Designing a whole home remodel for a client’s second home was an exciting opportunity to create a space that felt both welcoming and timeless. The clients wanted a space that felt light, bright, and timeless. We focused on an open-concept layout, maximizing natural light and incorporating soft, neutral tones that complemented the desert landscape. The main showstopper of the home was the kitchen, which the family considered the heart of the home. Featuring high-end finishes, the kitchen became a space for both cooking and gathering, designed for both functionality and elegance. Thoughtful touches, such as custom cabinetry, integrated appliances, and custom hood, helped elevate the entire space, making it a true focal point. With a thoughtful blend of modern design and classic touches, the remodel was tailored to ensure the space could grow with the family and become a place they would cherish and enjoy for years to come.

The existing U-shaped kitchen was tucked away in a small corner while the dining table was swimming in a room much too large for its size. The client’s needs and the architecture of the home made it apparent that the perfect design solution for the home was to swap the spaces. The homeowners entertain frequently and wanted the new layout to accommodate a lot of counter seating, a bar/buffet for serving hors d’oeuvres, an island with prep sink, and all new appliances. They had a strong preference that the hood be a focal point and wanted to go beyond a typical white color scheme even though they wanted white cabinets. While moving the kitchen to the dining space gave us a generous amount of real estate to work with, two of the exterior walls are occupied with full-height glass creating a challenge how best to fulfill their wish list. We used one available wall for the needed tall appliances, taking advantage of its height to create the hood as a focal point. We opted for both a peninsula and island instead of one large island in order to maximize the seating requirements and create a barrier when entertaining so guests do not flow directly into the work area of the kitchen. This also made it possible to add a second sink as requested. Lastly, the peninsula sets up a well-defined path to the new dining room without feeling like you are walking through the kitchen. We used the remaining fourth wall for the bar/buffet. Black cabinetry adds strong contrast in several areas of the new kitchen. Wire mesh wall cabinet doors at the bar and gold accents on the hardware, light fixtures, faucets and furniture add further drama to the concept. The focal point is definitely the black hood, looking both dramatic and cohesive at the same time.

A description of the homeowners and space from Linnzy, the Presidential Pools, Spas & Patio designer who worked on this project: "The homeowners can be described as an active family of three boys. They tend to host family and friends and wanted a space that could fill their large backyard and yet be functional for the kids and adults. The contemporary straight lines of the pool match the interior of the house giving them a resort feel in the very own backyard! The large pergola is a perfect area to cool off in the shade while enjoying a large outdoor kitchen as well as an oversized fire pit for the cooler nights and roasting marshmallows. They wanted a wow factor as the pool is the main focal point from the living room, and the oversized wall and rain sheer did the trick!"

This once dated master suite is now a bright and eclectic space with influence from the homeowners travels abroad. We transformed their overly large bathroom with dysfunctional square footage into cohesive space meant for luxury. We created a large open, walk in shower adorned by a leathered stone slab. The new master closet is adorned with warmth from bird wallpaper and a robin's egg blue chest. We were able to create another bedroom from the excess space in the redesign. The frosted glass french doors, blue walls and special wall paper tie into the feel of the home. In the bathroom, the Bain Ultra freestanding tub below is the focal point of this new space. We mixed metals throughout the space that just work to add detail and unique touches throughout. Design by Hatfield Builders & Remodelers | Photography by Versatile Imaging

This sophisticated kitchen uses multiple finishes on the cabinetry and countertops to put emphasis on focal points and combine textures. The kitchen sink was built into the island toallow the homeowners to interact with guests while still working in the kitchen. The hood is a unique blend of painted and polished metals and the refrigeration is completely concealed with cabinetry.

