Transitional/Contemporary kitchen with modern farmhouse influences. Complete redesign of the space to gain better flow and use of cabinetry. Hidden pantry access with tons of storage

Design elevation to showcase interior of storage closet. The client wanted to create additional storage in their apartment and maximize their foyer space. We designed the space to fit their needs and hold as many coats as possible. They have an existing closet that we worked around on the right hand side so in order to gain access to that existing closet we left the right side of the new closet open.

INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNER. 2018 NKBA Design Competition Best Overall Kitchen. 2018 TIDA International USA Kitchen of the Year. 2018 Best Traditional Kitchen - Westchester Home Magazine design awards. The designer's own kitchen was gutted and renovated in 2017, with a focus on classic materials and thoughtful storage. The 1920s craftsman home has been in the family since 1940, and every effort was made to keep finishes and details true to the original construction. For sources, please see the website at www.studiodearborn.com. Photography, Timothy Lenz.

The original master bathroom was dated and small, as was the adjoining master bedroom closet. Substantial square footage was gained for the master bath and closet by moving the wall back about 4.5' into the master bedroom. The functionality, beauty and spacious transformation now provides for his and hers sinks, a large, marble shower and a substantial walk-in closet.

This front elevation gains pleasing depth with a new portico protecting a Provia door with a lever door handle and a keyless lock option, for further accessibility. The new look was enhanced with soft grayish-greens (to compliment the red tones of the door and brick) for the portico, and the new coats of paint on the existing shutters and siding of the garage wing. New landscaping completes the transformation to a warmer welcome.

Luxury living done with energy-efficiency in mind. From the Insulated Concrete Form walls to the solar panels, this home has energy-efficient features at every turn. Luxury abounds with hardwood floors from a tobacco barn, custom cabinets, to vaulted ceilings. The indoor basketball court and golf simulator give family and friends plenty of fun options to explore. This home has it all. Elise Trissel photograph

Relocating from their home in Brisbane, Australia with ocean views to the Pacific, our clients envisioned a refresh for their new lakefront cottage on Pine Lake in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Completed in July 2024, we created new spaces, reimagined old ones, and even swapped places for a primary bedroom and its en suite bath. Our goal was to create a serene and soothing spa- like experience for the bathroom, all while maintaining gorgeous lake views. But this reconfiguration presented some challenges. The primary bedroom was oversized, while its adjacent bath was tiny and crowded. We completely flipped the locations of the bedroom and bathroom, even rerouting plumbing over the bar in the lower level to accommodate the freestanding tub. To maximize space, we designed large, walk-in dressing pantries that are as functional as they are beautiful, and lead to the large dual custom vanity. The vanity itself is freestanding to provide access for hand towel bath hardware on its sides. The his-and-hers unit contains built-in dividers, laundry hampers and trash pullouts to maximize its function. An enclosed water closet allows for privacy in the open concept bathroom, and is placed beyond the cabinetry. The star of this space is the large enclosed wet room. As the focal point of the bathroom, its oversized tiled walls and deep built-in bench allow for a steam or soaking in the tub while enjoying stunning lake views. The wet room is spacious and serene, and perfect for an end to a Michigan winter day.

This front elevation gains pleasing depth with a new portico protecting a Provia door with a lever door handle and a keyless lock option, for further accessibility. The new look was enhanced with soft grayish-greens (to compliment the red tones of the door and brick) for the portico, and the new coats of paint on the existing shutters and siding of the garage wing. New landscaping completes the transformation to a warmer welcome.

This shingle style cottage was a complete renovation, enhancing its already charming attributes with new, modern amenities. Renovations included enclosing an existing sunroom, new windows and new roof dormers to gain access to a walk-out roof deck.

