Townhouse renovation in Brooklyn: We redesigned the rear end of the house as an expanded family kitchen with a back door to the deck. We also added a new connection from the entrance hall to the kitchen and fit a small powder room under the stairs. The old windows and doors were replaced with new, larger ones, and the entire kitchen was gutted and refitted with new cabinetry and a banquette dining area. The space was designed to take advantage of the bright southern exposure, with lots of white materials, grounded by the dark base cabinets. Photos by Maletz Design

An oversize island in walnut/sap wood holds its own in this large space. Imperial Danby marble is the countertop and backsplash. The stainless Sub Zero Pro fridge brings an exciting industrial note.

Christopher Lee
Beach style light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen photo in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

When the Gimbels department store chain closed in 1986, many of its selling floors were converted into luxury apartments, including those of this branch at 86th Street and Lexington Avenue. The retailer’s soaring ceilings allowed Axis Mundi to create bedroom mezzanine spaces overlooking the living and dining rooms. Defining them with translucent glass welcomed natural light while retaining privacy. Downstairs, spaces bleed one into another, their basic monochromatic black-and-white palette acting as a unifying leitmotif. Yet each space feels distinct, with its own programmatic purpose, a feat largely achieved by varying floor and wall treatments—a graphic tile pattern in the entry, a red wall in the hall leading to the master suite, a colorful area rug in the living room. In the retailer’s heyday, the then-common saying, “Would Macy’s tell Gimbels?” implied the strategies the competitors kept from each other to gain the upper hand. Here, a structure iconic in its day also conceals something: a handsome, wholly contemporary repurposing that represents just the sort of innovation that made Gimbels the celebrated name that it was.

Bobbi Smith
Inspiration for a rustic shed remodel in Miami

Bobbi Smith
Rustic exterior home idea in Miami

Walk-in closet - large transitional women's carpeted and white floor walk-in closet idea in Atlanta with open cabinets and white cabinets

Chad Kirkpatrick
Elegant kitchen photo in Portland with a farmhouse sink

Design ideas for a contemporary landscaping in Seattle.

Garage - garage idea in Milwaukee