Holger Obenaus
Example of a transitional home design design in Charleston

Pull out tie butler for 40 ties

About five years ago, these homeowners saw the potential in a brick-and-oak-heavy, wallpaper-bedecked, 1990s-in-all-the-wrong-ways home tucked in a wooded patch among fields somewhere between Indianapolis and Bloomington. Their first project with SYH was a kitchen remodel, a total overhaul completed by JL Benton Contracting, that added color and function for this family of three (not counting the cats). A couple years later, they were knocking on our door again to strip the ensuite bedroom of its ruffled valences and red carpet—a bold choice that ran right into the bathroom (!)—and make it a serene retreat. Color and function proved the goals yet again, and JL Benton was back to make the design reality. The clients thoughtfully chose to maximize their budget in order to get a whole lot of bells and whistles—details that undeniably change their daily experience of the space. The fantastic zero-entry shower is composed of handmade tile from Heath Ceramics of California. A window where the was none, a handsome teak bench, thoughtful niches, and Kohler fixtures in vibrant brushed nickel finish complete the shower. Custom mirrors and cabinetry by Stoll’s Woodworking, in both the bathroom and closet, elevate the whole design. What you don't see: heated floors, which everybody needs in Indiana. Contractor: JL Benton Contracting Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Michiko Owaki

Enfort Homes presents ‘Swingline Cottages’ a brand new 3 home cottage community featuring 3 beds, 2.5 bath, including a 1-car garage, covered patios gas stubbed for BBQ, and fully fenced yards with landscape lighting. Each home is thoughtfully designed and outfitted with smart home upgrades. Well-equipped kitchens include Thermador appliance package and quartz countertops. White Oak hardwood floors and 8’ doors on main. 9’ ceilings on both floors, custom organizers, A/C, and well-appointed primary suites with 5-piece spa baths and walk-in closets. Smart home features include iPad controls, Ring Elite doorbell, Cat6 wiring, and smart door lock.

Enfort Homes presents ‘Swingline Cottages’ a brand new 3 home cottage community featuring 3 beds, 2.5 bath, including a 1-car garage, covered patios gas stubbed for BBQ, and fully fenced yards with landscape lighting. Each home is thoughtfully designed and outfitted with smart home upgrades. Well-equipped kitchens include Thermador appliance package and quartz countertops. White Oak hardwood floors and 8’ doors on main. 9’ ceilings on both floors, custom organizers, A/C, and well-appointed primary suites with 5-piece spa baths and walk-in closets. Smart home features include iPad controls, Ring Elite doorbell, Cat6 wiring, and smart door lock.

Enfort Homes presents ‘Swingline Cottages’ a brand new 3 home cottage community featuring 3 beds, 2.5 bath, including a 1-car garage, covered patios gas stubbed for BBQ, and fully fenced yards with landscape lighting. Each home is thoughtfully designed and outfitted with smart home upgrades. Well-equipped kitchens include Thermador appliance package and quartz countertops. White Oak hardwood floors and 8’ doors on main. 9’ ceilings on both floors, custom organizers, A/C, and well-appointed primary suites with 5-piece spa baths and walk-in closets. Smart home features include iPad controls, Ring Elite doorbell, Cat6 wiring, and smart door lock.

A happy east coast family gets their perfect second home on the west coast. This family of 6 was a true joy to work with from start to finish. They were very excited to have a home reflecting the true west coast sensibility: ocean tones mixed with neutrals, modern art and playful elements, and of course durability and comfort for all the kids and guests. The pool area and kitchen got total overhauls (thanks to Jeff with Black Cat Construction) and we added a fun wine closet below the staircase. They trusted the vision of the design and made few requests for changes. And the end result was even better than they expected. Design --- @edenlainteriors Photography --- @Kimpritchardphotography Custom upholstered bed made locally in LA. Dresser and nightstand -- @hookerfurniture pendant light - @jamieyoung Daybed @burkedecor Textiles --- @jaipurliving

Inspiration for a rustic concrete floor mudroom remodel in Birmingham

A stone and shingle facade and graceful lines highlight this expansive single-level home. Custom details can be found throughout the plan with elegant ceiling treatments in many rooms and built-in cabinetry flanking the great room fireplace. The chef's kitchen opens to the large dining area and to the great room, providing a focal point for family life and entertaining. One wing houses secondary bedrooms and utility space, helping to keep clutter out the formal living areas. The bedrooms each have a tray ceiling and their own walk-in closet. Just off the garage lies a utility room with ample work space, a large pantry, and convenient e-space. The oversized bonus room provides flexibility and access to plenty of attic storage. The opposite wing of the home plan is devoted to a roomy master suite with an attached sitting area to the rear. The suite accesses the rear porch, and includes two large walk-in closets. The highlight of the stunning master bath is the unique barrel vaulted ceiling over the garden tub. Dual vanities, a walk-in shower, and private privy complete the suite.

