Houston Interior Designer Lisha Maxey took this Museum District condo from the dated, mirrored walls of the 1980s to Mid Century Modern with a gallery look featuring the client's art collection. "The place was covered with glued-down, floor-to-ceiling mirrors," says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Homescapes of Houston and principal at LGH Design Services in Houston. "When we took them off the walls, the walls came apart. We ended up taking them down to the studs." The makeover took six months to complete, primarily because of strict condo association rules that only gave the Houston interior designers very limited access to the elevator - through which all materials and team members had to go. "Monday through Friday, we could only be noisy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and if we had to do something extra loud, like sawing or drilling, we had to schedule it with the management and they had to communicate that to the condo owners. So it was just a lot of coordination. But a lot of Inner City Loopers live in these kinds of buildings, so we're used to handling that kind of thing." The client, a child psychiatrist in her 60s, recently moved to Houston from northeast Texas to be with friends. After being widowed three years ago, she decided it was time to let go of the traditionally styled estate that wasn't really her style anyway. An avid diver who has traveled around the world to pursue her passion, she has amassed a large collection of art from her travels. Downsizing to 1,600 feet and wanting to go more contemporary, she wanted the display - and the look - more streamlined. "She wanted clean lines and muted colors, with the main focus being her artwork," says Maxey. "So we made the space a palette for that." Enter the white, gallery-grade paint she chose for the walls: "It's halfway between satin and flat," explains Maxey. "It's not glossy and it's not chalky - just very smooth and clean." Adding to the gallery theme is the satin nickel track lighting with lamps aimed to highlight pieces of art. "This lighting has no wires," notes Maxey. "It's powered by a positive and negative conduit." The new flooring throughout is a blended-grey porcelain tile that looks like wood planks. "It's gorgeous, natural-looking and combines all the beauty of wood with the durability of tile," says Maxey. "We used it throughout the condo to unify the space." After Maxey started looking at the client's bright, vibrant, colorful artwork, she felt the palette couldn't stay as muted anymore. Hence the Mid Century Modern orange leather sofas from West Elm and bright green chairs from Joybird, plus the throw pillows in different textures, patterns and shades of gold, orange and green. The concave lines of the Danish-inspired chairs, she notes, help them look beautiful from all the way around - a key to designing spaces for loft living. "The table in the living room is very interesting," notes Maxey. "It was handmade for the client in 1974 and has a signature on it from the artist. She was adamant about including the piece, which has all these hand-painted black-and-white art tiles on the top. I took one look at it and said 'It's not really going to go.'" However, after cutting 6 inches off the bottom and making it look a little distressed, the table ended up being the perfect complement to the sofas. The dining room table - from Design Within Reach - is a solid piece of mahogany, the chair upholstery a mix of grey velvet and leather and the legs a shiny brass. "The side chairs are leather and the end ones are velvet," says Maxey. "It's a nice textural mix that lends depth and texture." The galley kitchen, meanwhile, has been lightened and brightened, with new, white contemporary cabinetry, quartz countertops mimicking the look of Carrara marble, stainless steel appliances and a velvet green bench seat for a punch of color. The two bathrooms have been updated with contemporary white vanities and vessel sinks and the master bath now features a walk-in shower tiled in Dolomite white marble (the floor is Bianco Carrara marble mosaic, done in a herringbone pattern. In the master bedroom, Homescapes of Houston knocked down a wall between two smaller closets with swing doors to make one large walk-in closet with pocket doors. The closet in the guest bedroom also came out 13 more inches. The client's artwork throughout personalizes the space and tells the story of a life. There's a huge bowl of shells from the client's diving adventures, framed art from her child psychiatry patients and a 16th century wood carving from a monastery that's been in her family forever. "Her collection is quite impressive," says Maxey. "There's even a framed piece of autographed songs written by John Lennon." (You can see this black-framed piece of art on the wall in the photo above of two green chairs). "We're extremely happy with how the project turned out, and so is the client," says Maxey. "No expense was spared for her. It was a labor of love and we were excited to do it."

