Our homeowners love to cook, bake, and entertain. They were dealing with the original builder grade cabinets that were falling apart and coming off the walls. They initially reached out to consider refacing, but realized a remodel was what they needed to reimagine the kitchen space and achieve the functionality they were looking for. We went to work understanding how they use their kitchen creating a design for the chef to be able to work while keeping people engaged and out of her workspace. They decided on a two-toned kitchen with Polar White and Pebble Gray cabinets. The countertops were done in Smoked Pearl quartz with a matching full splash creating a clean and continuous flow. We removed the existing peninsula and built a large island/prep area. Their guests can now walk directly into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. We also added seating on two sides of the island. To provide more functionality and storage, we relocated the refrigerator and added a double oven and pantry cabinets, rollout shelves, and various pullout storage solutions. Now our homeowners have the kitchen they never thought they could have. We are glad we could solve this kitchen for them!

Breezy Coastal-Inspired Hearth Room Sustainable, natural, wholly engaging, and a showcase for their cultural pieces and art was the concept for this home. The couple wanted to use sustainable and environmentally friendly products throughout their home as much as possible. Being from both California and Florida, they wanted a coastal influence that didn’t look contrived or over-stylized in a Midwestern home. Also, they desired a serene, peaceful space where all senses were engaged. Incorporating the Feng Shui elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water in color, texture and product choice was used in this design. A problem area with the original room was a large, blocky oak fireplace. The top half was removed and the hearth was painted white, opening up the space considerably. The back wall was painted a serene blue as an accent. An overall neutral palette of taupe, blues and grey balanced the wood tones found in the flooring and teak accents the couple acquired on their travels. We recovered their existing love seat with taupe diamond-stripe cotton in a slipcover style, adding to the casual atmosphere of a beach house. Organic cotton, hand-blocked pillows with red cherry blossoms provide a pop of color to the seating. A swivel rocker gives flexibility to multiple focal points and conversation. The 100% hemp rug has a turquoise oversized damask print and is a plush anchor to the hearth setting. A long grey-washed rattan bench serves as a cocktail table and woven Roman shades provide needed contrast to the back wall. A distressed, reclaimed bench sits below bold art as a bright accent area to an overall neutral space. The centerpiece of the room is a large cerulean blue buffet with fretwork & glass doors. A large Buddha head serves as a meditative focal point with Asian-inspired art and lighting. Julie Austin Photography

Row 1412 is located on Capitol Hill on approximately 10,000 square feet of L3 zoned property. Originally developed as three single family houses, the project, currently under construction, consists of seven new homes and the preservation of one of the three existing single family homes. The siting of the proposal provides the opportunity to preserve an existing Ginkgo tree at the east edge of the site. The proposal will be designed around a central courtyard and walkway that connects the site from east to west and engages the Ginkgo. The project adds density while preserving a magnificent Seattle home by relocating it on its property to make room for the additional structures. A duplex is added behind the home with a rowhouse structure engaging the corner E Mercer Street through a series of recessed entries and stoops. Consistent with the neighboring structures, materials include brick, stained wood and painted panel.

Located on a marsh in the upper reaches of the Lieutenant River in Old Lyme, the existing house was well-sited and well-built, but the design failed to exploit the views and more importantly was a confused combination of contemporary and traditional elements. The new homeowners, a successful businesswoman and an accomplished artist and photographer, were interested in creating a fully-contemporary environment to open up space, connect indoors with outdoors, display artwork and showcase the husband’s distinctive photographs. One glaring deficiency was the curb appeal and approach sequence: the grade sloped down and the path to the house followed, but this led to an uncomfortable dip and abrupt rise to the front door. By creating a virtual “moat,” occupied by a grid of raised-bed grasses contained in aluminum-clad boxes, and spanning the moat with an ipe bridge, the approach becomes level and engaging. The façade of the existing house was blank and bland, and with no cover. Adding a deep overhang with a wide porch creates a welcoming, covered condition, accentuated by a 6’ wide pivoting front door that feels more like a moving piece of wall. Another deficiency was the connection to the outdoors. By adding glass to the front and back of the house, and removing interior walls selectively, the house takes on a diaphanous quality that allows one to see through to the marsh beyond, even when in the driveway. The raised-bed grasses act as abstract, geometric versions of the marsh beyond. A large, pyramidal skylight establishes a spatial hierarchy around which the rooms revolve. The house featured several tray-ceilinged spaces – living room, kitchen, and master bedroom – that were poorly-proportioned and with panels at the top that resembled inset flat panel doors. The solution was to use a different strategy for each: the bedroom turns the ceiling into an eggshell through the use of a creative trim detail; the living room has an oversized sculptural, backlit lighting element; and the kitchen has a collage of painted rectangular forms that support or include lighting pieces. A palette of concrete, blackened steel, stainless steel and colors carefully chosen by homeowner and architect create an interior and exterior environment punctuated by moments that are as artistic as the featured works in the black-ceilinged gallery.

