Chipper Hatter
Inspiration for a large timeless kitchen remodel

This Houston kitchen remodel and whole-house redesign was nothing less than a time machine - zooming a 40-year-old living space into 2017! "The kitchen had formica countertops, old wood cabinets, a strange layout and low ceilings," says Lisha Maxey, lead designer for Outdoor Homescapes of Houston and owner of LGH Design Services. "We basically took it down to the studs to create the new space. It even had original terrazzo tile in the foyer! Almost never see that anymore." The new look is all 2017, starting with a pure white maple wood for the new kitchen cabinetry and a 13-foot butcher block island. The china hutch, beam and columns are walnut. The small kitchen countertop (on fridge side) is Corian. The flooring is solid hickory with a natural stain. The backsplash is Moroccan blue glass. On the island, Outdoor Homescapes added a small, stainless steel prep sink and a large porcelain sink. All finishes are brushed stainless steel except for the pot filler, which is copper. "The look is very transitional, with a hearty mix of antiques the client wanted incorporated and the contemporary open concept look of today," says Lisha. "The bar stools are actually reclaimed science class stools that my client picked up at a local fair. It was an awesome find!"

Upstate Door makes hand-crafted custom, semi-custom and standard interior and exterior doors from a full array of wood species and MDF materials. Genuine Mahogany, 5-panel door with 17-lite tripled leaded glass over panel custom sidelites, fluted pilasters, crown and dental detail

garden view of master bathroom addition Rick Ueda, photographer

Modern design meets opulence in this gold-plated 20-inch high table lamp. It has a 12-inch wide, oat-colored, linen, drum lampshade that delivers soft lighting. The base is a round, hollow lattice shape with a solid gold pipe as its neck. Keeping in tune with its modern design, it has a clear lamp cord with an inline switch. To be used with a maximum 60-watt lightbulb. Light bulb not included.

Inspiration for a modern home design remodel in Phoenix

Curtis and Peggy had been thinking of a kitchen remodel for quite some time, but they knew their house would have a unique set of challenges. Their older Victorian house was built in 1891. The kitchen cabinetry was original, and they wanted to keep the authenticity of their period home while adding modern comforts that would improve their quality of life. A friend recommended Advance Design Studio for their exceptional experience and quality of work. After meeting with designer Michelle Lecinski at Advance Design, they were confident they could partner with Advance to accomplish the unique kitchen renovation they’d been talking about for years. “We wanted to do the kitchen for a long, long time,” Curtis said. “(We asked ourselves) what are we actually going to do? How are we going to do this? And who are we going to find to do exactly what we want?” The goal for the project was to keep the home renovation and new kitchen feeling authentic to the time in which it was built. They desperately wanted the modern comforts that come with a larger refrigerator and the dishwasher that they never had! The old home was also a bit drafty so adding a fireplace, wall insulation and new windows became a priority. They very much wanted to create a comfortable hearth room adjacent to the kitchen, complete with old world brick. The original cabinetry had to go to make way for beautiful new kitchen cabinetry that appears as if it was a hundred years old, but with all the benefits of cutting-edge storage, self-closing drawers, and a brand-new look. “We just wanted to keep it old looking, but with some modern updates,” Peggy said. Dura Supreme Highland Cabinets with a Heritage Old World Painted Finish replaced the original 1891 cabinets. The hand-applied careful rubbed-off detailing makes these exquisite cabinets look as if they came from a far-gone era. Despite the small size of the kitchen, Peggy, Curtis and Michelle utilized every inch with custom cabinet sizes to increase storage capacity. The custom cabinets allowed for the addition of a 24” Fisher Paykel dishwasher with a concealing Dura Supreme door panel. Michelle was also able to work into the new design a larger 30” Fisher Paykel French refrigerator. “We made every ¼ inch count in this small space,” designer Michelle said. “Having the ability to custom size the cabinetry was the only way to achieve this.” “The kitchen essentially was designed around the Heartland Vintage range and oven,” says Michelle. A classic appliance that combines nostalgic beauty and craftsmanship for modern cooking, with nickel plated trim and elegantly shaped handles and legs; the not to miss range is a striking focal point of the entire room and an engaging conversation piece. Granite countertops in Kodiak Satin with subtle veining kept with the old-world style. The delicate porcelain La Vie Crackle Sonoma tile kitchen backsplash compliments the home’s style perfectly. A handcrafted passthrough designed to show off Peggy’s fine china was custom built by project carpenters Justin Davis and Jeff Dallain to physically and visually open the space. Additional storage was created in the custom panty room with Latte Edinburg cabinets, hand-made weathered wood shelving with authentic black iron brackets, and an intricate tin copper ceiling. Peggy and Curtis loved the idea of adding a Vermont stove to make the hearth-room not only functional, but a truly beckoning place to be. A stunning Bordeaux red Vermont Castings Stove with crisp black ventilation was chosen and combined with the authentic reclaimed Chicago brick wall. Advance’s talented carpenters custom-built elegant weathered shelves to house family memorabilia, installed carefully chosen barn sconces, and made the hearth room an inviting place to relax with a cup of coffee and a good book. “Peggy and Curtis’ project was so much fun to work on. Creating a space that looks and feels like it always belonged in this beautiful old Victorian home is a designer’s dream. To see the delight in their faces when they saw the design details coming together truly made it worth the time and effort that went into making the very compact kitchen space work”, said Michelle. “The result is an amazing custom kitchen, packed with functionality in every inch, nook and cranny!” exclaims Michelle. The renovation didn’t end with the kitchen. New Pella windows were added to help lessen the drafts. The removal of the original windows and trim necessitated the re-creation of hand-made corbels and trim details no longer available today. The talented carpenter team came to the rescue, crafting new pieces and masterfully finishing them as if they were always there. New custom gutters were formed and installed with a front entry rework necessary to accommodate the changes. The whole house functions better, but it still feels like the original 1891 home. “From start to finish it’s just a much better space than we used to have,” Peggy said. “Jeff and Justin were amazing.” Curtis added; “We were lucky to find Advance Design, because they really came through for us. I loved that they had everything in house, anything you needed to have done, they could do it”.

