In Season 5 of the Vanilla Ice Project, we transformed a mangled backyard into an infinity edge resort style pool that holds approximately 40,000 gallons of water. It has the classic and essential swim-up bar that is located right by the entertaining area outdoor kitchen. The beach deck leads right out of the backdoor into a sunken spa. This spa is set up to a system that removes water from the pool to reveal this glow-in-the-dark, sunken gem. The infinity edge overlooks the inter-coastal and is the best place to watch the sun set.

When this client wanted to update her Kitchen, we knew that we did not have the space to change the footprint. The homeowners’ decided to bring their hardwood floors from the Great Room into the Kitchen. It is always a good idea to keep your flooring as consistent as possible. We kept their existing cabinetry but painted the perimeter Benjamin Moore’s White Dove with a charcoal glaze wiped way back. We added color in the island with Sherwin Williams’ Keystone Gray. To give cabinetry a more finished look, we often add paneling to the ends and island. For this island, we did an X pattern to mimic the barn door in the Great Room. We opened up the space from the backdoor into the Kitchen by removing a built-in desk area. Our wonderful contractor solved the loss of storage issue by adding a hidden cabinet next to the refrigerator. This client loves copper so we added some of those elements with the farmhouse sink and the lighting. We pulled the color for the subway tile backsplash from the “marble” like quartz countertops. We softened the space with a relaxed roman shade over the sink and added texture with woven shades in the Breakfast Area. To see how far this transformation has come, check out the Before photo below. A white Kitchen is a classic, but can be made fresh by adding elements such as copper or a painted island. This Kitchen feels brand new, and we didn’t move a thing! Enjoy!

Another view of the laundry room, including some creative framing above the backdoor!
Arts and crafts laundry room photo in Seattle

This client had a large backyard space that was essentially all grass and beds but wanted to create a more relaxed area to hang out in the evening and admire the sunset together with their amazing valley view. With the proper plan we were able to achieve this constructing a perfect tranquil evening setting with an outdoor fireplace where they could take advantage of the beautiful summer evenings right outside their backdoor yet feel like they are miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Multi-room interior renovation. Our clients made beautiful selections throughout for their Craftsman style home. Kitchen includes, crisp, clean white shaker cabinets, oak wood flooring, subway tile, eat-in breakfast nook, stainless appliances, calcatta grey quartz counterops, and beautiful custom butcher block. Back porch converted to mudroom with locker storage, bench seating, and durable COREtec flooring. Two smaller bedrooms were converted into gorgeous master suite with newly remodeled master bath. Second story children's bathroom was a complete remodel including double pedestal sinks, porcelain flooring and new fixtures throughout.

Rick Lee
Small transitional porcelain tile entryway photo in Charleston with brown walls and a medium wood front door

Light-filled dining alcove framed by large windows, adjacent pantry and back-door access, with clean white walls and seamless flow to the renovated kitchen.

Kyle J. Caldwell Photography
Transitional blue two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in Boston with a hip roof

Sound, color, light, texture, and all points in between. This one-of-a-kind Selah Pools design is truly an Oasis for all seasons. The patio extension with all the outdoor kitchen amenities is ready to serve up a great meal, just steps outside our client's backdoor. Then when it's hot outside, it's on to the pool deck and off the custom tile- jump rock to cool off.

