Giant mansions seem to get most of the attention, but smaller spaces are so much more of a challenge to make them work. Here are ten excellent examples from the HomeByMe Gallery that make a lot out of a little. Click on any of the images to go to the project page online and use the 360° view or the immersive view to explore the layout. For all the details, open the project and really check it out.

maikeK – Mein neues Projeckt – 1 bedroom apartment – 866 ft² / 80 m²

dedelab – Mon nouveau projet – 1 bedroom apartment – 595 ft² / 55 m²

vallie – jip – 2 bedroom apartment with attached 1 bedroom apartment – 789 ft² / 73 m²

erathia5 – Shouldbe – studio apartment – 446 ft² / 41 m²

josekuis – jaky 4 – 1 bedroom apartment – 802 ft² / 74 m²

gigi1969 – kiskorona1 – 1 bedroom apartment – 570 ft² / 53 m²

Cidjay – JS-APPART-03 – 1 bedroom apartment – 792 ft² / 74 m²

sendes – linda 3 – 1 bedroom apartment – 494 ft² / 46 m²

jerome.astier.7 – maison apres – studio apartment – 372 ft² / 35 m²

tinaleka – apart5 – 1 bedroom apartment – 422 ft² / 39 m²

Go to the Academy article “Increase the value of small spaces” for lots of good ideas and tips to make the most of your small space.

It’s your turn!

Cidjay has earned our congratulations for winning the HomeByMe December Project of the Month! Her design for the JS-APPART-03  project gives 792 ft² / 74 m² of livable space. As you’ll see, that is plenty of space when the layout is this good. To see a few more examples of nicely designed smaller spaces take a look at our recent blog post, 10 Homes – small is beautiful.

Looking at Cidjay’s home in plan view, it’s easy to see that the entrance (blue arrow) gives you two directions to go. To the left (red arrow), you’ll be in the private areas. To the right (yellow arrow), you’ll be in the more open family areas. There’s even enough room for a terrace!

Looking to the right as you enter, you’ll see the coat closet on the left and the living room straight ahead. Let’s go in that direction first.

A nice open grouping leaves plenty of room for entertaining and relaxing.

It’s only a few short steps into the dining area and beyond that, the kitchen.

It’s worth a slight detour to check out the terrace and enjoy being outdoors.

Going back inside, you can see the casual eating area and then the kitchen.

The kitchen itself is a tidy design with everything very close at hand. It looks like it would be easy to prepare your snacks and meals.

At the same time you’re cooking, you have full access to the open areas so you can interact with your family or guests.

If you go left as you enter, you’ll find a centrally-located toilet on the right and then easy access to the bathroom at the end of the hall.

The bathroom textures, surfaces and colors are both warm and functional. The washing machine is in a great location for easy laundry duty.

There is a good-sized home office which is also being used as an exercise room. It could also serve as a small second bedroom or nursery if needed.

Whether working or playing, you would be comfortable here.

The bedroom layout takes full advantage of the double glass doors to make the room bright and inviting.

It’s a great hideaway spot for really relaxing and getting away from it all.

It’s your turn!

There is a steadily growing trend towards living in less space and enjoying it more! Tiny (less than 400 ft² / 37.2 m²) and small (less than 1000 ft² / 93 m²) homes, are gaining in popularity around the world. This post is focused on how to make your new small home seem bigger – with step-by-step tips and suggestions on how to do it. Check out the blog and Academy links at the end for even more information.

Whether  you’re planning new construction, making modifications to an existing space or already have a small home, there are some basic organizational items to take care of. You should be working with an accurate 2D plan from the beginning. Check out this video, How to make a 2D plan, for lots of tips and tricks.

My sample home overall is about 700 ft² / 65 m², the home (blue) is about 200 ft² / 18.6 m² and the patio (green) is about 130 ft² / 12 m². The yellow arrows show the entrance.

When I started this project, I just jumped in and began putting in all the things I wanted to have. Oops! What I should have done is create a list of must-have functional spaces to work with and then determined priorities for the list of would-like-to-have relaxing-entertaining spaces. To help you avoid this situation here are some steps to follow:

1 - Water and electricity  connections come first - Try to group them close together – hot water heater, kitchen, bath and toilet – and make sure that they are accessible for repairs. The same goes for your electrical circuit box. Sometimes hiding something in plain sight is the best choice, so my circuit box is right inside the entry door.