This exquisite design is overflowing with exciting extras. Blending stone with stucco and siding, this attractive exterior features a covered porch, stone pillars, alluring angles, decorative windows, and a metal shed roof. Inside every room and living space was given very careful thought and functions extremely well for perfect livability. The secondary bedrooms are provided with a jack and jill bathroom and the master suite is arranged for plenty of privacy from the secondary bedrooms.

This exquisite design is overflowing with exciting extras. Blending stone with stucco and siding, this attractive exterior features a covered porch, stone pillars, alluring angles, decorative windows, and a metal shed roof. Inside every room and living space was given very careful thought and functions extremely well for perfect livability. The secondary bedrooms are provided with a jack and jill bathroom and the master suite is arranged for plenty of privacy from the secondary bedrooms.

For many, professional interior design is a luxury. Whether your home’s design project is large or small, having the ability to transform your house, apartment or condo into a beautiful, unique space is a wonderful opportunity for self-expression. Even if it is a just simple accent wall painted in a color that speaks to you, or a complete renovation of your cabinets to achieve the kitchen of your dreams, interior design allows you to create an environment that is both personal and comfortable. That is exactly how interior designer and founder of Design Exchange Sean Carlson Perry feels about what he does for a living. “The reason that I love designing spaces, and value the impact of space design on people, is the way the spaces make us feel, the visceral appeal of good design. Good design should stimulate the senses and generate an emotionally engaging experience. As a designer, I get to massage and sculpt people’s experience of space!” Perry shared with us. In late 2017, the Paintzen team connected with Perry regarding a very special design project he was working on. Design Exchange was renovating, redesigning and re-furnishing The Ali Forney Center. The Ali Forney Center, based in New York City, is the largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to housing homeless LGBTQ youth. Nearly 40% of the homeless youth population is LGBTQ. Homeless LGBTQ youth are eight times more likely to experience violence, discrimination, and suicide. AFC houses 124 youths each night and provides services to over 1,400 homeless young people per year. Although the organization does an incredible job to provide safety and shelter to homeless youth, Perry and his team felt the space itself could use some updating and could feel more welcoming. Rooms were dark, cold, and lacked proper storage. Furniture was in poor shape and didn’t work. The rooms were being under-utilized; overall, there was so much more that could be done within the walls of the AFC that could be improved using interior design & paint! We at Paintzen were excited to partner with Design Exchange to do our part in this transformation. The dark, paneled walls were re-painted white. This entirely opened up the space, making it brighter, warmer and more welcoming. The white walls also served as a much better backdrop for smart lighting, as well as for the furniture, wall decor, and new flooring. Beyond painting, Perry and his team used FLOR carpet tiles for durability in a bright Fuchsia shade for a pop of color. They created a more functional layout to maximize the space and make better use of its architectural details and added new furniture including lamps, tables, throws, a sofa, a TV and a Roku to make the space beautiful, and even fun. “Design increases connection and community,” Perry told us. “When we revamp a shelter space, history tells us that the residents spend more time in the space, more time with their peers, building connections and community; a greater sense of home.” Perry’s goal was to create an environment that set its residents up for success by improving their quality of life, outlook and self-esteem. “This isn’t extreme home makeover (although I wish I had that budget!). It’s about improving the aesthetics of the space to create a better environment and experience for people who are going through challenging times. I’ve been lucky enough to have an amount of work that allows me to donate a portion of profits to Design Exchange Projects.” Sean Carlson Perry founded Design Exchange as a way to use his talent, passion, and skills to help those who are struggling, or in a place of immediate need. He was searching to bring deeper meaning and a humanitarian component to his work. Perry has worked with clients in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. “Good design—functionally, aesthetically and ergonomically—promotes a better quality of life.” This is a mantra that describes why Perry does what he does through Design Exchange, working to help the underserved of New York City and other cities across the country. “I grew up gay in Nebraska, and have gone through some hard times when I was younger, but I can’t imagine going through what these kids go through – rejection from family, being kicked out of the house for being who they are, homeless and having nowhere else to turn,” said Perry. “Luckily, there is The Ali Forney Center. Doing these projects for AFC strikes close to home for me, so they are extra special and close to my heart.”

