Name: Christine & Pierre
Type of Project: Kitchen remodel
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Type of building: Ground floor apartment of a triplex, 1,100 square feet

The American Institute of Architects recently selected six projects as this year's best examples of single-family housing. They're all modern in design, site-responsive, and all integrate eco-friendly design and construction practices. They're outstanding examples of thoughtful design, and absolutely dream buildings to call home.

I've been looking really hard at penny tile lately, for the flooring in a client's bathroom renovation. And in the specifications for all of the manufacturers I've come across, it is stated that the tile can be used indoors and out. While I've seen it used quite a bit indoors, I've never once seen it outdoors. So, I went searching for examples of people using penny tile outside and found almost nothing:

Name: Sandra & Justin
Type of Project: Kitchen remodel
Location: Arlington, Texas
Type of building: Single-family home, 2,450 square feet

Sandra and Justin shared their inspiration for their kitchen, Faith and Mike shared their inspiration for their kitchen, and Andi shared what she learned. Meanwhile, in New York, Maxwell worked with a local crafter to design custom cabinets for his SoHo apartment. 

• Maxwell & Ursula's Light Rental Reno: The Cabinets
• Inspiration for Sandra and Justin's Kitchen
• Andi's Kitchen: Real-life Lessons from a Real-life Renovation
• Inspiration for Faith & Mike's Master Bathroom

Name: Andi Forker
Type of Project: Kitchen Renovation — full gut remodel
Location: San Francisco, California
Type of building: 1890's Victorian condo

After a lot of hard work (and a few unexpected surprises), Andi's kitchen renovation is finally complete, and the results are truly stunning. We've been there every step of the way, watching the cramped, outdated old kitchen being transformed into a beautiful, light-filled oasis. In this final installment of their Renovation Diary, Andi (and bf Dean) share what they've learned along the way. 

In small homes, the bathroom in particular can be really pressed for space. I know that in my own small house (not as tiny as my old apartment, but well under the average size in my city), it's difficult coming up with enough wall space for towel bars. We have hooks and bars on the back of the door, but I'm always looking for alternatives since that's not ideal. One solution I'm eyeing is the 12-inch towel bar:

Q: We are first time home owners and first time remodelers. The electrician needs to know what I want to do in the existing living room. We are doing a full rewiring, removing the old K&T wires. Currently, the living room  is set up for all sconces, but I think it makes it very difficult to decorate the walls, especially the main wall where the couch is going to go:

Name: Faith and Mike
Type of Project: Master Bathroom Creation
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Type of building: 1920s, multi-level, single family home

Last week we were introduced to Faith and Mike's master bathroom project. Rather than renovate an existing bathroom, they're getting really ambitious and creating a master bathroom out of whole cloth in a space that was once a sleeping porch. Here, they share some of their inspiration for the project.