Category: Eclectic Homes

If there was a place and period of irrational exuberance, it was America during the second half of the 19th century. It was surely a time when if a selection of one was great, then two had been better, and three or even more was not overdoing it whatsoever. It was a time when surface decoration became the standard instead of the exception. It was a perfect storm of the new industrialism that made nearly anything available and the existence of money for people to buy it all.

So that it is not surprising that a number of the houses of the age were done up with lots of particulars — and tons of colors. Why pick just 1 colour when the entire rainbow is available? And do not skimp on the details, because every colour needs its own place to break.

While at the early 20th century that the entire world turned its back on this riot of colour, retreating into the protection of an all-white planet, the beauty, richness and joy of the “painted ladies” of the 1800s has been rediscovered. Therefore, in the event that you have it in you, and your span or period-inspired house has the architecture for it, please do not stop with just a couple of colors.

Imagine a whole streetscape filled with brightly colored and multichromatic houses near together. Walking down a road in this way could be a visual treat, with house after house being more joyous than another.

These famous painted ladies in San Francisco march down the hill in multicolored splendor. Even though the primary colors of their bodies are soft and silent, each detail and material is articulated by form, texture and colour. The articulation was often achieved here by varying the tone and color of the major colour, but it may also be reached by employing a complementary (or almost complementary) colour.

Thus a light green gives way to a darker green aspect, for example, and the trimming is not white but all creamy and soft.

Alex Amend Photography

As we get nearer to those houses, we begin to find the details and colour intricacies. Golds, taupes, mauves and more all pull out the inlay and overlay details which enliven the surface. Both the carpenters and the painters have to display their craft and skill.

And we see something new each time we walk. Because, after all, these houses are meant to be seen and appreciated from shut up, not whizzing by at 35 mph.

Farallon Construction Inc..

No face is left unadorned. Even the undersides of these eaves receive a rich treatment of colour to highlight all of that architectural detail. It’s the type of feast for the eyes which only a multichromatic palette may bring out.

B Birmingham Inc..

The point that can’t be stressed enough is that colour strengthens the architecture. So however subtle the detail, like the way the corner is created in a box bay, colour strengthens the proportion, scale and overall architecture.

Just imagine if this trimming didn’t step in to form the corner or if the color were the same. The entire home’s proportions could be thrown off, and the overall result would be nowhere near as interesting.

Warline Painting Ltd..

Of course, there is also the use of complementary colors in bold colors. Not for the shrinking violet, these colors will make your house really stand out. And while it is from a little distance that we more often get to love these houses …

Warline Painting Ltd..

… it is really from close up that we see just how artfully the colour palette has been employed. Each piece of molding, trim and detail is painted differently in the main colors to draw attention to it. And each texture is not the same colour, so we get to experience and revel in the diversity of it all.

Degnan Design Group + Degnan Design Build

These colour schemes are not just for old houses. A newly developed home near the Jersey Shore uses colour just as it had been used in the 19th century. A scheme which uses colour to pronounce each architectural element is ideal for a home together with all these mounts, bays and bows; crenellations and crowns; dadoes and dormers. Not to mention …

Degnan Design Group + Degnan Design Build

… a widow’s walk.

Note that the accent is on the vertical, as in 19th-century versions. This 21st-century version, however, splits the body colour in 2: The lower floor is painted a more earthen colour that recedes, whereas the upper levels are more conspicuous. Between the conspicuous color of the next floor and the vertical cream-colored trim, the eye will be attracted up into the rooftop and skies.

Degnan Design Group + Degnan Design Build

Window frame colour plays into this home’s overall palette at an incredibly significant way. Yes, even the 19th-century homeowner had to decorate and paint and repaint the timber windows. On the other hand, the 21st-century homeowner may get brightly colored frames in different substances that will last for many, many years. We are not stuck in a world of merely white, brown or beige window frames anymore.

And just as on its 19th-century ancestors, the undersides of the home’s eaves are richly decorated with architectural information and colour.

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In our quest for fresh, beginning-of-a-new-year, organized perfection, it’s simple to find a little carried away in the organizing or office supply store. While technical sorters and doodads surely have their purpose, more often than not they simply add more clutter to our homes. Commit to getting it right this season (and saving a bit of cash in the process) by sticking with those 10 hardworking but often overlooked helpers that are probably sitting in your house right now.

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

1. 1 calendar. It does not matter if you want a digital or paper version; the most important thing is that you stick with one calendar program, preferably for everybody in the house. Google Calendar is a great, flexible, portable option you may access from home or on the road.

