Doug Myers
This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Other.

Inspired by the majesty of the Northern Lights and this family's everlasting love for Disney, this home plays host to enlighteningly open vistas and playful activity. Like its namesake, the beloved Sleeping Beauty, this home embodies family, fantasy and adventure in their truest form. Visions are seldom what they seem, but this home did begin 'Once Upon a Dream'. Welcome, to The Aurora.

Our 3rd completed project, and 2nd one at Greenville, Subd., Merville, Paranaque. This 2-storey w/ attic house and lot sits on a 90.5sqm lot in a quiet street within Greenville subd., located at Merville executive area. Floor area is roughly 220sqm. The garage has space for 2 medium-sized vehicles. On the ground floor is a living room and dining area, with a pocket garden that receives direct sunlight and adds to the building's ventilation. A powder room is an added amenity for guests. At the rear of the property there is also a maid's quarters and laundry area. On the 2nd floor, you have spacious Master's Bedroom with walk-in closet and a quaint balcony facing the street. Huge windows give the room a more airy feel. The bedroom on the opposite end also has it's own bathroom with the same modern design. Atop the property sits a large attic which can be used as a living space and family area. For families with multiple children, this space may also be converted into 2 rooms, as the lighting and electrical layout was designed with that possibility in mind. The attic also has it's own bathroom with shower, and a spacious balcony overlooking Boston street with a great view of the subdivision. For inquiries and to schedule a visit, please contact Winnie (09228746315) or Jenny (09228580683) or the office landline at (02) 4006315. photos c/o Marton Benitez

Our 3rd completed project, and 2nd one at Greenville, Subd., Merville, Paranaque. This 2-storey w/ attic house and lot sits on a 90.5sqm lot in a quiet street within Greenville subd., located at Merville executive area. Floor area is roughly 220sqm. The garage has space for 2 medium-sized vehicles. On the ground floor is a living room and dining area, with a pocket garden that receives direct sunlight and adds to the building's ventilation. A powder room is an added amenity for guests. At the rear of the property there is also a maid's quarters and laundry area. On the 2nd floor, you have spacious Master's Bedroom with walk-in closet and a quaint balcony facing the street. Huge windows give the room a more airy feel. The bedroom on the opposite end also has it's own bathroom with the same modern design. Atop the property sits a large attic which can be used as a living space and family area. For families with multiple children, this space may also be converted into 2 rooms, as the lighting and electrical layout was designed with that possibility in mind. The attic also has it's own bathroom with shower, and a spacious balcony overlooking Boston street with a great view of the subdivision. For inquiries and to schedule a visit, please contact Winnie (09228746315) or Jenny (09228580683) or the office landline at (02) 4006315. photos c/o Marton Benitez

Our 3rd completed project, and 2nd one at Greenville, Subd., Merville, Paranaque. This 2-storey w/ attic house and lot sits on a 90.5sqm lot in a quiet street within Greenville subd., located at Merville executive area. Floor area is roughly 220sqm. The garage has space for 2 medium-sized vehicles. On the ground floor is a living room and dining area, with a pocket garden that receives direct sunlight and adds to the building's ventilation. A powder room is an added amenity for guests. At the rear of the property there is also a maid's quarters and laundry area. On the 2nd floor, you have spacious Master's Bedroom with walk-in closet and a quaint balcony facing the street. Huge windows give the room a more airy feel. The bedroom on the opposite end also has it's own bathroom with the same modern design. Atop the property sits a large attic which can be used as a living space and family area. For families with multiple children, this space may also be converted into 2 rooms, as the lighting and electrical layout was designed with that possibility in mind. The attic also has it's own bathroom with shower, and a spacious balcony overlooking Boston street with a great view of the subdivision. For inquiries and to schedule a visit, please contact Winnie (09228746315) or Jenny (09228580683) or the office landline at (02) 4006315. photos c/o Marton Benitez

Double duty laundry room also serving as an indoor planting area for the avid gardener owner, this expansive space is clean and sterile and makes laundry a dream!

This beautiful family home is located in Brighton, Ontario. Photo by © Daniel Vaughan (vaughangroup.ca)
Example of a large arts and crafts gray two-story mixed siding exterior home design in Toronto with a hip roof

Interior Design, Custom Furniture Design & Art Curation by Chango & Co.
Example of a mid-sized beach style freestanding desk light wood floor and brown floor study room design in New York with blue walls

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Chicago

Inspired by the majesty of the Northern Lights and this family's everlasting love for Disney, this home plays host to enlighteningly open vistas and playful activity. Like its namesake, the beloved Sleeping Beauty, this home embodies family, fantasy and adventure in their truest form. Visions are seldom what they seem, but this home did begin 'Once Upon a Dream'. Welcome, to The Aurora.

