Modern Master Bathroom with floating bench and illuminated shower niche Architect: Tom Cole Interior Designer: Robyn Scott www.rsidesigns.com Photographer: Teri Fotheringham Keywords: Lighting, Lighting Design, Master Bath, Master Bath Lighting, Shower Light, Shower Lights, Shower Lighting, Bath Lighting, Lighting Designer, Shower, modern shower, contemporary shower, modern shower bench, LED lighting, lighting design, modern shower, modern shower, modern shower, modern shower, modern shower lighting, modern sower, modern shower, modern shower lighting, contemporary shower, contemporary shower lighting., modern shower lighting, modern shower, modern shower light, MODERN SHOWER LIGHTING, modern shower, modern shower.

Photo credit: Nolan Painting Interior Design: Raindrum Design
Large trendy eat-in kitchen photo in Philadelphia with white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, glass tile backsplash, an island, an undermount sink, soapstone countertops, black countertops and shaker cabinets

This once mostly sloped, dirt-filled backyard received a major makeover thanks to our SYNLawn artificial grass, brick pavers and a retaining wall. © SYNLawn artificial grass - all rights reserved.

These homeowners in New Mexico cut back on their pebble-filled backyard and had our SYNLawn artificial grass and a small section of brick pavers installed. © SYNLawn artificial grass - all rights reserved.

This is a custom-designed bathtub with a clear glass front. Photo by Eric Roth.
Trendy kids' mosaic tile and white tile bathroom photo in Boston

Photography by Northlight Photography.
Bathroom - traditional beige tile bathroom idea in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets and beige countertops

When this suburban family decided to renovate their kitchen, they knew that they wanted a little more space. Advance Design worked together with the homeowner to design a kitchen that would work for a large family who loved to gather regularly and always ended up in the kitchen! So the project began with extending out an exterior wall to accommodate a larger island and more moving-around space between the island and the perimeter cabinetry. Style was important to the cook, who began collecting accessories and photos of the look she loved for months prior to the project design. She was drawn to the brightness of whites and grays, and the design accentuated this color palette brilliantly with the incorporation of a warm shade of brown woods that originated from a dining room table that was a family favorite. Classic gray and white cabinetry from Dura Supreme hits the mark creating a perfect balance between bright and subdued. Hints of gray appear in the bead board detail peeking just behind glass doors, and in the application of the handsome floating wood shelves between cabinets. White subway tile is made extra interesting with the application of dark gray grout lines causing it to be a subtle but noticeable detail worthy of attention. Suede quartz Silestone graces the countertops with a soft matte hint of color that contrasts nicely with the presence of white painted cabinetry finished smartly with the brightness of a milky white farm sink. Old melds nicely with new, as antique bronze accents are sprinkled throughout hardware and fixtures, and work together unassumingly with the sleekness of stainless steel appliances. The grace and timelessness of this sparkling new kitchen maintains the charm and character of a space that has seen generations past. And now this family will enjoy this new space for many more generations to come in the future with the help of the team at Advance Design Studio. Photographer: Joe Nowak Dura Supreme Cabinetry

Nantucket Architectural Photography
Bathroom - large coastal master white tile and ceramic tile light wood floor bathroom idea in Boston with white walls

Master bath in a private home in Brooklyn New York, apartment designed by Eric Safyan, Architect, with Green Mountain Construction & Design
Example of a classic walk-in shower design in New York with a pedestal sink

Stacked Stone can be used in a variety of applications. Here it is used as a backsplash behind the vanity in the master bath, Noric Construction, Tucson, AZ

Modern large master bathroom. Very airy and light. Pure white Caesarstone quartz counter, hansgrohe metris faucet, glass mosaic tile (Daltile - City lights), taupe 12 x 24 porcelain floor (tierra Sol, English bay collection), bamboo cabinet, Georges Kovacs wall sconces, wall mirror Photo credit: Jonathan Solomon - http://www.solomonimages.com/

