By Pepper Parr December 5, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON. Shelley Raymond had a problem – both her parents were at that point in their lives when they needed a level of care she had not had to provide…

Discover the best cheap places to retire abroad, where your Social Security check allows you to live comfortably (and even pays for household help and a gardener!)

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Discover the work of Mark Cunningham Inc., from a charming Martha’s Vineyard summer home to a 1930s Georgian mansion on Long Island

By Pepper Parr December 5, 2014 BURLINGTON, ON. Shelley Raymond had a problem – both her parents were at that point in their lives when they needed a level of care she had not had to provide…

These ladies make the retirement years look really good.

By Alan George I was in the middle of my daily unwind time – you know, that sacred moment with a cup of tea and...

I like houses. This should be obvious. As a wannabe architect/interior designer I design homes in my head. I think about them constantly. Normal people have one ultimate dream home that they think about. I, however, am not normal. I imagine several dream homes, each fitting a separate stage of my life. I think about them all the time and find inspiration for them EVERYDAY. I can explain rough layouts to you and give color schemes. I can even tell you what plants grow around and in these imaginary homes. I'm crazy, yes, this is a fact. Anyways, I've decided to share my inspiration with y'all. So here it goes. This is my ideal Spanish style home. I will hypothetically build and own this when I have kids who are no older than 5. The house will reside just outside of Santa Cruz, CA in a rural area on several acres of land. The likely hood of me ever being able to afford this is 0.91892211%. But I can dream, ok!? You will enter the estate through a large gate. Similar to this one, but bigger! As in big enough for a car or two... :) via It will most definitely have lanterns similar to these and be built into a strong stuccoed wall like this one. The exterior facade is harder to explain, because truth be told, I have a hard time finding Spanish style home inspiration on the internet! Here is the house from Modern Family. I haven't seen the show, but I do like this house. It's gorgeous! Mine will be similar, but five million times as large and with a different color scheme. via The entrence will be more interesting like this one, with the tile around it. Also note the path tile: more Spanish. My home will be more like this. Also it will have a facade that is more fluctuating like this one, and less flat (ie the Modern Family house...) via Also the arched windows here are to die for! I prefer these pointed arches to those that simply curve. I have no idea if this is more or less Spanish. Do you know? It's like a step between the plain ones on the Modern Family house and Moorish arches like these? Maybe? Also the house will definitely be covered in ivy like this one from the second Parenttrap movie. Also the red color of the building here is similar to that of what mine would be. Ivy grows super fast right? It'll totally look like this with in a month of being build? hahah via The exterior in the back will look a bit like this: via Lots of verandas, doors, windows, porches, levels, balconies etc... Definitely a must. There will also be a pool, but I'd prefer mine a tad farther from the house. Here is another Spanish style building. I couldn't tell you exactly which of its features will be designed into my house, but I like way this one looks. Perhaps the stair step wall on the right side of the picture? Definitely a porch like this one, but much much wider. This will be a home of extravagance! heehee :) via The house will definitely contain elements like this below. The chimney design is fabulous. Simple, yet elegant! And again with the pointed arch. I just prefer them. via The house mansion will definitely have a tower. Or two. I can't decide. I love towers. I want to take them home with me. Originally I wanted a round one. I wanted to put a multi story library in it with a reading room on the top story and a curving decorative staircase. I've begun to rather love this tower too though. So maybe I'll have to have multiple towers. I think that's a little veranda up there. If it is, I love this even more. I want a tower veranda! Off the master bedroom maybe? I would love to sit up there, have sex relax in the evenings, and watch the sunset! via The house will definitely have a courtyard like this one from the movie, It's Complicated. Perhaps more than one courtyard. Maybe the front of it will be laid out in a U-shape, like Versailles, in the front. They might be atriums actually. via via Atriums that look like this one, except for not a greenhouse. And awesomer. And bigger. I will probably need to win multiple lotteries to afford this house. Or I could marry Prince Harry. He's pretty cute with that red hair! My house will also include a lot of indoor-outdoor spaces like this one. Is it inside? Is it outside? Is it both? I love this little veranda here. The beams are beautiful, That cut out with the plant is beautiful. The textiles are beautiful. Hell, if I can't afford this house, I'll just take this veranda and be happy. via Also this dining room is gorgeous. The arched ceiling is amazing! I love the vines. Al fresco dining is a must for California. Especially in the summer. ?? Finally, because I want want want want, there needs to be water incorporated in the home. I like this arch on the right below. Yeah, basically I want a moat for my castle of luxury. heehee via ?? Or even a veranda like this with a small pool! It needs to be a salt water pool. None of that chlorine for me! via More outdoor space inspiration: FIREPLACES! I love fire, so this is especially critical. I want a fireplace like this. And I want a big fire pit that can fit a lot of people for roasting s'mores. I also need little moveable fire pits, like the ones in my favorite veranda above, for all my verandas and balconies. This is for warmth purposes as I was born cold blooded or something. I am always freeeeeeeezing! via I love this little side garden nook. It's toooo cute. So sweet. A perfect little place to sneak away to. via And I definitely need a covered walk way like this one. Mostly for the photo opportunities beneath it. Also it would be great for weddings and I fully expect everyone I know to get married at my house. Heeheehee via And I want these scattered spots around my land! I love the bed and the table. Simply beautiful. Plus I love things that hang. There will definitely be some big California oaks around, so there won't be a problem finding places for these to hang. :) via via Also built in benches in the backyard please!! ?? And a big pool house with a fireplace like this one! Only Spanish style. via Oh and my house will have some solar panel roof tiles like these! (But only in the places you can't see well, I'm not a fan of the look) via And that's it guys. That's my idea Spanish style dream home! The one I will never be able to afford, but will continue to lust after until I die. I'll continue to show you more as I go. This was just the exterior! :) Get excited! Oh! And of course I apologize for my extremely ridiculous and extravagant taste for what I will never afford. : / But, hey! A girl can dream. And dream I will

