Dedicated laundry room - transitional single-wall multicolored floor dedicated laundry room idea in Charlotte with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, white walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Living room - industrial open concept concrete floor living room idea in Portland with gray walls and a standard fireplace

Pool - transitional pool idea in Austin

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2017 Houzz
Example of a classic exterior home design in New York

Photography by William Quarles Designed by Red Element cabinets built by Robert Paige Cabinetry
Mid-sized beach style eat-in kitchen photo in Charleston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Photography: Alyssa Lee Photography
Mid-sized transitional 3/4 porcelain tile and multicolored tile porcelain tile and beige floor alcove shower photo in Minneapolis with a two-piece toilet, beige walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops, dark wood cabinets and shaker cabinets

David Wakely
Example of a small trendy single-wall medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen design in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets

Custom kitchen with Danby Marble and Pietra Cardosa Counters
Cottage u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

Small modern apartments benefit from a less is more design approach. To maximize space in this living room we used a rug with optical widening properties and wrapped a gallery wall around the seating area. Ottomans give extra seating when armchairs are too big for the space.

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and black countertops

Ryann Ford
Country two-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Austin

renovation and addition / builder - EODC, LLC.
Mid-sized elegant gray three-story wood house exterior photo in Boston with a shingle roof

Shigeru Ban: Metal Shutter House, 2010, New York, USA Photo by Michael Moran
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open concept medium tone wood floor living room remodel in New York with white walls and no tv

Transitional carpeted and gray floor kids' room photo in Tampa with gray walls

Photos courtesy of BrazelBerries Raspberry Shortcake - one of the Brazelberries
This is an example of a landscaping in Portland.

Cherry tomatoes ripe for the picking. photo: Eustacia Marsales
Inspiration for a farmhouse landscaping in New York.

Nestled in the pristine beauty of the north woods of Wisconsin is the natural landscape of majestic trees, clear spring fed lakes, fascinating wildlife and exhilarating outdoor recreational activities. It is inviting to many families, friends and couples throughout the year The lakes in particular provide for an enormous amount of fun and relaxation. For those so fortunate to have a property it is customary to have a boathouse to store your swimming or boating gear and equipment. Recently Parrett was selected to provide windows and doors for a new boathouse and replacement windows and doors for an existing home. The boathouse windows consisted of folding windows and doors allowing for opening the windows the complete 10 foot expanse. These same doors were backed by a full length horizontal pulled screen. The folding window system was set on the second level loft designed as an elevated viewing area of the lake. Mulled directly to the top of the folding window was a Napoleon shaped direct set. On the opposite side of the second level was a window system matching the shape of the lakeside window system. The upper mulled window was a duplicate of the window on the lake side however the window below consisted of four awning windows. Due to the awnings being elevated from the lower floor and not easily accessible the windows were set up with individual electronic motors for operation which can be operated by either a switch or a remote control. The system allows for operating all of the windows at once or individually. The windows were made out of solid mahogany to the interior and a high performance woodgrain aluminum clad to the exterior. The lower boathouse door is a four panel solid mahogany plank style folding door system with a horizontal pull screen. Greeting anyone entering the boathouse is a custom designed entry door which has a carved pattern to the exterior emulating an owl. The owl door was made out of solid white oak and bordered with a 10 inch wide flat casing with a 12 inch keystone and plinth blocks located on top. Parrett was proud to be part of this fun, picturesque and very functional project.

Angie Seckinger
Inspiration for a transitional medium tone wood floor closet remodel in DC Metro with open cabinets and white cabinets