The owners acquired an adjacent property and called on our firm and a team of consultants to join the properties into one seamless private park like setting complete with a Pool Pavilion and Pool. A study of light and space, The Pavilion offers different experiences at different times of the day. The optimum display of light and transparency occurs at dusk. At that hour, one can catch the reflections in the pool and the glowing of this small jewel within in the landscape. Amenities include an air conditioned lounging area with TV and kitchen/bar, a laundry and changing room, a private bathroom with shower, an additional outdoor shower and a full basement for storage of pool toys and equipment. The contemporary approach combines rich woods, stainless steel, and concrete with marble, glass tile and natural stones. Cedar shingles, a nod to the main house, recede into the landscape while the soaring glass windows and doors flood the space with light and views back into the landscape. The building also features a bead board ceiling and exposed structure. This blend of materials yields a sophisticated modern design that is calm and cheerful while providing conditioned entertaining space for the Owner’s family and friends. The client gushes “I feel like I am transported-- on vacation-- every time I open the doors and enter the space.” Robert Glasgow Photography

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath. Joe Nowak

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

Hideaway custom bed. Private nook.
Example of a transitional home design design in San Francisco

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.

Show Dad how much you appreciate him by surprising him with an Organized Living freedomRail Garage! Easy to install and strong, solutions securely hold dozens of heavy tools typically found in a garage. Trust us, with an organized garage, there would be a lot more marked off your “to-do” list. See more ways to organize the garage with freedomRail in our image gallery: http://www.organizedliving.com/home/products/freedomrail-garage/inspiration-gallery

This growing family of six was struggling with a dysfunctional kitchen design. The center island had been installed at an odd angle that limited accessibility and traffic flow. Additionally, storage space was limited by poor cabinet design. Finally, doorways in and out of the kitchen were narrow and poorly located, especially for children dashing in and out. Other design challenges included how to better use a 10’ x 12’ room for children’s jackets and toys and how to add a professional-quality gas range in a neighborhood were natural gas wasn’t available. The new design would address all of these issues. DESIGN SOLUTIONS The new kitchen design revolves around a more proportional island. Carefully placed in the center of the new space with seating for four, it includes a prep sink, a second dishwasher and a beverage center. The distressed ebony-stained island and hutch provides a brilliant contrast between the white color cabinetry. White Carrera marble countertops and backsplash top both island and perimeter cabinets. Tall, double stacked cabinetry lines two walls to maximize storage space. Across the room there was an unused wall that now contains a 36” tower fridge and freezer, both covered with matching panels, and a tall cabinet that contains a microwave, steam unit and warming drawer. A propane tank was buried in the back yard to provide gas to a new 60” professional range and cooktop. A custom-made wood mantel hood blends perfectly with the cabinet style. The old laundry room was reconfigured to have lots of locker space for all kids and added cabinetry for storage. A double entry door separated the new mudroom from the rest of the back hall. In the back hall the back windows were replaced with a set of French door and added decking to create a direct access to deck and backyard. The end result is an open floor plan, high-end appliances, great traffic flow and pleasing colors. The homeowner calls it the “kitchen of her dreams.”

Hot tub - huge rustic indoor rectangular and stamped concrete natural hot tub idea in New York

This four bedroom beach house in Washington's South Sound is all about growing up near the water's edge during summer's freedom from school. The owner's childhood was spent in a small cabin on this site with her parents and siblings. Now married and with children of her own, it was time to savor those childhood memories and create new ones in a house designed for generations to come. At 3,200 square feet, including a whimsical Crow's Nest, the new summer cabin is much larger than the original cabin. The home is still about family and fun though. Above the 600 square foot water toys filled garage, there is a 500 square foot bunk room for friends and family. The bunk room is connected to the main house by an upper bridge where built-in storage frames a window seat overlooking the property. Throughout the home are playful details drawing from the waterfront locale. Paddles are integrated into the stair railing, engineered flooring with a weathered look, marine cleats as hardware, a boardwalk to the main entry, and nautical lighting are found throughout the house. Designed by BC&J Architecture.

Photo: Joyelle West
Example of a mid-sized transitional enclosed family room design in Boston with white walls

Their family expanded, and so did their home! After nearly 30 years residing in the same home they raised their children, this wonderful couple made the decision to tear down the walls and create one great open kitchen family room and dining space, partially expanding 10 feet out into their backyard. The result: a beautiful open concept space geared towards family gatherings and entertaining. Wall color: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter Cabinets: Dunn Edwards Droplets Island: Dunn Edwards Stone Maison Flooring: LM Flooring Nature Reserve Silverado Countertop: Cambria Torquay Backsplash: Walker Zanger Grammercy Park Sink: Blanco Cerana Fireclay Photography by Amy Bartlam

Four Season porch now serves as an ideal kids play area. This space is positioned adjacent to the open floor plan which includes the Kitchen, Dining and Family Rooms. Landmark Photography

