This primary closet was designed for a couple to share. The hanging space and cubbies are allocated based on need. The center island includes a fold-out ironing board from Hafele concealed behind a drop down drawer front. An outlet on the end of the island provides a convenient place to plug in the iron as well as charge a cellphone. Additional storage in the island is for knee high boots and purses. Photo by A Kitchen That Works LLC

A functional but simple laundry room with a contemporary design. The shelving and bench were custom made to fit into the space. Photos by: @realtogs

Our client is a traveler and collector of art. He had a very eclectic mix of artwork and mixed media but no allocated space for displaying it. We created a gallery wall using different frame sizes, finishes and styles. This way it feels as if the gallery wall has been added to over time. Photographer: Stephani Buchman

Photography by: Caryn B. Davis This project included a two-story addition with a kitchen/dining area on the first floor and bedroom/bathroom on the second floor. The house is located on a gently sloping site surrounded by woods and meadows. The kitchen features grey lower cabinetry and white upper cabinetry with a subtle, rounded board and batten backsplash. The dining area features a large picture window flanked by double hungs that look out over the meadow. The upstairs bathroom shares a tub/shower with another bathroom in Jack-n-Jill fashion. Phase II will include first and second floor renovations and an expansive rear deck and stone terrace. John R. Schroeder, AIA is a professional design firm specializing in architecture, interiors, and planning. We have over 30 years experience with projects of all types, sizes, and levels of complexity. Because we love what we do, we approach our work with enthusiasm and dedication. We are committed to the highest level of design and service on each and every project. We engage our clients in positive and rewarding collaborations. We strive to exceed expectations through our attention to detail, our understanding of the “big picture”, and our ability to effectively manage a team of design professionals, industry representatives, and building contractors. We carefully analyze budgets and project objectives to assist clients with wise fund allocation. We continually monitor and research advances in technology, materials, and construction methods, both sustainable and otherwise, to provide a responsible, well-suited, and cost effective product. Our design solutions are highly functional using both innovative and traditional approaches. Our aesthetic style is flexible and open, blending cues from client desires, building function, site context, and material properties, making each project unique, personalized, and enduring.

To help maximise the full use of a wardrobe, adding a selection of clever internal wardrobe storage can create a functional area that works for individual needs, for example to allocate wardrobe for a favourite pair of shoes or to store children’s toys. Options include additional rail sections to hang coats, or open-shelving and drawer options to store smaller belongings – all of which keep a shared space organised and tidy.

Vi satte inn en dør med vindu, for å få lysinnslipp fra flere kanter, og mere lys i vindfanget. Kjøkkenet er fra Ikea. Plassen er ikke stor, løsningen ble effektiv. Utfordringen var nok benkeplass, men med et tranchebord og spisebord, har det vist seg å fungere bra.

Example of a trendy kitchen design in Other

The Grandview project is an unassuming residence in the Glendale area. It features state-of-the-art convenience features and cutting-edge technologies throughout. Barrett Building overhauled all aspects of the property in a zero-compromise fashion, allocating exceptional effort to the home’s outdoor areas. Massive acrylic panels were installed to create an infinity-like pool with beach-like lounge space. In addition, a full outdoor kitchen and soccer field/drive-in-style movie screening area make this back yard the ultimate in entertaining and activity spaces. Other stand-out features include a professional recording studio, glass elevator, next-generation wireless network hardware, and a screening room with a commercial-grade, movie-theater-style concessions center. All aspects of the home (e.g. lights, fire bowls, televisions, water features) are monitored and controlled via a centralized program. Residents access these features via mobile device for maximum convenience and cool-factor.

