Bedroom - coastal master bedroom idea in Grand Rapids with blue walls and no fireplace

Furthering her plan to enhance the room's architecture, Suzanne turned one corner of the kitchen into a cheery dining area with an L-shaped built-in bench that mimics the cabinetry. To keep the dining nook cozy (not restaurant-like) she surrounded the metal bistro table with slipcovered armchairs and hung a sparkly chandelier above. Using the same patterned fabric on the window valances and pillows throughout (Montmartre in Clay/Blue from her own collection for Lee Jofa; leejofa.com), Suzanne introduced color and life to the kitchen without taking away from the all-white effect. Photo by Erica George Dines for Southern Living

Custom Built-In Desk, Bench Seat with Storage, and Closet Storage for perfect Little Girl's Room
Inspiration for a large transitional girl gray floor, wallpaper ceiling and wallpaper kids' room remodel in New York with blue walls

Custom home designed with inspiration from the owner living in New Orleans. Study was design to be masculine with blue painted built in cabinetry, brick fireplace surround and wall. Custom built desk with stainless counter top, iron supports and and reclaimed wood. Bench is cowhide and stainless. Industrial lighting. Jessie Young - www.realestatephotographerseattle.com

When presented with the overall layout of the kitchen, this dining space called out for more interest than just your standard table. We chose to make a statement with a custom three-sided seated banquette. Completed in early 2020, this family gathering space is complete with storage beneath and electrical charging stations on each end. Underneath three large window walls, our built-in banquette and custom table provide a comfortable, intimate dining nook for the family and a few guests while the stunning oversized chandelier ties in nicely with the other brass accents in the kitchen. The thin black window mullions offer a sharp, clean contrast to the crisp white walls and coordinate well with the dark banquette, sprayed to match the dark charcoal doors in the home. The finishing touch is our faux distressed leather cushions, topped with a variety of pillows in shapes and cozy fabrics. We love that this family hangs out here in every season!

Cape Cod; Dennis, MA This Cape Cod space embodies coastal living with a cozy and inviting atmosphere. A prominent feature is the built-in window seat with Serena and Lilly pillows, which offers a sunny and comfortable spot to relax and read. The window seat is framed by built-in bookshelves, providing both a classic aesthetic and practical storage for books and decorative items. Warm, natural light floods the area through the large windows, enhancing the serene and open feel of the space.

Richard Leo Johnson Wall Color: Sweet Ariel - Regal Wall Satin, Latex Flat (Benjamin Moore) Trim Color: White Dove - Oil, Semi Gloss (Benjamin Moore) Floor Color: Super White - Oil, Semi Gloss (Benjamin Moore) Chandelier: Vintage (sprayed out Super White - Benjamin Moore) Window Treatment: The Shade Store Window Treatment Hardware: Apollo Collection - Vesta Side Table: Percy Iron / Mirrored Side Table - Arteriors Table Lamp: Patricia Table Lamp - Ro Shambeaux Bed: Wesley Allen Queens Hillsboro - Home Gallery Bench: Leonore Bench - Artesia (custom upholstered top cushion with Christopher Farr Cloth fabric) Fireplace Tile: Moselle - Winchester Tile Wallpaper: Studio Violet - Studio Nommo Rug: Anzio - Loloi

Remodeled sleeping porch with built in beds and storage
Bedroom - small traditional guest bedroom idea in Milwaukee with white walls

Breakfast Nook overlooking golf course - built- in bench seating
Inspiration for a timeless dark wood floor dining room remodel in Chicago with yellow walls

Firepit with built in bench seating.Construction by Shearer Landscaping Photography by VS3studios
Elegant patio photo in Columbus with a fire pit

The built in head board and floor to ceiling windows exude character in this master bedroom, but it has a touch of elegance with the soft purple, green and yellow accents colors.

