A forgotten room with an identity crisis becomes the new favorite place to be for a fun-loving family. A room intended for adults and children with it's bright splashes of color and pattern, family-friendly finishes and comfortable furnishings. Dad's happy too as his favorite billiards table can now be enjoyed by everyone!

After. Field-built benches along the left hand side of the Pantry provide plenty of storage for pool equipment and other items. 6Square “Itasca” cabinetry in “White Cloud” provides additional storage space. A second refrigerator was also added along with open shelving. The family dogs weren’t forgotten about with room for 2 dog beds under the countertop.

This dining room was a forgotten space, with a small opening to the foyer. It was completely beige and had track lighting that made it feel small and more like an office. We opened up the wall to the foyer, changed the lighting, added crown molding, painted the trim/walls/ceiling, and added furniture and decor. The ceiling is a light blue which, along with the crystal chandelier and cypress dining table, references my client's Southern roots.

There once was a time when families spent the evening gathered happily around a warm flame, not a television. The Windsor Arch evokes this era, providing timeless beauty and bold craftsmanship. As Victorian castings accompany highlighted chrome, flames within radiate steady, even heat for many years to come. Unique in design and function, the Windsor Arch combines modern technology with a subtle hint of distinction and elegance from a time once forgotten.

What is a garage if not a storage space where items tend to be stowed away and forgotten? This Los Angeles homeowner, however, sought a greater purpose for his underused garage and converted the space into an indoor/outdoor guesthouse and home office. To accomplish this, a wood framed folding glass wall was employed to completely open the space to the outdoors. To fully maximize every square foot of the additional dwelling unit, the folding glass system was configured with FoldFlat® technology, allowing the panels to stack out of and parallel to the opening. The new space offers a bright and airy guesthouse for visitors and a multifunctional space for the homeowner.

We found connections between the indoors and outdoors by reimagining the garden entranceway. What once was a dark, forgotten basement space became the best place to gather during the summer months. We doubled the width of the backdoor and created a secondary back patio that offered a soft entrance into the home. With tiered landscaping, we created a covered seating area and an easy route between the backyard and downstairs living space.

John G Wilbanks Photography
Kitchen pantry - large transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen pantry idea in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This kitchen is in Gainesville’s Duck Pond Historic District. The neighborhood was all but forgotten in the 1980’s, but since the charm of these old houses doesn’t die easily people have caught on and their value recognized and the restorations are ongoing. Our client’s home in particular needed a major make over and they were committed to maintaining the homes vintage appeal.

Between 2010 and 2012, I became a teacher at Westwood College; I did teach subjects that were tons of fun for me, such as Photoshop, Drafting, and AutoCAD; but I did have to also teach subjects I did not know well such as Revit. To feel less anxious, I decided to come up with my own house design, using Revit; it was a lot of fun. However, I got stuck! I started the functional plans directly in the software, and sooner than later, I was paralyzed in a world of uncertainty; it became a battle between learning a computer aided software and the natural process of design. Soon after, back in 2013, I went back to the practice of architecture, and the Westwood house went to the pit of forgotten back burner projects. In 2021, I went to the pit of forgetfulness, dusted off the Westwood house and came to life.

This extensive home remodel highlights the front porch as the central characteristic of its new identity. Out with the old disintegrating roof and spindly support columns and in with a new cantilevered overhang clad in an asphalt shingle roof to contrast against an off-white stucco. A focal cantilevered roof spans over the floating concrete front porch. A nod to a big smile facing the street, inviting the neighborhood in. Larger dark bronze metal windows brighten up vaulted spaces inside. The old overcast tree no longer sits in front but its memory is not to be forgotten: a new olive tree is planted adjacent to the original and now a series of cast concrete steps replace the dilapidated ramp leading one from the sidewalk directly up to the front door. What was once hidden behind the whims of nature and necessity is now open to the neighbors again.

This sunny side beach cottage was a forgotten old run down building. The designers created a new great room, bunk room and bedroom for the family to come periodically to the beach home. The little beach side cabin is the guest house to a larger home, farther back from the ocean. From this white painted cottage, the mother can watch her children play on the beach in comfort, and have friends and family stay over. The new bunk room has white painted beds with a small ladder, white, yellow and blue linens, and a bit of storage under the bed. The great room features an old fireplace, with blue sofas in Sunbrella fabrics, a natural wood table, and beachy accents. Not shown is a small kitchen, and separate guest room. All with beautiful, natural wood plank floors. Project: Padaro Lane, Carpenteria. Designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu, Westlake and Calabasas, across the tri-county areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills- north through Solvang and more.

