AFTER: New wallcovering: 'Phillip Jeffries' Grasscloth New light fixtures. Artwork has beautiful new frames and mats.
Home design - eclectic home design idea in Houston

BEFORE picture of overgrown front yard

Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in Miami

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

Living room - traditional formal dark wood floor living room idea in Phoenix with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a media wall

Dwarf Stars New Millenium delphinium - new for 2014 by Walter's Gardens Photo credit; Dowdeswell's Delphiniums Ltd.

This project was completed for clients who wanted a comfortable, accessible 1ST floor bathroom for their grown daughter to use during visits to their home as well as a nicely-appointed space for any guest. Their daughter has some accessibility challenges so the bathroom was also designed with that in mind. The original space worked fairly well in some ways, but we were able to tweak a few features to make the space even easier to maneuver through. We started by making the entry to the shower flush so that there is no curb to step over. In addition, although there was an existing oversized seat in the shower, it was way too deep and not comfortable to sit on and just wasted space. We made the shower a little smaller and then provided a fold down teak seat that is slip resistant, warm and comfortable to sit on and can flip down only when needed. Thus we were able to create some additional storage by way of open shelving to the left of the shower area. The open shelving matches the wood vanity and allows a spot for the homeowners to display heirlooms as well as practical storage for things like towels and other bath necessities. We carefully measured all the existing heights and locations of countertops, toilet seat, and grab bars to make sure that we did not undo the things that were already working well. We added some additional hidden grab bars or “grabcessories” at the toilet paper holder and shower shelf for an extra layer of assurance. Large format, slip-resistant floor tile was added eliminating as many grout lines as possible making the surface less prone to tripping. We used a wood look tile as an accent on the walls, and open storage in the vanity allowing for easy access for clean towels. Bronze fixtures and frameless glass shower doors add an elegant yet homey feel that was important for the homeowner. A pivot mirror allows adjustability for different users. If you are interested in designing a bathroom featuring “Living In Place” or accessibility features, give us a call to find out more. Susan Klimala, CKBD, is a Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS) and particularly enjoys helping her clients with unique needs in the context of beautifully designed spaces. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel

Inspiration for a large modern open concept living room remodel in Austin with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

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.

KitchenLab Interiors’ first, entirely new construction project in collaboration with GTH architects who designed the residence. KLI was responsible for all interior finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and design including the stairs, casework, interior doors, moldings and millwork. KLI also worked with the client on selecting the roof, exterior stucco and paint colors, stone, windows, and doors. The homeowners had purchased the existing home on a lakefront lot of the Valley Lo community in Glenview, thinking that it would be a gut renovation, but when they discovered a host of issues including mold, they decided to tear it down and start from scratch. The minute you look out the living room windows, you feel as though you're on a lakeside vacation in Wisconsin or Michigan. We wanted to help the homeowners achieve this feeling throughout the house - merging the causal vibe of a vacation home with the elegance desired for a primary residence. This project is unique and personal in many ways - Rebekah and the homeowner, Lorie, had grown up together in a small suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Lorie had been Rebekah's babysitter and was like an older sister growing up. They were both heavily influenced by the style of the late 70's and early 80's boho/hippy meets disco and 80's glam, and both credit their moms for an early interest in anything related to art, design, and style. One of the biggest challenges of doing a new construction project is that it takes so much longer to plan and execute and by the time tile and lighting is installed, you might be bored by the selections of feel like you've seen them everywhere already. “I really tried to pull myself, our team and the client away from the echo-chamber of Pinterest and Instagram. We fell in love with counter stools 3 years ago that I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on, thank god, because then they started showing up literally everywhere", Rebekah recalls. Lots of one of a kind vintage rugs and furnishings make the home feel less brand-spanking new. The best projects come from a team slightly outside their comfort zone. One of the funniest things Lorie says to Rebekah, "I gave you everything you wanted", which is pretty hilarious coming from a client to a designer.

Country staircase photo in Calgary

This week, as paint restoration specialists from the Chicago area, we undertook work on a historical, 1858, Greek Revival and Federalist brick house built for Gustavus Palmer, a successful farmer and early settler in McHenry county. The house sits on its original corner lot in Crystal Lake, Illinois and still looks quite impressive. In 1985, the house was added to the National Register of Historical Places and the Park District is now responsible for the preservation of this special piece of McHenry county history. Because of its design, the house has no gutters. The water drains over the large crown and dental moldings, and causes the paint to fail in a major way, thereby compromising the integrity of the original wood components of the building. As shown in the first picture, on the West side of the house, once the scraping process started, one hundred fifty five years of paint came off a twenty foot section of the crown. To preserve the wood, we used a product designed to restore wooden boats. The product is a Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES) known as “ The Rot Doctor ”. It seals the wood fibers and creates an ideal surface for paint to adhere to.

Scott & Catherine Buley, HTT&T, High Tech Turf & Trees, LandscapeMakeover.biz, Rain Garden Nursery
This is an example of a transitional landscaping in Portland.

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless carpeted hallway remodel with beige walls

Massed daffodils really make a wonderful statement--and they just multiply each year
Photo of an eclectic landscaping in New York for spring.

Inspiration for a french country exterior home remodel in Los Angeles

The original materials consisted of a console sink, tiled walls and floor, towel bar and cast iron radiator. Gutting the space to the studs, we chose to install a wall hung vanity sink, rather than a pedestal or other similar sink. Much larger than the original, this new sink is mounted directly to the wall. Because the space under the sink is open, the area feels much larger and the sink appears to float while the bar at the front of the fixture acts as the towel bar. For the floor we chose a rustic tumbled Travertine tile installed both in the powder room and the front foyer which the powder room opens up to. While not a huge project, it certainly was a fun and challenging one to create a space as warm and inviting as the rest of this 1920’s home, with a bit of flair and a nod to the homeowner’s European roots. Photography by Chrissy Racho.

Inspiration for a modern living room remodel in San Diego with a ribbon fireplace and a concrete fireplace

The combination of the rounded corners (9 in all), and the stiff grasscloth made this installation very difficult.
Inspiration for a large eclectic bathroom remodel in Houston