Photo: Kayla Stark © 2015 Houzz
Inspiration for a timeless home design remodel in New Orleans

There’s no statelier way to dine than around the table of this gracious South Carolina mountain home. Far from rustic, the room’s warm and airy grandeur provides an elegant space for both casual meals and elegant soirees. An espresso-stained trestle table stands on an Oushak rug in shades of almond, ecru and wheat, grounding this traditional dining room. Surrounding the table are large side chairs with carved legs covered in vanilla leather and trimmed with bronze nails. A taupe monogram on the back of each chair adds a personal touch reflecting the owners’ Southern roots. Wing-backed host chairs, dressed in a grey and cream mini stripe, bookend the table and complete the grouping. The table is set with vanilla linen napkins, silver napkin rings and gold placemats. Displayed above the grand cast stone fireplace is a floral still life painting in a watery palette of seafoam and aqua. Celadon vases are filled with dried branches and buds, adding softness and height. Ivory plaster walls keep the space light, while dark gray molding, exposed beams and walnut-stained floors add depth. The windows are painted Sherwin Williams Black Fox. Draperies of white sateen, embellished with champagne embroidery, fall to the floor from metal hardware. Suspended from the plaster ceiling is an iron chandelier, adding its own light to the natural rays flooding across the floor.

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. 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. Credits: Custom cabinetry by Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry Contracting by Michael Pezzato of Lost Coast Construction Stone counters by Pyramid M.T.M.

Here is a far shot of the beam screens from the dining area and context photo for them. The various levels are more evident as you walk through the garden and pan through these garden photos. The dining area comes level off the house and the screens and diagonal decking detail help the deck not feel too long and act as a visual queue to denote the next space. When designing diagonal decking, one has to be mindful of the deck framing to accommodate so it is something consider early in the design process.

Sarah McElravy
Inspiration for a rustic staircase remodel in Other

This large kitchen was desperately needing a refresh. It was far to traditional for the homeowners taste. Additionally, there was no direct path to the dining room as you needed to enter through a butlers pantry. I opened up two doorways into the kitchen from the dining room, which allowed natural light to flow in. The former butlers pantry was then sealed up and became part of the formerly to small pantry. The homeowners now have a 13' long walk through pantry, accessible from both the new bar area and the kitchen.

Example of a mid-sized classic enclosed porcelain tile and beige floor family room design in Miami with beige walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Though it is a master bath, we decided on a glass pane instead of a shower door. Works beautifully. We also provided our client with the on/off control on a separate wall close to the opening so they would not get wet when turning on the water.

Screen doors combined with the cupola give plenty of ventilation to enjoy this room even in the heat of summer. Photo by Bob Trainor
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless detached shed remodel in Boston

This project is a Houzz Kitchen of the Week! Click below to read the full story! https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/116547325/list/kitchen-of-the-week-better-brighter-and-no-longer-basic Our clients came to us wanting an elegant and functional kitchen and brighter living room. Their kitchen was dark and inefficient. The cabinets felt cluttered and the storage was there, but not functional for this family. They wanted all new finishes; especially new cabinets, but the floors were going to stay and be refinished. No wall relocation was needed but adding a door into the dining room to block the view from the front into the kitchen was discussed. They wanted to bring in more light somehow and preferably natural light. There was an unused sink in the butler’s pantry that they wanted capped, giving them more space and organized storage was a must! In their living room, they love their fireplace because it reminds her of her home in Colorado, so that definitely had to stay but everything else was left to the designers. After all decisions were made, this gorgeous kitchen and living space came to life! It is bright, open and airy, just like our clients wanted. Soft White Shiloh cabinetry was installed with a contrasting Cocoa island. Honed Levantina Taj Mahal quartzite was a beautiful countertop for this space. Bedrosians Grace 4”x 12” wall tile in Panna was the backsplash throughout the kitchen. The stove wall is flanked with dark wooden shelves on either side of vent-a-hood creating a feature area to the cook area. A beautiful maple barn door with seeded baroque tempered glass inserts was installed to close off the pantry and giving them more room than a traditional door. The original wainscoting remained in the kitchen and living areas but was modified in the kitchen where the cabinets were slightly extended and painted white throughout. LED tape lighting was installed under the cabinets, LED lighting was also added to the top of the upper glass cabinets, in addition to the grow lights installed for their herbs. All of the light fixtures were updated to a timeless classic look and feel. Imbrie articulating wall sconces were installed over the kitchen window/sink and in the butler’s pantry and aged brass Hood classic globe pendants were hung over the island, really drawing your attention to the kitchen. The Alturas fixture from SeaGull Lighing now hangs in the center of the living room, where there was once an outdated ceiling fan. In the living room, the walls were painted white, while leaving the wood and stone fireplace, as requested, leaving an absolutely amazing contrast! Design/Remodel by Hatfield Builders & Remodelers | Photography by Versatile Imaging

Bedroom - traditional bedroom idea in New Orleans

Spectacular master bedroom suit with outdoor private patio.
Mid-century modern bedroom photo in Los Angeles

Grey Crawford
Example of a small classic home bar design in Orange County

The industrious clients came to us with dreams of a new garage structure to provide a home for all of their passions. The design came together around a three car garage with room for a micro-brewery, workshop and bicycle storage – all attached to the house via a new three season porch – and a native prairie landscape and sauna structure on the roof. Designed by Jody McGuire Photographed by Corey Gaffer