Washi Masking Tape 5 bits, by mt – $14.94

2. Washi tape. Never before has this kind of small thing (tape!)) Inspired the exact same level of obsession because of this vibrant Japanese paper tape. It’s easy to tear, removes easily from most surfaces, also comes in the most stunning colors. Use it to label everything from eyeglasses at a celebration to documents, pantry jars, storage bins and more. And when you are done labeling, use it to wrap a gift, tape photos to your inspiration board or make your own wall art.

Divine Design+Build

3. A magnetic knife strip. A wall-mounted knife rack may do much more than maintain your knives tidy and out of the way (even though it’s great for that, too). Use it to arrange spices in the kitchen, tools at the garage, keys from the front door and scissors and other essentials near your desk or crafts place.

Photojojo

Instax Mini 7s and Mini 25 Instant Cameras

4. Your camera. Snap photographs of the contents of storage containers and kids’ toy bins and record them to the fronts as visual labels. Photos are also ideal for documenting oversize art projects, and that means that you are able to give up the first in good conscience.

Kate Jackson Design

5. Tote bags. The humble tote bag can do the job equally as tough as a basket or storage box, but with the additional benefit of being portable and lightweight. Use bags to sort things you store temporarily, such as library books, work materials and workout clothes.

Atypical Type A

6. Binder clips. Using these tiny workhorses only for their intended usage could be missing — you may also hang art, corral wires, keep packed products fresh from your kitchen and keep rolls of ribbon and wrapping paper from unfurling. For extra credit, upgrade your binder clips with small lengths of washi tape (see number two) and label away.

7. Zip-top bags. One of the most flexible (and cheap!) Organizing tools around, baggies may be used to store components bits all together, type things in your junk drawer, maintain toiletries neat in your bag, suspend soup level or even pipe frosting.

The Container Store

Bright Stockholm Binder – $9.99

8. Fundamental binders. Paperwork gets lost easily when piled up in baskets or piles. Use three-ring or portfolio-style binders (with plastic cuff inserts) rather to file away instruction manuals, magazine clippings and more.

Melissa Miranda Interior Design

9. A smaller filing cabinet. Have a giant filing system? You are probably saving a lot of newspapers. Make things easier on yourself by going whenever you can and making sure you need to save each paper thing that you record. Most of us can get away with one or two well-tended drawers.

See ways to take Your House office paperless

simple thoughts

10. A gifts bin. It’s 1 thing to get organized — staying organized is another issue completely. 1 tool that has the potential to keep your house tidy and clutter free is really a permanent bin dedicated to giveaways. Keep it at a central place where you are able to throw things in whenever you think of it. After the bin is full, empty it at your favourite charity store; replicate.

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Stacy Curran’s transition from attorney to interior decorator started when she moved into her new residence. Following September 11, 2001, Curran, together with her husband, Patrick, and their two children, moved from Washington, D.C., and into a new-construction house in Marshfield, Massachusetts. “The house felt like a complete blank picture to me,” she states.

Using color, texture and customized details to make this basic builder house her family, Curran took on the layout challenges herself — installing wall molding, picking color palettes and coming up with creative DIY solutions. And that hard work has paid off: Today the family has a home, and Curran includes a career at South Shore Decorating.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Stacy and Patrick Curran and their children, Bobby and Ellie
Location: Marshfield, Massachusetts
Size: 4,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms

Mary Prince Photography

Curran chose another accent color for each room, although Gray, black and white dominate in the house. A piece of cloth is draped over each couch’s center — the rooms were carried throughout by a detailCurran.

Two gray curved loveseats in brushed cotton surround four 22- by 22-inch end tables, which can combine to make one big coffee table.

End tables: Lexington Furniture; paint: Iceberg, Benjamin Moore

Mary Prince Photography

“The house looked massive to us, coming from our four-story, 2,400-square-foot townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia,” says Curran. Color, fabrics and custom touches on furnishings help distinguish each room.

This 20- by 24-foot living room sits a step down from the eat-in kitchen. Nine framed sketches of rooms Curran hang on the wall.

White tufted couch: Robin Bruce

Mary Prince Photography

Curran used nonwashable horizontal paint on the walls. The bamboo flooring are alkaline dyed to a dark and uniform color.

