VISION AND NEEDS: Our client came to us with a vision for their dream house for their growing family with three young children. This was their second attempt at getting the right design. The first time around, after working with an out-of-state online architect, they could not achieve the level of quality they wanted. McHugh delivered a home with higher quality design. MCHUGH SOLUTION: The Shingle/Dutch Colonial Design was our client's dream home style. Their priorities were to have a home office for both parents. Ample living space for kids and friends, along with outdoor space and a pool. Double sink bathroom for the kids and a master bedroom with bath for the parents. Despite being close a flood zone, clients could have a fully finished basement with 9ft ceilings and a full attic. Because of the higher water table, the first floor was considerably above grade. To soften the ascent of the front walkway, we designed planters around the stairs, leading up to the porch.

At the end of 2012, Danberry came across what was then a rundown home in the Casco Point neighborhood of Orono, in desperate need of some design help. A failed attempt by the previous owner to remodel it as an investment had left it abandoned for years. But when the Danberry’s got a glimpse of this diamond in the rough, they knew it had potential. The project included a completely remodeled kitchen, bathroom, basement and living room.

There are sectional sets that claim to be modern by portraying some enlightened path forward. But for every one of these efforts, is an equal and opposite reaction. The more we use our own guile to paddle forward, the more the stream of present reality seems to rush against us. Align was designed as an attempt to wash away those hindrances that obstruct growth. If there had been a choice, the designers would have kept Align just that. But while a sectional sofa set needs to be made curved, the intent was to stay true to the original concept. Align comes generously padded and upholstered in bonded leather, with slight button tufting and trim for only the gentlest effect.

It was in 2012 when Mike Spreckelmeier first met Roy and Patti. They had been despondent after meeting with multiple contractors in an attempt to start their kitchen remodel. The contractors lacked follow through, came tardy to meetings and even failed to show up at others. Determined to leave nothing to chance in the pursuit of their dream, Roy and Patti followed up on a recommendation after overhearing a conversation that was taking place while they were standing in a gallingly long line waiting to cast a vote on Election Day. With a solid recommendation to pursue, Roy and Patti contacted Progressive Design Build. The rest is history. Mike showed up on time. For a small retainer, he provided preliminary sketches, ideas for maximizing space and storage, and solutions for a sunken family room that created a safety hazard and a problem with traffic flow. More importantly, he designed the project to the homeowners’ budget. Progressive Design Build shot some different elevations and designed a plan to raise the floor, allowing all finished floors to be on the same level. Upon completion, the kitchen was stunning. Features included LED backlit fire glass shelving, white recessed panel cabinets, a subway tile backsplash, Granite countertop, integrated refrigerator, undermount sink, and more. The living room was designed with complimentary finishes and included a natural stone fireplace wall with open cabinets flanked on both sides. The 12’ fireplace was made with a floor-to-ceiling white pebble finish. This Bonita Bay project completed on time and on budget—allowing this fabulous family a wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories for many years to come.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Sometimes it take a few tries to get a space to work how you want it to and that’s exactly what happened with this Hinsdale client. Their desire for a family friendly, open floor plan had them reworking an opening between the kitchen and family room and relocating some pantry cabinets in an attempt to make their home’s flow more suitable to their lifestyle. After living with this small change for a few years, they decided that a full kitchen remodel was really what was needed to make their home function the way they desired. They came in with the stereotypical “sketch on a napkin” done by an architect friend, and we proceeded to make that design come to life with a few tweaks along the way. The space was quite unique and also a bit challenging because of its multiple angled walls. While interesting, angles can be a challenge when trying make a space functional. The new kitchen has a great lineup of large appliances, including a large built-in fridge, steam oven and Galley workstation, which is a large prep sink that utilizes several inserts such as strainers and cutting boards and acts as a very large prep space. The new induction cooktop is easy to keep clean and a microwave drawer in the island is located away from the main prep space for convenient access. The main perimeter has tons of countertop space, with additional prep space available at the island and a slightly raised peninsula for casual meals and nice homework spot for the couple’s teenaged children. The kitchen also included a large shallow depth pantry and a large counter height desk area for keeping track of paperwork. The weathered finish on the cabinets and custom metal hood are a nice juxtaposition to the more sleek glass mosaic backsplash and waterfall countertops. The pendants and cabinet hardware provide modern details that provide an overall casual yet sophisticated feel in this transitional design. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Mike Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Hiding permanent stain on a leather club chair made by small dog and enlarged by attempted cleaning. After
Trendy home design photo in New York

