Search results for "Blocking access" in Home Design Ideas

A built-in custom coffee bar cabinet with a pull-out shelf and pot filler. White oak island.
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional u-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Other with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, white appliances, an island and white countertops
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional u-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Other with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, white appliances, an island and white countertops

Constructed in two phases, this renovation, with a few small additions, touched nearly every room in this late ‘50’s ranch house. The owners raised their family within the original walls and love the house’s location, which is not far from town and also borders conservation land. But they didn’t love how chopped up the house was and the lack of exposure to natural daylight and views of the lush rear woods. Plus, they were ready to de-clutter for a more stream-lined look. As a result, KHS collaborated with them to create a quiet, clean design to support the lifestyle they aspire to in retirement.
To transform the original ranch house, KHS proposed several significant changes that would make way for a number of related improvements. Proposed changes included the removal of the attached enclosed breezeway (which had included a stair to the basement living space) and the two-car garage it partially wrapped, which had blocked vital eastern daylight from accessing the interior. Together the breezeway and garage had also contributed to a long, flush front façade. In its stead, KHS proposed a new two-car carport, attached storage shed, and exterior basement stair in a new location. The carport is bumped closer to the street to relieve the flush front facade and to allow access behind it to eastern daylight in a relocated rear kitchen. KHS also proposed a new, single, more prominent front entry, closer to the driveway to replace the former secondary entrance into the dark breezeway and a more formal main entrance that had been located much farther down the facade and curiously bordered the bedroom wing.
Inside, low ceilings and soffits in the primary family common areas were removed to create a cathedral ceiling (with rod ties) over a reconfigured semi-open living, dining, and kitchen space. A new gas fireplace serving the relocated dining area -- defined by a new built-in banquette in a new bay window -- was designed to back up on the existing wood-burning fireplace that continues to serve the living area. A shared full bath, serving two guest bedrooms on the main level, was reconfigured, and additional square footage was captured for a reconfigured master bathroom off the existing master bedroom. A new whole-house color palette, including new finishes and new cabinetry, complete the transformation. Today, the owners enjoy a fresh and airy re-imagining of their familiar ranch house.
Photos by Katie Hutchison

The stair from the deck leads to the yard. Steel wire adds function and openness to the space while greenery softens and enlivens the outdoor deck and yard. A tenant apartment has easy access to the yard..
Photo: Michel Arnaud
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Audacious in its massive size, the look of this bold beauty is polished yet casual.
With its elegant veining, Aberdeen makes a statement at once luxuriant and eminently livable.

Move in Ready 2020 New construction townhome for sale in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg and just One block to Central Avenue. Part of a townhome collection uniquely centered in St. Petersburg this tri-level modern townhome features 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a 210 sq. ft. rooftop observation deck. The home has a 3 car garage and was designed for a home charging station to accommodate electric vehicles. The main floor of the townhome includes open space living with 9 ft' ceilings and a 2nd level 400 sq. ft. deck. The indoor and summer kitchens are natural gas equipped including the dryer on the 3rd level. The designer kitchen is an open concept with Woodland Cabinetry and lighting fixtures. The kitchen has Top of the Line Samsung appliances and installed beverage wine cooler combo. From the 3rd level rooftop observation deck you will enjoy amazing sunrises and skyline views the city of St Petersburg. The townhome has a public alley access to the oversized 3-car garage and offers energy efficient kitchen appliances and is pre-wired for Smart Home technologies. Home Buyers will enjoy knowing the home was built with Hurricane Impact Windows and Garage Door. This townhome is single-family zoning with a variance from the City of St. Petersburg, so you can enjoy the benefits of owning a home with no HOA or dues.

