Kat Alves-Photography
Example of a small cottage home design design in Sacramento

Photo: Nanette Wong © 2014 Houzz
Inspiration for a transitional kids' room remodel in San Francisco

Photo: Lucy Call © 2014 Houzz
Trendy living room photo in Salt Lake City

Photo: Lucy Call © 2014 Houzz
Example of a minimalist dining room design in Salt Lake City

Patio kitchen - traditional side yard stamped concrete patio kitchen idea in Other with no cover

Marisa Vitale Photography www.marisavitale.com
Bathroom - large farmhouse master gray tile and ceramic tile white floor bathroom idea in Los Angeles with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets and white walls

Eric Roth Photography
Example of a small classic hallway design in Boston

Mid-sized elegant l-shaped porcelain tile eat-in kitchen photo in Cleveland with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present An iconic design updated with comfort, function, and flow for today. A Remodel That Balances Past and Present What started as a desire to update a classic Eichler soon became an exploration of how Mid-Century Modern design can successfully evolve for today. The client, a tech professional with a passion for scuba diving and underwater photography, wanted a home that would both honor its original character and feel tailored to his daily life. A lifelong technology enthusiast, he still owns the very first Mac desktop he saved up for as a teenager working at Radio Shack, a detail that underscores his appreciation for design that melds function and form. Honoring Separation While Expanding Possibility Unlike many contemporary remodels where walls are opened up to create expansive living spaces, this project took a more restrained approach. The client valued the defined rooms of the original plan and wanted to preserve as much wall space as possible for displaying his large-format underwater photography. The emphasis was not on dramatic spatial reinvention, but on thoughtful refinements. Klopf Architecture shaped a gallery-like backdrop while also expanding the primary suite, modernizing materials and fixtures throughout the home, and improving the functionality and layout of the kitchen. The finished home feels at once timeless and renewed, an Eichler that continues to inspire while fully supporting the lifestyle of its present-day owner. A major turning point came mid-design. The original project brief had not included an addition, but as the reconfiguration of the primary bedroom and bath unfolded, it became clear that an expansion was the best approach to achieve the client’s vision of a more spacious suite. Fortunately, the adjustment came at a stage when revisions were still manageable and was integrated seamlessly, showing how thoughtful course corrections can strengthen a project rather than hinder it. Navigating Challenges With Precision The design development included multiple conceptual rounds, balancing preservation with subtle expansion. During construction, an existing post previously thought to be load-bearing turned out not to be. The structural engineer was able to pivot quickly, and both the post and the cross beam that had been intended to replace it could be omitted, allowing the original rhythm of the Eichler beam bays to be preserved. Sustainability was not just a checklist item, but a way to align the home with the client’s values of simplicity, efficiency, and long-term functionality. R-38 roof insulation reduced energy usage, solar panels with battery storage provided independence and resilience, and passive comfort strategies eliminated the need forenergy-intensive air conditioning. An electric vehicle charger and an on-demand hot water recirculation system (with call buttons as opposed to having constant circulation) add to the home’s long-term efficiency factors. Together, these moves created a home that is quieter, more comfortable, and better equipped for the future, qualities that supported the client’s pragmatic approach to design and living lightly. Details That Respect the Eichler DNA The remodel carries forward the Eichler’s original spirit while introducing new layers of modern livability. Originally, the house was approached along a deep, narrow walk, with the garage on one side and the house on the other, leaving the front door tucked far back within this chasm-like space. By pulling the entry forward, the design reshaped the arrival experience, creating a clearer threshold and a natural drop-off zone for bags, shoes, and keys. This shift also made room for a custom bench at the entry that extends seamlessly through the glass sidelight. The bench and drop-off zone now work together as a single, integrated sequence that supports everyday living while offering a tactile reminder of Eichler’s philosophy of connectedness. At the client’s request, Klopf reintroduced a classic Eichler gesture by extending the exterior siding into the entry and living room. The detail reinforces a sense of indoor/outdoor continuity while providing a subtle architectural surface that allows the client’s photography to take visual precedence. The signature concrete masonry wall at the front was reconstructed using blocks sourced to match the originals, now strengthened with rebar for seismic resilience while maintaining a private outdoor courtyard, visually extending the kitchen outward. A decorative trellis element, a detail borrowed from a neighboring Eichler, restores a familiar mid-century modern architectural motif. At the courtyard entry door, a custom etched glass sidelight with an ocean-themed design featuring kelp and jellyfish serves as a subtle homage to the client’s passion for deep-sea diving. Landscaping became an integral part of the overall transformation. The homeowner engaged landscape architect Randi Johnsen of Third Nature Studio to shape a series of calm, inviting outdoor rooms that read as a natural extension of the interiors. While technically outside of the core construction scope, the landscape design proved central to achieving a sense of completeness and connectedness across the property. Such whole-property considerations often emerge as design ideas take shape, underscoring the importance of flexibility in planning and budgeting, as well as close collaboration among the design team starting early in the process. The Value of Evolving Scope As with many custom residential projects, the scope evolved during the design process. What began as a targeted remodel grew to include a new/expanded primary suite, a rebuilt CMU patio wall for strength and longevity, and a solar panel array and battery storage for energy resilience and carbon-reduction. Each thoughtful decision represented a conscious investment in the home’s performance and character, rather than a cost overrun. The result was a project delivered on schedule, tailored precisely to the client’s lifestyle, and positioned to add long-term value both functionally and aesthetically. By embracing scope evolution as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and relying on good design paired with transparent communication, this remodel demonstrates how Eichler homes can be adapted for contemporary living without erasing their DNA. Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, AIA, and Klara Kevane, Elise Webb and Nicholas LaNasa. Contractor: Golden Cove Construction Landscape Design: Third Nature Studio Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao Design Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2024 Location: Sunnyvale, CA

