aluminum Management Chair, Herman Miller; painting: Bonnie Bickel

Andrew Snow Photography

The completely modern kitchen combines high-gloss white kitchen cabinetry with granite counter tops.

Andrew Snow Photography

Chandelier: classic, from Mexico; portable drinking glass: Tkaro

Andrew Snow Photography

Dining chairs: A Chair, Tolix

Andrew Snow Photography

The entry gallery includes images taken by Russell while living overseas.

Andrew Snow Photography

Classic vases hold blossoms purchased around the corner. Russell was attracted to the King West neighborhood because of its proximity to both downtown and the significant highways out of the city — perfect for weekend getaways. Lots of Toronto’s finest restaurants and bars are within walking distance, as are multiple parks and the waterfront.

Andrew Snow Photography

Keeping an office downstairs has enabled Russell to turn the den into a guest bedroom. A classic American flag atop a mirrored cupboard makes for a stunning focal point there.

Andrew Snow Photography

The lofted bedroom overlooks the living room below, taking advantage of the soaring 24-foot ceilings. The chandelier, repurposed here as a nightlight, was sourced on a trip to a tiny Mexican city.

Andrew Snow Photography

Seat: A Seat, Tolix

Andrew Snow Photography

The serene master en suite comes with a large window that looks into the bedroom.

Andrew Snow Photography

Sink: Duravit

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Alaina Kaczmarski has a knack for design. The proof is at the DIY touches which improve her Chicago lease unit’s original architectural details. Kaczmarski, a stylist, writer and cofounder of the blog The Everygirl, used her trademark color palette of pinks, blacks and grays to liven elements such as floor-to-ceiling built-ins and exposed wood beams. The end result is a style that is glowing, dark, casual and funky all at one time.

at Glance
Who lives here: Alaina Kaczmarski, her roommate and both Cockapoos, Tucker and Fiona
Location: Buena Park neighborhood of Chicago
Size: Around 1,500 square feet; two bedrooms, 1 bathroom

Cynthia Lynn Photography

This gallery wall at Kaczmarski’s workplace is an ever-growing collection of online finds and travel souvenirs. “There is a painting I bought in Montmartre, my first actual work of art, and also my personal-credo ‘Live what you love’ letterpress poster that serves as a daily reminder to do what makes me really happy,” she says.

Her cherished puppies, Fiona and Tucker, love lounging on her couch while she works.

Lamp: Neenas; Color: Sabine, Lulu & George; pouf: Amazon; throw pillows: Caitlin Wilson Textiles; “Live what you love” printing: Heartfish Press; “I believe you” printing: Birdaria; wall paint: Middleton Pink, Farrow & Ball

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Kaczmarski, revealed with Fiona, enjoys the positioning of her Chicago apartment. “There is always something new to do, and each of those regions all offer such distinct energy and types of individuals,” she says. “I never get tired or feel as though I am constantly going to the same place.”

Desk: parson’s, West Elm; rug: Rugs USA; pencil holder: Furbish

Cynthia Lynn Photography

A huge corkboard across from her desk retains invitations and decorating ideas. “My advice to other homeowners is, don’t worry over ‘completing’ your home,” Kaczmarski says. “Gradually acquire pieces you love and revel in the process of making it your own.”

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The blush hue on the walls — Middleton Pink by Farrow & Ball — matches this white built-in Fireplace, which Kaczmarski uses as a minibar.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The home office space had been originally the dining area, but Kaczmarski had small use to get a big dining room. Now she uses the distance — seen from the kitchen — for Everygirl group meetings.

Dining table: walnut, Fashion for Home; kitchen shelves: Goal

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Kaczmarski took benefit of the apartment’s built-in fireplace and mantel, personalizing the shelves and mantel with knickknacks and keepsakes.

She added a little dining table into the oversize living room to create more room for entertaining guests. The chairs are Craigslist finds.

Dining table: Docksta, Ikea; wall mirror: Sunburst, Layla Grace; Paris Ferris Wheel picture: Etsy

Cynthia Lynn Photography

In the living area, Kaczmarski painted the walls grey to keep a neutral palette, layering at a graphic floor carpet and vertical bookshelves to allow the spines of her novels serve as graphic accents.

Rug: Rugs USA; pouf: Lulu & George

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Two of Kaczmarski’s favorite designers are Erika McPherson Powell of Urban Grace Interiors and Brad Ford ID. “Their layouts are both rooted in neutral, traditional style, but each of these adds intriguing, fresh elements which take them into the next level,” she says.

Lamp: Euro Style Lighting; lacquered box: Furbish

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Kaczmarski is on the search for a great steal. She picked up her coffee table at a Jayson Home & Garden warehouse selling. Her latest splurge, and her first major investment bit, is the Carlisle couch out of Pottery Barn.

Coffee table: Chelsea, Jayson Home; ostrich printing: The Animal Print Shop; cushions: Serena & Lily

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Kaczmarski produced a gallery wall round the tv, so the black screen wouldn’t be intrusive.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Inside her bedroom she went with an unconventional shade — pitch black. “I had a black wall in my old workplace and absolutely loved it,” she says. “I thought it would be surprising to bring that color into the bedroom. This could have been very hit or miss, but it ended up being a very cozy, den-like space.”

Bed: Skyline Furniture; linens: Serena & Lilly; “Lust” pillow: Jonathan Adler; paint: Pitch Black No. 256, Farrow & Ball

Cynthia Lynn Photography

The bedroom is where she feels most at home. “It is so cozy — I never need to leave it! Sometimes I just work from bed,” she says.