Hamptons-Inspired Kitchen One cannot help but feel a distinct sense of serenity and timeless beauty when entering this Hamptons-style kitchen. Bathed in natural light and shimmering with inspired accents and details, this complete kitchen transformation is at once elegant and inviting. Plans and elevations were conceived to create balance and function without sacrificing harmony and visual intrigue. A metal custom hood, with an eye-catching brass band and impeccably balanced cabinets on either side, provides a strong focal point for the kitchen, which can be viewed from the adjacent living room. Brass faucets, hardware and light fixtures complement and draw further attention to this anchoring element. A wall of glass cabinetry enhances the existing windows and pleasantly expands the sense of openness in the space. Taj Mahal quartzite blends gracefully with the cabinet finishes. Cream-tone, herringbone tiles are custom-cut into different patterns to create a sense of visual movement as the eyes move across the room. An elegant, marble-top island paired with sumptuous, leather-covered stools, not only offers extra counterspace, but also an ideal gathering place for loved ones to enjoy. This unforgettable kitchen gem shines even brighter with the addition of glass cabinets, designed to display the client’s collection of Portmeirion china. Careful consideration was given to the selection of stone for the countertops, as well as the color of paint for the cabinets, to highlight this inspiring collection. Breakfast room A thoughtfully blended mix of furniture styles introduces a splash of European charm to this Hamptons-style kitchen, with French, cane-back chairs providing a sense of airy elegance and delight. A performance velvet adorns the banquette, which is piled high with lush cushions for optimal comfort while lounging in the room. Another layer of texture is achieved with a wool area rug that defines and accentuates this gorgeous breakfast nook with sprawling views of the outdoors. Finishing features include drapery fabric and Brunschwig and Fils Bird and Thistle paper, whose natural, botanic pattern combines with the beautiful vistas of the backyard to inspire a sense of being in a botanical, outdoor wonderland.

It was a mutual love of Italy, specifically the Tuscan countryside, that inspired renowned architect Mark Scheurer and his wife, Jane, to build their dream home in a simplistic, but elegant style reminiscent of a centuries old Italian farmhouse. Scheurer’s aim was to bring light, air, and an indoor/outdoor feeling into the home while preserving privacy throughout this rustic Southern California home, all of which was achieved a lot in part due to the implementation of Eldorado Stone. The use of stone was a predominant element throughout the design. Scheurer used 2,800 square feet of a custom blend of Eldorado’s Veneto Fieldledge and Hillstone profiles, both of which were applied with an overgrout technique, creating a sense of ageless authenticity and textural beauty. Another 500 square feet was used in the interior to create a dramatic focal point of exposed stone in the living room and boast large, arching windows that open up the living room and filter in light. Upstairs, the master bedroom continues the home’s rustic Italian design with exposed stone walls that reach to the beamed ceiling above. Although Scheurer is in a neighborhood that request for real products to be used in home construction, he had no problem obtaining approval to use Eldorado Stone, which speaks volumes about Eldorado’s beauty and believability. No one doubted the authenticity of the product. In fact, Scheurer believes that Eldorado is even better than natural stone in that the color palette is easily controlled as well as consistent. Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Veneto Fieldledge and Custom Hillstone with an overgrout technique Architect: Scheurer Architects, Newport Beach, CA Website: www.msa-arch.com Builder: RS Construction Company, Corona del Mar, CA

For this primary bedroom redesign, the client envisioned a retreat that would provide a sense of escape and tranquility. The room was designed with a moody atmosphere, blending deep, rich colors that envelop the space in a cocoon of comfort. Color drenching was used on the walls, creating a seamless flow of hues that added depth and warmth. A stunning mural wallpaper became a focal point, its intricate design bringing an artistic, yet serene element to the room. To elevate the ambiance, a statement light fixture was carefully selected, adding a touch of luxury and drawing attention upward. Every element was thoughtfully curated to transform the space into a peaceful sanctuary, offering both beauty and relaxation in equal measure.

This sophisticated black and white bath belongs to the clients' teenage son. He requested a masculine design with a warming towel rack and radiant heated flooring. A few gold accents provide contrast against the black cabinets and pair nicely with the matte black plumbing fixtures. A tall linen cabinet provides a handy storage area for towels and toiletries. The focal point of the room is the bold shower accent wall that provides a welcoming surprise when entering the bath from the basement hallway.

