This kitchen is generous and modern featuring a giant black island with a built in buffet to divide the spaces of the great room. Flanking floating shelves frame the sink and the hex metal backsplash adds sparkle.

Formal dining room with black built-in cabinet, black wainscoting, black trim, black gold hanging light, and dotted wallpaper.
Large farmhouse medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room photo in Oklahoma City

1st place 2013 Sherwin Williams Emerald Design Challenge, as seen in STIR magazine, special issue 2013
Example of an eclectic medium tone wood floor dining room design in Dallas

Kitchen - cottage light wood floor and beige floor kitchen idea in Orange County with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and two islands

The floor to ceiling stone fireplace adds warmth and drama to this timber frame great room. Architecture by M.T.N Design, the in-house design firm of PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes. Photos by Heidi Long.

Jessica Delaney Photography
Dining room - small transitional dark wood floor and brown floor dining room idea in Boston with beige walls and no fireplace

The dining room features a custom WoodMode cabinetry built-in hutch in Vintage Nimbus with a granite counter top which acts as a buffet when the dining room is in full use.

Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Grabill Cabinets Lacunar door style White Oak Rift wet bar in custom black finish, Grothouse Anvil countertop in Palladium with Durata matte finish with undermount sink. Visbeen Architects, Lynn Hollander Design, Ashley Avila Photography.

Formal dining room repurposed as a lounge.
Living room - transitional wall paneling living room idea in Dallas

Elegant dining room photo in Orange County

Living room - coastal open concept light wood floor, vaulted ceiling and shiplap wall living room idea in Seattle with white walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace and a media wall

