Jennifer and Dan have lived in their Deer Park Illinois home for 15 years, slowly making minor fixes like painting and decorating; but they had a new plan for their kitchen the entire time. An awkwardly placed garage door, and an island cooktop with a terrible downdraft made a full-scale kitchen remodel an absolute must. Jennifer had many ideas in mind and wanted to work with a company that could provide high-end work, while partnering with a designer that would tailor the kitchen to her ideas. She was intrigued by the phrase “Common Sense Remodeling” in Advance Design’s feature she discovered while perusing an issue of the community’s Quintessential Barrington Magazine. Doing further research on the company’s website, as she looked through project profiles and read about Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling” philosophy, she promptly scheduled an appointment to see if the people and ideas she read about were truly who they said they were. The more she read, the more she knew that the “Common Sense” approach to remodeling they described was exactly the type of company she was looking for. The partnership was sealed after an initial consultation with Owner Todd Jurs and Project Designer Michelle Lecinski. They displayed a combination of friendliness, professionalism and respect that was unmatched by any of the other companies Jennifer talked to. She knew that with Advance Design, she would be able to retain the vision that she had in mind with high-quality craftsmanship. “I reached out to Advance Design because of the ‘Common Sense Remodeling’ tagline,” Jennifer said. “That’s what lingered for me”. “Advance Design was the most respectful- of the house and of my design ideas, and the most professional of the handful of companies that looked at my project”. Soon after the meeting Jennifer began working with Michelle on the project design. They quickly developed chemistry. Jennifer loved how Michelle researched and located every detail that Jennifer wanted for the kitchen. Between the two of them, every concept and idea was worked through and perfected. “Jennifer had definite ideas about what she wanted the new kitchen to look like, she just didn’t know how to bring it all together. We worked together really well to make her ideas into the practical reality necessary for a well-functioning kitchen, with the look and feel that she had envisioned”, says Michelle. “Michelle was wonderful in using the CAD system she would show me new drawings every time we changed the layout while working through the design,” Jennifer said. “She was a really wonderful partner in execution, she made sure everything happened quickly and easily.” The finished design drew out elements of Jennifer’s style and personality. The pair call the look “sophisticated farmhouse” to describe the kitchen renovation to family and friends. The result was a beautifully crafted, authentic-feeling space that satisfied Jennifer’s dreams 15 years in the making. The whole project consisted of a kitchen remodel, mudroom upgrade with powder room, and garage entry relocation. “The projects I personally like the best, are the ones that put the client’s dreams on display,” Project Designer Michelle said. “And this is one of those projects.” The main focal point of the kitchen is custom zinc and brass ventilation hood with a vintage sheen, which was hand made to order by a small company in Indiana named Vogler Metalworking. “It’s like sculpture, a true work of art”, says Jennifer. Your eye is immediately drawn towards this elegant yet practical hood that eliminated the home’s downdraft problem and added a striking conversation piece at the same time. The carpenters had to use special gloves when transporting and installing it, so they didn’t smudge it with fingerprints. The beautiful hood centers proudly over the stunning black enamel and brass LaCornue Range. “I had a friend who had a LaCornue range and after learning how easy it was to cook perfect meals, I was convinced I wanted to have one”, says Jennifer. This unique, breathtaking combination anchors the entire kitchen and is apparent immediately as you walk into the great room the surrounds the space. DuraSupreme Crestwood cabinets with a Kendall Panel add function and sophistication. A custom gray paint color paired with a storm blue was developed so that the new kitchen looked like it belonged to the existing space. Unlacquered brass faucets and hardware were important to Jennifer because she wanted the living finishes to age over time. Remarkable brass diamond mesh cabinet door inserts imported from the UK continue to add this one-of-a-kind kitchen renovation; giving it a “you won’t see this everywhere” quality. The use of old railcar flooring for the coffee bar countertop and reclaimed oak for the open shelving gives an authenticity to the space uncommon in kitchens today. Jennifer and Michelle fell in love with the Limestone Grey Stone while they were investigating unique island countertop ideas. They liked the fact that the limestone as a living finish will age and change over time. Calcutta Miel Quartz countertops made for an excellent pairing around the perimeter, as it’s durable and perfect for cooking preparations. A textured white subway tile backsplash that runs to the ceiling keeps your eye moving towards the open shelving, and to the main focal point of the stunning range hood combination. “The kitchen functions beautifully, and it’s gorgeous,” beams Jennifer as she gestures with both hands while smiling ear to ear. “The most important thing was I wanted a kitchen that had a wonderful flow, cooked beautiful meals and was a great gathering place for family and friends, and this space does that perfectly! Beauty wise, it turned out exactly how I had envisioned. I felt the function part was the hardest part, and that was nailed”! Relocating the garage entry to the new mudroom was a huge priority and has finally separated the family’s arriving home functions from their kitchen. Now coats and shoes and bags have their own area for dropping once members arrive home. Matching gray DuraSupreme cabinetry helped create gorgeous, purposeful lockers for the family. A reclaimed vintage sink and custom wall paper were added to the tiny powder room to beautify the once previously only functional space. Advance Design was even able to create a custom space for their dog to sleep while the family is away. “It was unbelievable that a project of this size was completed in such a short time, and I think that’s because of the large amount of planning and preparation that went into it,” Jennifer marveled, “When we started, we were ready, and everything was prepared”. When it came to execution, Project Manager Justin Davis and his crew were quick, accessible, and organized. Projects like this kitchen are typically completed in as little as 8-10 weeks. Jennifer’s kitchen however despite the relocation of some challenging HVAC in a soffit and moving of an exterior door was completed remarkably fast in part because the team was working with an existing tile floor that ran throughout the first floor that the client really loved. “You get to know these people really well because they’re living in your house while you’re living in your house. They were so fast and really good, it didn’t take as long as even planned” reported Jennifer. “I would text Justin and he always responded almost immediately. I got to know all the guys who were working in our house and they were all wonderful people”. Details in a customized kitchen like this one require skill and care from the people who install it. “All the guys on the job were skilled at what the did. I wanted small details like little feet to look like furniture, that is where their carpentry skill came in to make these all perfect”, said Jennifer. “The tile guys were wonderful. They even let me determine how I wanted the texture with the grout to appear for a salt and pepper look; now that is a very skilled trade person making it custom”. In Jennifer’s interview, she continued to reference Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling”, so I took a minute to ask her exactly what that phrase meant to her and how it played out in her experience with her project and the Advance Design team. Here is what she said: “I was intrigued about Common Sense Remodeling and in my head that there would be clear costs and prices, great communication between the design team, the execution team and me”, said Jennifer. They did deliver on that, it was so clear about the cost breakdown, what I could expect from everyone who came to my house, and everything that we had ordered. That to me is the Common Sense”! It’s great to see a client take literally our assertion that a well-planned remodeling project is simply “Common Sense”! She anticipated each step of the way would be clear, concise, and predictable, all the while protecting the outcome due to the careful upfront planning. “Advance Design delivered on their ‘Common Sense Remodeling’ promise,” Jennifer said. “From the design team, to the execution team - everything was straight forward like I imagined. The project turned out exactly how I envisioned, I enjoyed this process and absolutely would recommend Advance Design Studio to anyone.”

