The decision to either renovate the upper and lower units of a duplex or convert them into a single-family home was a no-brainer. Situated on a quiet street in Montreal, the home was the childhood residence of the homeowner, where many memories were made and relationships formed within the neighbourhood. The prospect of living elsewhere wasn’t an option. A complete overhaul included the re-configuration of three levels to accommodate the dynamic lifestyle of the empty nesters. The potential to create a luminous volume was evident from the onset. With the home backing onto a park, westerly views were exploited by oversized windows and doors. A massive window in the stairwell allows morning sunlight to filter in and create stunning reflections in the open concept living area below. The staircase is an architectural statement combining two styles of steps, with the extended width of the lower staircase creating a destination to read, while making use of an otherwise awkward space. White oak dominates the entire home to create a cohesive and natural context. Clean lines, minimal furnishings and white walls allow the small space to breathe.

Family room library - small transitional enclosed medium tone wood floor family room library idea in New York with red walls, no fireplace and no tv

When homeowners Patricia and Steve wanted to remodel and refresh their Monroe Twp home, they turned to design professional Pam Prestin, Home Potential, LLC, Middletown, NJ. Inspired by everything European, especially Patricia’s Spanish roots, Pam doubled their kitchen size and created a gourmet chef’s kitchen for chef Steve! One of many highlights for Steve is the Bertazzoni stove for his gourmet creations to share with friends and family. Having an entertaining space that allows us to gather with friends and family is priceless.” The goal was to create a space they could enjoy for twenty years that was timeless and European. The family that loves to entertain and everyone loves to be in the same room, so creating a kitchen that allowed for food preparation and enjoying friends and family Was important.

To facilitate the builder's desire to create a successful model home in this large site development with expansive natural preserves, this design creates a sense of presence far greater than its actual size. This was accomplished by a wide yet shallow layout that allows most rooms to look out to rear of home and preserve views beyond. Designed with a West Indies flavor, this thoroughly modern home's layout flows seamlessly from space to space. Each room is bright with lots of natural light, creating a home that takes fullest potential of this unique site. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to The Stater Group, Inc. Designer: The Sater Group, Inc. From: Bonita Springs, Florida

These homeowners found a new house in a new city with the potential to become their dream home. Their journey to the perfect home took a full remodel project that Showplace was proud to be a part of. From kitchen to fireplace mantle see how cabinetry elements throughout the home become beautiful touches of design by adding light and natural elegance. Bases, Floating Shelves, Vanity, Family Room: Door Style: Pendleton Construction: International+/Full Overlay Wood Type: Maple Finish: Cashew Uppers: Door Style: Pendleton Construction: International+/Full Overlay Wood Type: Paint Grade Paint: Showplace Paints - Heron Plume

The goal in building this home was to create an exterior esthetic that elicits memories of a Tuscan Villa on a hillside and also incorporates a modern feel to the interior. Modern aspects were achieved using an open staircase along with a 25' wide rear folding door. The addition of the folding door allows us to achieve a seamless feel between the interior and exterior of the house. Such creates a versatile entertaining area that increases the capacity to comfortably entertain guests. The outdoor living space with covered porch is another unique feature of the house. The porch has a fireplace plus heaters in the ceiling which allow one to entertain guests regardless of the temperature. The zero edge pool provides an absolutely beautiful backdrop—currently, it is the only one made in Indiana. Lastly, the master bathroom shower has a 2' x 3' shower head for the ultimate waterfall effect. This house is unique both outside and in.

