Large minimalist master bedroom photo in San Diego with white walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

This home remodel is a celebration of curves and light. Starting from humble beginnings as a basic builder ranch style house, the design challenge was maximizing natural light throughout and providing the unique contemporary style the client’s craved. The Entry offers a spectacular first impression and sets the tone with a large skylight and an illuminated curved wall covered in a wavy pattern Porcelanosa tile. The chic entertaining kitchen was designed to celebrate a public lifestyle and plenty of entertaining. Celebrating height with a robust amount of interior architectural details, this dynamic kitchen still gives one that cozy feeling of home sweet home. The large “L” shaped island accommodates 7 for seating. Large pendants over the kitchen table and sink provide additional task lighting and whimsy. The Dekton “puzzle” countertop connection was designed to aid the transition between the two color countertops and is one of the homeowner’s favorite details. The built-in bistro table provides additional seating and flows easily into the Living Room. A curved wall in the Living Room showcases a contemporary linear fireplace and tv which is tucked away in a niche. Placing the fireplace and furniture arrangement at an angle allowed for more natural walkway areas that communicated with the exterior doors and the kitchen working areas. The dining room’s open plan is perfect for small groups and expands easily for larger events. Raising the ceiling created visual interest and bringing the pop of teal from the Kitchen cabinets ties the space together. A built-in buffet provides ample storage and display. The Sitting Room (also called the Piano room for its previous life as such) is adjacent to the Kitchen and allows for easy conversation between chef and guests. It captures the homeowner’s chic sense of style and joie de vivre.

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

When a family living in Singapore decided to purchase a New York City pied-à-terre, they settled on the historic Langham Place, a 60-floor building along 5th Ave which features a mixture of permanent residencies and 5-star hotel suites. Immediately after purchasing the condo, they reached out to Decor Aid, and tasked us with designing a home that would reflect their jet-setting lifestyle and chic sensibility. Book Your Free In-Home Consultation Connecting to the historic Tiffany Building at 404 5th Ave, the exterior of Langham Place is a combination of highly contemporary architecture and 1920’s art deco design. And with this highly unique architecture, came highly angular, outward leaning floor-to-ceiling windows, which would prove to be our biggest design challenge. One of the apartment’s quirks was negotiating an uneven balance of natural light throughout the space. Parts of the apartment, such one of the kids’ bedrooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light, while other areas, such as one corner of the living room, receive little natural light. By sourcing a combination of contemporary, low-profile furniture pieces and metallic accents, we were able to compensate for apartment’s pockets of darkness. A low-profile beige sectional from Room & Board was an obvious choice, which we complemented with a lucite console and a bronze Riverstone coffee table from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. Circular tables were placed throughout the apartment in order to establish a design scheme that would be easy to walk through. A marble tulip table from Sit Down New York provides an opulent dining room space, without crowding the floor plan. The finishing touches include a sumptuous swivel chair from Safavieh, to create a sleek, welcoming vacation home for this international client.

Product: Authentic Limestone for Exterior Living Spaces. Ancient Surfaces Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' design style as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates into 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a fully functional outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, BBQ, fireplace or Jacuzzi pool spa all out of old reclaimed Mediterranean stone pieces is no easy task and shouldn’t be created out of the lowest common denominator of building materials such as concrete, Indian slates or Turkish travertine. The one thing you can bet the farmhouse on is that when the entire process unravels and when your outdoor living space materializes from the architects rendering to real life, you will be guaranteed a true Mediterranean living experience if your choice of construction material was as authentic and possible to the Southern Mediterranean regions. We believe that the coziness of your surroundings brought about by the creative usage of our antique stone elements will only amplify that authenticity. whether you are enjoying a relaxing time soaking the sun inside one of our Jacuzzi spa stone fountains or sharing unforgettable memories with family and friends while baking your own pizzas in one of our outdoor BBQ pizza ovens, our stone designs will always evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that one only gets while being on vacation is some exotic European island surrounded with the pristine beauty of indigenous nature and ancient architecture...

"Lighted countertops and specialized storage transform this room into a keepsake-maker's dream space. Innovative, specialized gift wrap holders prevent damage and provide easy access to wrapping paper when needed, along with a specialized Ribbon Drawer that's designed to keep spooled items neat. A universal storage solution, wire baskets can hold a variety of items. Built with a sliding mechanism, they make accessing stored items simple. Our Fusion Track Wall add both a functional and decorative touch, providing a creative storage solution for empty walls and narrow spaces. You also have a variety of styles and patterns available with Fabric Board Back Panels that can add a sophisticated, personalized touch to a design. The Chroma Countertop is produced from optical grade engineered resin, featuring a durable matte texture that can be easily refinished throughout its lifetime. This materiel incorporates 40% recycled content and is available in a variety of colors and styles."

