Beautiful deck transformation. The homeowner had composite that didn't last very long and was looking for a long-lasting low maintenance decking product. They installed DekTek Tile's stunning concrete deck tiles and exceeded all their expectation. Read their online review: “For someone looking for a superior alternative to high maintenance wood decking - DekTek Tile exceeded all our expectations. The entire process from the first phone call to the completed job couldn’t had been any smoother. The staff at DekTek Tile were always available to answer questions and very easy to communicate with. Our choice of a custom Mocha colored tiles blended perfect with our other deck features. We were blown away with the final results, along with the countless compliments from family and friends.” ~ Richie S. - Monroe, Georgia

This amazing über contemporary loft space is located in the heart of the very trendy and oh so upscale Yonge and Eglinton district. This loft oozes style and epitomizes the uptown lifestyle. It's raw industrial look really resonates with the uptown crowd. The polished concrete floors, exposed sprinklers. ductwork and huge 9ft barn doors all helped to set the stage. There was only one problem......it didn't sell! We were called in by the Realtor to give this loft and urban trendy vibe. We encouraged the clients to repaint utilizing a more current, trending palette. We choose a pallet of several grey tones. Our list of suggested updates included, switching out the light fixtures, replacing old worn carpeting with a Berber and staging utilizing key pieces one would expect with the loft look. We brought in contemporary furnishings and decor pieces including a live edge coffee table and a cowhide rug. All of these updates translated to SOLD within weeks of staging! Another successful transformation.

Bud Kane has remodeled nearly every room in his own home over many years. Now reaching his 70’s, he contemplated heading up a major kitchen and laundry room renovation himself, planning on doing the carpentry work with his own hands. “I was not convinced I would ever meet anyone who could do it as well as I could do it myself”, said Bud. Ruth and Bud spent 5 years visiting kitchen firms and interviewing designers. They couldn’t however bring themselves to pull the trigger on the project, until they met Advance Design Studio in 2015. “No one understood what I wanted”, said Ruth. She was continually frustrated by experiences with designers who weren’t hearing what was important to her. “Everyone kept designing my kitchen with what they thought it should look like; I couldn’t find anyone who would listen to me”! When they met designer Scott Christensen from Advance Design Studio, they liked him right away. He listened to Ruth and designed a kitchen that she loved, all the while interjecting years of wisdom and design expertise that Ruth appreciated. “The finished product is better than I expected”, says Ruth. “I respected Scott’s opinions and together we created the perfect place for me to bake with my grandkids and truly enjoy the kitchen and laundry room I’ve been dreaming of for many years!” The kitchen transformation began with removing the home’s soffits, and extending new painted maple cabinetry to the ceiling with the addition of an elegant crown molding. Ruth’s new Vita Mix holds a coveted place on her counter, and adjustments were planned to size the cabinets in conjunction with the under cabinet decorative light molding to fit this appliance just right. “This one small detail was really important to me”, says Ruth smiling. An elegant new island replaced the original island, complete with room for 3 stools where her grandchildren will sit to make home-made pasta every Thanksgiving, and cookies at Christmas time. “Traditions are very important in my family, and making my kitchen work to suit cherished activities with my family was the number one reason this renovation was so desired”, replied Ruth when asked about the island. A picture perfect new tea station replaced a cluttered unused desk area, creating a wonderful place to prepare hot drinks for sipping any season of the year while overlooking the couple’s wonderfully manicured gardens from the lovely 3 season’s room just off the kitchen. The soft sage island bead panel detail was repeated on the backsplash, replicating the feel of a fine old piece of furniture. The biggest problem with the laundry room was 3 doors, one from the garage, one from the closet, and one to the hallway. “Scott designed a pocket door, and oh what a dream it is now to bring groceries in from the garage!” exclaims Bud who grew to disdain this task! Doing laundry is now a breeze in this attractive new space that doubles as a wonderful pantry for the kitchen with room to store food items that didn’t have a home in the poorly designed original space. New Hickory distressed wood flooring was laid both in the kitchen and leading to the hall foyer. Soft gray wood-replicating porcelain was placed in the laundry area, making for an easily cleanable surface for what doubles as a mud room from the garage. Creamy tumbled marble graces an unobtrusive backsplash spilling onto shiny granite counter tops in a rich earthy pattern of fall colors that mimic colors throughout the home. Advance is known details that included custom crafted furniture toe kicks, luxurious crown moldings, and beaded under cabinet moldings. The kitchen is complete with a glass display cabinet showing Ruth’s treasured china tea collection. Early on, it was initially only their intention of purchasing cabinets for the new design. They were so impressed however with Advance Design’s complete program for budgeting, design, installation and management that it became clear to them both that they wanted Advance to handle the entire project from start to finish. “After seeing the quality work they did, coupled with the in-house team completely dedicated to our satisfaction, it became apparent there was no other choice but to hire them to handle everything. And we’re so glad we did, we have not one regret”, says Bud. “The attention to detail by the carpentry crew more than satisfied my perfectionist expectations of the finished carpentry,” exclaimed Bud. “Every one of Advance Design’s people we encountered from design through construction was wonderful. We’ve never met a group of people so dedicated to making sure we were happy with every single detail, and every single part of this experience”, said Ruth and Bud. Designer: Scott Christensen Photographer: Joe Nowak