Nightstand: West Elm; lamp: Euro Style Lighting; mercury bottles: Jayson Home

Cynthia Lynn Photography

On her dresser Kaczmarski uses vintage teacups to display and arrange her jewelry. A classic brass mirror rests on top, using a snapshot of her and her pups tucked in the framework.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Kaczmarski’s biggest challenge was to convert the wood-paneled bathroom from its log cabin style. She transformed the distance with a few coats of white paint and by painting the centre ray a black.

Rug: Layla Grace; tote bag: Feed; accent paint: Pitch Black No. 256, Farrow & Ball

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Hand towels: West Elm; topiary: boxwood, New Growth Design

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Maintaining everything white on white at the bathroom made the somewhat narrow space brighter.

“My home is a means to express myself because I grow older — to change and adapt to new tastes and interests as they unfold,” Kaczmarski says.

Shelving unit: Expedit, Ikea

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After having to demolish their Hurricane Katrina–shattered home, Janet and John Paul watched an chance to rebuild their house and lives. “Our furniture was destroyed in the storm,” says Janet. “We were able to salvage only artwork that hung above the 7 to 8-foot waterline and a few pottery.” As opposed to leave their beloved area, the artwork- and antiques-collecting couple envisioned a brand new, modern residence and hired architect Ken Gowland of MetroStudio and Brandon Construction to carry out their new build.

Their locality was half inhabited when they began construction in January 2012. “Lots of gutted houses were up available,” Janet says. They moved on Halloween that year.

Their property is a double lot, along with the house fronts two roads, since it spans across the block. Two elongated rectangles overlapping at the center form a light-filled good room. Janet and John’s new design became an elegant canvas for which Nelson Wilson Interiors hand chosen furniture mixed with antiques out of Karla Katz Antiques, where Janet works. Local artwork pieces help give the Pauls’ set a fresh start and their c timeless feel.

in a Glance
Who lives here: John and Janet Paul along with their cat, Boris
Location: Lakeview area of New Orleans
Size: 2,300 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, home office

Adam Breaux

The light and airy living room includes glass doors leading to the front porch. The doorways are sometimes left available, combining the 2 spaces the couple spends the most time.

A Louis XIV fauteuil seat from Karla Katz Antiques is your greatest fireside reading seat, and above the mantel is a sculpture by Cathy Rose, titled “Antler Man with Coral Antlers.”

Adam Breaux

Two framed alligator prints hanging above the sofa are by Yvonne Hanriout Giraud.

Adam Breaux

A see-through fireplace acts as a centerpiece and a divider for your fantastic room. The fireplace marks the specific center point of the house.

As part of Janet’s art collecting, she often acquires pottery, such as the Greek bits exhibited in the black granite countertop. The French baker’s table on the right has a high made from coral, and beyond that’s a personalized wood entertainment center designed by Nelson Wilson Interiors.

Adam Breaux

The fireplace is available on either side.

Adam Breaux

A glass totem made by Nelson Wilson Interiors stars at a corner of the dining room. All the cabinets are made locally by Northshore Millwork. The pendant and chandelier lights are by local artist Paul Gruer.

Dining table: Dakota Wood, Julian Chichester; painting: ‘Confrontation’ from ‘Pillars,’ Michelle Levine; kitchen appliances: Kenmore

Adam Breaux

The vertical aspect of the space and lighting is fully appreciated in a view from the kitchen. The west and east wing roofs meet in the center to form a gable, and a cathedral ceiling spans the fantastic room.

Adam Breaux

Adam Breaux

The west wing of the house (behind the kitchen) is home to the home’s only bedroom and bath. The tall and naturally lit area is a wonderful escape, complete with a separate shower and an Air Bubble Tub from Kohler. The tub rests against a background of Lucian green glass tile, and supporting it will be the shower and toilet, separated by a wall.

Adam Breaux

One of the most memorable areas of their previous home was a black and white tiled bath. To mention this richly missed room, this bath was created with one side in white and black, while another colorfully celebrates the new residence. The dress in the hallway was chosen for this room by an artist in the New Orleans Jazz Fest and can be constructed of sheet metal.

Adam Breaux

The master bedroom is supporting the restroom from the wing. Clerestory windows fill the space with daylight , and white walls display artwork by Cathy Rose. The painting is by Ashley Longshore. The desk is an Italian olive oil piece from Karla Katz.

Lamp: Luna Bella

Adam Breaux

John’s office is in the farthest end of the east wing, where he retreats to complete administrative work for his dentistry company or to simply listen to some tunes from his CD collection. (Janet is revealed in it here.) Both have been stoked to pick up this stunning painting, called “The Mardi Gras Indian,” from French-New Orleans artist Isabelle Jacopin.

Adam Breaux

The couple uses this front porch, that joins to the living space, just about any weekend for entertaining friends.

Troy Wilson made the lights that hang out of the green slats from Mardi Gras beads. The corner driftwood is from Adam Morales, who is called “The Driftwood Man.” Morales lives alongside a little bayou near Pierre Part, Louisiana, and sells sculptures made from his collected driftwood pieces.

Adam Breaux

Clerestory windows line the whole north wall, flood the rooms there with sun. A sliding barn door set against a corrugated galvanized iron wall contributes to a storage shed.

Adam Breaux

The green-yellow nighttime glow of the house invites others into the story of the enduring New Orleans couple and their land that was not forgotten, but instead upgraded and treasured using a new build.

Adam Breaux

Here, Janet relaxes in the antique Louis XIV fauteuil seat with Boris.

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The early 20th century was a time of architectural manifestos — see, by way of example, the De Stijl group’s manifesto discussed within an ideabook on a preceding Must-Know Modern Home, the Rietveld Schröder House. The manifestos tried to find appropriate architectural responses to the great changes in politics, technology and society, particularly in Europe.

