Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

Casual Breakfast area; photo courtesy of Vera Matson
Elegant dark wood floor enclosed dining room photo in Houston with beige walls and no fireplace

The best kitchen design begins with the goal of enhancing functionality. We were looking for the shortest distance from fridge to stove to sink. This is known as the “golden triangle” of kitchen design. We also wanted the food preparation process to flow in one direction: From food storage to preparation to cooking to cleaning. This is the ideal kitchen flow because it eliminates traffic jams and keeps fresh food safer by moving from cold to warm. One side of the island allows comfortable seating for four, while the other side boasts spacious storage with 2 deep drawers and 5 cabinets, as well as two key appliances. The photo above shows how food preparation traffic moves from the fridge to island to range and finally sink and dishwasher. The golden triangle in action! An Avallon beverage center is located on the “cold foods” side of the island. This stainless-steel under-counter split-zone refrigerator is sure to please every wine and beer enthusiast. The left side is cooled to 58 degrees for wine, while the right side cools down to 34 degrees for beer. Both sides feature pull-out shelves, and each side is lockable for safety. Moving down to the “warm foods” side of the island is a Thermador microwave drawer, which has easy access from above. We also chose Thermador for our fridge, ovens, gas range and dishwasher.

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Having a space for their teenage kids to hang out after school, study and interact with Mom & Dad was at the top of the list for this remodel. The 1928 home, sits in a lovely Glen Ellyn neighborhood, near downtown and near all the action of the local high school and lake. It’s was a great house with great bones but the kitchen was in need of some TLC. The remodel project had been a long time coming, and since both the homeowners work from home, they had been nervous about disrupting their bustling daily schedules to get the project in motion. Once we had a plan in place, we dug in and got to work. The first step was to remove a non-load bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room. We then reworked the space a bit, eliminating a redundant passage way to the hall, and reworking a closet to allow for a large galley style kitchen and small bar area open to the dining room. The new kitchen has a small peninsula for the family to have casual meals and for the kids to hang out after school. A window was eliminated to give more space for cabinetry and storage, and another window was made larger to allow for a grander view into the backyard. We decided upon a layered approach to this space to provide character appropriate to the older home. White painted cabinetry provides a backdrop for interesting touches such as gray herringbone tile, a reeded farmhouse sink and bronze hardware and lighting. The bar has its own unique look featuring gray cabinetry with a patterned cement tile backsplash and walnut top. A bar fridge, glass cabinets and baskets for tucking away homework give this little multi-functional area loads of character. A miniature mudroom area was also added to the dining room so that the new space can be kept neat and tidy. The stylish result looks both appropriate to the 1928 home and provides loads of functionality for this active family that can now take advantage of every square inch their home. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

Sometimes our clients like to be very much involved in the creation of their home, and this is one such example. The owner wanted to source the primary materials, so we discussed the needs from our point of view as the architects, and he went into action. He would find hewn barns and send us photos and floor plans to review until we found the perfect combination. One large hewn barn was moved to the client’s land near Yellowstone Park, then renovated to become the main living portion of the house. A second smaller barn was reworked to be the master bedroom, and then joined by a stone connector. To accommodate a billiards room and complete the home, one last living space was included in the project.

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE: Certificate of Merit PROJECT: Altius CLIENT: B DeFrancis ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Bucco Architecture ENGINEERS: Watson Engineers; Claitman Engineering Associates, Inc. CONTRACTORS: RJS Construction PHOTOGRAPHER: Walsh Photography DESCRIPTION: Altius sits on the crest of Grandview Avenue and embraces its physical position to inspire the design, striving to create an ‘elevated’ experience. Spatially, that means creating a directional pull to the view with a series of elements: hostess station, open stair, communal tables, and bar are all positioned perpendicular to the windows to allow guests to move through the space with a continual connection to the expanse of windows. JURY COMMENTS: This restaurant is really beautifully detailed with very rich materials. We especially appreciate that the detailing did not stop before it made it into the washrooms. The minimalist approach to these details adds a richness that will be appreciated more with each visit.

One of the challenges of the project was to not only have a highly functional space, which meant having the components of a commercial kitchen, all while making it look attractive. Keeping the second floor Action Kitchen space bright and full of light was a main consideration, which is why the palette of light green was chosen for the walls. The light fixtures here are Hubbardton Forge. Housefitters played large role in selecting the cabinetry, tiles and appliances. Ensuring that the noise levels were not distracting to the other parts of the building, an intricate acoustical ceiling panel was designed. Not noticeable to the untrained eye, these panels are covered with a metallic acoustical fabric, which balances the workspace sound.

Example of a trendy patio kitchen design in Cleveland with decking and a pergola

This tired kitchen needed an update for some serious cooks moving in. A young couple, accompanied by her Mother, were used to cooking three fresh meals each day, utilizing almost every appliance and cooking utensil to be found. I started by blowing out the space, scraping the peninsula and all that was left was a custom stainless range hood to begin with. The clients needs were 2 36" Refrigerators and only 2 freezer drawers. Hence, fresh cooking. The number of large appliances was so great that we decided to use flush front cabinets to yield clean lines and remove focus from the multitude of appliances. The 12' island housed 2 freezer drawers, a steam oven, a warming drawer, and a drawer microwave oven along with seating for 4 mid-way along the island. Authentic Quartzite was the only choice for these cooks who had no time to worry of stains.A wood look floor was desired, but not practical and I used a 7" x 48" wood tile plank. Opposite the stove is a TV and sitting area for those wanting to be a part of the action, but not involved. Photography by Jonn Spradlin

Example of a mid-sized minimalist wooden straight open staircase design in Toronto

This tired kitchen needed an update for some serious cooks moving in. A young couple, accompanied by her Mother, were used to cooking three fresh meals each day, utilizing almost every appliance and cooking utensil to be found. I started by blowing out the space, scraping the peninsula and all that was left was a custom stainless range hood to begin with. The clients needs were 2 36" Refrigerators and only 2 freezer drawers. Hence, fresh cooking. The number of large appliances was so great that we decided to use flush front cabinets to yield clean lines and remove focus from the multitude of appliances. The 12' island housed 2 freezer drawers, a steam oven, a warming drawer, and a drawer microwave oven along with seating for 4 mid-way along the island. Authentic Quartzite was the only choice for these cooks who had no time to worry of stains.A wood look floor was desired, but not practical and I used a 7" x 48" wood tile plank. Opposite the stove is a TV and sitting area for those wanting to be a part of the action, but not involved. Photography by Jonn Spradlin

This tired kitchen needed an update for some serious cooks moving in. A young couple, accompanied by her Mother, were used to cooking three fresh meals each day, utilizing almost every appliance and cooking utensil to be found. I started by blowing out the space, scraping the peninsula and all that was left was a custom stainless range hood to begin with. The clients needs were 2 36" Refrigerators and only 2 freezer drawers. Hence, fresh cooking. The number of large appliances was so great that we decided to use flush front cabinets to yield clean lines and remove focus from the multitude of appliances. The 12' island housed 2 freezer drawers, a steam oven, a warming drawer, and a drawer microwave oven along with seating for 4 mid-way along the island. Authentic Quartzite was the only choice for these cooks who had no time to worry of stains.A wood look floor was desired, but not practical and I used a 7" x 48" wood tile plank. Opposite the stove is a TV and sitting area for those wanting to be a part of the action, but not involved. Photography by Jonn Spradlin