ASID Design Excellence First Place Residential – Best Individual Room (Traditional): This dining room was created by Michael Merrill Design Studio to reflect the client’s desire for having a gracious and warm space based on a Santa Fe aesthetic. We worked closely with her to create the custom staircase she envisioned. Photos © Paul Dyer Photography

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.

The custom bar uses every square foot to maximize entertaining. In the LEGO room beyond a custom table sits below the work area which can slide out and double the work space. John Wilbanks Photography

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This home is built to the passive house standard and produces more energy than it uses on an annual basis. Learn more at our blog.
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This captivating mid-century modern dining nook is located within a meticulously restored Gregory Ain home. It seamlessly integrates the dining area into the open floor plan, featuring a built-in banquette with plush cushions for comfortable seating. The round Saarinen tulip table and iconic chairs create a classic mid-century aesthetic, while the warm wood tones of the cabinetry and paneling add to the inviting ambiance. Natural light floods the space through expansive windows and clerestory windows, highlighting the vibrant geometric artwork and enhancing the overall airy and spacious feel of this iconic architectural style.

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Photography Morgan Sheff
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Originally a nearly three-story tall 1920’s European-styled home was turned into a modern villa for work and home. A series of low concrete retaining wall planters and steps gradually takes you up to the second level entry, grounding or anchoring the house into the site, as does a new wrap around veranda and trellis. Large eave overhangs on the upper roof were designed to give the home presence and were accented with a Mid-century orange color. The new master bedroom addition white box creates a better sense of entry and opens to the wrap around veranda at the opposite side. Inside the owners live on the lower floor and work on the upper floor with the garage basement for storage, archives and a ceramics studio. New windows and open spaces were created for the graphic designer owners; displaying their mid-century modern furnishings collection. A lot of effort went into attempting to lower the house visually by bringing the ground plane higher with the concrete retaining wall planters, steps, wrap around veranda and trellis, and the prominent roof with exaggerated overhangs. That the eaves were painted orange is a cool reflection of the owner’s Dutch heritage. Budget was a driver for the project and it was determined that the footprint of the home should have minimal extensions and that the new windows remain in the same relative locations as the old ones. Wall removal was utilized versus moving and building new walls where possible. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography.

All Photos by Nikolas Koenig
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HGTV Smart Home 2013 by Glenn Layton Homes, Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
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