2 - Size and position your toilet and bathroom facilities next - It can be surprising how much space is needed.

3 - Sort out your heating and cooling options - I used lots of windows, in three rows of three for lots of air flow adjustment choices and to bring in as much natural light as possible. Each window has an outdoor built-in shade and an indoor adjustable shade to help moderate uncomfortable temperatures.

4 - Plan your storage needs - Every nook and cranny should be used. Work with every space you have; bureaus, cabinets, shelves, under the bed and over the bed. At the foot of this bed is a huge bureau with big drawers that will also help shelter the bed and provide a place to attach the TV. Right across from it is another smaller bureau to provide storage in a small unused corner.

5 - Add your bed - I’ve turned this bed into a storage gold mine by using the space underneath for slide-out storage boxes and adding a shelf above the bed for more slide-out storage drawers. There are sliding doors up top to help keep it looking neat and a moveable ladder to help reach the stored goodies.

6 - Plan your lighting – Try to use ceiling fixtures or lighting under shelves and cabinets to save room on your flat surfaces. In addition to the lights shown in yellow, there are lights under the range hood, over the bed and under each of the window shades outside. Make sure you use windows, window and more windows – they add light and help make the outdoors feel like it’s a big part of your home. They’ll also allow you to use more plants to help soften the overall decor.

What’s left is your leisure space - Determine your priorities – entertaining / cooking / relaxing / working – and go from there. You can at least be sure that you’ve covered the basic items and can now focus on things that you enjoy too.

Here are a few other tips to help make your smaller home into a polished little gem:

A – Use any space outside to gain more room - A terrace, balcony, patio, veranda or even a nicely detailed entry area can make a big difference. I’ve added about 130 ft² / 12 m² of wonderful entertainment and relaxation space by adding the covered patio.

B – Use sliding integrated doors (pocket doors) wherever possible - Remember not to hang anything on them. Because they slide into a pocket in the wall, they save lots of floor space since you don’t have to keep any areas clear for the swing of the door.

C – Use mirrors - They help give the impression of a larger space.

D – Use color and texture changes - White walls and objects looks bigger. Darker colors will make them seem smaller. In the kitchen I’ve used two white walls and two slightly textured and darker walls to make the space seem deeper. A big color change in the corner helps separate the home office from the rest of the room.

E – Use horizontal elements inside and out - They visually make your spaces look longer or wider. The bathroom has big base and crown moldings to help visually shorten the tall,narrow space. Outside, the dark feature at the base of the walls helps visually lengthen the home.

Enjoy yourself - One last image, thinking of a warm, breezy evening and getting ready for a night of entertaining and just plain having a good time!

- Links to blog posts

– 10 Homes – small is beautiful

– Clear away the clutter

– Make room for people too

– 7 Ways to use Upcycling in your HomeByMe projects

- Links to Academy articles

– 5 Ways to expand your home

– 10 Essential tips for small kitchens

– How to optimize your storage space

– Increase the value of small spaces

It’s your turn!

Welcome to the HomeByMe Best of the Best 2015 post. We celebrate all twelve 2015 Project of the Month Winners in one place. Congratulations once again to each winner! Every month there are tens of thousands of projects uploaded and it is a deliciously difficult task to narrow it down to one winner each month. These projects are truly the Best of the Best 2015!

aliceC – Project: Avec vue sur la Mer…

January Project of the Month Winner – hillhouse by ckdrp – United States

February Project of the Month Winner – American Dream #2B by photosecosse – Scotland

March Project of the Month Winner – Nuevo comienzo by isabaltrons – Uruguay

April Project of the Month Winner – Mi nuevo proyecto 2000 by MAYAMESA – Spain

May Project of the Month Winner – “Luxury” house by planiranjedoma –

June Project of the Month Winner – 2 by mo29- France

July Project of the Month Winner – Dai.I.8 by tanjuke – Lithuania

August Project of the Month Winner – 12′ by Angele22 – France

September Project of the Month Winner – Avec vue sur la Mer… by aliceC – Alice was also a winner in the Best of the Best 2014! – France

October Project of the Month Winner – Concrete Modern by Deadmonkeys3000 – Canada

November Project of the Month Winner – vaness by vanessa__2B – France

December Project of the Month Winner – JS-APPART-03 by Cidjay – France

It’s your turn!