A soft, modern sports nursery for this baby boy was the perfect solution for this excited family. Using green, navy and gray, this nursery became the retreat the mother always wanted.

ASID Design Excellence First Place Residential – Kitchen and Bathroom: Michael Merrill Design Studio was approached three years ago by the homeowner to redesign her kitchen. Although she was dissatisfied with some aspects of her home, she still loved it dearly. As we discovered her passion for design, we began to rework her entire home--room by room, top to bottom.

Small elegant gray one-story mixed siding gable roof photo in Charleston

Photography Credit: Tom Crane Photography
Example of an eclectic u-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Philadelphia with beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and a farmhouse sink

Mountain style family room photo in Atlanta

Kirkland clients, Shayna and Anthony had a lovely home with a beautiful view of Lake Washington. However, the waterfront side of their home didn’t offer an ideal set-up to fully enjoy the magnificence that their lot provides. They desired more year-round use of their home in the form of an outdoor covered living room, along with more overall functionality from their outdoor spaces. Their formal living area had a door to the outside that the couple never used. The McAdams Remodeling & Design team replaced the sliding door with a window that still offered plenty of natural light but enclosed the space providing more options for furniture placement. The room’s exterior stairs and landing were removed. The exterior siding was matched, and the new landscaping along with an arbor installed, was created in tandem during the remodel by a local landscape architecture firm, ensuring the change looked natural. Past the seating around the gas firepit, a new large deck was constructed, half of which was covered, to replace the smaller, dated version. The metal railing was exchanged for a new composite one, and a new Dutch back door leading from the kitchen offers an alternative option for ingress and egress along with fresh air on nice days. The covered deck area adjacent to the family room provides protection from the weather and now houses the outdoor kitchen they desired for entertaining family and friends. The outdoor kitchen includes a built-in gas grill, stone gas fireplace, refrigerator for food and beverages, and a garbage receptacle. A ceiling fan and heaters are incorporated into the outdoor living space design to provide year-round comfort. Finally, retractable shades were installed so that the couple can enclose the space if desired. A small upstairs bedroom was used as a den for relaxation and reading but also contains one of the best views in the home. The McAdams team removed the windows and base bulkhead, adding floor to ceiling windows and a glass door for an unobstructed view. The new medium-sized deck above the covered outdoor living space gives Shayna and Anthony the opportunity to entertain or relax while highlighting their view of the lake. Finally, their Juliet balcony off the primary bedroom received a re-coated railing and new decking, while the home was repainted to offer a classy craftsman feel and pull all of the changes into one cohesive home design. Shayna and Anthony love their new entertainment spaces and expect to use them often.