KITCHEN RENOVATION  CURRENT CRAFTSMAN This client started off just being curious about our services - what we could do, and if we could even help her update her kitchen. She and her husband with their two teenage kids have lived in their home for several years without updating anything since the house was originally built. They didn’t quite have a budget in mind yet. They didn’t know their style, or even if they had one. Their timeline was simple, “as fast as you can so we’re not without a kitchen for very long” (usually what we hear for kitchen updates). After a very productive consultation: determining the scope of work and zeroing in on a budget, I was very excited to update this underwhelming space to something that is modern but timeless, something that is theirs. And, it was easy to see what type of design style they gravitated toward looking at the pieces they already own: Craftsman/Prairie Style. I left the meeting so excited to weave in yet another genre of design to my CDG portfolio! We circled in our contractor to discuss the changes they were looking to make and the scope of work that would be theirs. Then I was off to get designing: // Because the kitchen’s footprint and the defined breakfast space delineated by the bay, we kept the perimeter cabinetry as it was originally laid out. We updated these cabinets to a beautiful soft Alabaster White with a Barn Wood Glaze to highlight the simplicity of the shaker style doors. We added transom cabinets above the uppers, with only the back wall having seeded glass inserts to highlight some of their collectables. // The original shaped island was counter-productive (See what I did there?) in functionality and design. We squared this off to reduce some of the angles and gain more storage. We highlighted the new island with a contrasting oak cabinet in a dark finish, to pay our respects to the craftsman style, and topped with a concrete-like countertop as a nod to the Prairie Style, allowing the homeowners to gain two extra seats and a massive -uninterrupted- work surface. // The small section of cabinetry between the garage entry and fridge now is the perfect dump-station for mail, electronics, whatever is in their hands when they come into the house; and completely hidden by the refrigerator. // The disconnected cabinetry in the breakfast area makes for a great place to have a working office. Accessible from the kitchen or the adjacent great room, this is the perfect place for the kids to do their homework while mom and dad are putting together dinner. The base cabinets are built out for office-type storage: paper and pencil drawers, filing systems, and cord management. Additionally, the long counter provides a ton of worksurface to spread out. // The largest transformation was the pantry. We raised the height of the doorway and added huge custom designed bypass sliding barndoors. Finished with a dark stain to compliment the island and cut to inset 4 stained glass windows, typical of this style of design, and driving home the concept for the whole space. // They were desperate to replace their flooring with something extremely durable to flow throughout the kitchen and the whole main level. This beautiful new flooring is actually a textured LVT(!) Which allowed them to save on overall cost and extend the life of their new flooring purchase. // They loved their copper table, so we kept it and added new simple, mid-century modern chairs around it and a shiny new craftsman-style chandelier above. We added bright barstools in a burnt orange-red accent, and a bright woven rug to tie it all together. // Because the kitchen renovation was shaping up to be pretty spectacular, they decided they needed to now replace their ‘now-these-look-a-little-too-old’ upholstered seating in the neighboring great room with 2 new sofas. We found the perfect sage-y-grey fabric which we covered on sofa frames that have and exposed oak-wood base, which we finished in a warm weathered grey. // As every designer knows, a room isn’t finished until there’s something on the windows. Now that the new flooring was installed and every other room on the main level ‘seemed’ to be updated, we needed to update the window treatments in the dining, and great rooms to reflect their new design concept. I hope you find the ‘after’ photos refreshing (as refreshing as it was for me to work on something that’s not a “Farm House” style that’s saturating the industry right now!) This was such a fun project and a great collaboration with our contractor.

