October 5 Fine Home Builders
Mid-sized 1950s master gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile corner shower photo in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, a drop-in sink and beige walls

Securing the Slab-style steps; even though these units weigh in excess of 300lbs each, a little exterior adhesive is recommended to keep them in place.

Caring for aging parents is both a joy and a challenge. The clients wanted to create a more aging-in-place friendly basement area for their mother. The existing kitchenette was more of a glorified bar and did not give her the option of cooking independently, and definitely not stylishly. We re-configured the area so it was all open, with full kitchen capabilities. All appliances were selected to cater to the mother's limited reach, so all functional storage and product usage can be done without raising arms excessively. Special storage solutions include a peg-system for a dish drawer, tiered silverware trays, a slide-up appliance garage, and pivoting pantry storage. The cabinets also give ample display space for her collection of antique glassware. In lieu of an island, we created a solid-surface top for a standard table so food can be prepped while sitting and without damaging the table top. All items reflect the mother's tastes and existing furniture so she can truly feel like this basement is her space, while still being close to her son and daughter-in-law.

Warm wood and cold glass don't always work well together, but here they do. This white oak staircase pairs naturally grained treads with a sleek glass balustrade anchored by bold black metal posts, a combination that feels considered rather than contrived. The wrap-around starting steps ease the entry, softening what could have been a hard geometric statement into something more welcoming. Overhead, a statement lighting installation pulls the eye upward, casting a warm glow that works with the oak rather than against it. Clean lines throughout, nothing excessive. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Since 1985, the Lake Forest Auxiliary Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago has hosted a nationally recognized designer Showhouse and Gardens to benefit the Angel Harvey Family Health Center of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, which provides healthcare to Chicago’s medically underserved. Since its inception, the Lake Forest Showhouse has raised in excess of $4 million for the deserving cause. This year, more than 30 interior and landscape designers, including honorary chair Paloma Contreras, transformed the 23-room, 11,000-square-foot east Lake Forest Pullman property into a showstopping tribute to the latest in design and décor.

No excess processing, keeping the naturally occurred elements in jute fibers to create beautifully layered effects while the sunlight streaming through.

To the manor born… or at least it will feel like it in this elegant yet easygoing French Country home designed by Visbeen Architects with a busy family who wants the best of the past and the present in mind. Drawn from both French and English traditional architecture, this two-story 5,463-square-foot home is a pleasing and timeless blend of two perennially popular styles. Driving up the circular driveway, the home’s front façade impresses with its distinctive details, including a covered porch, iron and stone accents, a roofline with multiple peaks, large windows and its central turret capping two bay windows. The back is no less eye-catching, with a series of large central windows on all three floors overlooking the backyard, two private balconies and both a covered second-floor screen porch and an open-air main-level patio perfect for al fresco entertaining. There’s magic on the inside too. The expansive 2,900-square-foot main level revolves around a welcoming two-story foyer with a grand curved staircase that leads into the rest of the luxurious yet not excessive floor plan. Highlights of the public spaces on the left include a spacious two-story light-filled living room with a wall of windows overlooking the backyard and a fireplace, an adjacent dining room perfect for entertaining with its own deck, and a open-plan kitchen with central island, convenient home management area and walk-in pantry. A nearby screened porch is the perfect place for enjoying outdoors meals bug-free. Private rooms are concentrated on the first-floor’s right side, with a secluded master suite that includes spa-like bath with his and her vanities and a large tub as well as a private balcony, large walk-in closet and secluded nearby study/office. Upstairs, another 1,100 square feet of living space is designed with family living in mind, including two bedrooms, each with private bath and large closet, and a convenient kids study with peaked ceiling overlooking the street. The central circular staircase leads to another 1,800 square-feet in the lower level, with a large family room with kitchen /bar, a guest bedroom suite, a handy exercise area and access to a nearby covered patio. Photographer: Brad Gillette

Patent-pending top mounting bracket eliminates excessive side-to-side movement and sag, yet is hidden under the first shelf for a clean look.
Kitchen photo in New Orleans