The existing kitchen was separated from the family room by a 17’ long bookcase. It was the first thing you saw upon entering and it hid much of the light and views to the backyard making the space feel claustrophobic. The laundry room was part of the kitchen space without any attempt to conceal the washer and dryer. Removing the long bookcase opened the opportunity to add counter stools in the kitchen and decided to align a target wall opposite the front door to help maintain some division within the main space while creating a space for the refrigerator. This also allowed us to create an open laundry room concept that would be hidden from view from all other areas. We kept the industrial feel of the exposed building materials, which we complimented with textured melamine slab doors for the new kitchen cabinets. We maintained the galley set up but defined the kitchen from the utility area by changing both thickness and color of the countertop materials. Because the back of the house is mainly windows, there was very little wall space for upper cabinets and everyday dish storage. We designed a custom ceiling hung shelf system that floats in front of the windows, and is mostly out of view from the sitting area. Tall cabinets are installed along the only available wall to support both kitchen and laundry room functions. We used cable lighting threaded through the beams which really punctuates the industrial aesthetic.

Optiek Herpol wanted to move to a better, more central location with plenty of parking space. A property that complied with these conditions was found on the Market in Deinze, and JUMA architects were subsequently asked to design a new interior for the store. The property in question is very deep and narrow with little natural light entry. JUMA set to work despite these constraints in an attempt to transform these challenges into qualities. The architects positioned the sales counter right behind the shop window, so as to make optimum use of the available natural light. This also makes store activities visible from the outside, adding an extra element of attraction. At the narrowest section of the store, a large wall mirror was put in to visually double the space. The wall onto which the eyeglasses are displayed is located opposite the mirror and is literally the eye catcher in the store. A wooden lattice makes for an interesting play of diagonal lines behind which the glasses are presented. This unique concept animates the entire store without detracting from the fact that the glasses should remain the main focal point in the store. The workshop is located in the back, separated from the store by a wall in smoked grey glass. In this way, the optician can keep an eye on the store at all times. The colour palette is predominantly white, to keep the interior as light as possible. As a counterpoint, warm wood accents are added. The chairs at the counter are upholstered in a colour that harmonizes perfectly with the wood. Pictures © Thomas De Bruyne

Coore audio upgrade: Dressed, labeled, managed. Do not attempt with the cabinet guys shelves.
Home design - mid-sized traditional home design idea in Phoenix

Our attempt at a North Shore Boston Victorian-era Dining Room. Although we do not entertain a lot, the room is very visible and was worth a complete overhaul from 1990s-era decor. We were propelled by a burst cast-iron pipe in the winter of 2021! The project is almost done now, just waiting for a 19th century sofa to be added (after its much-needed re-upholstery). Will update in early April with better photos.

Example of a mid-sized trendy multicolored two-story mixed siding house exterior design in Other with a shed roof and a metal roof

The project consists of three primary additions, one a workshop and garage, the second a basement expansion that juts out over the lake, and a third, which expands the existing living areas with a wall of glass. This third addition, originally not part of the project, was a recommendation by Architecture Office well received by the client because of how it transformed the existing living areas. The existing architecture consists of a historic neo-classical house with a less purist addition that attempts to mimic the original. We took the approach of contrasting the existing to avoid having two additions lacking the craft and integrity of the original. This contrast is a welcoming change to previously dark interiors. The concept opens up opportunities for capturing lake views, creating modern living areas that flow from one to the next. The rear garage and second floor workshop compliment the owners entrepreneurial spirit, a person who enjoys the act of a making. The form is simple but clearly delineates itself form the brick construction with black metal siding and a glass walkway connecting the two. The structure draws from old factory buildings that gather daylight from above, synthesized through a milky polycarbonate portion of roof. The basement addition expands on an existing subterranean space used for storage and utilities. This room is converted into a living space with sleeping quarters, wet bar, and restroom facilities. This living room is a mini oasis from the rest of the house with views secluded to the water and sky. The openness of the balcony expand the view in all directions, with the sun blocked under a cantilevered shade cover.

It was in 2012 when Mike Spreckelmeier first met Roy and Patti. They had been despondent after meeting with multiple contractors in an attempt to start their kitchen remodel. The contractors lacked follow through, came tardy to meetings and even failed to show up at others. Determined to leave nothing to chance in the pursuit of their dream, Roy and Patti followed up on a recommendation after overhearing a conversation that was taking place while they were standing in a gallingly long line waiting to cast a vote on Election Day. With a solid recommendation to pursue, Roy and Patti contacted Progressive Design Build. The rest is history. Mike showed up on time. For a small retainer, he provided preliminary sketches, ideas for maximizing space and storage, and solutions for a sunken family room that created a safety hazard and a problem with traffic flow. More importantly, he designed the project to the homeowners’ budget. Progressive Design Build shot some different elevations and designed a plan to raise the floor, allowing all finished floors to be on the same level. Upon completion, the kitchen was stunning. Features included LED backlit fire glass shelving, white recessed panel cabinets, a subway tile backsplash, Granite countertop, integrated refrigerator, undermount sink, and more. The living room was designed with complimentary finishes and included a natural stone fireplace wall with open cabinets flanked on both sides. The 12’ fireplace was made with a floor-to-ceiling white pebble finish. This Bonita Bay project completed on time and on budget—allowing this fabulous family a wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories for many years to come.