The clients found a house they loved for two reasons…location, location, location (first reason) and the exterior style was similar to a beloved childhood home. They came to LaMantia inquiring as to the possibilities for the first floor. Armed with the clients’ “wants and desires” LaMantia designers Jackie Prazak and Andy LaMantia went about redesigning most of the first floor into an open floor plan fit for the young family. LaMantia & Prazak found the key to providing the enlarged feeling was through the poorly designed existing home addition. The additional living space was difficult to access, thus providing no useful function to the home. Completely removing the original exterior walls of the home that blocked access into the addition was the first step in the plan. With the walls removed, the original walled-off space became a part of the home. Relocating the first floor Powder Room, revising the entry closet, removing the wall into the kitchen and resizing the Living Room all were key components to the final rebirth of the larger picture. To finalize the new kitchen space, it was suggested to raise the Bay window unit thus allowing the relocated sink location. With all the revisions, the Kitchen now could easily accommodate a stretched out “L” layout with a large seated Island and a separate desk area. With the final plans in place, the clients were amazed to find that within the existing walls of their newly purchased home they had gained so much extra use. And…the very last prize they gained was a dreamed of Mudroom!

This home maximizes use of passive solar gain with a two-story wall of glass supported by braces that penetrate the exterior wall. Fabric pendant lights descend from the 10’ ceilings to light the kitchen surfaces. Cable lighting weaves in and out of the exposed structure to light the passageway. A cantilevered walkway provides access to the bedrooms on the second floor. photo by Jeff Scrogins

This front elevation gains pleasing depth with a new portico protecting a Provia door with a lever door handle and a keyless lock option, for further accessibility. The new look was enhanced with soft grayish-greens (to compliment the red tones of the door and brick) for the portico, and the new coats of paint on the existing shutters and siding of the garage wing. New landscaping completes the transformation to a warmer welcome.

Stealing space from the master bedroom to create a hallway gives access to the roof deck. A barn door with an 8 foot opening allows the owner to open the space up when not entertaining to gain more ocean view. Photo credit: Chris Leschinsky

Large eating areas to ensure quests are not separated from the chef! Newly added patio door to gain access to the BBQ and take advantage of the spectacular lake view from the table. Also introduces lots of natural light.

Open shower, doggy shower, pool bath. This is a unique twist on a guest/powder/pool bath. The complete room is a shower all water proofed. There is an exterior door in the shower to gain access to the back yard and the pool.

When not in use, the sheer curtain tucks away to keep the space open and light
Small trendy open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room photo in London with blue walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Example of a 1950s metal spiral open and cable railing staircase design in Los Angeles

Winner of the 2018 Tour of Homes Best Remodel, this whole house re-design of a 1963 Bennet & Johnson mid-century raised ranch home is a beautiful example of the magic we can weave through the application of more sustainable modern design principles to existing spaces. We worked closely with our client on extensive updates to create a modernized MCM gem. Extensive alterations include: - a completely redesigned floor plan to promote a more intuitive flow throughout - vaulted the ceilings over the great room to create an amazing entrance and feeling of inspired openness - redesigned entry and driveway to be more inviting and welcoming as well as to experientially set the mid-century modern stage - the removal of a visually disruptive load bearing central wall and chimney system that formerly partitioned the homes’ entry, dining, kitchen and living rooms from each other - added clerestory windows above the new kitchen to accentuate the new vaulted ceiling line and create a greater visual continuation of indoor to outdoor space - drastically increased the access to natural light by increasing window sizes and opening up the floor plan - placed natural wood elements throughout to provide a calming palette and cohesive Pacific Northwest feel - incorporated Universal Design principles to make the home Aging In Place ready with wide hallways and accessible spaces, including single-floor living if needed - moved and completely redesigned the stairway to work for the home’s occupants and be a part of the cohesive design aesthetic - mixed custom tile layouts with more traditional tiling to create fun and playful visual experiences - custom designed and sourced MCM specific elements such as the entry screen, cabinetry and lighting - development of the downstairs for potential future use by an assisted living caretaker - energy efficiency upgrades seamlessly woven in with much improved insulation, ductless mini splits and solar gain

As part of a front entry remodel, the family gains a U-shape driveway of concrete pavers. This blends seamlessly into a stone paver walkway that leads to the new covered porch and front door, which has a zero-clearance floor jamb. All is designed for ease of access, the kind of universal design that benefits all who visit the house. Photo by Toby Weiss for Mosby Building Arts.