A custom life edge dining table gives the room accentuated sophistication.
Dining room - contemporary dark wood floor dining room idea in New York with beige walls

This Houston outdoor kitchen and entertaining area offers a modern take on Mediterranean style. Designed and built by Outdoor Homescapes of Houston, this fully loaded family and entertaining space echoes the stucco, travertine tile patio and Mediterranean style of the existing home while exuding a more modern, transitional style. “This was a high-profile client – both VPs of different oil and gas companies who entertain affluent guests on a regular basis – so they wanted to make sure they had high-end appliances and all the latest amenities they could order,” says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Outdoor Homescapes and owner of LGH Design Services in Houston. “They also have two kids, ages 7 and 10, and wanted a family gathering space that better accompanied their new, luxurious pool.” What really sets apart this outside kitchen design idea, however, is the way the elements are used throughout the space. “Usually, outdoor kitchen designs for a backyard are grouped into one island or cabinet,” explains Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. “But here, the patio, roof and fireplace were all in place, separated by stucco columns, and the outdoor kitchen elements had to work around them.” A 14-foot-long cooking island houses a built-in Fire Magic grill with a Magic View Window (allows the chef to check on food without lifting the lid and losing valuable heat). The island, the countertop of which is "Carnaval" granite from Lackstone, also features a Fire Magic power burner, warming drawer and trash drawer. On one side of the fireplace, forming an “L” with the cooking island, sits a built-in Primo ceramic grill. On the other side of the fireplace is a 3-foot-long cabinet housing a bar with a wine cooler, ice maker and upper cabinet. And finally, just outside the patio door is a 7-foot-long cabinet with a modern Kohler sink with a high-arc Moen faucet (sink and faucet from Faucets Direct), a trash drawer and another upper cabinet. Outdoor Homescapes of Houston, by the way, outfitted both cabinets with glass inserts, custom pulls and three-way sensor lighting. “At the beginning, this was basically a blank space with a fireplace in the middle,” says Maxey. So Outdoor Homescapes upgraded the fireplace with Austin Stack Stone in white (No. 401) from Colorstonescreenshot vickers mosaic tile rectangle. "The stone added that pop,” notes Maxey. The fireplace’s espresso-colored, distressed wood mantel (from Mantels.com) and upper wood cabinets were both stained with the Minwax color Jacobean. The ceiling fans were also updated with ones featuring similarly espresso-colored, wooden fan blades, to match. The table in the middle - a cast-iron, Mediterranean style gem with hand-forged scrollwork designs from Patio 1 in Houston – seats 10. “We wanted this kind of Mediterranean feel,” says Maxey. “We wanted rustic, but the appliance package was so new, with all its stainless steel, so we kept a the cabinets and the columns stucco instead of stone for a more clean, modern look and then did the custom tile backsplash and mosaic in more of a rustic, Mediterranean look." The backsplash is a 1-inch travertine tile background with 4-inch square metallic insets, both from Floor & Decor. The tile for the 18-by-24-inch rectangle mosaic came from Great Britain Tile Co. and included a Dianno Reale tumbled border and background. The bronze, diamond-shaped insets are tumbled Dark Emperdor tile and the scrolls are tumbled Noce tile. The client, who admits they have high standards, was more than pleased with the project – especially browsing through Outdoor Homescapes’ vast library of patio kitchen design ideas, the 3D virtual video tour that let them preview the project from every angle before construction. They also liked the personalized design consultation. "OH provides a very neat service where one of their designers will either shop/buy for you or shop with you for the more detailed pieces that will finish your home," reads the client's review on Houzz. "This was a very positive, personalized feature ... Lisha helped narrow down an enormous marketplace of materials and finishes to a few we could choose from."

When this suburban family decided to renovate their kitchen, they knew that they wanted a little more space. Advance Design worked together with the homeowner to design a kitchen that would work for a large family who loved to gather regularly and always ended up in the kitchen! So the project began with extending out an exterior wall to accommodate a larger island and more moving-around space between the island and the perimeter cabinetry. Style was important to the cook, who began collecting accessories and photos of the look she loved for months prior to the project design. She was drawn to the brightness of whites and grays, and the design accentuated this color palette brilliantly with the incorporation of a warm shade of brown woods that originated from a dining room table that was a family favorite. Classic gray and white cabinetry from Dura Supreme hits the mark creating a perfect balance between bright and subdued. Hints of gray appear in the bead board detail peeking just behind glass doors, and in the application of the handsome floating wood shelves between cabinets. White subway tile is made extra interesting with the application of dark gray grout lines causing it to be a subtle but noticeable detail worthy of attention. Suede quartz Silestone graces the countertops with a soft matte hint of color that contrasts nicely with the presence of white painted cabinetry finished smartly with the brightness of a milky white farm sink. Old melds nicely with new, as antique bronze accents are sprinkled throughout hardware and fixtures, and work together unassumingly with the sleekness of stainless steel appliances. The grace and timelessness of this sparkling new kitchen maintains the charm and character of a space that has seen generations past. And now this family will enjoy this new space for many more generations to come in the future with the help of the team at Advance Design Studio. Photographer: Joe Nowak Dura Supreme Cabinetry