Molding and trim paint: White Cloud, Benjamin Moore using Coventry Gray, Benjamin Moore; cherry dining table and credenza: eBay; hardwood flooring: Minwax in Jacobean; carpeting: Jonathan Adler

Mary Prince Photography

Cabinetry New countertops and built-ins added design. “After we moved, the house has been pretty much a builder’s basic,” Curran says. “Though it was not quite love at first sight, I saw the potential, and we spent the next few years getting it where we needed it”

Mary Prince Photography

A trio of a desk that is V-shaped and closets twist a kitchen corner room into a house office.

Mary Prince Photography

Curran set up this wall molding herself for custom detail. A mirrored backsplash attracts light and glimmer into the kitchen — one of the darkest rooms at the house.

Mary Prince Photography

She transformed tabletop lanterns located at HomeGoods into hanging candle chandeliers with chains and hooks.

Counter stools: BarStools.com

Mary Prince Photography

Until she devotes to selecting upholstery in this casual seating area, Curran is utilizing gray accents created with swaths of cloth on the white muslin chairs.

Chairs: Boston Interiors; rug: Rugs USA; coffee table: Horchow; paint: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore

Mary Prince Photography

Cording adds detail between entrance stair molding and the wall.

Wall paint: Winter Solstice, Benjamin Moore; stair railings: Appalachian Brown Semi-Gloss, Benjamin Moore

Mary Prince Photography

Images and colors continue from the second floor children’s rooms. A trundle bed could be transformed into a couch.

Rug: Pottery Barn; bookshelf: Pottery Barn Teen; paint: Stem Green, Benjamin Moore; sports prints: Etsy

Mary Prince Photography

Ellie spotted her desk at the city dump and needed to have it. In a bright pink that is new, it creates the perfect accent piece in her room.

Dresser, mattress: Ethan Allen; chair, rug: Pottery Barn Kids

Mary Prince Photography

In the guest bedroom, Curran produced a canopy in bright brown and green cloth to create hotel-style luxury to get an otherwise blank white wall.

Mary Prince Photography

An oversize picture zebra rug from the master bedroom warms up the massive area. “It was actually hard to get enough furniture here,” Curran says.

Painted black consoles serve as bedside tables. Curran monogrammed the lamps . She wrapped the pair of white lamp colors in black ribbon and did the same with the curtains.

Wall paint: Sleepy Blue, Sherwin-Williams; zebra rug: South Shore Decorating

Mary Prince Photography

Curran sits at a vanity from the master bedroom. The family spends a lot of their time. “It is the room we discuss the most as a family, reading to the kids at night and watching television together,” she states.

Mary Prince Photography

They found this jewel in Marshfield — equidistant between Boston and Cape Cod, though work requires meant the family had to select a house.

Mary Prince Photography

After moving in, the family included the backyard and a new pool.

Share your creative, colorful house with us.

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The stately and elegant swag window treatment has appeared in some of the most famous houses in the usa. The king of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley, had them in floor-to-ceiling fashion at his Graceland mansion, and America’s forefathers used them to adorn the windows in the White House. Purely decorative in style, the swag is produced by hanging fabric throughout the surface of a window and allowing the underside to overeat or sag, making soft, horizontal scallop-like contours. The accompanying jabot is the perpendicular part of fabric that flanks the swag as a detail — as a panel or put symmetrically throughout.

Whether they’re used to soften a room or simply to add personality, swags may add distinctive style to any window in your house.

Swags with fringe. The symmetrical arrangement of those swags leads the eye upwards and focuses on the ceiling height. The long and thick fringe at the bottom hem requires the swag from ordinary to elegant, softening the overall look of the dining room.

Design suggestion: Utilize any fringe — fabric, glass or wood — to take your swag up a notch.

Designs by Gollum

Conventional swags. This dining room gets the royal treatment from the heightened center of the swag and the crowning decorative finial. Taking the negative jabots to the floor and allowing them to balloon in the base creates an elegant appearance.

Style suggestion: Paint your partitions the specific same colour as your own window treatments, along with the eye will focus on texture rather than style.

Kathleen Walsh Interiors, LLC

Polished swags. This expertly tailored swag has jabots put over the center scallop rather than behind it. The contrasting banding emphasizes its layout.

Design suggestion: Placing fabric above a corner of any kind produces a warm and cozy space, much like a fabric canopy onto a bed.

LADS Interiors

Swags with details. These symmetrical jabots with coordinating fringe not just add texture (which our eyes love), but they help dress up an extremely functional room, the kitchen. Installing this swag treatment with decorative finials above each jabot is a great designer-quality touch.

Design suggestion: Anything made from toile fabric adds a great traditional touch to a room. It could appear busy at first, but you will love it in the end.

