A juxtaposition of decorum and nonchalance, this bespoke home embodies every aspect of coastal living. Intertwined with the surrounding scenery, its neutral color pallet is a reflection of the soft waters rolling onto the double oceanfront lot. Generous, open living areas offer ample opportunity for entertaining while separate guest suites provide a serene atmosphere to recharge. Oversized outdoor games, a swimming pool, and sun deck spanning the oceanfront complete this family-centric retreat. Photography: Dana Hoff

Kitchen - mediterranean kitchen idea in San Diego

While this new home had an architecturally striking exterior, the home’s interior fell short in terms of true functionality and overall style. The most critical element in this renovation was the kitchen and dining area, which needed careful attention to bring it to the level that suited the home and the homeowners. As a graduate of Culinary Institute of America, our client wanted a kitchen that “feels like a restaurant, with the warmth of a home kitchen,” where guests can gather over great food, great wine, and truly feel comfortable in the open concept home. Although it follows a typical chef’s galley layout, the unique design solutions and unusual materials set it apart from the typical kitchen design. Polished countertops, laminated and stainless cabinets fronts, and professional appliances are complemented by the introduction of wood, glass, and blackened metal – materials introduced in the overall design of the house. Unique features include a wall clad in walnut for dangling heavy pots and utensils; a floating, sculptural walnut countertop piece housing an herb garden; an open pantry that serves as a coffee bar and wine station; and a hanging chalkboard that hides a water heater closet and features different coffee offerings available to guests. The dining area addition, enclosed by windows, continues to vivify the organic elements and brings in ample natural light, enhancing the darker finishes and creating additional warmth. Photography by Ira Montgomery

Faced with extensive water damage to their home, the Patel’s turned to Cantoni designer Andrea Petor to infuse new life into their family’s beloved weekend retreat in Montgomery, Texas. Balancing the client’s minimalist wants with their love of hosting, Andrea created a cohesive design to accommodate their frequent guests and large extended family. Beginning with the kitchen remodel, Andrea worked with the Patel’s to identify the best layout for the space, understanding it would be used regularly for entertaining. To maximize storage space, Andrea designed custom floor to ceiling cabinetry finished in high gloss white lacquer. She selected Miele optic white appliances to enhance the sleek design. Andrea had a custom dining table built into the island to provide ample seating and ensure the entire family could enjoy meals together. The kitchen’s monochromatic color palette was carried throughout the interiors allowing the home’s beautiful waterfront views to take center stage. Adding richness and texture to each room, Andrea selected sculptural, modern furnishings to complete the space and bring the Patel’s vision to life.

This custom home designed by Kimberly Kerl of Kustom Home Design beautifully reflects the unique personality and taste of the homeowners in a creative and dramatic fashion. The three-story home combines an eclectic blend of brick, stone, timber, lap and shingle siding. Rich textural materials such as stone and timber are incorporated into the interior design adding unexpected details and charming character to a new build. The two-story foyer with open stair and balcony allows a dramatic welcome and easy access to the upper and lower levels of the home. The Upper level contains 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, including a Jack-n-Jill style 4 piece bathroom design with private vanities and shared shower and toilet. Ample storage space is provided in the walk-in attic and large closets. Partially sloped ceilings, cozy dormers, barn doors and lighted niches give each of the bedrooms their own personality. The main level provides access to everything the homeowners need for independent living. A formal dining space for large family gatherings is connected to the open concept kitchen by a Butler's pantry and mudroom that also leads to the 3-car garage. An oversized walk-in pantry provide storage and an auxiliary prep space often referred to as a "dirty kitchen". Dirty kitchens allow homeowners to have behind the scenes spaces for clean up and prep so that the main kitchen remains clean and uncluttered. The kitchen has a large island with seating, Thermador appliances including the chef inspired 48" gas range with double ovens, 30" refrigerator column, 30" freezer columns, stainless steel double compartment sink and quiet stainless steel dishwasher. The kitchen is open to the casual dining area with large views of the backyard and connection to the two-story living room. The vaulted kitchen ceiling has timber truss accents centered on the full height stone fireplace of the living room. Timber and stone beams, columns and walls adorn this combination of living and dining spaces. The master suite is on the main level with a raised ceiling, oversized walk-in closet, master bathroom with soaking tub, two-person luxury shower, water closet and double vanity. The laundry room is convenient to the master, garage and kitchen. An executive level office is also located on the main level with clerestory dormer windows, vaulted ceiling, full height fireplace and grand views. All main living spaces have access to the large veranda and expertly crafted deck. The lower level houses the future recreation space and media room along with surplus storage space and utility areas. Kimberly Kerl, KH Design

