A Lake Michigan Home gets a Modern Refresh from Dresner Design. Photos by Tony Soluri. This couple moved from Chicago’s Wicker Park to a rural setting but wanted to maintain their modern aesthetic. Scott Dresner of Dresner Design created a light bright clean-lined kitchen perfect for the couple’s need to entertain. Must have’s included a drawer for over sixty spices, storage for three sets of dishes, a coffee bar, and a huge island the couple uses for entertaining. The palette is mostly white to maximize outdoor views. Constraints were plenty both timeline and budgetary. Dresner came up with some creative solutions, which allowed the homeowners to save on cabinetry and materials and splurge on appliances.

Much consideration was given to views that surround the home. The home sits on a reservoir and has breathtaking views from almost every room that the designers wanted to honor. The home is infused with natural and earthy elements throughout, but the application is decidedly more contemporary. A stacked stone wall becomes the “spine” of the home, linking the exterior to the interior, and suggests a line of separation between the public and private spaces in the home.

The Alder shaker cabinets in the mud room have a ship wall accent behind the matte black coat hooks. The mudroom is off of the garage and connects to the laundry room and primary closet to the right, and then into the pantry and kitchen to the left. This mudroom is the perfect drop zone spot for shoes, coats, and keys. With cubbies above and below, there's a place for everything in this mudroom design.

Large mountain style open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor game room photo in Salt Lake City with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a concealed tv

These South Shore of Boston homeowners desired a larger kitchen as their existing had limited space to host family events and entertain guests – they turned to Renovisions to help transform their small, outdated kitchen with separate walk-in pantry into a beautiful, open and spacious inspirational room. Choosing the right cabinetry for the room and how to meet the needs of the client was critical to the overall success of this design. A traditional style was the framework of the home and the flat paneled doors on the white painted cabinetry support this aspect. Going vertical as possible with cabinets is a trend here to stay; keeping with that idea, we recommended the graceful tall pantry cabinet that flanks one side of the kitchen. This not only lends to an eye-appealing furniture-look, but adds significant storage space, allowing the cabinets to store items they may not use on a regular basis. In this case, the clients are amazed with the amount of storage they’ve gained and one that provides easy access to all interior items. Every inch of space was key to create this optimally functional kitchen. Must-haves such as tray dividers above the refrigerator are handy and the double pull-out trash/recycling bins on the right side of the sink were a simple and clean way to gain floor space and conceal unsightly trash. The focal point of this kitchen is the expansive, soft-grey colored contrasting island with larger, deeper drawers for pots, pans and platters. The client was excited to switch to an induction chef-series range that featured a divided oven that can accommodate two different temperatures. Fit and finish is important in any renovation and this certainly holds true in this kitchen project to personalize their space. The custom recessed panel columns with wainscot details add an architectural element that ties into the kitchen cabinet design and Carrera-look quartz countertops which provide a stunning classical look that ties nicely with the overall traditional style. These homeowners are excited to show off their open and spacious Renovision! “We really enjoyed our new kitchen and it’s amazing improvement over the holidays. We got rave reviews from all of our guests!” Steve & Mary S. (Duxbury)

A historic house in Portland, Oregon undergoes a rejuvenating remodel, transforming a dusty attic into a beautiful modern space, creating warmth through the use of natural materials and vivid pops of color. Photo by Jeff Amram Photography

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Example of a mid-sized transitional open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room design in Austin with white walls, a brick fireplace, a standard fireplace and a concealed tv

Curly willow, red Eucalyptus and assorted greens are aglow on a crisp December night. The source of the light is a battery operated fixture tied into a timer.

Thse clients came to me for a kitchen refresh. Keeping the existing floor plan but updating as much as possible. After explaining my thoughts, they chose to go with a much larger project. The wall to the garage wash pushed bach 12" to allow for the island to happen. This almost couldn't happen as there is a support post in the garage we had to keep. I designed the last pantry area as on 10" deep, allowing us to conceal that behind the cabinets. Then, we opend up the wall to the dining room to make the rooms one large space. The wall to the family room was also openend up, leaving the half wall to allow for the kitchen eating area. They wanted to incorporate a bar area, without it feeling like a "bar" The fabulous tall custom unit houses their wine collection and then half of the dining room buffet area holds glassware and other bar items. I helped the clients with all of the design choices.We all wanted to keep the space classic, war, functional and with mixed materials. I chose to use the same countertop material for the backsplash, to keep the space feeling as large as possible.

