Single, upwardly mobile attorney who recently became partner at his firm at a very young age. This is his first “big boy house” and after years of living college and dorm mismatched items, the client decided to work with our firm. The space was awkward occupying a top floor of a four story walk up. The floorplan was very efficient; however it lacked any sense of “wow” There was no real foyer or entry. It was very awkward as it relates to the number of stairs. The solution: a very crisp black and while color scheme with accents of masculine blues. Since the foyer lacked architecture, we brought in a very bold and statement mural which resembles an ocean wave, creating movement. The sophisticated palette continues into the master bedroom where it is done in deep shades of warm gray. With a sense of cozy yet dramatic.

Carla Crawford for Solares Architecture Inc.
Transitional ceramic tile and gray floor mudroom photo in Toronto with white walls

Tyler Homes has redefined the farmhouse with this two-story home. Elements like the wide front porch and board-and-batten siding echo traditional design, but modern features throughout the home give this farmhouse an urban feel. Knotty alder trim, hardwood floors, and sliding barn doors continue the rural theme on the main floor. The home’s galley-style kitchen with walk-in pantry, the vaulted great room, and a two-story fireplace add contemporary styling accented by rich wood trim and stone and iron accents. The first-floor master suite boasts a luxurious bath with doorless tile shower, and the walk-in closet offers access to the laundry room. Upstairs, two more bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bath, and a loft area overlooks the two-story entry and great room. On the walkout lower level, farm-style touches include wood trim and brick accents, but the space is clearly designed for contemporary living with its sunken family room, bar, and game room. A fourth bedroom and full bath complete the level.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   The Klimala’s and their three kids are no strangers to moving, this being their fifth house in the same town over the 20-year period they have lived there. “It must be the 7-year itch, because every seven years, we seem to find ourselves antsy for a new project or a new environment. I think part of it is being a designer, I see my own taste evolve and I want my environment to reflect that. Having easy access to wonderful tradesmen and a knowledge of the process makes it that much easier”. This time, Klimala’s fell in love with a somewhat unlikely candidate. The 1950’s ranch turned cape cod was a bit of a mutt, but it’s location 5 minutes from their design studio and backing up to the high school where their kids can roll out of bed and walk to school, coupled with the charm of its location on a private road and lush landscaping made it an appealing choice for them. “The bones of the house were really charming. It was typical 1,500 square foot ranch that at some point someone added a second floor to. Its sloped roofline and dormered bedrooms gave it some charm.” With the help of architect Maureen McHugh, Klimala’s gutted and reworked the layout to make the house work for them. An open concept kitchen and dining room allows for more frequent casual family dinners and dinner parties that linger. A dingy 3-season room off the back of the original house was insulated, given a vaulted ceiling with skylights and now opens up to the kitchen. This room now houses an 8’ raw edge white oak dining table and functions as an informal dining room. “One of the challenges with these mid-century homes is the 8’ ceilings. I had to have at least one room that had a higher ceiling so that’s how we did it” states Klimala. The kitchen features a 10’ island which houses a 5’0” Galley Sink. The Galley features two faucets, and double tiered rail system to which accessories such as cutting boards and stainless steel bowls can be added for ease of cooking. Across from the large sink is an induction cooktop. “My two teen daughters and I enjoy cooking, and the Galley and induction cooktop make it so easy.” A wall of tall cabinets features a full size refrigerator, freezer, double oven and built in coffeemaker. The area on the opposite end of the kitchen features a pantry with mirrored glass doors and a beverage center below. The rest of the first floor features an entry way, a living room with views to the front yard’s lush landscaping, a family room where the family hangs out to watch TV, a back entry from the garage with a laundry room and mudroom area, one of the home’s four bedrooms and a full bath. There is a double sided fireplace between the family room and living room. The home features pops of color from the living room’s peach grass cloth to purple painted wall in the family room. “I’m definitely a traditionalist at heart but because of the home’s Midcentury roots, I wanted to incorporate some of those elements into the furniture, lighting and accessories which also ended up being really fun. We are not formal people so I wanted a house that my kids would enjoy, have their friends over and feel comfortable.” The second floor houses the master bedroom suite, two of the kids’ bedrooms and a back room nicknamed “the library” because it has turned into a quiet get away area where the girls can study or take a break from the rest of the family. The area was originally unfinished attic, and because the home was short on closet space, this Jack and Jill area off the girls’ bedrooms houses two large walk-in closets and a small sitting area with a makeup vanity. “The girls really wanted to keep the exposed brick of the fireplace that runs up the through the space, so that’s what we did, and I think they feel like they are in their own little loft space in the city when they are up there” says Klimala. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Carlos Vergara For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

A Maximo Rialto Grand hexagon mosaic floor meets San Giorgio Calacatta porcelain flooring right at the frameless glass threshold, the two tile patterns reading as one continuous material story.