Thinking about buying a house in France? This episode is a conversation with an American who did just that and learned a lot in the process!

Mario Máspero es diseñador en el más amplio sentido de la palabra: crea casas, muebles y hasta chimeneas; en su jardín logró plasmar un estilo tropical y exuberante.

A ski-in/ski-out chalet was transformed into a breathtaking home with bright interiors by designer Robert Bailey in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

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Follow @myeyes-seebeauty and get more of the good stuff by joining Tumblr today. Dive in!

Murdough Design is responsible for the design of this contemporary lakeside dream home located in Center Harbor, New Hampshire.

Zestimate® Home Value: $2,406,290. * Lake Arrowhead's Hilltop Lakefront Estate - The 3.85 acre family compound is as unique to Lake Arrowhead as Arrowhead is to So Cal. Notable features: North Shore gated community - Level entry to 8 bdr main house, 4 bdr guest house, motor ct, 12 car garage, RV storage, Great rm, Fam rm, Game rm, Formal dining, Library, Office, workshops, Tennis court & pavilion, 1/2 acre no-water lawn, Special event catering bldg, Beach & 4 private boat docks. See web site & media page for more info. Fabulous !

A stately slate grey rock fireplace with a raised hearth for seating and recessed mantle for decor creates a cool contrast to the warm hues of the decorative timbers above this great room.

Best home decor ideas to inspire you to tackle a home improvement project. These ideas range from simple decorating accents to complete kitchen make overs

This week's love takes us away into the Portuguese hills, to a beautiful ceramic house loved by AnOther's Daisy Woodward

Coy Yiontis creates a steeply pitched contemporary home for a mature couple to enjoy into their retirement.

Palm Springs - 4 Bed 3 Bath Design by Residential Attitudes

Completed in 2014 in Lamu, Kenya. Images by Javier Callejas. Swahili Dreams is a luxurious, eco-friendly building fusing contemporary architecture, lifestyle, and Swahili tradition. Taking the scheme of...

Jewel of Maui is an sumptuous beach-front luxury estate, located in Kapalua on Maui Island, the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. The homeowner, artist Christian Lassen, worked with celebrity interior designer Steven Cordrey to create the embodiment of tropical opulence and complement the amazing views of the Pacific and neighboring island of Molokai and the excellent quarter […]

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In vetting prospective clients I often get ask, who goes first with the floor plan design, the architect, or me, as the spatial designer? This is an important question, but it doesn’t have a cut-and-dried answer, nor is there a wrong or right way to approach it. It all depends on the prefere

Remember the four gal pals from the popular series 'Golden girls', who lived together in their retirement? Well, there are 7 Chinese girlfriends who are attempting to do the same in real life. These women just brought a perfect house which they are planning on sharing once they retire. Amazing friendship goals, right?

