Search results for "Challenges" in Home Design Ideas

The existing U-shaped kitchen was tucked away in a small corner while the dining table was swimming in a room much too large for its size. The client’s needs and the architecture of the home made it apparent that the perfect design solution for the home was to swap the spaces.
The homeowners entertain frequently and wanted the new layout to accommodate a lot of counter seating, a bar/buffet for serving hors d’oeuvres, an island with prep sink, and all new appliances. They had a strong preference that the hood be a focal point and wanted to go beyond a typical white color scheme even though they wanted white cabinets.
While moving the kitchen to the dining space gave us a generous amount of real estate to work with, two of the exterior walls are occupied with full-height glass creating a challenge how best to fulfill their wish list. We used one available wall for the needed tall appliances, taking advantage of its height to create the hood as a focal point. We opted for both a peninsula and island instead of one large island in order to maximize the seating requirements and create a barrier when entertaining so guests do not flow directly into the work area of the kitchen. This also made it possible to add a second sink as requested. Lastly, the peninsula sets up a well-defined path to the new dining room without feeling like you are walking through the kitchen. We used the remaining fourth wall for the bar/buffet.
Black cabinetry adds strong contrast in several areas of the new kitchen. Wire mesh wall cabinet doors at the bar and gold accents on the hardware, light fixtures, faucets and furniture add further drama to the concept. The focal point is definitely the black hood, looking both dramatic and cohesive at the same time.

Beautiful open floor plan kitchen remodel with huge island and display cabinets
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen pantry remodel in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and black countertops
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen pantry remodel in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and black countertops
Find the right local pro for your project

Photograhpy by Braden Gunem
Project by Studio H:T principal in charge Brad Tomecek (now with Tomecek Studio Architecture). This project questions the need for excessive space and challenges occupants to be efficient. Two shipping containers saddlebag a taller common space that connects local rock outcroppings to the expansive mountain ridge views. The containers house sleeping and work functions while the center space provides entry, dining, living and a loft above. The loft deck invites easy camping as the platform bed rolls between interior and exterior. The project is planned to be off-the-grid using solar orientation, passive cooling, green roofs, pellet stove heating and photovoltaics to create electricity.

Example of a cottage l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash, brick backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Mid-sized transitional open concept vinyl floor and wainscoting living room photo with a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Back-to-back floating vanities complement the unique layout and abundance of windows in this lively master bathroom. Photo by Jared Kuzia.
Example of a classic master beige floor bathroom design in Boston with furniture-like cabinets, blue cabinets, multicolored walls and an undermount sink
Example of a classic master beige floor bathroom design in Boston with furniture-like cabinets, blue cabinets, multicolored walls and an undermount sink

Elevated but casual/comfortable dining room,
Inspiration for a modern light wood floor dining room remodel in Dallas with white walls
Inspiration for a modern light wood floor dining room remodel in Dallas with white walls

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home.
The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day.
In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat.
The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression.
Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home.
Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name.
The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless backyard cable railing deck remodel in San Francisco

The clients believed the peninsula footprint was required due to the unique entry points from the hallway leading to the dining room and the foyer. The new island increases storage, counters and a more pleasant flow of traffic from all directions.
The biggest challenge was trying to make the structural beam that ran perpendicular to the space work in a new design; it was off center and difficult to balance the cabinetry and functional spaces to work with it. In the end it was decided to increase the budget and invest in moving the header in the ceiling to achieve the best design, esthetically and funcationlly.
Specific storage designed to meet the clients requests include:
- pocket doors at counter tops for everyday appliances
- deep drawers for pots, pans and Tupperware
- island includes designated zone for baking supplies
- tall and shallow pantry/food storage for easy access near island
- pull out spice near cooking
- tray dividers for assorted baking pans/sheets, cutting boards and numerous other serving trays
- cutlery and knife inserts and built in trash/recycle bins to keep things organized and convenient to use, out of sight
- custom design hutch to hold various, yet special dishes and silverware
Elements of design chosen to meet the clients wishes include:
- painted cabinetry to lighten up the room that lacks windows and give relief/contrast to the expansive wood floors
- monochromatic colors throughout give peaceful yet elegant atmosphere
o stained island provides interest and warmth with wood, but still unique in having a different stain than the wood floors – this is repeated in the tile mosaic backsplash behind the rangetop
- punch of fun color used on hutch for a unique, furniture feel
- carefully chosen detailed embellishments like the tile mosaic, valance toe boards, furniture base board around island, and island pendants are traditional details to not only the architecture of the home, but also the client’s furniture and décor.
- Paneled refrigerator minimizes the large appliance, help keeping an elegant feel
Superior cooking equipment includes a combi-steam oven, convection wall ovens paired with a built-in refrigerator with interior air filtration to better preserve fresh foods.
Photography by Gregg Willett

With both doors open, she could accomplish everything she wanted.
Mid-sized french country attached one-car carport photo in Atlanta
Mid-sized french country attached one-car carport photo in Atlanta

