This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

September, Date and Time TBD | Saratoga Blackwell Hillside Garden by Rebecca Dye and Hank Helbush of Design Focus International Each detail of this spectacular Saratoga landscape was considered with its hillside site in mind, from the size of the pool to the choice of antique stone masonry. Working closely with the owner, the landscape architects created a series of intimate garden spaces on three terraces. At the top of the site, entertainment is the name of the game where a bocce ball court and a fire pit take advantage of the site’s commanding views of the Santa Clara Valley. Below the house, a jewel-like pool captures the eye, with its intricate glass-tile and bronze water jets. At its end, a seating area and fireplace are shaded by an arbor covered with climbing roses, adding both fragrance and hue. Visitors descend a series of terraced stone stairs set into the hillside, punctuated by raised beds of strawberries, lavender, artichokes, and citrus. A formal parterre flower garden on the terrace is replanted periodically with colorful blooms in acknowledgment of the changing seasons. Photo by Lauren Devon

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

September, Date and Time TBD | Saratoga Blackwell Hillside Garden by Rebecca Dye and Hank Helbush of Design Focus International Each detail of this spectacular Saratoga landscape was considered with its hillside site in mind, from the size of the pool to the choice of antique stone masonry. Working closely with the owner, the landscape architects created a series of intimate garden spaces on three terraces. At the top of the site, entertainment is the name of the game where a bocce ball court and a fire pit take advantage of the site’s commanding views of the Santa Clara Valley. Below the house, a jewel-like pool captures the eye, with its intricate glass-tile and bronze water jets. At its end, a seating area and fireplace are shaded by an arbor covered with climbing roses, adding both fragrance and hue. Visitors descend a series of terraced stone stairs set into the hillside, punctuated by raised beds of strawberries, lavender, artichokes, and citrus. A formal parterre flower garden on the terrace is replanted periodically with colorful blooms in acknowledgment of the changing seasons. Photo by Lauren Devon

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

This was one of our most unique staircase projects to date. The natural oak balustrade screen had to all be hand fabricated on site, which truly demonstrates the emphasis Stairworks has on attention to detail. The challenge wasn’t just to get all the timber perfectly straight, but it was doing this with all the normal site challenges as well. The oak treads are glued on to the solid steel staircase with an adhesive to hide any potential fixings. This has become a very popular option at the moment with our floating stairs, fitting into the modern contemporary interior home design.

September, Date and Time TBD | Saratoga Blackwell Hillside Garden by Rebecca Dye and Hank Helbush of Design Focus International Each detail of this spectacular Saratoga landscape was considered with its hillside site in mind, from the size of the pool to the choice of antique stone masonry. Working closely with the owner, the landscape architects created a series of intimate garden spaces on three terraces. At the top of the site, entertainment is the name of the game where a bocce ball court and a fire pit take advantage of the site’s commanding views of the Santa Clara Valley. Below the house, a jewel-like pool captures the eye, with its intricate glass-tile and bronze water jets. At its end, a seating area and fireplace are shaded by an arbor covered with climbing roses, adding both fragrance and hue. Visitors descend a series of terraced stone stairs set into the hillside, punctuated by raised beds of strawberries, lavender, artichokes, and citrus. A formal parterre flower garden on the terrace is replanted periodically with colorful blooms in acknowledgment of the changing seasons. Photo by Lauren Devon

The grey trend has evolved in the last twelve months. Nowadays browns, beige and a touch of grey are in demand. Greige is the new buzzword. Heavier hand scraped or contoured products, the rage that started around 2005 has taken a back seat in most areas, while a softer wire brushed "ceruse effect" seen mostly on White Oak has been remarkably strong showing no effects of becoming “dated” like the others mentioned. Ceruse Color Possibilities There are numerous color combinations to the "cerused" process with the most popular being white or off white. This design trend in hardwood flooring can have darker gray white oak with a mild ceruse off white effect. There are limitless possibilities in either a prefinished hardwood floor or with what we can create for you in a custom on-site finished hardwood floor. If something suits your fancy, contact us and we can work on creating just the look and sense of style you are looking for.

September, Date and Time TBD | Saratoga Blackwell Hillside Garden by Rebecca Dye and Hank Helbush of Design Focus International Each detail of this spectacular Saratoga landscape was considered with its hillside site in mind, from the size of the pool to the choice of antique stone masonry. Working closely with the owner, the landscape architects created a series of intimate garden spaces on three terraces. At the top of the site, entertainment is the name of the game where a bocce ball court and a fire pit take advantage of the site’s commanding views of the Santa Clara Valley. Below the house, a jewel-like pool captures the eye, with its intricate glass-tile and bronze water jets. At its end, a seating area and fireplace are shaded by an arbor covered with climbing roses, adding both fragrance and hue. Visitors descend a series of terraced stone stairs set into the hillside, punctuated by raised beds of strawberries, lavender, artichokes, and citrus. A formal parterre flower garden on the terrace is replanted periodically with colorful blooms in acknowledgment of the changing seasons. Photo by Lauren Devon

September, Date and Time TBD | Saratoga Blackwell Hillside Garden by Rebecca Dye and Hank Helbush of Design Focus International Each detail of this spectacular Saratoga landscape was considered with its hillside site in mind, from the size of the pool to the choice of antique stone masonry. Working closely with the owner, the landscape architects created a series of intimate garden spaces on three terraces. At the top of the site, entertainment is the name of the game where a bocce ball court and a fire pit take advantage of the site’s commanding views of the Santa Clara Valley. Below the house, a jewel-like pool captures the eye, with its intricate glass-tile and bronze water jets. At its end, a seating area and fireplace are shaded by an arbor covered with climbing roses, adding both fragrance and hue. Visitors descend a series of terraced stone stairs set into the hillside, punctuated by raised beds of strawberries, lavender, artichokes, and citrus. A formal parterre flower garden on the terrace is replanted periodically with colorful blooms in acknowledgment of the changing seasons. Photo by Lauren Devon

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Open concept kitchen - large contemporary l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets, metallic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, white walls, an undermount sink, medium tone wood cabinets, marble countertops, metal backsplash and two islands

A Distinctly Contemporary West Indies 4 BEDROOMS | 4 BATHS | 3 CAR GARAGE | 3,744 SF The Milina is one of John Cannon Home’s most contemporary homes to date, featuring a well-balanced floor plan filled with character, color and light. Oversized wood and gold chandeliers add a touch of glamour, accent pieces are in creamy beige and Cerulean blue. Disappearing glass walls transition the great room to the expansive outdoor entertaining spaces. The Milina’s dining room and contemporary kitchen are warm and congenial. Sited on one side of the home, the master suite with outdoor courtroom shower is a sensual retreat. Gene Pollux Photography

This remodel included: new wood flooring in sunken living room site-finished to match existing birch floor in the hallway above (shown); removal of old white trim wrap on posts and beam and replaced with maple; complete redesign of fireplace (see before); custom bench and floor to ceiling art shelving; buffet to replace dated built-in unit; new furniture and styling to include client's art collection

David Livingston
Eat-in kitchen - rustic u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Sacramento with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, concrete countertops, window backsplash, a peninsula, gray countertops and paneled appliances