Search results for "Challenging aspects" in Home Design Ideas

Our challenge was to transform key areas of this home that were somewhat ignored in a previous renovation. Located in the heart of Larkspur, the reveal was a bright and modern home that marries seamlessly with the rest of the updates.
This home is a Historical Landmark, so we worked diligently to honor and protect the architecture and history as we design updates to the Entry, Stairs, Living Room and Dining Room. Splashes of color, texture, pattern, and shine were introduced to add charisma and breath new life. Now, the entire home serves all aspects of life for this happy family.

This basement remodel held special significance for an expectant young couple eager to adapt their home for a growing family. Facing the challenge of an open layout that lacked functionality, our team delivered a complete transformation.
The project's scope involved reframing the layout of the entire basement, installing plumbing for a new bathroom, modifying the stairs for code compliance, and adding an egress window to create a livable bedroom. The redesigned space now features a guest bedroom, a fully finished bathroom, a cozy living room, a practical laundry area, and private, separate office spaces. The primary objective was to create a harmonious, open flow while ensuring privacy—a vital aspect for the couple. The final result respects the original character of the house, while enhancing functionality for the evolving needs of the homeowners expanding family.

Jennifer Hazen from Reico Kitchen and Bath in Charlottesville, VA, designed a transitional-inspired kitchen featuring Masterpiece cabinetry.
The kitchen’s perimeter cabinets feature the Ganon full overlay door style in a Cottage finish, while the kitchen island is an Evergreen finish.
The perimeter and coffee bar area feature countertops and full height backsplash in Hilite Venatino Gold quartz, while the island countertop features Taj Mahal Quartzite with a 3-inch mitered apron.
The kitchen also features KitchenAid and Frigidaire appliances.
Jennifer shared insights into the project, highlighting its unique aspects: “The clients wanted to stick with a style that would endure over time while still standing out as classy. The challenge of 8’ ceilings was addressed with an oversized custom hood, carefully constructed together like a puzzle for the installer. The island countertop features a 3-inch mitered apron, creating the appearance of a double-thick slab of Taj Mahal Quartzite. Even the dog has his own quartz top at his feeding station! With a large window over the sink flanked by sconces, full-height backsplashes really completed the look.”
Photo courtesy of Tim Snyder.
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A person’s home is the place where their personality can flourish. In this client’s case, it was their love for their native homeland of Kenya, Africa. One of the main challenges with these space was to remain within the client’s budget. It was important to give this home lots of character, so hiring a faux finish artist to hand-paint the walls in an African inspired pattern for powder room to emphasizing their existing pieces was the perfect solution to staying within their budget needs. Each room was carefully planned to showcase their African heritage in each aspect of the home. The main features included deep wood tones paired with light walls, and dark finishes. A hint of gold was used throughout the house, to complement the spaces and giving the space a bit of a softer feel.

This basement remodel held special significance for an expectant young couple eager to adapt their home for a growing family. Facing the challenge of an open layout that lacked functionality, our team delivered a complete transformation.
The project's scope involved reframing the layout of the entire basement, installing plumbing for a new bathroom, modifying the stairs for code compliance, and adding an egress window to create a livable bedroom. The redesigned space now features a guest bedroom, a fully finished bathroom, a cozy living room, a practical laundry area, and private, separate office spaces. The primary objective was to create a harmonious, open flow while ensuring privacy—a vital aspect for the couple. The final result respects the original character of the house, while enhancing functionality for the evolving needs of the homeowners expanding family.

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date.
Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one.
Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level.
The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles.
“We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.”
Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay."
Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

ARCHITECTURE: Certificate of Merit
PROJECT: University Center Transformation
CLIENT: University of Houston
ARCHITECTURE FIRM: WHR Architects with WTW Architects
ENGINEERS: Walter P Moore; E&C Engineering
CONTRACTORS: Tellepsen Builders
PHOTOGRAPHER: ESTO Photographs, Inc.; Hester + Hardaway Photographers
DESCRIPTION: Located at the intersection between residence halls, the recreation center, and the academic store, the transformed and expanded University Center serves as the crossroads of the campus. The building is organized such that it integrates campus circulation routes into the building while providing a new, contemporary front door to the University of Houston campus.
JURY COMMENTS: This project is well-conceived in all aspects of its design and construction. It is very contextual while working with the sun challenges of Texas. Its spaces and interior are elegant, light, and open.