Rudolph M. Schindler, born in Vienna in 1887, composed a manifesto in 1912, when he was a student at the Vienna Academy of the Sciences. Inside he contrasted historic structure’s reliance upon mass, structure and surface with what he saw as contemporary architecture’s emphasis on space as its raw material. Defining space through shape, instead of working with space as the by-product of a mass’s surface articulation, are the issue of the contemporary architect — and of Schindler after his studies.

Schindler’s doctrine of “space design” can be seen in one of the masterpieces, the Lovell Beach House on the Pacific coast south of Los Angeles. It is not as instantly attractive as his earlier Kings Road House in West Hollywood (now home to the MAK Center), but its influence on after modern structure is important and worth exploring.

Lovell Beach House at a Glance
Year constructed: 1926
Architect: Rudolph M. Schindler
Visiting info: Only rare visits scheduled
Location: Newport Beach, California

More: 10 Must-Know Modern Homes

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The beach house that R.M. Schindler designed for Phillip Lovell is striking for the way it’s lifted above sidewalk level. This occurs via five concrete frames in the form of squared-off figure eights. Schindler was crucial of wood-frame construction, so at Kings Road he utilized tilt-up concrete panels, also in Newport Beach he created an impressive concrete structure which defies expectations.

Three factors drove the decision to lift up the enclosed spaces on the concrete frame: Give a rhythm into the house and its spaces, protect the house from flames (lightweight walls are suspended from the structure to maneuver independently during tremors), also provide views and solitude relative to the adjacent public beach. The final is evident in this aerial perspective; the house is sited prominently on a major thoroughfare resulting in the beach. Schindler’s inspiration came from conventional pile structures located on beaches in the region.

As an example, the cantilever faces west, with the sidewalk heading to the beach running north–south.

The bedrooms are located on the top floor. Initially they sat west-facing sleeping porches. Recall the sleeping porches of the Greene brothers’ Gamble House. In the days before air conditioning, sleeping porches were a acceptable alternative in California’s benign climate.

The sleeping porches can also be seen as an extension of the thoughts of Lovell, Schindler’s customer, who ran the Physical Culture Center and composed a “Care of the Body” column to the Los Angeles Times. Lovell advocated natural health remedies and saw the living environment as being important in health.

Even with the California beach’s positive climate, Lovell wanted the sleeping porches enclosed shortly after completion. Schindler oversaw this change, moving the French doors in the bedroom into the outer guardrail and shifting them to fit.

Yet there is something awkward about the enclosure in the cantilever, as if the windows are flimsy relative to the striking concrete frame. This along with other idiosyncrasies of Schindler’s designs were mentioned as reasons for his being left out of the exhibition The International Style in the Museum of Modern Art in 1932. This omission hurt Schindler, though less as when Lovell hired fellow Austrian and California transplant Richard Neutra to design his next job, the Health House, that did create its way to the MoMA exhibition.

Schindler and Neutra understood each other in Vienna before World War I, but upon graduation in the Vienna Academy of Arts, Schindler headed to Chicago to work in an architecture office, while Neutra remained behind. This movement was influential to Schindler, since it got him closer to Frank Lloyd Wright, whose influential portfolio of work was published in Europe while Schindler was in college. Four years later Schindler transferred to Chicago, Wright actually hired him had him manage the construction of the Hollyhock House in Hollywood while the master traveled to Japan. In 1921 Schindler set out on his own.

Wright’s influence can be seen in the glass panels inserted between the cement piers. As opposed to use big pieces of plate glass Schindler designed a pattern reminiscent of Wright’s Prairie-style abstractions. These patterns are another reason Schindler did not fit in the MoMA exhibit’s narrow perspective of contemporary design, which espoused absolutely no decoration or ornament.

Neutra emigrated to California in 1923, also working for Wright. He eventually moved to Schindler’s Kings Road house and worked with him on several projects, such as the Lovell Beach House. Neutra struck out on his own in 1930, and his architecture illustrated the gap between Schindler’s idiosyncratic regionalism along with his own European modernism; the latter has been tasked with MoMA’s definition of an International style through his articulation of space with large expanses of glass and planar surfaces.

Schindler and his doctrine of space structure, on the other hand, resulted in more complex forms found in the interplay of structure, surfaces and architectural elements. This perspective of the porch in the beach house indicates the complex intertwining of stair, ramp (in the foreground, moving in the opposite direction of the stair), living room wall and concrete structure. It’s easy to see the influence on after California architects such as Frank Gehry.

This perspective of the north side of the beach house indicates the plasticity of its architectural form. The concrete structure allowed the walls to be treated as independent surfaces (less one and the same, as in conventional structure), and Schindler exploited it by bumping out some walls, pulling others in, and adding windows as needed. Compare this facade with the side of the house facing the beach (observable as the short side in the first photograph); the elevation facing the beach includes large openings for opinions of the beach and water, while the north is mostly solid.

The home’s centre is the double-height living room and its own large windows (picture at right) looking into the south. As is evident, Schindler is not content with defining space by windows and planar walls. He layered walls, juxtaposed the concrete and timber structures, designed ladder-like patterns in the windows and comprised built in furniture.

The debt to Wright is obvious, particularly with regard to the built-ins (Schindler designed the built in furniture to the Hollyhock House), but you can observe the working out of his own fashion in matters like the shelving after the cement column — an odd detail, contemplating that the shelves are unreachable.

This floor plan indicates the first floor, which is one floor up from pavement level. One ascends either via a stair into the kitchen on the left or via a shallower stair (also referred to as a ramp) into the living area and south-facing terrace on the right side. The five rows of columns which contain the steel framing are evident, as is the cantilever of the top floor, indicated by a dashed line.

The top floor includes a corridor that overlooks the double-height living room, visible in the previous strategy as a dashed line. This drawing came after the sleeping rooms were enclosed; the bedrooms would have stopped in the columns prior to that.

