The bar area just outside of the kitchen has flat-panel doors showing a modern look in contrast to the shaker-style doors used in the kitchen. The glass inserts in the upper cabinets add a beautiful aesthetic. Highlights include vertical shelves for wine bottles, expansive countertop space, and a built-in wine refrigerator.

The key to making this small balcony inviting for evening entertaining was installing smart outdoor LED lights that can be controlled with a smart phone. They are perfect for highlighting architectural features like the carved panel and they create a wonderful ambiance. You can purchase these lights on amazon.com ( http://amzn.to/1YdmxaK) Isabelle LaRue

Katie Merkle
Mid-sized transitional enclosed living room photo in Baltimore with a media wall

The homeowner of this new build came to us for help with the design of their new home. They wanted a more contemporary look than what they're used to. The large island is a great gathering point with in the open concept of the dining/kitchen/living space. Using two different colors of quartz countertops added contrast that highlights the marble backsplash. The backsplash adds texture and richness to the space. Shaker style cabinets help modernize the space with the clean lines. Function was key to this kitchen working with utensil pullouts, spice racks, rollouts, hidden storage and a knife block. Design Connection, Inc. Kansas City interior designer provided space planning, architectural drawings, barstools, tile, plumbing fixtures, countertops, cabinets and hardware, lighting, paint colors, coordination with the builder and project management to ensure that the high standards of Design Connection, Inc. were maintained.

A West Village Bachelor pad bedroom, featuring a hand-painted geometric design that highlights the pre-war features of the space, like the picture moldings. Additionally, because the client wanted both a work space and a place to put his TV (the pre-war wall could not hold a wall mounted tv!), we designed a custom desk/console piece out of reclaimed wood and metal hairpin legs that served both purposes, and fit the space perfectly. Photos by Matthew Williams

Example of a cottage entryway design in Burlington

A painting by American Fashion Designer, Christian Siriano, "Crazy Diva" highlights this shaker-style bar cart with a studded metal tray full of cordials, aperitifs, proper cocktail tools, and Hermès coaster. Photograph © Eric Roth Photography. A love of blues and greens and a desire to feel connected to family were the key elements requested to be reflected in this home. Project designed by Boston interior design studio Dane Austin Design. They serve Boston, Cambridge, Hingham, Cohasset, Newton, Weston, Lexington, Concord, Dover, Andover, Gloucester, as well as surrounding areas. For more about Dane Austin Design, click here: https://daneaustindesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://daneaustindesign.com/roseclair-residence

The narrow entry hall meant that organization and storage were key to keeping clutter from spreading into the other areas of the home. The hooks and catchalls make perfect checkpoints for when Ari leaves and comes home. Photo by Manuel Rodriguez

Houston Interior Designer Lisha Maxey took this Museum District condo from the dated, mirrored walls of the 1980s to Mid Century Modern with a gallery look featuring the client's art collection. "The place was covered with glued-down, floor-to-ceiling mirrors," says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Homescapes of Houston and principal at LGH Design Services in Houston. "When we took them off the walls, the walls came apart. We ended up taking them down to the studs." The makeover took six months to complete, primarily because of strict condo association rules that only gave the Houston interior designers very limited access to the elevator - through which all materials and team members had to go. "Monday through Friday, we could only be noisy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and if we had to do something extra loud, like sawing or drilling, we had to schedule it with the management and they had to communicate that to the condo owners. So it was just a lot of coordination. But a lot of Inner City Loopers live in these kinds of buildings, so we're used to handling that kind of thing." The client, a child psychiatrist in her 60s, recently moved to Houston from northeast Texas to be with friends. After being widowed three years ago, she decided it was time to let go of the traditionally styled estate that wasn't really her style anyway. An avid diver who has traveled around the world to pursue her passion, she has amassed a large collection of art from her travels. Downsizing to 1,600 feet and wanting to go more contemporary, she wanted the display - and the look - more streamlined. "She wanted clean lines and muted colors, with the main focus being her artwork," says Maxey. "So we made the space a palette for that." Enter the white, gallery-grade paint she chose for the walls: "It's halfway between satin and flat," explains Maxey. "It's not glossy and it's not chalky - just very smooth and clean." Adding to the gallery theme is the satin nickel track lighting with lamps aimed to highlight pieces of art. "This lighting has no wires," notes Maxey. "It's powered by a positive and negative conduit." The new flooring throughout is a blended-grey porcelain tile that looks like wood planks. "It's gorgeous, natural-looking and combines all the beauty of wood with the durability of tile," says Maxey. "We used it throughout the condo to unify the space." After Maxey started looking at the client's bright, vibrant, colorful artwork, she felt the palette couldn't stay as muted anymore. Hence the Mid Century Modern orange leather sofas from West Elm and bright green chairs from Joybird, plus the throw pillows in different textures, patterns and shades of gold, orange and green. The concave lines of the Danish-inspired chairs, she notes, help them look beautiful from all the way around - a key to designing spaces for loft living. "The table in the living room is very interesting," notes Maxey. "It was handmade for the client in 1974 and has a signature on it from the artist. She was adamant about including the piece, which has all these hand-painted black-and-white art tiles on the top. I took one look at it and said 'It's not really going to go.'" However, after cutting 6 inches off the bottom and making it look a little distressed, the table ended up being the perfect complement to the sofas. The dining room table - from Design Within Reach - is a solid piece of mahogany, the chair upholstery a mix of grey velvet and leather and the legs a shiny brass. "The side chairs are leather and the end ones are velvet," says Maxey. "It's a nice textural mix that lends depth and texture." The galley kitchen, meanwhile, has been lightened and brightened, with white quartz countertops and backsplashes mimicking the look of Carrara marble, stainless steel appliances and a velvet green bench seat for a punch of color. The cabinets are painted a cool grey color called "Silverplate." The two bathrooms have been updated with contemporary white vanities and vessel sinks and the master bath now features a walk-in shower tiled in Dolomite white marble (the floor is Bianco Carrara marble mosaic, done in a herringbone pattern. In the master bedroom, Homescapes of Houston knocked down a wall between two smaller closets with swing doors to make one large walk-in closet with pocket doors. The closet in the guest bedroom also came out 13 more inches. The client's artwork throughout personalizes the space and tells the story of a life. There's a huge bowl of shells from the client's diving adventures, framed art from her child psychiatry patients and a 16th century wood carving from a monastery that's been in her family forever. "Her collection is quite impressive," says Maxey. "There's even a framed piece of autographed songs written by John Lennon." (You can see this black-framed piece of art on the wall in the photo above of two green chairs). "We're extremely happy with how the project turned out, and so is the client," says Maxey. "No expense was spared for her. It was a labor of love and we were excited to do it."

Nautical style pendants over the engineered quartz island reflect the beach style wanted by the owners. Upholstered chairs welcome visitors to sit and enjoy the view. Lighted cabinets highlight collections of treasures.

The homeowner of this new build came to us for help with the design of their new home. They wanted a more contemporary look than what they're used to. The large island is a great gathering point with in the open concept of the dining/kitchen/living space. Using two different colors of quartz countertops added contrast that highlights the marble backsplash. The backsplash adds texture and richness to the space. Shaker style cabinets help modernize the space with the clean lines. Function was key to this kitchen working with utensil pullouts, spice racks, rollouts, hidden storage and a knife block. Design Connection, Inc. Kansas City interior designer provided space planning, architectural drawings, barstools, tile, plumbing fixtures, countertops, cabinets and hardware, lighting, paint colors, coordination with the builder and project management to ensure that the high standards of Design Connection, Inc. were maintained.

Siesta Key Low Country guest bathroom. Casings around the showers to help create a fully detailed space. This is a very well detailed custom home on a smaller scale, measuring only 3,000 sf under a/c. Every element of the home was designed by some of Sarasota's top architects, landscape architects and interior designers. One of the highlighted features are the true cypress timber beams that span the great room. These are not faux box beams but true timbers. Another awesome design feature is the outdoor living room boasting 20' pitched ceilings and a 37' tall chimney made of true boulders stacked over the course of 1 month.

Living Room in Montevista | Room Type: Full Home Renovation +Furnishings / Flip House – 3,169 Square Feet | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | Project Name: Montevista | Key Feature: A modern transformation of a flip home, highlighted by a newly designed statement fireplace wall and custom sliding doors and closet addition that created a functional fourth bedroom. Challenge: Supply delays due to COVID impacted material availability during the project. Solution: The team refreshed outdated finishes available and redesigned key architectural elements to create a clean, modern space that would appeal broadly to buyers and support a quick resale. Materials: Lighting: Circa, Safavieh. Wallpaper: Caroline Cecil, Thibaut. Tile: Bedrosians. Furniture: Dovetail, TOV, Four Hands. Rugs: Jaipur, CB2. Pillows: Surya, Jaipur. Budget: $150K-$300K | Timeline: 6 months-Completed October 2021.

Home Gym in Montevista | Room Type: Full Home Renovation +Furnishings / Flip House – 3,169 Square Feet | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | Project Name: Montevista | Key Feature: A modern transformation of a flip home, highlighted by a newly designed statement fireplace wall and custom sliding doors and closet addition that created a functional fourth bedroom. Challenge: Supply delays due to COVID impacted material availability during the project. Solution: The team refreshed outdated finishes available and redesigned key architectural elements to create a clean, modern space that would appeal broadly to buyers and support a quick resale. Materials: Lighting: Circa, Safavieh. Wallpaper: Caroline Cecil, Thibaut. Tile: Bedrosians. Furniture: Dovetail, TOV, Four Hands. Rugs: Jaipur, CB2. Pillows: Surya, Jaipur. Budget: $150K-$300K | Timeline: 6 months-Completed October 2021.