In this Manhattan pied-à-terre renovation, Gallery tackled the entire apartment. A true full renovation, we updated the kitchen, master bathroom, and powder room, installed new flooring throughout the entire space, and built the entertainment center in the living room.
DESIGN DETAILS
The clients wanted their pied-à-terre to have some modern touches, but not too sleek or contemporary. Since it combines a number of styles and elements, transitional turned out to be their ideal aesthetic. Whites, grays, and earthy tones carried this color theme throughout the apartment.
One of the clients is an artist and wanted wall space to display their original work, visible in the dining area and powder room in the photos below. The entertainment center is another highlight, with its white mosaic brick tile accent wall and glass open shelves to display family photos on both sides.
Instead of tiles, the new powder room walls received a textured concrete application, resulting in an almost industrial vibe. In the master bathroom renovation, glass mosaic tile accent walls bring a touch of personality to both the shower and a storage nook opposite the vanity.
UNIQUELY-SHAPED ROOMS
We specialize in adapting to every potential challenge, including uniquely-shaped rooms like the nearly-triangular kitchen in this Manhattan pied-à-terre renovation.
It’s important to design an uncommonly-shaped space as practically as possible, including specs seemingly as small as sink positioning. Every little detail counts tenfold in a room that’s not rectangular!
Other design details in the kitchen renovation include the classic combination of Shaker-style cabinets and quartz countertops, with a glass mosaic backsplash that matches the one used in the bathroom.
VISIBILITY = TRUST
Communication is always a core value at Gallery, but it’s even more vital when working with bi-coastal clients who were in another state throughout almost the entire process. We met with them once; everything else was done virtually thanks to JobTracker, our project management system.
The client had complete visibility into the renovation, including all design renderings, scheduled installations, and daily progress videos and photos. Even though they were 3000 miles away, they had a direct line to everyone on the team at all times.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS
- Entertainment center designed and built to serve as focal point, with white brick mosaic accent wall and open shelves made of glass
- Track lighting for ease of displaying art and to preserve ceiling height instead of the dropped ceiling that recessed lighting would necessitate
- Deliberate consideration of space in the unusually-shaped, nearly triangular kitchen
- Glass mosaic tile accent walls in the master bathroom with matching tile for the backsplash in the kitchen
Thinking about renovating your bathroom? Contact us today to find out how you can benefit from our expertise in remodeling New York City bathrooms. As a design-and-build firm with a full-scale approach, we handle every single aspect of your home renovation from start to finish.

Jennifer Hazen from Reico Kitchen and Bath in Charlottesville, VA, designed a transitional-inspired kitchen featuring Masterpiece cabinetry.
The kitchen’s perimeter cabinets feature the Ganon full overlay door style in a Cottage finish, while the kitchen island is an Evergreen finish.
The perimeter and coffee bar area feature countertops and full height backsplash in Hilite Venatino Gold quartz, while the island countertop features Taj Mahal Quartzite with a 3-inch mitered apron.
The kitchen also features KitchenAid and Frigidaire appliances.
Jennifer shared insights into the project, highlighting its unique aspects: “The clients wanted to stick with a style that would endure over time while still standing out as classy. The challenge of 8’ ceilings was addressed with an oversized custom hood, carefully constructed together like a puzzle for the installer. The island countertop features a 3-inch mitered apron, creating the appearance of a double-thick slab of Taj Mahal Quartzite. Even the dog has his own quartz top at his feeding station! With a large window over the sink flanked by sconces, full-height backsplashes really completed the look.”
Photo courtesy of Tim Snyder.

A person’s home is the place where their personality can flourish. In this client’s case, it was their love for their native homeland of Kenya, Africa. One of the main challenges with these space was to remain within the client’s budget. It was important to give this home lots of character, so hiring a faux finish artist to hand-paint the walls in an African inspired pattern for powder room to emphasizing their existing pieces was the perfect solution to staying within their budget needs. Each room was carefully planned to showcase their African heritage in each aspect of the home. The main features included deep wood tones paired with light walls, and dark finishes. A hint of gold was used throughout the house, to complement the spaces and giving the space a bit of a softer feel.

