Rob Karosis
Kitchen - cottage kitchen idea in New York

This master walk-in closet has the space and fixtures to properly display your wardrobe. A mix of rails and shelving best feature your garments to help you prepare for your day!

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Our clients came in after thinking a long time about what to do with their kitchen – new cabinets or paint them, white kitchen or wood, custom or is semi-custom? All good questions to ask! They were committed to making this home for a while, they decided to do a full remodel. The kitchen was not living up to its potential both visually and functionally. The dark cabinets and countertop made the room feel dull. And the major drawback, a large corner pantry that was eating into the room, make it appear smaller than it was. We started by ditching the corner pantry. It created a perfectly centered spot for the new professional range and made room for a much larger island that now houses a beverage center, microwave drawer, seating for three and tons of storage. The multi-generational family does a ton of cooking, so this kitchen gets used! We spent lots of time fine tuning the storage devices and planning where critical items would be stored. This included the new pantry area across from the refrigerator that houses small appliances and food staples. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Example of a large trendy travertine floor and beige floor open concept kitchen design in Houston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, paneled appliances, two islands and white countertops

Example of a large transitional galley ceramic tile utility room design in Philadelphia with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, beige walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and brown countertops

We scrapped this back yard to the dirt. Took out 10 yards of soil to get proper drainage, killed weeds, took out stumps and an old patio. It was a blank canvas. New concrete patio with a sand finish, stuccoed the house, garden boxes, Mangaris wood screens for privacy with all stainless steel posts and fasteners, new plantings with uplights, decomposed granite perimeter, irrigation and drainage all concealed and underground. Once the plants on the property lines grow in this will be a wonderful project. We have a trellis that will install as phase 2 next year some time over the patio.

The stoop required a complete replacement, so after removing the original stoop and discovering that it was not properly tied to the home, we built a new foundation with concrete blocks before drilling rebar into the house and concrete slab. From there, we filled the block cells with concrete before pouring a 2-inch concrete cap on top. To finish the project, we installed a selection of beautiful field stone and created a sturdy footer for the perimeter stone to sit on. To finish, since water control was also a problem due to the fact that the actual home sits lower than the curb, we decided to install a 12-inch by 12-inch landscape drain box at the corner of the walkway to divert all of the water from the driveway into this box. From there, in an effort to make sure the ground water would not compromise the integrity of the driveway, walkway, and stoop, we also connected the down spout into the underground drain system.

Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

Example of a large beach style open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room design in Dallas with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and a concealed tv

Here is the before picture of a client that had a mess with their TV, soundbar, and wiring mounted on the wall. They wanted this space cleaned up, with the items mounted properly, an AV connection box for portable electronics, and a AV wall shelf to hold their equipment.

Our new Somerville clients requested our services for a thorough exterior painting from top to bottom. Our crew first washed the home by hand with bleach and jomax. Proper EPA lead safety set up was used on the property. The siding, trim, window casings, doors and flower boxes, were all scraped, sanded, primed and two new coats of Benjamin Moore were applied. The siding is Benjamin Moore Beverly Hills and the trim Old World Romance.

The best of past and present architectural styles combine in this welcoming, farmhouse-inspired design. Clad in low-maintenance siding, the distinctive exterior has plenty of street appeal, with its columned porch, multiple gables, shutters and interesting roof lines. Other exterior highlights included trusses over the garage doors, horizontal lap siding and brick and stone accents. The interior is equally impressive, with an open floor plan that accommodates today’s family and modern lifestyles. An eight-foot covered porch leads into a large foyer and a powder room. Beyond, the spacious first floor includes more than 2,000 square feet, with one side dominated by public spaces that include a large open living room, centrally located kitchen with a large island that seats six and a u-shaped counter plan, formal dining area that seats eight for holidays and special occasions and a convenient laundry and mud room. The left side of the floor plan contains the serene master suite, with an oversized master bath, large walk-in closet and 16 by 18-foot master bedroom that includes a large picture window that lets in maximum light and is perfect for capturing nearby views. Relax with a cup of morning coffee or an evening cocktail on the nearby covered patio, which can be accessed from both the living room and the master bedroom. Upstairs, an additional 900 square feet includes two 11 by 14-foot upper bedrooms with bath and closet and a an approximately 700 square foot guest suite over the garage that includes a relaxing sitting area, galley kitchen and bath, perfect for guests or in-laws.

We scrapped this back yard to the dirt. Took out 10 yards of soil to get proper drainage, killed weeds, took out stumps and an old patio. It was a blank canvas. New concrete patio with a sand finish, stuccoed the house, garden boxes, Mangaris wood screens for privacy with all stainless steel posts and fasteners, new plantings with uplights, decomposed granite perimeter, irrigation and drainage all concealed and underground. Once the plants on the property lines grow in this will be a wonderful project. We have a trellis that will install as phase 2 next year some time over the patio.

Luxury Vinyl Planks are a great option for water areas like bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. The technology is advancing so that the product looks and feels like natural products like wood and stone.

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

We scrapped this back yard to the dirt. Took out 10 yards of soil to get proper drainage, killed weeds, took out stumps and an old patio. It was a blank canvas. New concrete patio with a sand finish, stuccoed the house, garden boxes, Mangaris wood screens for privacy with all stainless steel posts and fasteners, new plantings with uplights, decomposed granite perimeter, irrigation and drainage all concealed and underground. Once the plants on the property lines grow in this will be a wonderful project. We have a trellis that will install as phase 2 next year some time over the patio.

Photo Credit Novelli PhotoDesign
Dining room - transitional dark wood floor dining room idea in Chicago with gray walls

Our new Somerville clients requested our services for a thorough exterior painting from top to bottom. Our crew first washed the home by hand with bleach and jomax. Proper EPA lead safety set up was used on the property. The siding, trim, window casings, doors and flower boxes, were all scraped, sanded, primed and two new coats of Benjamin Moore were applied. The siding is Benjamin Moore Beverly Hills and the trim Old World Romance.

Example of a transitional family room design in Minneapolis