For this project in Alamo, we shepherded the transition of a traditional California Ranch house into a clean modern home for our clients, empty nesters who love to entertain. Within an interior envelope of all-white walls and newly-elevated ceilings, a limited palette of materials consisting of warm oak floors and cabinetry combined with warm neutrals and soft grays, feels like a breath of fresh air and allows the greenery outside the many windows to play a leading role in the color scheme. The furnishings, including custom upholstered furnishings by Hardesty Dwyer, are comfortable and “bulletproof” to accommodate the couple’s six lively grandchildren. In the vaulted great-room, a large family table is the heart of the home. It is here that the couple regularly hosts Sunday dinners with their children and grandchildren.

For this project in Alamo, we shepherded the transition of a traditional California Ranch house into a clean modern home for our clients, empty nesters who love to entertain. Within an interior envelope of all-white walls and newly-elevated ceilings, a limited palette of materials consisting of warm oak floors and cabinetry combined with warm neutrals and soft grays, feels like a breath of fresh air and allows the greenery outside the many windows to play a leading role in the color scheme. The furnishings, including custom upholstered furnishings by Hardesty Dwyer, are comfortable and “bulletproof” to accommodate the couple’s six lively grandchildren. In the vaulted great-room, a large family table is the heart of the home. It is here that the couple regularly hosts Sunday dinners with their children and grandchildren.

Scott Amundson Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and black countertops

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Designer: Ben Nelson | Furnishings: Martha O'Hara Interiors | Photography: Landmark Photography
Example of a mid-sized classic light wood floor open concept kitchen design in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

For this project in Alamo, we shepherded the transition of a traditional California Ranch house into a clean modern home for our clients, empty nesters who love to entertain. Within an interior envelope of all-white walls and newly-elevated ceilings, a limited palette of materials consisting of warm oak floors and cabinetry combined with warm neutrals and soft grays, feels like a breath of fresh air and allows the greenery outside the many windows to play a leading role in the color scheme. The furnishings, including custom upholstered furnishings by Hardesty Dwyer, are comfortable and “bulletproof” to accommodate the couple’s six lively grandchildren. In the vaulted great-room, a large family table is the heart of the home. It is here that the couple regularly hosts Sunday dinners with their children and grandchildren.

Trendy home design photo in San Francisco

For this project in Alamo, we shepherded the transition of a traditional California Ranch house into a clean modern home for our clients, empty nesters who love to entertain. Within an interior envelope of all-white walls and newly-elevated ceilings, a limited palette of materials consisting of warm oak floors and cabinetry combined with warm neutrals and soft grays, feels like a breath of fresh air and allows the greenery outside the many windows to play a leading role in the color scheme. The furnishings, including custom upholstered furnishings by Hardesty Dwyer, are comfortable and “bulletproof” to accommodate the couple’s six lively grandchildren. In the vaulted great-room, a large family table is the heart of the home. It is here that the couple regularly hosts Sunday dinners with their children and grandchildren.

This home was featured in the May 2016 Southwest Florida edition of HOME & DESIGN Magazine. To see the rest of the home tour as well as other luxury homes featured, visit http://www.homeanddesign.net/signature-home-2016/

This 1990's home, located in North Vancouver's Lynn Valley neighbourhood, had high ceilings and a great open plan layout but the decor was straight out of the 90's complete with sponge painted walls in dark earth tones. The owners, a young professional couple, enlisted our help to take it from dated and dreary to modern and bright. We started by removing details like chair rails and crown mouldings, that did not suit the modern architectural lines of the home. We replaced the heavily worn wood floors with a new high end, light coloured, wood-look laminate that will withstand the wear and tear from their two energetic golden retrievers. Since the main living space is completely open plan it was important that we work with simple consistent finishes for a clean modern look. The all white kitchen features flat doors with minimal hardware and a solid surface marble-look countertop and backsplash. We modernized all of the lighting and updated the bathrooms and master bedroom as well. The only departure from our clean modern scheme is found in the dressing room where the client was looking for a more dressed up feminine feel but we kept a thread of grey consistent even in this more vivid colour scheme. This transformation, featuring the clients' gorgeous original artwork and new custom designed furnishings is admittedly one of our favourite projects to date!