This is a great house. Perched high on a private, heavily wooded site, it has a rustic contemporary aesthetic. Vaulted ceilings, sky lights, large windows and natural materials punctuate the main spaces. The existing large format mosaic slate floor grabs your attention upon entering the home extending throughout the foyer, kitchen, and family room. Specific requirements included a larger island with workspace for each of the homeowners featuring a homemade pasta station which requires small appliances on lift-up mechanisms as well as a custom-designed pasta drying rack. Both chefs wanted their own prep sink on the island complete with a garbage “shoot” which we concealed below sliding cutting boards. A second and overwhelming requirement was storage for a large collection of dishes, serving platters, specialty utensils, cooking equipment and such. To meet those needs we took the opportunity to get creative with storage: sliding doors were designed for a coffee station adjacent to the main sink; hid the steam oven, microwave and toaster oven within a stainless steel niche hidden behind pantry doors; added a narrow base cabinet adjacent to the range for their large spice collection; concealed a small broom closet behind the refrigerator; and filled the only available wall with full-height storage complete with a small niche for charging phones and organizing mail. We added 48” high base cabinets behind the main sink to function as a bar/buffet counter as well as overflow for kitchen items. The client’s existing vintage commercial grade Wolf stove and hood commands attention with a tall backdrop of exposed brick from the fireplace in the adjacent living room. We loved the rustic appeal of the brick along with the existing wood beams, and complimented those elements with wired brushed white oak cabinets. The grayish stain ties in the floor color while the slab door style brings a modern element to the space. We lightened the color scheme with a mix of white marble and quartz countertops. The waterfall countertop adjacent to the dining table shows off the amazing veining of the marble while adding contrast to the floor. Special materials are used throughout, featured on the textured leather-wrapped pantry doors, patina zinc bar countertop, and hand-stitched leather cabinet hardware. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by adding two walnut linear pendants over the island that create a sculptural effect and coordinated them with the new dining pendant and three wall sconces on the beam over the main sink.

Bathroom - bathroom idea in New York

With enormous rectangular beams and round log posts, the Spanish Peaks House is a spectacular study in contrasts. Even the exterior—with horizontal log slab siding and vertical wood paneling—mixes textures and styles beautifully. An outdoor rock fireplace, built-in stone grill and ample seating enable the owners to make the most of the mountain-top setting. Inside, the owners relied on Blue Ribbon Builders to capture the natural feel of the home’s surroundings. A massive boulder makes up the hearth in the great room, and provides ideal fireside seating. A custom-made stone replica of Lone Peak is the backsplash in a distinctive powder room; and a giant slab of granite adds the finishing touch to the home’s enviable wood, tile and granite kitchen. In the daylight basement, brushed concrete flooring adds both texture and durability. Roger Wade

The attic space was transformed from a cold storage area of 700 SF to usable space with closed mechanical room and 'stage' area for kids. Structural collar ties were wrapped and stained to match the rustic hand-scraped hardwood floors. LED uplighting on beams adds great daylight effects. Short hallways lead to the dormer windows, required to meet the daylight code for the space. An additional steel metal 'hatch' ships ladder in the floor as a second code-required egress is a fun alternate exit for the kids, dropping into a closet below. The main staircase entrance is concealed with a secret bookcase door. The door hardware is a concealed pivoting hinge that can withstand 700 pounds, and opens weightlessly. One Room at a Time, Inc.

Alyssa Kirsten
Inspiration for a small contemporary single-wall medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in New York with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble countertops, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and a farmhouse sink

The great room, with beamed ceiling, tension rods, and huge windows. Roger Wade photo.
Living room - large transitional open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Other with green walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a concealed tv

This room is a subtle melody of sandy and earthy tones. Scott Moore Photography
Large transitional open concept light wood floor family room photo in Atlanta with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a concealed tv

Once a full height brick fireplace, a cast stone fireplace now stands in it's place with an antique mirror inset. Custom cabinets were constructed to hold a TV entertainment system, have display, compliment the style of the house, and work with the high ceilings. Full panled drapes were introduced to finish the room. Justin Schmauser Photography

Inspiration for a transitional bedroom remodel in Chicago

A second laundry area was added during an attic renovation project that included a bedroom, full bath and closet. The challenge in the laundry room was to make a small, narrow, windowless space highly functional with a full size washer and dryer, light and bright and maximize storage. The solution was to center the washer/drawer between barn doors that open to the hallway to bedroom to provide easy and full access to appliances. An outlet was added in the cabinet to accommodate charging a small hand held vacuum. Around the corner, built in shelves with woven baskets neatly contain odds and ends, while a folding counter, drawers and rod, provide a concealed area for rolling hampers and a place to hang dry clothing. Accessories personalize and warm the space. The warmer white color scheme in this room and traditional barn doors needed to tie in with the rest of the home while providing a transition to a cleaner, whiter, teen boho-style bedroom, bath and closet.