Beth Skogen Photography
Inspiration for a modern tub/shower combo remodel with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and granite countertops

Emma Gerancher from Reico Kitchen & Bath in Charlottesville, VA, partnered with Luis Dorta of LED Construction to design a transitional kitchen featuring Masterpiece cabinetry. The kitchen includes the Barton door style in a Cottage finish for the perimeter and a custom Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna painted finish for the island. The space also features MSI W Calacatta Safyra countertops, along with a Frigidaire canopy hood and microwave. The client shared, “Gutting our old kitchen to reconfigure the space for better flow, workspace, and storage was a challenge. Emma listened to my needs and offered helpful tips and options, which made the process work. The layout followed the workflow, and my habits and style guided the final details. Reico gave me the options and confidence to trust the process, and the outcome is seamless and beautiful.” Emma explained, “This kitchen is one of my favorites. The homeowners wanted to replace the peninsula with a custom painted island in Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna, which paired well with the Cottage perimeter cabinets, Calacatta Safyra countertops, sea glass backsplash, and honey bronze hardware. It was a pleasure working with both the homeowners and the contractors throughout the remodel.” Photos courtesy of Regarday, LLC.

The entire suite was dated, had the wasted space of the large corner whirlpool tub to deal with, but also had a unique challenge in that they wanted a larger feel to the space, not to mention a larger shower with seating. "They also wanted to create some privacy by separating the shower and commode from the rest of the bathroom. We solved that challenge by removing a wall within the existing shower, relocating the toilet rough-in and adding a wall with a pocket door to create two private spaces,” explained Poissant. Bathroom Shower walls/niche/bench/feature walls set 12x24” horizon smoke or anthracite 1/3 stagger Shower floor set pebble mica flat tile Frameless Shower with Kohler rain shower head Mirabelle 66 inch soaking tub with Kohler Freestanding Tub Filler Floor — 2x24” horizon grey (1/3 stagger parallel to vanity) Caesarstone Countertops: Frosty Carrina (5141) 3cm Wall Color – BM 1472 Silver Chain – Matte Finish Ceiling Color – Ceiling White Cabinetry Colors – Paint – H/F 0600 Melting Glacier Trim Color – Paint – H/F 0600 Melting Glacier Cabinetry Colors – Stain – Custom Collaboration Around the Color HC-167 Amherst Gray

Emma Gerancher from Reico Kitchen & Bath in Charlottesville, VA, partnered with Luis Dorta of LED Construction to design a transitional kitchen featuring Masterpiece cabinetry. The kitchen includes the Barton door style in a Cottage finish for the perimeter and a custom Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna painted finish for the island. The space also features MSI W Calacatta Safyra countertops, along with a Frigidaire canopy hood and microwave. The client shared, “Gutting our old kitchen to reconfigure the space for better flow, workspace, and storage was a challenge. Emma listened to my needs and offered helpful tips and options, which made the process work. The layout followed the workflow, and my habits and style guided the final details. Reico gave me the options and confidence to trust the process, and the outcome is seamless and beautiful.” Emma explained, “This kitchen is one of my favorites. The homeowners wanted to replace the peninsula with a custom painted island in Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna, which paired well with the Cottage perimeter cabinets, Calacatta Safyra countertops, sea glass backsplash, and honey bronze hardware. It was a pleasure working with both the homeowners and the contractors throughout the remodel.” Photos courtesy of Regarday, LLC.

In the Dining Room: we selected a gorgeous wool rug, featuring shades of cobalt blue and deep rusty orange and then painted the walls Salty Dog (a classic bright navy). The spunky light fixture is a focal point and the farm table easily seats eight hungry friends.