Voted BEST OF HOUZZ 2015. The mission of Dena Caron Interiors is to create a space that you are proud to call your own. You know what you like or maybe what you don't like. We are here to guide you in the defining, refining and execution of a finished design, that will reflect you at your best. Let's turn up the dial on your style. We provide interior design services and project management. This includes: color consultations, finish selections, space planning, remodeling and new construction planning and consulting, window treatments, furniture selection, accessory placement and procurement, wall and flooring treatment and bid preparation. In addition to my design and project management services, I can also assist clients in purchasing and selecting a "Fixer Upper" or "Unlivable" home and Redefine its Design to suit their needs and budget. Visit my other business Redefined Design, where we see the potential in the homes others have forgotten or wouldn't even consider purchasing. http://www.houzz.com/pro/denacaron/redefined-design

Example of an arts and crafts beige one-story vinyl exterior home design in Grand Rapids

This 1910 West Highlands home was so compartmentalized that you couldn't help to notice you were constantly entering a new room every 8-10 feet. There was also a 500 SF addition put on the back of the home to accommodate a living room, 3/4 bath, laundry room and back foyer - 350 SF of that was for the living room. Needless to say, the house needed to be gutted and replanned. Kitchen+Dining+Laundry-Like most of these early 1900's homes, the kitchen was not the heartbeat of the home like they are today. This kitchen was tucked away in the back and smaller than any other social rooms in the house. We knocked out the walls of the dining room to expand and created an open floor plan suitable for any type of gathering. As a nod to the history of the home, we used butcherblock for all the countertops and shelving which was accented by tones of brass, dusty blues and light-warm greys. This room had no storage before so creating ample storage and a variety of storage types was a critical ask for the client. One of my favorite details is the blue crown that draws from one end of the space to the other, accenting a ceiling that was otherwise forgotten. Primary Bath-This did not exist prior to the remodel and the client wanted a more neutral space with strong visual details. We split the walls in half with a datum line that transitions from penny gap molding to the tile in the shower. To provide some more visual drama, we did a chevron tile arrangement on the floor, gridded the shower enclosure for some deep contrast an array of brass and quartz to elevate the finishes. Powder Bath-This is always a fun place to let your vision get out of the box a bit. All the elements were familiar to the space but modernized and more playful. The floor has a wood look tile in a herringbone arrangement, a navy vanity, gold fixtures that are all servants to the star of the room - the blue and white deco wall tile behind the vanity. Full Bath-This was a quirky little bathroom that you'd always keep the door closed when guests are over. Now we have brought the blue tones into the space and accented it with bronze fixtures and a playful southwestern floor tile. Living Room & Office-This room was too big for its own good and now serves multiple purposes. We condensed the space to provide a living area for the whole family plus other guests and left enough room to explain the space with floor cushions. The office was a bonus to the project as it provided privacy to a room that otherwise had none before.

Seductively sumptuous and decidedly opulent, this series embodies glamor fit for a queen. Renowned for her true beauty and her sustained legacy, never to be forgotten. This Luxury Italian bathroom vanity is shown in Beige, handmade with Murano Glass in a 44" width. This masterpiece is undeniably the focal point of the bathroom with, stratified brushed satin and ecological leather snake design, intricate silk screen printing design work and decoration with paint and platinum high-heat performance coating. The chassis and vanity legs are made of stainless steel waterproof varnish with coated curved glass lacquered-grit design.

Photo: Paula Coldiron © 2014 Houzz
Example of a classic hallway design in Birmingham

These custom corner shelves were designed to thoughtfully fill the footprint of a former fireplace reimagined rather than erased. Angled to echo the geometry of a newly designed fireplace elsewhere in the home, they create a subtle sense of continuity and intention throughout the space. Now it will function as a small library for the adjacent reading nook, the shelves bring warmth, storage, and purpose to what could have been a forgotten corner.

This 1910 West Highlands home was so compartmentalized that you couldn't help to notice you were constantly entering a new room every 8-10 feet. There was also a 500 SF addition put on the back of the home to accommodate a living room, 3/4 bath, laundry room and back foyer - 350 SF of that was for the living room. Needless to say, the house needed to be gutted and replanned. Kitchen+Dining+Laundry-Like most of these early 1900's homes, the kitchen was not the heartbeat of the home like they are today. This kitchen was tucked away in the back and smaller than any other social rooms in the house. We knocked out the walls of the dining room to expand and created an open floor plan suitable for any type of gathering. As a nod to the history of the home, we used butcherblock for all the countertops and shelving which was accented by tones of brass, dusty blues and light-warm greys. This room had no storage before so creating ample storage and a variety of storage types was a critical ask for the client. One of my favorite details is the blue crown that draws from one end of the space to the other, accenting a ceiling that was otherwise forgotten. Primary Bath-This did not exist prior to the remodel and the client wanted a more neutral space with strong visual details. We split the walls in half with a datum line that transitions from penny gap molding to the tile in the shower. To provide some more visual drama, we did a chevron tile arrangement on the floor, gridded the shower enclosure for some deep contrast an array of brass and quartz to elevate the finishes. Powder Bath-This is always a fun place to let your vision get out of the box a bit. All the elements were familiar to the space but modernized and more playful. The floor has a wood look tile in a herringbone arrangement, a navy vanity, gold fixtures that are all servants to the star of the room - the blue and white deco wall tile behind the vanity. Full Bath-This was a quirky little bathroom that you'd always keep the door closed when guests are over. Now we have brought the blue tones into the space and accented it with bronze fixtures and a playful southwestern floor tile. Living Room & Office-This room was too big for its own good and now serves multiple purposes. We condensed the space to provide a living area for the whole family plus other guests and left enough room to explain the space with floor cushions. The office was a bonus to the project as it provided privacy to a room that otherwise had none before.

There once was a time when families spent the evening gathered happily around a warm flame, not a television. The Windsor Arch evokes this era, providing timeless beauty and bold craftsmanship. As Victorian castings accompany highlighted chrome, flames within radiate steady, even heat for many years to come. Unique in design and function, the Windsor Arch combines modern technology with a subtle hint of distinction and elegance from a time once forgotten.