Breezy Coastal-Inspired Hearth Room Sustainable, natural, wholly engaging, and a showcase for their cultural pieces and art was the concept for this home. The couple wanted to use sustainable and environmentally friendly products throughout their home as much as possible. Being from both California and Florida, they wanted a coastal influence that didn’t look contrived or over-stylized in a Midwestern home. Also, they desired a serene, peaceful space where all senses were engaged. Incorporating the Feng Shui elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water in color, texture and product choice was used in this design. A problem area with the original room was a large, blocky oak fireplace. The top half was removed and the hearth was painted white, opening up the space considerably. The back wall was painted a serene blue as an accent. An overall neutral palette of taupe, blues and grey balanced the wood tones found in the flooring and teak accents the couple acquired on their travels. We recovered their existing love seat with taupe diamond-stripe cotton in a slipcover style, adding to the casual atmosphere of a beach house. Organic cotton, hand-blocked pillows with red cherry blossoms provide a pop of color to the seating. A swivel rocker gives flexibility to multiple focal points and conversation. The 100% hemp rug has a turquoise oversized damask print and is a plush anchor to the hearth setting. A long grey-washed rattan bench serves as a cocktail table and woven Roman shades provide needed contrast to the back wall. A distressed, reclaimed bench sits below bold art as a bright accent area to an overall neutral space. The centerpiece of the room is a large cerulean blue buffet with fretwork & glass doors. A large Buddha head serves as a meditative focal point with Asian-inspired art and lighting. Julie Austin Photography

Designed by Jens Bunte of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Chesapeake, VA this transitional style kitchen design features Green Forest Cabinetry in Park Place shaker door style with White finish. Kitchen countertops are Q by MSI engineered quartz in the color Calacatta Laza. The tile backsplash features the Glazzio Crystile Series in the color Morning Mist. According to the client, “On her initial visit, Jens asked many insightful questions and offered several helpful recommendations that appealed to us immediately. These included installing ceiling height cabinets by removing the soffit, adding a full depth cabinet above the refrigerator, considering a larger island with more countertop, storage and seating space, incorporating efficient cabinet accessories in our base cabinets and transforming a bi-fold door pantry into a coffee bar. From project kickoff to concept design, planning, communication, logistics, installation and follow up, Jens was attentive, enthusiastic, engaged and meticulous. It was truly a pleasure to work with her!” Added Jens, “The Barbers knew what they wanted but also allowed me to offer ideas and solutions throughout the entire project so the end result was a definite combination of all of our efforts coming together cohesively.” Photos courtesy of Frank Biganski, AgentsChoice360.

The existing entry hall was narrow, and uninviting. The front porch was bland. The solution was to expand the entry hall out four feet with a two story piece that allowed for a new straight run of stairs, a larger foyer at the entry door with sidelights and a fanlight window above. A Palladian window was added at the stair landing with a window seat.. A new semi circular porch with a stone floor marks the main entry for the house. Existing Dining Room bay had a low ceiling which separated it from the main room. We removed the old bay and added a taller rectangular bay window with engaged columns to complement the entry porch. The new dining bay, front porch and new vertical brick element fit the scale of the large front facade and most importantly give it visual delight!

Clerestory windows to bring in added light and save on wall space. Overall - single level modern home on golf course with peak-aboo mtn views. The design was an open concept with multiple sitting options. Kitchen is the hub of activity so adding an extra sitting area allows the chef to move freely while still engaging with guests in an open environment. The direction from the owner was to have lots of light and clear views of the mountains and golf course. She also wanted lots of wall space for art which was important to her. It's easy to put lots of windows in, but how do you decide which walls get windows and which get art? Regarding the lot: There’s a golf bunker near the lot so the challenge was to get up high enough, still be a single level home. We designed the home to step up from the garage to achieve views. Greg Welch Construction: http://gregwelchconstruction.com/ Interiors finishes: Legum Design: https://www.legumdesign.com/ Photo credit: Cheryl McIntosh of www.greatthingsaredone.com