This recent Artscape garden design project was for a family home near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and included pool landscaping, a large patio area for lounging and dining, pathways and extensive planting. Pool landscaping with porcelain surround The main feature of the garden design is the outdoor swimming pool, installed with the luxurious poolside surround we created using porcelain paving. Porcelain pavers are extremely hardwearing, water-resistant and provides a stunning, high-end, consistent finish. The pathway linking the pool to the house uses a durable, modern dark black clay pavers by Vande Moortal which makes a striking contrast to the light toned porcelain which also complimented the modern extension. Another feature of the pool landscaping is the premium, venetian-style trellis. This attractive design allows light and air to pass through while maintaining privacy. Contemporary garden pool house Artscape designed the contemporary garden pool house which was custom-built to enhance the use of the swimming pool. It features a made-to-measure changing room and plenty of dedicated storage space for towels and play equipment. Barbecue area Just behind the changing room is a new barbecue area which has been screened with a Corten steel trellis. Also know as weathering steel, over time this will form an attractive raw, rusty-orange, textured appearance, blending naturally with the surrounding landscape. Corten panels are very long lasting and require minimal maintenance. Poolside planting Pleached hornbeam trees have been planted in front of the venetian-style trellis to add extra privacy and style to the poolside setting. Hornbeam has bright green foliage in spring and summer and crisp, copper leaves in autumn. Pleaching is a sophisticated, centuries-old method of training trees to produce a narrow, formal-style hedge. The planting scheme surrounding the pool consists mainly of soft ornamental grasses, bearded iris and purple salvias. We made sure there was an interesting combination of colour, height and texture. The borders running from the house down to the pool area have been planted with a mixture of Alliums, bright orange flowered Geum, Acers and grasses with a palette ranging from hot to cool greens.

Because of innovative designers, track lighting has come so far in the decorating world. Gone are the days where you want it to be hidden - let's bring on the light! Versatility is the name of the game and Globe Electric is doing it right. Brighten up your life with Globe Electric's Payton 4-Light Track Lighting. Made with a lightweight matte silver painted metal, its solid construction ensures sturdiness, functionality, and style. A contemporary finish blends with a modern minimalist design to accent all home decor. Extremely versatile, you can place this light in your kitchen, hallway, entranceway or anywhere you require extra light.

This recent Artscape garden design project was for a family home near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and included pool landscaping, a large patio area for lounging and dining, pathways and extensive planting. Pool landscaping with porcelain surround The main feature of the garden design is the outdoor swimming pool, installed with the luxurious poolside surround we created using porcelain paving. Porcelain pavers are extremely hardwearing, water-resistant and provides a stunning, high-end, consistent finish. The pathway linking the pool to the house uses a durable, modern dark black clay pavers by Vande Moortal which makes a striking contrast to the light toned porcelain which also complimented the modern extension. Another feature of the pool landscaping is the premium, venetian-style trellis. This attractive design allows light and air to pass through while maintaining privacy. Contemporary garden pool house Artscape designed the contemporary garden pool house which was custom-built to enhance the use of the swimming pool. It features a made-to-measure changing room and plenty of dedicated storage space for towels and play equipment. Barbecue area Just behind the changing room is a new barbecue area which has been screened with a Corten steel trellis. Also know as weathering steel, over time this will form an attractive raw, rusty-orange, textured appearance, blending naturally with the surrounding landscape. Corten panels are very long lasting and require minimal maintenance. Poolside planting Pleached hornbeam trees have been planted in front of the venetian-style trellis to add extra privacy and style to the poolside setting. Hornbeam has bright green foliage in spring and summer and crisp, copper leaves in autumn. Pleaching is a sophisticated, centuries-old method of training trees to produce a narrow, formal-style hedge. The planting scheme surrounding the pool consists mainly of soft ornamental grasses, bearded iris and purple salvias. We made sure there was an interesting combination of colour, height and texture. The borders running from the house down to the pool area have been planted with a mixture of Alliums, bright orange flowered Geum, Acers and grasses with a palette ranging from hot to cool greens.