The Challenge
This beautiful waterfront home was begging for an update. Our clients wanted a contemporary design with modern finishes. They craved improved functionality in the kitchen, hardwood flooring in the living areas, and a spacious walk-in closet in the master bathroom. With two children in school, our clients also needed the project completed during their summer vacation – leaving a slim 90 days for the entire remodel. Could we do it? …Challenge accepted!
Our Solution
With their active summer travel schedule, our clients elected to vacate their home for the duration of the project. This was ideal for the intrusive nature of the scope of work.
In preparation, our design team created a project plan to suit our client’s needs. With such a clear timeline, we were able to select and order long-lead items in plenty of time for the project start date.
In the kitchen, we rearranged the layout to provide superior ventilation for the cooktop on the exterior wall. We added two large storage cabinets with glass doors, accented by a sleek mosaic backsplash of glass tile. We also incorporated a large contemporary waterfall island into the room. With seating at one end, the island provides both increased functionality and an eye-catching focal point for the center of the room. On the interior wall of the kitchen, we maximized storage with a wall of built-in cabinetry – complete with pullout pantry cabinets, a double oven, and a large stainless refrigerator.
Our clients wisely chose rich, dark-colored wood flooring to add warmth to the contemporary design. After installing the flooring in the kitchen, we brought it into the main living areas as well. In the great room, we wrapped the existing gas fireplace in a neutral stack stone. The effect of the stone on the media and window wall is breathtaking.
In the master bathroom, we expanded the closet by pushing the wall back into the adjacent pass-through hallway. The new walk-in closet now includes an impressive closet organization system.
Returning to the master bathroom, we removed the single vanity and repositioned the toilet, allowing for a new, curb-less glass shower and a his-and-hers vanity. The entire vanity and shower wall is finished in white 12×24 porcelain tile. The vertical glass mosaic accent band and backlit floating mirrors add to the clean, modern style. To the left of the master bathroom entry, we even added a matching make-up area.
Finally, we installed a number of elegant enhancements in the remaining rooms. The clients chose a bronze metal relief accent wall as well as some colorful finishes and artwork for the entry and hallway.
Exceptional Results
Our clients were simply thrilled with the final product! Not only did they return from their summer vacation to a gorgeous home remodel, but we concluded the project a full week ahead of schedule. As a result, the family was able to move in sooner than planned, giving them plenty of time to acclimate to the renovated space before their kids returned to school. Ultimately, we provided the outstanding results and customer experience that our clients had been searching for.
“We met with many other contractors leading up to signing with Progressive Design Build. When we met Mike, we finally felt safe. We had heard so many horror stories about contractors! Progressive was the best move we could have made. They made our dream house become a reality. Vernon was in charge of our project and everything went better than we expected. Our project was completed earlier than expected, too. Our questions and concerns were dealt with quickly and professionally, the job site was always clean, and all subs were friendly and professional. We had a wonderful experience with Progressive Design Build. We’re so grateful we found them.” – The Mader Family

The 100-year old home’s kitchen was old and just didn’t function well. A peninsula in the middle of the main part of the kitchen blocked the path from the back door. This forced the homeowners to mostly use an odd, U-shaped corner of the kitchen.
Design objectives:
-Add an island
-Wow-factor design
-Incorporate arts and crafts with a touch of Mid-century modern style
-Allow for a better work triangle when cooking
-Create a seamless path coming into the home from the backdoor
-Make all the countertops in the space 36” high (the old kitchen had different base cabinet heights)
Design challenges to be solved:
-Island design
-Where to place the sink and dishwasher
-The family’s main entrance into the home is a back door located within the kitchen space. Samantha needed to find a way to make an unobstructed path through the kitchen to the outside
-A large eating area connected to the kitchen felt slightly misplaced – Samantha wanted to bring the kitchen and materials more into this area
-The client does not like appliance garages/cabinets to the counter. The more countertop space, the better!
Design solutions:
-Adding the right island made all the difference! Now the family has a couple of seats within the kitchen space. -Multiple walkways facilitate traffic flow.
-Multiple pantry cabinets (both shallow and deep) are placed throughout the space. A couple of pantry cabinets were even added to the back door wall and wrap around into the breakfast nook to give the kitchen a feel of extending into the adjoining eating area.
-Upper wall cabinets with clear glass offer extra lighting and the opportunity for the client to display her beautiful vases and plates. They add and an airy feel to the space.
-The kitchen had two large existing windows that were ideal for a sink placement. The window closest to the back door made the most sense due to the fact that the other window was in the corner. Now that the sink had a place, we needed to worry about the dishwasher. Samantha didn’t want the dishwasher to be in the way of people coming in the back door – it’s now in the island right across from the sink.
-The homeowners love Motawi Tile. Some fantastic pieces are placed within the backsplash throughout the kitchen. -Larger tiles with borders make for nice accent pieces over the rangetop and by the bar/beverage area.
-The adjacent area for eating is a gorgeous nook with massive windows. We added a built-in furniture-style banquette with additional lower storage cabinets in the same finish. It’s a great way to connect and blend the two areas into what now feels like one big space!

AquaTerra Outdoors was hired to bring life to the outdoors of the new home. When it came time to design the space we were challenged with the tight space of the backyard. We worked through the concepts and we were able to incorporate a new pool with spa, custom water feature wall, Ipe wood deck, outdoor kitchen, custom steel and Ipe wood shade arbor and fire pit. We also designed and installed all the landscaping including the custom steel planter.
Photography: Wade Griffith

Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States
This brand-new townhouse at Pierhouse, Brooklyn was a gorgeous space, but was crying out for some personalization to reflect our clients vivid, sophisticated and lively design aesthetic. Bold Patterns and Colors were our friends in this fun and eclectic project. Our amazing clients collaborated with us to select the fabrics for the den's custom Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa and we also customized a vintage swedish rug from Doris Leslie Blau. for the Living Room Our biggest challenge was to capture the space under the Staircase so that it would become usable for this family. We created cubby storage, a desk area, coat closet and oversized storage. We even managed to fit in a 12' ladder - not an easy feat!
Photographed by: James Salomon
93