Congratulations to rijecemo for winning the January HomeByMe Project of the Month with this great stack of working environments – oficina! Each floor has about 350 ft² / 32.5 m² of useable area and they all add up to a beautiful place to work in and have fun too! Let’s take a visual tour from the ground floor entryway to the roof-top pavilion.

Greenery brightens up the entrance and provides a bit of tranquility in the back too.

As we head up the spiral stairway and look back, we can see how the careful use of patterned white, black and gray tones with little touches of color have created a pleasant and business-like feeling.

Next floor up has generous space for conferences, meetings and even some fun.

The beautiful and fully functional kitchen is close by, so anything from espressos and coffees with snacks all the way to delightful meals is possible.

It looks like we picked just the right day to visit and help celebrate a birthday! I hope it’s a surprise party.

Working space dominates the next floor with two complete work stations and a huge window to keep things bright. A smaller space behind us provides room for carrying on with other parts of project development.

With the graceful curves and plenty of room to work, the set up on each side of the central screen offers a comfortable environment for getting things done. It looks like the birthday party will have some nice gifts to be opened.

As we continue up the staircase we reach the top spot. It’s an elegant and inspirational space for making the big decisions.

The wall-mounted fireplace adds just the right touch to keep everyone comfortable. Another small office is in the back for support.

It’s a nice warm evening and this is the perfect place to gather, have some fun and celebrate. Happy Birthday!

It’s your turn!

For a long time considered as a secondary room in the house, the bathroom has been able to polish its image over the years. Although it’s still one of the smaller rooms, we place far greater emphasis on it. The reasons for lounging in the bathroom are numerous: an irresistible desire to slip into a warm bath during these winter days or, on the contrary, enjoy a refreshing shower after a beautiful summer day. That’s why, this room has to be pleasant to live and also a convenient place.
To help you find inspiration to create and decorate your new bathroom, we have selected 8 original ones performed by our HomeByMe users.
Just click on the picture to open the project:

American Dream #2B by photosecosse

angelaMMLuis by breton.manou

Bourg7 (Essai) by geronimo2

Dexter Morgan residence by nagual

carré carré by famille.francoiscecile

No Privacy by aliceC

Mi nuevo proyecto 2000 by MAYAMESA

Avec vue sur la mer by aliceC

It’s your turn ! 

In this post we celebrate 10 of the Best of the Best Rooms created in HomeByMe during 2015! Congratulations to each winner! Well done! Out of hundreds of thousands of possibilities these are some of the very best. Click on any project image to go to the blog post it has been featured in and review the rest of the excellent rooms too.

Winner – Great Room - gregoire.clair – creator of Arne – from Denmark

Winner – Bedroom - AishaElvira – creator of Humble Abode – from Singapore

Winner – Great Room - perletheodore – creator of design house – from Martinique

Winner – Living Room - abir – creator of chalet moderne – from France

Winner – Great Room - jubault – creator of rez chaussee – from France

Winner – Bedroom - aliceC – creator of Avec vue sur la Mer… – from France

Winner – Great Room - Ramsey – creator of Clarendon – from Australia

Winner – Kitchen - palmares73 – creator of Réaménagement salon – salle a manger – from Canada

Winner – Home Office - danceswithdaffodils – creator of Loft – from the United States of America

Winner – Kitchen - prisnc – creator of dream home (kitchen is in the basement level) – from the United States of America

It’s your turn!

Where you eat can be as important as what you eat. The ambiance makes a big difference; especially in your home, where you eat at many different times of day. These 8 examples of your projects combine the elements of light, color, surface textures and use of space with great results!

mio – project created by k-liche79

EMILIAN-1 ETAZ – project created by kremena.design

MNP 270 last – project by katarinalara

Ninie House 2 – project by Murtas

Callisto – project by gregoire.clair

casa lum 137-v2 – project by scmr

ProjetAtelierBiblio4 – project by xavvdb

1 – project by lilman

It’s your turn!