The owners of this remodel desired a refreshing new master bathroom. The original layout was poorly designed with minimal storage, a small shower, a rarely used bathtub and a water closet that was difficult to access. The old vanity flanked a curved wall of glass block (the main challenge with this space) which didn’t allow for mirrors and was always cluttered because of limited storage. With smart space planning and attention to detail this well-appointed bathroom is now a uniquely personal space that functions brilliantly and balanced for the homeowners. Photo: DeMane Design

Legacy Decking exceeded our expectations in every way. David and Ben were unbelievably professional and wonderful to work with. They were on time every time they came to the house, and they were super friendly and accommodating, going out of their way to make sure everything was perfect and to our satisfaction. Their crew started on time and finished in 5 days.They worked long hours in the hot sun, and one day they didn't leave until 9:00 p.m. to ensure they finished on time and stayed on schedule. I've never seen anyone work as hard as they did. Our deck is beautiful and it turned out exactly as planned. Several of our friends have commented on how nice it looks and how well it was built. One day David noticed that one of the posts on our other deck (that they did not build) was wobbly and he tried to tighten it for us. Upon realizing that it was defective, he replaced it with a new post, free of charge. We cannot say enough good things about Legacy Decking and we are so happy we chose them to build our deck. We couldn't be happier.” -Lynne

Classic Island with Draw Microwave and Island Sink
Large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Five stars isn’t enough! Our project was to reconfigure and update the main floor of a house we recently purchased that was built in 1961. We wanted to maintain some of the unique feeling it originally had but bring it up-to-date and eliminate the closed-in rooms and downright weird layout that was the result of multiple, partial remodeling projects. We began with a long wishlist of changes which also required replacement of very antiquated plumbing, electrical wiring and HVAC. We even found a fireplace that had been walled in and needed major re-construction. Many other aspects and details on this incredible list we made included an all new kitchen layout, converting a bedroom into a master closet, adding new half-bath, completely rebuilding the master bath, and adding stone, tile and custom built cabinetry. Our design plans included many fixtures and details that we specified and required professional installation and careful handling. Innovative helped us make reasonable decisions. Their skilled staff took us through a design process that made sense. There were many questions and all were answered with sincere conversation and positive – innovation – on how we could achieve our goals. Innovative provided us with professional consultants, who listened and were courteous and creative, with solid knowledge and informative judgement. When they didn’t have an answer, they did the research. They developed a comprehensive project plan that exceeded our expectations. Every item on our long list was checked-off. All agreed on work was fulfilled and they completed all this in just under four months. Innovative took care of putting together a team of skilled professional specialists who were all dedicated to make everything right. Engineering, construction, supervision, and I cannot even begin to describe how much thanks we have for the demolition crew! Our multiple, detailed project designs from Raul and professional design advice from Mindy and the connections she recommended are all of the best quality. Diego Jr., Trevor and his team kept everything on track and neat and tidy every single day and Diego Sr., Mark, Ismael, Albert, Santiago and team are true craftsmen who follow-up and make the most minuscule woodworking details perfect. The cabinets by Tim and electrical work and installation of fixtures by Kemchan Harrilal-BB and Navindra Doolratram, and Augustine and his crew on tile and stone work – all perfection. Aisling and the office crew were always responsive to our calls and requests. And of course Clark and Eric who oversaw everything and gave us the best of the best! Apologies if we didn’t get everyone on this list – you’re all great! Thank you for your hard work and dedication. We can’t thank you enough Innovative Construction – we kind of want to do it again! Dave Hallman & Matt DeGraffenreid

When we met the Bryants we knew that it would be a wonderful opportunity to build something great. Their home that they had just bought from an elderly couple that retired had truly aged with time it had white and blue siding and they were not about that like Anthony Bryant said. Therefore we began designing something unique, the home had a great elevation just needed to be brought into the same century. When we began working on it our design was around warm colors so we decided to stain the bricks red and accent the siding a Almond color with Mastic Insulated siding. we took the board and battens out and installed horizontal straight lap siding with gable accents. The accents where important as we had a accordion wood trim and window trim to match the color and style. We furthered the look by adding cedar shake in both gables and replacing the garage doors with carriage style insulated doors. When everything was done Anthony said he almost drove past the house because he couldn't recognize it. We are proud to present you with the Bryant Residence. Anthony Bryant: "Oh my goodness, I literally drove past the house, it couldn't be our house I said to myself. Its amazing, I didn't expect it to be such a huge difference."