This remodeling story is a wonderful example of how removing and shifting walls can have an amazing impact on the functionality and visual appeal of an entire level of a home. When our clients reached out to us, they were looking to create an open concept Kitchen that would allow for easy entertaining. The couple had recently purchased this townhome so his mother could be closer to the family. The existing floorplan offered first floor living, but the Kitchen was tucked in the back and was separated from the rest of the living space by a full wall with a small pass through into the Dining Room. Our design involved removing the dividing wall between the Dining Room and Kitchen as well as the fake columns and beam that separated the Dining Room and Living Room. The entire space was opened up to allow for easy flow and view throughout the first floor living space. The wall shared by the Kitchen and large Master Bedroom was shifted back just enough to provide a full wall of additional cabinetry including a much-needed large double Pantry cabinet. Now that we had opened up the Kitchen area we could focus on the cabinetry layout and selections. The existing wood toned cabinets were replaced with white cabinets and crown molding to match the rest of the home. The larger, open space allowed for more cabinetry and the addition of an island with new undermount sink, dishwasher and convenient trash pullout along with seating for the grandchildren. A new range hood was installed and vented to the exterior of the house to replace the old recirculating hood. We were able to repurpose the some of the existing cabinets for use above the washer and dryer in the adjoining Laundry Room and swapped out the existing swinging door for a pocket door to free up traffic flow when doing Laundry and working in the Kitchen. The slate-look ceramic tile was replaced with a pre-engineered hardwood floor that creates a sense of warmth while easy to clean. The new Cambria countertop compliments the slate-look tile found in the Dining Room and Living Room and a natural field tile backsplash offsets the cabinets beautifully. The single fluorescent ceiling light was outdated and did not provide adequate lighting for the new Kitchen. The new lighting plan was carefully thought out to provide general illumination through well placed recessed lighting; task lighting through pendant lighting over the island and under cabinet lighting; and aesthetic fluidity with an eye-catching chandelier for the Dining Room table. Special details include a touch faucet, under counter microwave and glass front cabinetry for displaying dishes. By removing and shifting walls, we improved the entire flow of the first floor visually as well as functionally and created a beautiful, light-filled space for cooking and entertaining. Grandma can easily prepare meals in her new Kitchen and still chat with her guests and grandchildren who love to sit at the island as well as in the adjoining Dining Room and Living Room. The Benson Homes team really enjoyed creating this space for this family and we hope they will enjoy spending time with friends and family for years to come.

When a family living in Singapore decided to purchase a New York City pied-à-terre, they settled on the historic Langham Place, a 60-floor building along 5th Ave which features a mixture of permanent residencies and 5-star hotel suites. Immediately after purchasing the condo, they reached out to Decor Aid, and tasked us with designing a home that would reflect their jet-setting lifestyle and chic sensibility. Book Your Free In-Home Consultation Connecting to the historic Tiffany Building at 404 5th Ave, the exterior of Langham Place is a combination of highly contemporary architecture and 1920’s art deco design. And with this highly unique architecture, came highly angular, outward leaning floor-to-ceiling windows, which would prove to be our biggest design challenge. One of the apartment’s quirks was negotiating an uneven balance of natural light throughout the space. Parts of the apartment, such one of the kids’ bedrooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light, while other areas, such as one corner of the living room, receive little natural light. By sourcing a combination of contemporary, low-profile furniture pieces and metallic accents, we were able to compensate for apartment’s pockets of darkness. A low-profile beige sectional from Room & Board was an obvious choice, which we complemented with a lucite console and a bronze Riverstone coffee table from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. Circular tables were placed throughout the apartment in order to establish a design scheme that would be easy to walk through. A marble tulip table from Sit Down New York provides an opulent dining room space, without crowding the floor plan. The finishing touches include a sumptuous swivel chair from Safavieh, to create a sleek, welcoming vacation home for this international client.