Photo: Jennifer M. Ramos © 2018 Houzz
Inspiration for a farmhouse brown two-story wood exterior home remodel in Austin with a metal roof

Example of a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Portland with gray walls

This home is located on a one acre parcel of land near the banks of the Milwaukee River in the older established subdivision of Sleepy Hollow Estates in Mequon, Wisconsin. The inspiration for this Glen Cove Residence was to bring the desired by many, contemporary and modern lifestyle of a down town loft and establish it in a neighborhood in the suburbs amongst traditional style homes. Sleepy Hollow Estates like many older established neighborhoods throughout the North shore and Westside communities of Milwaukee had great local architects such as John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson, who built contemporary master pieces amongst very traditional style homes. This created diversity in the style of homes in these neighborhoods which for the people living in them and the people just passing by, an experience of harmony and cultural lifestyle. Unfortunately today, many new neighborhood developments lack harmony and cultural lifestyle and don’t allow for homes such as this Glen Cove Residence to be built. And for that matter many of the homes built by John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson back in the 1950’s. When driving through these new developments, one would experience beautiful traditional style homes, but all the homes tend to look the same. There is no diversity in the styles of homes thus these neighborhoods lack the harmony and a cultural life style for the people who live there or what people are looking for when buying a home that reflects their lifestyle. This Glen Cove Residence is an example that a contemporary home which offers a modern lifestyle that many desires can be established amongst traditional homes while blending in with the neighborhood. Don’t be fooled by the flat roof of this home, building technology has come a long way since Frank Lloyd Wright! The roof system on this home is more energy efficient than most roof systems builders are putting on traditional homes today and it doesn’t leak! This Glen Cove Residence was built using all traditional building materials that you would see in homes being built in new developments today. There is a misconception out there that modern homes are expensive to build. That is not true! This Glen Cove Residence was built for roughly $130 per square foot which is the same price one would pay for a similar builder’s model traditional style home with the same upgrades. This Glen Cove Residence consists of three bedrooms and three and one half baths. All bedrooms are located on second floor with laundry, guest bath and a master suite. Located between the first and second floors off of the landing is an office/den space. The first floor is open concept with the kitchen, dining and living areas located at the rear of the home with expansive windows allowing a great connection to back yard area and outdoors. On the back of the home is a covered deck area allowing for outdoor entertaining without the worry of the elements. The first floor also offers a powder room, mudroom and walk-in pantry off the kitchen area. From the mudroom there is access to an attached four car tandem garage. From the first floor to the finished basement is an open stair allowing the basement area to feel as part of the house and not just a basement? The basement consists of a main living area, game area with wet bar, exercise room, kids play room with 14’ ceilings, full bathroom and mechanical room with storage closets throughout.