This project consisted of several spaces inside of a quaint ski condo in Dillon, Colorado. We converted a dated, 1980's scheme into a classy winter haven. The project is complete with neutral contemporary gray tones, glass subway tiles, deep purple accents and modern furnishings.

Photos by Andrew Giammarco Photography.
Open concept kitchen - large country l-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

The three-level Mediterranean revival home started as a 1930s summer cottage that expanded downward and upward over time. We used a clean, crisp white wall plaster with bronze hardware throughout the interiors to give the house continuity. A neutral color palette and minimalist furnishings create a sense of calm restraint. Subtle and nuanced textures and variations in tints add visual interest. The stair risers from the living room to the primary suite are hand-painted terra cotta tile in gray and off-white. We used the same tile resource in the kitchen for the island's toe kick.

Who said Transitional can be boring? The Black Diamond Staging was a fun project where classic and contemporary were mixed-in creating a Transitional clean look. The color scheme throughout was very neutral allowing lines of the furniture to take center stage. A transitional look also consists of various textural elements, in this case the materials that were used the most to create that texture was wood, fabrics and rattan. The use of accessories was very limited as there was already artful details through the mix furnishings and fabrics.

Open-concept living space in a custom Connecticut home, planned to create an easy connection between the kitchen, dining, and living areas. Coordinated materials, lighting, furnishings, and finishes create a consistent flow throughout the home. Living room featuring a comfortable furniture arrangement, layered lighting, coordinated finishes, and sophisticated décor designed for everyday living and entertaining.

Who said Transitional can be boring? The Black Diamond Staging was a fun project where classic and contemporary were mixed-in creating a Transitional clean look. The color scheme throughout was very neutral allowing lines of the furniture to take center stage. A transitional look also consists of various textural elements, in this case the materials that were used the most to create that texture was wood, fabrics and rattan. The use of accessories was very limited as there was already artful details through the mix furnishings and fabrics.

Benjamin Benschneider
Mountain style bedroom photo in Seattle with beige walls

This 1990's home, located in North Vancouver's Lynn Valley neighbourhood, had high ceilings and a great open plan layout but the decor was straight out of the 90's complete with sponge painted walls in dark earth tones. The owners, a young professional couple, enlisted our help to take it from dated and dreary to modern and bright. We started by removing details like chair rails and crown mouldings, that did not suit the modern architectural lines of the home. We replaced the heavily worn wood floors with a new high end, light coloured, wood-look laminate that will withstand the wear and tear from their two energetic golden retrievers. Since the main living space is completely open plan it was important that we work with simple consistent finishes for a clean modern look. The all white kitchen features flat doors with minimal hardware and a solid surface marble-look countertop and backsplash. We modernized all of the lighting and updated the bathrooms and master bedroom as well. The only departure from our clean modern scheme is found in the dressing room where the client was looking for a more dressed up feminine feel but we kept a thread of grey consistent even in this more vivid colour scheme. This transformation, featuring the clients' gorgeous original artwork and new custom designed furnishings is admittedly one of our favourite projects to date!

This 1990's home, located in North Vancouver's Lynn Valley neighbourhood, had high ceilings and a great open plan layout but the decor was straight out of the 90's complete with sponge painted walls in dark earth tones. The owners, a young professional couple, enlisted our help to take it from dated and dreary to modern and bright. We started by removing details like chair rails and crown mouldings, that did not suit the modern architectural lines of the home. We replaced the heavily worn wood floors with a new high end, light coloured, wood-look laminate that will withstand the wear and tear from their two energetic golden retrievers. Since the main living space is completely open plan it was important that we work with simple consistent finishes for a clean modern look. The all white kitchen features flat doors with minimal hardware and a solid surface marble-look countertop and backsplash. We modernized all of the lighting and updated the bathrooms and master bedroom as well. The only departure from our clean modern scheme is found in the dressing room where the client was looking for a more dressed up feminine feel but we kept a thread of grey consistent even in this more vivid colour scheme. This transformation, featuring the clients' gorgeous original artwork and new custom designed furnishings is admittedly one of our favourite projects to date!

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com