Congratulations to Murtas for creating the incredible February Project of the Month Winner – Ninie House 2. Be prepared for an extensive tour of the multitude of gorgeous features. Even as I was creating this blog post, Murtas is continuing to improve the project. Be sure to go to the project to see the latest version. Click on any image or link and you’ll be taken inside an ongoing masterpiece.

An overhead view makes it easy to see that the entire home is a walled compound. This provides many benefits and when we’re inside keeps our focus on the home itself.

Open spaces and the generous use of plants set the mood whether you in the kitchen, on the deck or in the master suite. Follow the blue arrows as we start our trip.

The street entrance brings you into a whole new world immediately. Open spaces and lots of plants are comforting and help us to relax.

As we enter the home we can choose several paths. If we look to the right we can see a casual dining area and hints of a kitchen.

And that’s what we’ll find. A beautifully fitted out space for preparing a snack or a feast for a large fiesta.

The inside entertainment area just beyond the kitchen is a sunken level heaven with everything you’ll need to really wind down from a busy day.

The huge glass panels brighten up the entire kitchen and entertainment level and also draw your eyes to the treats waiting outside.

The first complete seating area on the deck lets the party spill outside and accommodate even more people.

There’s another seating area under the umbrella and, of course, loungers for some time in the sun. The pool is cool and inviting. Go ahead and jump in!

Opposite the entrance to the pool is a greenhouse for even more plants, tools and supplies.

One important benefit of the surrounding walls is a sense of privacy. Even the areas that are for personal use can have visual access to the rest of the home.

A totally open home office shares space easily with the bed on a pedestal and a huge TV for easy viewing.

Another important theme that runs through the home is the use of mirrors and mirrored surfaces. They help make everything feel open, accessible and even bigger than it is.

Around the corner to the right is a quiet spot for a toilet and sink.

As we walk back toward the front (use the layout above if necessary to see where we are), we pass through the dressing area…

…to the bathroom. Space and more space keeps it simple, yet utterly elegant too.

On the way to the bathroom we went by the whirlpool bath nicely nestled in a corner.

I hope you aren’t tired yet – we still have the complete lower suite to visit. Just follow the blue arrow.

The stairway is cleverly hidden in plain sight in the kitchen.

A nice nook on the left at the bottom provides space for work at home or some game time.

Or, go to the right and past the aquarium under the stairs on the way to a nice entertainment setup.

There’s plenty of room for a big bed and another small sitting area too. The bathroom/toilet is in the room to the right.

Lots of room again! All the glass and reflective surfaces make it feel comfy.

Wow! Now you can head upstairs again and see if I’ve missed anything. Aha! I did miss the toilet in the entrance hallway, so here it is now.

It’s easy to see why we are so captivated by this project. It is exceptionally well thought out and completely detailed. An excellent example of how HomeByMe can help bring your interior design dreams to life in 3D!

It’s your turn!

Today is a special day for lovers and we wish you all a beautiful Valentine’s Day. For this occasion, we propose you a special article about master rooms but not random ones, those created by the HomeByMe users! Take advantage of this opportunity to get inspired and dream about your perfect bedroom whatever it has a water point, an integrated dressing room or even both. Imagine and create your own haven thanks to these 5 master rooms.

MB – Reggie

enfant1 – vienna

Concrete Modern – Deadmonkeys3000

Maison en pent de toit – vienna

Concrete Modern – Deadmonkeys3000

It’s your turn!

The space around your home is an opportunity to extend your enjoyment of your day-to-day life and special events with nature itself there to help you. Whether it’s a delicious coffee on a lazy morning, a fantastic wedding party or a cozy gathering around the fireplace on a cool fall evening; being outside with the stars as your ceiling will make you feel great!

Just like any inside room, designing rooms outside takes lots of careful planning. This is the beginning of my project – lots of bare concrete (with just the right slopes to make sure drainage is efficient) and a little bit of the house that goes with it. The only things that have been decided are the overall size and where the water, electric and gas hookups will be. The electrical box is in the bathroom for easy access. A small concrete pad extension has been included to make the outside hookups easier to service.

