Jesse Prezza Photography
Living room - farmhouse living room idea in Jacksonville

U-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Kansas City with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Photography by: Mark Lohman Styled by: Sunday Hendrickson
Small country light wood floor and brown floor sunroom photo in Little Rock with a standard ceiling and no fireplace

Alcove shower - coastal 3/4 double-sink alcove shower idea in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door, multicolored countertops and a built-in vanity

Ryan Fung Photography
Bathroom - transitional bathroom idea in Toronto

Gazebo, Covered Wood Structure, Outdoor Fireplace, Outdoor Living Space, Concrete Paver Hardscape, Ambient Lighting, Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting,

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Inspiration for an u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Kansas City with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

design + art direction: barbara schmidt, studiobstyle.com faucet: "Pekoe chrome faucet", americanstandard-us.com wallcovering: "Kasari Ikat", fschumacher.com Stove Tile: Jeffrey Court "Arica" glass tile, tilexdesign.com Pot Filler: Jado Contemporary pot filler, jadousa.com stove + fridge: 30" Wolf range hood and Sub-Zero refridgerator, rothdistributing.com Rug: aubryangelo.com countertops/lower cabinets- brite white #459, island: top- natural concrete #603, front-white ash #8841-WR, formica.com

Danish white tile medium tone wood floor and brown floor bathroom photo in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

An Arts & Crafts Bungalow is one of my favorite styles of homes. We have quite a few of them in our Stockton Mid-Town area. And when C&L called us to help them remodel their 1923 American Bungalow, I was beyond thrilled. As per usual, when we get a new inquiry, we quickly Google the project location while we are talking to you on the phone. My excitement escalated when I saw the Google Earth Image of the sweet Sage Green bungalow in Mid-Town Stockton. "Yes, we would be interested in working with you," I said trying to keep my cool. But what made it even better was meeting C&L and touring their home, because they are the nicest young couple, eager to make their home period perfect. Unfortunately, it had been slightly molested by some bad house-flippers, and we needed to bring the bathroom back to it "roots." We knew we had to banish the hideous brown tile and cheap vanity quickly. But C&L complained about the condensation problems and the constant fight with mold. This immediately told me that improper remodeling had occurred and we needed to remedy that right away. The Before: Frustrations with a Botched Remodel The bathroom needed to be brought back to period appropriate design with all the functionality of a modern bathroom. We thought of things like marble countertop, white mosaic floor tiles, white subway tile, board and batten molding, and of course a fabulous wallpaper. This small (and only) bathroom on a tight budget required a little bit of design sleuthing to figure out how we could get the proper look and feel. Our goal was to determine where to splurge and where to economize and how to complete the remodel as quickly as possible because C&L would have to move out while construction was going on. The Process: Hard Work to Remedy Design and Function During our initial design study, (which included 2 hours in the owners’ home), we noticed framed images of William Morris Arts and Crafts textile patterns and knew this would be our design inspiration. We presented C&L with three options and they quickly selected the Pimpernel Design Concept. We had originally selected the Black and Olive colors with a black vanity, mirror, and black and white floor tile. C&L liked it but weren’t quite sure about the black, We went back to the drawing board and decided the William & Co Pimpernel Wallpaper in Bayleaf and Manilla color with a softer gray painted vanity and mirror and white floor tile was more to their liking. After the Design Concept was approved, we went to work securing the building permit, procuring all the elements, and scheduling our trusted tradesmen to perform the work. We did uncover some shoddy work by the flippers such as live electrical wires hidden behind the wall, plumbing venting cut-off and buried in the walls (hence the constant dampness), the tub barely balancing on two fence boards across the floor joist, and no insulation on the exterior wall. All of the previous blunders were fixed and the bathroom put back to its previous glory. We could feel the house thanking us for making it pretty again. The After Reveal: Cohesive Design Decisions We selected a simple white subway tile for the tub/shower. This is always classic and in keeping with the style of the house. We selected a pre-fab vanity and mirror, but they look rich with the quartz countertop. There is much more storage in this small vanity than you would think. The Transformation: A Period Perfect Refresh We began the remodel just as the pandemic reared and stay-in-place orders went into effect. As C&L were already moved out and living with relatives, we got the go-ahead from city officials to get the work done (after all, how can you shelter in place without a bathroom?). All our tradesmen were scheduled to work so that only one crew was on the job site at a time. We stayed on the original schedule with only a one week delay. The end result is the sweetest little bathroom I've ever seen (and I can't wait to start work on C&L's kitchen next). Thank you for joining me in this project transformation. I hope this inspired you to think about being creative with your design projects, determining what works best in keeping with the architecture of your space, and carefully assessing how you can have the best life in your home.

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen idea in Orange County with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface countertops, multicolored backsplash, matchstick tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Small transitional side yard concrete and rectangular lap pool photo in Dallas

Example of an u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen design in Kansas City with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Inspiration for an u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Kansas City with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Large cottage master white tile and porcelain tile light wood floor and beige floor freestanding bathtub photo in Bridgeport with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Richard Leo Johnson
Inspiration for a coastal porch remodel in Atlanta with a fire pit and a roof extension

White tile and stone tile porcelain tile, gray floor and double-sink drop-in bathtub photo in Kansas City with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, a one-piece toilet, pink walls, a drop-in sink, marble countertops, multicolored countertops and a built-in vanity