Whole-house remodel of a hillside home in Seattle. The historically-significant ballroom was repurposed as a family/music room, and the once-small kitchen and adjacent spaces were combined to create an open area for cooking and gathering. A compact master bath was reconfigured to maximize the use of space, and a new main floor powder room provides knee space for accessibility. Built-in cabinets provide much-needed coat & shoe storage close to the front door. ©Kathryn Barnard, 2014

Tuscan patio photo in Dallas with a gazebo

The kitchen was created in Lafontaine door style in Maple wood type finished in Marshmallow Cream with inset door in Maple wood type finished with custom stain. The kitchen was created with optional five-piece drawer headers. The kitchen was designed by Mike McNally of Builders Cabinet Supply and Kristin Petro of Kristin Petro Interiors, Elmhurst IL.

This small kitchen packs a powerful punch. By replacing an oversized sliding glass door with a 24" cantilever which created additional floor space. We tucked a large Reid Shaw farm sink with a wall mounted faucet into this recess. A 7' peninsula was added for storage, work counter and informal dining. A large oversized window floods the kitchen with light. The color of the Eucalyptus painted and glazed cabinets is reflected in both the Najerine stone counter tops and the glass mosaic backsplash tile from Oceanside Glass Tile, "Devotion" series. All dishware is stored in drawers and the large to the counter cabinet houses glassware, mugs and serving platters. Tray storage is located above the refrigerator. Bottles and large spices are located to the left of the range in a pull out cabinet. Pots and pans are located in large drawers to the left of the dishwasher. Pantry storage was created in a large closet to the left of the peninsula for oversized items as well as the microwave. Additional pantry storage for food is located to the right of the refrigerator in an alcove. Cooking ventilation is provided by a pull out hood so as not to distract from the lines of the kitchen.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

The lower level of this modern farmhouse features a large game room that connects out to the screen porch, pool terrace and fire pit beyond. One end of the space is a large lounge area for watching TV and the other end has a built-in wet bar and accordion windows that open up to the screen porch. The TV is concealed by barn doors with salvaged barn wood on a shiplap wall. Photography by Todd Crawford

A key storage feature in this space is the large built in pantry. full walnut interior, finished with Rubio oil in a custom blend of grays. Pantry drawers make full use of all space, and tall pull-out provides ample storage for the hungry family. Pocket doors close it off and hide any 'work in progress'. Sliding ladder makes upper storage accessible. Photography by Eric Roth

Siri Blanchette/Blind Dog Photo Associates This kids bath has all the fun of a sunny day at the beach. In a contemporary way, the details in the room are nautical and beachy. The color of the walls are like a clear blue sky, the vanity lights look like vintage boat lights, the vanity top looks like sand, and the shower walls are meant to look like a sea shanty with weathered looking wood grained tile plank walls and a shower "window pane" cubby with hand painted tiles designed by Marcye that look like a view out to the beach. The floor is bleached pebbles with hand painted sea creature tiles placed randomly for the kids to find.

Kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen idea in Providence with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, metallic backsplash, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Looking at this home today, you would never know that the project began as a poorly maintained duplex. Luckily, the homeowners saw past the worn façade and engaged our team to uncover and update the Victorian gem that lay underneath. Taking special care to preserve the historical integrity of the 100-year-old floor plan, we returned the home back to its original glory as a grand, single family home. The project included many renovations, both small and large, including the addition of a a wraparound porch to bring the façade closer to the street, a gable with custom scrollwork to accent the new front door, and a more substantial balustrade. Windows were added to bring in more light and some interior walls were removed to open up the public spaces to accommodate the family’s lifestyle. You can read more about the transformation of this home in Old House Journal: http://www.cummingsarchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Old-House-Journal-Dec.-2009.pdf Photo Credit: Eric Roth

This creative transitional space was transformed from a very dated layout that did not function well for our homeowners - who enjoy cooking for both their family and friends. They found themselves cooking on a 30" by 36" tiny island in an area that had much more potential. A completely new floor plan was in order. An unnecessary hallway was removed to create additional space and a new traffic pattern. New doorways were created for access from the garage and to the laundry. Just a couple of highlights in this all Thermador appliance professional kitchen are the 10 ft island with two dishwashers (also note the heated tile area on the functional side of the island), double floor to ceiling pull-out pantries flanking the refrigerator, stylish soffited area at the range complete with burnished steel, niches and shelving for storage. Contemporary organic pendants add another unique texture to this beautiful, welcoming, one of a kind kitchen! Photos by David Cobb Photography.

