Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Stylish brewery owners with airline miles that match George Clooney’s decided to hire Regan Baker Design to transform their beloved Duboce Park second home into an organic modern oasis reflecting their modern aesthetic and sustainable, green conscience lifestyle. From hops to floors, we worked extensively with our design savvy clients to provide a new footprint for their kitchen, dining and living room area, redesigned three bathrooms, reconfigured and designed the master suite, and replaced an existing spiral staircase with a new modern, steel staircase. We collaborated with an architect to expedite the permit process, as well as hired a structural engineer to help with the new loads from removing the stairs and load bearing walls in the kitchen and Master bedroom. We also used LED light fixtures, FSC certified cabinetry and low VOC paint finishes. Regan Baker Design was responsible for the overall schematics, design development, construction documentation, construction administration, as well as the selection and procurement of all fixtures, cabinets, equipment, furniture,and accessories. Key Contributors: Green Home Construction; Photography: Sarah Hebenstreit / Modern Kids Co.

Home bar - coastal home bar idea in Orange County

Rob Karosis
Inspiration for a timeless great room remodel in New York

Custom Metropolitan inset cabinets in Frosty White Countertops are ColorQuartz Calacatta Novus Walnut open drawers
Transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash and white countertops

Stunning staircase design - Contemporary Twilight Residential Interior Design Project in Aventura, Florida by DKOR Interiors. Photos by Alexia Fodere

The client decided that she was in her "forever home" and wanted to create a space that felt clean and fresh but referenced elements of a vintage aesthetic. Panel molding, gently swooping paintable wallpaper, a high-contrast palette and gleaming fixtures from Kohler's Artifacts line all contributed to the look. "I'm never leaving this room," she said when we were done--and somehow I believe that might just be true! Image shot by John Bilodeau

Cesar Rubio
Example of a mid-sized trendy single-wall medium tone wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen design in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Cabinet panels on a refrigerator are a beautiful way to hide your appliances in a fashionable way. This fridge is beautifully concealed with distressed painted cabinets from Dura Supreme. The paneled appliances help give this kitchen and old-world feel of a classic farmhouse kitchen that the homeowner wanted to create. A decidedly painterly palette of cabinet finishes from Dura Supreme Cabinetry pleases the most discerning of color connoisseurs. A painter’s palette could not be more abundantly appointed with the nearly limitless color selections available from Dura Supreme. The rich, hand-wiped stains and color saturated paints are beautiful on their own or enhanced with layers of glaze and hand-detailing to create an antiqued appearance. Many of Dura Supreme's glazed finishes reveal the soft brush strokes and subtle variations of the artisan (craftsman) that created the finish. And if you still can’t find the exact shade of your heart’s desire, Dura Supreme will create the perfect color just for you with our Custom Color-Match Program AND our Personal Paint Match Program. Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure Find a Dura Supreme Showroom near you today: http://www.durasupreme.com/dealer-locator

When our client came to us, she was stumped with how to turn her small living room into a cozy, useable family room. The living room and dining room blended together in a long and skinny open concept floor plan. It was difficult for our client to find furniture that fit the space well. It also left an awkward space between the living and dining areas that she didn’t know what to do with. She also needed help reimagining her office, which is situated right off the entry. She needed an eye-catching yet functional space to work from home. In the living room, we reimagined the fireplace surround and added built-ins so she and her family could store their large record collection, games, and books. We did a custom sofa to ensure it fits the space and maximized the seating. We added texture and pattern through accessories and balanced the sofa with two warm leather chairs. We updated the dining room furniture and added a little seating area to help connect the spaces. Now there is a permanent home for their record player and a cozy spot to curl up in when listening to music. For the office, we decided to add a pop of color, so it contrasted well with the neutral living space. The office also needed built-ins for our client’s large cookbook collection and a desk where she and her sons could rotate between work, homework, and computer games. We decided to add a bench seat to maximize space below the window and a lounge chair for additional seating.

Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white countertops

A kitchen block clad in polished metal together with the silvery flecks of the white-grey Corian® Arrowroot surface conveys a sense of opulence, while the dual Corian® Spicy sink in Glacier White sharply contrasts with the room’s traditional parquet. Tap Tara Classic by Dornbracht; floor Versailles by Parquet In.

Photography by Erhard Pfeiffer © Rizzoli
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless dining room remodel in San Francisco

Phillip Ennis Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary carpeted and gray floor home theater remodel in New York with gray walls

When this suburban family decided to renovate their kitchen, they knew that they wanted a little more space. Advance Design worked together with the homeowner to design a kitchen that would work for a large family who loved to gather regularly and always ended up in the kitchen! So the project began with extending out an exterior wall to accommodate a larger island and more moving-around space between the island and the perimeter cabinetry. Style was important to the cook, who began collecting accessories and photos of the look she loved for months prior to the project design. She was drawn to the brightness of whites and grays, and the design accentuated this color palette brilliantly with the incorporation of a warm shade of brown woods that originated from a dining room table that was a family favorite. Classic gray and white cabinetry from Dura Supreme hits the mark creating a perfect balance between bright and subdued. Hints of gray appear in the bead board detail peeking just behind glass doors, and in the application of the handsome floating wood shelves between cabinets. White subway tile is made extra interesting with the application of dark gray grout lines causing it to be a subtle but noticeable detail worthy of attention. Suede quartz Silestone graces the countertops with a soft matte hint of color that contrasts nicely with the presence of white painted cabinetry finished smartly with the brightness of a milky white farm sink. Old melds nicely with new, as antique bronze accents are sprinkled throughout hardware and fixtures, and work together unassumingly with the sleekness of stainless steel appliances. The grace and timelessness of this sparkling new kitchen maintains the charm and character of a space that has seen generations past. And now this family will enjoy this new space for many more generations to come in the future with the help of the team at Advance Design Studio. Dura Supreme Cabinetry Photographer: Joe Nowak

Photo: Adrienne DeRosa © 2015 Houzz In the master bathroom, the steam shower's enclosure mirrors the framework of the windows and doors used elsewhere in the home. Large white tile work organized in a subway pattern round out the period style, but with a decidedly modern edge. Making the shower large and curbless was a consideration with the future in mind. "We may need to be able to wheel in and out of there one day!" Stacy jokes. To the right of the shower, the wall opens up to reveal a concealed linen closet.

Architect: Christopher Hall Architect, Inc. Photgraphy: Warren Patterson
Example of a large ornate wooden curved staircase design in Boston with painted risers

Sollera Cabinetry Delta Addison Lav Faucet Flooring is Mohawk Mirador Cameo Beige. https://www.mohawkflooring.com/tile-search/Mirador/Cameo%20Beige/?return=ceramic.aspx||pp=25|page=5

This custom roof deck in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood features lightweight aluminum decking, ipe planters, an ipe and metal pergola, and ipe benches with built-in storage under the seats. Few woods can match the natural beauty of ipe (pronounced ee-pey), a hardwood with a 30-year life expectancy. These pictures were taken in early spring, before the leaves have filled out on the trees. Plantings include coralbark maples, hornbeams, pink cherry trees, crape myrtles, and feather grasses. The planters include LED up-lighting and automated drip irrigation lines. Read more about our projects on my blog, www.amberfreda.com.