Stoneunlimited Kitchen and Bath can help you design and renovate your bathroom into a seaside oasis that will hold you over until the next time you're able to feel sand between your toes and salty water in your hair. Our Client's desire for their master bathroom was to create a beachy feel that they could enjoy year round and we were more than happy to facilitate the transformation. The Alaskan White Granite tops mimic the look of wet sand providing contrast to the Waypoint Shaker Style cabinets and storage tower. 3"x17" Porcelain Planks in Vintage Gray add a wood component that is key to any coastal bathroom design and resemble the color of aged board walks and fishing piers. Pebbles in the tub surround, shower accent band and shower floor are similar to ones that can be found on many popular beaches. The decorative details that our client selected for the room such as mermaid dispensers, shells, and beautiful vibrant art work were the perfect touch. Ample storage space and some privacy to the exposed toilet were needed. The 12" deep tower provides two cabinet pull outs for toiletries and other necessities as well as an 18"x18" cabinet on the top with crown molding finishes and an additional pull out cabinet at the bottom of the tower. Partial privacy for the lavatory was achieved by installing a 45"x29" glass panel. Here are the items that were utilized in this Stoneunlimited Bathroom Remodel: Countertops: 3CM Alaskan White Granit with Roman Ogee Edge Cabinets: WayPoint Living Spaces Door Style: 540F, Maple with painted Pewter Glazed Cabinet Hardware: Aberdeen Pulls Sinks: 20"x15" white porcelain rectangular Tub: 60" Kohler Tile: 3" x 17" Porcelain Planks in Vintage Gray on the floor 12" x 24 Porcelain Nexus Ice for the shower and tub walls Island Flat /Stacked Pebbles in the shower and tub surround Fixtures: Delta in Brushed Nickel Finish Glass Shower Enclosure: 3/8" Tempered Glass 75" Frameless with standard hinges and D style handle Mirrors: ¼'" thick topped off with crown molding trim to match the trim finishes on the storage tower

After their brand new construction was completed, this family had a beautiful and comfortable home that truly fit their needs. However, this new construction lacked an outdoor living space, which left the backyard feeling stark and bare. With this blank slate, we were able to create a relaxing environment for this family to enjoy. Faced with the challenge of using every square-inch of this small space, Native Edge was able to design a landscape that left this family worry-free. We incorporated a low maintenance composite decking system, modern raised metal planters, and a bubbling urn water feature to tie this peaceful landscape together. The poor drainage of the lot gave us the opportunity to create a striking cat walk and drainage feature, which left ample room for their vegetable and herb garden hobby. There is even a nook for the family dog to enjoy!

Stoneunlimited Kitchen and Bath can help you design and renovate your bathroom into a seaside oasis that will hold you over until the next time you're able to feel sand between your toes and salty water in your hair. Our Client's desire for their master bathroom was to create a beachy feel that they could enjoy year round and we were more than happy to facilitate the transformation. The Alaskan White Granite tops mimic the look of wet sand providing contrast to the Waypoint Shaker Style cabinets and storage tower. 3"x17" Porcelain Planks in Vintage Gray add a wood component that is key to any coastal bathroom design and resemble the color of aged board walks and fishing piers. Pebbles in the tub surround, shower accent band and shower floor are similar to ones that can be found on many popular beaches. The decorative details that our client selected for the room such as mermaid dispensers, shells, and beautiful vibrant art work were the perfect touch. Ample storage space and some privacy to the exposed toilet were needed. The 12" deep tower provides two cabinet pull outs for toiletries and other necessities as well as an 18"x18" cabinet on the top with crown molding finishes and an additional pull out cabinet at the bottom of the tower. Partial privacy for the lavatory was achieved by installing a 45"x29" glass panel. Here are the items that were utilized in this Stoneunlimited Bathroom Remodel: Countertops: 3CM Alaskan White Granit with Roman Ogee Edge Cabinets: WayPoint Living Spaces Door Style: 540F, Maple with painted Pewter Glazed Cabinet Hardware: Aberdeen Pulls Sinks: 20"x15" white porcelain rectangular Tub: 60" Kohler Tile: 3" x 17" Porcelain Planks in Vintage Gray on the floor 12" x 24 Porcelain Nexus Ice for the shower and tub walls Island Flat /Stacked Pebbles in the shower and tub surround Fixtures: Delta in Brushed Nickel Finish Glass Shower Enclosure: 3/8" Tempered Glass 75" Frameless with standard hinges and D style handle Mirrors: ¼'" thick topped off with crown molding trim to match the trim finishes on the storage tower