Named for its enduring beauty and timeless architecture – Magnolia is an East Coast Hampton Traditional design. Boasting a main foyer that offers a stunning custom built wall paneled system that wraps into the framed openings of the formal dining and living spaces. Attention is drawn to the fine tile and granite selections with open faced nailed wood flooring, and beautiful furnishings. This Magnolia, a Markay Johnson crafted masterpiece, is inviting in its qualities, comfort of living, and finest of details. Builder: Markay Johnson Construction Architect: John Stewart Architects Designer: KFR Design

This beautiful bathroom features cement tiles (from Cement Tile Shop) on the floors with an infinity drain a custom frameless shower door and custom lighting. Vanity is Signature Hardware, and mirror is from Pottery Barn.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

A young family moving from NYC tackled a lightning fast makeover of their new colonial revival home before the arrival of their second child. The kitchen area was quite spacious but needed a facelift and new layout. Painted cabinetry matched to Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter is balanced by grey glazed rift oak cabinetry on the island. Shiplap paneling on the island and cabinet lend a slightly contemporary edge. White bronze hardware by Schaub & Co. in a contemporary bar shape offer clean lines with some texture in a warm metallic tone. White Marble countertops in “Alpine Mist” create a harmonious color palette while the pale blue/grey Waterworks backsplash adds a touch of color. Kitchen design and custom cabinetry by Studio Dearborn. Countertops by Rye Marble. Refrigerator, freezer and wine refrigerator--Subzero; Ovens--Wolf. Cooktop--Gaggenau. Ventilation—Sirius. Hardware--Schaub & Company. Sink--Kohler Strive. Sink faucet--Rohl. Tile--Waterworks. Stools--Palacek. Flooring—Sota Floors. Window treatments: www.horizonshades.com in “Northbrook Birch.” Photography Adam Kane Macchia.

The client admired this Victorian home from afar for many years before purchasing it. The extensive rehabilitation restored much of the house to its original style and grandeur; interior spaces were transformed in function while respecting the elaborate details of the era. A new kitchen, breakfast area, study and baths make the home fully functional and comfortably livable. Photo Credit: Sam Gray