Bedroom in Montevista | Room Type: Full Home Renovation +Furnishings / Flip House – 3,169 Square Feet | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | Project Name: Montevista | Key Feature: A modern transformation of a flip home, highlighted by a newly designed statement fireplace wall and custom sliding doors and closet addition that created a functional fourth bedroom. Challenge: Supply delays due to COVID impacted material availability during the project. Solution: The team refreshed outdated finishes available and redesigned key architectural elements to create a clean, modern space that would appeal broadly to buyers and support a quick resale. Materials: Lighting: Circa, Safavieh. Wallpaper: Caroline Cecil, Thibaut. Tile: Bedrosians. Furniture: Dovetail, TOV, Four Hands. Rugs: Jaipur, CB2. Pillows: Surya, Jaipur. Budget: $150K-$300K | Timeline: 6 months-Completed October 2021.

Bedroom in Montevista | Room Type: Full Home Renovation +Furnishings / Flip House – 3,169 Square Feet | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | Project Name: Montevista | Key Feature: A modern transformation of a flip home, highlighted by a newly designed statement fireplace wall and custom sliding doors and closet addition that created a functional fourth bedroom. Challenge: Supply delays due to COVID impacted material availability during the project. Solution: The team refreshed outdated finishes available and redesigned key architectural elements to create a clean, modern space that would appeal broadly to buyers and support a quick resale. Materials: Lighting: Circa, Safavieh. Wallpaper: Caroline Cecil, Thibaut. Tile: Bedrosians. Furniture: Dovetail, TOV, Four Hands. Rugs: Jaipur, CB2. Pillows: Surya, Jaipur. Budget: $150K-$300K | Timeline: 6 months-Completed October 2021.

It is truly a joy to work with so many homeowners and see all their different visions come to life. This complete remodel was no exception. The original galley style kitchen had an undersized and rarely used breakfast nook under the corner window. We talked about it prior to the remodel and agreed this was space that could be far better used and accordingly removed it. We also removed the wall that separated the kitchen and dining room, which gave us many more options to work with. First, the owners wanted a largely contemporary feel to their new kitchen, hence the all new, custom built white cabinets we used extensively. To keep the feel a bit warmer, we used alder wood for the cabinets around the fridge and for all the highlights, including all the trim. With the nook removed, we relocated the sink to the corner to better enjoy the view and to make better use of the new space. We located the dishwasher to one side of the sink and the trash receptacle to the other side, making clean up a much more efficient process without so many steps being taken around the kitchen. Note how the custom granite counter is shaped to allow closer access to the sink and the shelf below the window. The original windows were also replaced with bigger openings to allow more light into the smaller space. There’s an entry door near one end of the kitchen. We added some apothecary drawers just under the upper cabinets to eliminate the “junk drawer” so many kitchens seem to end up with after a while. There’s a drawer here for each of the four occupants of the home for each to use as they desire, like car keys, coupons, notes, or anything else they may desire. This also allows each person to keep their drawer as clean or messy as they like without interfering with the other occupants. The spice cabinet was particularly fun to design for this space. The rack itself tucks neatly inside, then pulls out to spin a full 360 degrees, making superb use of the corner cabinet and providing easy access to all the spices. We have enough options for appliance garages that we prefer to call them condos. This particular example is one of our smaller units that neatly hides and protects all the assorted countertop appliances, while also keeping the counters tidy. With the opened wall to the dining room, we were able to add significantly more cabinet space. For the row of cabinets over the bar we added glass faces on both sides of the cabinets to allow more light to pass through (providing a much more open feeling), then also added lights inside the cabinets to help highlight family heirlooms. We finished it all off with a mosaic backsplash to add just a bit more character while adding to the contemporary feel of this magnificent new kitchen.

Bedroom in Montevista | Room Type: Full Home Renovation +Furnishings / Flip House – 3,169 Square Feet | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | Project Name: Montevista | Key Feature: A modern transformation of a flip home, highlighted by a newly designed statement fireplace wall and custom sliding doors and closet addition that created a functional fourth bedroom. Challenge: Supply delays due to COVID impacted material availability during the project. Solution: The team refreshed outdated finishes available and redesigned key architectural elements to create a clean, modern space that would appeal broadly to buyers and support a quick resale. Materials: Lighting: Circa, Safavieh. Wallpaper: Caroline Cecil, Thibaut. Tile: Bedrosians. Furniture: Dovetail, TOV, Four Hands. Rugs: Jaipur, CB2. Pillows: Surya, Jaipur. Budget: $150K-$300K | Timeline: 6 months-Completed October 2021.

Kitchen in Montevista | Room Type: Full Home Renovation +Furnishings / Flip House – 3,169 Square Feet | 4 Bed | 3 Bath | Project Name: Montevista | Key Feature: A modern transformation of a flip home, highlighted by a newly designed statement fireplace wall and custom sliding doors and closet addition that created a functional fourth bedroom. Challenge: Supply delays due to COVID impacted material availability during the project. Solution: The team refreshed outdated finishes available and redesigned key architectural elements to create a clean, modern space that would appeal broadly to buyers and support a quick resale. Materials: Lighting: Circa, Safavieh. Wallpaper: Caroline Cecil, Thibaut. Tile: Bedrosians. Furniture: Dovetail, TOV, Four Hands. Rugs: Jaipur, CB2. Pillows: Surya, Jaipur. Budget: $150K-$300K | Timeline: 6 months-Completed October 2021.