The main, west-facing elevation really accentuates the design’s structural bravado. Out of the five structural frames, only the garage along with the staircase touch the floor. In this respect Lovell Beach House is possibly the first example of brutalist architecture, predating the short style style by three years. Architects of much larger and more public buildings would eventually utilize concrete structures to similar dramatic effect, yet this house was be Schindler’s last house constructed of concrete. He needed to give in to the popularity of wood-frame structure, yet he held to his doctrine of space design until his death in 1953.

References
Curtis, William J.R. Modern Architecture Since 1900. Prentice-Hall, third edition, 1996 (first published in 1982).Gebhard, David. Schindler. The Viking Press, 1971.
MAK Center in Schindler House.
McCoy, Esther. Five California Architects. Hennessey + Ingalls, 1987 (originally released in 1960 by Reinhold Book Corporation).Smith, Elizabeth and Darling, Michael. The Architecture of R.M. Schindler. Harry N. Abrams, 2001.
Wright, Gwendolyn. USA: Modern Architectures in History. Reaktion Books, 2008.

More: 10 Must-Know Modern Homes

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Although Kate and Cody Roebuck had never seen their rental house in person before moving from Georgia to Oxford, Mississippi — just a few smart-phone photographs — the couple trusted that Kate, an artist and also a textile designer, could make the room burst together with DIY pattern, colour and character.

Now a glittery chandelier covers an undesirable light fixture in the dining area, a chicken cage serves as the living room coffee table, and handmade and printed throw pillows from Hable Construction, where Kate does her textile design work, add splashes of colour. Even a very small opossum jaw is appreciated for its layout and made a part of a tabletop display.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Cody and Kate Roebuck
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Size: 1,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, two baths

Corynne Pless

Books and accessories organized by color fill a weathered black bookcase from Scott’s Antiques. “I stored up for the bookcase, because I knew it’d be cherished and loved,” Kate says.

Couch (abandoned): Ikea; throw pillows: Red Sails and Water Birds, Hable Construction

Corynne Pless

She discovered the reddish Brahmin Danish Modern chair next to the bookcase in a Regional Goodwill for $20. “My heart was pounding when I spotted it I nearly knocked over some folks racing over for it to claim it as my own!” Kate says.

A large, distressed framework rescued from the side of the road leans on top of the bookcase and frames a shape drawing from school.

International artisans in Stray Dog Designs made the bird figurines by hand.

Lamp: Ballard Designs

Corynne Pless

Here’s Kate alongside a small entry table sprinkled with colorful collectibles by front door, which opens into the living area.

Abstract artwork (abandoned): Laura Roebuck; wall paint: Light Blue No. 22, Farrow & Ball

Corynne Pless

A hamper from Hable Construction corrals vases and blankets beneath the table, together with boots stored in an antique Pepsi crate, while several colorful feathers dress up a bird’s nest on top.

To Cody’s birthday, Kate allow him pick from a string insect paintings she’d done. He chose the spider, and she had it all framed.

Lamp: Apple Barrel Antiques; small beetle painting: Laura Roebuck

Corynne Pless

An aerial view of the coffee table reveals brightly colored succulents, an antique enthusiast and a plate with a discovered hummingbird and small bone. “I suppose the weirdest thing about our house is that I have a fairly extensive selection of creatures around — all which had passed on before I got them,” says Kate. “I want to be clear I am not a killer of creatures — I simply find them that way”

Corynne Pless

A colorful medley of bags and straw hats outlines the wall next to front door. A tiny antique chair functions as a side table, together with books bringing texture and height into the seat.

Totes: by Hable Construction except the one with orange leather handles

Corynne Pless

A thornbush against a white wall adds texture into a corner. Green-printed paper rolls cover the adjoining dining room’s wall. “I made a decision to pin them like artificial wallpaper to bring some life to our dining area,” says Kate.

Crow painting: Scott’s Antiques

Corynne Pless

Kate and her sister-in-law, Laura, made the glittery chandelier for their online internet shop, Bowerbird. It covers the existing light fixture. “With almost any rental you’ve got to be creative to cover exactly what you don’t want anybody else to see,” says Kate. “You can slap something and pattern sparkly on anything, and it is immediately better”

Wall paint : motivated by Cook’s Blue No. 237, Farrow & Ball; drapes: Ikea; vase: West Elm

Corynne Pless

Next to the dining area window, then a John Derian plate hangs over a stocked minibar together with a black and white photograph and a miniature butterfly.

Corynne Pless

A limited-edition letterpress calendar from Brown Parcel Press hangs by clothespins to decorate a small space over a few kitchen essentials.

Corynne Pless

A narrow hallway connects to the rear of the home, with a small trail of local art and antique finds directing the way. “Most of the things in our home have been found or given, which makes them sweet little reminders of their former lives,” says Kate.

Framed heart layout: Kate Roebuck; feather drawings: “Cyan Feathers,” by Rinne Allen; kitty print: Amelia; abstract paintings beneath cat print: Britt Bass

Corynne Pless

In the home office, a tiny black desk functions as Kate’s stitching station. The large flat desk holds her computer and doubles as her painting table.

Kate sewed and painted the drapes. “I created those as a inexpensive way to acquire something expressive in this. They are with this heavyweight cotton canvas and painted with bold black brushstrokes,” she says.

Table lamp: Pottery Barn

Corynne Pless

Organized by color, all Kate’s fabrics and operate essentials are piled neatly on the shelf. A newsprint poster was painted over and created for the Motel Art Show at Oxford, Mississippi.

Corynne Pless

Kate’s desk overlooks the front yard, with large windows offering a visual escape in the small room.

