New Second Story Dormers, Roof, Windows and Siding.
Example of a beach style exterior home design in Portland Maine

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   The homeowners came to us looking to update the kitchen in their historic 1897 home. The home had gone through an extensive renovation several years earlier that added a master bedroom suite and updates to the front façade. The kitchen however was not part of that update and a prior 1990’s update had left much to be desired. The client is an avid cook, and it was just not very functional for the family. The original kitchen was very choppy and included a large eat in area that took up more than its fair share of the space. On the wish list was a place where the family could comfortably congregate, that was easy and to cook in, that feels lived in and in check with the rest of the home’s décor. They also wanted a space that was not cluttered and dark – a happy, light and airy room. A small powder room off the space also needed some attention so we set out to include that in the remodel as well. See that arch in the neighboring dining room? The homeowner really wanted to make the opening to the dining room an arch to match, so we incorporated that into the design. Another unfortunate eyesore was the state of the ceiling and soffits. Turns out it was just a series of shortcuts from the prior renovation, and we were surprised and delighted that we were easily able to flatten out almost the entire ceiling with a couple of little reworks. Other changes we made were to add new windows that were appropriate to the new design, which included moving the sink window over slightly to give the work zone more breathing room. We also adjusted the height of the windows in what was previously the eat-in area that were too low for a countertop to work. We tried to keep an old island in the plan since it was a well-loved vintage find, but the tradeoff for the function of the new island was not worth it in the end. We hope the old found a new home, perhaps as a potting table. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Powder room - mid-sized traditional dark wood floor and brown floor powder room idea in San Francisco with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige walls, marble countertops and beige countertops

Matthew Niemann Photography
Example of a transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in Austin with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, gray backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, white countertops, quartz countertops, white cabinets and stone tile backsplash

Ryann Ford
Example of a farmhouse claw-foot bathtub design in Austin

We must admit, we’ve got yet another show-stopping transformation! With keeping the cabinetry boxes (though few had to be replaced), swapping out drawer and drawer fronts with new ones, and updating all the finishes – we managed to give this space a renovation that could be confused for a full remodel! The combination of a vibrant new backsplash, a light painted cabinetry finish, and new fixtures, these cosmetic changes really made the kitchen become “brand new”. Want to learn more about this space and see how we went from “drab” to “fab” then keep reading! Cabinetry The cabinets boxes that needed to be replaced are from WW Woods Shiloh, Homestead door style, in maple wood. These cabinets were unfinished, as we finished the entire kitchen on-site with the rest of the new drawer and drawer fronts for a seamless look. The cabinet fronts that were replaced were from Woodmont cabinetry, in a paint grade maple, and a recessed panel profile door-style. As a result, the perimeter cabinets were painted in Sherwin Williams Tinsmith, the island in Sherwin Williams Sea Serpent, and a few interiors of the cabinets were painted in a Sherwin Williams Tinsmith. Countertop The countertops feature a 3 cm Caesarstone Vivid White quartz Backsplash The backsplash installed from countertops to the bottom of the furrdown are from Glazzio in the Oceania Herringbone Series, in Cobalt Sea, and are a 1×2 size. We love how vibrant it is! Fixtures and Fittings From Blanco, we have a Meridian semi-professional faucet in Satin Nickel, and a granite composite Precis 1-3/4 bowl sink in a finish of Cinder. The floating shelves are from Danver and are a stainless steel finish. Flooring The flooring is a cork material from Harris Cork in the Napa Collection, in a Fawn finish.

Donna Dotan Photography
Elegant mosaic tile floor powder room photo in New York with a console sink, a one-piece toilet and black walls

Formal Powder room. Photography by Michael Hunter Photography.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional bathroom remodel in Dallas with an undermount sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, blue walls and recessed-panel cabinets

Award-winning author and designer Karen Salmansohn is living proof that you don't need more square footage to live in style. In this article, Karen tours us through her spa-like transforming home — complete with three multi-functional wall beds from Resource.

Inspiration for an asian powder room remodel in Boston with a vessel sink, furniture-like cabinets, wood countertops, white walls, light wood cabinets and brown countertops

Award-winning author and designer Karen Salmansohn is living proof that you don't need more square footage to live in style. In this article, Karen tours us through her spa-like transforming home — complete with three multi-functional wall beds from Resource.

Award-winning author and designer Karen Salmansohn is living proof that you don't need more square footage to live in style. In this article, Karen tours us through her spa-like transforming home — complete with three multi-functional wall beds from Resource.

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

When big architecture comes to a small town, it’s bound to attract attention. This house, atop a hill in the northwest corner of Connecticut, is no exception. Some of the neighbors, bewildered by its flat, pale façade, have asked the owners, Norval and Camilla White, “When are the shutters arriving?” and “What color is going to be?” Others, entranced by its simplicity, have inquired, “What style is it?” The answers, respectively, are, “There won’t be any shutters”; “We’ve already stained it white”; and “Distilled vernacular.” That’s the phrase coined by the couple to describe their seductively spare structure. “It’s a typical New England building, taken down one level of detail,” explains Norval, who is the co-author of the classic AIA Guide to New York City (and therefore eminently qualified to name the style). Camilla explains that when it came to details such as moldings and overhangs, they didn’t eliminate them — something a minimalist might do – but kept them small and simple. Article by architect Fred Bernstein first published in Metropolitan Home – April 2002 Full article found here: http://www.fredbernstein.com/articles/display.asp?id=31

Award-winning author and designer Karen Salmansohn is living proof that you don't need more square footage to live in style. In this article, Karen tours us through her spa-like transforming home — complete with three multi-functional wall beds from Resource.

From Spring 2005 issue of Arts & Craftes Homes Article by Paul Duchsherer (author of In The Bungalow Style) Photos by Linda Svendsen uploaded with permission.

Lifestyle blogger mom extraordinaire Joy Cho tackles a custom kitchen project with our team lead by Project Manager Ran. See Oh Joy's Blog article: http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2017/05/the-oh-joy-studio-kitchen-before.html After: http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2017/09/the-oh-joy-studio-kitchen-reveal.html Photographer: Monica Wang Designer: Sarah Sherman Samuel Oh Joy Kitchen "Joy Cho, has also authored three books and consulted for hundreds of creative businesses around the world. She has been a keynote speaker at Alt Summit, IDS West, Pinterest HQ, Target HQ, and more..."- Oh Joy currently has a collection at Target stores throughout the US For Joy's project, she used custom tiles designed by her!

Lifestyle blogger mom extraordinaire Joy Cho tackles a custom kitchen project with our team lead by Project Manager Ran. See Oh Joy's Blog article: http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2017/05/the-oh-joy-studio-kitchen-before.html After: http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2017/09/the-oh-joy-studio-kitchen-reveal.html Photographer: Monica Wang Designer: Sarah Sherman Samuel Oh Joy Kitchen "Joy Cho, has also authored three books and consulted for hundreds of creative businesses around the world. She has been a keynote speaker at Alt Summit, IDS West, Pinterest HQ, Target HQ, and more..."- Oh Joy currently has a collection at Target stores throughout the US For Joy's project, she used custom tiles designed by her!

Award-winning author and designer Karen Salmansohn is living proof that you don't need more square footage to live in style. In this article, Karen tours us through her spa-like transforming home — complete with three multi-functional wall beds from Resource.