Blackolive Photographic
Inspiration for a rustic u-shaped eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, limestone countertops, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash and paneled appliances

In the dining room, we created a dramatic arched entrance with stained walnut raised-paneling. We added a painted beam ceiling with tongue and groove V-notch slats to add interest and texture to the 10 ’ ceiling. To create trim with a flowing, seamless appearance, we integrated drapery cornices into the crown molding. Intense sun penetrates the room and led to the creation of a three-part window treatment. We incorporated stationary drapery panels for acoustics and to soften edges. We added roman shades for solar control and a gothic-inspired arched valance in embossed linen for a formal accent. The valance is a soft echo of the gothic motif on the fireplace surround in the home’s adjacent keeping room. On the walls, we had the installer cut grass cloth into squares and alternate their direction when he was hanging. This creates a subtle visual effect that changes as the sun dances through the room and you walk around the space. Square nail heads punctuate the intersections by being turned and set on their tips, creating a 3-dimensional diamond shape. Chris Little Photography

Wow! What a “Great Room!” This phrase, taken in both its literal & literary meanings is one of the best ways to describe this amazing project. “Great room” def: a large room in a house that combines features of a living room with those of a dining room or family room. Check! We designed this project to extend the livable space of the house. With its wide A Frame porch, it allows for ample space to gather around the fireplace, relax in the mid-day heat or simply sit & marvel at the craftsmanship. We held nothing back on the detail, using reclaimed barn wood to create gorgeous beams, crown molding that wraps around the room, and custom curved detailing in the open gable. Reaching out to the side, we enter an intimate dining space featuring a built-in kitchen, a vinyl pergola & continued the stonework over, tying everything together! Lighting throughout the job was picked out by the homeowner & installed by our tech’s Plus, we built it with low maintenance products; Timbertech decking & Keylink aluminum railing – meaning, there is no sanding or staining!

Back porch continues Craftsman theme but with a slightly more modern twist. Deck was designed to integrate and wrap pre-existing monumental hardwood - Architecture/Interior Design/Renderings/Photography: HAUS | Architecture - Construction Management: WERK | Building Modern

New Additions to Hoover + Hill This project is a continuation of the renovation and updating work Flavin Architects had previously completed at the 1958 Wales house, designed by architect Henry Hoover and Walter Hill. Our clients, a young family, desired more space for guests, a home office, a yoga studio, and covered car parking. The challenge was to respect the architects’ original vision and not to interfere with the perfect cruciform plan of the house. To accomplish these goals, we converted the existing garage/workshop structure into a guest house and then designed a new, separate carport/storage building. The new carport building shares the low-slope gable of the original Hoover structure. The post and beam structure characteristic of Hoover’s design is updated through the use of galvanized steel posts and I beams. The galvanized beams cantilever to support a sheltered walkway leading from the parking to a guest house terrace defined in relationship to the three structures surrounding it. The terrace is paved in slate with a central rain garden. Wood lattice clads the carport, providing good ventilation and letting the building glow like a lantern at night. Our guest house renovation celebrates the unique structural timber ceiling of the original garage. We replaced opaque plywood trusses with a slender cable truss structurally engineered by Webb Structural Services. This cable truss allows for a view of the timber ceiling. A wall of glass facing the courtyard replaced the original garage door. A murphy bed in the rear room enables quick conversion from guest quarters to weight room.

Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography Builder: Colonial Builders - Tim Schollart Interior Designer: Laura Davidson This large estate house was carefully crafted to compliment the rolling hillsides of the Midwest. Horizontal board & batten facades are sheltered by long runs of hipped roofs and are divided down the middle by the homes singular gabled wall. At the foyer, this gable takes the form of a classic three-part archway. Going through the archway and into the interior, reveals a stunning see-through fireplace surround with raised natural stone hearth and rustic mantel beams. Subtle earth-toned wall colors, white trim, and natural wood floors serve as a perfect canvas to showcase patterned upholstery, black hardware, and colorful paintings. The kitchen and dining room occupies the space to the left of the foyer and living room and is connected to two garages through a more secluded mudroom and half bath. Off to the rear and adjacent to the kitchen is a screened porch that features a stone fireplace and stunning sunset views. Occupying the space to the right of the living room and foyer is an understated master suite and spacious study featuring custom cabinets with diagonal bracing. The master bedroom’s en suite has a herringbone patterned marble floor, crisp white custom vanities, and access to a his and hers dressing area. The four upstairs bedrooms are divided into pairs on either side of the living room balcony. Downstairs, the terraced landscaping exposes the family room and refreshment area to stunning views of the rear yard. The two remaining bedrooms in the lower level each have access to an en suite bathroom.

Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in Other

Our adjustable louvered pergolas can help you make the most out of your space. Worried about the rain? Simply pivot the louvers into the closed position so you can continue to lounge outside.

Tom Holdsworth Photography Our clients wanted to create a room that would bring them closer to the outdoors; a room filled with natural lighting; and a venue to spotlight a modern fireplace. Early in the design process, our clients wanted to replace their existing, outdated, and rundown screen porch, but instead decided to build an all-season sun room. The space was intended as a quiet place to read, relax, and enjoy the view. The sunroom addition extends from the existing house and is nestled into its heavily wooded surroundings. The roof of the new structure reaches toward the sky, enabling additional light and views. The floor-to-ceiling magnum double-hung windows with transoms, occupy the rear and side-walls. The original brick, on the fourth wall remains exposed; and provides a perfect complement to the French doors that open to the dining room and create an optimum configuration for cross-ventilation. To continue the design philosophy for this addition place seamlessly merged natural finishes from the interior to the exterior. The Brazilian black slate, on the sunroom floor, extends to the outdoor terrace; and the stained tongue and groove, installed on the ceiling, continues through to the exterior soffit. The room's main attraction is the suspended metal fireplace; an authentic wood-burning heat source. Its shape is a modern orb with a commanding presence. Positioned at the center of the room, toward the rear, the orb adds to the majestic interior-exterior experience. This is the client's third project with place architecture: design. Each endeavor has been a wonderful collaboration to successfully bring this 1960s ranch-house into twenty-first century living.

Imagine a lazy morning in this casually elegant kitchen, sipping your freshly brewed coffee as natural light pours through floor to ceiling windows. Then imagine being in this kitchen sipping your morning coffee and gazing out at the beautiful rolling landscape of one of New England’s prestigious golf clubs. Imagine . . . The owner of this beautiful contemporary kitchen with its idyllic setting imagined ! And her kitchen designer captured her imagination and brought this inspired space to life in both style and function. Columns of stainless steel are balanced by columns with the warmth of birch wood with just a hint of stain. On an adjacent wall one more wood column rises from floor to ceiling. A strong horizontal line of cabinetry seemingly intersects the vertical columns. While contemporary in design, the cabinetry in this kitchen found its beginnings with the Shakers and the designers of the Craftsman period. Increasing the size of the framing on the doors, accenting the cabinet shapes with square-edged trim and blocks of wood at varying depths, thinly slicing and randomly sizing the natural stone on the accent wall, and choosing oversized stainless steel handles definitively bring this kitchen forward in time. Recycled glass countertops in a soft, quiet color continue to help this kitchen live so harmoniously with its surroundings. As the day unfolds and the lazy morning turns into ambitious meal preparation, it is clear that this kitchen is a chef’s delight. The stainless steel columns incorporate double ovens, a microwave and a steam oven. Two wood columns house a refrigerator and a freezer. The separate wood column reveals pantry storage, and a TV is hidden behind a lift-up door. On the island with its clean, rectangular shape two dishwashers flank the sink. Imagine ! how much more pleasant the task of clean-up is when you overlook the family living space and vista beyond. In the cook center, a complement of drawers provides excellent storage for pots and pans, utensils, spices and herbs around the 5-burner cooktop. A powerful vent with a rear exhaust maintains the horizontal design of the space. And the freshly-brewed coffee in the morning ? It comes from a built-in coffee maker that’s just around the corner from the refrigerator. Along with a wine refrigerator, it creates a beverage and serving center between the kitchen and the dining room. The homeowner envisioned a kitchen that is as beautiful as its surroundings. Her kitchen designer wanted her kitchen to be as functional as it is beautiful. Both agree that this kitchen lives up to their expectations!