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Sequined Asphalt Studio
Example of a transitional mudroom design in New York with white walls

Great room - mid-sized farmhouse medium tone wood floor great room idea in Grand Rapids with white walls and a standard fireplace

Mud Room adn Family Entry with Luxury style
Inspiration for a transitional mudroom remodel in Atlanta

The kitchen, breakfast room and family room are all open to one another. The kitchen has a large twelve foot island topped with Calacatta marble and features a roll-out kneading table, and room to seat the whole family. The sunlight breakfast room opens onto the patio which has a built-in barbeque, and both bar top seating and a built in bench for outdoor dining. The large family room features a cozy fireplace, TV media, and a large built-in bookcase. The adjoining craft room is separated by a set of pocket french doors; where the kids can be visible from the family room as they do their homework.

We designed this built in bench with shoe storage drawers, a shelf above and high and low hooks for adults and kids. Photos: David Hiser
Example of a small classic entryway design in Portland with multicolored walls and a glass front door

Inspiration for a coastal beige floor mudroom remodel in Other with white walls

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW For many, extra time at home during COVID left them wanting more from their homes. Whether you realized the shortcomings of your space or simply wanted to combat boredom, a well-designed and functional home was no longer a want, it became a need. Tina found herself wanting more from her Old Irving Park home and reached out to The Kitchen Studio about adding function to her kitchen to make the most of the available real estate. At the end of the day, there is nothing better than returning home to a bright and happy space you love. And this kitchen wasn’t that for Tina. Dark and dated, with a palette from the past and features that didn’t make the most of the available square footage, this remodel required vision and a fresh approach to the space. Lead designer, Stephanie Cole’s main design goal was better flow, while adding greater functionality with organized storage, accessible open shelving, and an overall sense of cohesion with the adjoining family room. The original kitchen featured a large pizza oven, which was rarely used, yet its footprint limited storage space. The nearby pantry had become a catch-all, lacking the organization needed in the home. The initial plan was to keep the pizza oven, but eventually Tina realized she preferred the design possibilities that came from removing this cumbersome feature, with the goal of adding function throughout the upgraded and elevated space. Eliminating the pantry added square footage and length to the kitchen for greater function and more storage. This redesigned space reflects how she lives and uses her home, as well as her love for entertaining. The kitchen features a classic, clean, and timeless palette. White cabinetry, with brass and bronze finishes, contrasts with rich wood flooring, and lets the large, deep blue island in Woodland’s custom color Harbor – a neutral, yet statement color – draw your eye. The kitchen was the main priority. In addition to updating and elevating this space, Tina wanted to maximize what her home had to offer. From moving the location of the patio door and eliminating a window to removing an existing closet in the mudroom and the cluttered pantry, the kitchen footprint grew. Once the floorplan was set, it was time to bring cohesion to her home, creating connection between the kitchen and surrounding spaces. The color palette carries into the mudroom, where we added beautiful new cabinetry, practical bench seating, and accessible hooks, perfect for guests and everyday living. The nearby bar continues the aesthetic, with stunning Carrara marble subway tile, hints of brass and bronze, and a design that further captures the vibe of the kitchen. Every home has its unique design challenges. But with a fresh perspective and a bit of creativity, there is always a way to give the client exactly what they want [and need]. In this particular kitchen, the existing soffits and high slanted ceilings added a layer of complexity to the lighting layout and upper perimeter cabinets. While a space needs to look good, it also needs to function well. This meant making the most of the height of the room and accounting for the varied ceiling features, while also giving Tina everything she wanted and more. Pendants and task lighting paired with an abundance of natural light amplify the bright aesthetic. The cabinetry layout and design compliments the soffits with subtle profile details that bring everything together. The tile selections add visual interest, drawing the eye to the focal area above the range. Glass-doored cabinets further customize the space and give the illusion of even more height within the room. While her family may be grown and out of the house, Tina was focused on adding function without sacrificing a stunning aesthetic and dreamy finishes that make the kitchen the gathering place of any home. It was time to love her kitchen again, and if you’re wondering what she loves most, it’s the niche with glass door cabinetry and open shelving for display paired with the marble mosaic backsplash over the range and complimenting hood. Each of these features is a stunning point of interest within the kitchen – both brag-worthy additions to a perimeter layout that previously felt limited and lacking. Whether your remodel is the result of special needs in your home or simply the excitement of focusing your energy on creating a fun new aesthetic, we are here for it. We love a good challenge because there is always a way to make a space better – adding function and beauty simultaneously.