Mike and Michelle of Lake Barrington knew they needed extra space. Their home was becoming too crowded for their family with blossoming teenagers, so a basement renovation offered the perfect solution for more space for the kids and more room to entertain for the adults. “Our project consisted of expanding our laundry room, putting in a first floor wet bar so we had adult space upstairs, while also renovating our basement for a family-friendly and teen-functional area as well,” Michelle says. They found Advance Design Studio through a neighbor who gave a glowing recommendation, giving Michelle and Mike the confidence they needed to move forward with a major home renovation. They felt like they knew Advance Design before they even worked together. When they met with the owner Todd Jurs and designer Nicole Ryan, Mike and Michelle knew they were getting a trustworthy, dependable team that could create the project they had been dreaming about for 7 years. Having virtually no natural light to work with, one of the biggest design challenges was creating a basement that did not feel dark and depressing. The Advance team got to work creating architectural archways and custom detailed dry-stack stone columns artfully designed into the space, adding a dramatic element that made the space feel less like a basement or more like a relaxing family room. Color 3D renderings were created to portray what the space would look like so Mike and Michelle could visualize the space in advance. Detailed trim and crown moldings grace the built in buffet and wet bar making for an amazingly functional space that lacks nothing in style and visual interest. Cherry wood cabinetry by Dura Supreme is featured in the space with a “Cocoa Brown” finish and includes beautiful mirrored glass doors embellished with unique elliptical mullion details. A built-in microwave, dishwasher and mini fridge add practicality to the ample entertainment mecca. An under mounted sink finishes the space joined with a intricate mosaic tile backsplash and “Ventisca Polished” quartz countertops. The basement is absolutely perfect for hosting friends and family with expertly designed key areas such as a game space for the kids, a movie area for the family, an ample workout room with luxurious full bath, and even built in wine storage. The family absolutely loves the new basement living space, and has already enjoyed numerous family movie nights and sleep-overs with friends. While custom cabinets made by Dura Supreme were used to create unique spaces that lived up to Mike and Michelle’s expectations., heated flooring under the 16”x16” “Mongolian Spring” tile was installed giving all tiled areas of the basement a much cozier feel, eliminating that cold hard surface most of us hate in our basements! The new basement must-have requirement list included a new bath space, which was incorporated adjacent to the work out room. The sleek shower door and cabinets in the new bathroom make guests and family feel like they are in an elegant hotel. The new guest bath features 4”x36” “Silver Screen” honed marble tile in a brick pattern on the shower walls and 2”x2” “Chenille” limestone tile in a hexagon mosaic pattern on the shower floor. “I came in with very specific requirements for our three project areas,” Michelle says. “There was not one time that I felt like I was asking for something that was not going to turn out how I anticipated.” Tying in multiple rooms during a renovation if you have can do it makes a lot of sense and saves money in the long run. A fully functional laundry room as well was a must on this family’s wish list. Michelle wanted to add space to the existing cramped and awkward laundry room, and Mike wanted to make sure they could still park a car in the garage. Reconfiguring interior walls required borrowing unused space cleverly from the garage in order to enlarge the laundry room space. Drawers under the stairs added beautiful hidden storage created almost magically out of dead space. White painted Dura Supreme cabinets bring additional light into the small space; while the 16”x16” cleft slate tile flooring provides excellent contrast and the naturally earthy feel Michelle wanted. Quartz countertops with a 3”x12” “Debut Dew” subway tile backsplash add elegance to the now upliftingly bright laundry room. The extra space makes doing laundry much more pleasurable and the added storage is a great for all those little things like winter hats and gloves, umbrellas and the like. “The Advance Design project team was phenomenal to work with,” Michelle says. “They came in, shared the plans with us and walked us through the expectations. We always knew what was coming next.” Converting an existing closet space, the wet bar upstairs was challenging because they wanted a functional area that didn’t look or feel like cabinets just sticking out of a closet. So the Advance team transformed this ordinary closet space into a stunning wet bar that architecturally appears as if it’s always been there. Traditional, elegant hand carved custom molding matching the adjacent fireplace ties the new entertainment bar area in nicely with the existing family room and kitchen area. Featuring a built in wine refrigerator, Dura Supreme cabinetry in deep cherry wood elegantly displays wine bottles and etched glass mullion doors that fill with soft light in the evening hours. Cambria “Windermere” quartz countertops with a sophisticated hammered copper sink and a glimmering backsplash round out the stunning wet bar. Hosting parties and family functions has become much more enjoyable now that they have a dedicated beverage serving area large enough to include hors devours. All three projects were designed and constructed together at the same time, making for a cohesive project that was administered smoothly and easily both for the design team and for the family. Disruption to the home was minimal as each phase was completed in each project conclusively, and design and meeting time for the homeowner was efficient and organized making for an enjoyable process. “Advance Design was great to work with,” Michelle says. “I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a home improvement project. They took the time at the beginning to understand our needs, our budget, and our vision for our home. The field team was great, attentive, on time, cleaned up each day and made the overall experience very positive. We couldn't be happier with the finished product.” With the help of our talented, award winning design team you can create the basement, laundry room, or any other home renovation that you have been dreaming of. With our “Common Sense Remodeling” approach, the process of renovating you home has never been easier. Contact us today at 847-836-2600 or schedule an appointment to talk with us about that kitchen remodeling project. Joe Nowak

Trendy single-wall light wood floor open concept kitchen photo in Other with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and an undermount sink

The kitchen with a decidedly New England-style motif, with cabinetry painted in 'turn of the century' standards, where a thin coat of plaster is applied to the wood and then sanded smooth prior to applying the final paint finish. An antique butcher-block table at the end of the island reinforces the vintage feel.

There was nothing in this arch- so I had my carpenter, Tim build this wine / serving area- the span was really too large for a freestanding piece- this serves this purpose well and makes for an interesting view- Again- the walls and windows have been treated to make complete.

Troy Cambell
Dining room - dark wood floor dining room idea in Miami with white walls

Inspiration for a timeless living room remodel in Minneapolis

The dining room features the original oak floors, along with a built-in buffet with the original stained glass intact. Photography: Dawn Fast AKBD, R4 Construction