The unique opportunity and challenge for the Joshua Tree project was to enable the architecture to prioritize views. Set in the valley between Mummy and Camelback mountains, two iconic landforms located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, this lot “has it all” regarding views. The challenge was answered with what we refer to as the desert pavilion. This highly penetrated piece of architecture carefully maintains a one-room deep composition. This allows each space to leverage the majestic mountain views. The material palette is executed in a panelized massing composition. The home, spawned from mid-century modern DNA, opens seamlessly to exterior living spaces providing for the ultimate in indoor/outdoor living. Project Details: Architecture: Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ // C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB // www.drewettworks.com Builder: Bedbrock Developers, Paradise Valley, AZ // http://www.bedbrock.com Interior Designer: Est Est, Scottsdale, AZ // http://www.estestinc.com Photographer: Michael Duerinckx, Phoenix, AZ // www.inckx.com

PROJECT SCOPE & OBJECTIVES The homeowners are avid admirers of the Versace lifestyle and aesthetic and challenged our team to create a highly personalized primary suite that embodied the drama, sophistication, glamour, and artistic expression associated with the iconic fashion house. The objective was not simply to renovate an aging bathroom, but to completely reimagine the entire primary suite experience—including both the bathroom and adjoining walk-in closet—as a luxury wellness and dressing retreat. The existing bathroom and closet featured traditional finishes, compartmentalized spaces, builder-grade storage solutions, and a dated design vocabulary that no longer reflected the homeowners’ tastes or lifestyle. The scope of work included a complete demolition and redesign of the primary bathroom and custom walk-in closet, encompassing all finishes, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, lighting, architectural details, decorative elements, custom storage systems, and specialty millwork. The design intent centered on creating a bold, immersive environment utilizing dramatic monochromatic tones, custom fabricated elements, statement lighting, oversized stone applications, curated artwork, and a sophisticated interplay of texture and materiality. Every component was carefully selected to contribute to a cohesive luxury experience where the bathroom and closet function as a unified extension of one another. The resulting design transformed a conventional primary suite into a highly customized sanctuary that reflects the owners’ passion for fashion, art, luxury, and contemporary design. PROJECT CHALLENGES One of the primary challenges was translating the essence of the Versace brand into a residential environment without creating a literal or themed interpretation. The goal was to capture the emotion, elegance, and drama associated with high fashion while ensuring the spaces remained timeless, refined, and highly functional. Another significant challenge involved balancing a predominantly dark color palette throughout both the bathroom and dressing room environments. Dark materials can easily feel heavy or oppressive if not carefully executed. Particular attention had to be given to lighting design, material selection, visual layering, and texture to ensure the spaces remained inviting while maintaining their dramatic character. The walk-in closet presented its own unique design challenge. The owners desired a dressing room that would function as an extension of the luxury bathroom experience rather than a separate utilitarian storage area. The challenge was to transform a standard builder-grade closet into a sophisticated fashion-inspired environment capable of displaying clothing, handbags, accessories, and collectibles in a manner consistent with the overall design vision. Additionally, the project required the successful integration of numerous statement elements—including oversized stone surfaces, custom lighting installations, decorative mirrors, artwork, architectural wall treatments, bespoke cabinetry, and specialty storage systems—while maintaining visual harmony and preventing the space from feeling overly busy or cluttered. PROJECT SOLUTIONS To achieve the desired aesthetic, our team developed a comprehensive design strategy centered around contrast, texture, craftsmanship, and visual drama. A sophisticated palette of charcoal, black, graphite, and metallic gold tones was employed throughout the suite, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of luxury hospitality environments and haute couture fashion houses. The focal point of the bathroom became the sculptural freestanding soaking tub positioned on a custom stone platform with LED lighting and framed by an oversized feature wall clad in dramatically veined stone. This installation establishes an immediate sense of luxury and serves as the visual anchor of the entire suite. The walk-in closet was reimagined as a boutique-inspired dressing room featuring custom-designed black oak cabinetry, integrated LED lighting, specialty display shelving, illuminated storage niches, custom accessory organization, and a central dressing vanity. The design intentionally blurs the line between residential closet and luxury retail environment, allowing fashion, accessories, and personal collections to become part of the overall design composition. To offset the darker finishes throughout both spaces, layered lighting was incorporated using recessed illumination, integrated LED accents, decorative fixtures, display lighting, and reflective surfaces. These elements create depth and dimension while highlighting the richness of the materials and craftsmanship. Custom fabricated cabinetry, oversized stone surfaces, designer mirrors, curated artwork, architectural wall treatments, and carefully selected decorative elements were utilized throughout the suite to create a fully immersive environment where every detail contributes to a unified design narrative. The completed project successfully transformed a dated primary suite into an extraordinary luxury retreat that merges the worlds of fashion, hospitality, wellness, and residential design. The result is a highly personalized environment that reflects the homeowners’ lifestyle while demonstrating exceptional craftsmanship, innovative design thinking, and meticulous execution.