Landscape design and photography by Melanie Rekola This lovely landscape sports a poured in place concrete slab patio with drought tolerant sedum plants between the slabs. This sedum mix is sold in sheets then cut to fit but it’s actually grown for green-roof application. It works perfectly in this hot environment too as it is extremely drought tolerant and can go a month without water. Because the water runoff is absorbed between the slabs the patio drainage works perfectly and there are no need for drains.The swimming pool is of the fiberglass variety. Though the initial investment is greater than that of vinyl pools the ROI is greater over a 10 year period. Fiberglass pools retains more heat as the pool shell is all one piece and they don’t ever require a new liner.. This fiberglass pool has cool built-in benching and steps. And there is even a swim jet built into one side great for those cardio blasting swims. The pool interior colour is grey though it shows a soft blue/grey when water is added due to the reflection of the sky and other surroundings. The pool coping is natural stone with rock face edge. The steel arbour was custom made. Metal (steel) was chosen for it’s slim strength as wood placed here would have been too chunky. The best rooms (indoors or our) have a subtle layering of textural elements. To me this landscape needed a structure here to define the “rooms” It will look even better in a few years when the vines reach the top and the Miscanthus on either side reaches its 7′ height!The 12′ x 16′ pavilion is also made of steel and houses an alfresco dining table and sofa set. The pavilions built in cupola makes the warm breezes comfortably pass through with no need for a fan. It’s also sunken 2′ from the pool/patio height and nestled nicely in the corner. I must also mention the large slim planters with “Red Shades” Canna lily within. They are the perfect boldness/balance!Step through the arbor and a linear pond with “floating” natural stone step is revealed! Two smooth flow scuppers are responsible for the quiet waterfalls either side. A wood deck overhangs the pond adding softness to the setting. A modern retaining wall with natural stone cap runs the full width of the pond and pool adding interest and dimension. In the covered outdoor living area this wall is the perfect seat wall - adding lots of extra party seating!

This recent Artscape garden design project was for a family home near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and included pool landscaping, a large patio area for lounging and dining, pathways and extensive planting. Pool landscaping with porcelain surround The main feature of the garden design is the outdoor swimming pool, installed with the luxurious poolside surround we created using porcelain paving. Porcelain pavers are extremely hardwearing, water-resistant and provides a stunning, high-end, consistent finish. The pathway linking the pool to the house uses a durable, modern dark black clay pavers by Vande Moortal which makes a striking contrast to the light toned porcelain which also complimented the modern extension. Another feature of the pool landscaping is the premium, venetian-style trellis. This attractive design allows light and air to pass through while maintaining privacy. Contemporary garden pool house Artscape designed the contemporary garden pool house which was custom-built to enhance the use of the swimming pool. It features a made-to-measure changing room and plenty of dedicated storage space for towels and play equipment. Barbecue area Just behind the changing room is a new barbecue area which has been screened with a Corten steel trellis. Also know as weathering steel, over time this will form an attractive raw, rusty-orange, textured appearance, blending naturally with the surrounding landscape. Corten panels are very long lasting and require minimal maintenance. Poolside planting Pleached hornbeam trees have been planted in front of the venetian-style trellis to add extra privacy and style to the poolside setting. Hornbeam has bright green foliage in spring and summer and crisp, copper leaves in autumn. Pleaching is a sophisticated, centuries-old method of training trees to produce a narrow, formal-style hedge. The planting scheme surrounding the pool consists mainly of soft ornamental grasses, bearded iris and purple salvias. We made sure there was an interesting combination of colour, height and texture. The borders running from the house down to the pool area have been planted with a mixture of Alliums, bright orange flowered Geum, Acers and grasses with a palette ranging from hot to cool greens.

I was so honored to be able to work on this most beautiful (and extremely functional) refrigerator when I was on Jenn-Air's Design Advisory Council. I did purchase an extra shelf and door bin for the refrigerator because I like my storage to be ultra-organized: even within the refrigerator. Hints: butter is in the knife-in-top white ceramic container on top. Cilantro keeps for weeks in a water filled glass in the door.

Our client reached out with a problem for us to solve. Part of his property was an eyesore and difficult to keep up. A tree had fallen into his overgrown pond, it had been leaking for ages, and it had become a major problem for this homeowner. Mike Hall (Design and Construction manager) saw the land and with the help of Fitz's team and developed this concept of a multi-level waterfall that pours gracefully into the large basin. The challenge was to use the existing layout and keep the feel of the beautiful forest that surrounded it. This project was a chance to push the limit on scale. We were able to build a large water feature that was complex and build a sustainable healthy pond at the bottom. With over 30,000 gallons of water, our team custom built a filtration system to keep the water clean and healthy for the fish that call it home. The gravel suction grid for filtration worked like a charm. Then added a Used an external pressure filter, to keep the water extra clear. Our team cleared the whole pond, saved fish, fixed the drainage issues, lined the pond with a massive liner. Then we brought in 50 tons of moss rock boulders. Saved the original bridges and made them stronger and sturdy. Created a look that was natural to the forest surrounding it. This was an exciting project for the FFP team and we are extremely proud of how it turned out!