Sharifi-ha House Uncertainty and flexibility lie at the heart of the design concept in Sharifi-ha House. The sensational, spatial qualities of the interiors, as well as the formal configuration of its exterior, directly respond to the displacement of turning boxes that lead the building volume to become open or closed, obtaining introverted or extroverted character. These changes may occur according to changing seasons or functional scenarios of floor plans. Like many other urban plots, the land for this project had a noticeably narrow façade-width compared with its length. Consequently, our expertise in transforming a two-dimensional façade to a three-dimensional one became indispensable. Here, the openness /closure of the building volume is a reference to traditional Iranian houses, which would dynamically serve as seasonal modes of habitation by offering both a Zemestan-Neshin (winter living room) and Taabestan-Neshin (summer living room) to their residents. In summertime, Sharifi-ha House offers an open /transparent /perforated volume with wide, large terraces. In contrast, during Tehran’s cold, snowy winters the volume closes itself, offering minimal openings in total absence of those wide summer terraces. In this project, the challenges to the concepts of open/closed typology (introverted/extroverted character) led to an exciting spatial transformation of an ever-changing residential building. The House is distributed over seven floors: the two basement floors are allocated to family conviviality, fitness facilities, and wellness areas, while the ground floor hosts parking and housekeeping rooms. Public activities all happen on the first and second floors, and the family’s private life takes place on the third and fourth floors. The project consisted of four major parts; the fixed volume of the structure, the void, and the fixed volume and the mobile volume, respectively. When the turning boxes are closed, the building captures sunlight throughout the space of the central void, which also connects the two fixed volumes by suspended bridges. The house adapts to the functional needs of its residents. For instance, depending on whether there is a guest or not, the guest room (located on the second floor) can be reconfigured for different purposes. Similarly, home office and breakfast room (turning rooms on the first and third floors) can change the formality of their appearance according to their residents’ desire. In other words, there is always the possibility of having different seasonal or lighting scenarios, some of which have been already considered in the BMS program of the project. From the initial design steps, we noticed that three pine trees outside could be incorporated into the spaces of the interior. Now, in the open mode of the house, the trees are pleasantly captured by the window frames. Stepping back for about three meters from the permitted construction boundary line allowed us to provide splendid daylight for the basement floors by inserting a glass fountain. The fitness and wellness areas are accommodated between this fountain and the basement pool where reflective installations reverberate the water’s radiance all over the space. The applied manufacturing technique for the turning mechanism was in fact a simple one; the same method which is currently employed in turning theatrical scenes, turning the floor of car exhibitions, steel companies and the shipping industry in Iran. But as our client himself was into importing CNC and other similar industrial German machines, he preferred the structural system to be fabricated in Germany. In doing so, he could engage his employees in the manufacturing process and thus train them for future maintenance purposes. Details of the handrails and air-penetration controlling methods were major issues considered in developing the design of the turning boxes. Designing foldable handrails and refining the edges of the boxes happened to be our feasible solutions. Considering the specialties of this kind of architecture, the structural system was inevitably a customized one. After digitally modeling the structure, a series of SAP2000 analysis were undertaken to examine static/dynamic performance of the proposed system. Being partially moveable is the dominant feature of this structural assembly, which was contemplated throughout the fabrication process by the German manufacturer company. The main loads all rest on the beams of the living rooms. Due to the various configurations the turning boxes may take, the loading calculation has been estimated based on the largest possible loading value applied to the system. Additionally, in order to prevent structural deformation controlling the probable vibrations in the turning boxes was taken into account during the design/calculations of the structure. The house was titled Sharifi-ha House, in honor of traditional Iranian mansions.

Although large and spacious the original kitchen did not meet the client's needs. The appliances were old and inefficient and the cabinets did not reflect the style of the home. The goal was to design the kitchen for more than one cook and include high-end appliances and stylish cabinetry and finishes. The new design allows for food preparation, cooking and storage areas. The professional style refrigerator allows access from both sides of the island. The microwave oven is beside the refrigerator for quick re-heats while the professional oven at the other end cooks food at remarkable speed. The range top becomes the command center. Plenty of space was allocated at the window at the end of the kitchen for a large table and chairs that overlook a beautiful backyard. A wet bar was located at the opposite end just outside the kitchen along with a walk-in pantry for additional storage. The kitchen is now completed in a traditional style with simple, but elegant, white painted cabinetry. White marble counter tops and back splashes are highlighted by elegant pendant lights above the island. Finally, this beautiful room is dramatized by a black coffered ceiling accented by lighting above the crown molding.

