This home was constructed as a summer cottage in 1900. Sitting high above the Maumee River on a 2.25 acre site with formal and functional gardens, every room was designed to take full advantage of the site. The 1,500 square feet of additional living space was designed in the same shingle style architecture to blend with the original cottage. The newly designed spaces include: gourmet kitchen, open family room, dining area, butler's pantry and laundry, stair tower, yoga studio, home elevator, and a two car garage. This 100+ year old home has all the functionality of the 21st century while being true to its historic start. Photography credits: Rod Foster, Michael Duket

Craftsman style kitchen with painted shaker cabinets, subway tile, marble counter tops, farmhouse sink and hard wood floors.
Example of a mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen design in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

This elegant kitchen masterfully blends classic design with modern functionality. Featuring rich, dark wood cabinetry and chic patterned wallpaper, the space is accented by a striking arched window that floods the room with natural light. The central island, topped with pristine white countertops, serves as a stylish yet practical focal point. Modern appliances and designer fixtures, including a unique golden lighting piece, ensure this kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful, perfect for both cooking and entertaining.

Our goal for this project was to seamlessly integrate the interior with the historic exterior and iconic nature of this Chicago high-rise while making it functional, contemporary, and beautiful. Natural materials in transitional detailing make the space feel warm and fresh while lending a connection to some of the historically preserved spaces lovingly restored. Steven Hall

A modern inspired, contemporary town house in Philadelphia's most historic neighborhood. This custom built luxurious home provides state of the art urban living on six levels with all the conveniences of suburban homes. Vertical staking allows for each floor to have its own function, feel, style and purpose, yet they all blend to create a rarely seen home. A six-level elevator makes movement easy throughout. With over 5,000 square feet of usable indoor space and over 1,200 square feet of usable exterior space, this is urban living at its best. Breathtaking 360 degree views from the roof deck with outdoor kitchen and plunge pool makes this home a 365 day a year oasis in the city. Photography by Jay Greene.

A young couple with three small children purchased this full floor loft in Tribeca in need of a gut renovation. The existing apartment was plagued with awkward spaces, limited natural light and an outdated décor. It was also lacking the required third child’s bedroom desperately needed for their newly expanded family. StudioLAB aimed for a fluid open-plan layout in the larger public spaces while creating smaller, tighter quarters in the rear private spaces to satisfy the family’s programmatic wishes. 3 small children’s bedrooms were carved out of the rear lower level connected by a communal playroom and a shared kid’s bathroom. Upstairs, the master bedroom and master bathroom float above the kid’s rooms on a mezzanine accessed by a newly built staircase. Ample new storage was built underneath the staircase as an extension of the open kitchen and dining areas. A custom pull out drawer containing the food and water bowls was installed for the family’s two dogs to be hidden away out of site when not in use. All wall surfaces, existing and new, were limited to a bright but warm white finish to create a seamless integration in the ceiling and wall structures allowing the spatial progression of the space and sculptural quality of the midcentury modern furniture pieces and colorful original artwork, painted by the wife’s brother, to enhance the space. The existing tin ceiling was left in the living room to maximize ceiling heights and remain a reminder of the historical details of the original construction. A new central AC system was added with an exposed cylindrical duct running along the long living room wall. A small office nook was built next to the elevator tucked away to be out of site.

Kerri Fukui
Family room library - small scandinavian light wood floor and beige floor family room library idea in Salt Lake City with a standard ceiling, white walls, no fireplace and no tv

With stunning views of the Annisquam River, this beautiful first period home was constructed in 1690 for Nathanial Harraden, sailing master of the USS Constitution. It is believed to be the oldest remaining house in this neighborhood of Gloucester. Our extensive historic restoration preserved the integrity and historic details of the original structure, which had been altered significantly over time. Deteriorated structural elements were repaired or rebuilt, and historic elements including beams were revealed. A bright new kitchen and bathrooms provide a functional layout suited for modern living, and use authentic natural materials that will patina and weather in harmony with the rest of the home. The new island counter was hewn from a large decaying tree on the site, and hand-painted marble tiles adorn the backsplash. New cabinetry was hand-crafted using methods authentic to the time. We preserved the kitchen’s existing brick floor, which originally provided a durable surface for milking animals inside during cold winter months. Using authentic materials and craftsmanship of the era, this special house celebrates its historic character and embraces modern updates that will welcome home generations to come.

Worked with Lloyd Architecture on a complete, historic renovation that included remodel of kitchen, living areas, main suite, office, and bathrooms. Sought to modernize the home while maintaining the historic charm and architectural elements.

Bruce Damonte
Tuscan dark wood floor hallway photo in San Francisco

Using retractable solar shades provided necessary coverage without blocking the natural light. The elevated space gave a tree house effect. Adding another functional space to this historic property. Photo Credit : John Ellis

Example of a transitional master medium tone wood floor and blue floor bedroom design in Boston with green walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Transitional subway tile claw-foot bathtub photo in Minneapolis

Dino Tonn
Elegant game room photo in Phoenix with beige walls

Robert Benson Photography
Living room - mid-sized victorian formal and open concept brown floor living room idea in Bridgeport with red walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

This was a dream project! The clients purchased this 1880s home and wanted to renovate it for their family to live in. It was a true labor of love, and their commitment to getting the details right was admirable. We rehabilitated doors and windows and flooring wherever we could, we milled trim work to match existing and carved our own door rosettes to ensure the historic details were beautifully carried through. Every finish was made with consideration of wanting a home that would feel historic with integrity, yet would also function for the family and extend into the future as long possible. We were not interested in what is popular or trendy but rather wanted to honor what was right for the home.

This Historic Adobe Home had a small kitchen. Removing some walls and relocating the refrigerator allowed for a new Pantry, an Appliance Garage and improved overall lay-out. New flooring throughout, added lighting and traditional style appliances makes this Historic home modern and functional. Even Gracie likes it!

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   The homeowners came to us looking to update the kitchen in their historic 1897 home. The home had gone through an extensive renovation several years earlier that added a master bedroom suite and updates to the front façade. The kitchen however was not part of that update and a prior 1990’s update had left much to be desired. The client is an avid cook, and it was just not very functional for the family. The original kitchen was very choppy and included a large eat in area that took up more than its fair share of the space. On the wish list was a place where the family could comfortably congregate, that was easy and to cook in, that feels lived in and in check with the rest of the home’s décor. They also wanted a space that was not cluttered and dark – a happy, light and airy room. A small powder room off the space also needed some attention so we set out to include that in the remodel as well. See that arch in the neighboring dining room? The homeowner really wanted to make the opening to the dining room an arch to match, so we incorporated that into the design. Another unfortunate eyesore was the state of the ceiling and soffits. Turns out it was just a series of shortcuts from the prior renovation, and we were surprised and delighted that we were easily able to flatten out almost the entire ceiling with a couple of little reworks. Other changes we made were to add new windows that were appropriate to the new design, which included moving the sink window over slightly to give the work zone more breathing room. We also adjusted the height of the windows in what was previously the eat-in area that were too low for a countertop to work. We tried to keep an old island in the plan since it was a well-loved vintage find, but the tradeoff for the function of the new island was not worth it in the end. We hope the old found a new home, perhaps as a potting table. 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

Full-scale interior design, architectural consultation, kitchen design, bath design, furnishings selection and project management for a historic townhouse located in the historical Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Project featured in Architectural Digest (AD). Read the full article here: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/historic-brooklyn-townhouse-where-subtlety-is-everything Photo by: Tria Giovan