Witt Construction

Swags for her. Flank an architectural window in a woman’s room in a whimsical manner to create a feminine and warm window treatment that does not feel overwhelming. The attention here is the window, not the window treatment. You never need to block a stunning perspective.

Style suggestion: This swag treatment is very easily installed with little fabric and minimal effort. Use two decorative hooks in lively shapes and curtain till you love it!

Marlene Wangenheim AKBD, CAPS, Allied Member ASID

Swags because of him. Dress up a masculine den or office by adding a coordinating swag topper therapy over a full-length drapery panel. The thick accent fringe feels lavish and formless when staying masculine.

Style suggestion: Make this accent swag topper out of leftover material from any upholstered piece in your room to tie everything together.

Susan Serra

Swags using a decorative rod. This formal swag and jabot treatment is downplayed by the cosmetic bamboo rod. The treatment says severe, but the rod says lively — a great combination.

Design suggestion: When using fabric in a kitchen, match or coordinate the fabric of your window treatment to the hard surfaces of the majority of colour. In this case, see how the counter pops?

Craig Denis

Elegant swags. Take your bathroom from hard to soft by adding luxurious fabric. This swag becomes the focal point of the bathroom while still emphasizing the tub. The sheen of the silk fabric almost reflects the glow from the crystal chandelier.

Design suggestion: Insert an additional window treatment behind the swag and jabot combination for even more softness.

Grand swags. Grandeur and elegance are achieved in this great room with plenty of swags and jabots. By applying the treatments to just the clerestory windows (those above eye level), the designer has been able to place the focus on the ceiling height in addition to the ceiling. See how the base windows go unnoticed due to the exaggerated length of the jabot tails.

Design tip: If you have high windows put over low windows such as in this room, consider incorporating window treatments just to the very best ones for a somewhat unexpected appearance.

Cravotta Interiors

Simple swags. This room may appear extravagant, but the swag window treatment is in fact very simple. The thorough ceiling, intricate moldings and thick patterned wall covering will be the primary focal points, along with the swag just ties into the couch shade.

Design suggestion: For easy swag designs, decorative finials and tassels are wonderful ways to create a finishing touch.

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Home automation technology is out there, but barely anybody uses it. Sure, there are lots of home automation products, and serious fans. Nevertheless, the average home stays prominently manual.

To your average Silicon Valley engineer, the reason is obvious: lack of standards.

The issue is that different home automation products use different, incompatible and frequently proprietary technologies to make their magic occur. If you purchase two products from two companies, they usually won’t work together. Standards groups such as Z-Wave and Zigbee Alliance have attempted to create industrywide standards but have been ineffective so far.

The computer technology businesses are now rushing into this vacuum of standards to provide them. Leading the charge is none other than Microsoft. Best known as the manufacturer of the Windows operating system for personal computers, Microsoft views the entire home as a “computer” and is creating a working system for this.

Microsoft’s HomeOS, since it is called, is designed to bring law and order to the lawless frontier which is home automation. Perhaps most importantly, there are indications that Microsoft’s HomeOS will encourage existing standards, so even home automation goods already bought may utilize HomeOS.

How can HomeOS work?

The majority of us don’t have to think about what makes a computer system triumph, but Microsoft does.

Computers have a working platform, which can be software that orchestrates interaction between the hardware and the application program. By way of instance, you’re reading this with a web browser or in a mobile program, both of which are application software applications. This program does not really put these words on your display. It sends requests to the operating system, which frees up all of the components necessary to show text and photos on a display.

Actually, many of the items that application software appears to do are in reality accomplished by the operating system.

That is one of the biggest benefits of Microsoft’s HomeOS. A number of the jobs that home-automation appliances may want to do can be done by HomeOS. Rather than each appliance manufacturer and software manufacturer reinventing the wheel, they can simply make requests of the HomeOS and have the job done for them.

That signifies a small company can create an appliance much more easily and reliably. Let us say, for instance, that a company wants to create and sell a lamp which dims when the TV is still on. Rather than needing to create the technology to know when the TV is on, the lamp manufacturer can simply utilize the printed instructions for HomeOS for being informed by the machine once the TV is still on.

A standardized platform boosts the automation of houses making it simpler for organizations to make home automation products.

The idea is that Microsoft will try to convince home-automation organizations to create both software and hardware that supports HomeOS. Consumers will get these goods, which are likely to comprise all of the items one might automate: sprinklers, lighting, home-entertainment systems, enthusiasts, doorbells, heaters, air conditioners, coffee makers, dishwashers, robotic vacuum cleaner and home security systems.

