This adorable beach cottage is in the heart of the village of La Jolla in San Diego. The goals were to brighten up the space and be the perfect beach get-away for the client whose permanent residence is in Arizona. Some of the ways we achieved the goals was to place an extra high custom board and batten in the great room and by refinishing the kitchen cabinets (which were in excellent shape) white. We created interest through extreme proportions and contrast. Though there are a lot of white elements, they are all offset by a smaller portion of very dark elements. We also played with texture and pattern through wallpaper, natural reclaimed wood elements and rugs. This was all kept in balance by using a simplified color palate minimal layering. I am so grateful for this client as they were extremely trusting and open to ideas. To see what the space looked like before the remodel you can go to the gallery page of the website www.cmnaturaldesigns.com Photography by: Chipper Hatter

Lucas Fladzinski
Living room - contemporary formal and open concept dark wood floor and black floor living room idea in San Francisco with a two-sided fireplace, gray walls, a tile fireplace and a media wall

Denali Custom Homes
Example of a mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and brown floor great room design in Minneapolis with beige walls and no fireplace

Nina Binder - Sister Moon
Enclosed dining room - traditional dark wood floor enclosed dining room idea in New York with gray walls and no fireplace

The kitchen needed to be lightened and brightened. Out with the dark mid-toned brown wood cabinets and in with freshly painted white cabinets. I transformed the counter area by having an all neutral backsplash for a clean and revived base. I added modern pendant lighting over the island and light wooden Hickory stools decorated with orange accents which gave it a fresh updated look. The owner is a lover of nature and animals, so I wanted to create a casual dining area with a modern twist especially since the space looks out onto the beautifully landscaped backyard. It was a natural choice for the owner to select art featuring two large aviaries filled with a colorful palette of birds, as she has a parrot of her own. Placing an elliptical Julian Chichester table and bright orange Design Within Reach chairs with a whimsical chandelier and vibrant patterned drapes gave the dining area a cheerfully updated look without spending a fortune.

Inspiration for an eclectic dark wood floor dining room remodel in Salt Lake City with gray walls

Mountain style medium tone wood floor great room photo in Denver with white walls and no fireplace

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary brown floor great room remodel in San Francisco with white walls

Dining room after the renovation. Construction by RisherMartin Fine Homes Interior Design by Alison Mountain Interior Design Landscape by David Wilson Garden Design Photography by Andrea Calo

This is the story about a kitchen that was showing it’s age with white countertops and dark oak cabinets on a dark oak floor. It all worked once, but now the kitchen felt dark, cramped and dysfunctional. The owners were looking for a total kitchen transformation. After a disastrous beginning with a contractor taking their money and vanishing into thin air, the owners were left with a completely gutted kitchen that consisted of only the walls. They hired Rick Jacobson to rescue them and restart the project. The new kitchen design began with the idea of using Cobalt Blue as a primary color. The blue seen on many glassware pieces is Cobalt Blue, and it was decided to use it in the tile for the kitchen, as well as the pendant lights. Another goal was to make the kitchen brighter with an easier traffic flow, as well as completely updated cabinetry. And there were traffic patterns to improve, a refrigerator to move, and exhaust vents to reroute. Rick Jacobson listened to the owners and worked to create the kitchen that the owners imagined. He began by thinking through the traffic flow patterns. He noted that the doorway from the dining room needed to be widened. He added rounded doorway headers to match the home’s existing décor. He carefully thought through where the kitchen island should be, including how opening the oven doors would be in relation to people sitting at the kitchen island at a family gathering. Kitchen cabinet touches include off edge flat panel doors, soft close wooden drawers, and a spice cabinet with two slide-out racks. The new longer center island features a drawer microwave that opens and closes automatically with the push of a button. The center island also features two recycling bins and seating for four. Rick even thought of adding decorative elements to the existing half wall to make it look in line with the kitchen island. The kitchen’s black granite countertops offer an unusually appealing view: There are lots of interesting reflections throughout the kitchen. Another of Rick’s touches is that all of the lights, including recessed ceiling lights, three cobalt blue pendant lights and below cabinet lights are on dimmers which work to balance daytime and nighttime lighting. The under mounted stainless steel single sink is complemented with a gooseneck faucet. The stainless steel gas range is thin enough to allow for a wide drawer below for utensils, and the stainless steel vent hood is vented through the ceiling to outdoors, allowing additional storage space in the top cabinets. Double ovens with white doors are the perfect match to the cabinets, with a location that makes baking and roasting easier with the two large vertical storage for baking sheets and supplies nearby. The result: A functional, open, bright and Cobalt blue kitchen.

