The master bathroom offers both privacy and a wash of natural light via a clerestory window spanning most of the room. Shower controls are within easy reach from the opening in the glass panel, and a concrete-like pattern in the floor tile adds texture and visual interest.

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The indoor bowling alley is designed for just about any scene. With Ketra lighting, Lutron custom shades, and a Savant system to tie it all together, this indoor bowling alley is as easy to use as it is fun.

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The grey cloth, black steel and gray stone matched the other elements in the house as well as the mission style cut outs. A better approach to sound quality, no obvious equipment, and a giant upgrade in style, made for a clean, inexpensive, no compromise solution for their living room.

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Flying Dormer replaced the single pane windows on this Craftsman style home in Seattle with dual-pane Tilt and Turn style windows in the same period style. These European style windows can swing in like a door, or you can tilt the top of the sash into your room for ventilation. One handle controls both operations. They are great for emergency exit access and easy cleaning.

Early 2000s house. Bathroom had square shower, toilet room, and decked in tub they never used. Changed layout for shower to be next to window, frosted the glass for privacy. Porcelain large tiles in shower. Shower controls are placed by entrance for easy access.

Motorized Aosta White Light Filtering and 5% Solar Shades with White Premium Cassette Valance in Bedroom. Multi-purpose light controlling dual shades
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6ft tall driveway gate. Double sided with reclaimed wood. Built in Pedestrian Gate
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To create this Mt Lebanon client’s “smart” dream kitchen, we removed two walls to create a large, open space perfect for their family and entertainment needs. The L- shaped island features a built-in microwave oven and wine cooler, breakfast bar and custom built bench seating with hidden storage. The side door was moved to the rear of the house for easy access to the yard and a pantry was added to the space next to the door. Smart technology was added with a Samsung refrigerator with Family Hub and lighting and audio controlled by Alexa voice controlled intelligence. All the Samsung appliances are finished in modern black stainless steel. The beautiful blue glass tile backsplash is Jeffrey Court Caribbean Gloss and the sleek countertops are Stella New Age Quartz.

  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

These are the breakfast room shades in the rotunda area below the Game room rotunda - in the closed position. They face East and North. A lighter fabric is used here to soften the feel in the space. We also separated the two shades on the right from the other four, as well as a group control. The right two look onto the driveway and the client wanted to close that view and focus on the landscaping, so a 5 channel remote made this easy.

Early 2000s house. Bathroom had square shower, toilet room, and decked in tub they never used. Changed layout for shower to be next to window, frosted the glass for privacy. Porcelain large tiles in shower. Shower controls are placed by entrance for easy access.

Wood burning fireplace with gas log lighter for easy fire starting. The right door is a bathroom and the left has a storage area and media controls for tv and outdoor speakers. The mantle is a custom made precast stone.

Bar area of J. Prime Steakhouse on 1604 in San Antonio. Large west facing windows. Window Fashions of Texas installed our largest louver custom stained plantation shutters for easy control over light and heat coming thru these windows. The natural wood grain on these shutters practically glows with this custom stained color. Mary Pokorny

Boring bathroom with wasted space becomes a luxury retreat. The details make this space. Enclosed shower has a Kohler DTV Prompt control and is large, but not cold. Plenty of hidden storage space in the shower makes daily life easy and clean. The shower space is vented with remoted fan on a timer control. Lauren Brown with Versatile Imaging

Early 2000s house. Bathroom had square shower, toilet room, and decked in tub they never used. Changed layout for shower to be next to window, frosted the glass for privacy. Porcelain large tiles in shower. Shower controls are placed by entrance for easy access.

This 3' x 5' utilizes Volcanic Stone 12" x 24" tile walls and 2" x 2" Volcanic Stone floor tiles. It's a walk-in shower with pony wall and glass partition with the controls across from the shower head for easy on/off before stepping in. Photo: Keith Knowles