An outdoor fabric covers the desk instead of a normal cotton cloth, to create wiping paint off spills simpler. “My favorite spot in our home is my studio — it is where I sense that jazzy feeling inside of creativity. I could spend all my hours (and I often do) in this area. Of course, I would want to come out every so often for vitamin D and a treat,” she says.

Corynne Pless

Neon washi tape frames a colorful corkboard on which Kate keeps inspiring mementos.

Corynne Pless

A large tiled wood-framed mirror leans against the installed mirror to bring a more rustic sense into Cody’s hall bathroom, Kate’s effort to create the space more manly, she says.

Mirror: Sophie’s Shoppe; shower curtains: West Elm

Corynne Pless

Rich patterns and organic tones adorn the main bedroom to make a quiet space alive with particulars.

A handmade cat garland hangs in the mattress frame, and layered sequined masks hang in your dresser knobs. Kate sewed the pillow shams.

Bed: Ikea; bedding: John Robshaw; comforter: silk, Pottery Barn

Corynne Pless

Kate painted the two-toned desks which serve as nightstands. “They needed some silver boots,” she says. An aged lamp sits on the nightstand with glitter feathers over.

Corynne Pless

A massive wall piece made from 700 dyed turkey feathers hangs over a dresser and several other collectibles. Two leather folding chairs hold small quilts and throw pillows.

Corynne Pless

A small shed offers extra storage at the backyard. Kate hangs her screen-print jobs out to dry on the clothesline joined to the shed.

Corynne Pless

Behind the traditional exterior with red white and brick windows lie colorful memories for the couple. “What makes a house your home is the memories that you create there, and we started making those memories the minute we walked in the door,” Kate says.

See more photographs of this home

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Katherine Fugit and her husband, Conan, fell in love with their home on first sight — even though the house was formerly bank owned, without heating and teeming with black, liquid-oozing radiators. “My husband chanced upon the house on the way to lunch one afternoon and was drawn in from the sidewalk. He didn’t even wish to mention the house to me because it looked like way too much effort,” says Katherine. A few weeks later, she stumbled upon the house online; the rest is background. “It was just supposed to be,” she states.

They must work fast, she states: “We had to do lots of cosmetic things before we’d 50 guests in our house for our garden wedding just three months after closure.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: Katherine and Conan Fugit
Location: Wichita, Kansas
Size: 2,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths
That’s interesting: The home was once a girls’s lodging house.

Keep Smiling Home

A 1940 census enabled the Fugits to track down the granddaughter of their household that conducted this former women’s accommodation house. “She was able to tell us interesting tidbits about the house,” Katherine says. “For example, she said that her grandparents really slept in the dining area, and the upstairs bedrooms were completely inhabited by the lodgers.”

Keep Smiling Home

The Fugits tore from the old plaster and lath kitchen ceiling to show wood beams.

“We painted everything new white, for instance, previous cabinets,” Katherine says. “We added new hardware, a classic stove and created our very own antique trouble lights. We also tore up several layers of linoleum and refinished the wood floors underneath.”

Cabinet hardware: Martha Stewart for The Home Depot; cage lights parts: Lowe’s; cages: 1000bulbs; Edison bulbs: The Home Depot; saddle blanket: Atwoods Farm Supply

Keep Smiling Home

They painted their old refrigerator with chalkboard paint and used a classic floor joist from the basement as a shelf over the stove to add much more character and background to the room.

The whole price of this kitchen upgrade was a little less than $400. Then see the kitchen before the upgrade.

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: Here you find the old cooker and also the plain fridge.

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: This shows the cupboard side of this space with old hardware, a pulled-off door, dirty floors and sagging ceiling tiles.

Keep Smiling Home

AFTER: “We kept costs down by not purchasing new appliances, cabinets or countertops. We applied a new coat of paint and hardware and did a tiny dish organizing. At the moment, the kitchen is perfect for us,” Katherine says.

Keep Smiling Home

A reclaimed basement floor joist was repurposed to an above-stove kitchen shelf. “We cut [the joist] in halfan applied one coat of wax and used two brackets for approximately $3.50 each to secure it to the wall,” she states.

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: following is a look at the Fugits’ living area before the furniture was reshuffled.

Keep Smiling Home

AFTER: “Conan and I agreed that his Natty G [National Geographic] collection would be a big portion of the living space, because they were such a big part of his life; the shelves have been designed especially with them in mind,” Katherine says. “I kept the wall color very muted because of each of the colorful publications but very warm so it seems comfy by lamplight. I wanted this space to feel like the interior of a tiny boy’s cigar box full of treasures and pretty images.”

Keep Smiling Home

She rearranged the furniture so that a newly purchased sofa today sits in front of the windows and shelving components.

“The wall color picks up the yellow at the National Geographics and little touches of yellow here and there. And that couch was quite a find at $25,” she states.

The couple also reglazed and recorded their double-hung sash windows, which makes them easier to open and shut. “We are now able to open the windows and the rear door and get an amazing cross breeze in the day once the weather is cool.”

Wall paint: Crumb Cookie, Olympic

Before Photo

Keep Smiling Home

BEFORE: Here’s exactly what the mantel and French doors looked like before the renovation.

Keep Smiling Home

AFTER: They painted the mantel and the dining area (background), and also extra crown molding and a new light fixture in the dining area.

“I was curious about painting the French doors a black colour,” Katherine says. “We spent hundreds of hours poring over blogs and scouring the Internet until Conan discovered Door Sixteen. I saw her pocket painted black, and I knew right then what needed to be done.”

Door paint: Black Magic, Olympic

Keep Smiling Home

The Fugits bought this Eden pendant light from CB2. They moved with a “pretty gray wall color,” Katherine says that seems a bit green in this photo. “Some day we will catch the gray shade just right,” she states. The table is from a yard sale, and the seats are a Craigslist score.