All of the planning and lots of creativity will lead to this wonderful new set of outdoor rooms. It’s perfect for both parties and quiet evenings enjoying the stars.

Planning should start with a list of how I want to use the new space and an accurate set of plans to work with. With the plans firmly in hand I can decide on where the ins-and-outs should be and then work through the possibilities to to determine which area will be used for what. I decided to use the utility connections as the anchor point and build out from there. The kitchen needs to be close to the utilities and the dining areas should be close to that. Then I plotted out interesting patterns that define the rooms using a trio of tile colors .

With the major decisions made, I can start adding the elements that will bring the rooms to life. I’ll start with all the stonework first. The kitchen appliances are being built in or built around and the dining counter has also been started.

The stonework is complete now. There are table height counters forming a right angle to the right of the kitchen that allow lots of extra room for dining and enjoying the views. Two sections of seat height walls frame the seating area and give more places to sit without a lot more furniture.

Next I’ll be constructing the pergola in the dining area, the overhead lights for the kitchen and setting the fireplace in its place. The fireplace provides both a unifying element and acts as an imaginary wall between the dining area and the seating area. Each of the major areas can be used by themselves without the rest of the space feeling empty. It’s starting to look more like a great place to be.

It’s time to go back to the blueprints and start planning out the details of furniture, accessories, plantings and more lighting since the whole area will be used as much at night as during the day.

After a lot of hard work and tough choices it’s all done and I’m checking it over one last time before the first big get together. My guests can enter through the home or this inviting entryway with the promise of even more interesting things to come.

The kitchen is always a great place to be. There is plenty of counter space for food preparation and cleanup and storage space underneath. The grill is hot and the beverages are cool in the built-in refrigerator. The overhead lighting will come in handy later tonight.

The pergola does a great job of defining the dining area and helps provide some shade for guests too. A big event is likely to have more than six people, so there is plenty of seating at the counter that also has a view over the yard.

At the center is a beautiful fireplace open on all four sides. It can provide a focal point for the whole gathering or be used as a lively backdrop for the dining or seating areas.

Small trees at the corners help to visually unify the seating area with the rest of the space. Simple, but plentiful soft seats ensure comfort for socializing.

On two sides of the seating area are seat high stone walls for even more guests. They’re also a good place to get away from the crowd a little bit and enjoy the yard.

Venturing outside of the structured spaces is also beautiful. The plantings add interest, color and texture and looking back into the terrace gives a whole different view of things. Water features, stand-alone platforms and naturally curving features can be beautiful additions too.

In the evening the lights are on and a definitely different experience awaits my guests. This is when outdoor rooms are at their best. The celestial show provides inspiring moments and a good reason to slow down and relax!

It’s your turn!

Thousands of projects are added to the HomeByMe Gallery every day of the week! That’s mind-boggling. It’s like having a diamond mine making deliveries continuously from all over the world. We have the pleasure of finding the brightest gems and showcasing them for you. Nine of these beauties are here for your inspiration. Just click any image or link and go explore the project or the creator’s profile. Have fun!

From RUSSIA – monolithic – created by nagual

From FRANCE – Quiet – created by aliceC

From CANADA – house 2016 – created by minette00ca

From the United Kingdom – Grand Design 2016 – created by pedro19

From FRANCE – Studio de 39m2 parisien – created by Nimporte

From FRANCE – loft officiel – created by dimitri2626

from LITHUANIA – An.Ka.3.1a – created by tanjuke

From GREECE – Final – created by atsir

From FRANCE – maison menuiserie – created by Serafinije

It’s your turn!

Nimporte has done a fabulous job making a comfortable and fully featured home, Studio de 39m2 (430 sq²), in such a compact space. Raw brick walls on two sides are great for texture and ambiance while the central white walls add lots of visual space.

We won’t be getting lost in this apartment, but it’s still a good idea to view a floor plan to help orient yourself. It’s easy to see how well-planned the spaces are.