Meghan Beierle-O'Brien
Inspiration for a timeless closet remodel in Los Angeles with white cabinets

Kolanowski Studio
Inspiration for a large timeless u-shaped porcelain tile utility room remodel in Houston with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a side-by-side washer/dryer, beige walls and beige countertops

This kitchen received a major "face lift" by painting the existing dark cabinets this light gray and adding some new additions as well. The built in desk area became a beverage center with sub-zero refrigerator built in and glass upper cabinets added. The double ovens were replaced with a steam and convection oven and the slide in range and upper cabinets were replaced with a stainless hood and pull out bottom drawers. Pull out trash cabinet and pan cabinet were added as well as a custom built television frame to mount the tv above the refrigerator and also hide away items not used as often, Calcutta gold quartz replaced the old black granite and subway tile replaced the slate back splash. Glass pendants were added over the peninsula and the counter-top was all lowered to counter level. A new paneled curved bar back was added to the peninsula.

Featuring R.D. Henry & Company
Mid-sized transitional single-wall medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Chicago with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and stainless steel countertops

Inspiration for a rustic entryway remodel in Charlotte

The kitchen, breakfast room and family room are all open to one another. The kitchen has a large twelve foot island topped with Calacatta marble and features a roll-out kneading table, and room to seat the whole family. The sunlight breakfast room opens onto the patio which has a built-in barbeque, and both bar top seating and a built in bench for outdoor dining. The large family room features a cozy fireplace, TV media, and a large built-in bookcase. The adjoining craft room is separated by a set of pocket french doors; where the kids can be visible from the family room as they do their homework.

The clean, calm, restful interiors of this heart-of-the-city home are an antidote to urban living, and busy professional lives. As well, they’re an ode to enduring style that will accommodate the changing needs of the young family who lives here. Photos by June Suthigoseeya

This modern farmhouse kitchen features a beautiful combination of Navy Blue painted and gray stained Hickory cabinets that’s sure to be an eye-catcher. The elegant “Morel” stain blends and harmonizes the natural Hickory wood grain while emphasizing the grain with a subtle gray tone that beautifully coordinated with the cool, deep blue paint. The “Gale Force” SW 7605 blue paint from Sherwin-Williams is a stunning deep blue paint color that is sophisticated, fun, and creative. It’s a stunning statement-making color that’s sure to be a classic for years to come and represents the latest in color trends. It’s no surprise this beautiful navy blue has been a part of Dura Supreme’s Curated Color Collection for several years, making the top 6 colors for 2017 through 2020. Beyond the beautiful exterior, there is so much well-thought-out storage and function behind each and every cabinet door. The two beautiful blue countertop towers that frame the modern wood hood and cooktop are two intricately designed larder cabinets built to meet the homeowner’s exact needs. The larder cabinet on the left is designed as a beverage center with apothecary drawers designed for housing beverage stir sticks, sugar packets, creamers, and other misc. coffee and home bar supplies. A wine glass rack and shelves provides optimal storage for a full collection of glassware while a power supply in the back helps power coffee & espresso (machines, blenders, grinders and other small appliances that could be used for daily beverage creations. The roll-out shelf makes it easier to fill clean and operate each appliance while also making it easy to put away. Pocket doors tuck out of the way and into the cabinet so you can easily leave open for your household or guests to access, but easily shut the cabinet doors and conceal when you’re ready to tidy up. Beneath the beverage center larder is a drawer designed with 2 layers of multi-tasking storage for utensils and additional beverage supplies storage with space for tea packets, and a full drawer of K-Cup storage. The cabinet below uses powered roll-out shelves to create the perfect breakfast center with power for a toaster and divided storage to organize all the daily fixings and pantry items the household needs for their morning routine. On the right, the second larder is the ultimate hub and center for the homeowner’s baking tasks. A wide roll-out shelf helps store heavy small appliances like a KitchenAid Mixer while making them easy to use, clean, and put away. Shelves and a set of apothecary drawers help house an assortment of baking tools, ingredients, mixing bowls and cookbooks. Beneath the counter a drawer and a set of roll-out shelves in various heights provides more easy access storage for pantry items, misc. baking accessories, rolling pins, mixing bowls, and more. The kitchen island provides a large worktop, seating for 3-4 guests, and even more storage! The back of the island includes an appliance lift cabinet used for a sewing machine for the homeowner’s beloved hobby, a deep drawer built for organizing a full collection of dishware, a waste recycling bin, and more! All and all this kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful! Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure