Our client had not done anything with their landscaping for many years. Tin the front of their house they had a few tired berberris (barberry) shrubs in the front, creeping blue junipers, some large evergreens, and lots of empty spaces. They liked reds, greens, yellows, and blues (the junipers). We removed the berberris and other shrubs that had to go, but kept the larger evergreens and blue junipers. We installed plants approved by our client: Nandina domestica, red twig dogwoods (a Native plant), and Acorus Oborozuki. All plants are evergreen which they wanted. In the process, we re-shaped the beds a little and seeded an area that we returned to lawn. In the back of the house, the client had a beautiful deck with a lovely view. However, the area around the deck was totally bare. They wanted colorful perennials that were low maintenance. Since they do not spend time on the deck in the winter, we concentrated on plants in their color palette that flower in late spring, summer, and early fall. The plants will grow together to minimize weeds and maintenance. The shade perennials we planted are: Tricyrtis Samurai (Toad Lily), Ghost Fern, Male Fern (Native), Japanese Holly Fern, Autumn Fern, Astilbe Peach Blossom Dicentra, Ivory Hearts, Geranium Rozanne, Anemone Honorine Jobert

Self watering earth boxes are a practical solution to growing concentrated amounts of vegetables on a sunny roof top space.
Photo of a full sun rooftop mulch landscaping in Chicago for summer.

Iron cocktail table anchors a sectional and invites carefree entertaining. The custom chair fabric is repeated on pillows, and a uniquely patterned round wool area rug repeats the concentric circular geometry of the rustic cocktail table.

Pairing their love of Mid-Century Modern design and collecting with the enjoyment they get out of entertaining at home, this client’s kitchen remodel in Linda Vista hit all the right notes. Set atop a hillside with sweeping views of the city below, the first priority in this remodel was to open up the kitchen space to take full advantage of the view and create a seamless transition between the kitchen, dining room, and outdoor living space. A primary wall was removed and a custom peninsula/bar area was created to house the client’s extensive collection of glassware and bar essentials on a sleek shelving unit suspended from the ceiling and wrapped around the base of the peninsula. Light wood cabinetry with a retro feel was selected and provided the perfect complement to the unique backsplash which extended the entire length of the kitchen, arranged to create a distinct ombre effect that concentrated behind the Wolf range. Subtle brass fixtures and pulls completed the look while panels on the built in refrigerator created a consistent flow to the cabinetry. Additionally, a frosted glass sliding door off of the kitchen disguises a dedicated laundry room full of custom finishes. Raised built-in cabinetry houses the washer and dryer to put everything at eye level, while custom sliding shelves that can be hidden when not in use lessen the need for bending and lifting heavy loads of laundry. Other features include built-in laundry sorter and extensive storage.

No-body thought we could squeeze an office in there....but our client was adamant it was going to work.... At only 900mm wide, it became the cosiest corner in the house.....maximum return pr sq ft for our Clients for sure... A french-Style Free standing Partition crates that sound insulation for concentration, but at same time the contact with the young family, as well as a clear 'line of sight' expanding the boundaries of this Unique Space....

Main Line Kitchen Design’s unique business model allows our customers to work with the most experienced designers and get the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing.. . How can Main Line Kitchen Design offer both the best kitchen designs along with the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing? Our expert kitchen designers meet customers by appointment only in our offices, instead of a large showroom open to the general public. We display the cabinet lines we sell under glass countertops so customers can see how our cabinetry is constructed. Customers can view hundreds of sample doors and and sample finishes and see 3d renderings of their future kitchen on flat screen TV’s. But we do not waste our time or our customers money on showroom extras that are not essential. Nor are we available to assist people who want to stop in and browse. We pass our savings onto our customers and concentrate on what matters most. Designing great kitchens!

Main Line Kitchen Design’s unique business model allows our customers to work with the most experienced designers and get the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing.. . How can Main Line Kitchen Design offer both the best kitchen designs along with the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing? Our expert kitchen designers meet customers by appointment only in our offices, instead of a large showroom open to the general public. We display the cabinet lines we sell under glass countertops so customers can see how our cabinetry is constructed. Customers can view hundreds of sample doors and and sample finishes and see 3d renderings of their future kitchen on flat screen TV’s. But we do not waste our time or our customers money on showroom extras that are not essential. Nor are we available to assist people who want to stop in and browse. We pass our savings onto our customers and concentrate on what matters most. Designing great kitchens!

French lime stone in concentric circles
Huge beach style patio photo in Charleston

Pool photo in Philadelphia

Greenington’s Ascent Hi/Low desk allows you to easily sit or stand throughout your workday. Effortlessly change your position from sitting to standing, optimizing comfort for better concentration. With single-handed operation, the easy touch keypad adjusts the height level of your work surface, permitting healthy movement and variety for your posture. Four programmable memory settings quickly adjust to your most comfortable positions. Cable management keeps your desktop organized, and the electronic base includes dual motors to ensure a long and serviceable life. Ergonomically shaped for comfort, the Ascent desktop is crafted in beautiful solid Amber bamboo. Sustainable and earth friendly, Amber is not a chemical surface stain, the color is the result of an innovative process using heat, steam and pressure to entirely transform the entire solid material into Amber’s deep color. Discover the expert craftsmanship packed into each piece of Greenington bamboo furniture. Made using an earth friendly, renewable resource harvested from fully sustainable and rapidly growing forests. Features: • Crafted in solid Moso bamboo • No plywood, particle board, or MDF • Eco-friendly, sustainable resource • 20% harder than Red Oak • Solid Amber bamboo desktop • Super quiet dual motor system • Adjustable Height 24” - 50” • Four programmable memory settings • Cord management • Adjustable floor protectors

This hillside home in Piedmont, CA was remodeled to change the style from a 1940's rancher with eight foot ceilings and dark interiors, into a modern geometric composition with vast white interiors for casual living and generous daylighting for displaying the artist-owner's works. In a city known for rigorous and difficult design review, an addition, two variances, and a full stylistic change were unanimously approved on the first round. All sloped roofs and attics were eliminated and replaced by a series of stacked and overlapping flat roofs. This made the house taller on the inside and shorter on the outside, which helped earn design review cooperation in the community. Windows were concentrated toward the rear yard views or moved up high on the side walls for daylight and privacy, benefitting the owners as well as the neighbors. At the start, the owner husband was so enthusiastic and engaged in transforming his house into something modern that he presented the architect with a scaled foamcore model, rather than the usual magazine clippings and wish list. He participated in the design decisions throughout the process. The owner wife is the artist who did all the artwork in the house. She had been craving a display space with large walls and good natural light. Both of them loved the location and great views. The project was an opportunity to transform the style of an older traditional home into a modern one, while solving numerous problems. By rebuilding the 1800 ft2 top of the 3-story home it was possible to change the style of the whole building, since the lower floors were a neutral base, and also to change the lifestyle of the owners, who wanted to move their master suite upstairs and live primarily on the top floor as empty nesters. Going into the project, the architect knew there were multiple encroachments into the setbacks and potential privacy issues with close by neighbors. He approached this as a complex puzzle made up of architectural and political pieces which all had to fit together elegantly. It took many careful moves, small and large, to arrive at a serene and cohesive result that tied old and new together seamlessly. The design-build contractor worked closely with the owners and handled all of the construction phase documents and design adjustments, adding ideas of their own to make the project really sing. The project was a collaboration in three acts. The owner had a strong design concept from the start. The architect developed it into a realistic project and garnered the design approvals. Then the contractor executed brilliantly.

Kitchen Over 150K If you ever found yourself shopping for a new home, finding a model home, falling in love with this model home and immediately signing on the dotted line. Yet after a few months of moving into your new home you realize that the kitchen and the layout of main level will not work out for your lifestyle. The model home you fell in love with was furnished with beautiful furniture distracting you from concentrating on what is really important to you. This is what happened to this couple in Ashburn, VA, after purchasing their dream home. The kitchen lacked natural light, while its location was not ideal and was disrupting their daily routine. After a careful review of the kitchen design, a plan was formed to upgrade the kitchen. Their kitchen was moved to a location between the two-story family room and front dining room. To the left of the family room there was a breakfast eating area that was not serving any purpose. Our design incorporated the breakfast area placed along a couple feet from an adjacent pantry space to create this new dream kitchen. By knocking down a few bearing walls, we have placed the main sink area under large backside windows. Now the kitchen can look into their beautiful backyard. A major load bearing wall between the old breakfast room and adjacent two-story family was taken down and a big steel beam took the place of that, creating a large seamless connection between the new kitchen and the rest of the home. A large island was implemented with a prep sink, microwave, and with lots of seating space around it. Large scale professional appliances along with stunning mosaic backsplash tiles complement this amazing kitchen design. Double barn style door in front of the pantry area sets off this storage space tucked away from rest of the kitchen. All the old tile was removed and a matching wide plank distressed wood floor was installed to create a seamless connection to rest of the home. A matching butler pantry cabinet area just outside of dining room and a wine station/drink serving area between family room and main foyer were added to better utilize the multi-function needs of the family. The custom inset cabinetry with double layers and exotic stone counter top, distressed ceiling beams, and other amenities are just a few standouts of this project.

This beautiful custom home project in Coto de Caza, California, was created by Elevation Ave. Concentrating on a total home remodel, our designers created a delicate yet earthy feel for this home. A complete family room redesign beginning with custom built-in bookcases; a custom dining room to elevate the dining experience; and a staircase with custom railing and woodwork. Unlike other design companies in the area, we specialize in design-build, meaning we work with our clients every step of the way. Since 2001, we have offered beautiful remodels, renovations, and upgrades to homes throughout Orange County. If you are interested in a free Design Consultation please contact us at +1 (949) 459-9663

The clients called me on the recommendation from a neighbor of mine who had met them at a conference and learned of their need for an architect. They contacted me and after meeting to discuss their project they invited me to visit their site, not far from White Salmon in Washington State. Initially, the couple discussed building a ‘Weekend’ retreat on their 20± acres of land. Their site was in the foothills of a range of mountains that offered views of both Mt. Adams to the North and Mt. Hood to the South. They wanted to develop a place that was ‘cabin-like’ but with a degree of refinement to it and take advantage of the primary views to the north, south and west. They also wanted to have a strong connection to their immediate outdoors. Before long my clients came to the conclusion that they no longer perceived this as simply a weekend retreat but were now interested in making this their primary residence. With this new focus we concentrated on keeping the refined cabin approach but needed to add some additional functions and square feet to the original program. They wanted to downsize from their current 3,500± SF city residence to a more modest 2,000 – 2,500 SF space. They desired a singular open Living, Dining and Kitchen area but needed to have a separate room for their television and upright piano. They were empty nesters and wanted only two bedrooms and decided that they would have two ‘Master’ bedrooms, one on the lower floor and the other on the upper floor (they planned to build additional ‘Guest’ cabins to accommodate others in the near future). The original scheme for the weekend retreat was only one floor with the second bedroom tucked away on the north side of the house next to the breezeway opposite of the carport. Another consideration that we had to resolve was that the particular location that was deemed the best building site had diametrically opposed advantages and disadvantages. The views and primary solar orientations were also the source of the prevailing winds, out of the Southwest. The resolve was to provide a semi-circular low-profile earth berm on the south/southwest side of the structure to serve as a wind-foil directing the strongest breezes up and over the structure. Because our selected site was in a saddle of land that then sloped off to the south/southwest the combination of the earth berm and the sloping hill would effectively created a ‘nestled’ form allowing the winds rushing up the hillside to shoot over most of the house. This allowed me to keep the favorable orientation to both the views and sun without being completely compromised by the winds.