Perspective view starting from the built-in side-by-side refrigerator, looking through the full kitchen layout toward the window sink area. Continuous dark Shaker cabinetry runs along two walls, integrating oven, dishwasher and sink workstation in orderly arrangement. The central island separates walking circulation path and cooking zone, unified cabinet hardware, countertop and lighting system ensure standardized high-end finishing quality for this California residential remodel.

This main bath also serves as the Powder Room, so the desire was to make it feel more formal for guests, but not lose the complete functionality of a full bathroom. See BEFORE photos to compare! The tub was removed and a wall was added with a single swinging door into a walk-in shower. This sizable room was perfect for a large print wallpaper and this York wallpaper was the leading inspiration to selecting all the other materials for a warm, elegant, yet functional space. Since the shower will not be used regularly, hardwood floors from the main hall/foyer were continued into the room to increase the formality and feel of the room to be more like a powder room.

A clean, transitional-style kitchen with custom white shaker cabinets and a warm wood range hood. The marble-look quartz backsplash runs seamlessly to the countertop, creating a continuous, elegant surface. Black hardware and a professional-grade cooktop complete the modern yet timeless look.

After - night lighting; completed front planting bed; plants will continue to grow and fill in; new entry way with Belgard Hardscapes pavers; perennials and shrubs

A personal retreat where the homeowners could escape and relax was desired. Large scale porcelain heated tile, sapele wood for a natural element and layering of lighting were critical to make each area relaxing and spa like. A wood wall and textured tile feature creates a custom backdrop for the soaking freestanding bath. Backlit led vanity mirrors highlight the soft green mosaic tile and the pretty vessel sinks and wall mounted faucets. A multi function shower adds to the options for a spa like experience with a seat to relax as needed. A towel warmer is a luxury feature for after a soothing shower or bath. The master closet connects so the homeowners have easy access to the dressing area, and custom cabinets continue into this space for a cohesive overall feel.

Painted cabinets, light airy tiled backsplash, and an accent oven hood, painted to match the island continue the light coastal theme throughout the kitchen. A custom built quartz topped island was also added to give the family more seating and counter space. The accent island is painted a different color than the rest of the cabinets, and also provides a display shelf on one end and a built in kitchen aid microwave as well.

A Kohler lavatory faucet and under-mount Kohler sink interrupt the continuity of the Natural Alder cabinets and the Natural Alder Plantation Shutters. on the outside wall of this master bathroom.

Large trendy master white tile and porcelain tile beige floor alcove shower photo in San Diego with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, beige walls, granite countertops and a one-piece toilet

Tyler Homes has redefined the farmhouse with this two-story home. Elements like the wide front porch and board-and-batten siding echo traditional design, but modern features throughout the home give this farmhouse an urban feel. Knotty alder trim, hardwood floors, and sliding barn doors continue the rural theme on the main floor. The home’s galley-style kitchen with walk-in pantry, the vaulted great room, and a two-story fireplace add contemporary styling accented by rich wood trim and stone and iron accents. The first-floor master suite boasts a luxurious bath with doorless tile shower, and the walk-in closet offers access to the laundry room. Upstairs, two more bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bath, and a loft area overlooks the two-story entry and great room. On the walkout lower level, farm-style touches include wood trim and brick accents, but the space is clearly designed for contemporary living with its sunken family room, bar, and game room. A fourth bedroom and full bath complete the level.

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Bathroom - contemporary bathroom idea in San Francisco

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary master white tile and porcelain tile limestone floor, gray floor, double-sink and vaulted ceiling walk-in shower remodel in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a bidet, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops and a built-in vanity

Black walls and roof can really bring a room into a gloomy setting but with enough light and bright furniture it can create a lovely contrast
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless master light wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel with black walls

The bathroom at Rocky Point Residence in Palos Verdes Estates, California, showcases a thoughtful combination of natural materials and contemporary detailing. A walk-in shower enclosed in frameless glass features distinctive vertical mosaic tile, creating texture and visual interest throughout the space. A custom wood vanity with a natural stone countertop introduces warmth, complemented by dark contemporary fixtures and architectural lighting. The wood-plank ceiling continues the home's signature material palette, bringing consistency and character to this carefully considered interior.