Step inside (blue arrow above) and you’ll quickly see how the layout works in 3D. Mirrors, like the one to the left of the bedroom doorway, are always a great way to add visual room to a small space. Nimporte has also used an indoor window between the bureau and the bathroom doorway, on the right, for even more inside light and reflective surfaces.

Look to the left and you can appreciate the cozy and inviting living room setup.

Look to the right and you’ll find the kitchen close at hand. It’s laid out logically to allow all the expected kitchen appliances and some space for casual dining too.

The bathroom is on the left and has space for a double sink plus everything you would expect.

Using a glass shower enclosure makes a big difference to keep an open feeling. There’s plenty of storage on the walls. Keeping the units off the floor helps the room feel bigger.

Once you’re back out in the kitchen, notice the black dining table for three on the left and over to the right, just beyond the clock, you’ll see the bedroom doorway. Let’s go take a look.

This is great! A comfy four-poster bed, storage and a home office space too.

There’s even more storage on the other side of the bed. Artwork and decorations help make the room more inviting.

White walls and storage units with reflective surfaces help brighten the whole room. The wood accents on the storage unit look great with the brick wall. Curtains add yet another texture to balance the smooth surfaces and the roughness of the brick.

The chair and love seat look so comfortable. Let’s sit and relax a little. Now that we know where everything is we can feel right at home.

It’s your turn!

Even if we do not necessarily live in a studio, our interiors often seem too small or there is a lack of storage… Some simple solutions exist to optimize your interior and save space. With adequate storage spaces and a few tricks you’ll refresh your home! If you’re interesting by a project, simply click on the corresponding image.

Besides giving a vintage side, interior glass windows optimize the viewing area for a maximum brightness. They separate without closing the spaces. It gives you an impression of enlargement.

Have you a large family? Bunk beds are always a good option, once the ceiling height is sufficient. You can even hide them aesthetically with curtains.

Even if we appreciate the comfort of an additional floor in our house, we should admit that the staircase is imposing. Optimize the space below by creating a reading corner, an office, or by installing storage.

Do not ignore the new technologies. Flat screen TVs, wall hanging audio systems and laptops will create a modern touch without cluttering your interior.

The walls are often under-exploited areas. Have you thought of the shelves? Storage can reach the ceiling, which can be handy for storing items which are less frequently used.

Place your sofa diagonally, in a corner: it gives people seated above the psychological impression of more space. It sounds crazy but it’s true!

As in the project below, if the ceiling height is sufficient, you can create a bedroom accessible by a ladder. You will get a small separated cozy room which won’t occupy floor space!

Feel free to separate a large room into two small ones by using shelves or through a change of style. The two formed areas will seem smaller, but all the whole room will appear larger.

To maximize space in your kitchen, the central island is a great solution offering interesting potentials. It facilitates the circulation, and allows many storage possibilities.

It’s your turn !

Our partners list is getting bigger! The French brand Fenêtre LORENOVE is now associated to HomeByMe. You will be able to try high-quality windows in your 3D home thanks to the HomeByMe app soon.

Fenêtres LORENOVE has grown to become one of the renovation market leaders thanks to its ability to build different kind of windows in several materials (wood, aluminum, PVC or wood-aluminum).

And, If you want to become a HomeByMe‘s partner and find out your products in 3D, contact us!

For more information on new products to come, follow us on Facebook or Twitter!

It’s crucial to well-designed your living room since we spend the bulk of our time in this area! Indeed, this is a place of rest, communication and exchange. It is therefore important to project yourself and predict the decoration in every detail. Before you start decorating the living room, try to determine what will be its main function. You are lucky because this is a space where comfort and style can endless be broken.

Here are some living rooms atmospheres that will help you find your  own déco! If you enjoy a particular style, just click on the picture to access the project!

Mi nuevo proyecto – mari75

Mon nouveau projet – AELLEa

Projet du 21 09 2015 – florencedoci

ray 4 – rayjohn

Spacious familial apartment baku final – bozbash

150 Project – tbibrahimagung

appart – vincent1

chaletmini – josievoyer

Depto Macul – abalartc

Grey’s Anatomy Dream House – sbrekken1

hei65 – New

hpme4 – IbaBay

It’s your turn !