Landscape design and photography by Melanie Rekola This lovely landscape sports a poured in place concrete slab patio with drought tolerant sedum plants between the slabs. This sedum mix is sold in sheets then cut to fit but it’s actually grown for green-roof application. It works perfectly in this hot environment too as it is extremely drought tolerant and can go a month without water. Because the water runoff is absorbed between the slabs the patio drainage works perfectly and there are no need for drains.The swimming pool is of the fiberglass variety. Though the initial investment is greater than that of vinyl pools the ROI is greater over a 10 year period. Fiberglass pools retains more heat as the pool shell is all one piece and they don’t ever require a new liner.. This fiberglass pool has cool built-in benching and steps. And there is even a swim jet built into one side great for those cardio blasting swims. The pool interior colour is grey though it shows a soft blue/grey when water is added due to the reflection of the sky and other surroundings. The pool coping is natural stone with rock face edge. The steel arbour was custom made. Metal (steel) was chosen for it’s slim strength as wood placed here would have been too chunky. The best rooms (indoors or our) have a subtle layering of textural elements. To me this landscape needed a structure here to define the “rooms” It will look even better in a few years when the vines reach the top and the Miscanthus on either side reaches its 7′ height!The 12′ x 16′ pavilion is also made of steel and houses an alfresco dining table and sofa set. The pavilions built in cupola makes the warm breezes comfortably pass through with no need for a fan. It’s also sunken 2′ from the pool/patio height and nestled nicely in the corner. I must also mention the large slim planters with “Red Shades” Canna lily within. They are the perfect boldness/balance!Step through the arbor and a linear pond with “floating” natural stone step is revealed! Two smooth flow scuppers are responsible for the quiet waterfalls either side. A wood deck overhangs the pond adding softness to the setting. A modern retaining wall with natural stone cap runs the full width of the pond and pool adding interest and dimension. In the covered outdoor living area this wall is the perfect seat wall - adding lots of extra party seating!

This lovely landscape sports a poured in place concrete slab patio with drought tolerant sedum plants between the slabs. This sedum mix is sold in sheets then cut to fit but it’s actually grown for green-roof application. It works perfectly in this hot environment too as it is extremely drought tolerant and can go a month without water. Because the water runoff is absorbed between the slabs the patio drainage works perfectly and there are no need for drains.The swimming pool is of the fiberglass variety. Though the initial investment is greater than that of vinyl pools the ROI is greater over a 10 year period. Fiberglass pools retains more heat as the pool shell is all one piece and they don’t ever require a new liner.. This fiberglass pool has cool built-in benching and steps. And there is even a swim jet built into one side great for those cardio blasting swims. The pool interior colour is grey though it shows a soft blue/grey when water is added due to the reflection of the sky and other surroundings. The pool coping is natural stone with rock face edge. The steel arbour was custom made. Metal (steel) was chosen for it’s slim strength as wood placed here would have been too chunky. The best rooms (indoors or our) have a subtle layering of textural elements. To me this landscape needed a structure here to define the “rooms” It will look even better in a few years when the vines reach the top and the Miscanthus on either side reaches its 7′ height!The 12′ x 16′ pavilion is also made of steel and houses an alfresco dining table and sofa set. The pavilions built in cupola makes the warm breezes comfortably pass through with no need for a fan. It’s also sunken 2′ from the pool/patio height and nestled nicely in the corner. I must also mention the large slim planters with “Red Shades” Canna lily within. They are the perfect boldness/balance!Step through the arbor and a linear pond with “floating” natural stone step is revealed! Two smooth flow scuppers are responsible for the quiet waterfalls either side. A wood deck overhangs the pond adding softness to the setting. A modern retaining wall with natural stone cap runs the full width of the pond and pool adding interest and dimension. In the covered outdoor living area this wall is the perfect seat wall - adding lots of extra party seating! The lesson to be learned here is that good design can be applied to any space. This backyard is only 50′ x 45′ and look what can be achieved! Landscape design and photography by Melanie Rekola