Example of a minimalist kitchen design in San Luis Obispo

Dining Room-Scope of Work Floors: (1) Repair termite & water damaged joists and subfloor below existing parquet. (2) Repair damaged parquet border and field. Shift east border to accomodate proposed bathroom (3) Cut openings for floor receptacles (4) Sand and refinish Walls & Ceiling: (1) Demo and replace ceiling. (2) Patch and repair walls. Bring plaster surfaces to Level 5 finish. (3) Replace ceiling medallion. Fenestration: Replace existing oversized double-hung window with french doors leading to terrace. Trimwork: (1) Shift east border to accomodate proposed bathroom (2) Repair damage from defunct radiant heating system (3) Provide new step incorporating ducting of HVAC stem. (4) Match historic millwork profiles for restoration elements (5) Provide new stain grade crown moulding using historic trimwork salvaged from Tulnoy Lumber in Bronx, NY. (6) Strip and refinish existing white oak trimwork. Lighting & Electrical: (1) Replace all wiring. (2) New receptacles spaced per current electrical code. (3) New ceiling fan with digital dimmer.

The wall behind the sink was the only area I could add a different material for the back splash. I did not want to add another texture so I continued the marble and used it to cap the 1/2 wall. I did not want the cap to stop at the full height wall so I continued the cap ledge, albeit shorter in depth, to the brick wall to make that splash one element. I added Angle Power strips under the 1/2 wall cap to avoid having to cut into the splash for a 4 x 3 outlet plate.

Elegant living room photo in San Francisco

Wes Norton
Mid-sized eclectic l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Miami with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, metallic backsplash, glass tile backsplash, black appliances and an island

Dining room - 1950s dining room idea in Los Angeles

The steam punk themed bathroom. high tank toilet, hammered copper sink on a black iron framed vanity. custom black gas pipe toilet paper holder & towel rack with pressure gauges and a false shut-off valve. the shower diverter valve came from https://www.calfaucets.com/. custom rain shower head. Steam Punk style light switch cover plate from https://theawesomer.com/. A black chalk painted door for leaving love notes in the morning. light sconces on the back-lit mirror.

The steam punk themed bathroom. high tank toilet, hammered copper sink on a black iron framed vanity. custom black gas pipe toilet paper holder & towel rack with pressure gauges and a false shut-off valve. the shower diverter valve came from https://www.calfaucets.com/. custom rain shower head. Steam Punk style light switch cover plate from https://theawesomer.com/. A black chalk painted door for leaving love notes in the morning. light sconces on the back-lit mirror.

The steam punk themed bathroom. high tank toilet, hammered copper sink on a black iron framed vanity. custom black gas pipe toilet paper holder & towel rack with pressure gauges and a false shut-off valve. the shower diverter valve came from https://www.calfaucets.com/. custom rain shower head. Steam Punk style light switch cover plate from https://theawesomer.com/. A black chalk painted door for leaving love notes in the morning. light sconces on the back-lit mirror.

A beautiful mess
Example of a small cottage chic women's light wood floor and beige floor walk-in closet design in London with open cabinets and green cabinets

Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman l-shaped eat-in kitchen remodel with a single-bowl sink, light wood cabinets, an island, recessed-panel cabinets, blue backsplash, stainless steel appliances, black countertops, granite countertops and mosaic tile backsplash