A sense of elegance is the common theme amongst these 10 homes. Whether they’re big or small; excellent use of space, color and the items chosen for function and decoration give them a simple, delightful elegance. I’m only able to show a small taste of each home, so please visit the projects that catch your imagination and take a closer look. Just click on any of the links or images and you’ll be taken to the project.

This apartment is filled with unique and challenging shapes, especially the smaller spaces like the bathroom. Vertical elements frame the horizontal tub and decorative wall hangings make the space seem larger.

Appart V4 – created by Yann171

It’s quite imaginative to put the kitchen in a self-contained rectangular environment with dining and relaxation spaces outside on either side. Natural stone and wood colors work well together for a soothing feeling.

V4 175m² – created by mimiboucher

The luxury of large spaces helps convey elegance. Two floors of large rooms are interwoven with substantial natural plantings – even on the roof.

la chambaudie 4 – created by reidid

As always, Alice is masterful with her subtle use of color and textures to create an invitingly cozy and comfortable home.

A la poursuite du Soleil – created by aliceC

A generous dash of textures and a variety of furniture and spacing volumes help make this apartment look high end.

fevrier – created by andyloli

Simplicity is part of the definition of elegance. A clutter-free kitchen and dining area with a comfy loft up above stay true to the theme.

depto entrepiso – created by HUENO

A palette of elegant colors and the use of natural materials give this entire home an air of ease and relaxation. A dramatic vaulted ceiling amplifies the beauty of the kitchen and dining areas and provides a handsome focal point.

PLAN COUSTE_FINAL_6 – created by DAUSSE

A fantastic location on a lake with great natural features is just the start. The home is beautifully designed to take advantage of the views from every possible room. Lavish use of wood with frequent touches of color keep the feeling warm.

Lake House – created by gregoire.clair

A restrained palette here in the family/entertainment areas gives way to a more playful use of brighter colors in the personal spaces.

casa milu bea – created by montsetauro

Just the right furniture in just the right amounts along with a muted palette including a splash of color, keep this large home open and elegant.

Our house – created by tyfiggs

It’s your turn!

Lake House is the highly deserving winner of the April Homebyme Project of the Month contest! It was created by gregoire.clair, an obviously skilled and imaginative designer from Denmark. As a home on a beautiful lake (I’m assuming), I can easily imagine that it is/will be the site of many happy days and nights for whoever visits or lives there.

The home is situated to take advantage of the terrain. Just imagine getting out of your car and seeing the great view of the lake, the house, the docks and the beautiful grounds. What a great way to start a visit!

Stone steps guide me down to the home where I can appreciate the extensive use of natural materials and large expanses of glass to create bold volumes.

The two main rectangular volumes cross each other in a way that results in the upper level having large cantilevered wings that add drama, more great views and plenty of space for three bedrooms, two baths and a central family room. It also creates a large floor to ceiling great room, which opens up the whole home in a grand manner.

On the ground floor, the dominant form is the circular area that contains the kitchen, a unique way of keeping the kitchen accessible and cozy. Yellow arrows indicate doorways, including the more formal main entrance at the bottom.

Another great design touch uses a central rectangular core to divide the great room from the kitchen/dining area. It also provides space for the stairway up to the next level, a toilet and the utility/storage closet. The main entrance is on the right.

After saying hello, I’m going to go the right and heading to the kitchen with my contributions for the party and to make some additions to the wine rack.

This is where the round form containing the kitchen is the dominant feature. A contrasting cabinet color helps make the space larger and plays well off of the natural wood surrounding it. That sure looks like a sliced chocolate cake on the table. Yum!

While in the kitchen, the chefs are still able to easily interact with family and friends and have great views out over the lake too.

The central core is skewed a bit off center to create more space for this intimate indoor seating area with a great view. It’s a great spot for reading or conversation.

I’ve now walked farther into the home and have entered the great room. The glass wall on the right side of the stairs helps to visually keep them in the main space.

Ahh! The fire is warm, my coffee is hot and I think I’ll take a little break to sit and chat.

On with the tour! This level has a different feeling with brick outer walls and light colored dividing walls. First, I have to stop and bounce on the pillows and enjoy this informal family room. The bedrooms and bath are located around the perimeter.