This smaller dining area features a round dining table from the Modern Heritage collection by HGTV Furniture and Bassett Furniture. The timeless, sophisticated styling features neoclassical-inspired case detailing in a Cerise finish with antique copper hardware or in a Noire finish on select products. The table includes a leaf and is expandable up to 70". Also pictured are stylish Modern Heritage X back dining chairs, and a sideboard with 4 doors, adjustable shelves, silverware tray, UbaTube stone top inserts and a power strip.

dining room, work space, art gallery & collectible display all-in-one. featured in 'my houzz'. photo: Rikki Snyder
Enclosed dining room - small eclectic medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room idea in New York with multicolored walls and no fireplace

View from Office/Guest Bedroom to the Dining Room and Kitchen. Custom made barrister bookcases for glassware. Bernd and Hilla Becher photographs.
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped medium tone wood floor dining room remodel in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white walls

Thomas Kuoh
Kitchen/dining room combo - mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in San Francisco with gray walls

Example of a large transitional great room design in Miami with blue walls

Photography by Deb Scannell
Example of a trendy light wood floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Charlotte with white walls

Dining area with a blend of modern and farmhouse elements. Lighting form Tech, dining chairs form Kartell (black is the "Lenny Kravitz" edition). Perry Luxe flat-fold Roman shades constructed with Classic Cloth "Montaigne in Black Iris" textiles. West Elm dining table. Photo by David Agnello

Spyder Wood Dining Table delivers a delightfully original design and material combinations. Manufactured in Italy by Cattelan Italia, and designed by Philip Jackson, Spyder Wood Dining Table takes advantage of its high modern base and incorporates it with the more organically inclined top.

Near Italy’s northeast border lies the small town of Moimacco. Once an important stop along ancient trade routes, today, all of the modern furnishings offered by the Italian design house Bross are crafted in the quaint Italian town. Hallmarks of the Bross line of contemporary furniture are an attention to detail and a careful selection of quality materials, in particular, fine European woods. The Bross focus on fine craftsmanship lends an appealing, organic element to homes decorated in the modern interior design style. The company’s commitment to producing high quality modern furniture has attracted some of the finest designers, including Paolo Piva, Gerd Lange, Enzo Berti, Laprell and Althaus and Ennio Arosio. The room service 360° collection of Bross furnishings includes buffets, consoles and dining and coffee tables that demonstrate the extraordinary technical prowess and artistic vision of these world-renowned designers. Bross is the perfect choice for contemporary homes. Welcome to room service 360°, the premier destination for the world’s finest modern furniture. As an authorized dealer of the most respected furniture manufacturers in Europe, room service 360° is uniquely positioned to offer the most complete, most comprehensive and most exclusive collections of custom contemporary and modern furniture available on the market today. From world renowned designers at Bonaldo, Cattelan Italia, Fiam Italia, Foscarini, Gamma Arredamenti, Pianca, Presotto Italia, Tonelli and Tonin Casa, only the finest Italian furniture collections are represented at room service 360°. On our website you will find the latest collections from top European contemporary/modern furniture designers, leading Italian furniture manufacturers and many exclusive products. We are also proud and excited to offer our interior design blog as an ongoing resource for design fanatics, curious souls and anyone who is looking to be inspired. In our Philadelphia showroom we carefully select our products and change them frequently to provide our customers with the best possible mix through which they can envision their room’s décor and their life. This is the reason why many of our customers (thank you all!!!) travel for hours, and some fly to our store. This is the reason why we have earned the privilege to be the starting point for modern living for many of you.