Customer photo using Alloc Merbau Symphony 11mm Laminate
Elegant kitchen photo in Cleveland

To help maximise the full use of a wardrobe, adding a selection of clever internal wardrobe storage can create a functional area that works for individual needs, for example to allocate wardrobe for a favourite pair of shoes or to store children’s toys. Options include additional rail sections to hang coats, or open-shelving and drawer options to store smaller belongings – all of which keep a shared space organised and tidy.

Designed by Katherine Dashiell of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Annapolis, MD in collaboration with Emory Construction, this coastal transitional inspired project features cabinet designs for the kitchen, bar, powder room, primary bathroom and laundry room. The kitchen design features Merillat Classic Tolani in a Cotton finish on the perimeter kitchen cabinets. For the kitchen island, the cabinets are Merillat Masterpiece Montresano Rustic Alder in a Husk Suede finish. The design also includes a Kohler Whitehaven sink. The bar design features Green Forest Cabinetry in the Park Place door style with a White finish. The powder room bathroom design features Merillat Classic in the Tolani door style in a Nightfall finish. The primary bathroom design features Merillat Masterpiece cabinets in the Turner door style in Rustic Alder with a Husk Suede finish. The laundry room features Green Forest Cabinetry in the Park Place door style with a Spéciale Grey finish. “This was our second project working with Reico. The overall process is overwhelming given the infinite layout options and design combinations so having the experienced team at Reico listen to our vision and put it on paper was invaluable,” said the client. “They considered our budget and thoughtfully allocated the dollars.” “The team at Reico never balked if we requested a quote in a different product line or a tweak to the layout. The communication was prompt, professional and easy to understand. And of course, the finished product came together beautifully – better than we could have ever imagined! Katherine and Angel at the Annapolis location were our primary contacts and we can’t thank them enough for all of their hard work and care they put into our project.” Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

Family room - modern family room idea in New York

Upward Architecture recently completed this West Seattle home renovation located in between Fauntleroy Park and the Puget Sound. Exterior changes were made through the redesign and expansion of the entry, powder room, and kitchen pantry. The kitchen was fully renovated, removing walls to create a more contemporary unified space, adding windows to allow light to filter through the room, and replacing all cabinets throughout. Upstairs, 3 dormers were added, re-designing the exterior facade, as well as allocating more space throughout the owner’s suite. One of the new dormers became a built-in shower, allowing the en-suite bathroom to feel brighter and more expansive; and other became a cozy office nook.

This expansive residence allocates the majority of its square footage to the outdoors in order to celebrate the best of active California living. The various features of this 15,000 square foot property include a full size basketball court, an extensive herb garden, and distinct dining, bar, and lounge spaces. From the cantilevered extension of the first floor roofline to the adjacent cabana, the best elements of this home occur at the intersection of its indoor and outdoor spaces. Without a doubt, it is a residence designed to optimize well-being and embrace community.

Chrisicos Interiors, Greg Premru Photography A diminutive, perfectly-scaled kitchen office is a luxuriously designed interior room that brings great pleasure to the homeowners. The criteria was excellect function, with smart storage solutions, in the allocated space.

This built-in was a small part of a project that coincided with some modern hand railing and ladders. We played around with some interesting lines through the design process. The result was this geometric abstraction design back panel (all built in reclaimed Ash) meant to draw attention to a space that could have been stark. The objective of this design also needed to be functional. We incorporated a tiered offset reclaimed Ash shelf unit that allows the light to fall through and tastefully illuminate the records. The slatted feature below is a cover panel for the lower space housing electronic (i.e. router, external hard drive…). Its built with 3/4″ reclaimed Ash slats resting in laser cut slots in the steel rails. The space allocation between each slat allows for air movement for the electronics. 2016 © Ray Chan Photo, All Rights Reserved

This is a fabulous space combining boot room and utility, commonly known now as the bootility! This boot room its truly striking, not only does it look stunning with the green cabinetry, oak island and honed black granite worktops, it works as an incredibly practical space with plenty of storage and surfaces, dedicated clothes washing and dog shower area. It’s one of the most used areas in the house so never under estimate the space you should allocate to a functional room like this. Stylish statement leather handles bring the cabinetry to life as do the tap choices and accessories used throughout!