Eric Roth Photography
Small elegant medium tone wood floor single front door photo in Boston with green walls

Photo: Heather Banks © 2015 Houzz Design: Brandi Hines
Minimalist entryway photo in Austin

House of Jade Interiors. Kitchen remodel.
Inspiration for a shabby-chic style kitchen remodel in Salt Lake City

House of Jade Interiors. Kitchen remodel.
Dining room - shabby-chic style dining room idea in Salt Lake City

Coming up with new ideas is always challenging, but the challenge seems even more difficult to overcome when the starting point is quite limiting. In the case of this residential project, the starting point was an existing foundation, that needed to be used for the future building. Therefore, the footprint of the house needed to remain the same, however, the functions needed adjustments since the requirements and priorities of the owners changed in the previous years. Another aspect that involved limitations but in a totally different sense was the setting - a beautiful place near a lake, surrounded by wild vegetation - and our challenge was to integrate the house while emphasizing the view. We managed to do so by using large glass areas towards the lake, by laying the house properly on the sloped ground and by the use of materials. Because we didn't want to interfere with the all-natural vibe of the surroundings, we preferred using all-natural materials: wood as a structural material as well as an interior and exterior wall finishing, natural stone on both façades and pavements, ceramic roofing. The result now peacefully lays near the lake, a discrete presence, while hosting the life of a family and all the peace of mind one can get.

Mike and Anne of Barrington Hills desperately needed to update and renovate both their kid’s hall bath and guest bath, and in their 1980’s home each project presented a different set of unique challenges to overcome. When they set out to identify the right remodeling company to partner with, it was important to find a company that could help them to visualize design solutions for the bath renovations. When they came across Advance Design Studio’s website, they were immediately drawn to the solution-oriented remodeling process and the family friendly company. They say they chose Advance Design because of the integrated approach of “Common Sense Remodeling”, making the design, project management and construction all happen in one place. When they met with Project Designer Michelle Lecinski, they knew they chose the right company. “Michelle’s excellent work on the initial designs made it easy to proceed with Advance Design Studio,” Mike said. Like most homeowners anticipating a big renovation project, they had some healthy fears; with two bathrooms being remodeled at the same time they worried about timeframes and staying within budget. With the help of Michelle, and the “Common Sense” guidelines, they were confident that Advance Design would stay true, orchestrating all the moving parts to stay within both the estimated timeline and budget. The guest bath offered the biggest design challenge. A dormer obstruction made the already cramped shower awkward to access. Mike and Anne also wanted the shower size to be expanded, making it more accommodating. Working with Advance’s construction expert DJ Yurik, Michelle relocated the shower concealing the original dormer and creating a larger, more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing guest shower. The unsightly and not at all user-friendly closet was removed and replaced with elegant White Maple Dura Supreme cabinetry with much improved function featuring dual tall linen cabinets, a special makeup area and two sinks, providing a dual vanity which was extremely important for better guest use. The Fossil Brown quartz countertop is in pleasing contrast to the white cabinetry, and coordinates nicely with the mocha porcelain tile gracing the shower for an accent. The decorative glazed turquoise tile backsplash, tile border, and bottle niche adds a taste of marine green to the room, while marble-looking porcelain tile makes guests feel they are staying in a 5-star hotel. Polished nickel Kohler plumbing fixtures were chosen to add a touch of sophistication. This renovated guest bath is comfortable and elegant, and Anne and Mike’s house guests may never want to leave! “The end result was updated and restyled bathrooms that the client will enjoy and increase the value of their home,” Designer Michelle said. The children’s hall bath had its own set of challenges. The current placement of the sink was not conducive to the best use of the existing space, nor did it allow for any visual interest, something Advance’s designers always work to achieve even within the tight confines of a small bath. Advance removed the linen closet and used the gain in wall space to create a dramatic focal point on the vanity wall. They also took additional space that wasn’t being used for new Storm Gray Dura Supreme tall built-in linen cabinets, creating functional storage space that the former bath lacked. A customized glass splash panel was created for the bath, and the high ceilings with skylights were accented with a custom-made track lighting fixture featuring industrial pipe and cage materials. Authentic cement encaustic tile was used wall to wall surrounding the vanity to create a dramatic and interesting back drop for the new elegant and stately furniture-like double sink wall. Hand-made encaustic tile originated in Western Europe beginning in the 1850’s and reminded Mike and Anne of tile they had seen and loved from their travels overseas. Today, encaustic tile has made a re-appearance in today’s modern bath design with its wide array of appealing patterns and artistic use of color. Oil rubbed bronze Kohler fixtures echo the black accents in the beautiful tile pattern and reflect the matte black of the unique lighting detail. Easy to maintain Blanca Arabescato Quartz countertops add practicality and natural beauty and compliments the warm wood porcelain tile floors. This handsome bath has generated praise from friends and family even before it’s complete unveiling as photos of the space leaked out on social media! It’s not only completely functional to use, but especially pretty to look at. “Advance Design Studio did a terrific job for us. We really appreciated how easy it was to work with them on a complex project of the complete remodeling of two bathrooms. They very capably handled all the details from design, to project management, to construction. It is a great group of people to work with and we would welcome the opportunity to work with them again anytime,” Mike said.