Along with products which encourage HomeOS, you would purchase a host, that would be a small computer system which everything would connect to, largely wirelessly. You would control your home automation with a wise phone. This really improves the experience, as as this picture shows, you can view camera feeds on your phone, which is probably going to be together with you.

And finally, the coolest thing of all : a HomeOS program store.

The HomeOS program store

So you’ve got your HomeOS server, and you’ve got some devices that encourage HomeOS. Now what? Microsoft is about to offer a HomeOS app store, where you can browse and download software which will automate your home.

This makes sense coming out of the world’s biggest software firm. This screen capture shows a control panel, where you are able to assess the status of all wise devices in the house. This was not created by Microsoft, but by a supporting partner for another platform that Microsoft makes. A “control panel” category of programs is merely one that is going to exist at the HomeOS app store.

By way of instance, some firm might offer an program that sets the video feed out of your security system up on the TV when it detects motion. Another firm might offer software that sends you a text message when someone arrives to a door. Another may develop software that plays music based on who’s in the area (by discovering your mobile phone).

Nobody knows what software will be available on the HomeOS app store. And that’s the point. Hundreds or thousands of software makers can provide more variety than any one company alone.

As one instance of a very favorable application, Microsoft researchers are developing something named HomeMaestro.

The HomeMaestro thought

A Microsoft research project named HomeMaestro is working on making it easier to control devices in your home.

The approach uses regular language, rather than complex controls. The idea is an old-fashioned if-then statement shared to basic software programming: If something occurs, then create something else happen.

At a video demonstration, HomeOS researchers utilize the easy instance of: “If I open the door, then turn on the lighting” This command is referred to as a rule, and it is controlled on your smartphone.

The HomeMaestro project does a neat trick. As you construct these rules, you use the action to alert the program. By way of instance, you tell the program to create a guideline. You then open the door. “The door opens” appears at the upper box.

Then you click the Then box, and then turn on the lamp. “Turn on the lamp” appears in the Then box. You conserve your principle, and automation has been set. Later on, when you open the door, the lamp will turn on.

The HomeMaestro project would have all home automation work this way — for instance.

While the door-and-lamp case is very simple, the rules for home automation could be very complex: Should I see a show, don’t record it. If the air temperature outside is below 50 degrees between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., turn off and warm up the car when I make coffee. When everybody is in bed, turn off most of the downstairs lighting and appliances.

The possibilities are infinite. Especially since the HomeMaestro project envisions social sharing of rules — a “rules store” where you are able to browse and download rules created by others for your own use.

When is HomeOS coming home?

Microsoft has been growing HomeOS for years and has been testing HomeOS in real houses. It is called on pupils and Microsoft programmers to create programs for the HomeOS app store.

Up to now, Microsoft has not announced a product launch date, pricing or other details, so that means we won’t see products available on the market this year. But with other competitors also preparing comparable offerings, such as search engine giant Google, I would be surprised if next year didn’t see a large launch of the new Microsoft HomeOS merchandise, and a tsunami of home appliances that encourage it.

More:
A Smaller, Cheaper Future of Home Automation
The Way Bluetooth 4.0 Will Change Remote Control

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A trellis is a almost vertical, or vertical, grid composed of metal or wood strips set in a frame. It provides support.

APLD, Susan Cohan

A trellis can be a frame with latticework panels.

Frank & Grossman Landscape Contractors, Inc..

Or it may be far more complicated. This trellis combines lattice, fretwork and arches at a finished product that stands out without plants covering it.

Anne F Walters Company

Putting a trellis against a wall gives scaling vines a construction to cling to, saving the wall out of poisonous roots that may weaken it.

Robin Amorello, CKD CAPS – Atmoscaper Design

When vines or other climbing plants are placed close to a trellis, their spiraling tendrils automatically catch onto it. Freestanding trellises permit you to grow vertically even when a permanent structure isn’t offered.

Amy Renea

This wooden lattice, place on a diagonal, is an angled version of a traditional trellis. It is a fantastic alternative for supporting many fruits that are manicured, like cucumbers or cantaloupes.

Browse more trellis photographs

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Developing a master bedroom which manages to feel feminine and relaxing without alienating my spouse is like looking for the Holy Grail. I find mixing strong, earthy components with some subtle glam notes such as furry pillows and gilded accessories strikes the perfect note. Herewith is a bedroom which will make us both happy. — Joslyn from Simple Lovely

Anthropologie

Woodland Slumber Canopy Bed, Beige – $2,998

This contemporary take on a canopy bed manages to feel masculine and intimate at the same time, which is not an easy feat.