Our homeowners love to cook, bake, and entertain. They were dealing with the original builder grade cabinets that were falling apart and coming off the walls. They initially reached out to consider refacing, but realized a remodel was what they needed to reimagine the kitchen space and achieve the functionality they were looking for. We went to work understanding how they use their kitchen creating a design for the chef to be able to work while keeping people engaged and out of her workspace. They decided on a two-toned kitchen with Polar White and Pebble Gray cabinets. The countertops were done in Smoked Pearl quartz with a matching full splash creating a clean and continuous flow. We removed the existing peninsula and built a large island/prep area. Their guests can now walk directly into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. We also added seating on two sides of the island. To provide more functionality and storage, we relocated the refrigerator and added a double oven and pantry cabinets, rollout shelves, and various pullout storage solutions. Now our homeowners have the kitchen they never thought they could have. We are glad we could solve this kitchen for them!

Located on a marsh in the upper reaches of the Lieutenant River in Old Lyme, the existing house was well-sited and well-built, but the design failed to exploit the views and more importantly was a confused combination of contemporary and traditional elements. The new homeowners, a successful businesswoman and an accomplished artist and photographer, were interested in creating a fully-contemporary environment to open up space, connect indoors with outdoors, display artwork and showcase the husband’s distinctive photographs. One glaring deficiency was the curb appeal and approach sequence: the grade sloped down and the path to the house followed, but this led to an uncomfortable dip and abrupt rise to the front door. By creating a virtual “moat,” occupied by a grid of raised-bed grasses contained in aluminum-clad boxes, and spanning the moat with an ipe bridge, the approach becomes level and engaging. The façade of the existing house was blank and bland, and with no cover. Adding a deep overhang with a wide porch creates a welcoming, covered condition, accentuated by a 6’ wide pivoting front door that feels more like a moving piece of wall. Another deficiency was the connection to the outdoors. By adding glass to the front and back of the house, and removing interior walls selectively, the house takes on a diaphanous quality that allows one to see through to the marsh beyond, even when in the driveway. The raised-bed grasses act as abstract, geometric versions of the marsh beyond. A large, pyramidal skylight establishes a spatial hierarchy around which the rooms revolve. The house featured several tray-ceilinged spaces – living room, kitchen, and master bedroom – that were poorly-proportioned and with panels at the top that resembled inset flat panel doors. The solution was to use a different strategy for each: the bedroom turns the ceiling into an eggshell through the use of a creative trim detail; the living room has an oversized sculptural, backlit lighting element; and the kitchen has a collage of painted rectangular forms that support or include lighting pieces. A palette of concrete, blackened steel, stainless steel and colors carefully chosen by homeowner and architect create an interior and exterior environment punctuated by moments that are as artistic as the featured works in the black-ceilinged gallery.

Located on a marsh in the upper reaches of the Lieutenant River in Old Lyme, the existing house was well-sited and well-built, but the design failed to exploit the views and more importantly was a confused combination of contemporary and traditional elements. The new homeowners, a successful businesswoman and an accomplished artist and photographer, were interested in creating a fully-contemporary environment to open up space, connect indoors with outdoors, display artwork and showcase the husband’s distinctive photographs. One glaring deficiency was the curb appeal and approach sequence: the grade sloped down and the path to the house followed, but this led to an uncomfortable dip and abrupt rise to the front door. By creating a virtual “moat,” occupied by a grid of raised-bed grasses contained in aluminum-clad boxes, and spanning the moat with an ipe bridge, the approach becomes level and engaging. The façade of the existing house was blank and bland, and with no cover. Adding a deep overhang with a wide porch creates a welcoming, covered condition, accentuated by a 6’ wide pivoting front door that feels more like a moving piece of wall. Another deficiency was the connection to the outdoors. By adding glass to the front and back of the house, and removing interior walls selectively, the house takes on a diaphanous quality that allows one to see through to the marsh beyond, even when in the driveway. The raised-bed grasses act as abstract, geometric versions of the marsh beyond. A large, pyramidal skylight establishes a spatial hierarchy around which the rooms revolve. The house featured several tray-ceilinged spaces – living room, kitchen, and master bedroom – that were poorly-proportioned and with panels at the top that resembled inset flat panel doors. The solution was to use a different strategy for each: the bedroom turns the ceiling into an eggshell through the use of a creative trim detail; the living room has an oversized sculptural, backlit lighting element; and the kitchen has a collage of painted rectangular forms that support or include lighting pieces. A palette of concrete, blackened steel, stainless steel and colors carefully chosen by homeowner and architect create an interior and exterior environment punctuated by moments that are as artistic as the featured works in the black-ceilinged gallery.