The Glenhill house settles gracefully into a mature pine forest, its form composed as a quiet
study of light, proportion, and crafted detail. A two-story residence lifted above a drive-through
garage, it is designed as a sequence of framed views — each room capturing the vertical
rhythm of pines, shifting daylight, and the subtle movement of the landscape. Boundaries
dissolve as floor-to-ceiling glass opens living spaces to broad terraces and cantilevered
balconies, allowing the forest to inhabit the interior as much as the residents inhabit the site.
A finely tuned steel frame enables deep overhangs and slender structural lines, giving the
house its floating clarity. These long spans soften the transition between indoors and out,
casting calibrated shadows across stone floors and hand-finished wood surfaces. Every
junction, from the precision-cut steel connections to the custom millwork, reflects an elevated
commitment to craft. Materials are chosen not only for their beauty but for the way they register
light—the warmth of timber, the quiet solidity of stone, the reflective sheen of metal.
The owner’s collection of art integrates seamlessly into the architectural language. Display walls
and open sightlines turn circulation paths into gallery promenades, while the garage level
becomes both threshold and exhibition space for the automobile collection. At dusk, the home
glows lantern-like within the pines, revealing a composition where structure, material, and
nature are held in delicate balance. It is a dwelling shaped less as an object in the woods and
more as a crafted extension of the forest itself.
The project began with an unexpected challenge: the original lot, once selected for its beauty,
became untenable when neighboring homeowners objected to the presence of a modern house.
Rather than compromise the vision, the team embraced a new site, one even more deeply
woven into the pine forest, and treated the change as an opportunity to refine the project’s
relationship to nature and craft.
Working within a densely wooded parcel required choreography as much as construction.
Limited access routes, the need to preserve mature trees, and the precision demands of steel
erection shaped a carefully phased process. Contractors navigated the site with restraint,
placing each piece of steel like a line of poetry between trunks. The resulting frame, powerful
yet minimal, was later infilled with lumber to create a hybrid system — efficient, warm, and
capable of carrying cantilevers far beyond what wood alone could achieve. These extended
overhangs became the project’s quiet gesture of shelter and shadow. Collaboration with the interior designer was integral to the home’s harmony. Together, the team
refined material transitions so stone, wood, and metal could pass from exterior to interior with a
single visual glance. Craftsmanship elevated everyday moments: concealed hardware, sculpted
millwork, and the sourcing of a solid limestone soaking tub, carved from a single block, all
contribute to the home’s sense of intentional calm.
What emerged is a house shaped by constraint, strengthened by collaboration, and refined
through an unwavering commitment to detail — an architectural refuge where complexity was
transformed into clarity, and obstacles into opportunities for deeper expression.
Material selection became an essential extension of the home’s design philosophy, reinforcing
the crafted clarity of each space. Hand-selected stone slabs were book-matched for the
fireplace and bath walls, creating veined compositions that read like natural murals. Custom-
built windows, engineered with specialty-coated glazing and rigorously pressure-tested, provide
both protection and extraordinary visual transparency. Above, concealed truss framing houses
recessed air diffusers and hidden shades, allowing ceilings to remain quiet and uninterrupted.
The horizontal planes of the flat roof are achieved with a commercial-grade membrane system,
delivering the crisp, modern silhouette the design demands. At the exterior, natural stone
grounds the home to its site, stitching the architecture to the forest floor and rooting the dwelling
in the land from which its materials are drawn.

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Hope Restoration & General Contracting
Columbus Design-Build, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Historic Renovations

Classic, timeless, and ideally positioned on a picturesque street in the 4100 block, discover this dream home by Jessica Koltun Home. The blend of traditional architecture and contemporary finishes evokes warmth while understated elegance remains constant throughout this Midway Hollow masterpiece. Countless custom features and finishes include museum-quality walls, white oak beams, reeded cabinetry, stately millwork, and white oak wood floors with custom herringbone patterns. First-floor amenities include a barrel vault, a dedicated study, a formal and casual dining room, and a private primary suite adorned in Carrara marble that has direct access to the laundry room. The second features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an oversized game room that could also be used as a sixth bedroom. This is your opportunity to own a designer dream home.