Our client commissioned us to remodel her home. She wanted an open plan concept and for the kitchen to be integrated with the living room and dining room. She also needed a space in which she could work. So we decided to remove the walls that separated the kitchen from the living room and the dining room. We expanded the kitchen space on both sides and made an "L" layout with cabinets on both walls. To complement and establish a virtual limit of space, we placed a large island 10 feet long by 4 feet wide with drawers on the kitchen side and storage cabinets on the sitting side. The cabinets are all prefinished plywood with acrylic doors, white for the cabinets on the walls and gray for the center island. All base cabinets have soft close pullouts. The drawers were complemented with accessories to organize all the kitchen utensils. The corner cabinet was custom made extra long to accommodate a large swing-out and spice rack next to it. At the extreme end of the kitchen cabinets, we placed a "coffee station" with dark gray floating shelves on top, their respective pullouts on the base cabinets. Under the wall and base cabinets we place LED lights that enhance and highlight the kitchen day and night. All ceiling lights were also replaced with recessed LED lights. Over the island and the dining table hanging lights were placed along them. Power strip outlets with USB ports were also placed under the wall cabinets and in the headboards of the island, these are hidden giving a clean aesthetic to the backsplash and very functional on a day-to-day basis. The countertops of the cabinets on the walls were done in gray porcelain as well as the full backsplash that also covers the central area of the hood. The central island countertop was made in Quarzite. The floors were replaced with 48" by 48" rectified porcelain tile. Now this homeowner has the kitchen of their dreams.

Our client commissioned us to remodel her home. She wanted an open plan concept and for the kitchen to be integrated with the living room and dining room. She also needed a space in which she could work. So we decided to remove the walls that separated the kitchen from the living room and the dining room. We expanded the kitchen space on both sides and made an "L" layout with cabinets on both walls. To complement and establish a virtual limit of space, we placed a large island 10 feet long by 4 feet wide with drawers on the kitchen side and storage cabinets on the sitting side. The cabinets are all prefinished plywood with acrylic doors, white for the cabinets on the walls and gray for the center island. All base cabinets have soft close pullouts. The drawers were complemented with accessories to organize all the kitchen utensils. The corner cabinet was custom made extra long to accommodate a large swing-out and spice rack next to it. At the extreme end of the kitchen cabinets, we placed a "coffee station" with dark gray floating shelves on top, their respective pullouts on the base cabinets. Under the wall and base cabinets we place LED lights that enhance and highlight the kitchen day and night. All ceiling lights were also replaced with recessed LED lights. Over the island and the dining table hanging lights were placed along them. Power strip outlets with USB ports were also placed under the wall cabinets and in the headboards of the island, these are hidden giving a clean aesthetic to the backsplash and very functional on a day-to-day basis. The countertops of the cabinets on the walls were done in gray porcelain as well as the full backsplash that also covers the central area of the hood. The central island countertop was made in Quarzite. The floors were replaced with 48" by 48" rectified porcelain tile. Now this homeowner has the kitchen of their dreams.

This exquisite design is overflowing with exciting extras. Blending stone with stucco and siding, this attractive exterior features a covered porch, stone pillars, alluring angles, decorative windows, and a metal shed roof. Inside every room and living space was given very careful thought and functions extremely well for perfect livability. The secondary bedrooms are provided with a jack and jill bathroom and the master suite is arranged for plenty of privacy from the secondary bedrooms.

The extra deep soapstone counter top and sink provide a dramatic but extremely practical surface at the sink. The dishwasher and trash can is completely hidden. The immense pine corner cupboard features a worktop that stores all the small electric appliances as well as food and dish storage.The panels on the doors are punched tin.