Our homeowners love to cook, bake, and entertain. They were dealing with the original builder grade cabinets that were falling apart and coming off the walls. They initially reached out to consider refacing, but realized a remodel was what they needed to reimagine the kitchen space and achieve the functionality they were looking for. We went to work understanding how they use their kitchen creating a design for the chef to be able to work while keeping people engaged and out of her workspace. They decided on a two-toned kitchen with Polar White and Pebble Gray cabinets. The countertops were done in Smoked Pearl quartz with a matching full splash creating a clean and continuous flow. We removed the existing peninsula and built a large island/prep area. Their guests can now walk directly into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. We also added seating on two sides of the island. To provide more functionality and storage, we relocated the refrigerator and added a double oven and pantry cabinets, rollout shelves, and various pullout storage solutions. Now our homeowners have the kitchen they never thought they could have. We are glad we could solve this kitchen for them!

What had been a dark, cramped, cluttered kitchen with an awkward adjacent space was transformed into this spacious, abundant, functional, light filled kitchen. Windows were added across much of the exterior wall. The window behind the range was added to bring light across the workspace without losing critical storage above. The jamb and sill are all wrapped in stone making this resilient and easy to clean. The Island has a unique shape, allowing for both work prep space with traditional edges along two lines mirroring the work side of the kitchen. The opposite side is a free flowing organic shape that makes it easy to lean in to the counter top and engage in conversation. One of the challenges presented by the space was the shape of a partially vaulted ceiling (from a previous remodel). We considered closing it off but felt losing the volume would be a shame. Instead we came up with an asymmetrical box beam that could serve as the task lighting for the room. Lights placed on the top side of the beam illuminate the elevated volume, creating the illusion of a sun filled space. Finally, we brought organization and touch of color to the rear-entry / mudroom with some beautiful blue tile and a floating bench that serves double duty as storage for gloves and hats, and leaves space below for shoes.

Designed by Jens Bunte of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Chesapeake, VA this transitional style kitchen design features Green Forest Cabinetry in Park Place shaker door style with White finish. Kitchen countertops are Q by MSI engineered quartz in the color Calacatta Laza. The tile backsplash features the Glazzio Crystile Series in the color Morning Mist. According to the client, “On her initial visit, Jens asked many insightful questions and offered several helpful recommendations that appealed to us immediately. These included installing ceiling height cabinets by removing the soffit, adding a full depth cabinet above the refrigerator, considering a larger island with more countertop, storage and seating space, incorporating efficient cabinet accessories in our base cabinets and transforming a bi-fold door pantry into a coffee bar. From project kickoff to concept design, planning, communication, logistics, installation and follow up, Jens was attentive, enthusiastic, engaged and meticulous. It was truly a pleasure to work with her!” Added Jens, “The Barbers knew what they wanted but also allowed me to offer ideas and solutions throughout the entire project so the end result was a definite combination of all of our efforts coming together cohesively.” Photos courtesy of Frank Biganski, AgentsChoice360.

Clerestory windows to bring in added light and save on wall space. Overall - single level modern home on golf course with peak-aboo mtn views. The design was an open concept with multiple sitting options. Kitchen is the hub of activity so adding an extra sitting area allows the chef to move freely while still engaging with guests in an open environment. The direction from the owner was to have lots of light and clear views of the mountains and golf course. She also wanted lots of wall space for art which was important to her. It's easy to put lots of windows in, but how do you decide which walls get windows and which get art? Regarding the lot: There’s a golf bunker near the lot so the challenge was to get up high enough, still be a single level home. We designed the home to step up from the garage to achieve views. Greg Welch Construction: http://gregwelchconstruction.com/ Interiors finishes: Legum Design: https://www.legumdesign.com/ Photo credit: Cheryl McIntosh of www.greatthingsaredone.com