This bright urban oasis is perfectly appointed with O'Brien Harris Cabinetry in Chicago's bespoke Chatham White Oak cabinetry. The scope of the project included a kitchen that is open to the great room and a bar. The open-concept design is perfect for entertaining. Countertops are Carrara marble, and the backsplash is a white subway tile, which keeps the palette light and bright. The kitchen is accented with polished nickel hardware. Niches were created for open shelving on the oven wall. A custom hood fabricated by O’Brien Harris with stainless banding creates a focal point in the space. Windows take up the entire back wall, which posed a storage challenge. The solution? Our kitchen designers extended the kitchen cabinetry into the great room to accommodate the family’s storage requirements. obrienharris.com

The landscape of this home honors the formality of Spanish Colonial / Santa Barbara Style early homes in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix. By re-grading the lot and allowing for terraced opportunities, we featured a variety of hardscape stone, brick, and decorative tiles that reinforce the eclectic Spanish Colonial feel. Cantera and La Negra volcanic stone, brick, natural field stone, and handcrafted Spanish decorative tiles are used to establish interest throughout the property. A front courtyard patio includes a hand painted tile fountain and sitting area near the outdoor fire place. This patio features formal Boxwood hedges, Hibiscus, and a rose garden set in pea gravel. The living room of the home opens to an outdoor living area which is raised three feet above the pool. This allowed for opportunity to feature handcrafted Spanish tiles and raised planters. The side courtyard, with stepping stones and Dichondra grass, surrounds a focal Crape Myrtle tree. One focal point of the back patio is a 24-foot hand-hammered wrought iron trellis, anchored with a stone wall water feature. We added a pizza oven and barbecue, bistro lights, and hanging flower baskets to complete the intimate outdoor dining space. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Photography: Sam Rosenbaum

Exclusive DAGR Design Media Wall design open concept with clean lines, horizontal fireplace, wood and stone add texture while lighting creates ambiance.

This expansive first floor takes luxury to the next level. A once dreary and dark kitchen, lacking in function, takes on a new look. Natural light floods through the kitchen with wall-to-wall windows, highlighting the gorgeous wood texture from the rift sawn white oak and walnut inset cabinets. A french La Corneau range provides a beautiful focal point, paired with layered designer lighting and various stones. A host’s dream space for entertaining with a hidden pantry, fully stocked with a chefs sink, dishwasher, and wall oven with ample storage for dry goods and small appliances. A morning brew or 5'oclock cocktail can be found in the fully loaded wet bar stocked with an integrated espresso maker, ice maker, refrigerator, freezer, wine cooler, and spirits collected from traveling the globe. Cheers!

We replaced the brick with a Tuscan-colored stacked stone and added a wood mantel; the television was built-in to the stacked stone and framed out for a custom look. This created an updated design scheme for the room and a focal point. We also removed an entry wall on the east side of the home, and a wet bar near the back of the living area. This had an immediate impact on the brightness of the room and allowed for more natural light and a more open, airy feel, as well as increased square footage of the space. We followed up by updating the paint color to lighten the room, while also creating a natural flow into the remaining rooms of this first-floor, open floor plan. After removing the brick underneath the shelving units, we added a bench storage unit and closed cabinetry for storage. The back walls were finalized with a white shiplap wall treatment to brighten the space and wood shelving for accessories. On the left side of the fireplace, we added a single floating wood shelf to highlight and display the sword. The popcorn ceiling was scraped and replaced with a cleaner look, and the wood beams were stained to match the new mantle and floating shelves. The updated ceiling and beams created another dramatic focal point in the room, drawing the eye upward, and creating an open, spacious feel to the room. The room was finalized by removing the existing ceiling fan and replacing it with a rustic, two-toned, four-light chandelier in a distressed weathered oak finish on an iron metal frame. Photo Credit: Nina Leone Photography

This beautiful study was part of a whole house design and renovation by Haven Design and Construction. For this room, our objective was to create a feminine and sophisticated study for our client. She requested a design that was unique and fresh, but still warm and inviting. We wallpapered the back of the bookcases in an eye catching metallic vine pattern to add a feminine touch. Then, we selected a deep gray tone from the wallpaper and painted the bookcases and wainscoting in this striking color. We replaced the carpet with a light wood flooring that compliments the gray woodwork. Our client preferred a petite desk, just large enough for paying bills or working on her laptop, so our first furniture selection was a lovely black desk with feminine curved detailing and delicate star hardware. The room still needed a focal point, so we selected a striking lucite and gold chandelier to set the tone. The design was completed by a pair of gray velvet guest chairs. The gold twig pattern on the back of the chairs compliments the metallic wallpaper pattern perfectly. Finally the room was carefully detailed with unique accessories and custom bound books to fill the bookcases.