Wall paint: Ash Mist, Olympic

Keep Smiling Home

“Our 1917 bathroom had dropped its character somewhere along the way, and after the toilet and bathtub began leaking to the kitchen we knew we needed to start working on it,” Katherine says.

They tore out the plaster and lath, the old tile beneath layers of linoleum and the builder-grade fixtures.

“We re-created the tile pattern, inserted a subway tile shower in which the cabinet was and refinished an antique claw-foot tub. The unusual sink was a Craigslist find, and the toilet came from our downstairs water cupboard,” Katherine says.

Keep Smiling Home

She bought the claw-foot bathtub for $100 and refinished it with black paint. “If you are creative and individual and willing to perform a little slow decorating instead of running out and purchasing a fixed pair, you can do amazing things on a very small budget,” she states.

Wainscoting paint: Montpelier Madison White, Valspar; wall paint: White Knight, ACE Hardware; bathtub paint: Black Magic, Olympic; flooring tile: Merola, Home Depot

Keep Smiling Home

The scrappy DIYer initially repainted this TV cupboard a deep forest green with light blue shelving and backs; she quickly changed her mind when she saw the dark color simply didn’t work with the remainder of the bathroom’s neutral theme.

Keep Smiling Home

“We discovered these shutters at a thrift shop for $4. 2 coats of paint and a number of hinges later and they are perfect for our classic bathroom,” she states.

Keep Smiling Home

The Fugits turned a third bedroom that was formerly swathed in bright teal and neon yellow trim to a crisp and collected office space.

They began with glowing white paint from Olympic and added a built-in desk and shelves with pockets for a printer, a scanner and other office materials. Book spines add splashy colour punches and draw the eye up, taking attention away from the smallness of this space.

Keep Smiling Home

The guest area is a nod to Katherine’s thrifty ways: The metal bed frame was a $10 thrift shop find, painted with low-gloss black spray paint; the sheets, the lamp (painted with $10 cherry red spray paint) and also the ship painting were also thrift shop purchases.

Keep Smiling Home

“Almost every bit of furniture at our home was purchased in a thrift shop or garage sale,” she states. “We’re not saying that everything you find in a thrift shop is worth purchasing, but recycling things that still have plenty of life in them and just need a little love is most likely one of the best things you can do to help the environment and your pocketbook.”

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An expansive attached vessel deck, cozy screened-in porch and warm Southern design unite in this lakeside vacation home in Guntersville, Alabama. Interior designer Beverly Farrington along with her late husband wanted a low-key retreat near the water’s edge and open to the gorgeous outdoor environment.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Beverly Farrington
Location: Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Alabama
Size: 1,600 square feet; two bedrooms; two bathrooms
That is interesting: A dining room table on the boathouse patio is made of two antique doors from the Civil War period.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington decided to construct a bridge from the main house to the top deck of the recently renovated boathouse for easy access. “Because we are on a hill, we actually had no massive space to flow,” she says. Renovating the boathouse was a big challenge, complicated by a huge storm during construction that forced the group to start over.

Lauren Mikus

Although it was laborious, the completed job has become an invaluable feature of Farrington’s home, allowing for easy entertaining and an wonderful 360-degree view of the lake. Farrington frequently can be found on the deck, greeting friends passing by on their ships.

Lauren Mikus

This opinion from the deck appears back in the home. To the right sits a screened-in porch, and to the far left lies the master bedroom. The first floor of the home remains unfinished and currently serves as storage space.

Custom chevron-stripe cushions from Farrington’s studio accent the outdoor furniture. “Being a designer can be a blessing and a curse when designing your own job,” she says. “However, it’s always great to get additional input and someone else to bounce your thoughts off of.”

Lauren Mikus

Farrington wanted the property’s design to highlight perspectives of the lake, so she included tall French doors with large transom windows throughout the primary living rooms. “This also allows for excellent ventilation, and opening the doors is a simple way to bridge the expansive exterior space with the compact interior space,” she says.

Most of the bits in the cottage are antiques which Farrington has accumulated over time. The ship enclosed in glass behind the sofa came from one of her antiques-buying excursions to France. She found a number of the additional furnishings in one of her favorite antiques markets in Atlanta, Scott Antique Market.

Sofa: Pearson Furniture; lamps: Currey & Company

Lauren Mikus

A massive fireplace with two chimneys anchors the primary rooms. Farrington greets guests in the cooler months with a warm, welcoming fire.

Lauren Mikus

The excellent room opens to this picturesque screened-in patio. Spectacular Fortunata pottery adorns the facade. The bits are reminiscent of those crafted in Deruta, Italy. Farrington is a travel enthusiast and makes it a point to venture to Europe another summer.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington chose timeless antique pine for all the built-in interior shelving. An assortment of geodes from her journeys accents the open shelves.

Lauren Mikus

On the other side in the fantastic area, this built-in minibar makes a handy station to mix cocktails up and promotes conversation at parties.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington wanted the kitchen to exude the rustic, small-town charm of Lake Guntersville. “Guntersville is our escape,” she says. “The people are warm and friendly. It’s cute stores and eateries, along with also the mayor and his spouse are a few of my best buddies.”

Antler lighting fixture: Accents of the South

Lauren Mikus

Farrington loves to host small, intimate dinners on the patio, saving just enough time for a sunset boat cruise. She collected the copper cookware that hangs round the kitchen throughout her journeys to France, Turkey and Egypt.

Lauren Mikus

The master bedroom colour palette blends masculine and feminine tones. A modern painting by Ellen Langford above the bed layers nicely into this original setting. Farrington utilized gingham fabric from Brunschwig & Fils for the valances and chairs. The botanical pattern on the desk chair is from Clarence House.