A lively "L" shaped island opening up to the Living Room and Breakfast area beyond. Photos by Jay Weiland
Open concept kitchen - huge transitional l-shaped slate floor open concept kitchen idea with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances, brown walls and an island

To facilitate the builder's desire to create a successful model home in this large site development with expansive natural preserves, this design creates a sense of presence far greater than its actual size. This was accomplished by a wide yet shallow layout that allows most rooms to look out to rear of home and preserve views beyond. Designed with a West Indies flavor, this thoroughly modern home's layout flows seamlessly from space to space. Each room is bright with lots of natural light, creating a home that takes fullest potential of this unique site. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to The Stater Group, Inc. Designer: The Sater Group, Inc. From: Bonita Springs, Florida

A riverfront property is a desirable piece of property duet to its proximity to a waterway and parklike setting. The value in this renovation to the customer was creating a home that allowed for maximum appreciation of the outside environment and integrating the outside with the inside, and this design achieved this goal completely. To eliminate the fishbowl effect and sight-lines from the street the kitchen was strategically designed with a higher counter top space, wall areas were added and sinks and appliances were intentional placement. Open shelving in the kitchen and wine display area in the dining room was incorporated to display customer's pottery. Seating on two sides of the island maximize river views and conversation potential. Overall kitchen/dining/great room layout designed for parties, etc. - lots of gathering spots for people to hang out without cluttering the work triangle. Eliminating walls in the ensuite provided a larger footprint for the area allowing for the freestanding tub and larger walk-in closet. Hardwoods, wood cabinets and the light grey colour pallet were carried through the entire home to integrate the space.

Slate is a popular choice for tiled kitchen floors and when properly maintained looks fantastic, however like all natural stone products without an effective cleaning plan dirt will become ingrained in the stone and will start to lose its appearance. This was the case with this fantastic Slate tiled kitchen floor in Twickenham which had the potential to look really nice, but hadn’t received the proper maintenance for a long while, leaving it looking very tired. It now needed what was left of its old surface sealer stripped off, followed by a deep cleaning of the tile and grout before having a fresh seal applied. To begin the restoration, I mixed a 50:50 solution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and Tile Doctor Pro Clean. This was applied to the floor and allowed to dwell. Remove and Go functions as a stripper that breaks down the old sealer, while Pro Clean is a versatile, high alkaline cleaner that is safe to use on all types of natural stone flooring. To use it to full effect, I machine scrubbed this solution into the floor to completely remove all dirt, stains, and old sealer. I also ran a stiff brush along the grout lines to remove the particularly stubborn dirt ingrained in the grout. The resulting cleaning slurry was then rinsed with water and extracted using a wet vacuum and the floor checked for stubborn marks which were retreated using the same process. The floor was left to dry overnight and I came back the next day to apply a new seal. It’s important to leave a tiled floor to dry completely before sealing and at this time of year 24 hours is usually enough. This is necessary to ensures there is no excess moisture in the tile as this has the potential to cloud the sealer and affect its effectiveness. The customer required a low sheen finish and a floor that was easy to maintain. I opted to use Seal & Go, which provides exactly that. It is a water-based with a high sheen blend of acrylic polymers that offers a both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable low sheen finish, also being water based it doesn’t leave a smell as it dries. Seal and Go is also a breathable sealer that will allow moisture to rise up through the tile and allow the floor to breathe. As you can see from the pictures, the lustre has been completely restored to the Slate tiles and the sealer will allow for easy maintenance for the customer in the future. Jonathan Oldham South Middlesex Tile Doctor

New home build - Inverness, CA Architect: Rob Kelly, Kelly + Abramsom Architecture; Photo: Trevor Henley
Inspiration for an eclectic kitchen remodel in San Francisco

A stunning range of Laminam by Crossville collections were used to their maximum–and most beautiful–potential in a hip, urban Philadelphia residence. Laminam by Crossville’s technologically advanced, aesthetically innovative panels are the largest, thinnest porcelain slabs in production anywhere in the world, allowing them to effortlessly skin both floors and walls to dress spaces in ways previously unthinkable in architectural design. The kitchen features Laminam's I Naturali Calacatta Oro in a polished finish and the fireplace surround is clad in Laminam's Fumo Collection Nero Oxide.

Most traditional older homes are set up with a dark, closed off kitchen, which is what this kitchen used to be. It had potential and we came in to open its doors to the family room to allow for seating, reconfigured the kitchen cabinetry, and also refinished and refaced the cabinetry. Some of the finishes include Taj Mahal Quartzite, White Dove finish on cabinetry, shaker style doors and doors with a bead, subway backsplash, and shiplap fireplace.