To that end, the space features IKEA SEKTION cabinetry framework and light gray custom fronts from Semihandmade along the perimeter base and upper cabinetry. This provides ample storage options and also complements the Carrara marble countertops. “I had a custom piece of glass put on top of the marble, because I knew our boys would be using the table to draw and I thought it would get trashed!” she adds. This look is enhanced even more by engineered wood flooring as well as a custom vent hood that features subway tile to give the impression of brick. And, she adds, this was all accomplished for a budget around $10,000. However, the project wasn’t without its design challenges; namely, designing around the unique footprint of the space and storage concerns as the family keeps kosher. “We were confined to the amount of square footage, so the layout had to remain long and narrow. We couldn’t make the space any wider, for instance. But we were able to fit everything that we wanted,” she says. In fact, they also added a custom pantry pullout from Rev-A-Shelf. “I really wanted this kitchen to be beautiful because it was the center of our home. It’s on the main floor when you walk in, right between the family room and the dining room. I can imagine lots of family gatherings,” she concludes. Although Elisia researched examples of kitchen designs on HOUZZ and Pinterest she was also a first-time remodeler and — admittedly — a bit overwhelmed by IKEA’s Home Planner. She explains: “We had never done this before but I had read lots of blogs and seen some amazing kitchens that looked custom using IKEA. But I also found the IKEA software a bit daunting. I wanted help to make it easier and to make sure I got it right in terms of measurements and what we needed.” Enter IKD’s design team, which guided her through the design process and product selection, and also honored that the family keeps kosher. “Storage was a big concern. We keep kosher so we have two sets of dishes – for milk and meat – and we wanted to make sure we had lots of storage. Previously we had been living in small NYC apartments and storage was limited,” she notes. She adds: “I actually had a custom cabinet maker come see our raw space and told him what I wanted to do and the quote he gave me was 10 times more than I ended up paying with IKEA — so it was a no-brainer.” Specifically, the kitchen features a variety of high-end appliances, including a built-in Sub-Zero refrigerator; a Bertazzoni six-burner range with an oven and griddle; a KitchenAid panel-ready dishwasher, and a Sharp microwave drawer. “We chose custom Semihandmade doors because it was a panel-ready fridge and it turned out really beautifully. The Sharp microwave drawer is hidden in the island because I wanted to preserve the traditional Brownstone feel.The microwave is hidden in the drawer to the right of the sink and we had pull-out trash bins to the right of the sink as well. We also incorporated a custom table at the end of the island, which was basically a marble slab that could seat up to five people,” she explains.Adding to the look are Thomas O’Brien Hicks Bronze pendant lights with antique brass as well as IKEA’s cabinet lighting system — and plenty of natural lighting too.

If I were to explain the atmosphere in this home, I’d say it’s happy. Natural light, unbelievable view of Lake Murray, the mountains, the green hills, the sky – I used those natural colors as inspiration to come up with a palette for this project. As a result, we were brave enough to go with 3 cabinet colors (natural, oyster and olive), a gorgeous blue granite that’s named Azurite (a very powerful crystal), new appliance layout, raised ceiling, and a hole in the wall (butler’s window) … quite a lot, considering that client’s original goal was to just reface the existing cabinets (see before photos). This remodel turned out to be the most accurate representation of my clients, their way of life and what they wanted to highlight in a space so dear to them. You truly feel like you’re in an English countryside cottage with stellar views, quaint vibe and accessories suitable for any modern family. We love the final result and can’t get enough of that warm abundant light!

1960s kitchen photo in San Francisco

Ema Peter Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary home office remodel in Vancouver

Tucked into the opposite end of the small kitchen and enhanced by natural light is the breakfast nook. “We have two small kids and needed space for them to sit and eat or play while we are cooking and cleaning,” she explains. Therefore the space features a bench with cushions and more storage underneath, again featuring the Semihandmade cabinetry, as well as an overhead pendant light from Crate & Barrel. Aja notes that there were no issues with the design and the process was virtually seamless. “We used IKEA’s measuring service to take initial measurements of the space and they did make an error which affected our ability to execute IKD’s design. However, our contractor was able to make a few cost-effective modifications, and we had to order some additional doors and panels from Semihandmade in order to complete the project,” she describes. In the end, Aja offers straightforward advice for others considering an IKEA kitchen. “I say go for it! We love our IKEA kitchen, and will always recommend to our friends to use a design service like IKD. It made the process so much smoother, faster, and gave us exactly what we wanted,” she concludes.

Emma Gerancher from Reico Kitchen & Bath in Charlottesville, VA, partnered with Luis Dorta of LED Construction to design a transitional kitchen featuring Masterpiece cabinetry. The kitchen includes the Barton door style in a Cottage finish for the perimeter and a custom Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna painted finish for the island. The space also features MSI W Calacatta Safyra countertops, along with a Frigidaire canopy hood and microwave. The client shared, “Gutting our old kitchen to reconfigure the space for better flow, workspace, and storage was a challenge. Emma listened to my needs and offered helpful tips and options, which made the process work. The layout followed the workflow, and my habits and style guided the final details. Reico gave me the options and confidence to trust the process, and the outcome is seamless and beautiful.” Emma explained, “This kitchen is one of my favorites. The homeowners wanted to replace the peninsula with a custom painted island in Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna, which paired well with the Cottage perimeter cabinets, Calacatta Safyra countertops, sea glass backsplash, and honey bronze hardware. It was a pleasure working with both the homeowners and the contractors throughout the remodel.” Photos courtesy of Regarday, LLC.