Photos by John Woodcock
Example of a transitional kids' room design in Phoenix

Relocating from Australia, our clients envisioned a new lakefront home that could accommodate guests and lakefront entertaining. Situated on Pine Lake in West Bloomfield and completed in July 2024, we created new spaces and reimagined old ones. The previous oversized dining area at the front of the home was divided into an entry closet and a larger, more functional powder room. For this Powder Room, we wanted to minimize impact to the exterior wall and existing window. To do so, we reinforced the new vanity wall and floated the large custom quartzite vanity, and notched the sides out so as to maintain depth at the sink but still allow for the smaller dimension at the window wall. With earthy tones and an organic vibe, we offset the blush tones with matte black plumbing, hardware and lighting. For added interest, a Phillip Jeffries “waves of wood” wall covering extends along the vanity wall, playing off the curved tones of the hardware hardware. Serene and striking is the perfect balance for this new space!

Susan Teare Photography
Inspiration for a cottage exterior home remodel in Burlington

The interior of the home is immediately welcoming with the anterior of the home clad in full-height windows, beckoning you into the home with views and light. The open floor plan leads you into the family room, adjoined by the dining room and in-line kitchen. A balcony is immediately off the dining area, providing a quick escape to the outdoor refuge of Whitefish. Glo’s A5 double pane windows were used to create breathtaking views that are the crown jewels of the home’s design. Furthermore, the full height curtain wall windows and 12’ lift and slide doors provide views as well as thermal performance. The argon-filled glazing, multiple air seals, and larger thermal break make these aluminum windows durable and long-lasting.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Our clients came to us looking to do some updates to their new condo unit primarily in the kitchen and living room. The couple has a lifelong love of Arts and Crafts and Modernism, and are the co-founders of PrairieMod, an online retailer that offers timeless modern lifestyle through American made, handcrafted, and exclusively designed products. So, having such a design savvy client was super exciting for us, especially since the couple had many unique pieces of pottery and furniture to provide inspiration for the design. The condo is a large, sunny top floor unit, with a large open feel. The existing kitchen was a peninsula which housed the sink, and they wanted to change that out to an island, relocating the new sink there as well. This can sometimes be tricky with all the plumbing for the building potentially running up through one stack. After consulting with our contractor team, it was determined that our plan would likely work and after confirmation at demo, we pushed on. The new kitchen is a simple L-shaped space, featuring several storage devices for trash, trays dividers and roll out shelving. To keep the budget in check, we used semi-custom cabinetry, but added custom details including a shiplap hood with white oak detail that plays off the oak “X” endcaps at the island, as well as some of the couple’s existing white oak furniture. We also mixed metals with gold hardware and plumbing and matte black lighting that plays well with the unique black herringbone backsplash and metal barstools. New weathered oak flooring throughout the unit provides a nice soft backdrop for all the updates. We wanted to take the cabinets to the ceiling to obtain as much storage as possible, but an angled soffit on two of the walls provided a bit of a challenge. We asked our carpenter to field modify a few of the wall cabinets where necessary and now the space is truly custom. Part of the project also included a new fireplace design including a custom mantle that houses a built-in sound bar and a Panasonic Frame TV, that doubles as hanging artwork when not in use. The TV is mounted flush to the wall, and there are different finishes for the frame available. The TV can display works of art or family photos while not in use. We repeated the black herringbone tile for the fireplace surround here and installed bookshelves on either side for storage and media components. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

View of main hallway and living room, with art wall. Christian Sauer Images
Hallway - mid-sized industrial light wood floor hallway idea in St Louis with white walls

Fireplace. Cast Stone. Cast Stone Mantels. Fireplace Design. Fireplace Design Ideas. Fireplace Mantels. Firpelace Surrounds. Mantel Design. Omega. Omega Mantels. Omega Mantels Of Stone. Cast Stone Fireplace. Modern. Modern Fireplace. Contemporary. Contemporary Fireplace; Contemporary living room. Dark wood floor. Gas fireplace. Fireplace Screen. TV over fireplace. Fireplace makeover.