Todd Mason
Rustic exterior home idea in New York

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

Cramped kitchen be gone! That was the project motto and top priority. The goal was to transform the current layout from multiple smaller spaces into a connected whole that would activate the main level for our clients, a young family of four. The biggest obstacle was the wall dividing the kitchen and the dining room. Removing this wall was central to opening up and integrating the main living spaces, but the existing ductwork that ran right through the center of the wall posed a design challenge, er design opportunity. The resulting design solution features a central pantry that captures the ductwork and provides valuable storage- especially when compared to the original kitchen's 18" wide pantry cabinet. The pantry also anchors the kitchen island and serves as a visual separation of space between the kitchen and homework area. Through our design development process, we learned the formal living room was of no service to their lifestyle and therefore space they rarely spent time in. With that in mind, we proposed to eliminate the unused living room and make it the new dining room. Relocating the dining room to this space inherently felt right given the soaring ceiling and ample room for holiday dinners and celebrations. The new dining room was spacious enough for us to incorporate a conversational seating area in the warm, south-facing window alcove. Now what to do with the old dining room?! To answer that question we took inspiration from our clients' shared profession in education and developed a craft area/homework station for both of their boys. The semi-custom cabinetry of the desk area carries over to the adjacent wall and forms window bench base with storage that we topped with butcher block for a touch of warmth. While the boys are young, the bench drawers are the perfect place for a stash of toys close to the kitchen. The kitchen begins just beyond the window seat with their refrigerator enclosure. Opposite the refrigerator is the new pantry with twenty linear feet of shelving and space for brooms and a stick vacuum. Extending from the backside of the pantry the kitchen island design incorporates counter seating on the family room side and a cabinetry configuration on the kitchen side with drawer storage, a trashcan center, farmhouse sink, and dishwasher. We took careful time in design and execution to align the range and sink because while it might seem like a small detail, it plays an important role in supporting the symmetrical configuration of the back wall of the kitchen. The rear wall design utilizes an appliance garage mirrors the visual impact of the refrigerator enclosure and helps keep the now open kitchen tidy. Between the appliance garage and refrigerator enclosure is the cooking zone with 30" of cabinetry and work surface on either side of the range, a chimney style vent hood, and a bold graphic tile backsplash. The backsplash is just one of many personal touches we added to the space to reflect our client's modern eclectic style and love of color. Swooping lines of the mid-mod style barstools compliment the pendants and backsplash pattern. A pop of vibrant green on the frame of the pantry door adds a fresh wash of color to an otherwise neutral space. The big show stopper is the custom charcoal gray and copper chevron wall installation in the dining room. This was an idea our clients softly suggested, and we excitedly embraced the opportunity. It is also a kickass solution to the head-scratching design dilemma of how to fill a large and lofty wall. We are so grateful to bring this design to life for our clients and now dear friends.

Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Chicago

This gracious property in the award-winning Blaine school district - and just off the Southport Corridor - marries an old world European design sensibility with contemporary technologies and unique artisan details. With more than 5,200 square feet, the home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms on the second floor, including a luxurious master suite with a private terrace. The house also boasts a distinct foyer; formal living and dining rooms designed in an open-plan concept; an expansive, eat-in, gourmet kitchen which is open to the first floor great room; lower-level family room; an attached, heated, 2-½ car garage with roof deck; a penthouse den and roof deck; and two additional rooms on the lower level which could be used as bedrooms, home offices or exercise rooms. The home, designed with an extra-wide floorplan, achieved through side yard relief, also has considerable, professionally-landscaped outdoor living spaces. This brick and limestone residence has been designed with family-functional experiences and classically proportioned spaces in mind. Highly-efficient environmental technologies have been integrated into the design and construction and the plan also takes into consideration the incorporation of all types of advanced communications systems. The home went under contract in less than 45 days in 2011. Jim Yochum