**Project Overview** This new construction home built next to a serene lake features a gorgeous, large-scale kitchen that also connects to a bar, home office, breakfast room and great room. The homeowners sought the warmth of traditional styling, updated for today. In addition, they wanted to incorporate unexpected touches that would add personality. Strategic use of furniture details combined with clean lines brings the traditional style forward, making the kitchen feel fresh, new and timeless. **What Makes This Project Unique?* Three finishes, including vintage white paint, stained cherry and textured painted gray oak cabinetry, work together beautifully to create a varied, unique space. Above the wall cabinets, glass cabinets with X mullions add interest and decorative storage. Single ovens are tucked in cabinets under a window, and a warming drawer under one perfectly matches the cabinet drawer under the other. Matching furniture-style armoires flank the wall ovens, housing the freezer and a pantry in one and custom designed large scale appliance garage with retractable doors in the other. Other furniture touches can be found on the sink cabinet and range top cabinet that help complete the look. The variety of colors and textures of the stained and painted cabinetry, custom dark finish copper hood, wood ceiling beams, glass cabinets, wood floors and sleek backsplash bring the whole look together. **Design Challenges* Even though the space is large, we were challenged by having to work around the two doorways, two windows and many traffic patterns that run through the kitchen. Wall space for large appliances was quickly in short supply. Because we were involved early in the project, we were able to work with the architect to expanded the kitchen footprint in order to make the layout work and get appliance placement just right. We had other architectural elements to work with that we wanted to compliment the kitchen design but also dictated what we could do with the cabinetry. The wall cabinet height was determined based on the beams in the space. The oven wall with furniture armoires was designed around the window with the lake view. The height of the oven cabinets was determined by the window. We were able to use these obstacles and challenges to design creatively and make this kitchen one of a kind. Photo by MIke Kaskel

Bathroom in Trailside View | Refined Transitional Home in Scottsdale, AZ | Room Type: Whole Home Remodel and Furnishings | Project Name: Trailside View Residence | Key Feature: A full home remodel and furnishings project anchored by white oak cabinetry and countertops, where the clients gave Living with Lolo real creative freedom to play with bold fabrics, wallpapers, and drapery that most homeowners would talk themselves out of. Challenge: Transitional design can play it safe by default, neutral palette, inoffensive finishes, nothing that makes you catch your breath. The remodel needed a strong foundation that felt refined and timeless, but the clients wanted more than that. They wanted a home with personality, and the challenge was channeling that creative openness into something cohesive rather than chaotic. Solution: Living with Lolo used white oak cabinetry and countertops to ground the remodel in warmth and quiet sophistication, then let the soft goods carry the personality. Bold fabric choices, expressive wallpapers, and thoughtful drapery gave each room its own moment without losing the thread that connected the whole home. Because the remodel and furnishings were managed together under one roof, the bolder design choices landed the way they were intended to rather than feeling like afterthoughts layered onto a finished renovation. Materials: White oak cabinetry, white oak countertops, curated wallpapers, bold upholstery fabrics, custom drapery, and layered accessories sourced through Living with Lolo's trade relationships. Budget: $250,000 to $550,000 | Timeline: Approximately 5 to 9 months from design through completion.