I designed this ADA bathroom and assisted the homeowner in making all of the fixture, material and finish choices while working at Corvallis Custom Kitchens and Baths. Our client needed to update this bathroom for her husband who uses a walker and needs assistance with daily bathing and such. We installed a frameless glass shower with a fixed panel and one slider section. In the fixed panel, we installed a small door so the controls for the shower can be accessed without having to enter the shower. A linear drain allows for a zero threshold entry into the shower allowing for the bather to enter without any barrier to step over. We installed an American Standard Cadet Pro Right Height toilet and places blocking in the wall so drop down grab bars (one with a toilet paper holder) could be added if wanted at a later time. We decided to install a narrower vanity than what was previously installed to allow more room in the toilet area. Maple flat panel cabinetry was installed with Silestone Phoenix quuartz countertops and backsplash with a Kohler Caxton undermount sink with a Moen single handle faucet. Grab bars were installed in the shower stall and at the entry to the shower, along with a Speakman grab bar shower system with Hansgrohe shower controls. A combo niche for shampoo and such was installed close to the handheld showerhead for easy access. LED lighting was added to the shower area on it's own dimmer switch. An additional LED fixture was installed over the vanity to provide excellent task lighting for anyone using the vanity. The door to the bedroom was also changed to a pocket door and widened to allow easier access to the bathroom from the bedroom.

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

Product: Authentic Limestone for Exterior Living Spaces. Ancient Surfaces Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' design style as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates into 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a fully functional outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, BBQ, fireplace or Jacuzzi pool spa all out of old reclaimed Mediterranean stone pieces is no easy task and shouldn’t be created out of the lowest common denominator of building materials such as concrete, Indian slates or Turkish travertine. The one thing you can bet the farmhouse on is that when the entire process unravels and when your outdoor living space materializes from the architects rendering to real life, you will be guaranteed a true Mediterranean living experience if your choice of construction material was as authentic and possible to the Southern Mediterranean regions. We believe that the coziness of your surroundings brought about by the creative usage of our antique stone elements will only amplify that authenticity. whether you are enjoying a relaxing time soaking the sun inside one of our Jacuzzi spa stone fountains or sharing unforgettable memories with family and friends while baking your own pizzas in one of our outdoor BBQ pizza ovens, our stone designs will always evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that one only gets while being on vacation is some exotic European island surrounded with the pristine beauty of indigenous nature and ancient architecture...

This home remodel is a celebration of curves and light. Starting from humble beginnings as a basic builder ranch style house, the design challenge was maximizing natural light throughout and providing the unique contemporary style the client’s craved. The Entry offers a spectacular first impression and sets the tone with a large skylight and an illuminated curved wall covered in a wavy pattern Porcelanosa tile. The chic entertaining kitchen was designed to celebrate a public lifestyle and plenty of entertaining. Celebrating height with a robust amount of interior architectural details, this dynamic kitchen still gives one that cozy feeling of home sweet home. The large “L” shaped island accommodates 7 for seating. Large pendants over the kitchen table and sink provide additional task lighting and whimsy. The Dekton “puzzle” countertop connection was designed to aid the transition between the two color countertops and is one of the homeowner’s favorite details. The built-in bistro table provides additional seating and flows easily into the Living Room. A curved wall in the Living Room showcases a contemporary linear fireplace and tv which is tucked away in a niche. Placing the fireplace and furniture arrangement at an angle allowed for more natural walkway areas that communicated with the exterior doors and the kitchen working areas. The dining room’s open plan is perfect for small groups and expands easily for larger events. Raising the ceiling created visual interest and bringing the pop of teal from the Kitchen cabinets ties the space together. A built-in buffet provides ample storage and display. The Sitting Room (also called the Piano room for its previous life as such) is adjacent to the Kitchen and allows for easy conversation between chef and guests. It captures the homeowner’s chic sense of style and joie de vivre.