The exterior of what looks like a vernacular Hamptons shingle cottage, designed by architect Blaze Makoid, is intentionally deceiving. For the interiors, Axis Mundi typically decided not to play by the rules. Instead of de rigeur nautical artifacts, floppy sofas and wicker furniture, the firm responded to Makoid’s all-white interior envelope by injecting rooms with comfortable modern elegance that’s more contemporary Cap Ferrat than Eastern Long Island. Clean furniture silhouettes—from Cassina, Poltrona Frau and B&B Italia—a Massimo Vitali beach scene, a Moooi chandelier and industrial finishes (such as the steel of the fireplace surround and the anodized aluminum of a sleek Bulthaup kitchen) spark a creative tension between indoors and out. The gray palette provides a quiet backdrop for the nature outside, except for the master suite, where custom oak panels and blue shades create a reassuring warmth conducive to sleep. Size: 1,920 sf Project Team: John Beckmann, Nick Messerlian and Richard Rosenbloom Architect: Blaze Makoid Architecture Photographer: Mark Roskams © Axis Mundi Design LLC

This front garden echoes the classic lines and Mediterranean feel of the home’s architecture. A thirsty lawn was replaced with vibrant aloes, agaves, and low water shrubs. An area of decomposed granite doubles as an informal play court. Photo by Daniel Bosler

The entrance to a home sets the stage for life within! For this project we really wanted to reflect the fun, playful personality of this family. The entryway is tall and soaring, representing their exuberant energy and high on life attitude. Shiplap walls make sure we don't take things too seriously. The stunning artwork on the wall is a testament to the love and friendship of this family. This piece was done by a close personal friend who lost her battle with cancer, but chose to show the joy of her life in her art. The perfect combo of life and love. This entry says, "All are welcome here, please come laugh and cry with us!"

Bohemian inspired bedroom Photo: Mike Gagnon
Example of a mid-sized eclectic home design design in Orange County

Inspired by the majesty of the Northern Lights and this family's everlasting love for Disney, this home plays host to enlighteningly open vistas and playful activity. Like its namesake, the beloved Sleeping Beauty, this home embodies family, fantasy and adventure in their truest form. Visions are seldom what they seem, but this home did begin 'Once Upon a Dream'. Welcome, to The Aurora.

Chic Showhouse is a bold, fashion-forward statement in interior design. With a fearless use of color, layered textures, and high-impact details, this space blends classic architecture with playful modern glamour. Statement lighting, sleek furniture, and unexpected pops of pattern create a curated yet approachable feel. Each room tells its own story, but together they form a cohesive, high-style narrative that feels both elevated and full of personality. This is a home designed to inspire and impress.

Home office featuring playful yet calming patterned wallpaper that sets a creative tone while maintaining a refined aesthetic. A modern desk and chair are complemented by a glimpse of a small sofa for relaxed seating. A patterned area rug anchors the space, while the desk is styled with curated decorative objects. The mix of color, texture, and functional furnishings creates a balanced, inspiring, and thoughtfully designed workspace. Designed by Jubilee Interiors in Westlake Village, California.

This Master Bathroom was outdated in appearance and although the size of the room was sufficient, the space felt crowded. The toilet location was undesirable, the shower was cramped and the bathroom floor was cold to stand on. The client wanted a new configuration that would eliminate the corner tub, but still have a bathtub in the room, plus a larger shower and more privacy to the toilet area. The 1980’s look needed to be replaced with a clean, contemporary look. A new room layout created a more functional space. A separated space was achieved for the toilet by relocating it and adding a cabinet and custom hanging pipe shelf above for privacy. By adding a double sink vanity, we gained valuable floor space to still have a soaking tub and larger shower. In-floor heat keeps the room cozy and warm all year long. The entry door was replaced with a pocket door to keep the area in front of the vanity unobstructed. The cabinet next to the toilet has sliding doors and adds storage for towels and toiletries and the vanity has a pull-out hair station. Rich, walnut cabinetry is accented nicely with the soft, blue/green color palette of the tiles and wall color. New window shades that can be lifted from the bottom or top are ideal if they want full light or an unobstructed view, while maintaining privacy. Handcrafted swirl pendants illuminate the vanity and are made from 100% recycled glass.