Kitchen materials: Quartz slab countertop Clerestory windows to bring in added light and save on wall space. Overall - single level modern home on golf course with peak-aboo mtn views. The design was an open concept with multiple sitting options. Kitchen is the hub of activity so adding an extra sitting area allows the chef to move freely while still engaging with guests in an open environment. The direction from the owner was to have lots of light and clear views of the mountains and golf course. She also wanted lots of wall space for art which was important to her. It's easy to put lots of windows in, but how do you decide which walls get windows and which get art? Regarding the lot: There’s a golf bunker near the lot so the challenge was to get up high enough, still be a single level home. We designed the home to step up from the garage to achieve views. Greg Welch Construction: http://gregwelchconstruction.com/ Interiors finishes: Legum Design: https://www.legumdesign.com/ Photo credit: Cheryl McIntosh of www.greatthingsaredone.com

Our homeowners love to cook, bake, and entertain. They were dealing with the original builder grade cabinets that were falling apart and coming off the walls. They initially reached out to consider refacing, but realized a remodel was what they needed to reimagine the kitchen space and achieve the functionality they were looking for. We went to work understanding how they use their kitchen creating a design for the chef to be able to work while keeping people engaged and out of her workspace. They decided on a two-toned kitchen with Polar White and Pebble Gray cabinets. The countertops were done in Smoked Pearl quartz with a matching full splash creating a clean and continuous flow. We removed the existing peninsula and built a large island/prep area. Their guests can now walk directly into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. We also added seating on two sides of the island. To provide more functionality and storage, we relocated the refrigerator and added a double oven and pantry cabinets, rollout shelves, and various pullout storage solutions. Now our homeowners have the kitchen they never thought they could have. We are glad we could solve this kitchen for them!

Dennis and Joe have a large, light-filled house. New construction meant lofted space and open floor plans with traditional styling. Running a busy dental practice by day and engaged in a rich social life by night, this couple needed a professional to take the lead on making their house a home. That’s my cue! They wanted to take risks, and stay away from “matchy-matchy”. We gussied up a plain ol’ TV room and gave it a healthy dose of luxury. Our plan was initially inspired by an abstract painting hanging over their stone fireplace. We brought in their love of the outdoors to make things cozy and used family furniture whenever possible for nostalgia and comfort. I took their love for one-of-a-kind objects and started making a design plan, aiming to solve their biggest frustration: the family room. They had a tortured relationship with a “forgotten family room,” a great space that was spacious and bright, but not at all cozy or joyful, and certainly not “them.” I wanted to create a cozy space functional for everyday curling up with puppies and watching TV after dinner, yet chic enough for hosting the pre-dinner kitchen overflow and cocktails during parties. I went looking for contrasting textures and materials. I wanted to balance patterns and scale, and use non-traditional colors as neutrals to create an overall sense of “BAM!” Dennis and Joe loved the nod to the classics juxtaposed with new and different globally-inspired pieces. For this project our design aesthetic can be described as Middle Eastern/tribal meets mid-century modern. We played to their sensible side with proportion and balance, and stayed as far away from boring/bleh as we could. You could say this room was pretty successful...It was featured in DC Modern Luxury. (#nobigdeal, right?) From there we moved on to other spaces.. We added colorful pillows and sheer drapery to finish off their formal living room. We kept an inherited bedroom set from Dennis’ Mom and added color, draperies, and pillows to overhaul the guest bedroom. Their project was not a rip-and-replace, we weren’t starting from scratch with a blank piece of paper. Rather, our goal was to take what was already there and make it better, more like them. Using functionality first, we focused on giving the house a soothing, joyful aesthetic. We upped the chic factor by a gajillion and helped them find their ‘happy’ at home. See more Safferstone stuff at www.safferstone.com. Connect with us on Facebook, get inspired on Pinterest, and share modern musings on life & design on Instagram. Or, send us a love note at hello@safferstone.com. Photo: Angie Seckinger

Our homeowners love to cook, bake, and entertain. They were dealing with the original builder grade cabinets that were falling apart and coming off the walls. They initially reached out to consider refacing, but realized a remodel was what they needed to reimagine the kitchen space and achieve the functionality they were looking for. We went to work understanding how they use their kitchen creating a design for the chef to be able to work while keeping people engaged and out of her workspace. They decided on a two-toned kitchen with Polar White and Pebble Gray cabinets. The countertops were done in Smoked Pearl quartz with a matching full splash creating a clean and continuous flow. We removed the existing peninsula and built a large island/prep area. Their guests can now walk directly into the living area without having to go through the kitchen. We also added seating on two sides of the island. To provide more functionality and storage, we relocated the refrigerator and added a double oven and pantry cabinets, rollout shelves, and various pullout storage solutions. Now our homeowners have the kitchen they never thought they could have. We are glad we could solve this kitchen for them!