Transforming this open loft space into a functional and stylish family room was no small feat. Serving as both a central gathering area and a thoroughfare to other top-floor rooms, the layout presented unique challenges. Shweta boldly embraced these obstacles by enveloping the entire space in a rich, moody green hue, creating an illusion of greater expanse.
With a keen eye for design, she meticulously zoned the room into distinct yet interconnected areas: a cozy seating ensemble, a captivating TV focal point, a practical hallway, and a custom-built bar. Remarkably, Shweta's DIY prowess came to the fore as she tackled every aspect of the project herself, from installing shiplap and a striking wallpaper mural to constructing the bespoke bar.
To furnish this versatile space, she selected a sophisticated linen sectional complemented by laid-back bean bag chairs, while opting for ottomans over a traditional coffee table to maximize comfort and flexibility. The bar area cleverly incorporates storage solutions, ensuring the room remains uncluttered and adaptable to various styling preferences. A curated collection of thrifted artwork adorns the walls, infusing the space with character and a delightful blend of old and new.

This basement remodel held special significance for an expectant young couple eager to adapt their home for a growing family. Facing the challenge of an open layout that lacked functionality, our team delivered a complete transformation.
The project's scope involved reframing the layout of the entire basement, installing plumbing for a new bathroom, modifying the stairs for code compliance, and adding an egress window to create a livable bedroom. The redesigned space now features a guest bedroom, a fully finished bathroom, a cozy living room, a practical laundry area, and private, separate office spaces. The primary objective was to create a harmonious, open flow while ensuring privacy—a vital aspect for the couple. The final result respects the original character of the house, while enhancing functionality for the evolving needs of the homeowners expanding family.

Designed by Lauren Hunt of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Charlotte, NC, this contemporary style kitchen features Ultracraft cabinets in the Acrilux door style in two finishes. The kitchen base cabinets feature an Ultralux Pure White High Gloss finish and the wall cabinets an Ultralux Midnight High Gloss finish. The kitchen countertops are Cambria Portrush and feature a waterfall edge design on each end of the island.
“I love this kitchen,” said Hunt. “Contemporary finishes like acrylics are extremely challenging to work with and can be very unforgiving, but with great risk comes great reward – and this finished project was definitely rewarding.”
“The clients were so fun to work with, and there wasn’t a single aspect of this design that they weren’t involved with. They love to cook, so it was extremely important that the kitchen functioned well with both of them working together while making the most of their storage space.”
Photos courtesy of Six Cents Media.

They always loved their house – its shape and size, and the piece of land it sits on; but the interior left a lot to be desired. In fact, they hated it. They wanted it to be aesthetically more pleasing and to have much more function and flow.
These homeowners challenged Lagois to make it the home of their dreams, and that’s exactly what happened. One of the homeowners loves to cook, but the kitchen was dark. The space was difficult and frustrating. The new kitchen is bigger, brighter, and more functional. It now has all the prep space he needs and the task lighting he always wanted.
They also love their new spa bathroom, which is beautiful and warm and exactly what they had in mind. One of the homeowners describes himself as fussy and impatient, and at first he had been anxious about the whole prospect of renovation. He said afterwards that the team made him feel comfortable, listened to, and unconcerned.
One factor that made them so at ease with choosing Lagois was the “in house” aspect of their services. The person who designed their home, the one who did the drawings, and the person who managed the construction are all Lagois employees. The homeowners liked knowing those critical functions weren’t outsourced.
Another thing they love about their home is the finishes that are exactly to their taste. The homeowners are delighted with the new interior of their home. It is now something they love – both outside and inside.

Gregg Waller of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Wilmington, NC collaborated with JC Hazelton Builders to design a farmhouse inspired kitchen featuring Green Forest and Masterpiece cabinetry.
The kitchen features Green Forest cabinets in the Park Place door style with a White finish for the perimeter, complemented with an island in the Masterpiece door style Turner in Maple with a Shortbread finish. Appliances and countertops were provided by others.
The client expressed their appreciation saying, “I literally love every aspect of our kitchen. It is exactly what we wanted. We did not have to sacrifice our vision which was a welcome experience. Gregg was so helpful in hearing what we wanted and then delivering. His knowledge about the products available really helped us achieve our design goals. He created digital examples of our kitchen, laundry and bathrooms which helped us in making our final decision.”
“The biggest challenge that I faced was creating the look the client wanted in their new home while staying within a budget that was set prior to our introduction. I decided that Green Forest Park Place cabinets would be the best choice for the majority of the project. Masterpiece cabinets were needed to get the exact color that the client wanted for the kitchen island,” explained Gregg.
“My favorite part of the design is the range wall. I like the way the warm wood tones of the hood balance the white shaker cabinets and brick backsplash. The clients were an absolute pleasure to work with. The excellent communication that I received from the client throughout definitely helped in the successful completion of the project!”
Photos courtesy of ShowSpaces Photography.

