The mood and character of the great room in this open floor plan is beautifully and classically on display. The furniture, away from the walls, and the custom wool area rug add warmth. The soft, subtle draperies frame the windows and fill the volume of the 20' ceilings.

Great Room which is open to banquette dining + kitchen. The glass doors leading to the screened porch can be folded to provide three large openings for the Southern breeze to travel through the home. Photography: Garett + Carrie Buell of Studiobuell/ studiobuell.com

This dining room was the original home's living room. Notice the fire place? It's original - a new coat of paint has it looking brand new. It is one of the only rooms left from the original structure. The homeowners have their extended families nearby and often host large, informal dinners. They felt the large room was much better suited as their dining room, and opted to turn the original smaller dining room into a formal living room. The wainscoting on the walls and coffered ceilings are new, but constructed to look original. The salvaged wood farmhouse table is the perfect gathering spot for their family and a nice contrast to the more formal touches like the silk window treatments and subdued color palette. Photo by Mike Mroz of Michael Robert Construction

Elegant open concept dark wood floor family room photo in Chicago with beige walls

The master bedroom has a coffered ceiling and opens to the master bathroom. There is an attached sitting room on the other side of the free-standing fireplace wall (see other master bedroom pictures). The stunning fireplace wall is tiled from floor to ceiling in penny round tiles. The headboard was purchased from Pottery Barn, and the footstool at the end of the bed was purchased at Restoration Hardware.

Mid-sized trendy gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile and black floor powder room photo in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, gray countertops and a floating vanity

Example of a classic medium tone wood floor family room design in Louisville with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Candlelight Homes
Kitchen - large traditional l-shaped kitchen idea in Salt Lake City with stainless steel appliances, subway tile backsplash, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash and an island

Mary Prince Photography © 2012 Houzz
Beach style medium tone wood floor dining room photo in Boston with white walls

Large elegant u-shaped ceramic tile and beige floor open concept kitchen photo in San Diego with marble countertops, a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, beige backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This Houston kitchen remodel turned an outdated bachelor pad into a contemporary dream fit for newlyweds. The client wanted a contemporary, somewhat commercial look, but also something homey with a comfy, family feel. And they couldn't go too contemporary, since the style of the home is so traditional. The clean, contemporary, white-black-and-grey color scheme is just the beginning of this transformation from the previous kitchen, The revamped 20-by-15-foot kitchen and adjoining dining area also features new stainless steel appliances by Maytag, lighting and furnishings by Restoration Hardware and countertops in white Carrara marble and Absolute Black honed granite. The paneled oak cabinets are now painted a crisp, bright white and finished off with polished nickel pulls. The center island is now a cool grey a few shades darker than the warm grey on the walls. On top of the grey on the new sheetrock, previously covered in a camel-colored textured paint, is Sherwin Williams' Faux Impressions sparkly "Striae Quartz Stone." Ho-hum 12-inch ceramic floor tiles with a western motif border have been replaced with grey tile "planks" resembling distressed wood. An oak-paneled flush-mount light fixture has given way to recessed lights and barn pendant lamps in oil rubbed bronze from Restoration Hardware. And the section housing clunky upper and lower banks of cabinets between the kitchen an dining area now has a sleek counter-turned-table with custom-milled legs. At first, the client wanted to open up that section altogether, but then realized they needed more counter space. The table - a continuation of the granite countertop - was the perfect solution. Plus, it offered space for extra seating. The black, high-back and low-back bar stools are also from Restoration Hardware - as is the new round chandelier and the dining table over which it hangs. Outdoor Homescapes of Houston also took out a wall between the kitchen and living room and remodeled the adjoining living room as well. A decorative cedar beam stained Minwax Jacobean now spans the ceiling where the wall once stood. The oak paneling and stairway railings in the living room, meanwhile, also got a coat of white paint and new window treatments and light fixtures from Restoration Hardware. Staining the top handrailing with the same Jacobean dark stain, however, boosted the new contemporary look even more. The outdoor living space also got a revamp, with a new patio ceiling also stained Jacobean and new outdoor furniture and outdoor area rug from Restoration Hardware. The furniture is from the Klismos collection, in weathered zinc, with Sunbrella fabric in the color "Smoke."

Finecraft Contractors, Inc. Upton Architecture Soleimani Photography
Large elegant u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This beautiful kitchen was remodeled for a growing family in the Chicago suburbs. As they were purchasing a new home, they realized there were many drawbacks to the kitchen. It needed to be redesigned to meet their lifestyle and it made sense to do it before moving in. It was a large kitchen but the functional work space was very small. The work triangle was cumbersome and traffic flowed right through it. The existing kitchen had new red oak floors. They were beautiful, but dark red floors just aren’t practical for a growing family with dogs. THE REMODEL The first thing we did was redesign the space and reorient the layout with two islands. Incorporating a built-in banquette, instead of a table, freed up plenty of room for them. The islands are strategically placed in the opposite direction of the previous layout’s single island. This not only creates a better view from the family room, it keeps the traffic flow out of the work area while facilitating two separate workspaces. The small island incorporates a new prep sink. It’s right across from the cooking area, which is a new focal point with a gorgeous new metal hood. The larger island incorporates a Galley Workstation with accessories for efficient prep, expediting and serving. The 4′ sink makes post-meal clean-up a breeze. The butler’s pantry just outside the kitchen was large enough to create a new beverage center for morning coffee and cocktail prep. An ice maker was added to this area but there wasn’t enough room for a new wine cooler and refrigerator drawers. A separate area using previously unused space was added to the kitchen (by the table) – it includes a new wine cooler and cold beverage drawers. This is framed nicely with some glass door cabinets and a lighted open niche above for decorative display. STRATEGIC DESIGN A combination of colors and finishes highlight different focal points in the kitchen – this includes a slate blue, a soft grey and a light whitewashed stain on rift-cut oak. The stained white oak makes the wine cooler and refrigeration areas look more like furniture pieces instead of kitchen cabinets. The floors were refinished with a very light grey stain that enabled us to lighten up the color and get the red out of the finish. A new ceiling was designed to add architectural detail to the space – it includes three separate tray areas with new crown molding and lighting. THE RENEWED SPACE This stunning new kitchen is the perfect fit for the family and their home – the finishes and design elements flow beautifully into the adjoining spaces. It fulfills all of the family’s dreams for a beautiful and comfortable space that is functional and versatile.

Mid-sized transitional formal living room photo in Calgary