This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Huge re-model including taking ceiling from a flat ceiling to a complete transformation. Bamboo custom cabinetry was given a grey stain, mixed with walnut strip on the bar and the island given a different stain. Huge amounts of storage from deep pan corner drawers, roll out trash, coffee station, built in refrigerator, wine and alcohol storage, appliance garage, pantry and appliance storage, the amounts go on and on. Floating shelves with a back that just grabs the eye takes this kitchen to another level. The clients are thrilled with this huge difference from their original space.

Example of a transitional freestanding bathtub design in Phoenix with an undermount sink, white countertops and a niche

Elegant home design photo in Columbus with recessed-panel cabinets and gray cabinets

Within the master bedroom was a small entry hallway and extra closet. A perfect spot to carve out a small laundry room. Full sized stacked washer and dryer fit perfectly with left over space for adjustable shelves to hold supplies. New louvered doors offer ventilation and work nicely with the home’s plantation shutters throughout. Photography by Erika Bierman

Are you catching up on laundry? With a bit more time on your hands, it's a task that makes everyone feel organized. And thanks to a convenient custom counter and pull out baskets, folding laundry fresh out of the dryer has never been easier. Schedule your free virtual design consultation on our website and let's get started planning your new laundry room today!

Example of a bedroom transitional gender-neutral carpeted kids' bedroom design in Chicago

Transitional laundry room photo in Chicago

Susan Teare
Example of a small mountain style two-story wood gable roof design in Burlington

Jim Simmons
Balcony - contemporary balcony balcony idea in Los Angeles

The large granite island countertop creates a dedicated space for food preparation as well as for baking. Custom pull-out drawers were incorporated into the island as a place for laptop storage. A unique backsplash above the range was designed with 3” x 6” field tile, outlined by a liner bar, to draw the eyes attention to the custom Grabill hood.

Morgan Howarth Photography
Example of a transitional built-in desk home office design in DC Metro

American Farmhouse - Scott Wilson Architect, LLC, GC - Shane McFarland Construction, Photographer - Reed Brown
Inspiration for a mid-sized french country master dark wood floor bedroom remodel in Nashville with gray walls and no fireplace

Catherine Nguyen. Neill & Lee Contractors. Closet converted to a powder room.
Trendy powder room photo in San Francisco with a wall-mount sink

Architectural Photography By Trevor Boyle Studio
Example of a mountain style patio fountain design in Columbus

Angie Seckinger
Example of a large classic enclosed vaulted ceiling living room design in DC Metro with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Utility room - small traditional single-wall light wood floor and brown floor utility room idea in New York with a single-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, a side-by-side washer/dryer, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored walls and beige countertops

This laundry sink has a custom wood work surface where the sink can become a flush folding zone, by the simple lift of the center board. The hole serves as both a way to lift the board and as a drain in case the water mistakenly gets turned on. The wall mounted spout on the faucet also swivels out of the way when the area serves as a work space.

From CDK Architects: This is a new home that replaced an existing 1949 home in Rosedale. The design concept for the new house is “Mid Century Modern Meets Modern.” This is clearly a new home, but we wanted to give reverence to the neighborhood and its roots. It was important to us to re-purpose the old home. Rather than demolishing it, we worked with our contractor to disassemble the house piece by piece, eventually donating about 80% of the home to Habitat for Humanity. The wood floors were salvaged and reused on the new fireplace wall. The home contains 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, plus a home office and a music studio, totaling 2,650 square feet. One of the home’s most striking features is its large vaulted ceiling in the Living/Dining/Kitchen area. Substantial clerestory windows provide treetop views and bring dappled light into the space from high above. There’s natural light in every room in the house. Balancing the desire for natural light and privacy was very important, as was the connection to nature. What we hoped to achieve was a fun, flexible home with beautiful light and a nice balance of public and private spaces. We also wanted a home that would adapt to a growing family but would still fit our needs far into the future. The end result is a home with a calming, organic feel to it. Built by R Builders LLC (General Contractor) Interior Design by Becca Stephens Interiors Landscape Design by Seedlings Gardening Photos by Reagen Taylor Photography