This entry coat closet is covered in wallpaper and blends right in - even down to the acrylic door knob!!
Example of a large minimalist light wood floor, brown floor and wallpaper foyer design in Richmond with beige walls and a brown front door

  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

John Bedell Photography, Interiors by Angela Free Design
Home design - traditional dark wood floor home design idea in San Francisco with open cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops and white walls

Rock Creek project
Closet - traditional gender-neutral dark wood floor closet idea in Dallas with dark wood cabinets

The entryway features sleek wood paneling with integrated LED lighting, creating a warm and inviting ambiance. A hidden powder room is seamlessly concealed behind one of the wood panels, blending functionality with the clean, modern design. A glass wall separates the entry from a home office, furnished with minimalist wooden rocking chairs and a round black side table. A large frosted glass door with a black frame serves as the focal point, combining privacy and style.

Whole-house remodel of a hillside home in Seattle. The historically-significant ballroom was repurposed as a family/music room, and the once-small kitchen and adjacent spaces were combined to create an open area for cooking and gathering. A compact master bath was reconfigured to maximize the use of space, and a new main floor powder room provides knee space for accessibility. Built-in cabinets provide much-needed coat & shoe storage close to the front door. ©Kathryn Barnard, 2014

Wine Cellar Photos:Rebecca Zurstadt-Peterson Wine Rack: Stellar Cellars
Wine cellar - large traditional slate floor wine cellar idea in Portland with beige walls and diamond bins

Lake Front Country Estate Entry Porch, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling
Single front door - huge traditional single front door idea with a medium wood front door

Roehner Ryan
Example of a large country l-shaped brick floor mudroom design in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, marble backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, gray countertops and white walls

Entryway - cottage entryway idea in Phoenix

Point West
Mudroom - coastal mudroom idea in Grand Rapids

Nantucket Architectural Photography
Mid-sized beach style wooden staircase photo in Boston with painted risers

Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical medium tone wood floor and brown floor single front door remodel in St Louis with brown walls and a white front door

Thoughtful space planning transformed not only the kitchen, but also the way the homeowners move through the surrounding spaces. In addition to the existing kitchen entry from the front of the home, a second opening was created from the foyer to improve circulation and connectivity. The refrigerator was recessed into space gained from the former dining room, allowing it to integrate cleanly into the cabinetry while simultaneously creating a recessed area on the foyer side for an entry table and Rocky River painted accent wall. To the right of the refrigerator, a concealed door with hidden hinges was painted to match the Snow white cabinetry, disguising the entrance to the new scullery kitchen and giving the homeowners a true hidden space.

Example of a trendy wooden l-shaped staircase design in New York with wooden risers

Closeup of the door to the hidden pantry. False panels and hardware to match the rest of the bank of cabinets. We custom made all of the kitchen cabinetry and shelving. The kitchen was a small area so maximizing usable space with function and design was crucial. The transitional design features a pantry wall with the Sub Zero all glass door refrigerator and oven cabinet centered and equal size pantry cabinets to either side with 3 large storage drawers below and rollout shelves and work surfaces behind the door cabinets above in each with a hidden walk-in pantry door next to the Sub Zero. The cabinets on the range wall all have large storage drawers with wood organizers in the top drawer for spices and utensils. The client also wanted floating shelves to either side of the steel hood which were made from re-sawn maple to look like cut pieces from an old beam, each shelf is lit from the underside with LED flush mounted puck lights. The island was our biggest challenge. It needed to house several appliances of different size, a farmhouse sink and be able to have function from all 4 sides and still have room for seating space on the backside. The sink side has the farmhouse sink centered with storage drawers to the right that feature wood organizers and a double middle drawer to help hold all the small utensils and still maintain the 3 drawer look from the front view that matches the integrated dishwasher to the left. The right side contains both the integrated soft close trash unit and an icemaker with a third false panel door to maintain the size balance for all three. The left side houses the Sub Zero undercounter freezer. I wanted the face to look like six equal sized drawers, which left the integrated drawer fronts for the freezer overlapping the side panel for the dishwasher. The back of the island has storage tucked up under the seating space. The quartz countertop meets up against the maple butcher block to create a stunning island top. All in all the end result of this kitchen is a beautiful space with wonderful function. We finished the false beams in our exclusive hand-rubbed cappuccino stain. Photos: Kimball Ungerman

Nathan Schroder Photography BK Design Studio Robert Elliott Custom Homes
Inspiration for a contemporary built-in desk dark wood floor home office remodel in Dallas with blue walls and no fireplace

Opening of an entrance to a panic room through a hidden door.
Large transitional foyer photo in Salt Lake City

The kitchen pantry is a camouflaged, surprising feature and fun topic of discussion. Its entry is created using doors fabricated from the cabinets.
Large minimalist u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen pantry photo in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands and white countertops