Lauren Mikus

The buttercream wall colour in the guest bedroom complements the natural sunlight which flows into the space. Farrington designed the custom draperies.

Lauren Mikus

A wall partition separates the kitchen and guest bedroom from the excellent room. This set of paintings from Erwin Fitzhugh, a native of Fairhope, Alabama, is one of Farrington’s most cherished collections.

Lauren Mikus

Farrington’s husband, Jack, passed away in 2006. This film highlights a happy memory of the few during a very long day of water skiing with close pals. Farrington is in the center, along with her late husband is in the far left.

Do you have a lakeside summer home or another striking construction? Share it with us!

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Midcentury-inspired furniture, vibrant accents and a contemporary color palette helped this couple turn their 1920s apartment into a place that felt just like home. A designer bunch using a contemporary aesthetic, Shawn Smith and Leah Russell were contested by their 1926 apartment’s vintage bones and art deco charm. Bold fabrics, neutral walls and traditional furniture helped them pay tribute to the building’s history while still producing a more modern appearance of their own.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Shawn Smith, Leah Russell and their puppy, Winston
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 750 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
That’s intriguing: Their building was once home to former president Ronald Reagan

Madison Modern Home

“Our decorating philosophy is’in using the old and brand new,'” says Smith. “We’ve attempted to show modern bits in conversation with the 1920s design, and how it can make a home an eclectic mix of styles.”

Madison Modern Home

The spacious, naturally decorated bedroom comes with a custom-built bed complete with built-in nightstands and underbed storage. Folded clothes are tucked off, eliminating the need for a dresser.

Wall paint: Mushroom, Martha Stewart

More underbed storage thoughts

Madison Modern Home

Original art by Smith and Russell with easy mats and frames hangs above the glossy white desk in the bedroom. “If money was no object, I’d splurge on an original Andy Warhol,” Russell says.

Desk: Ikea; orange seat: Globus, Design Within Reach

Madison Modern Home

An Ikea storage method fits snugly between the moldings of 2 closets to home incidentals and gives a perch for framed photographs.

Madison Modern Home

Three-dimensional wall tiles in the entry add an element of surprise for people. Smith chose a deep plum shade to match the beautiful view outside the living room windows. A cowhide rug helps define the foyer.

Wall tiles: Mio Culture

Madison Modern Home

Smith and Russell scored big at a garage sale for this original mustard-color Eames molded plastic seat. “The seller had no idea what they were getting rid of. We got a fantastic deal!” says Smith.

Madison Modern Home

A gallery transforms an embarrassing part of wall with electrical wiring down the center. Instead of camouflaging the wiring, then the few worked it into the design, layering the frames for a 3-D effect.

Painted concrete floors lend an industrial component to the hot neutrals on the walls and furniture. An area rug placed perpendicularly adds visual attention.

Madison Modern Home

A vintage cocktail table from Russell’s native Alabama displays a handmade box, a small sculpture and some favourite artwork books.

The press unit is a small bedside block table paired with a leftover cupboard base turned on its side. The clever combination resembles a contemporary piece of furniture and can be just right for saving books and DVDs.

Madison Modern Home

From the dining area a classic black and white checkerboard floor and chalkboard wall give a daring punch to the sunny room. The couple switches up the picture or message .

Madison Modern Home

Finding a dining table acceptable for their tight dining room was the couple’s biggest design dilemma. They ended up choosing a round table paired with bright white Bellini-style seats.

Table: Room & Board; seats: Design Within Reach

Madison Modern Home

A stylish dish drainer by the couple’s favourite designer, Marc Newson, adds a citrus-colored punch to the black and and white tile countertop. “We adore his forward-thinking ideas and extreme versatility,” Smith states.

Madison Modern Home

From the bathroom Russell made the unisex shower artwork to match the CB2 wall vase. The color palette is contemporary gray and yellowish.

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From a pink and girly teen hangout to an elevator inspired by Alice in Wonderland to a mobile booth, there was a dream space to suit every style at the 2012 San Francisco Decorator Showcase House. Designers let their imagination run wild with a customized neon-lit sign, walls covered in gold wallpaper as well as a tiny flower studio. Get inspired by these amazing fantasy spaces and pick up a few tricks for your own home along the way.

More photographs from this display: Living Spaces | Bedrooms and Baths

Alex Amend Photography

Collector’s Library
By Jonathan Rachman

Inspired by his own personal collection, designer Jonathan Rachman created an industrial chic library, designed to hold all sorts of tchotchkes. A glossy gray paint covers the paneled woodwork, creating the perfect background to make each item stick out. An authentic wingtip from a World War II airplane hangs over the fireplace, just one of Rachman’s many unique treasures.

From showhouse to your house: Don’t conceal your collections away. Whether you’re a stamp, coin or teacup enthusiast, set your treasures out to be admired — they will add personality and style to your home. While layering and stacking will add visual interest to your display, make sure people can clearly see each individual item, also.

Alex Amend Photography

Teen Hangout Room
By Emily Mughannam

This chic teen hangout would be many a teen and tween woman’s dream. An oversize pit couch from Sofa U Love holds court at the center, providing lots of space to get a gaggle of kids to sit gossip and bite.

Alex Amend Photography

Designer Emily Mughannam custom made this neon light to read “You only live once” — inspired by a motto of today’s adolescents.

Alex Amend Photography

A bar cart from Society Social holds the essentials, and a chandelier by Apparatus Studio adds flamboyant style. Removable wallpaper covers the ceiling perfect for a teenager who’s always changing her style.