This Mid-Century home had been updated except for the kitchen and master bath. After a few years of being empty nesters, and with the neighborhood turning over drastically to infill property in the millions, this couple decided the time was right to update the last remaining rooms. Starting in the Kitchen Taking a dark, u-shaped kitchen out of the past and updating it for the future, was a dream come true for this family. They knew what they wanted in order to entertain their large extended family, which included their three kids; plus, his family, consisting of nine children, spouses, and now grandchildren. Requirements of an open space to hang out and help out, a banquet for food presentation without obstruction, bright and clean, easy storage, a place for her mother’s china decanters, and an instant hot for tea were all part of the “must haves” for this kitchen. We also needed to work around the homeowners’ existing appliances since many of them were practically new. Vaulted ceilings, lots of high windows, and large openings to other spaces in the house, were challenges that only a galley style kitchen could address. Blending and lacing the hardwood floor with new flooring required both the new and existing to be sanded down and refinished. This provided a coherent look to the entire first floor of this home. Matching casings, baseboards and base shoe helped to make the updates look fresh, but original to the house. In the kitchen, choosing the sandstone slate finish on our Wellborn Maple select series cabinets kept the space soft; but really opened it, making the space lighter and brighter. The Harmony style door choice blended with the décor in the rest of the house, while also giving straight clean lines the homeowner desired. Grounding the row of cabinets with their refrigerator and a pantry cabinet, gave symmetry to this side of the kitchen. On the opposite side, a built-in pantry cabinet mirrors the refrigerator. A row of drawer cabinets expanded the storage and banquet space, to lay out food for entertaining. Also added were some much-needed wall cabinets with glass inserts to mirror the windows and keep the space open. This also allowed the taller canister to be displayed and admired. A few smaller shelves were added above the window space, to house the smaller canisters so loved by the homeowner. An artist by trade, this homeowner added two narrow cabinets to the side of the pantry and the side of the refrigerator panel to house and create easy access to the various spices her husband loves to use while cooking. She painted them to blend with Wellborn’s Sandstone finish. The Caesarstone countertop with a 3cm eased edge in London Gray has a small pattern that is subtle and interesting. Cutting down the Caesarstone to 2 cm and carrying the same London Gray pattern up the backsplash area, lended to the clean lines and easy cleaning this homeowner requested. Choosing chrome plumbing fixtures from Moen’s Brantford line is timeless choice. Chrome is always popular and yet in today’s market, also very trendy. The Brantford faucet has a pull-down spray and one side handle, leaving space for the all-important request of a Transcape hot water dispenser, also in chrome. Scraping away the past included smoothing out the popcorn ceiling. Adding LED slope cans to the vaulted ceilings provided the necessary task lighting to elevate these homeowners’ joy of cooking. Removing the dated “popcorn look” enhanced the clean and spacious feel created by the architecture of the ceiling. Adding Top Knob chrome hardware was the final element that tied the kitchen all together. Master Bathroom The original dated Master Bathroom had dark cabinets, a huge Jacuzzi tub and a small shower stall that provided barely enough room for even a child to shower. Removing the Jacuzzi tub that was never used, opened this floor plan to a grand shower that is comfortable and spacious. For easy cleaning, these homeowners opted for a panel system in their shower. Onyx shower walls with a shower seat and recess wide shower caddy were installed in place of the old Jacuzzi style tub. The large panels were quite a challenge for our team, with an eight foot door and vaulted ceilings; but they were determined not to have a seam. These seamless panels are beautiful and very easy to clean. Keeping with the original floor plan, a double sink vanity from Wellborn’s select line with the Harmony door style in a pebble finish was installed. New Kohler Caxton under mount sinks were installed, along with the Moen Kinsley 8” wide spread faucets in chrome. Matching Kingsley 18” grab bars were added to the shower area, along with the Kohler Brantford fixed shower head and handheld slide bar. The countertop was a beautiful Caesarstone in Frosty Carrina with an eased edge and 4” back and side splash. Matching Kinsley towel hooks were added, along with mirrors the homeowner purchased and we installed for her. Top Knobs chrome cabinet hardware finished the look along with a beautiful tile floor AO Mira 1224-S Silver Maple laid in a broken joint pattern. Matching marble sills were added on top of the knee walls and threshold in the doorway. A 3/8” frameless custom shower door with fixed panels surrounded the shower creating an open airy feel to the space. Not shown: Kohler’s Wellworth highline toilet with a slow-close seat replaces the original toilet. The original shower stall became a space used to house a stackable washer and dryer, a top a safety pan and drain to slop sink in the basement. There was even enough room for small shelving to provide storage for laundry essentials. Adding a louver door keeps the laundry area behind the scene and opens the master area to multiple tasks needed. Master Bedroom Fireplace This homeowner really missed a bedroom fireplace they had in a previous home. Since we were going to be working on their master bathroom anyway; was there a way to create a fireplace without making it feel too odd in their large bedroom area? They had purchased a ventless gas fireplace and they had their original television as well. Challenged by windows, a vaulted ceiling and the natural light streaming from the back window; this divided wall was created, keeping the lighting from the other side of the room and providing a dressing area opposite the fireplace. This was a perfect idea since the closets are now in the dressing area and the creative wall houses the fireplace and TV for cold winter nights of snuggling to a movie. Better yet, the fireplace and TV are all on remote control!