At Mayer's Construction & Remodeling, we're thrilled to announce the completion of our latest project: a stunning ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) addition in Menlo Park, CA. Our team of experts took on the challenge of designing and building a new unit that seamlessly integrates with the existing property. From the initial architectural plans to the finishing touches, we provided full-service solutions that transformed the space into a beautiful and functional living area. This ADU features a spacious new bathroom addition, complete with custom flooring, top-of-the-line fixtures, and expert installation. Our team took care of everything from painting to final detailing, ensuring that every aspect of the project met our high standards of quality and craftsmanship. We're proud to offer design to build services that help homeowners add value to their properties with beautiful and functional ADUs. If you're looking for an ADU addition in Menlo Park or the surrounding areas, look no further than Mayer's Construction & Remodeling. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let's bring your vision to life.

DESIGN + INNOVATION: Award of Excellence
PROJECT: RE_FAB Mobile Fabrication Lab
CLIENT: Ford College Community Challenge and Project RE_
ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Urban Design Build Studio
CONTRACTORS: Urban Design Build Studio
PHOTOGRAPHER: Urban Design Build Studio
DESCRIPTION: RE_FAB is a mobile fabrication lab that functions as an educational and digital fabrication tool with the capacity to serve schools, facilities, and communities. The project is designed to exploit and celebrate the potentials of the tools that it houses, and will house (full size CNC router, laser cutter, vacuum former, digital spatial scanner, and a 3D printer) and was funded by grants from two corporations interested in architecture community outreach projects.
JURY COMMENTS: This is a project that every jury member unanimously loved. Every aspect of its problem-solving design seemed smart and responsive, and it is those responses that resulted in a design that is both innovative and legible to what its function is intended to serve. Why is there not one of these in my neighborhood?

The Chess Sofa is in stock with either Left or Right Facing Chaise at 122" x 61"/37.5" with a 27.5" head roll and three 21.75" x 25.5" x 2.75" cushions. Removable cover included.
Quick Ship Fabric is Gr. 3 Tangent 37. Samples available upon request. Several configurations available for special order.
Design: Jens Juul Eilersen
Chess is both a sofa and a module system. Choose a sofa that is 210 or 230 cm long. Or build your own unlimited 'sofa landscape', with the varied range of end sections, chaise long sections, corner sections and the centre sections without armrests. Chess provides you with as many possible combinations as does a chess game. Choose your next move and put those modules into play that will make Chess your personal winner.
Chess is a piece of sofa furniture that's alive and also moves in the depth. Two seat depths of 95 cm and 115 cm plus a chaise long 155 cm long make the sofa a piece of furniture that can be used in numerous ways. When you build in different depths you achieve a versatile, creative and personal expression and boost sitting comfort, which the quality of the down upper seat guarantees.
Chess challenges by fusing contrasts. modern and classic design. Heaviness and lightness. The substantial and strong frame is combined with a light armrest in a classic cut. In this way, Chess's style shows a breadth that matches the system's usability and versatility. One particularly flexible aspect is that you can purchase chess as free-standing sections. Other options are removable frame covers, loose down pillows, moveable neck-roll pillows and armrest covers.

Designed by Lauren Hunt of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Charlotte, NC, this contemporary style kitchen features Ultracraft cabinets in the Acrilux door style in two finishes. The kitchen base cabinets feature an Ultralux Pure White High Gloss finish and the wall cabinets an Ultralux Midnight High Gloss finish. The kitchen countertops are Cambria Portrush and feature a waterfall edge design on each end of the island.
“I love this kitchen,” said Hunt. “Contemporary finishes like acrylics are extremely challenging to work with and can be very unforgiving, but with great risk comes great reward – and this finished project was definitely rewarding.”
“The clients were so fun to work with, and there wasn’t a single aspect of this design that they weren’t involved with. They love to cook, so it was extremely important that the kitchen functioned well with both of them working together while making the most of their storage space.”
Photos courtesy of Six Cents Media.
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