The ambitious reconfiguration of the first floor brought forth a remarkable transformation, shaping a space that seamlessly blends convenience and modern aesthetics. Walls were expertly repurposed to carve out a generous, open kitchen adorned with a sprawling island, becoming the vibrant heart of the home. This culinary haven, complete with ample seating, serves as a gathering point for cherished moments. Adjacent stands a walk-in pantry and a thoughtfully integrated laundry room, offering practicality without compromising elegance. Abundant shelving adorns the walls and island, creating a sanctuary for books and treasured items, while cleverly concealed storage solutions ensure a clutter-free environment. An expanded powder bath with the addition of a shower and tub is now conveniently connected to the guest room with a hallway entrance as well for easy access. This reimagined layout not only maximizes functionality but also breathes new life into the home, fostering an inviting and harmonious living space for both relaxation and entertainment.

Set on a narrow lakefront parcel defined by tight setbacks and limited hardscape allowance, this modern cabin demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform restriction into possibility. Carefully composed to preserve privacy while opening fully toward the water, the home feels both expansive and intimate—an elevated retreat grounded in its landscape.
Though modest in footprint, the residence lives generously. Four bedrooms are tucked efficiently within the plan, including a light-filled quilting studio that reflects the homeowners’ creative life. Each bedroom opens onto its own private balcony, offering moments of pause and perspective with views stretching across lake and countryside.
The upper level also includes a family room, providing a quiet gathering space removed from the activity below. From here, the home’s vertical volume becomes apparent, as daylight pours down through a dramatic two-story space framed by glass facing the lake.
At the center of the home, a custom steel-and-wood plank stair acts as both circulation and sculpture. Rising through the double-height volume, it leads the eye upward to a tall Nelson cigar lamp suspended above—an intentional moment of drama and delight.
The main floor is designed around connection and flow. Kitchen, dining, and living areas exist as one continuous space, unified by light, views, and material warmth. A 12-foot-long island anchors the kitchen, serving as the natural gathering place for morning coffee, family meals, and summertime buffet-style entertaining. When fully opened, large folding accordion glass doors dissolve the boundary between inside and out, allowing the screened porch to become a true extension of the living space.
Function is carefully layered throughout the plan. A mudroom entry from the tucked-under two-car garage includes a powder room and utility closet, while a generous entry closet provides essential storage and has been dimensioned to accommodate a future elevator.
Designed intentionally for aging in place, the home incorporates zero-threshold access from the garage, wide halls and doorways, reinforced wall blocking for future grab bars, and infrastructure for a future elevator—ensuring long-term comfort without compromising design.
Clad in dark painted board-and-batten siding, the exterior minimizes visual scale and allows the home to recede quietly into the landscape. Recessed balconies and façade elements are wrapped in warm wood-look siding, adding depth and contrast while bringing warmth into the interior. At night, light spills softly from within, and the cabin glows along the shoreline—welcoming, calm, and enduring.

The ambitious reconfiguration of the first floor brought forth a remarkable transformation, shaping a space that seamlessly blends convenience and modern aesthetics. Walls were expertly repurposed to carve out a generous, open kitchen adorned with a sprawling island, becoming the vibrant heart of the home. This culinary haven, complete with ample seating, serves as a gathering point for cherished moments. Adjacent stands a walk-in pantry and a thoughtfully integrated laundry room, offering practicality without compromising elegance. Abundant shelving adorns the walls and island, creating a sanctuary for books and treasured items, while cleverly concealed storage solutions ensure a clutter-free environment. An expanded powder bath with the addition of a shower and tub is now conveniently connected to the guest room with a hallway entrance as well for easy access. This reimagined layout not only maximizes functionality but also breathes new life into the home, fostering an inviting and harmonious living space for both relaxation and entertainment.