Etsy

Woods Poster by Debbie Carlos – $50

Debbie Carlos’s giant”Woods” poster is dreamy and a little mysterious. I’d splurge on a giant gilt frame and hang on this on the bed.

West Elm

Mongolian Lamb Pillow Cover – $54

These pillows manage to feel organic and luxe at once. I particularly love that dove gray.

Anthropologie

Arimatsu Quilt – $98

This Shibori-dyed quilt feels unique and handmade. It injects some spirit to the space.

Design Within Reach

Møller Model 63A Bench – $760

An iconic, streamlined bench will be perfect perched at the foot of the bed.

West Elm

Glazed Pillow Cover – $24

I’d mix these gilded pillows in with the furry ones to temper the earthiness and up the glam ratio!

Pottery Barn

Scallop-Knit Throw – $99

This throw is chunky and practical but nevertheless sports a fairly scalloped edge.

DwellStudio

Jensen Chair – $1,128

I’m crazy about DwellStudio’s new furniture line. I’d really like to put one of those chairs in the corner of the bedroom for hanging out and studying.

Pieces

Round Manage Basket: Large – $40

A big basket next to the bed to get stashing magazines and blankets is an essential in each bedroom.

Pieces

Driftwood Console – $3,295

This console is amazing, dramatic and surprising for a bedroom. I’d put it across from the bed and arrange a salon-style wall of art over it.

Etsy

Abstract Painting by Swalla Studio – $59.95

This little jewel of a painting adds a bit of subtle color to the space.

The Summer Project

Tokalon II – $150

The blush pink in this painting is just the ideal amount of feminine without being on the top.

West Elm

Wood Tiled 3-Drawer Dresser – $699

I’d really like to find these on both sides of the bed doing dual duty as nightstands and individual dressers. The timber tile detail on front is extremely unique.

Lamps Plus

Elexis Stained Crackle Porcelain with Gunmetal Table Lamp – $429.91

I’m crazy about the detail on this lamp. I think one on both sides of the bed would add so much personality to the distance.

Luke Irwin

Luke Irwin Ikat 14

Luke Irwin’s rugs are true heirlooms; they’re like art for your floor. I’d use this to anchor the entire room.

J Schatz

J Schatz Ridge Nesting Bowls – $180

I’d use this gorgeous J Shatz gold nesting bowl to stash rings and bracelets.

Anthropologie

Waving Stripes Curtain – Anthropologie.com – $108

These drapes are thick enough to obstruct morning lighting without feeling jarring.

CB2

Numi Candle Holders – $4.95

I’m a massive fan of those delicate glass candle holders from CB2. I’d buy several to group on the dresser. And the price is great too!

CB2

Iron Taper Black Candle Holder – $7.95

I’d mix some of these little iron taper holders using a few glass ones to add a rustic element.

Etsy

Succulent Plants by Tall Poppy Gardens – $16.50

Low-maintenance succulents are perfect near a bright window in the bedroom.

Next: More delightful bedroom finds

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When Jacob and Liesbeth van Balen moved into their new house, they desired to leave behind their traditional style and adopt an updated, modern aesthetic. The couple hired Netherlands interior design company Nu interieur | ontwerp to make a light and spacious family home which would unite conventional design styles with a clean, modern appearance. “The house was built to support our way of life,” Jacob says. “It’s a comfortable and warm family home, with sufficient distance and the play of light through the windows”

in a Glance
Who resides: Jacob and Liesbeth van Balen, with their two brothers
Location: Maasland, the Netherlands
Size: 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

Holly Marder

The clean-lined walnut dining table was one of the few items that the couple wished to bring with them from their previous home. Coupled with black leather armchairs and a sculptural lighting fixture, it creates a comfortable location for parties and family dishes in the kitchen.

The kitchen was one of the most important rooms, since the van Balens prefer to entertain and spend a lot of time here together as a family. Stainless steel built in Miele appliances, such as a built in coffee maker, keep the space feeling comfy, spacious and functional.

Holly Marder

The open layout provides a place to float right from the kitchen and a little area for watching TV. Double doors lead out to a patio.

To the right, a wall of built-in closets disguises an extremely spacious hidden closets and storage area.

Holly Marder

A wraparound countertop offers ample prep space in the kitchen and also a location for the couple to leave their keys when entering the house. A built-in book. A five-burner gas stove offers extra cooking space to their regular dinner parties.

Holly Marder

Granite countertops, crisp white cabinets and sleek handles make for a decidedly modern kitchen. Low cabinets make sure that the room keeps a bright and airy texture.