Addition Contractor Westwood Product provide by MDM Custom Remodeling Inc in Los Angeles http://www.mdmcustomremodeling.com/ >> Serving Areas: 90265 Malibu 90266 Manhattan Beach 90272 Pacific Palisades 90274 Palos Verdes Peninsula 90275 Rancho Palos Verdes 90277 Redondo Beach 90278 Redondo Beach 90290 Topanga 90291 Venice 90292 Marina Del Rey 90293 Playa Del Rey 90295 Marina Del Rey 90296 Playa Del Rey 90402 Santa Monica 90403 Santa Monica 90404 Santa Monica 90405 Santa Monica 90501 Torrance 90502 Torrance 90503 Torrance 90504 North (Torrance) 90505 Torrance 90506 Torrance 91001 Altadena 91006 Arcadia 91007 Arcadia 91011 La Canada Flintridge 91012 La Canada 91016 Monrovia 91108 San Marino 91125 Pasadena 91126 Pasadena 91201 Grand Central 91202 North Glendale) 91203 Glendale 91204 Tropico 91205 Tropico 91206 Verdugo Viejo 91207 Verdugo Viejo 91208 Glendale 91214 La Crescenta 91302 Calabasas 91302 Hidden Hills 91303 Canoga Park 91304 Canoga Park Annex 91306 Winnetka 91307 Canoga Park 91311 Chatsworth 91311 Porter Ranch 91316 Encino 91324 Northridge 91325 Northridge 91505 Magnolia Park 91506 Burbank 91017 Monrovia 91020 Montrose 91024 Sierra Madre 91030 South Pasadena 91031 South Pasadena 91040 Sunland 91042 Tujunga 91101 Pasadena 91103 Pasadena 91104 Pasadena 91105 Pasadena 91107 East Pasadena 91523 Burbank 91602 Toluca Lake 91604 Studio City 91607 Valley Village 91607 North Hollywood 91326 Northridge 91330 Northridge 91335 Reseda 91343 North Hills 91344 Granada Hills 91356 Tarzana 91364 Woodland Hills 91367 Woodland Hills 91403 Sherman Oaks 91436 Encino 90067 Century City 90068 Hollywood 90069 West Hollywood 90077 Bel Air 90089 Los Angeles 90210 Beverly Hills 90211 Beverly Hills 90212 Beverly Hills 90254 Hermosa Beach 91501 Burbank 91502 Burbank 91504 Burbank (Glenoaks) Agoura Hills Altadena Arcadia Arleta Beverly Hills Brendwood Burbank Calabasas Canoga Park Century City Chatsworth Covina Eagle Rock Encino Glendale Granada Hills Hidden Hills Hollywood La Canada La Cresenta Lake View Terrace Los Angeles Malibu Mission Hills Monrovia North Hollywood Northridge Pacific Palisades Pacoima Panorama City Pasadena Reseda San Fernando San Marino Santa Monica Sherman Oaks Studio City Sunland, Sylmar Tarzana Toluca Lake Tujunga Universal City Valley Village Van Nuys West Hollywood West Hills West Los Angeles Westwood Winnetka Woodland Hills We have been awarded by CMUS for the best customer satisfaction award in 2012 at Los Angeles. Products & Services - Home Remodeling Services - Fireplaces, Wood Burning, Gas Direct Vent - Decks, wood, concrete, bricks - Remodeling Companies - Remodeling Services - Bath room Remodeling - Kitchen Remodeling - Tiling, Traver-tine, Marble, Porcelain, Granite, Ceramic Hours: Mon, 7pm-8pm ; Tue, 7pm-8pm ; Wed, 7pm-8pm ; Thu, 7pm-8pm ; Fri, 7pm-7:30pm ; Sat, Closed ; Sun, 9pm-10pm. Payment: Personal Checks, Paypal Email Id- Mike@MDMCustomRemodeling.com Address - 8721 Santa Monica Blvd #452 Los Angeles CA 90069 Phone No- (866) 224-0464 (Toll free), (323) 210-3350 Average Project Cost: $10,000 - $25,000 $25,000 - $50,000 $50,000 - $100,000 ***************************** MDM Custom Remodeling, Inc. has been Rated Among the Best in Region and Receives the 2012 CMUS Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award View your rating page at www.talkofthetownnews.com/awards2012/3232103350 Additional Information Here are some projects from the last six months: >> Encino - Foor Additions, Kitchen Remodeling, Bathrooms remodeling-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: 1st & 2nd Foor Additions, Kitchen Remodeling, Bathrooms remodeling, Tiling, Hardwood floors, Concrete Driveways, Style: Mediterranean Style: $220K Style: 30 weeks Location: Encino, CA 91436 ---------------------- >> Los Angeles, CA 90025- Foor Additions, Kitchen Remodeling, Bathrooms remodeling-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Kitchen remodeling, cabinets, countertops, tiled floord, appliances, walls renovation Style: Colonial Style: $45K Style: 8 weeks Location: Los Angeles, CA 90025 --------------------- Type: 1st & 2nd floor addition, kitchen renovation, bathroom remodeling, framing, floudation, roofing, Style: colonial Style: $250K Style: 38 weeks ---------------- >> Los Angele -Additions, Bathroom remodeling, Carpentry, Ceilings, Concrete-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Additions, Bathroom remodeling, Carpentry, Ceilings, Concrete Foundations, Demol... Style: Mediterranean Style: $100K-150K Style: 10-16 weeks Location: Los Angeles, CA 90066 -------------------- >> Canoga Park, CA 91304 - Additions, Closets & Garage Organizers, Patios, Walks, Stone Walls-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Additions, Closets & Garage Organizers, Patios, Walks, Stone Walls, Windows Style: Victorian Style: $50K-60K Style: 16-24 weeks Location: Canoga Park, CA 91304 Project Details: We built a dining room addition in Canoga Park. This custom addition and remodeling was designed and built according to customer's needs, including, large windows, french doors, skylights, columns, high ceiling, closet organizers and more. For more information about our company, please check our websiteMDM Custom Remodeling. ------------------ >> Calabasas, CA 91302 - Additions-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Additions Style: Tuscan Style: $70K-80K Style: 10-16 weeks Location:Calabasas, CA 91302 Project Details: This was a 2nd floor room addition in Calabasas to obtain a bonus entertainment media was never easier with the care of MDM professionals. We design this movie small theater room with our 3D computer application software and custom built it to the customer needs. We even install a dumbwaiter to serve meals and refreshments from the kitchen downstairs to the media room on the second floor. ----------------------- >> Altadena, CA 91001,Kitchen remodeling - Additions-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Kitchen remodeling Style: Ranch Style: $30K-35K Style: 4-6 weeks Location:Altadena, CA 91001 Project Details: This was a kitchen remodeling in Altadena: we preformed a walls renovation, custom wood kitchen cabinets, stone floor tiles, Granite countertops, plumbing, electrical stainless steel appliances. For more examples of our work check out our website at www.mdmcustomremodeling.com ----------------- >> Beverly Hills, CA 90210-Kitchen remodeling-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Kitchen remodeling Style: Traditional Style: $30K-35K Style: 4-6 weeks Location: Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Project Details: This project was a Kitchen remodeling in Beverly Hills that lasted between 4-6 weeks. By removing old walls and enlarging kitchen space we maximized kitchen space. First we design every inch of space on a 3D computer software application before doing any construction work. Then we custom renovated the kitchen space and form a new layout, by removing walls and closing wall instead of two old windows. This kitchen renovation project in a small town house included: maximize kitchen use space, new custom made solid wood cabinets, custom cut Granite countertops, new tiled floor, new appliances. --------------- >> Los Angeles, CA 90048-Bathroom remodeling-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Bathroom remodeling Style: Ranch Style: $20K-25K Style: 2-4 weeks Location:Los Angeles, CA 90048 Project Details: Remodeling two bathrooms and family room including custom plumbing fixtures, tiled walls and floors, tub, shower, sinks, faucets, vanities, glass doors, toilets and accessories ----------------- >> Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-Additions, Air Conditioning & Cooling, Appliance installation-MDM Custom Remodeling Inc: Type: Additions, Air Conditioning & Cooling, Appliance installation, Bathroom remodeli... Style: Tuscan Style: $200K plus Style: 34-46 weeks Location: Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Project Details: This was a home reconstruction in Sherman Oaks. We demolished a one story home and rebuilt a new two story Tuscan style luxury house, with 4 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms, formal dining room, custom designed kitchen and more. For more examples of our work please visit our website MDM Custom Remodeling.