What a striking home! This home in South Baton Rouge was designed by Cockfield-Jackson and the clients wanted a complete landscape design that would accompany the architecture of this A. Hays Town inspired home. Featured in this design are a substantial entertainment area in the rear, complete with an outdoor kitchen (built by Joffrion Construction) expansive pool with water feature wall, and a bluestone courtyard. Additionally, this home features a quaint side yard complete with brick steps leading to a bluestone courtyard with an antique sugar kettle fountain. The clients also needed options for guests to park. A circular driveway in the front provided a grand entrance, as well as ample parking for plenty of guests.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This project started out as a kitchen remodel but ended up as so much more. As the original plan started to take shape, some water damage provided the impetus to remodel a small upstairs hall bath. Once this bath was complete, the homeowners enjoyed the result so much that they decided to set aside the kitchen and complete a large master bath remodel. Once that was completed, we started planning for the kitchen! The original kitchen was just large enough to accommodate an island and a separate pantry but felt a little cramped, especially during the weekends when the couple likes to entertain. The primary goal was to maintain the functionality of the current space, but to add some breathing room as well as to provide a view to the homeowner’s side yard and substantial Hosta garden. The solution was to bump out the space about 10 feet which provided ample room for large pro appliances, a large island for gathering and an upgraded pantry space. It was important to the homeowners to create a space that felt like it belonged in their historic 1866 home. Details such as matching new trim to the existing large custom profiles in the original home and re-purposing an existing door to be used for the new pantry, provided these touches. A large window at the main sink provides that view into the yard and a beautiful focal point for the room. A mix of painted wood and stained cabinetry gives the new kitchen a sense of belonging in the older home, as do the Super White quartzite that has the look of marble, subway tile backsplash, polished nickel lanterns and glass and mirrored doors. The large pantry, filled with custom shelving built to the homeowner’s specifications, stainless steel appliances and the two Galley Workstations – sinks that do double duty as prep space – ensure that not only does the kitchen look great, but also functions in a personalized manner that works perfectly for the occupants. Doing the bump out also allowed the opportunity for a small mudroom and powder room right off the kitchen as well as re-arranging some openings to allow for better traffic flow throughout the entire first floor. The result is a comfortable up-to-date home that feels both steeped in history yet allows for today’s style of living. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

PA Landscape Group INC Project Entry: Mountainside Living 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Hardscaping-Residential $120,000&over Award Level: Silver Photo Description: This residence sits on a mountain side, sloping wooded property. Water was an issue flowing down the mountain, so many rocked swales divert the flow. The area which we are presenting is the rear of the house that will be used to entertain family and friends, a place to unwind in the evenings and weekends. We designed the outdoor areas to meet the needs and desires of the owners. When one walks through the breezeway not only to see an expansive valley view, but a relaxing fireplace and living area below where relaxing begins. Walk down the stairway of natural cut stone, you wonder through a landscaped garden onto the living area patio. Looking to your left is the pool with ample hardscape pool deck; large enough for a party or just the intimacy of two. Separating, yet joining the two areas is the grilling island, bar and outdoor wood burning oven. On the other side of the living area we go down a few steps to the raised planters and conservatory/greenhouse where plant are enjoyed from seedling to flower, or one can read a good book. Each area has it’s own personality for conversation or contemplation. The area is surrounded with plantings to provide color or to silhouette on the gray winter sky.

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.

The updated living room is a blend of soft grey and blue tones. A large sectional allows for ample seating while maintaining an open feeling. New grey/blue room darkening roller shades disappear behind the custom wood valance when opened to the beautiful mountain views. Vintage snowboard blueprints, a storage coffee table (the top slides open from the center) and comfortable grey and blue throw pillows complete the contemporary yet casual and cozy look. The rigid core vinyl flooring is water proof and nearly indestructible, in cozy warm grey wood tones, and compliments the casual feel.

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.

This is one of our custom double sink vanities constructed from wormy white walnut. Four paneled doors, three hand dovetailed drawers with soft close drawer slides and a full length open bottom shelf provide ample storage. We finished this piece with a rich Mohawk pigmented stain, water resistant top coat and a two tone wax. We topped the piece off with a custom concrete counter and pulls from Restoration Hardware. This piece is totally customizable to fit any size, color or top option.

Fire Ant Contracting Ltd. We converted an underused second bedroom into a beautiful multi-use bathroom AND walk in closet. We used custom stained maple to create both bathroom and closet cabinetry. A water closet is in a separate room and a custom shower opens onto a heated tile floor. Ample handing, shelving and drawer space.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary detached garage workshop remodel in Boston

This remodeled bath was designed to combined the beauty and rustic nature of a farmhouse style in combination of the refinement of a spa. The shower door and hand hewn beam are custom made in house from 100 year old reclaimed barn wood from the Midwest. A glass panel floats on the back of the door to keep the water in the shower when closed. Behind the door is extra hidden storage. A trough drain provides a curbless transition into shower. Ample storage throughout from custom White Oak cabinets. Bathroom lighting and mirrors by Restoration Hardware. The York tub is volcanic limestone by Victoria & Albert. Along with the beam work in the ceiling, exterior grade shiplap was installed on one wall.

A new porch highlights the front door, once difficult to find, on this variation of a traditional Cape Cod home. Ample windows on axis with the living room entry focus a visitor’s attention on a sun filled garden terrace and water feature. From above, light streams through a ridge clerestory, inspired by the client’s love of the Stanford University Barn’s similar roof detail. The newly raised ceiling creates a lofty, inviting space. Below the living room, a new basement home theater is finished with fine wood paneling and accented with art from their collection.