photos by Susan Teare
Example of a minimalist exterior home design in Burlington

Photo: Corynne Pless Photography © 2017 Houzz
Example of an eclectic living room design in Los Angeles

Our clients, a couple with four children, wanted to update their 1952 home with a mid-century feel, focusing on the main floor. The renovation emphasized enhancing finishes, optimizing storage, and maximizing seating in the dining and living areas. The entryway was designed to be inviting and practical, while the living room featured a statement sectional and a stunning terrazzo fireplace. The kitchen and dining area were transformed to be both functional and elegant, with playful touches like “Drunk Monkeys” wallpaper in the powder room.

Inspiration for a farmhouse partial sun backyard brick formal garden in Boston.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Our clients came to us looking to do some updates to their new condo unit primarily in the kitchen and living room. The couple has a lifelong love of Arts and Crafts and Modernism, and are the co-founders of PrairieMod, an online retailer that offers timeless modern lifestyle through American made, handcrafted, and exclusively designed products. So, having such a design savvy client was super exciting for us, especially since the couple had many unique pieces of pottery and furniture to provide inspiration for the design. The condo is a large, sunny top floor unit, with a large open feel. The existing kitchen was a peninsula which housed the sink, and they wanted to change that out to an island, relocating the new sink there as well. This can sometimes be tricky with all the plumbing for the building potentially running up through one stack. After consulting with our contractor team, it was determined that our plan would likely work and after confirmation at demo, we pushed on. The new kitchen is a simple L-shaped space, featuring several storage devices for trash, trays dividers and roll out shelving. To keep the budget in check, we used semi-custom cabinetry, but added custom details including a shiplap hood with white oak detail that plays off the oak “X” endcaps at the island, as well as some of the couple’s existing white oak furniture. We also mixed metals with gold hardware and plumbing and matte black lighting that plays well with the unique black herringbone backsplash and metal barstools. New weathered oak flooring throughout the unit provides a nice soft backdrop for all the updates. We wanted to take the cabinets to the ceiling to obtain as much storage as possible, but an angled soffit on two of the walls provided a bit of a challenge. We asked our carpenter to field modify a few of the wall cabinets where necessary and now the space is truly custom. Part of the project also included a new fireplace design including a custom mantle that houses a built-in sound bar and a Panasonic Frame TV, that doubles as hanging artwork when not in use. The TV is mounted flush to the wall, and there are different finishes for the frame available. The TV can display works of art or family photos while not in use. We repeated the black herringbone tile for the fireplace surround here and installed bookshelves on either side for storage and media components. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Matthew Millman
Bedroom - coastal bedroom idea in San Francisco

The attic was removed and opened to the spaces below in a vaulted great room. old redwood framing was used with steel to create a bridge connecting spaces on the upper level. photo by Eric Rorer

Raquel Langworthy
Example of a transitional bedroom design in New York

Ken Dahlin
1960s exterior home idea in Chicago

Unique features of this chef's kitchen include a Blue Star stove, Italian marble backsplash and custom copper hood.
Kitchen - mid-century modern kitchen idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, wood countertops, marble backsplash and beige countertops

Home theater - contemporary home theater idea in Miami

Another designer had already been hired to redo the interior, but once Ryan and Michael saw the finished backyard, they decided to hire Decor Aid to redesign the entire apartment, which included gut renovations of the kitchen and bathroom, a custom-made bar in the foyer, and a restyling of the bedroom and living room. The apartment already featured some wood and leather furniture pieces, and so the redesign had to incorporate these existing pieces, while balancing the couple’s neutral palette and welcoming personalities. Darker elements in the kitchen and bathroom were brought in to fit the couple’s modern, yet masculine style, and were contrasted with lighter, airy pieces, to keep smaller spaces from feeling claustrophobic. White marble and grey-washed wood tile was used to balance the matte black accents in the bathroom, while white cabinets and stainless steel appliances were used to balance the black tile backsplash and black countertops in the kitchen. To fit the hip industrial vibe of Hoboken, rustic wood details were incorporated to offset the sleek modern finish that is consistent throughout the apartment. A lighter wood flooring was used in the bathroom, to complement the other wood elements in the apartment. The living room and bedroom had already been repainted and refurnished, and so the restyling of each space had to feel cohesive with the existing elements. An organic cowhide rug offset the crisp lines in the bedroom, and dark linens were used to compliment the wood dresser and leather chair. The custom-built wood bar fit Ryan and Michael’s desire to transform their apartment into a space ready for entertaining, while tying together the apartment’s modern industrial look.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2016 Houzz
Cottage exterior home idea in New York

This inviting family room was designed to feel comfortable, colorful and family friendly. A custom green sectional offers plenty of seating around the stone fireplace. The bookcases display meaningful decor and hidden storage underneath. To elevate the room, we incorporated brass accents through the table lamps and large scale mirrors . This room is comfortable enough for family time and refined enough for entertaining.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2018 Houzz
Elegant kitchen photo in New York

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2015 Houzz
Island style living room photo in Los Angeles

Photography: Tiffany Ringwald Builder: Ekren Construction
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped brown floor and medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, an island, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and white countertops

Marisa Vitale Photography www.marisavitale.com
Inspiration for a large country master gray tile and ceramic tile white floor bathroom remodel in Los Angeles with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets and white walls

Photo: Le Michelle Nguyen © 2015 Houzz
Example of an eclectic living room design in San Francisco