ROMABIO BioCalce Limewash paint was used for the limewash application on this home in Virginia. The limewash will endure for decades and the weather and wear will continue to enhance the desired patina.

Photo by Mike Casey Cramped, uncomfortable, and out of date: when the owners of this home approached us about renovating their kitchen and adjoining sunroom, these were high on their list of complaints. OPENING UP THE KITCHEN Our plan kept the kitchen in the same location but took down the walls between both the dining room and the sunroom to create an expansive multi-purpose space with spectacular views to conservation land along the back of the property. We removed the powder room and in its place created a window-lined hallway to the living room—opening up direct access between these two previously disconnected spaces. We then built a new half bath between these two rooms, with a door along the back hallway. The result is a more private powder room that is easier to access than before. Significantly improved cabinetry provides ample storage for both human and canine needs. An island countertop is functional and pleasant, enabling the owners to prep for and clean up from dinner all while enjoying the view of the woods behind their house. CREATING COMFORT We also completely rebuilt the sunroom, thickening the framing to allow for extra insulation and raising the roof to accommodate a higher ceiling and tall windows that let in as much natural light as the skylights they replaced, but much less of the solar gain that had made the room so intolerable in the summer. We improved visual connections between spaces and admitted more natural light by converting the framing of the main stairway from full to half walls. We also insulated the attic and replaced an aging, inefficient central air conditioning system with ductless minisplit heat pumps, which can also be used as supplemental heat. All in all, this was our kind of project: we made the home more attractive, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient—all over the course of a single, well-integrated project.