Holly Marder

The van Balen family enjoys gathering to unwind on this oversize charcoal grey sectional from Cartel Living.

Interior designers Tessa Weerdenburg and Nathalie Fransen brought in fundamental furnishings so the couple’s own traditional pieces would tie in without the more recent pieces stealing the show. “We were going to get a peaceful, relaxing feel in this room,” Weerdenburg states.

Sofa, armchairs: Cartel Living; curtains, rug: custom made by Interieur Decor Delft

Holly Marder

The huge sofa is a superb location for unwinding before the television, which can be displayed atop a narrow white TV cupboard.

The designers delivered the coffee table into the company who made the floors to provide it the exact same pale end as the smoked oak floorboards. The outcome is a look.

Holly Marder

This sideboard was one of the very few items the van Balens wished to bring along with them from their previous home, so it functioned as a staple piece in producing the property’s theme. “The warm color of the sideboard, with a touch of red in it, was the beginning point for the remainder of the house in terms of the furnishings,” Weerdenburg states. “To make it even more modern, we combined it with browns, tons of white and gray.”

In regards to designing the home’s layout, one of the highest items on the couple’s wish list was supposed to separate the kitchen from the living room. Double glass doors today lead from the living room into the kitchen.

Holly Marder

Along with a glass panel beside a pale oak staircase adds visual interest to a region that is often overlooked.

The lamp over the stairs is by Scandinavian company Secto Design.

Holly Marder

The pale oak tones across the remainder of the house are carried through the toilet, in which this family of four stocks a modern double vanity with several deep drawers for keeping bathroom solutions.

Holly Marder

The master bedroom is a calming area for Jacob and Liesbeth to unwind together as a couple. Pale tones of white and beige, and a mix of modern and classic furniture, make for a relaxing getaway.

Since the couple’s previous home was conventional in style, the designers were originally surprised that the couple loved their decidedly more minimalist concept. “They took a danger in embracing a whole new style for themselves, but they’re now very pleased with the new look,” Weerdenburg states.

Chair: York, Cartel Living

Holly Marder

Writing a letter, sitting down in the notebook or getting prepared for the day can all be achieved at this smart, minimalist wall unit by Keijser & Co.. Round the corner is a spacious walk-in cupboard.

Wall unit, chair, chest of drawers: Keijser & Co..

Holly Marder

This comfy nook makes the perfect escape for studying a book or just taking a rest from a hectic day. The modern chaise lounge is by Keijser & Co.. Several windows clean the room with light during the day, and in the warmer months, the couple enjoy the use of a little balcony away to the right, along with gorgeous views of the forest outside of their backyard.

Holly Marder

The bed and side tables are by Keijser & Co.. With simple white bed linens and minimal accessories, the look is clean, fresh and modern.

Holly Marder

A sleek sideboard makes for a simple and refined TV stand.

Sideboard, bed: Keijser & Co; bed linens: Ikea

Holly Marder

The redbrick exterior has a traditional gable roof, along with the patio keeps a lovely connection between the indoors and outdoors. During the summer months, many a summer evening can be spent at the backyard, on the neatly dressed terrace.

Holly Marder

The rear patio is as pretty as it is sensible for entertaining, with big stone pavers, immaculately groomed garden beds and lots of seating. A stream runs along the rear of the house, and a forest beyond that. “We love the freedom of living in this neighborhood. To have a little forest in our backyard in a very crowded and populated area is quite special,” Jacob says.

Holly Marder

The lady of the house, Liesbeth van Balen, enjoys the view on the garden from her living room.

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With a concentrated summit on top and a roof which slopes downward on each side, a gabled dormer creates usable space in the roof of a house, adding headroom, ceilings and architectural attraction. Built in a variety of sizes, gabled dormers can accommodate a single window and behave as an architectural punctuation mark or feature three windows within an whole second-story addition.

Brooks Ballard

The dormer with this gabled roofline brightens the face of this traditional-style house while providing headroom and natural lighting in the next narrative.

Avenue B Development

A gabled dormer provides a front-and-center focal point for this Craftsman house.

When to Paint Your Door Yellow

Emerick Architects

Knee braces support both the side and front gables with this Northwest shingle house.

Duxbury Architects

A house may comprise multiple dormer styles. This shed dormer and gable dormer unite to make a striking roofline.

Heartwood Corp

A view from inside shows how gabled dormers allow for light-flooded rooms and extra living space.

