Randy Colwell
Inspiration for a timeless galley kitchen remodel with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Perched on the third floor of this home, a work at home office space is complete with a separate desk area for employees, space to meet with clients, a separate storage closet and full bathroom. Not a bad commute! Photography by Peter Rymwid.

Juxtaposition: defined as two things placed close together with contrasting effect, the word epitomizes this downtown Chicago residence. A family home, it evinces comfort, calm, and connection. Here, chaise lounges nestle side-by-side, welcoming wine-sippers, book-readers, and fireplace-gazers. There, an upholstered kitchen banquette recalls the coziness of a favorite restaurant’s corner table. And yet – while an elegant refuge for a busy family, this home is also a place of work. Indeed, it is the worldwide headquarters of a lauded anti-aging skincare company, complete with full-time employees and their offices. To meld the dual functions the house serves so seamlessly, workspaces are lavished with the same hallmarks that distinguish family-oriented rooms: a focus on ease, an open-minded use of space, thoughtfully considered décor, and an imaginative use of color that awakens a mostly neutral palette with joyful visual interest. Lavender and chartreuse sing against black walls; tangerine and steel blue dot creamy hues with vivid punctuation. Still, quiet prevails, creating a timelessly tranquil backdrop for work, play, and everything in between. Photo: Dustin Halleck

Inspiration for a country kitchen remodel in San Francisco

Juxtaposition: defined as two things placed close together with contrasting effect, the word epitomizes this downtown Chicago residence. A family home, it evinces comfort, calm, and connection. Here, chaise lounges nestle side-by-side, welcoming wine-sippers, book-readers, and fireplace-gazers. There, an upholstered kitchen banquette recalls the coziness of a favorite restaurant’s corner table. And yet – while an elegant refuge for a busy family, this home is also a place of work. Indeed, it is the worldwide headquarters of a lauded anti-aging skincare company, complete with full-time employees and their offices. To meld the dual functions the house serves so seamlessly, workspaces are lavished with the same hallmarks that distinguish family-oriented rooms: a focus on ease, an open-minded use of space, thoughtfully considered décor, and an imaginative use of color that awakens a mostly neutral palette with joyful visual interest. Lavender and chartreuse sing against black walls; tangerine and steel blue dot creamy hues with vivid punctuation. Still, quiet prevails, creating a timelessly tranquil backdrop for work, play, and everything in between. Photo: Dustin Halleck

Study room - contemporary built-in desk carpeted and gray floor study room idea in Orange County with white walls

Example of a classic entryway design in DC Metro

Juxtaposition: defined as two things placed close together with contrasting effect, the word epitomizes this downtown Chicago residence. A family home, it evinces comfort, calm, and connection. Here, chaise lounges nestle side-by-side, welcoming wine-sippers, book-readers, and fireplace-gazers. There, an upholstered kitchen banquette recalls the coziness of a favorite restaurant’s corner table. And yet – while an elegant refuge for a busy family, this home is also a place of work. Indeed, it is the worldwide headquarters of a lauded anti-aging skincare company, complete with full-time employees and their offices. To meld the dual functions the house serves so seamlessly, workspaces are lavished with the same hallmarks that distinguish family-oriented rooms: a focus on ease, an open-minded use of space, thoughtfully considered décor, and an imaginative use of color that awakens a mostly neutral palette with joyful visual interest. Lavender and chartreuse sing against black walls; tangerine and steel blue dot creamy hues with vivid punctuation. Still, quiet prevails, creating a timelessly tranquil backdrop for work, play, and everything in between. Photo: Dustin Halleck