This was a fascinating project for incredible clients. To optimize costs and timelines, our Montecito studio took the existing Craftsman style of the kitchen and transformed it into a more contemporary one. We reused the perimeter cabinets, repainted for a fresh look, and added new walnut cabinets for the island and the appliances wall. The solitary pendant for the kitchen island was the focal point of our design, leaving our clients with a beautiful and everlasting kitchen remodel. --- Project designed by Montecito interior designer Margarita Bravo. She serves Montecito as well as surrounding areas such as Hope Ranch, Summerland, Santa Barbara, Isla Vista, Mission Canyon, Carpinteria, Goleta, Ojai, Los Olivos, and Solvang. --- For more about MARGARITA BRAVO, click here: https://www.margaritabravo.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.margaritabravo.com/portfolio/contemporary-craftsman-style-denver-kitchen/

This project was a gut renovation of a loft on Park Ave. South in Manhattan – it’s the personal residence of Andrew Petronio, partner at KA Design Group. Bilotta Senior Designer, Jeff Eakley, has worked with KA Design for 20 years. When it was time for Andrew to do his own kitchen, working with Jeff was a natural choice to bring it to life. Andrew wanted a modern, industrial, European-inspired aesthetic throughout his NYC loft. The allotted kitchen space wasn’t very big; it had to be designed in such a way that it was compact, yet functional, to allow for both plenty of storage and dining. Having an island look out over the living room would be too heavy in the space; instead they opted for a bar height table and added a second tier of cabinets for extra storage above the walls, accessible from the black-lacquer rolling library ladder. The dark finishes were selected to separate the kitchen from the rest of the vibrant, art-filled living area – a mix of dark textured wood and a contrasting smooth metal, all custom-made in Bilotta Collection Cabinetry. The base cabinets and refrigerator section are a horizontal-grained rift cut white oak with an Ebony stain and a wire-brushed finish. The wall cabinets are the focal point – stainless steel with a dark patina that brings out black and gold hues, picked up again in the blackened, brushed gold decorative hardware from H. Theophile. The countertops by Eastern Stone are a smooth Black Absolute; the backsplash is a black textured limestone from Artistic Tile that mimics the finish of the base cabinets. The far corner is all mirrored, elongating the room. They opted for the all black Bertazzoni range and wood appliance panels for a clean, uninterrupted run of cabinets. Designer: Jeff Eakley with Andrew Petronio partner at KA Design Group. Photographer: Stefan Radtke

The stunning two story dining room in this Bloomfield Hills home, completed in 2015, allows the twenty foot wall of windows and the breathtaking lake views beyond to take center stage as the key focal point. Twin built in buffets grace the two side walls, offering substantial storage and serving space for the generously proportioned room. The floating cabinets are topped with leathered granite mitered countertops in Fantasy Black. The backsplashes feature Peau de Béton, lightweight fiberglass reinforced concrete panels, in a dynamic Onyx finish for a sophisticated industrial look. The custom walnut table sports a metal edge binding, furthering the modern industrial theme of the buffets. The soaring ceiling is treated to a stepped edge detail with indirect LED strip lighting above to provide ambient light to accent the scene below.

Relocating from their home in Brisbane, Australia with ocean views to the Pacific, our clients envisioned a refresh for their new lakefront cottage on Pine Lake in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Completed in July 2024, we created new spaces, reimagined old ones, and even swapped places for a primary bedroom and its en suite bath. Our goal was to create a serene and soothing spa- like experience for the bathroom, all while maintaining gorgeous lake views. But this reconfiguration presented some challenges. The primary bedroom was oversized, while its adjacent bath was tiny and crowded. We completely flipped the locations of the bedroom and bathroom, even rerouting plumbing over the bar in the lower level to accommodate the freestanding tub. To maximize space, we designed large, walk-in dressing pantries that are as functional as they are beautiful, and lead to the large dual custom vanity. The vanity itself is freestanding to provide access for hand towel bath hardware on its sides. The his-and-hers unit contains built-in dividers, laundry hampers and trash pullouts to maximize its function. An enclosed water closet allows for privacy in the open concept bathroom, and is placed beyond the cabinetry. The star of this space is the large enclosed wet room. As the focal point of the bathroom, its oversized tiled walls and deep built-in bench allow for a steam or soaking in the tub while enjoying stunning lake views. The wet room is spacious and serene, and perfect for an end to a Michigan winter day.