Quarter Sawn White Oak with a White Wash Stain
Inspiration for a contemporary multicolored floor and wallpaper powder room remodel in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, a one-piece toilet, multicolored walls, an undermount sink and white countertops
Inspiration for a contemporary multicolored floor and wallpaper powder room remodel in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, a one-piece toilet, multicolored walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

Designer Danielle Lardani's clients love to cook, so they desired a new kitchen that appealed to them stylistically, while also supporting their passion for cooking. They wanted to include features that would make cooking together both efficient and enjoyable. Danielle fulfilled their dreams by creating a stunning, contemporary design that seamlessly matched the style of the rest of their home. She selected a horizontal, textured laminate by Wynnbrooke Cabinetry for the base perimeter cabinets, with a contrasting prep zone featuring Décor Cabinets in a Behr custom color, Adirondack Blue.
To increase the efficiency of the space, the layout of the kitchen was reconfigured to create a more functional work triangle between the range, the refrigerator, and the sink. The new layout allows the homeowners to prep, cook and serve food with ease. To further enhance the modern look of the kitchen and accommodate her clients’ wishes, she chose floating shelves and a full-height backsplash to give the space a more open feel.
Notable Design Details:
- Danielle designed the new layout to include ample counter space for food prep.
- She installed integrated lighting under the floating shelves and the upper cabinets in the prep-zone area to brighten these work spaces.
- Danielle included a custom dish drawer in her cabinetry design. This optimized storage and allowed dinnerware to be easily accessible.
- The knife block and utensil pull-out organizer keeps the clients’ cooking tools neat while also keeping them at arms reach.

Sponsored
Plain City, OH
Kuhns Contracting, Inc.
Central Ohio's Trusted Home Remodeler Specializing in Kitchens & Baths

The unique sink and vanity design by Robyn Scott Interiors is capped with a pendant light that casts interesting shadows throughout the wall niche
Minimalist bathroom photo in Denver
Minimalist bathroom photo in Denver

Reimagined as a quiet retreat on a mixed-use Mission block, this former munitions depot was transformed into a single-family residence by reworking existing forms. A bunker-like concrete structure was cut in half to form a covered patio that opens onto a new central courtyard. The residence behind was remodeled around a large central kitchen, with a combination skylight/hatch providing ample light and roof access. The multiple structures are tied together by untreated cedar siding, intended to gradually fade to grey to match the existing concrete and corrugated steel.

Kolanowski Studio
Bedroom - mediterranean bedroom idea in Houston
Bedroom - mediterranean bedroom idea in Houston

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Hope Restoration & General Contracting
Columbus Design-Build, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Historic Renovations

 
Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW
 
This large open concept kitchen and dining space was created by removing a load bearing wall between the old kitchen and a porch area. The new porch was insulated and incorporated into the overall space. The kitchen remodel was part of a whole house remodel so new quarter sawn oak flooring, a vaulted ceiling, windows and skylights were added.
A large calcutta marble topped island takes center stage. It houses a 5’ galley workstation - a sink that provides a convenient spot for prepping, serving, entertaining and clean up. A 36” induction cooktop is located directly across from the island for easy access. Two appliance garages on either side of the cooktop house small appliances that are used on a daily basis.
Honeycomb tile by Ann Sacks and open shelving along the cooktop wall add an interesting focal point to the room. Antique mirrored glass faces the storage unit housing dry goods and a beverage center. “I chose details for the space that had a bit of a mid-century vibe that would work well with what was originally a 1950s ranch. Along the way a previous owner added a 2nd floor making it more of a Cape Cod style home, a few eclectic details felt appropriate”, adds Klimala.
The wall opposite the cooktop houses a full size fridge, freezer, double oven, coffee machine and microwave. “There is a lot of functionality going on along that wall”, adds Klimala. A small pull out countertop below the coffee machine provides a spot for hot items coming out of the ovens.
The rooms creamy cabinetry is accented by quartersawn white oak at the island and wrapped ceiling beam. The golden tones are repeated in the antique brass light fixtures.
“This is the second kitchen I’ve had the opportunity to design for myself. My taste has gotten a little less traditional over the years, and although I’m still a traditionalist at heart, I had some fun with this kitchen and took some chances. The kitchen is super functional, easy to keep clean and has lots of storage to tuck things away when I’m done using them. The casual dining room is fabulous and is proving to be a great spot to linger after dinner. We love it!”
Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD
For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com
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