Example of a trendy orange tile and white tile gray floor and double-sink alcove shower design in Salt Lake City with shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door, white countertops and a floating vanity

Tuscan kitchen photo in Seattle

This laundry room serves multiple uses, including designated drawers and plenty of counters for crafts and wrapping projects, and a walk out to an outdoor potting area with a custom zinc top. Photography: Pam Singleton

Kitchen - coastal kitchen idea in Austin

Inspiration for a transitional laundry room remodel in Birmingham

Transitional entryway photo in Philadelphia

http://www.kristenwade.com/ One of Atlanta's Most Sought After Designers Best of Houzz 2015 By Appointment Only (304) 931-4365 Atlanta, GA 30312

Example of a transitional kitchen design in New York

Mid-sized elegant kids' gray tile and subway tile double-sink and shiplap wall drop-in bathtub photo in Seattle with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, an undermount sink, marble countertops, white countertops and a freestanding vanity

Transitional light wood floor and beige floor mudroom photo with white walls and a medium wood front door

Mike and Michelle of Lake Barrington knew they needed extra space. Their home was becoming too crowded for their family with blossoming teenagers, so a basement renovation offered the perfect solution for more space for the kids and more room to entertain for the adults. “Our project consisted of expanding our laundry room, putting in a first floor wet bar so we had adult space upstairs, while also renovating our basement for a family-friendly and teen-functional area as well,” Michelle says. They found Advance Design Studio through a neighbor who gave a glowing recommendation, giving Michelle and Mike the confidence they needed to move forward with a major home renovation. They felt like they knew Advance Design before they even worked together. When they met with the owner Todd Jurs and designer Nicole Ryan, Mike and Michelle knew they were getting a trustworthy, dependable team that could create the project they had been dreaming about for 7 years. Having virtually no natural light to work with, one of the biggest design challenges was creating a basement that did not feel dark and depressing. The Advance team got to work creating architectural archways and custom detailed dry-stack stone columns artfully designed into the space, adding a dramatic element that made the space feel less like a basement or more like a relaxing family room. Color 3D renderings were created to portray what the space would look like so Mike and Michelle could visualize the space in advance. Detailed trim and crown moldings grace the built in buffet and wet bar making for an amazingly functional space that lacks nothing in style and visual interest. Cherry wood cabinetry by Dura Supreme is featured in the space with a “Cocoa Brown” finish and includes beautiful mirrored glass doors embellished with unique elliptical mullion details. A built-in microwave, dishwasher and mini fridge add practicality to the ample entertainment mecca. An under mounted sink finishes the space joined with a intricate mosaic tile backsplash and “Ventisca Polished” quartz countertops. The basement is absolutely perfect for hosting friends and family with expertly designed key areas such as a game space for the kids, a movie area for the family, an ample workout room with luxurious full bath, and even built in wine storage. The family absolutely loves the new basement living space, and has already enjoyed numerous family movie nights and sleep-overs with friends. While custom cabinets made by Dura Supreme were used to create unique spaces that lived up to Mike and Michelle’s expectations., heated flooring under the 16”x16” “Mongolian Spring” tile was installed giving all tiled areas of the basement a much cozier feel, eliminating that cold hard surface most of us hate in our basements! The new basement must-have requirement list included a new bath space, which was incorporated adjacent to the work out room. The sleek shower door and cabinets in the new bathroom make guests and family feel like they are in an elegant hotel. The new guest bath features 4”x36” “Silver Screen” honed marble tile in a brick pattern on the shower walls and 2”x2” “Chenille” limestone tile in a hexagon mosaic pattern on the shower floor. “I came in with very specific requirements for our three project areas,” Michelle says. “There was not one time that I felt like I was asking for something that was not going to turn out how I anticipated.” Tying in multiple rooms during a renovation if you have can do it makes a lot of sense and saves money in the long run. A fully functional laundry room as well was a must on this family’s wish list. Michelle wanted to add space to the existing cramped and awkward laundry room, and Mike wanted to make sure they could still park a car in the garage. Reconfiguring interior walls required borrowing unused space cleverly from the garage in order to enlarge the laundry room space. Drawers under the stairs added beautiful hidden storage created almost magically out of dead space. White painted Dura Supreme cabinets bring additional light into the small space; while the 16”x16” cleft slate tile flooring provides excellent contrast and the naturally earthy feel Michelle wanted. Quartz countertops with a 3”x12” “Debut Dew” subway tile backsplash add elegance to the now upliftingly bright laundry room. The extra space makes doing laundry much more pleasurable and the added storage is a great for all those little things like winter hats and gloves, umbrellas and the like. “The Advance Design project team was phenomenal to work with,” Michelle says. “They came in, shared the plans with us and walked us through the expectations. We always knew what was coming next.” Converting an existing closet space, the wet bar upstairs was challenging because they wanted a functional area that didn’t look or feel like cabinets just sticking out of a closet. So the Advance team transformed this ordinary closet space into a stunning wet bar that architecturally appears as if it’s always been there. Traditional, elegant hand carved custom molding matching the adjacent fireplace ties the new entertainment bar area in nicely with the existing family room and kitchen area. Featuring a built in wine refrigerator, Dura Supreme cabinetry in deep cherry wood elegantly displays wine bottles and etched glass mullion doors that fill with soft light in the evening hours. Cambria “Windermere” quartz countertops with a sophisticated hammered copper sink and a glimmering backsplash round out the stunning wet bar. Hosting parties and family functions has become much more enjoyable now that they have a dedicated beverage serving area large enough to include hors devours. All three projects were designed and constructed together at the same time, making for a cohesive project that was administered smoothly and easily both for the design team and for the family. Disruption to the home was minimal as each phase was completed in each project conclusively, and design and meeting time for the homeowner was efficient and organized making for an enjoyable process. “Advance Design was great to work with,” Michelle says. “I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a home improvement project. They took the time at the beginning to understand our needs, our budget, and our vision for our home. The field team was great, attentive, on time, cleaned up each day and made the overall experience very positive. We couldn't be happier with the finished product.” With the help of our talented, award winning design team you can create the basement, laundry room, or any other home renovation that you have been dreaming of. With our “Common Sense Remodeling” approach, the process of renovating you home has never been easier. Contact us today at 847-836-2600 or schedule an appointment to talk with us about that kitchen remodeling project. Joe Nowak