To facilitate the builder's desire to create a successful model home in this large site development with expansive natural preserves, this design creates a sense of presence far greater than its actual size. This was accomplished by a wide yet shallow layout that allows most rooms to look out to rear of home and preserve views beyond. Designed with a West Indies flavor, this thoroughly modern home's layout flows seamlessly from space to space. Each room is bright with lots of natural light, creating a home that takes fullest potential of this unique site. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to The Stater Group, Inc. Designer: The Sater Group, Inc. From: Bonita Springs, Florida

To facilitate the builder's desire to create a successful model home in this large site development with expansive natural preserves, this design creates a sense of presence far greater than its actual size. This was accomplished by a wide yet shallow layout that allows most rooms to look out to rear of home and preserve views beyond. Designed with a West Indies flavor, this thoroughly modern home's layout flows seamlessly from space to space. Each room is bright with lots of natural light, creating a home that takes fullest potential of this unique site. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to The Stater Group, Inc. Designer: The Sater Group, Inc. From: Bonita Springs, Florida

A riverfront property is a desirable piece of property duet to its proximity to a waterway and parklike setting. The value in this renovation to the customer was creating a home that allowed for maximum appreciation of the outside environment and integrating the outside with the inside, and this design achieved this goal completely. To eliminate the fishbowl effect and sight-lines from the street the kitchen was strategically designed with a higher counter top space, wall areas were added and sinks and appliances were intentional placement. Open shelving in the kitchen and wine display area in the dining room was incorporated to display customer's pottery. Seating on two sides of the island maximize river views and conversation potential. Overall kitchen/dining/great room layout designed for parties, etc. - lots of gathering spots for people to hang out without cluttering the work triangle. Eliminating walls in the ensuite provided a larger footprint for the area allowing for the freestanding tub and larger walk-in closet. Hardwoods, wood cabinets and the light grey colour pallet were carried through the entire home to integrate the space.

A stunning range of Laminam by Crossville collections were used to their maximum–and most beautiful–potential in a hip, urban Philadelphia residence. Laminam by Crossville’s technologically advanced, aesthetically innovative panels are the largest, thinnest porcelain slabs in production anywhere in the world, allowing them to effortlessly skin both floors and walls to dress spaces in ways previously unthinkable in architectural design. The kitchen features Laminam's I Naturali Calacatta Oro in a polished finish and the fireplace surround is clad in Laminam's Fumo Collection Nero Oxide.

When homeowners Patricia and Steve wanted to remodel and refresh their Monroe Twp home, they turned to design professional Pam Prestin, Home Potential, LLC, Middletown, NJ. Inspired by everything European, especially Patricia’s Spanish roots, Pam doubled their kitchen size and created a gourmet chef’s kitchen for chef Steve! One of many highlights for Steve is the Bertazzoni stove for his gourmet creations to share with friends and family. Having an entertaining space that allows us to gather with friends and family is priceless.” The goal was to create a space they could enjoy for twenty years that was timeless and European. The family that loves to entertain and everyone loves to be in the same room, so creating a kitchen that allowed for food preparation and enjoying friends and family Was important.

When homeowners Patricia and Steve wanted to remodel and refresh their Monroe Twp home, they turned to design professional Pam Prestin, Home Potential, LLC, Middletown, NJ. Inspired by everything European, especially Patricia’s Spanish roots, Pam doubled their kitchen size and created a gourmet chef’s kitchen for chef Steve! One of many highlights for Steve is the Bertazzoni stove for his gourmet creations to share with friends and family. Having an entertaining space that allows us to gather with friends and family is priceless.” The goal was to create a space they could enjoy for twenty years that was timeless and European. The family that loves to entertain and everyone loves to be in the same room, so creating a kitchen that allowed for food preparation and enjoying friends and family Was important.