Trendmark Inc. AFTER - Gold STAR Award Best Whole House. From blah to beautiful, this kitchen’s transformation not only updated the look but rearranged the way the room functioned. After living in the house for almost 15 years the homeowners knew it was time to invest in the most important room in thier house. The large boxed in florescent light, chopped up counter spaces, and white melamine cabinets just had to go! The large pantry closet took up lots of space in the kitchen, but the did not offer organized storage. It was nearly impossible to find what you were looking for as items were buried in the back of the closet. By removing this closet and replacing it with a pantry cabinet with full extension roll outs,not only was the floor space increased but so was the usable storage area. The refrigerator was also relocated to the opposite wall to increase countertop space as well as improve function. Trendmark Inc Contractor Note: The creamy glazed alderwood cabinets have raised panel doors and drawer fronts, and feature extras like an arched raised panel range hood that brings style and elegance to the room. The creams and ivories of the room are complemented by the tan and ivory Juperana Santa Cecilia granite countertops and by the bronze hardware and pendant lighting. The large island provides storage, a prep and clean-up area with an undermounted sink, and an area for family eating or for entertaining service. A focal point in the room is the decorative travertine tile picture frame over the professional grade range. Stainless steel appliances and warm wood flooring complete the look and spread into the eating area and the family room beyond. This room has certainly banished the blahs and become elegant as well as more useful. Homeowner Score - 100 Perfect score from homeowner. “The TrendMark team was outstanding. Their creativity and ability to visualize the project made it turn out better than expected. The team always was very professional, on-time, courteous,easy to work with, and did incredible work! I’d recommend TrendMark to anyone. TrendMark is unique in that the crew are employee of TrendMark and you know who to expect for the duration of the project. I was comfortable having them in our home at anytime. Not having a string of subs come through made it a very positive experience. Their attention to detail was amazing. Before I could point out any issue the team was already working on them. Overall, remodeling a kitchen, down to the sheetrock and more and 3.5 baths could be a very painful experience, but this was not the case. It was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. We love our new home! AWARD: Best Kitchen $25,001 - $40,000 Special Feature Award: Kitchen/Closet Redesign * Nice attention to detail. Reworked interior wall to gain space. Exceptional update good lighting. * Cabinet layout/design – elevations and projections – are small but nice finishing details. Thought/Implementation of kitchen pantry/closet redesign truly changed the kitchen. * Like the kitchen cabinets lines – especially the layout nicely done tile.

modern home designed by Greg Swedberg while an employee at Allegro Builders. Greg Swedberg now has his own practice 2Scale Architects Benjamin Hill Photography

Intriguing, creative, bold -- the Flounder modern design homes strike an impressive presence in this city neighborhood.
Example of a mid-sized trendy two-story brick flat roof design in St Louis

modern home designed by Greg Swedberg while an employee at Allegro Builders. Greg Swedberg now has his own practice 2Scale Architects Benjamin Hill Photography

Home office - coastal home office idea in Houston

modern home designed by Greg Swedberg while an employee at Allegro Builders. Greg Swedberg now has his own practice 2Scale Architects Benjamin Hill Photography

Door style: Chesapeake | Species: Red Oak | Finish: Cognac Island: Maple | Finish: Linen with Carmel glaze The Chesapeake door style is a raised-panel, cope-and-stick design that fits well with the goal of classic comfort. Its sleek edge profile and slant/raised panel give it a clean, geometric persona. The two-level island creates prep, cooking and serving spaces. Learn more about our stain offerings on red oak: http://www.showplacewood.com/WoodsFin2/woodsR.0.html

Inspiration for a contemporary home office remodel in Salt Lake City

A contemporary mountain home: Home Office, Photo by Eric Lucero Photography
Study room - large contemporary freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room idea in Denver with brown walls, a tile fireplace and a ribbon fireplace

Secret Gardens has been developing this stunning harbourside garden over a number of years. A simple layout at water level provides a subtle foreground to the harbour view beyond. Simple, modern plant combinations draw from a simple but consistent colour palette. The main courtyard space is the highlight . A five metre high green wall and water wall provide the backdrop to a large banquet seat. The built in bbq, retractable ceiling, customised firepit and coffee table provide options for year round entertainment. Extensive soundproofing was incorporated into the boundary wall as well as behind the green wall to absorb noise from a neighbouring property.