To the manor born… or at least it will feel like it in this elegant yet easygoing French Country home designed by Visbeen Architects with a busy family who wants the best of the past and the present in mind. Drawn from both French and English traditional architecture, this two-story 5,463-square-foot home is a pleasing and timeless blend of two perennially popular styles. Driving up the circular driveway, the home’s front façade impresses with its distinctive details, including a covered porch, iron and stone accents, a roofline with multiple peaks, large windows and its central turret capping two bay windows. The back is no less eye-catching, with a series of large central windows on all three floors overlooking the backyard, two private balconies and both a covered second-floor screen porch and an open-air main-level patio perfect for al fresco entertaining. There’s magic on the inside too. The expansive 2,900-square-foot main level revolves around a welcoming two-story foyer with a grand curved staircase that leads into the rest of the luxurious yet not excessive floor plan. Highlights of the public spaces on the left include a spacious two-story light-filled living room with a wall of windows overlooking the backyard and a fireplace, an adjacent dining room perfect for entertaining with its own deck, and a open-plan kitchen with central island, convenient home management area and walk-in pantry. A nearby screened porch is the perfect place for enjoying outdoors meals bug-free. Private rooms are concentrated on the first-floor’s right side, with a secluded master suite that includes spa-like bath with his and her vanities and a large tub as well as a private balcony, large walk-in closet and secluded nearby study/office. Upstairs, another 1,100 square feet of living space is designed with family living in mind, including two bedrooms, each with private bath and large closet, and a convenient kids study with peaked ceiling overlooking the street. The central circular staircase leads to another 1,800 square-feet in the lower level, with a large family room with kitchen /bar, a guest bedroom suite, a handy exercise area and access to a nearby covered patio. Photographer: Brad Gillette

Custom frosted film on glass front door Sun Control of Minnesota is a family owned and operated business that offers Professional Window Tinting Services. We first started out in one office with two part time installers, and we have now grown our business with over 15 employees badge-1980and four different locations in the metro area. We continue to expand our relationships with customers, as well as our service and quality of work. We offer a complete line of Window Tinting services for Automotive, Commercial, Residential, & Marine applications. Our products include Decorative Frost Films, for glass enhancement; Safety/ Security Films, for Anti-Theft and Blast Protection; and 3M Paint Protection Film, for Automotive Rock Chip Prevention. We focus on helping our customers reduce damaging UV rays, excessive solar heat gain, and glare from their interior spaces. UV rays, solar heat, and visible light are the main contributors to fading concerns in homes. Window Film reduces these elements to provide a beautiful view without having to close out the natural sunlight with a shade or blind. We provide the quality that competitors can’t even touch. Our Mission is to Provide the Highest Quality Service, Products, and Installation in the Solar Energy Control Tint & Glass Film industry.

We created an almost crystalline form that reflected the push and pull of the most important factors on the site: views directly to the NNW, an approach from the ESE, and of course, sun from direct south. To keep the size modest, we peeled away the excess spaces and scaled down any rooms that desired intimacy (the bedrooms) or did not require height (the pool room). Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

The owners of a charming home in the hills west of Paso Robles recently decided to remodel their not-so-charming kitchen. Referred to San Luis Kitchen by several of their friends, the homeowners visited our showroom and soon decided we were the best people to design a kitchen fitting the style of their home. We were delighted to get to work on the project right away. When we arrived at the house, we found a small, cramped and out-dated kitchen. The ceiling was low, the cabinets old fashioned and painted a stark dead white, and the best view in the house was neglected in a seldom-used breakfast nook (sequestered behind the kitchen peninsula). This kitchen was also handicapped by white tile counters with dark grout, odd-sized and cluttered cabinets, and small ‘desk’ tacked on to the side of the oven cabinet. Due to a marked lack of counter space & inadequate storage the homeowner had resorted to keeping her small appliances on a little cart parked in the corner and the garbage was just sitting by the wall in full view of everything! On the plus side, the kitchen opened into a nice dining room and had beautiful saltillo tile floors. Mrs. Homeowner loves to entertain and often hosts dinner parties for her friends. She enjoys visiting with her guests in the kitchen while putting the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. Sadly, her small kitchen really limited her interactions with her guests – she often felt left out of the mix at her own parties! This savvy homeowner dreamed big – a new kitchen that would accommodate multiple workstations, have space for guests to gather but not be in the way, and maybe a prettier transition from the kitchen to the dining (wine service area or hutch?) – while managing the remodel budget by reusing some of her major appliances and keeping (patching as needed) her existing floors. Responding to the homeowner’s stated wish list and the opportunities presented by the home's setting and existing architecture, the designers at San Luis Kitchen decided to expand the kitchen into the breakfast nook using Wood-Mode cabinetry. This change allowed the work area to be reoriented to take advantage of the great view – we replaced the existing window and added another while moving the door to gain space. A second sink and set of refrigerator drawers (housing fresh fruits & veggies) were included for the convenience of this mainly vegetarian cook – her prep station. The clean-up area now boasts a farmhouse style single bowl sink – adding to the ‘cottage’ charm. We located a new gas cook-top between the two workstations for easy access from each. Also tucked in here is a pullout trash/recycle cabinet for convenience and additional drawers for storage. Running parallel to the work counter we added a long butcher-block island with easy-to-access open shelves for the avid cook and seating for friendly guests placed just right to take in the view. A counter-top garage is used to hide excess small appliances. Glass door cabinets and open shelves are now available to display the owners beautiful dishware. The microwave was placed inconspicuously on the end of the island facing the refrigerator – easy access for guests (and extraneous family members) to help themselves to drinks and snacks while staying out of the cook’s way. We also moved the pantry storage away from the dining room (putting it on the far wall and closer to the work triangle) and added a furniture-like hutch in its place allowing the more formal dining area to flow seamlessly into the up-beat work area of the kitchen. This space is now also home (opposite wall) to an under counter wine refrigerator, a liquor cabinet and pretty glass door wall cabinet for stemware storage – meeting Mr. Homeowner’s desire for a bar service area. And then the aesthetic: an old-world style country cottage theme. The homeowners wanted the kitchen to have a warm feel while still loving the look of white cabinetry. San Luis Kitchen melded country-casual knotty pine base cabinets with vintage hand-brushed creamy white wall cabinets to create the desired cottage look. We also added bead board and mullioned glass doors for charm, used an inset doorstyle on the cabinets for authenticity, and mixed stone and wood counters to create an eclectic nuance in the space. All in all, the happy homeowners now boast a charming county cottage kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining their guests while creating gourmet meals to feed them.

