In 2010, with the homeowner’s children grown, they were faced with what has become a concern for many families, how to provide for aging parents. They considered many options, and made the decision to move her mother and father, both in their nineties, into their current family home. An addition was built that would best accommodate the parents’ needs, and include all the custom design details and quality construction of the main home.

We designed a custom banquette for the breakfast area, and used it with a table by Redford House, chandelier by Currey & Co., Chinese-Chippendale style chairs from Serena & Lily. Photo by Allen Russ

Photographer: Matt Craig Designer: Bronwyn Poole
Inspiration for a contemporary living room remodel in Los Angeles

While the first kitchen is the hub of the house, this pantry is the heart. Operating as a second kitchen, a baking kitchen, this pantry has been designed to not only support the primary kitchen but act as an intimate and special place for the homeowners and their children to bake cookies and other delights. And just like children, the space is scaled down in size, but ramps up in wonderous creativity.

This was an Addition/Renovation for a young couple and their two children, to an existing house that was originally designed and built in 1939. Like many homes of this era, the Kitchen was not developed as a place of family gathering and social interaction, like modern kitchens and life-styles of today, and this was the seed for the desire, by the home owners, when they asked me to help them to ‘Update’ their home.

While the first kitchen is the hub of the house, this pantry is the heart. Operating as a second kitchen, a baking kitchen, this pantry has been designed to not only support the primary kitchen but act as an intimate and special place for the homeowners and their children to bake cookies and other delights. And just like children, the space is scaled down in size, but ramps up in wonderous creativity.

Introducing an exclusive beach home with a stunning hip roof, perfect for your vacation getaway. This three-story beach house is designed for seaside living, offering everything you need in a compact space. The main level features abundant outdoor space, including a back-covered porch and a large screened-in patio. Inside, the open kitchen boasts a Kitchen Island, eating bar, and walk-in pantry, seamlessly connected to the dining and living areas, making it ideal for entertaining guests. The main floor master suite, complete with a patio, provides privacy and relaxation. Upstairs, another bedroom, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and a spacious family area await, perfect for older children or guests. An open sun terrace provides additional outdoor enjoyment. The third level offers sleeping bunks for children and an entertainment terrace with an observation tower for adults, catering to everyone's needs. Despite being on flat ground, this seaside home offers an ideal setting for day-to-day activities and creates unforgettable memories for the whole family.

Fire pit and additional seating on the lower patio provide the perfect view poolside
Pool - large rustic backyard stone and kidney-shaped natural pool idea in New York

This beautiful kitchen stands where the original dining room was located. While older homes tended to have the kitchen hidden away, modern living brings the kitchen into the heart of the home. From here, the homeowners can watch their children play outside, have direct access to their outdoor living and dining as well as their lovely dining room, and all while entertaining guests or serving up their young children at this expansive island.

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

A young Skokie couple needed home remodeling ideas to accommodate their four growing children. A second story addition doubled the space of their ranch-style home, creating four bedrooms upstairs and combining smaller rooms into a spacious living area on the first floor. This custom home renovation features faucets, sinks, and tubs by Kohler® and ceramic tile by Daltile®. The exterior was updated with a rustic stone façade, cherry wood accents, and a copper roof.

This beautiful kitchen area was created with family in mind. Our clients have young children so it was important that this design incorporate beauty and comfort as well as durability for years to come. The sleek and clean white cabinets and counters plus the pop of navy in the island and bar area are accented beautifully with brass hardware and fixtures. Additionally, we integrated a showstopping quartz sink. Completed during the covid pandemic, we were sure to go above and beyond to make everyone comfortable while perfecting every aspect of this kitchen, dining space and powder bath.

Avengers Murals, hand painted throughout a kids bedroom by Tom Taylor of Mural Art LLC. Superhero art has become very popular the last ten years and I've been asked to create superhero themed wall murals in rooms for kids and people of all ages. Whether it be Spiderman, Captain America, Batman or Avengers; the addition of large hand painted superheros will add amazing character to any room. I like to include shadowing with my characters to create a realistic 3D quality to the artwork and image. Superhero art is perfect for any game room, media room or your children's bedroom.

Introducing an exclusive beach home with a stunning hip roof, perfect for your vacation getaway. This three-story beach house is designed for seaside living, offering everything you need in a compact space. The main level features abundant outdoor space, including a back-covered porch and a large screened-in patio. Inside, the open kitchen boasts a Kitchen Island, eating bar, and walk-in pantry, seamlessly connected to the dining and living areas, making it ideal for entertaining guests. The main floor master suite, complete with a patio, provides privacy and relaxation. Upstairs, another bedroom, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and a spacious family area await, perfect for older children or guests. An open sun terrace provides additional outdoor enjoyment. The third level offers sleeping bunks for children and an entertainment terrace with an observation tower for adults, catering to everyone's needs. Despite being on flat ground, this seaside home offers an ideal setting for day-to-day activities and creates unforgettable memories for the whole family.

While the first kitchen is the hub of the house, this pantry is the heart. Operating as a second kitchen, a baking kitchen, this pantry has been designed to not only support the primary kitchen but act as an intimate and special place for the homeowners and their children to bake cookies and other delights. And just like children, the space is scaled down in size, but ramps up in wonderous creativity.

This beautiful kitchen stands where the original dining room was located. While older homes tended to have the kitchen hidden away, modern living brings the kitchen into the heart of the home. From here, the homeowners can watch their children play outside, have direct access to their outdoor living and dining as well as their lovely dining room, and all while entertaining guests or serving up their young children at this expansive island.

AFTER photo - occupied home staging consultation. Suggestions included: matching lamps needed, neutral bedding and throw pillows needed, clearing personal belongings on dresser and floor, remove children's toys and bedding from chair and bay window area. Home owner's have wonderful taste in furnishings, and the room now has more buyer appeal with additional decorative pillows and more stately (matching) lamps for balance.

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.

The Shadowood House is part of a farm that has been in the client's family for generations. At the beginning of the process, the clients were living in a house (where this one now sits) that had been through addition after addition, making the spaces feel cramped and non-cohesive. They wanted a space for family gatherings, that was a modern take on a simple farmhouse. The clients wanted a house that feels comfortable for their children and grandchildren, but also enables them to age-in-place. In short, they wanted a house that would offer generations to come a place to feel at home. Josh Partee AIAP, ASMP, LEED AP / Architectural Photographer