Water Closet with Toto toilet and graphic wallpaper
Small transitional master blue tile porcelain tile double shower photo in Indianapolis with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble countertops, a two-piece toilet and blue walls

toe kick of cabinet by back door hides dog bowls when not in use. Convenient large drawer above stores the food and other dog supplies.
Example of a mid-sized classic medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets and an island

Example of a mid-sized transitional galley porcelain tile dedicated laundry room design in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, a stacked washer/dryer, gray cabinets and gray walls

At this turn of the 20th century, home badly needed a new kitchen. An old porch had been partially enclosed, and the old kitchen window opened onto that enclosure, a small stretch of hallway 6 feet wide. The room had little in the way of form or function. The appliances all needed to be replaced, the lighting and flooring were in bad repair and the kitchen itself lacked culinary inspiration. The client requested a kitchen with modern top-of-the-line cooking appliances, a well-thought-out plan which would include an island, a desk, eating for 6, custom storage, a "cat" corner for the family pet’s food and bowls as well as a drop-dead design aesthetic. Welcome to the Central Av Kitchen. The old exterior wall was removed and the 6’ hallway was incorporated into the kitchen area providing space for both a table as well as a generous island with seating for three. In lieu of pantry cabinets, a pantry closet was framed to the right of the refrigerator to account for a change in ceiling height. The closet conceals the slope of the old exterior wall. Additional space for the cooktop credenza was found by extending a wall concealing the basement stairs. Custom-screened marble tile covers the wall behind the induction cooktop. A pot filler faucet is an added convenience becoming very popular with clients who cook. The secondary cooking area adjacent to the cooktop has a single convection wall oven and one of my favorite appliances, a steam oven. This is the one appliance no kitchen should be without. An immovable corner chase became part of the design supporting a full counter-to-ceiling cabinet for glasses and cups. Dish drawer storage is located below this cabinet, perfect when unloading the dishwasher. Once again, my favorite culinary sink (Franke) and a professional-style faucet (Brizo) add to the chef’s table experience of the kitchen. The refrigerator is a gorgeous 42” french door-styled Sub Zero. Moving to the island, you will find an under-counter beverage refrigerator, additional storage, and a mixer lift to keep the stand mixer at ready but tucked away. Great for casual dining and ample space for preparing meals, the island is the perfect centerpiece for the kitchen design. A traditional ship lap wood detail was turned on its end to surround the island. The contrasting color and texture of the rustic oak give relief to the smooth painted finish of the kitchen cabinets. The stain color is repeated on the pantry door as well as the family room entrance door to the kitchen. Near the kitchen table, a desk is located for both recipe research as well as homework. The spare dining chair serves as a desk chair. Open shelves are simultaneously practical and decorative. Custom storage details include a spice drawer, pull-out pantry, dish drawer, garbage/recycling cabinet, vertical tray storage, utensil, and flatware drawers, and “cat corner” which holds all things kitty related, while keeping the cat dining area out of the main kitchen. Additional details about the space. The cabinets are a traditional plain inset construction but without visible hinges. Large format “concrete” porcelain floor tiles create a simple canvas for blue-painted cabinets with a black glazed finish. Contemporized matte black hardware provides a beautiful contrast to the cabinet color. The other splash areas are covered in a simple white mottled glazed porcelain subway tile. The “cat corner” which is not visible is realized in distressed black paint with a wood countertop to match the oak on the island. Another key point is the ceiling height. Taller ceilings allow for taller cabinets but need a strong molding detail to balance the tall cabinet doors. To demonstrate that detail, you will notice a combination of moldings (9” high) and double-paneled doors to overcome a “tower effect” in the space.

The finished project! The white built-in locker system with a floor to ceiling cabinet for added storage. Black herringbone slate floor, and wood countertop for easy folding.

