About five years ago, these homeowners saw the potential in a brick-and-oak-heavy, wallpaper-bedecked, 1990s-in-all-the-wrong-ways home tucked in a wooded patch among fields somewhere between Indianapolis and Bloomington. Their first project with SYH was a kitchen remodel, a total overhaul completed by JL Benton Contracting, that added color and function for this family of three (not counting the cats). A couple years later, they were knocking on our door again to strip the ensuite bedroom of its ruffled valences and red carpet—a bold choice that ran right into the bathroom (!)—and make it a serene retreat. Color and function proved the goals yet again, and JL Benton was back to make the design reality. The clients thoughtfully chose to maximize their budget in order to get a whole lot of bells and whistles—details that undeniably change their daily experience of the space. The fantastic zero-entry shower is composed of handmade tile from Heath Ceramics of California. A window where the was none, a handsome teak bench, thoughtful niches, and Kohler fixtures in vibrant brushed nickel finish complete the shower. Custom mirrors and cabinetry by Stoll’s Woodworking, in both the bathroom and closet, elevate the whole design. What you don't see: heated floors, which everybody needs in Indiana. Contractor: JL Benton Contracting Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Michiko Owaki

Example of a large trendy master beige tile and stone tile limestone floor and beige floor bathroom design in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, beige walls, an undermount sink and granite countertops

This house is located in Lyon Village just a block from the bustling Wilson Boulevard corridor in downtown Clarendon, VA. The former modest side-hall Colonial was transformed by a whole-house remodel, pop-top and rear addition. In truth, it is a new home. The few existing walls and spaces kept were totally refinished and rebuilt. The original home occupied a very favorable, but, now restricted position on its lot. In zoning parlance, the only option to maintain that preferred "Grandfathered" house placement, was by “remodeling” the existing structure in lieu of a knock-down and new build. The home owner's preference for shingle siding gave impetus for the exterior design. The remade house is expressed with simple, crisp, gabled forms wrapped in a taught outer shingle skin, all basic precepts of classic turn of the century “Shingle Style” architecture. On the interior, ground floor living spaces are arranged in "open plan" and defined by furniture groupings. In the family/kitchen area, the ceiling is coffered, and room height increased, to maintain appropriate scale and proportion for expansive interior spaces. As with all remodels, the merit of any design solution is how successfully it transforms new and old together. In this case, both are seamlessly blended as one unified whole.

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

Having been referred to San Luis Kitchen by the mother of a co-worker, this month’s homeowners came to our showroom with high hopes. Tried and true do-it-yourselfers, the couple had already knocked out a wall to create a pass-thru between their kitchen and living room. However life intervened and they were stalled with raw drywall and partially demolished cabinets. Hence, the recognition of need for professional remodeling help! An initial interview with San Luis Kitchen’s design team revealed a few things that had to change. First, this busy professional couple had been living for years without a dishwasher! “NO more!” exclaimed the wife. Secondly, there was a marked lack of convenient workspace in this small kitchen. The workable counter space was limited to one corner of the room between the sink and the range – the microwave was filling the counter to the left of the sink and there was no counter at all to the right of the range. To add insult to injury, a room divider that had a nice large top was basically unusable – it was in an awkward location for prep work (facing the dining room with your back to the kitchen), had an old wood counter that was aesthetically appealing but impractical for food prep, and just ended up covered in clutter. Thirdly, the work area of the kitchen was blah, boring and uninspiring – when standing at the sink you stared at a blank wall and the range faced the unfinished drywall from the stalled remodel – not a place to spend quality time! There were some interesting plus points to the existing space that could be capitalized upon. The homeowner absolutely loved her range – a freestanding 30” unit with double stacked ovens. She definitely wanted to reuse it. Another plus was the placement of the refrigerator. It was recessed into a niche built into the connecting garage. This allowed the spacious deep refrigerator to remain unimposing in the kitchen – it wasn’t sticking out in the space the way fridges often are! And now to the redesign and the new kitchen. We decided to remove the center room divider and integrate the kitchen with the dining area. We gave the homeowners lots of storage space by designing a dining area hutch that has four tall pantry cabinets in addition to a display area and two banks of nice deep drawers. We kept the refrigerator recessed into the garage (pulling it forward a bit to align with the hutch) and added a decorative open shelf above it. Next, we moved the new farmhouse style stainless sink to face the living area pass-thru (the designated clean-up person can now interact with guests who are relaxing after dinner) and added a small dishwasher to the left of the sink and a double pull-out trash cabinet to the right of it – all the essentials for clean-up – and counter space to boot! We also tucked a narrow tray storage cabinet into the corner next to the dishwasher. The range now centers on the end wall of the kitchen with a microwave hood and cabinetry detail above creating a focal point for the kitchen. On either side of the range are swing-out shelves to access the base corners – space was tight here, we custom sized the cabinets and squeezed them in. A bank of four drawers is located under the window extending the counter around the corner so that the homeowners now have food prep space both left and right of the range. In the upper cabinets to the left of the microwave we installed a swing-out spice pantry for organized storage and easy access to essential items. Their Kitchenaid mixer lives on the counter here with adjustable shelf storage above it – this corner has become a bake center. And there is now a designated coffee space in the other corner featuring a diagonal wall corner cabinet and decorative corner mug shelf. In conclusion, San Luis Kitchen and these intrepid homeowners took an old boring white kitchen and transformed it into a whole new room. Now the kitchen complements the up-beat and energetic lifestyle of its users.

Kim Sargent
Tuscan enclosed living room photo in New York

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Denver

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

So I thought folks here might like to see some of the results of my recent kitchen remodel, particularly my new stove. It's a NXR pro-style unit I bought from Costco. It's basically a knock off of an older Wolf range, but for half the price. It came fully clad in plain stainless steel, but I took off the door and front kick plate and had them professionally powder coated by a place the specializes in painting drag racing cars. Cost me only $150, and I couldn't be more pleased! For those of you who are curious, the cabinets are from IKEA and the matching range hood is from Kobe.

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up

A transformation of a modest raised ranch into a modern oasis. I was the interior designer and general contractor from mechanicals to finishing. It’s also my personal home. The interior design style is that of modern minimalist meets organic modern. I wanted a space that reduced distractions and let the eyes, head, and soul rest. Where everything inside the home has a specific use and purpose. The objects in our home are fewer but each hold a great personal value. You might expect to see this airy aesthetic, with its gallery white walls, in California or New York. Not nestled in a modest 50 year old neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. Creating a minimal aesthetic is one of the trickiest design styles to pull off. It is more than just less stuff and lots of white. It means sticking to these design principals: -weaving in an abundance of textures -incorporating natural finishes -keenly curating art -giving extra attention to scale -limiting purely decorative items -maximizing natural light This style is not to be confused with the frugality of reductive design. I have incorporated many elevated basics that create an aesthetic of quiet luxury: -architectural bead for trim-less doors -first-of-its kind interior door hardware made of terrazzo -historical marble found in landmark interiors like the NY Public Library -premium flush air vents that disappear out of site -luxury appliances from GE Café and Signature -elegant and resilient terrazzo field tiles Ours was not a simple interior remodel and addition: -gutted and remodeled the existing 2,000 SF -added on approximately another 1,000 SF -moved and installed all new major mechanicals i.e. heating, plumbing and electrical. -knocked through foundation walls to extend the space back -dug down and built up