When our clients approached us about this project, they had a large vacant lot and a set of architectural plans in hand, and they needed our help to envision the interior of their dream home. As a busy family with young kids, they relied on KMI to help identify a design style that suited both of them and served their family's needs and lifestyle. One of the biggest challenges of the project was finding ways to blend their varying aesthetic desires, striking just the right balance between bright and cheery and rustic and moody. We also helped develop the exterior color scheme and material selections to ensure the interior and exterior of the home were cohesive and spoke to each other. With this project being a new build, there was not a square inch of the interior that KMI didn't touch. In our material selections throughout the home, we sought to draw on the surrounding nature as an inspiration. The home is situated on a large lot with many large pine trees towering above. The goal was to bring some natural elements inside and make the house feel like it fits in its rustic setting. It was also a goal to create a home that felt inviting, warm, and durable enough to withstand all the life a busy family would throw at it. Slate tile floors, quartz countertops made to look like cement, rustic wood accent walls, and ceramic tiles in earthy tones are a few of the ways this was achieved. There are so many things to love about this home, but we're especially proud of the way it all came together. The mix of materials, like iron, stone, and wood, helps give the home character and depth and adds warmth to some high-contrast black and white designs throughout the home. Anytime we do something truly unique and custom for a client, we also get a bit giddy, and the light fixture above the dining room table is a perfect example of that. A labor of love and the collaboration of design ideas between our client and us produced the one-of-a-kind fixture that perfectly fits this home. Bringing our client's dreams and visions to life is what we love most about being designers, and this project allowed us to do just that.

When our clients approached us about this project, they had a large vacant lot and a set of architectural plans in hand, and they needed our help to envision the interior of their dream home. As a busy family with young kids, they relied on KMI to help identify a design style that suited both of them and served their family's needs and lifestyle. One of the biggest challenges of the project was finding ways to blend their varying aesthetic desires, striking just the right balance between bright and cheery and rustic and moody. We also helped develop the exterior color scheme and material selections to ensure the interior and exterior of the home were cohesive and spoke to each other. With this project being a new build, there was not a square inch of the interior that KMI didn't touch. In our material selections throughout the home, we sought to draw on the surrounding nature as an inspiration. The home is situated on a large lot with many large pine trees towering above. The goal was to bring some natural elements inside and make the house feel like it fits in its rustic setting. It was also a goal to create a home that felt inviting, warm, and durable enough to withstand all the life a busy family would throw at it. Slate tile floors, quartz countertops made to look like cement, rustic wood accent walls, and ceramic tiles in earthy tones are a few of the ways this was achieved. There are so many things to love about this home, but we're especially proud of the way it all came together. The mix of materials, like iron, stone, and wood, helps give the home character and depth and adds warmth to some high-contrast black and white designs throughout the home. Anytime we do something truly unique and custom for a client, we also get a bit giddy, and the light fixture above the dining room table is a perfect example of that. A labor of love and the collaboration of design ideas between our client and us produced the one-of-a-kind fixture that perfectly fits this home. Bringing our client's dreams and visions to life is what we love most about being designers, and this project allowed us to do just that.

When our clients approached us about this project, they had a large vacant lot and a set of architectural plans in hand, and they needed our help to envision the interior of their dream home. As a busy family with young kids, they relied on KMI to help identify a design style that suited both of them and served their family's needs and lifestyle. One of the biggest challenges of the project was finding ways to blend their varying aesthetic desires, striking just the right balance between bright and cheery and rustic and moody. We also helped develop the exterior color scheme and material selections to ensure the interior and exterior of the home were cohesive and spoke to each other. With this project being a new build, there was not a square inch of the interior that KMI didn't touch. In our material selections throughout the home, we sought to draw on the surrounding nature as an inspiration. The home is situated on a large lot with many large pine trees towering above. The goal was to bring some natural elements inside and make the house feel like it fits in its rustic setting. It was also a goal to create a home that felt inviting, warm, and durable enough to withstand all the life a busy family would throw at it. Slate tile floors, quartz countertops made to look like cement, rustic wood accent walls, and ceramic tiles in earthy tones are a few of the ways this was achieved. There are so many things to love about this home, but we're especially proud of the way it all came together. The mix of materials, like iron, stone, and wood, helps give the home character and depth and adds warmth to some high-contrast black and white designs throughout the home. Anytime we do something truly unique and custom for a client, we also get a bit giddy, and the light fixture above the dining room table is a perfect example of that. A labor of love and the collaboration of design ideas between our client and us produced the one-of-a-kind fixture that perfectly fits this home. Bringing our client's dreams and visions to life is what we love most about being designers, and this project allowed us to do just that.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Portland with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island