A PLACE TO GATHER Location: Eagan, MN, USA This family of five wanted an inviting space to gather with family and friends. Mom, the primary cook, wanted a large island with more organized storage – everything in its place – and a crisp white kitchen with the character of an older home. Challenges: Design an island that could accommodate this family of five for casual weeknight dinners. Create more usable storage within the existing kitchen footprint. Design a better transition between the upper cabinets on the 8-foot sink wall and the adjoining 9-foot cooktop wall. Make room for more counter space around the cooktop. It was poorly lit, cluttered with small appliances and confined by the tall oven cabinet. Solutions: A large island, that seats 5 comfortably, replaced the small island and kitchen table. This allowed for more storage including cookbook shelves, a heavy-duty roll out shelf for the mixer, a 2-bin recycling center and a bread drawer. Tall pantries with decorative grilles were placed between the kitchen and family room. These created ample storage and helped define each room, making each one feel larger, yet more intimate. A space intentionally separates the upper cabinets on the sink wall from those on the cooktop wall. This created symmetry on the sink wall and made room for an appliance garage, which keeps the countertops uncluttered. Moving the double ovens to the former pantry location made way for more usable counter space around the cooktop and a dramatic focal point with the hood, cabinets and marble backsplash. Special Features: Custom designed corbels and island legs lend character. Gilt open lanterns, antiqued nickel grilles on the pantries, and the soft linen shade at the kitchen sink add personality and charm. The unique bronze hardware with a living finish creates the patina of an older home. A walnut island countertop adds the warmth and feel of a kitchen table. This homeowner truly understood the idea of living with the patina of marble. Her grandmother’s marble-topped antique table inspired the Carrara countertops. The result is a highly organized kitchen with a light, open feel that invites you to stay a while. Liz Schupanitz Designs Photographed by: Andrea Rugg

A lovely Colonial revival in Larchmont NY was begging for a fresh start. Custom cabinetry by Studio Dearborn in a soft grey was fitted into the compact kitchen utilizing every inch of space. A muted palette keeps the space feeling light, allowing the colorful Le Creuset cookware to take center stage. Bosch cooktop, Signature Hardware range hood, Kohler faucet, Kraus sink, Sonoma Marketplace Pure white bevel subway tile 3x6. Cabinetry custom color match to Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist. Countertops in Jet Mist granite by Rye Marble and Stone. Hardware –Bistro pulls and Asbury knobs by Restoration Hardware. GC: Classic Construction Group LLC. Photos c 2015 Sarah Robertson.

Inspiration for a small eclectic living room remodel in Chicago with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Example of a mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room design in Atlanta with white walls and no fireplace

Handcrafted iron and reclaimed wood pub style table

The Youngstown Communal Table w/ Bench Seating is a clean solid industrial iron base picnic style set that comfortably seats 8-10 people. Reminiscent of the lunch tables that were used in the steel factories during the industrial revolution, the forged iron base and beautiful acacia wood top make this a stunning set for any home, business, or restaurant looking for a communal seating solution. Each is slightly different because of natural variations in the wood. Sold as a set only. Shown here paired with Tolix style chairs.

The ordered symmetry of the grand foyer conveys an overarching sense of simplicity. Murals surrounding the 32 foot-high dome depict allegories of the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. The curve of the sweeping stairway combines a solid mahogany handrail and hand wrought iron balusters accented with 18 K gold leaf. Column capitals and cornices are edged in 18 K gold leaf. Inset wall panels in silk add warmth. A Lalique Cactus table accented with a Lalique Angelique vase anchors the space. The floor is rare Italian Porto gold marble highlighted with honey onyx. photo: Gordon Beall

Lincoln Park Home, Jessica Lagrange Interiors LLC, Photo by Kathleen Virginia Page
Large transitional master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in Chicago with white walls

View the house plans at: http://houseplans.co/house-plans/2472 Photos by Bob Greenspan

This is the first room people see when they come into her home and she wanted it to make a statement but also be warm and inviting. Just before entering the living room was an entry rotunda. We added a round entry table with scrolled iron accents to introduce the Tuscan feel with an elegant light fixture above. Going into the living room, we warmed up the color scheme and added pops of color with a rich purple. Next we brought in some new furniture pieces and even added more chairs for seating. Adding a new custom fireplace mantel to carry in the woodwork from other areas in the house made the fireplace more of a statement piece in the room, and keeping with the style she loved we made some slight changes on the draperies and brought them up to open the windows and give the room more height. Accessories and wall décor helped to polish off the look and our client was so happy with the end result.

Eric Staudenmeier
Inspiration for a mediterranean u-shaped eat-in kitchen remodel in Los Angeles with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Photo by:Chad Holder
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open concept dark wood floor living room remodel in Minneapolis with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace and no tv

The industrial wood and metal dining table includes a wooden bench and stools.
Inspiration for a contemporary medium tone wood floor dining room remodel in New York with beige walls

Marcel Page Photography
Inspiration for a small contemporary open concept light wood floor living room remodel in Chicago with orange walls and no fireplace

AntiquePurveyor.com
Example of an island style dining room design in Bridgeport

Pictured here at 48"x96" with two 16" end extensions. Wood is wormy maple with a "golden oak" stain. Remy Chairs surround the table. photo: Harry Choi