When we met the Daniels Family they were not our typical case study they had already replaced their windows, doors, siding and roof. So what else could we do? We built them a L shaped porch that extended their outdoor space. A few things were a must, they loved the design of the home and didn't want to sacrifice the look so we implemented similar designs. Once we tour down their stair way we built a deck with steel beam anchors that would hold the additional weight. Once the synthetic wood was placed we installed columns that would help holding the roofline which we had to find matching architectural shingles. When we built the roofline we made sure to line it properly for architectural purposes so that the split line was smoothened out and the levels flowed together. We decided to use half round to match the gable on the second floor, and to create a grand entrance we installed Roman like columns on either side of the stairway. We are proud to present to you the Daniel Residence. Natalie Daniel: "We are so glad we contracted out ElevationBuild we couldn't of expected it any better, and thank you for your excellent customer care throughout the project."

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2016 Houzz
Inspiration for a victorian staircase remodel in San Francisco

Transforming a classic Riverdale semi-detached home requires more than just good design—it demands precision, strategy, and a respect for how these older Toronto homes were originally built. This renovation on Withrow Ave came with all the challenges you’d expect from working in the city: restricted access for equipment, tight parking conditions, and trades working inches away from neighbouring homes. The homeowners didn’t want a cosmetic update—they wanted a home that felt brighter, more open, and easier to live in day-to-day. Achieving that meant removing structural walls, installing engineered beams, and pulling as much natural light through the space as possible. At the same time, they envisioned a new basement walkout that would change how they used the lower level, making it a real part of their everyday routine instead of a dark, overlooked space. The transformation is dramatic. The ground floor now feels like an entirely different home, with clean sightlines and a sense of openness that didn’t exist before. Light moves through the space naturally, and the new layout finally matches how a modern Toronto family wants to live. The basement walkout has become a functional everyday entry point—perfect for dropping off gear, coming and going effortlessly, and accessing ample storage space. This project is proof that even the most traditional Toronto semi can be completely reimagined when design and construction work hand in hand with purpose.

Transforming a classic Riverdale semi-detached home requires more than just good design—it demands precision, strategy, and a respect for how these older Toronto homes were originally built. This renovation on Withrow Ave came with all the challenges you’d expect from working in the city: restricted access for equipment, tight parking conditions, and trades working inches away from neighbouring homes. The homeowners didn’t want a cosmetic update—they wanted a home that felt brighter, more open, and easier to live in day-to-day. Achieving that meant removing structural walls, installing engineered beams, and pulling as much natural light through the space as possible. At the same time, they envisioned a new basement walkout that would change how they used the lower level, making it a real part of their everyday routine instead of a dark, overlooked space. The transformation is dramatic. The ground floor now feels like an entirely different home, with clean sightlines and a sense of openness that didn’t exist before. Light moves through the space naturally, and the new layout finally matches how a modern Toronto family wants to live. The basement walkout has become a functional everyday entry point—perfect for dropping off gear, coming and going effortlessly, and accessing ample storage space. This project is proof that even the most traditional Toronto semi can be completely reimagined when design and construction work hand in hand with purpose.

Transforming a classic Riverdale semi-detached home requires more than just good design—it demands precision, strategy, and a respect for how these older Toronto homes were originally built. This renovation on Withrow Ave came with all the challenges you’d expect from working in the city: restricted access for equipment, tight parking conditions, and trades working inches away from neighbouring homes. The homeowners didn’t want a cosmetic update—they wanted a home that felt brighter, more open, and easier to live in day-to-day. Achieving that meant removing structural walls, installing engineered beams, and pulling as much natural light through the space as possible. At the same time, they envisioned a new basement walkout that would change how they used the lower level, making it a real part of their everyday routine instead of a dark, overlooked space. The transformation is dramatic. The ground floor now feels like an entirely different home, with clean sightlines and a sense of openness that didn’t exist before. Light moves through the space naturally, and the new layout finally matches how a modern Toronto family wants to live. The basement walkout has become a functional everyday entry point—perfect for dropping off gear, coming and going effortlessly, and accessing ample storage space. This project is proof that even the most traditional Toronto semi can be completely reimagined when design and construction work hand in hand with purpose.