Glamorous. Refined. Luxurious. Kid-friendly? Indeed! In fact, this Michigan Avenue weekend retreat is home-away-from-home for a family of six, including four young children. Still, serenity and sophistication reign, thanks to a rich array of shimmering, shining, glossy, glassy surfaces, from subtly patterned fabrics that disguise peanut butter and jelly fingerprints to luminous accents that cast an urbane glow as the sunsets over the Lake Michigan sky. Mostly-neutral interiors are energized by strategic pops of color; custom architectural embellishments infuse additional character. Floor plan modifications ensure expansive sightlines throughout, and accentuate skyline views.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Eclectic medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in New York with blue walls

Custom Bunk Room
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest carpeted, gray floor and wallpaper kids' room design in Atlanta with gray walls

Cozy Reading Nook
Mid-sized trendy open concept light wood floor and gray floor family room photo in Portland with white walls

Barnes Walker Ltd Treehouse designed and built by Treehouse Life Ltd www.treehouselife.co.uk
Photo of a traditional gender-neutral outdoor playset in Manchester.

THIS SMALL WALK-IN CLOSET DONE IN ETCHED SUMMER BREEZE FINISH WITH SMALL SHAKERS DRAWERS STYLE FEATURE A LONG HANGING AREA AND PLENTY OF REGULAR HANGING. 11 DRAWERS INCLUDING TWO JEWELRY DRAWERS WITH JEWELRY INSERTS, TWO TILT-OUT DRAWERS FACES WITH LOCKS TO KEEP VALUABLES. THIS CLOSET WITH IT'S PREVIOUS SETTING (ROD AND SHELF) HELD LESS THAN 10 FEET HANGING, THIS DESIGN WILL ALLOW APPROX 12 FEET OF HANGING ALONE, THE ADJUSTABLE SHELVING FOR FOLDED ITEMS, HANDBAGS AND HATS STORAGE AND PLENTY OF DRAWERS KEEPING SMALLER AND LARGER GARMENTS NEAT AND ORGANIZED DETAILS: *Shaker Small faces *Full extension ball bearing slide - for all drawers *Satin Nickel Bar Pull #H709 - for all handles *Garment rod: Satin Nickel PHOTOS TAKEN BY BEN AVIRAM

The client purchased this property with grand plans of renovating the entire place; from top to bottom, and from inside to outside. And while the inside canvas was very generous and even somewhat forgiving, the outside space would be anything but. We wanted to squeeze in as much seating space as possible in their limited courtyard area, without encroaching on the already compact-sized pool. The first and most obvious solution was to get rid of the trees and shrubs that separated this house from its zero-lot-line neighbor. With the addition of Lueder limestone pavers, this new area alone would free up nearly 120 additional square feet, which happened to be the perfect amount of space for a mobile gas fire pit and sectional sofa. And this would make for the perfect place to enjoy the afternoon sunset with the implementation of a custom-built metal pergola standing above it all. The next problem to overcome was the disconnected feel of the existing patio; there were too many levels of steps and stairs, which meant that it would have been difficult to have any sort of traditional furniture arrangement in their outdoor space. Randy knew that it only made sense to bring in a wood deck that could be mated to the highest level of the patio, thus creating and gaining the greatest amount of continuous, flat space that the client needed. But even so, that flat space would be limited to a very tight "L-shape" around the pool. And knowing this, the client decided that the larger space would be more valuable to them than the spa, so they opted to have a portion of the deck built over it in order to allow for a more generous amount of patio space. And with the edge of the patio/deck dropping off almost 2 feet to the waterline, it now created the perfect opportunity to have a visually compelling raised wall that could be adorned with different hues of plank-shaped tiles. From inside the pool, the varying shades of brown were a great accent to the wood deck that sat just above. However, the true visual crowning jewel of this project would end up being the raised back wall along the fence, fully encased in a large format, 24x24 slate grey tile, complete with a custom stainless steel, square-tube scupper bank, installed at just the right height to create the perfect amount of water noise. But Randy wasn't done just yet. With two entirely new entertaining areas opened up at opposite ends of the pool, the only thing left to do now was to connect them. Knowing that he nor the client wanted to eliminate any more water space, he decided to bring a new traffic pattern right into the pool by way of two "floating", Lueder limestone stepper pads. It would be a visually perfect union of both pool and walking spaces. The existing steps and walkways were then cut away and replaced with matching Lueder limestone caps and steppers. All remaining hardscape gaps were later filled with Mexican beach pebble, which helped to promote a very "zen-like" feel in this outdoor space. The interior of the pool was coated with Wet Edge Primerastone "Blue Pacific Coast" plaster, and then lit up with the incredibly versatile Pentair GloBrite LED pool lights. In the end, the client ended up gaining the additional entertaining and seating space that they needed, and the updated, modern feel that they loved.