The first door on the left looks like a place for the young and young at heart. Bunk beds are always fun!

Next, we come to the nicely fitted out guest bedroom. The giant painting sets the tone for the room. Plenty of storage lets the guests stay longer too.

One big bathroom has two showers, a tub and the necessary fixtures. There are also large windows that help bring the outside in.

The master bedroom has more space and nicer furnishings. Using vertically slatted curtains is a great way of controlling privacy when closed and a wide-open feeling for the whole floor when they’re open.

I’d love to spend some time in that chair! It beckons to me to sit and be comfortable.

The master bath is similar to the main bath, but definitely more private. The white glossy fixtures work elegantly with the dark stone walls and chrome fixtures.

Before I go back downstairs I must check out this cheerful seating area and take in the view.

The view is indeed stunning. Throughout the house the use of a bright wood color complemented with lively, fun colors gives me the feeling of fun and warmth. It must be particularly comfortable in the winter.

Whether I arrived ready to swim and get some sun or had to fight my way through the snow to cuddle up to the fireplace, I know this is a home worth visiting and one that will put smiles on everyone’s face!

It’s your turn!

Although more and more of our meals are eaten at the kitchen counter or just standing up, special occasions almost always celebrate the meal in a carefully thought out dining room. The room may be big or small, but sitting and eating leads to longer conversations and a more enjoyable dining experience. And that often leads to even more leisurely time in the living room.

Nine projects created by HomeByMe users are each centered around a beautiful dining area or living room. Enjoy them and also get some ideas for your own home. Bon appétit!

A neutral color palette is popped wide-open with well-placed zings of bright yellow!

ls –  created by savkina

The ceiling rafters and their shadows add drama to all three “rooms” in this long layout.

LORMONT4 – created by ultimed76

One bright green wall accentuated with just enough plants livens up the whole area.

PROJET LEBRUTO avec étage bis – created by JACQUOT

Beautiful rich woods and just-the-right-shade of gray walls are used with classic black seating and intricately patterned rugs for these slightly more formal areas.

edificio Delgadillo – created by TaniaFR

Here the accent color is powerful enough to dominate the room. The accessories and even the plant on the coffee table help keep things in balance.

PETROV STAN – created by marina993

Large abstract paintings are visible from the kitchen, dining and living areas. The dining chairs bring some of the color from the paintings into the room.

Appart AS – created by Spirou

The armchair colors and textures are a great play that work together with the warm wood used generously in each space..

Virtonton1 – created by marvin03

Bright rugs with a darker carpet keep the high contrast color scheme consistent. Each piece of furniture and accessory fits into a vibrant whole.

Projet prof. no 1 a – created by soniap

Here the strong abstract paintings use the bright blue chairs to keep the room from becoming monochromatic and help the different styles work together well.

Mi nuevo proyecto – created by mruffo13

It’s your turn!

During these last months, we have secretly worked on a new version of Homebyme for the sole purpose of meeting the needs of our users! We redesigned all its interface and features to make it a unique 3D experience.

As you had understood, the launch of this new version is getting closer. For this occasion, we organized a private meeting this April 13, 2016 with journalists, bloggers and influencers, specialised in decoration,  lifestyle, high-tech, etc,… There were around fifty to come and discover the new version of our application. Three of them had imagined the room of their dreams on Homebyme and then we have reproduced them in real life!

With Minireyve, we discover the fantastic world of a child’s room, Anne-Sophie and Carine from Hello Blogzine created a cosy living-room and Cook in the Tube made us drool in their kitchen with  Mon Eclair.

We also wanted to thank our partners which have contributed to the success of this event:

• Sharp that gave us home appliances for kitchen
• La Redoute Interieurs which has beautifully designed the living room and a part of the child’s bedroom
• Moulin Roty, which knew how to perfectly decorate the magical world bedroom
• Ma plinth déco which gave a shine to our interiors with their baseboards all more inventive one than the other
• Acer without whom we could not present the new version to the guests

According to them, this event was a success! Meanwhile the official release (in only few little weeks), here are some pictures that will leave you a glimpse of the new version of Homebyme!

See you soon on Homebyme!