Our clients wanted a modern mountain getaway that would combine their gorgeous mountain surroundings with contemporary finishes. To highlight the stunning cathedral ceilings, we decided to take the natural stone on the fireplace from floor to ceiling. The dark wood mantle adds a break for the eye, and ties in the views of surrounding trees. Our clients wanted a complete facelift for their kitchen, and this started with removing the excess of dark wood on the ceiling, walls, and cabinets. Opening a larger picture window helps in bringing the outdoors in, and contrasting white and black cabinets create a fresh and modern feel. --- Project designed by Montecito interior designer Margarita Bravo. She serves Montecito as well as surrounding areas such as Hope Ranch, Summerland, Santa Barbara, Isla Vista, Mission Canyon, Carpinteria, Goleta, Ojai, Los Olivos, and Solvang. For more about MARGARITA BRAVO, click here: https://www.margaritabravo.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.margaritabravo.com/portfolio/colorado-nature-inspired-getaway/

No excess processing, keeping the naturally occurred elements in jute fibers to create beautifully layered effects while the sunlight streaming through.

Custom flat-panel millwork, bespoke lighting with backlit Mirrors, doorless shower with dual shower head setup for couples, double sink setup to provide excess counter space for couples, privacy screens that maintain the beautiful view of Mt. Tam while providing

Sundance Homes invites you to tour this 2,600-square-foot walkout ranch. As you enter the home take note of the frosted glass track doors, which offer privacy and seclusion to a home office. The kitchen, dining and great room offer an open concept, while still maintaining their own distinct and defining characteristics. From the hardwood floors carried throughout the house, to the GE Monogram stainless steel appliances and quartz countertop island, this home provides the most usable space for family as well as entertaining. A spacious covered deck extends along the entire back of the house with access to the owner’s retreat. This is the place to relax at the end of the day with a stone fireplace, soaker tub, walk-in shower with digital control rain heads, an abundance of closet space and a bonus of its own washer and dryer. The second and third bedrooms include a Jack & Jill bath with individual vanities. Just steps away are the laundry room and mud room, featuring built-in lockers to give little ones a unique space to store their stuff. This home is equipped with energy-efficient, environmentally friendly geothermal HVAC system and radiant floor heating in the 4-car garages. Additionally, the garage floor drains and outside gutters are tied into an underground gutter system, effectively pulling excess water away from the foundation. This home also has a Control 4 Home Operating System with video and audio, providing the homeowner with a true sense of security – while at home and away.

The clients summer vacation home had an extra large walk-in closet in the primary bedroom. Since the room did not have an attached bathroom, and an oversized closet wasn't necessary with it being a seasonal home and having an excess of storage elsewhere- we decided to use the space to create a Primary Suite. The client picked a wonderful blue palette that compliments the views of the lake outside so perfectly. We added a custom double vanity with plenty of storage, a large, glass walk-in shower and lots of pretty details she picked out in all the tile work.

Herb prep room. With a focus on their passions of beekeeping and herb gardening, this retired couple saw potential in this rural home they bought in 2013. They asked us for suggestions on how best to enclose and expand a breezeway from the home to the garage to include two stories, add a room over the garage, and nearly double the size of the kitchen. The lowered “biscuit counter” in the island is an ideal height for rolling out dough and getting help from the grandkids. Pantry access is through a screen door. Load-bearing walls were removed, the stairway was reconstructed, the previous breezeway was transformed into a small bathroom and a mud/laundry space. Above that was added another small bathroom, an herb prep room, complete with a stove, double sink and small fridge, plus another bedroom. Exterior drainage issues also needed attention, so we dug out along the back of the home, added French drains to evacuate the excess water, plus and a small, rock retaining wall.

After reviewing the clients closet which held 4 rolling clothing racks. I designed a closet that doubled her existing hanging space. Within a week the product was ordered and installed. Once installed I worked with the client for 2 hours to purge the excess and place the items with purpose. Now she loves "shopping" within her own closet.