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW The homeowners built their traditional Colonial style home 17 years’ ago. It was in great shape but needed some updating. Over the years, their taste had drifted into a more contemporary realm, and they wanted our help to bridge the gap between traditional and modern. We decided the layout of the kitchen worked well in the space and the cabinets were in good shape, so we opted to do a refresh with the kitchen. The original kitchen had blond maple cabinets and granite countertops. This was also a great opportunity to make some updates to the functionality that they were hoping to accomplish. After re-finishing all the first floor wood floors with a gray stain, which helped to remove some of the red tones from the red oak, we painted the cabinetry Benjamin Moore “Repose Gray” a very soft light gray. The new countertops are hardworking quartz, and the waterfall countertop to the left of the sink gives a bit of the contemporary flavor. We reworked the refrigerator wall to create more pantry storage and eliminated the double oven in favor of a single oven and a steam oven. The existing cooktop was replaced with a new range paired with a Venetian plaster hood above. The glossy finish from the hood is echoed in the pendant lights. A touch of gold in the lighting and hardware adds some contrast to the gray and white. A theme we repeated down to the smallest detail illustrated by the Jason Wu faucet by Brizo with its similar touches of white and gold (the arrival of which we eagerly awaited for months due to ripples in the supply chain – but worth it!). The original breakfast room was pleasant enough with its windows looking into the backyard. Now with its colorful window treatments, new blue chairs and sculptural light fixture, this space flows seamlessly into the kitchen and gives more of a punch to the space. The original butler’s pantry was functional but was also starting to show its age. The new space was inspired by a wallpaper selection that our client had set aside as a possibility for a future project. It worked perfectly with our pallet and gave a fun eclectic vibe to this functional space. We eliminated some upper cabinets in favor of open shelving and painted the cabinetry in a high gloss finish, added a beautiful quartzite countertop and some statement lighting. The new room is anything but cookie cutter. Next the mudroom. You can see a peek of the mudroom across the way from the butler’s pantry which got a facelift with new paint, tile floor, lighting and hardware. Simple updates but a dramatic change! The first floor powder room got the glam treatment with its own update of wainscoting, wallpaper, console sink, fixtures and artwork. A great little introduction to what’s to come in the rest of the home. The whole first floor now flows together in a cohesive pallet of green and blue, reflects the homeowner’s desire for a more modern aesthetic, and feels like a thoughtful and intentional evolution. Our clients were wonderful to work with! Their style meshed perfectly with our brand aesthetic which created the opportunity for wonderful things to happen. We know they will enjoy their remodel for many years to come! Photography by Margaret Rajic Photography

SKI Design - Suzy Kennedy, Smook Architecture and Design, Eric Roth Photography
Example of a classic dark wood floor open concept kitchen design in Boston with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Inspiration for a cottage dark wood floor and brown floor alcove shower remodel with gray walls, a vessel sink, wood countertops and brown countertops

This Cobble Hill Brownstone for a family of five is a fun and captivating design, the perfect blend of the wife’s love of English country style and the husband’s preference for modern. The young power couple, her the co-founder of Maisonette and him an investor, have three children and a dog, requiring that all the surfaces, finishes and, materials used throughout the home are both beautiful and durable to make every room a carefree space the whole family can enjoy. The primary design challenge for this project was creating both distinct places for the family to live their day to day lives and also a whole floor dedicated to formal entertainment. The clients entertain large dinners on a monthly basis as part of their profession. We solved this by adding an extension on the Garden and Parlor levels. This allowed the Garden level to function as the daily family operations center and the Parlor level to be party central. The kitchen on the garden level is large enough to dine in and accommodate a large catering crew. On the parlor level, we created a large double parlor in the front of the house; this space is dedicated to cocktail hour and after-dinner drinks. The rear of the parlor is a spacious formal dining room that can seat up to 14 guests. The middle "library" space contains a bar and facilitates access to both the front and rear rooms; in this way, it can double as a staging area for the parties. The remaining three floors are sleeping quarters for the family and frequent out of town guests. Designing a row house for private and public functions programmatically returns the building to a configuration in line with its original design. This project was published in Architectural Digest. Photography by Sam Frost

Small minimalist l-shaped light wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen photo in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This beautiful French Provincial home is set on 10 acres, nestled perfectly in the oak trees. The original home was built in 1974 and had two large additions added; a great room in 1990 and a main floor master suite in 2001. This was my dream project: a full gut renovation of the entire 4,300 square foot home! I contracted the project myself, and we finished the interior remodel in just six months. The exterior received complete attention as well. The 1970s mottled brown brick went white to completely transform the look from dated to classic French. Inside, walls were removed and doorways widened to create an open floor plan that functions so well for everyday living as well as entertaining. The white walls and white trim make everything new, fresh and bright. It is so rewarding to see something old transformed into something new, more beautiful and more functional.

Trendy open concept light wood floor living room library photo in London with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace and no tv