Emma Gerancher from Reico Kitchen & Bath in Charlottesville, VA, partnered with Luis Dorta of LED Construction to design a transitional kitchen featuring Masterpiece cabinetry. The kitchen includes the Barton door style in a Cottage finish for the perimeter and a custom Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna painted finish for the island. The space also features MSI W Calacatta Safyra countertops, along with a Frigidaire canopy hood and microwave. The client shared, “Gutting our old kitchen to reconfigure the space for better flow, workspace, and storage was a challenge. Emma listened to my needs and offered helpful tips and options, which made the process work. The layout followed the workflow, and my habits and style guided the final details. Reico gave me the options and confidence to trust the process, and the outcome is seamless and beautiful.” Emma explained, “This kitchen is one of my favorites. The homeowners wanted to replace the peninsula with a custom painted island in Sherwin-Williams Mount Etna, which paired well with the Cottage perimeter cabinets, Calacatta Safyra countertops, sea glass backsplash, and honey bronze hardware. It was a pleasure working with both the homeowners and the contractors throughout the remodel.” Photos courtesy of Regarday, LLC.

Victoria Pearson
Living room - transitional living room idea in Los Angeles with a stone fireplace

Faced with an outdated original kitchen with cabinets she was not crazy about, Ann knew she wanted to update the space. “Originally I was going to paint the existing oak cabinets, tweak them a little bit, replace a couple and try to create more cabinetry where a desk was [situated],” she says. However, it was at this point her handyman recommended using IKEA cabinetry instead, which she quickly began to research at her local IKEA – even starting a quick mock up on the IKEA Home Planner software. “I could see that an IKEA kitchen was definitely in the budget. Naturally, it was more than just painting and reconfiguring a few things in the existing cabinets, but it was so worth it!” she says. Although Ann knew how she wanted her IKEA kitchen to look, she also knew she needed professional design assistance. She explains: “I had created a design online with IKEA’s 3-D kitchen planner. However I wanted a professional to look over the design and complete or fill in the layout with the most efficient use of cabinets and drawers.” Enter IKD’s design team. IKD guided her as to where to put pullouts to place shelves and where cupboards would make more sense than drawers. This made her IKEA kitchen much more ergonomic and functional. “I trusted these professionals to know and design for basic storage needs and to add details I would not have thought about,” she says. Once the layout with IKEA LEHRYTTAN stained black cabinetry was established, Ann also hired MC Wood Works in Chino, CA to install her cabinetry. “The owner and installer, Michael, does nothing but install IKEA and has been doing it for 20 years. He was far less expensive than other installers and estimated a day to a day and a half versus almost five days that was quoted to us from other installers. He was fantastic,” she says.

Mollie Vogt-Welch. © Copyright 2014 Von B Interiors, Inc. All rights reserved.
Living room - contemporary light wood floor living room idea in New York

Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman master white tile and stone tile marble floor alcove shower remodel in Portland

See what our client say about Paul Lopa Designs: It went as smooth as it possibly could go. The only bumps in the road was with what we found during demolition, you never know what your gonna run into when all the walls, floors and fixtures come out. Paul had explained to us that depending on what we found under all the out dated stuff it might take a little longer. Paul was there doing the work with his workers he showed up on time and finished on schedule. It was no problem being in touch with Paul because he answered his phone or got back to us in a timely fashion. He has an excellent sense of design he knows what goes well together and makes the house flow with comfort and usability. Paul Lopa designs,inc

Located in the historic Central Gardens neighborhood in Memphis, the project sought to revive the outdoor space of a 1920’s traditional home with a new pool, screened porch and garden design. After renovating the 1920’s kitchen, the client sought to improve their outdoor space. The first step was replacing the existing kidney pool with a smaller pool more suited to the charm of the site. With careful insertion of key elements the design creates spaces which accommodate, swimming, lounging, entertaining, gardening, cooking and more. “Strong, organized geometry makes all of this work and creates a simple and relaxing environment,” Designer Jeff Edwards explains. “Our detailing takes on updated freshness, so there is a distinction between new and old, but both reside harmoniously.” The screened porch actually has some modern detailing that compliments the previous kitchen renovation, but the proportions in materiality are very complimentary to the original architecture from the 1920s. The screened porch opens out onto a small outdoor terrace that then flows down into the backyard and overlooks a small pool. We wanted to incorporate as much green as possible in the small space, so there is no pool deck. The sod of the lawn comes right up to a limestone coping around the perimeter of the pool. Inside the pool, we used a dark plaster so that it feels more like a reflecting pool in the small space. We nestled it in around an existing Japanese maple that's bordered in seal edging and underplanted in dwarf mondo grass. The backyard is really divided into a couple of zones. So there's the central zone with the pool and lawn. There are an existing garage and guesthouse beyond, just now used as a pool house.