Floating kitchen island effect.
Example of a minimalist kitchen design in London

photo by Pedro Marti The goal of this renovation was to create a stair with a minimal footprint in order to maximize the usable space in this small apartment. The existing living room was divided in two and contained a steep ladder to access the second floor sleeping loft. The client wanted to create a single living space with a true staircase and to open up and preferably expand the old galley kitchen without taking away too much space from the living area. Our solution was to create a new stair that integrated with the kitchen cabinetry and dining area In order to not use up valuable floor area. The fourth tread of the stair continues to create a counter above additional kitchen storage and then cantilevers and wraps around the kitchen’s stone counters to create a dining area. The stair was custom fabricated in two parts. First a steel structure was created, this was then clad by a wood worker who constructed the kitchen cabinetry and made sure the stair integrated seamlessly with the rest of the kitchen. The treads have a floating appearance when looking from the living room, that along with the open rail helps to visually connect the kitchen to the rest of the space. The angle of the dining area table is informed by the existing angled wall at the entry hall, the line of the table is picked up on the other side of the kitchen by new floor to ceiling cabinetry that folds around the rear wall of the kitchen into the hallway creating additional storage within the hall.

The owners wanted a spa-like feel for their master bath. We designed the space with floating cabinets, Vox above-counter sinks, and a drop-in soaking tub with a porcelain tile surround. The addition of the Eldorado stone ties the exterior together with the interior for design continuity. Interior Design Hagerstown, MD.

Modern House Productions
Family room - large traditional open concept medium tone wood floor family room idea in Minneapolis with a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace, a media wall and gray walls

Photographer: William J. Hebert • The best of both traditional and transitional design meet in this residence distinguished by its rustic yet luxurious feel. Carefully positioned on a site blessed with spacious surrounding acreage, the home was carefully positioned on a tree-filled hilltop and tailored to fit the natural contours of the land. The house sits on the crest of the peak, which allows it to spotlight and enjoy the best vistas of the valley and pond below. Inside, the home’s welcoming style continues, featuring a Midwestern take on perennially popular Western style and rooms that were also situated to take full advantage of the site. From the central foyer that leads into a large living room with a fireplace, the home manages to have an open and functional floor plan while still feeling warm and intimate enough for smaller gatherings and family living. The extensive use of wood and timbering throughout brings that sense of the outdoors inside, with an open floor plan, including a kitchen that spans the length of the house and an overall level of craftsmanship and details uncommon in today’s architecture. •

Our clients for this project are a professional couple with a young family. They approached us to help with extending and improving their home in London SW2 to create an enhanced space both aesthetically and functionally for their growing family. We were appointed to provide a full architectural and interior design service, including the design of some bespoke furniture too. A core element of the brief was to design a kitchen living and dining space that opened into the garden and created clear links from inside to out. This new space would provide a large family area they could enjoy all year around. We were also asked to retain the good bits of the current period living spaces while creating a more modern day area in an extension to the rear. It was also a key requirement to refurbish the upstairs bathrooms while the extension and refurbishment works were underway. The solution was a 21m2 extension to the rear of the property that mirrored the neighbouring property in shape and size. However, we added some additional features, such as the projecting glass box window seat. The new kitchen features a large island unit to create a workspace with storage, but also room for seating that is perfect for entertaining friends, or homework when the family gets to that age. The sliding folding doors, paired with floor tiling that ran from inside to out, created a clear link from the garden to the indoor living space. Exposed brick blended with clean white walls creates a very contemporary finish throughout the extension, while the period features have been retained in the original parts of the house.

Inspiration for a large coastal l-shaped light wood floor, beige floor and vaulted ceiling open concept kitchen remodel in San Diego with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, quartz backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

The yard between our Waverley Street Residences features a fire pit and separate dining area where family and friends can gather. Cesar Rubio Photography

The Lake Point House is an interpretation of New Hampshire's lakeshore vernacular. While designed to maximize the lake experience, the house is carefully concealed from the shore and positioned to preserve trees and site features. The lake side of the house is a continuous wall of glass, capped by timbered eaves and anchored by monumental stone chimneys. Along the main entry sequence, the view is revealed through a series of thresholds that mark the progression of arrival and appreciation of this treasured place.