THE SETUP Client Background: Our clients, a couple who have transitioned into the empty nest phase, have cherished their home for over three decades without undergoing any significant renovations. With a newfound desire to adapt their living space to better suit their current lifestyle, they’ve embarked on a journey to reimagine their kitchen — the heart of their home. Their aspiration is to cultivate a serene, neutral-toned sanctuary on the first floor that seamlessly merges with their family room, ensuring a harmonious and inviting environment. Design Inspiration: The renovation is inspired by the couple’s penchant for soft, calming neutrals, using their cherished family room and the kitchen’s existing tile flooring as the cornerstone for the color scheme. This approach aims to foster a sense of warmth and tranquility throughout. Design Objectives: Harmonize the kitchen with the family room by adopting a soothing, neutral color scheme, ensuring a seamless flow across the first floor. Enhance kitchen functionality with thoughtfully designed cabinetry, providing a designated place for every item and maximizing storage efficiency. Cultivate an inviting and comfortable atmosphere that reflects the homeowners’ desire for a calm and relaxing space. Design Challenges: The homeowners wish to retain the existing kitchen tile flooring and integrate it into a refreshed, modern design. Accommodating a dining area spacious enough for family visits without compromising the kitchen’s open feel or functional layout. Despite liking the current placement of plumbing and appliances, the homeowners aspire for a more open floor plan to facilitate better movement and interaction. The need to amplify natural light in the kitchen, especially around the sink area, where existing lighting is insufficient. Preserving the half-wall between the kitchen and family room, a feature the homeowners want to keep, while ensuring it complements the new design. THE RENEWED SPACE Design Solutions: By choosing a neutral color palette that complements the existing tile, the design unifies the kitchen with the adjacent spaces. The tile’s grout was cleaned and restored, enhancing the floor’s appearance and integrating it seamlessly with the new kitchen aesthetic. The inclusion of a larger island with seating for two, alongside maintaining a substantial dining table, was achieved by optimizing the spatial layout. This allowed for a sociable yet functional kitchen, accommodating large family gatherings without feeling crowded. Minor adjustments to the kitchen’s layout maintained the preferred locations for plumbing and appliances while introducing an ‘open’ design concept. Strategic modifications, such as angling the pantry wall, improved the flow and accessibility within the space. Replacing the garden window with a broader, standard window significantly increased natural light, transforming the sink area into a bright, welcoming space with enhanced views of the outdoors. The decision to keep the half-wall was ingeniously leveraged to define the dining area while maintaining an open connection to the family room. This feature not only serves as a visual separator but also ties the two spaces together through the shared color scheme and design elements. The homeowners are thrilled with their newly remodeled kitchen, which has become a hub of warmth and hospitality. Hosting a wedding shower and a birthday party, they have shared their renewed space with friends and family, who have been equally enamored. This remodel has not only met their functional and aesthetic desires but has also enriched their home with a fresh sense of serenity and joy. The upstairs part of the home is shaping up nicely. Here’s their newly remodeled primary bathroom.

Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea

Santa Barbara lifestyle with this gated 5,200 square foot estate affords serenity and privacy while incorporating the finest materials and craftsmanship. Visually striking interiors are enhanced by a sparkling bay view and spectacular landscaping with heritage oaks, rose and dahlia gardens and a picturesque splash pool. Just two minutes to Marin’s finest private schools.

Inspiration for a contemporary bathroom remodel in Los Angeles

The minimalistic design of the pool compliments the basic shape of the house. Close attention was paid to the details of the pool and surrounding deck. Photography Credit: Wade Griffith

Photography by John Bessler Top priority for this young couple, having recently leap-frogged from cozy salt box to rambling tudor estate, was the creation of a nursery for their first child (arrival eminent!). Next up? Imbuing the grand scale with intimate charm, in a family-oriented common space to accommodate baby plus their three dogs! Blending his love for all things rustic, and hers for a “glam-sophisticate” splash or two, the result is a beautiful and practical space fit for the whole tribe.

High on our client’s wish list was eliminating upper cabinets and keeping the countertops clear of clutter and small appliances. In order to achieve this, we needed to ensure there was ample room in the new base cabinets and walk-through pantry. The reconfigured pantry accommodates a variety of uses from storage to microwaving. A wall of cubbies, shelves and hooks on the opposite serves as mudroom.

Resting upon a 120-acre rural hillside, this 17,500 square-foot residence has unencumbered mountain views to the east, south and west. The exterior design palette for the public side is a more formal Tudor style of architecture, including intricate brick detailing; while the materials for the private side tend toward a more casual mountain-home style of architecture with a natural stone base and hand-cut wood siding. Primary living spaces and the master bedroom suite, are located on the main level, with guest accommodations on the upper floor of the main house and upper floor of the garage. The interior material palette was carefully chosen to match the stunning collection of antique furniture and artifacts, gathered from around the country. From the elegant kitchen to the cozy screened porch, this residence captures the beauty of the White Mountains and embodies classic New Hampshire living. Photographer: Joseph St. Pierre

Example of a classic home theater design in Miami

Joe Fletcher Photography
Bedroom - transitional carpeted bedroom idea in San Francisco with white walls

Anna M Campbell
Inspiration for a small modern backyard concrete paver patio remodel in Portland with no cover

A former summer camp, this site came with a unique set of challenges. An existing 1200 square foot cabin was perched on the shore of Thorndike Pond, well within the current required setbacks. Three additional outbuildings were part of the property, each of them small and non-conforming. By limiting reconstruction to the existing footprints we were able to gain planning consent to rebuild each structure. A full second story added much needed space to the main house. Two of the outbuildings have been rebuilt to accommodate guests, maintaining the spirit of the original camp. Black stained exteriors help the buildings blend into the landscape. The project was a collaboration with Spazio Rosso Interior Design. Photographs by Sean Litchfield

Large elegant white three-story wood gable roof photo in New York

Home theater - traditional home theater idea in Miami

Example of a trendy u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island and black countertops

Bathroom - contemporary multicolored tile and mosaic tile bathroom idea in Seattle with a vessel sink and white walls

The best of past and present architectural styles combine in this welcoming, farmhouse-inspired design. Clad in low-maintenance siding, the distinctive exterior has plenty of street appeal, with its columned porch, multiple gables, shutters and interesting roof lines. Other exterior highlights included trusses over the garage doors, horizontal lap siding and brick and stone accents. The interior is equally impressive, with an open floor plan that accommodates today’s family and modern lifestyles. An eight-foot covered porch leads into a large foyer and a powder room. Beyond, the spacious first floor includes more than 2,000 square feet, with one side dominated by public spaces that include a large open living room, centrally located kitchen with a large island that seats six and a u-shaped counter plan, formal dining area that seats eight for holidays and special occasions and a convenient laundry and mud room. The left side of the floor plan contains the serene master suite, with an oversized master bath, large walk-in closet and 16 by 18-foot master bedroom that includes a large picture window that lets in maximum light and is perfect for capturing nearby views. Relax with a cup of morning coffee or an evening cocktail on the nearby covered patio, which can be accessed from both the living room and the master bedroom. Upstairs, an additional 900 square feet includes two 11 by 14-foot upper bedrooms with bath and closet and a an approximately 700 square foot guest suite over the garage that includes a relaxing sitting area, galley kitchen and bath, perfect for guests or in-laws.

A fashionista's dream closet! The center island includes felt lined drawers for delicate accessories, built-in his and her hampers and an abundance of storage. The perimeter meticulously accommodates hanging garments behind glass front doors. Floor to ceiling shelves display shoes, boots and handbags and is the focal point in this coveted closet.