The 100-year old home’s kitchen was old and just didn’t function well. A peninsula in the middle of the main part of the kitchen blocked the path from the back door. This forced the homeowners to mostly use an odd, U-shaped corner of the kitchen. Design objectives: -Add an island -Wow-factor design -Incorporate arts and crafts with a touch of Mid-century modern style -Allow for a better work triangle when cooking -Create a seamless path coming into the home from the backdoor -Make all the countertops in the space 36” high (the old kitchen had different base cabinet heights) Design challenges to be solved: -Island design -Where to place the sink and dishwasher -The family’s main entrance into the home is a back door located within the kitchen space. Samantha needed to find a way to make an unobstructed path through the kitchen to the outside -A large eating area connected to the kitchen felt slightly misplaced – Samantha wanted to bring the kitchen and materials more into this area -The client does not like appliance garages/cabinets to the counter. The more countertop space, the better! Design solutions: -Adding the right island made all the difference! Now the family has a couple of seats within the kitchen space. -Multiple walkways facilitate traffic flow. -Multiple pantry cabinets (both shallow and deep) are placed throughout the space. A couple of pantry cabinets were even added to the back door wall and wrap around into the breakfast nook to give the kitchen a feel of extending into the adjoining eating area. -Upper wall cabinets with clear glass offer extra lighting and the opportunity for the client to display her beautiful vases and plates. They add and an airy feel to the space. -The kitchen had two large existing windows that were ideal for a sink placement. The window closest to the back door made the most sense due to the fact that the other window was in the corner. Now that the sink had a place, we needed to worry about the dishwasher. Samantha didn’t want the dishwasher to be in the way of people coming in the back door – it’s now in the island right across from the sink. -The homeowners love Motawi Tile. Some fantastic pieces are placed within the backsplash throughout the kitchen. -Larger tiles with borders make for nice accent pieces over the rangetop and by the bar/beverage area. -The adjacent area for eating is a gorgeous nook with massive windows. We added a built-in furniture-style banquette with additional lower storage cabinets in the same finish. It’s a great way to connect and blend the two areas into what now feels like one big space!

Example of a mid-sized transitional one-story brick house exterior design in Toronto

From a dirt backyard to complete backyard entertainment space. Complete with a sports court, outdoor kitchen, large pool and spa (with waterfall feature), outdoor fire features with concrete accent furniture and new pergola over backdoor patio.

These homeowners came to Aleto with a vision of giving their Lindenwood Park kitchen more function with thoughtfully placed cabinetry, the addition of an island and something special to create a spectacular view from one end of their house to the other. Working with our designers they created a beautiful archway in the kitchen that mimics the homes original archways throughout the home giving the perfect view from backdoor to the front stained glass windows without losing the old home charm. Their kitchen was completely gutted and replaced with beautiful neutral tones throughout. We pulled the same cabinetry into the adjacent porch for a cohesive feel to connect the spaces as one. Left with a new bright a functional space the homeowners are ready for entertaining once again.

Example of a transitional family room design in Dallas

This gorgeous Chicago backyard was designed and developed in several stages. First Rooftopia removed a damaged concrete slab, installed a new porcelain paver patio and rebuilt a fresh and modern stairway to the backdoor. The next phase of the project involved building a large custom pergola to keep the space open while providing shade and allow for more accent lighting over the dining and lounge. The outdoor kitchen incorporates a grill with a smoker and a double tap kegerator to pour refreshing hoppy beverages for those much anticipated post Covid summer gatherings! The garden bed has a mix of perennial grasses and flowers that accentuate the lemon yellow dining chairs with pops of orange for an overall joyful summer vibe.

Laundry renovation, makeover in the St. Ives Country Club development in Duluth, Ga. Added wallpaper and painted cabinetry and trim a matching blue in the Thibaut Wallpaper. Extended the look into the mudroom area of the garage entrance to the home. Photos taken by Tara Carter Photography.

Example of a transitional living room design in Seattle

This Oakland backyard was overgrown with 5’ tall grasses, it had an uneven concrete slab with a giant shed, brick edging and poorly located concrete retaining walls. After finalizing the design, a two-weeklong demolition took place. Unnecessary debris was removed and the property was terraced to provide defined areas of entertaining and play for the adults, children, and pets. The transformation from an unusable backyard to a functioning landscape was highlighted by an entertainment patio, redwood arbor, medicinal herbs, fruit trees, and a curvilinear shaped lawn. After the house remodel, we continued to unify the landscape with a new backdoor landing, moss rock retaining walls, and a flagstone pathway planted with shade tolerant ground covers.

Bright white, shaker style cabinets and butcher block counter tops, combine to brighten up this cottage kitchen. A farmhouse sink base in a contrasting wood adds a vintage feel.