I love, love, love home decor and interior design. My parents were in the design and interior decor business most of my life, so I have alw...

Meet Lauren Eloise. Reno School graduate and the woman behind The Coastal Barn Dream; mum of five and her hubby built their family’s dream home and made it into a photoshoot location; all while starting an exciting career in styling and design.

Een inspirerende dosis verwondering over kunst, natuur, stijl, reizen, creativiteit en de kleine dingen van het leven.

Ground Floor Plan Second Floor Plan Co-housing Manor is a design exercise looking at a different form of housing for today's Baby Boomer generation that wants to downsize and simplify from the large homes they raised their families in. In many ways they still need the large homes after their kids have grown and moved away. They need the number of bedrooms for when the next generation comes to visit. They need the large kitchen and entertaining areas for family celebrations and holidays. The three car garage also has become a large project or hobby space that is difficult to give up when downsizing. And often an adult kid may need to come back to live at home when economic hardship or divorce happens. Family members often like to be in closer proximity to each other. Like in the case of an elderly relative that needs to watched over, or the need to take care of a house while someone is traveling for extended periods. The expense of gas and frustration of traffic at certain times of the day can limit the ability of family members to travel across town or between cities to be supportive of each other. Families today also are comprised of close friends that they feel the same level of care for as actual relations and are an integral part of their lives. Co-Housing Manor is a way for a close group of people to live together in a supportive way and still maintain a level of privacy and autonomy. It is five independent living units that share larger common amenities that are difficult to give up when moving to smaller homes, as well as allow the supportive family environment that close proximity allows. There are five living units ranging from 638 to 1729 square feet. The total building area is 8900 square feet giving an average of 1,800 sf per unit. So it allows you to downsize to about 1,500 sf yet retain the large public areas that would be common in a house of 8 to 10 thousand square feet. There is a 19' by 32' Great Hall that can be used for large entertaining such as holidays or family celebrations like birthdays or weddings. It can also be available to invite the wider neighborhood in for community interaction. There is a likewise large outdoor covered gathering space for more casual or impromptu socializing. Supporting both spaces is a large central kitchen which can have larger capacity appliances for use of residents and offers more space than in their private units for projects that need larger layout counters. There is a guest suite attached to the common area to accommodate visitors that allows both they and you privacy that is difficult when you have downsized to a condominium. There is a separate garage that can be set up for a shop or be used for extra storage of sports equipment or hobbies that would not fit within the single garage provided each unit. There are five two story townhouses at each corner separated by garages so they are very private and there is no chance of noise transmission through common walls. The rooms are on the small side, but there are large master baths and walk in closets normally found in larger homes. There is a second space that can be used for home office, guest room or media center. A studio apartment on the second floor can be rented out or used for an adult child that has moved back, or for a person that can act as a caretaker for the complex. Click here to see exterior views. Click here to see interior views. Click here to see another Co-housing Design Concept

It wouldn’t be a new year without the experts weighing in on the projected trends for the coming year, especially when it comes to forecasting shifts with colors, textiles, and furnishings. Those leading the charge have their ears to the ground and their sights on the horizon, constantly taking note

Hi there! Today I have this family home featuring a study, home cinema, activity room and large undercover alfresco area.

Sweden's Naturhus, a house-within-a-greenhouse concept, offers energy savings, exotic gardening opportunities and plenty of visual wow.

While thinking about my annual forecast for custom home design trends , the word consistency kept coming to my mind. In the last couple of years, and I suspect the same will be true for 2023, the way space is being utilized in custom home design seems to be holding true. No matter the location

Some Earthship Images…

Steve's client's dream was to design a classic California beach house where she could create memories for her children and grandchildren. John Finton was the builder of this amazing home. Park your car on Pacific Coast Highway and come on in... Steve created a stone entry court with a fountain...

Hi there! Welcome to another Floor Plan Friday blog post. Today I have this very good 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom spacious family home...