The project site is a three story apartment building with a full basement, which had recently been subject to an apartment fire. Four separate residential units were contained in the structure, including one two bedroom unit and three single bedroom units. A laundry room/basement and a pair of lofts were also housed within the building. The result of the blaze and the subsequent water damage from attempts to extinguish it left the interior of the building primarily gutted. All interior finishes, fixtures, stairways, mechanical and electrical systems were destroyed beyond repair. The exterior of the building was charred in some places, and destroyed completely in others. The project location, the City of San Rafael, determined that due to the extent of the damage to the structure, the resulting project would be considered a “new building”. Our first task was to review the current building code and apply the current regulations to the existing structure (originally built in the early 1900’s) and bring it up to current code. We performed occupant load calculations, a code summary, square footage calculations and egress code analysis for each floor/use. This information was then compiled in order to determine how the project could legally be designed within the current code, all while minimizing modifications to the existing structure. Once all data had been analyzed, the new floor plans were organized and laid out in a manner which retained the heritage of the original building while remaining true to current code. The site was revised to allow for code compliant parking areas while retaining the family friendly outdoor spaces inherent in the original design. The foundation was reinforced, and the building structure as a whole was strengthened to cope with modern seismic loads. Spray foam insulation, low E glazing, skylights, ceiling fans, high efficiency HVAC, etc…were all added to make the building more efficient and environmentally friendly. The use of Class “A” materials, fire separations (both vertical and horizontal) and a commercial sprinkler system were employed in order to avoid any future fires. Reconstruction of the project was recently completed in the summer of 2014. Photos by B. James

HandsOn Design Location: Jackson, WY, USA 1,900 sq.ft custom home, garage and workshop constructed using prefabricated SIP's panels, with custom interior cabinets, doors and finishes. The design of this house is an attempt to develop an architectural iconography which celebrates the history and uniqueness of the land upon which it’s built. The house sits in an irrigated hayfield along with some of the original machinery that used to work here, and reflects the design sensibilities of a common sense agricultural outbuilding as seen through contemporary eyes. Photographed by: Paul Duncker

For more information visit http://www.cdwindows.com.com or call (800) 639-9463. This curved window sunroom we made for our client David E. in Downtown Los Angeles, California was our most challenging and proudest project yet. We had to perfectly design a never-before-attempted template to remove the ugly grids his older, aluminum window frames had made. His majestic view of Los Angeles was replaced by 16 ugly aluminum windows which were deteriorating right before his eyes. His exact comments were, "Thank you for reminding me why I moved in here and purchased this home in the first place. You guys gave me my view back." We could not be happier.

Bathroom - large modern master gray tile gray floor and single-sink bathroom idea in Sydney with black cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, a drop-in sink, white countertops and a floating vanity

Gaia luxury chandelier shown in Nickel with Swarovski Elements. In Greek mythology, the earth was created out of chaos. The Goddess overseeing all, was called Gaia, the Goddess of Earth. Designing is also an attempt to bring order into the chaos of lines, materials and possible combinations. The organically formed branches of Gaia, dance around the crystals, protecting them in a playful yet harmonious embrace. The sublime Swarovski crystals, no longer mere pieces of decoration but by now the very heart of the lighting sculpture, radiate a phenomenal array of reflection and colour.

Previn consisted of scraping grass down to dirt with a bobcat then work began on the deck. Posts were set, frame was built, and decking was put into place. After the deck was finished, a pergola was built on top of the structure, everything was pressure washed, then later stained. After the deck was stained, we dug out the rest of the area around the pool (not shown), all the way to the front in attempts to make a circle around the pool. A square was dug out of the ground, and butter sticks were put into place, barrier was put into place, and the fire pit constructed. Liner was placed down throughout the entire project site, and mulch was placed in both the back of the pool (not shown) from the back and side fence, circling the pool, and up to the deck. Cypress trees were planted around the pool, and various bushes along the mulch edge up against the deck by the ramp. Pavers were set into place to create a path around the patio and shadow rock was brought in, and spread all throughout remaining project area. In short: Demoed job site, added deck, added fire pit, added butter sticks, placed down liner, added metal edging, created borders, planted cypress trees, planted bushes, added mulch, added pavers, added shadow rock.