About five years ago, these homeowners saw the potential in a brick-and-oak-heavy, wallpaper-bedecked, 1990s-in-all-the-wrong-ways home tucked in a wooded patch among fields somewhere between Indianapolis and Bloomington. Their first project with SYH was a kitchen remodel, a total overhaul completed by JL Benton Contracting, that added color and function for this family of three (not counting the cats). A couple years later, they were knocking on our door again to strip the ensuite bedroom of its ruffled valences and red carpet—a bold choice that ran right into the bathroom (!)—and make it a serene retreat. Color and function proved the goals yet again, and JL Benton was back to make the design reality. The clients thoughtfully chose to maximize their budget in order to get a whole lot of bells and whistles—details that undeniably change their daily experience of the space. The fantastic zero-entry shower is composed of handmade tile from Heath Ceramics of California. A window where the was none, a handsome teak bench, thoughtful niches, and Kohler fixtures in vibrant brushed nickel finish complete the shower. Custom mirrors and cabinetry by Stoll’s Woodworking, in both the bathroom and closet, elevate the whole design. What you don't see: heated floors, which everybody needs in Indiana. Contractor: JL Benton Contracting Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Michiko Owaki

A happy east coast family gets their perfect second home on the west coast. This family of 6 was a true joy to work with from start to finish. They were very excited to have a home reflecting the true west coast sensibility: ocean tones mixed with neutrals, modern art and playful elements, and of course durability and comfort for all the kids and guests. The pool area and kitchen got total overhauls (thanks to Jeff with Black Cat Construction) and we added a fun wine closet below the staircase. They trusted the vision of the design and made few requests for changes. And the end result was even better than they expected.

At this turn of the 20th century, home badly needed a new kitchen. An old porch had been partially enclosed, and the old kitchen window opened onto that enclosure, a small stretch of hallway 6 feet wide. The room had little in the way of form or function. The appliances all needed to be replaced, the lighting and flooring were in bad repair and the kitchen itself lacked culinary inspiration. The client requested a kitchen with modern top-of-the-line cooking appliances, a well-thought-out plan which would include an island, a desk, eating for 6, custom storage, a "cat" corner for the family pet’s food and bowls as well as a drop-dead design aesthetic. Welcome to the Central Av Kitchen. The old exterior wall was removed and the 6’ hallway was incorporated into the kitchen area providing space for both a table as well as a generous island with seating for three. In lieu of pantry cabinets, a pantry closet was framed to the right of the refrigerator to account for a change in ceiling height. The closet conceals the slope of the old exterior wall. Additional space for the cooktop credenza was found by extending a wall concealing the basement stairs. Custom-screened marble tile covers the wall behind the induction cooktop. A pot filler faucet is an added convenience becoming very popular with clients who cook. The secondary cooking area adjacent to the cooktop has a single convection wall oven and one of my favorite appliances, a steam oven. This is the one appliance no kitchen should be without. An immovable corner chase became part of the design supporting a full counter-to-ceiling cabinet for glasses and cups. Dish drawer storage is located below this cabinet, perfect when unloading the dishwasher. Once again, my favorite culinary sink (Franke) and a professional-style faucet (Brizo) add to the chef’s table experience of the kitchen. The refrigerator is a gorgeous 42” french door-styled Sub Zero. Moving to the island, you will find an under-counter beverage refrigerator, additional storage, and a mixer lift to keep the stand mixer at ready but tucked away. Great for casual dining and ample space for preparing meals, the island is the perfect centerpiece for the kitchen design. A traditional ship lap wood detail was turned on its end to surround the island. The contrasting color and texture of the rustic oak give relief to the smooth painted finish of the kitchen cabinets. The stain color is repeated on the pantry door as well as the family room entrance door to the kitchen. Near the kitchen table, a desk is located for both recipe research as well as homework. The spare dining chair serves as a desk chair. Open shelves are simultaneously practical and decorative. Custom storage details include a spice drawer, pull-out pantry, dish drawer, garbage/recycling cabinet, vertical tray storage, utensil, and flatware drawers, and “cat corner” which holds all things kitty related, while keeping the cat dining area out of the main kitchen. Additional details about the space. The cabinets are a traditional plain inset construction but without visible hinges. Large format “concrete” porcelain floor tiles create a simple canvas for blue-painted cabinets with a black glazed finish. Contemporized matte black hardware provides a beautiful contrast to the cabinet color. The other splash areas are covered in a simple white mottled glazed porcelain subway tile. The “cat corner” which is not visible is realized in distressed black paint with a wood countertop to match the oak on the island. Another key point is the ceiling height. Taller ceilings allow for taller cabinets but need a strong molding detail to balance the tall cabinet doors. To demonstrate that detail, you will notice a combination of moldings (9” high) and double-paneled doors to overcome a “tower effect” in the space.

A happy east coast family gets their perfect second home on the west coast. This family of 6 was a true joy to work with from start to finish. They were very excited to have a home reflecting the true west coast sensibility: ocean tones mixed with neutrals, modern art and playful elements, and of course durability and comfort for all the kids and guests. The pool area and kitchen got total overhauls (thanks to Jeff with Black Cat Construction) and we added a fun wine closet below the staircase. They trusted the vision of the design and made few requests for changes. And the end result was even better than they expected.