Noel Cross+Architects

A gabled dormer combines with knee straps, squared-tapered columns, a shed dormer and a Craftsman-style front door to make an exterior rich with architectural attraction.

Plattner Custom Builders, LLC

The front facade of this home features three front gables and a Sherwin-Williams color scheme, with the siding in Chatroom 6171, both the board and batten accents in Hardware 6172 and the fascia and trim board in Dover White 6385.

The Design Build Company

Centered over the entry, a gabled dormer draws the eye upwards with this San Diego house.

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This motivated manor is home to a retired couple who have a severe passion for animals. They wanted to build a house where horses, dogs and cats had room to roam till they found permanent homes.

The home sits on a 1,000-acre slice of land in the Green Springs Historic District, a shielded agricultural landscape sprinkled with historic farmhouses and manors, and the couple wanted to make sure their house would blend in. Joel Barkley, John Ike and Thomas Kligerman of Ike Kilgerman Barkley Architects worked with interior designer Renée O’Leary to create a colorful, cheerful and light-filled house that looks as if it’s been there for centuries.

in a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their nurture horses, dogs and cats
Location: Louisa, Virginia
Size: 5,000 square feet on 1,000 acres
That’s intriguing: The home is an irregular H shape to allow for maximum all-natural light.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

The entire Green Springs Historic District is a protected agricultural arena. It is composed of more than 14,000 acres of exceptionally fertile land (a sharp contrast to this poor soil surrounding it), and historic manors and farmhouses.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

Since this was one of the biggest homes built in the area since the late 19th century, it was critical that the home mix in with its environment. Barkley and his team wanted the home to keep inside the individuality of the historic district but nevertheless reflect the design style of their customers.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

A columned entry portico greets the homeowners in the end of a long drive round the 1,000-acre home. The home is within an irregular H shape, which made in part to allow for the constant flow of light.

Windows: Marvin; columns: Chadsworth; chairs: Weatherend

Ike Kligerman Barkley

The steady was a very important portion of the couple’s wish list. Since part of the reason they constructed this home was to take care of retired horses, they needed enough space to house the animals and their caretakers. Ike Kilgerman Barkley made the layout based on a classic English profile they admired for its timeless and functional look. The stable can accommodate up to 28 horses, and its own center peak has living quarters for its horses’ keepers.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

Indoor-outdoor living proved to be a big priority on this project. A “service” porch with a fireplace and a screened-in dining porch allow the couple to enjoy the grand grounds yearlong.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

Interior designer Renee O’Leary needed the house to feel traditional but have a pleasant, open, colorful and relaxing vibe that would signify its farmhouse roots. Earthy tones, exposed forests and large windows in each room help achieve this look. White and black marble floors give the entry a dab of formality.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

The bunk hallway bridge across the porte cochere (the arched structure over the driveway, also referred to as a carriage porch) is Barkley’s favorite room in the home. Here, daybeds are placed at the end of this space with bookshelves tucked below and in each end. “The manner by which the measures in the hallway isolate this area make it comfy, protected and nap causing,” says Barkley.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

A country-style kitchen feels current but reflects the timeless quality of the house. Granite countertops were installed for ultimate durability, and glass-faced upper cabinets offer more storage without restricting the open quality of the space. A huge window over the sink opens into a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

“The single-room depth of the floor plan lets sunshine all day to the home. The triple-hung windows allow you to push the sash and walk out everywhere you would like,” says Barkley.

Ike Kligerman Barkley

A casual living room area bathed in oranges and yellows sits outside the kitchen. A fireplace keeps it comfy in winter, while open access to the back porch allows for an indoor-outdoor living space during the summertime.

Loveseat cloth: Nobilis; armchair cloth: Bergamo; orange carpet: Odegard; lamp: Holly Hunt

Ike Kligerman Barkley

O’Leary was passionate about her color choices. “She knew the living room and library had to be Clydesdale Brown by Benjamin Moore,” says Barkley. “She loves horses.” The boxed white and bay bookshelves within this room create a bright focus contrary to the earthy brown paint.

Couch: Donghia; carpeting: Stark

Ike Kligerman Barkley

An upstairs gallery alongside the master bedroom hallway allows for clear views into the Blue Ridge Mountains. A gold grass-cloth wall covering maintains the warm inside vibe and overlooks the brilliant greenery outdoors.

Artwork over mantel: Ted Larsen; curtains: Cowtan & Tout; wall covering: Decorators Walk

All pictures by Durston Saylor

More:
Get the Look: Sophisticated Country Style
Nation Modern: A Balancing Act
10 Wonderful Farmhouses

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