Layered in timeless blues, soft greens, and warm creams, this space balances tradition with everyday comfort. Thoughtfully designed with family in mind, the room invites both connection and quiet moments—ample seating encourages gathering, while a dedicated game table sets the stage for friendly competition and shared memories. A traditional secretary desk adds a functional, collected touch, perfect for homework, correspondence, or simply keeping life organized. Comfortable, classic, and meant to be lived in—this is a living room where style and family life coexist beautifully.

A large but pedestrian back yard became a glamorous playground for grown-ups. The vision started with a motion pool and cabana. As the design progressed, it grew to encompass the entire yard area. The Cabana is designed to embrace entertaining, with an interior living space, kitchenette, and an open-air covered hearth area. These environments seamlessly integrate and visually connect to the new garden. The Cabana also functions as a private Guest House, and takes advantage of the beautiful spring and summer weather, while providing a protected area in the cold and wet winter months. Sustainable materials are used throughout and features include an open hearth area with fireplace, an interior living space with kitchenette and bathroom suite, a spa tub and exercise pool. Terry Poe Photography

A typical post-1906 Noe Valley house is simultaneously restored, expanded and redesigned to keep what works and rethink what doesn’t. The front façade, is scraped and painted a crisp monochrome white—it worked. The new asymmetrical gabled rear addition takes the place of a windowless dead end box that didn’t. A “Great kitchen”, open yet formally defined living and dining rooms, a generous master suite, and kid’s rooms with nooks and crannies, all make for a newly designed house that straddles old and new. Structural Engineer: Gregory Paul Wallace SE General Contractor: Cardea Building Co. Photographer: Open Homes Photography

  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

Transitional u-shaped beige floor open concept kitchen photo in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble countertops, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Contractor: Jason Skinner of Bay Area Custom Homes. Photographer: Michele Lee Willson
Transitional single-wall medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, multicolored backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Living room - mediterranean open concept terra-cotta tile living room idea in Los Angeles with beige walls

Tatum Brown Custom Homes {Architect: William Briggs} {Interiors: Mary Beth Wagner of Avrea Wagner} {Photo Credit: Shoot 2 Sell}
Example of a transitional patio design in Dallas with a fire pit

Howard Roberts
Inspiration for a timeless brick pool remodel in New York

This laundry room serves multiple uses, including designated drawers and plenty of counters for crafts and wrapping projects, and a walk out to an outdoor potting area with a custom zinc top. Photography: Pam Singleton

Across from Hudson River Park, the Classic 7 pre-war apartment had not renovated in over 50 years. The new owners, a young family with two kids, desired to open up the existing closed in spaces while keeping some of the original, classic pre-war details. Dark, dimly-lit corridors and clustered rooms that were a detriment to the brilliant natural light and expansive views the existing apartment inherently possessed, were demolished to create a new open plan for a more functional style of living. Custom charcoal stained white oak herringbone floors were laid throughout the space. The dark blue lacquered kitchen cabinets provide a sharp contrast to the otherwise neutral colored space. A wall unit in the same blue lacquer floats on the wall in the Den.

Sumptuous spaces are created throughout the house with the use of dark, moody colors, elegant upholstery with bespoke trim details, unique wall coverings, and natural stone with lots of movement. The mix of print, pattern, and artwork creates a modern twist on traditional design.

Photography: Fine Focus Photography, Tre Dunham
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room remodel in Austin with black walls and no fireplace

A young couple with three small children purchased this full floor loft in Tribeca in need of a gut renovation. The existing apartment was plagued with awkward spaces, limited natural light and an outdated décor. It was also lacking the required third child’s bedroom desperately needed for their newly expanded family. StudioLAB aimed for a fluid open-plan layout in the larger public spaces while creating smaller, tighter quarters in the rear private spaces to satisfy the family’s programmatic wishes. 3 small children’s bedrooms were carved out of the rear lower level connected by a communal playroom and a shared kid’s bathroom. Upstairs, the master bedroom and master bathroom float above the kid’s rooms on a mezzanine accessed by a newly built staircase. Ample new storage was built underneath the staircase as an extension of the open kitchen and dining areas. A custom pull out drawer containing the food and water bowls was installed for the family’s two dogs to be hidden away out of site when not in use. All wall surfaces, existing and new, were limited to a bright but warm white finish to create a seamless integration in the ceiling and wall structures allowing the spatial progression of the space and sculptural quality of the midcentury modern furniture pieces and colorful original artwork, painted by the wife’s brother, to enhance the space. The existing tin ceiling was left in the living room to maximize ceiling heights and remain a reminder of the historical details of the original construction. A new central AC system was added with an exposed cylindrical duct running along the long living room wall. A small office nook was built next to the elevator tucked away to be out of site.

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Example of a transitional bedroom design in Sacramento

Example of a classic bathroom design in New Orleans

Home design - traditional home design idea in Boston