When a family living in Singapore decided to purchase a New York City pied-à-terre, they settled on the historic Langham Place, a 60-floor building along 5th Ave which features a mixture of permanent residencies and 5-star hotel suites. Immediately after purchasing the condo, they reached out to Decor Aid, and tasked us with designing a home that would reflect their jet-setting lifestyle and chic sensibility. Book Your Free In-Home Consultation Connecting to the historic Tiffany Building at 404 5th Ave, the exterior of Langham Place is a combination of highly contemporary architecture and 1920’s art deco design. And with this highly unique architecture, came highly angular, outward leaning floor-to-ceiling windows, which would prove to be our biggest design challenge. One of the apartment’s quirks was negotiating an uneven balance of natural light throughout the space. Parts of the apartment, such one of the kids’ bedrooms, feature floor-to-ceiling windows and an abundance of natural light, while other areas, such as one corner of the living room, receive little natural light. By sourcing a combination of contemporary, low-profile furniture pieces and metallic accents, we were able to compensate for apartment’s pockets of darkness. A low-profile beige sectional from Room & Board was an obvious choice, which we complemented with a lucite console and a bronze Riverstone coffee table from Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. Circular tables were placed throughout the apartment in order to establish a design scheme that would be easy to walk through. A marble tulip table from Sit Down New York provides an opulent dining room space, without crowding the floor plan. The finishing touches include a sumptuous swivel chair from Safavieh, to create a sleek, welcoming vacation home for this international client.

I designed this ADA bathroom and assisted the homeowner in making all of the fixture, material and finish choices while working at Corvallis Custom Kitchens and Baths. Our client needed to update this bathroom for her husband who uses a walker and needs assistance with daily bathing and such. We installed a frameless glass shower with a fixed panel and one slider section. In the fixed panel, we installed a small door so the controls for the shower can be accessed without having to enter the shower. A linear drain allows for a zero threshold entry into the shower allowing for the bather to enter without any barrier to step over. We installed an American Standard Cadet Pro Right Height toilet and places blocking in the wall so drop down grab bars (one with a toilet paper holder) could be added if wanted at a later time. We decided to install a narrower vanity than what was previously installed to allow more room in the toilet area. Maple flat panel cabinetry was installed with Silestone Phoenix quuartz countertops and backsplash with a Kohler Caxton undermount sink with a Moen single handle faucet. Grab bars were installed in the shower stall and at the entry to the shower, along with a Speakman grab bar shower system with Hansgrohe shower controls. A combo niche for shampoo and such was installed close to the handheld showerhead for easy access. LED lighting was added to the shower area on it's own dimmer switch. An additional LED fixture was installed over the vanity to provide excellent task lighting for anyone using the vanity. The door to the bedroom was also changed to a pocket door and widened to allow easier access to the bathroom from the bedroom.

I designed this ADA bathroom and assisted the homeowner in making all of the fixture, material and finish choices while working at Corvallis Custom Kitchens and Baths. Our client needed to update this bathroom for her husband who uses a walker and needs assistance with daily bathing and such. We installed a frameless glass shower with a fixed panel and one slider section. In the fixed panel, we installed a small door so the controls for the shower can be accessed without having to enter the shower. A linear drain allows for a zero threshold entry into the shower allowing for the bather to enter without any barrier to step over. We installed an American Standard Cadet Pro Right Height toilet and places blocking in the wall so drop down grab bars (one with a toilet paper holder) could be added if wanted at a later time. We decided to install a narrower vanity than what was previously installed to allow more room in the toilet area. Maple flat panel cabinetry was installed with Silestone Phoenix quuartz countertops and backsplash with a Kohler Caxton undermount sink with a Moen single handle faucet. Grab bars were installed in the shower stall and at the entry to the shower, along with a Speakman grab bar shower system with Hansgrohe shower controls. A combo niche for shampoo and such was installed close to the handheld showerhead for easy access. LED lighting was added to the shower area on it's own dimmer switch. An additional LED fixture was installed over the vanity to provide excellent task lighting for anyone using the vanity. The door to the bedroom was also changed to a pocket door and widened to allow easier access to the bathroom from the bedroom.