Contemporary Bathrooms

Open and Airy Rooms

In Venice, Calif., this living and dining area opens up on three sides: to the lap pool on the west with sliding glass doors; to the north courtyard with pocketing glass doors and to the south garden and guest house through pivoting metal doors.



Architect Scott Joyce designs a chic Hollywood Hills home with an entire rear facade consisting of glass walls that accordion open to create seamless outdoor/indoor living room.



A unique Palm Springs home features a white living room designed by Luis Ortega. The interior contains a mix of contemporary materials and natural elements, playing homage to American modernism.



Architect Max Strang designs an outdoor living room with a panoramic 360-degree view. Featuring "ipe" wood floors, an amazing ceiling of rusted industrial steel and furnishings from Bali, the space feels like a high-style tree house.



This Malibu great room with its eye-catching smooth stucco fireplace has a wall of bi-fold doors, which open to make the indoor and outdoor spaces feel like one. The glass-tiled pool is surrounded by a teak deck featuring a concrete BBQ and Viking appliances.



In Newport Beach, designer Mark Cutler creates a room that was designed to make the most of its waterfront location and enjoy a cottage-like feeling with a European flair.



Architect David Hertz designs an amazing glass-walled beachfront home in Venice, Calif., with an incredible roll-down window that opens the living room completely up to the outdoors.



Designer Mark Cutler creates a loggia at a Beverly Hills estate featuring an outdoor living and dining area in yellows and greens inspired by a Tuscan villa.

Design Ideas

Designer's Notes

In the Living Room, the custom triptych from AndreasCharalambous.com is a dramatic backdrop to the B+B Italia sofa and the concrete Cha-Cha cocktail table. The wool and silk area rug is also from ChaChafurniture.com. I love the comfortable, stylish feel of this sofa!!!!!



The kitchen area was opened up to the rest of the house in this open plan. Poliform cabinetry and stainless steel appliances were inserted in the burnt orange wall that becomes the organizing element. The dining room table is attached to the island and becomes an extension of it, with the same silestone top.



The drama of the open tread stair against the burnt orange wall within the two story entry foyer gives the visitor the first taste of the open plan that organizes this Lake Barcroft home.



The large custom Mirror from ChaChafurniture.com hangs above the wenge console table and greets the visitor off the elevator that opens into the apartment. To the left, the game room furniture sits on a wool and silk rug from ChaChaFurniture.com, while the dramatic photograph on the wall is from AndreasCharalambous.com.



The burnt red wall that houses the kitchen cabinetry and appliances is an organizing element within the plan. The stair to the upstairs bedroom is attached to the red wall, around which all the rooms revolve. All extraneous walls have been removed, so this dining area feels like an integral part of a greater whole.



The intimate “Theater” area within the Family room pays homage to the silver screen with a series of movie posters that adorn the right wall. All that’s missing is the neon sign of the theater marquis.

Designer Notes

Vibrant hues against backdrops of deep black and bright white add an energetic, futuristic flair to your living room.



Earthy browns and tans, reflecting the colors of rock, stone and soil, will be trendy for some time to come.



The living room is a place to de-stress and unwind, and color can be an important element in bringing together style and a playful sense of whimsy.



A focused color scheme of red, orange, tan and black transforms the space from bland and boring to vibrant and modern.



Add accent colors to a basic color scheme to make the room pop!

First Impressions/Entry Ways

You know what they say about first impressions. Since the entryway is what your guests' will see right away — make sure the furniture, paint color, and seating that you choose send the right message.



Designer Betsy Burnham used a bone sunburst mirror from Blackman Cruz, a Murano dresser from Mecox Gardens, and an upholstered chair covered in Tashkent silk.



France meets California in this foyer designed by Stephen Shubel: A Louis XVI-style chair sits next to a petrified tree trunk. Horse photo by Susan Friedman.



Cathy Kincaid's clients already owned the heraldic crest. The bench is upholstered in Dashwood and the two polka-dot pillows are in Brown Mu, both from Madeline Weinrib.



"The floor in this entrance hall was black and lifeless. It needed a shot in the arm. It was painted to look like marquetry, which is elegant without being too fancy," says designer Ashley Whittaker.

Organic ChristmasTablesettings

Herb Centerpiece

Gather a selection of fresh, seasonal herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme and bay leaves, and use them to create an alternative table centerpiece.

Fresh Foliage Centerpiece

Pick a selection of whatever fresh foliage and winter flowers you may have growing in your winter garden for this variation on the evergreen centerpiece.

Individual Place Setting: Ivy and Red Berries

Fill an egg cup with sprigs of bright red berries and tuck in a few short lengths of ivy around the edge.

Individual Place Setting: Fresh Flowers

Cut fresh flowers from plants that flourish in a winter garden, such as Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis), or witch hazel (Hamamellis mollis). Put them in a small foil-lined box or pot and add a little water.

Terracotta Pot Candleholders

Turn three simple terracotta pots into stylish candleholders: line the base of each with recycled aluminum foil, put a beeswax candle in the center, pack sand around each candle and cover the sand with a pretty arrangement of fresh foliage and bright berries.

Decorated Chair Backs

These simple arrangements, made up of a few stems of trailing ivy (Hedera), mistletoe (Viscum album), and holly (Ilex), roughly tied together with natural raffia, and attached to the back of each chair, will lend a lovely rustic detail to your decorated table.

Dried Napkin Decoration

Make a simple napkin decoration by gluing together a dried leaf, a dried orange slice and a cinnamon stick. Rest it lightly on a folded linen napkin, or secure it with a length of natural raffia.

Gather a few short stems of fresh mistletoe and a sprig or two of bright berries, bind them together with some garden twine and rest the small posy on a folded linen napkin.





NO BAKE - Cream Cheese, Coconut, Snowball's Recipe

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened. 
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained.
1 cup chopped pecans 

3 cups flaked coconut.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and pineapple until combined then fold in the pecans. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Take out of refrigerator and roll into 1-inch balls; then roll the balls in the coconut. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPJFB0nfLAg&feature=related

Bath Ideas

The architectural element in this powder room is definitely unique. A floating vanity with under lighting is used to create a dramatic effect.



Travel back to an age of grandeur in this Old World master bathroom. Warm wall colors and ornate wall sconces provide a feast for the eyes, while a marble shower and tub are ready to rejuvenate the body. Deep red and marigold yellow accessories accent the space, while a marble sink and dark cabinets make the room as functional as it is beautiful.



Nothing says country like plaid prints and flowers mixed together. For a touch of sophistication, choose bold prints with a strong ebony accent color.



This updated bathroom features a contemporary look with more storage than it had previously.



Natural stones, Tatami tile and dark woods contribute to the Zen-like experience in this sleek bathroom. A frameless shower door was used in this small guest bathroom to give the illusion of more space.


Custom sconces and oversized crown molding give character to a square bathroom. Photo by Mayer & Bowden Photography.



The custom concrete floating vanity with a Nakashima integrated sink brings the outdoors inside this contemporary bathroom.

I totally love, love, love this sink!!!!!!!!!!!!