Inspiration for a contemporary deck remodel in Seattle

Photo: Mina Brinkey © 2013 Houzz
Inspiration for a mediterranean living room remodel in Tampa

This project involved converting a partially finished basement into an ultimate media room with an English pub. The family is big on entertaining and enjoys watching movies and college football. It was important to combine the media area with the pub to create options for guests within the same space. Although the home has a full sized basement the staircase was centrally located, which made it difficult for special configuration. As a result, we were able to work with the existing plan be designing a media area large enough for a sectional sofa and additional seating with the English pub at the far end of the room. The home owner had a projection screen on a bare wall with the electrical components stacked on boxes. The new plan involved installing new cabinets to accommodate components and surround the screen to give it a built-in finish. Open shelving also allows the homeowner to feature some of their collectible sports memorabilia. As if the 130 inch projection screen wasn’t large enough, the surround sound system makes you feel like you are part of the action. It is as close to the I MAX viewing experience as you are going to get in a home. Sound-deadening insulation was installed in the ceiling and walls to prevent noise from penetrating the second floor. The design of the pub was inspired by the home owner’s favorite local pub, Brazenhead. The bar countertop with lift-top entrance was custom built by our carpenters to simulate aged wood. The finish looks rough, but it is smooth enough to wipe down easily. The top encloses the bar and provides seating for guests. A TV at the bar allows guest to follow along with the game on the big screen or tune into another game. The game table provides even another option for entertainment in the media room. Stacked stone with thick mortar joints was installed on the face of the bar and to an opposite wall containing the entrance to a wine room. Hand scrapped hardwood floors were installed in the pub portion of the media room to provide yet another touch to “Brazenhead” their own pub. The wet bar is under a soffit area that continues into the media area due to existing duct work. We wanted to creatively find a way to separate the two spaces. Adding trim on the ceiling and front of soffit at the bar defined the area and made a great transition from the drywall soffit to the wet bar. A tin ceiling was installed which added to the ambience of the pub wet bar and further aided in defining the soffit as an intentional part of the design. Custom built wainscoting borders the perimeter of the media room. The end result allows the client to comfortably entertain in a space designed just for them.

Inspiration for a contemporary patio remodel in Los Angeles

Our clients came to us wanting to update and open up their kitchen, breakfast nook, wet bar, and den. They wanted a cleaner look without clutter but didn’t want to go with an all-white kitchen, fearing it’s too trendy. Their kitchen was not utilized well and was not aesthetically appealing; it was very ornate and dark. The cooktop was too far back in the kitchen towards the butler’s pantry, making it awkward when cooking, so they knew they wanted that moved. The rest was left up to our designer to overcome these obstacles and give them their dream kitchen. We gutted the kitchen cabinets, including the built-in china cabinet and all finishes. The pony wall that once separated the kitchen from the den (and also housed the sink, dishwasher, and ice maker) was removed, and those appliances were relocated to the new large island, which had a ton of storage and a 15” overhang for bar seating. Beautiful aged brass Quebec 6-light pendants were hung above the island. All cabinets were replaced and drawers were designed to maximize storage. The Eclipse “Greensboro” cabinetry was painted gray with satin brass Emtek Mod Hex “Urban Modern” pulls. A large banquet seating area was added where the stand-alone kitchen table once sat. The main wall was covered with 20x20 white Golwoo tile. The backsplash in the kitchen and the banquette accent tile was a contemporary coordinating Tempesta Neve polished Wheaton mosaic marble. In the wet bar, they wanted to completely gut and replace everything! The overhang was useless and it was closed off with a large bar that they wanted to be opened up, so we leveled out the ceilings and filled in the original doorway into the bar in order for the flow into the kitchen and living room more natural. We gutted all cabinets, plumbing, appliances, light fixtures, and the pass-through pony wall. A beautiful backsplash was installed using Nova Hex Graphite ceramic mosaic 5x5 tile. A 15” overhang was added at the counter for bar seating. In the den, they hated the brick fireplace and wanted a less rustic look. The original mantel was very bulky and dark, whereas they preferred a more rectangular firebox opening, if possible. We removed the fireplace and surrounding hearth, brick, and trim, as well as the built-in cabinets. The new fireplace was flush with the wall and surrounded with Tempesta Neve Polished Marble 8x20 installed in a Herringbone pattern. The TV was hung above the fireplace and floating shelves were added to the surrounding walls for photographs and artwork. They wanted to completely gut and replace everything in the powder bath, so we started by adding blocking in the wall for the new floating cabinet and a white vessel sink. Black Boardwalk Charcoal Hex Porcelain mosaic 2x2 tile was used on the bathroom floor; coordinating with a contemporary “Cleopatra Silver Amalfi” black glass 2x4 mosaic wall tile. Two Schoolhouse Electric “Isaac” short arm brass sconces were added above the aged brass metal framed hexagon mirror. The countertops used in here, as well as the kitchen and bar, were Elements quartz “White Lightning.” We refinished all existing wood floors downstairs with hand scraped with the grain. Our clients absolutely love their new space with its ease of organization and functionality.