I recently completed the renovation of a Multi-Coloured Slate tiled kitchen floor in Sutton Coldfield. I was actually at the property before Christmas to survey the floor and quote for the work however the owners had planned to have a new kitchen installed in the new year, so we decided it was best for me to wait until after the installation to complete the work. The slate was in good condition but like any stone floor you do need to maintain the sealer to prevent dirt becoming ingrained in the stone. Sealer do wear off overtime especially in the high foot traffic areas such as Kitchens and within a few years the tiles become dull and difficult to clean effectively. The kitchen was installed on schedule and I got the call to arrange a visit to deep clean and reseal the floor which would take to two days, one to clean and one to seal. To begin the restoration, I soaked the slate in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in for about ten minutes re-applying extra solution where it dried. Pro-Clean is a powerful tile cleaner that will strip old sealers when applied in concentrated form. I agitated the product using a black pad fitted to a rotary buffing machine. I paid particular attention to the grout which the customer had trouble keeping clean. The rotary pad struggles to reach into the recesses of the grout lines so I also made sure to scrub the solution into the grout with a grout brush. Once I was satisfied that the Slate and the Grout was clean and clear of old sealers, I gave the whole floor a thorough rinse with water using a wet vacuum to extract the soil and get the floor as dry as possible. The floor was then left to dry off fully overnight. Returning to the property the next day, I ran some quick damp tests to check for any excess moisture that might have prevented me from sealing the floor. We will always do this as excess moisture can affect the sealer curing. The customer was very happy with the clean and the floor was dry, so we discussed sealer options to find out their preference for Matt or Satin finish. With the decision made to go with a Satin finish I began the application of the Tile Doctor Seal and Go which enhances the look of the stone with an aesthetically pleasing low-sheen finish, as well as providing on-going protection against ingrained dirt and staining. A total of four coats of Seal and Go were needed to seal the Slate tiles and as you can see from the photos the sealer really put the life back into the floor. Trevor Preece Staffordshire Tile Doctor

Linao Photo
Open concept kitchen - mid-sized modern galley medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen idea in Montreal with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white appliances, an island and beige countertops

This study was completed in Nolensville, Tennessee after an in-depth discussion with the RSU Design Team. A private room of this magnitude and functionality have everything you need to help you concentrate on the most pressing of tasks at hand. As you enter the room through the french doors your eyes are immediately drawn to the hardwood flooring which is accentuated by the wainscot panelling. The detailed craftsmanship of the custom molded mantel, showcasing the cambria hearth/ fireplace, provide this room with a formal yet cozy setting to encourage intimate discussions. The focal point of this room is the intricately designed shelving and cabinetry located directly behind the desk.

The couple requested that an alcove be converted into a homework space for their two children. They hoped for 2 separate desks plus storage space. The space is 5’-6” x 8’-6”. The long wall has a large bank of windows and a 12” x 12” electrical chase running along the floor under the windows. The children are aged 4 and 7 right now, and the space needs to accommodate them as they grow. The space could not accommodate two back-to-back desks with sufficient circulation space. Thus, the corner space was leveraged for both desks and storage. The custom designed desks provide plenty of layout space and elbow room for the student along the front edge. The deep corners are fitted with custom wall units for storage. More storage is found above, below and between the desks. The desk and deep corner storage units are designed to accommodate the children’s growth. The desks have a second set of legs to raise them to standard adult height. The corner units have an open storage space at the bottom that becomes hidden under the desk top when the desk top is raised in the coming years. The design provides a finished look now, when only one desk top is raised, and when both desks are eventually raised. The design also encourages concentration. The desks face away from each other. Cabinet placement ensures that chairs won’t bump into one another when pushing away from the desk. The balance between neutral and colored surfaces is designed to provide enough color to attract a child’s interest, but not enough to overstimulate or distract. Photo by Alex Steinberg Photography

Main Line Kitchen Design’s unique business model allows our customers to work with the most experienced designers and get the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing.. . How can Main Line Kitchen Design offer both the best kitchen designs along with the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing? Our expert kitchen designers meet customers by appointment only in our offices, instead of a large showroom open to the general public. We display the cabinet lines we sell under glass countertops so customers can see how our cabinetry is constructed. Customers can view hundreds of sample doors and and sample finishes and see 3d renderings of their future kitchen on flat screen TV’s. But we do not waste our time or our customers money on showroom extras that are not essential. Nor are we available to assist people who want to stop in and browse. We pass our savings onto our customers and concentrate on what matters most. Designing great kitchens!