Alex Amend Photography

From reveal house to your house: Teens can change their thoughts about a color, fixture or piece of furniture in a heartbeat. For large pieces of furniture, stick to classics which are fairly neutral and won’t go out of style and personalize them with upholstery which can be switched out easily. Opt for more affordable temporary accessories to add dash without making a dent in your wallet.

Alex Amend Photography

Elevator
By Lawanna Cathleen

A feature as elegant and fascinating since an old-fashioned elevator deserves the perfect motif; this one performs Alice in Wonderland. Restoration Hardware sconces are mirrored in antique mirrors, which makes the Osborne & Little wallpaper shine.

From reveal house to your house: If you have a funky feature in your house — like an old call box, then a dumbwaiter or a radiator — play with this! These are the things make your home unique, so let them shine.

Alex Amend Photography

Laundry Room
By Lisa Bakamis

Since this laundry space is next to the media space, designer Lisa Bakamis made a reclaimed Douglas fir bar from Urban Woods since the perfect place to blend up beverages before settling down and seeing a film.

The washer and drier are tucked into a joyous piece of Schumacher fabric that mimics the same colours as the wallpaper. The floors are concrete pressed with lumber to get a wood-grain effect.

From show house to your house: Make laundry less of a job by transforming it into a space that is cheerful. Bright colours, reclaimed materials and functional accessories turn a small laundry room into a stone box.

Telephone Booth
By Robert Brill Design

Although mobile telephones are long gone for most, many families still have a home telephone line. Designer Robert Brill played this idea by creating a modern mobile booth. The walls are upholstered with white tufted Naugahyde. A false ceiling homes a solid system and LED lighting fixtures which change color. Best of all, the traditional phone is replaced using a wall-mounted iPad.

Alex Amend Photography

From reveal house to your house: Keep your landline telephone where people can have personal conversations. It may encourage family members to take telephone calls elsewhere to keep down noise.

Alex Amend Photography

Media Room
By Weaver Design Group

Gray hair-on-hide cloth wallpaper from Elitis and an upholstered display on the walls of the media room help muffle loud noise in this high tech area. A table was created to go all of the way round the back and sides of the sofa to conveniently hold beverages without the danger of knocking them over. The custom sofa and casual seats provides seating for 10, which makes this luxe area the perfect place to sponsor a movie night.

Alex Amend Photography

From show house to your house: Make your media space match for both group solo and entertaining TV watching by incorporating casual chairs which can be easily stowed away as needed. Give lots of side tables to safely hold snacks and beverages.

Her Office
By Catherine Kwong Design

Produced as a fashion writer’s dream workspace, this chic office unites contemporary furnishings with tailored accents. Hand-painted Kelly Wearstler cloth ties the room together by accenting inspiration planks and a seat in the hallway.

From reveal house to your house: Use cloths to brighten a dim area. Here, Kwong framed folded Hermès scarves in the storage areas. Framing fabrics or wallpaper can add color to an area, without dealing with the mess or fuss of paint. When you’re tired of the appearance, just change it out for something new.

Master Dressing Room
By Kriste Michelini Interiors

Bold metallic Maya Romanoff wallpaper provides this chic dressing room a big dose of glamour. The designer filled the area with classic pieces, portrait-style artwork by Karen Eichler and various metallic elements to create a space fit for a female of any age and style.

Shelves from CB2 were given a quick coat of paint and hung on the wall to get fairly and functional storage.

From show house to your house: Textural walls are great for small and massive spaces, since they add another layer of visual interest to a distance. Start looking for something large and bold, like the gold wallpaper in this area, or something much more subtle and elegant to get a larger bedroom or living space.

Alex Amend Photography

The Pavonia Room: Gentleman’s Research
By Geoffrey De Sousa Interior Design

Occasionally mixing patterns may seem wrong but look so right. The hide-and-hair rug in this gentleman’s study is the first thing that catches the eye its reflection in the gold desk seems to continue forever. Pairing this bold rug using an eye-catching Timorous Beasties wallpaper isn’t a clear choice, but the final result is stunning.

Alex Amend Photography

From reveal house to your house: Don’t be afraid to mix and match layouts. Too often we are afraid of experimentation with color and pattern, so we stick to simple neutrals. Go outside of your comfort zone and try pairing a few unexpected pieces together to get a one-of-a-kind appearance.

The Listening Room
Matthew MacCaul Turner

Designer Matthew MacCaul Turner paid homage to several different cultural influences in this modern day music listening area with a beautiful view. Japanese displays, Greek sculptures and Italian furniture all feel at home in this area. The unique light fixture — one of MacCaul’s very own creations — is a fun and unexpected element.

Alex Amend Photography

From reveal house to your house: In case you can not decide on a style, don’t worry. There is no need to stick to one special look in your home. Should you play the same color palette — like the hot neutrals in Turner’s area — you will have more leeway.

Floral Design Studio
Bloomingayles, Gayle Nicoletti

Having a house as large as this just begs for fun, and what better way to become in the ready than to get your own personal flower studio? It’s a luxury, to say the least, but designer Gayle Nicoletti took good advantage of the tiny nook and transformed it in an artistic distance. Tear sheets and graphics are posted for inspiration, and a tasteful chandelier offers extra lighting.

From reveal house to your house: Fnd a small distance at home you can devote to your craft. Even if it is a table at the corner of your office or garage, beautify it with a coating of paint and an inspiration board.

Event information:
The 2012 San Francisco Decorator Showcase runs from April 28 to May 28, 2012.

Location: 2020 Jackson St., San Francisco
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday: 10 Gamble–3 p.m.; Thursday, Friday: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday and Memorial Day: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Price: $30 at the door (no advance tickets)

More photographs from the showcase:
Living Spaces Wow at Decorator Showcase
Cozy As much as Bedrooms and Baths in Decorator Showcase

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