When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Michael Moran/OTTO photography We took a predictable suburban spec house and transformed it into a unique home of enduring value and family-centered design. The existing footprint was expanded where it needed it most: in the family and kitchen area, creating a large square room with open views to a protected nature preserve abutting the property. An unexpected glass canopy and teak entry door are clues that what lies beyond is hardly commonplace. The design challenge was to infuse modern-day functionality and architectural quality into a spec house. Working in partnership with Gary Cruz Studio, we designed the pared down, art-filled interiors with the goal of creating comfortable, purposeful living environments. We also sought to integrate the existing pool and rear deck into the overall building design, extending the usable space outside as a screened-in porch, a dining terrace, and a seating area around a stone fire pit.

A custom designed wine cellar featuring reclaimed wood for the wine racks and ceiling paneling. The center tasting station is distressed Alder. Zecchini Photography

© Hedrich Blessing
Example of a mid-sized trendy light wood floor indoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court design in Los Angeles with beige walls

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land. They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot. Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family. The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day. A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms. Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids. Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

Our busy young homeowners were looking to move back to Indianapolis and considered building new, but they fell in love with the great bones of this Coppergate home. The home reflected different times and different lifestyles and had become poorly suited to contemporary living. We worked with Stacy Thompson of Compass Design for the design and finishing touches on this renovation. The makeover included improving the awkwardness of the front entrance into the dining room, lightening up the staircase with new spindles, treads and a brighter color scheme in the hall. New carpet and hardwoods throughout brought an enhanced consistency through the first floor. We were able to take two separate rooms and create one large sunroom with walls of windows and beautiful natural light to abound, with a custom designed fireplace. The downstairs powder received a much-needed makeover incorporating elegant transitional plumbing and lighting fixtures. In addition, we did a complete top-to-bottom makeover of the kitchen, including custom cabinetry, new appliances and plumbing and lighting fixtures. Soft gray tile and modern quartz countertops bring a clean, bright space for this family to enjoy. This delightful home, with its clean spaces and durable surfaces is a textbook example of how to take a solid but dull abode and turn it into a dream home for a young family.

C.L. Fry Photo
Example of a mid-sized transitional master gray tile and travertine tile ceramic tile and gray floor freestanding bathtub design in Austin with gray cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and recessed-panel cabinets

Transforming this home from a very bad attempt at an arts and crafts look to this naturally modern design style. All cabinetry was removed and replaced with a beautiful walnut cabinet with a delightfully simplistic door style. The island was previously an awkward shape with many angles making it difficult to walk around. We squared it up but kept one angle to play into the angles in the rest of the house. We added a seating area at table height to accommodate all who visit.

Photographer: Kevin Colquhoun
Inspiration for a large timeless u-shaped porcelain tile kitchen pantry remodel in New York with flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets

Large country l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen photo in Boise with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Empire Contracting Inc 707.884.9789 Photos By: Sea Ranch Images www.searanchimages.com 707.653.6866
Inspiration for a 1950s built-in desk dark wood floor home office remodel in San Francisco with beige walls

Modern Aluminum 511 series Overhead Door for this modern style home to perfection.
Large trendy gray two-story mixed siding flat roof photo in Atlanta

With their children growing up, Mr & Mrs Hills in Southend-On-Sea decided it was time to give their much loved family kitchen a well deserved renovation, creating a space for all the family to use and enjoy. They wanted a kitchen that had plenty of storage and was user friendly for all the family, so commissioned Burlanes to transform their cramped and dated kitchen into a spacious and open-plan room. Walking into Burlanes Chelmsford, the couple took an instant like to our Wellsdown kitchen; our take on the classic Georgian country kitchen; built on the notions of good proportions and symmetry, combining traditional charm with all the benefits of modern living.

Tracy Simas
Kids' study room - study space and small transitional girl kids' study room idea in Portland with multicolored walls

Kitchen - craftsman kitchen idea in Salt Lake City

Example of a small beach style loft-style medium tone wood floor bedroom design in Los Angeles with gray walls and no fireplace

Photo: Lucy Call © 2014 Houzz Design: Imbue Design
Example of a trendy living room design in Salt Lake City

After completing their son’s room, we decided to continue the designing in my client’s master bathroom in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Not only were the finishes completely overhauled, but the space plan was reconfigured too. They no longer wanted their soaking tub and requested a larger shower with a rain head and more counter top space and cabinetry. The couple wanted something that was not too trendy and desired a space that would look classic and stand the test of time. What better way to give them that than with marble, white cabinets and a chandelier to boot? This newly renovated master bath now features Cambria quartz counters, custom white cabinetry, marble flooring in a diamond pattern with mini-mosaic accents, a classic subway marble shower surround, frameless glass, new recessed and accent lighting, chrome fixtures, a coat of fresh grey paint on the walls and a few accessories to make the space feel complete.