Christine Michelle Photography
Beach style home design photo in Miami

Patio - mid-sized mid-century modern backyard concrete paver and rectangular natural patio idea in San Francisco

Nestled on 8 scenic acres in Powhatan, this newly completed 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home beautifully blends modern design with rustic charm. The project, which began in June and has just reached completion, was crafted to embrace its natural surroundings, featuring birch trees, a peaceful creek, and even visits from eagles. This spacious home boasts a vaulted cathedral ceiling that enhances the open, airy feel and fills the interiors with natural light. Clean, modern finishes create a timeless aesthetic, while rustic touches—like the full wrap-around porch and stone on the fireplace surround—add warmth and character. A hidden pantry adds a touch of functionality and surprise to the design. Designed with both elegance and livability in mind, this home perfectly complements its tranquil setting.

Photography by Susan Gilmore Interior Design by Tom Rauscher & Associates
Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped dark wood floor seated home bar design in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, glass countertops and multicolored backsplash

Kitchen - kitchen idea in Louisville

This lovely family room space needed a fresh take. The bones were good, but the decor was dark and heavy (see the 'before' images). The furniture did not offer the homeowners the function they required or the atmosphere they desired in which to entertain. Check out how simply updating the decor provided them with a whole new outlook.

Garage - traditional garage idea in San Diego

This lovely family room space needed a fresh take. The bones were good, but the decor was dark and heavy (see the 'before' images). The furniture did not offer the homeowners the function they required or the atmosphere they desired in which to entertain. Check out how simply updating the decor provided them with a whole new outlook.

Example of a classic exterior home design in San Diego

When this suburban family decided to renovate their kitchen, they knew that they wanted a little more space. Advance Design worked together with the homeowner to design a kitchen that would work for a large family who loved to gather regularly and always ended up in the kitchen! So the project began with extending out an exterior wall to accommodate a larger island and more moving-around space between the island and the perimeter cabinetry. Style was important to the cook, who began collecting accessories and photos of the look she loved for months prior to the project design. She was drawn to the brightness of whites and grays, and the design accentuated this color palette brilliantly with the incorporation of a warm shade of brown woods that originated from a dining room table that was a family favorite. Classic gray and white cabinetry from Dura Supreme hits the mark creating a perfect balance between bright and subdued. Hints of gray appear in the bead board detail peeking just behind glass doors, and in the application of the handsome floating wood shelves between cabinets. White subway tile is made extra interesting with the application of dark gray grout lines causing it to be a subtle but noticeable detail worthy of attention. Suede quartz Silestone graces the countertops with a soft matte hint of color that contrasts nicely with the presence of white painted cabinetry finished smartly with the brightness of a milky white farm sink. Old melds nicely with new, as antique bronze accents are sprinkled throughout hardware and fixtures, and work together unassumingly with the sleekness of stainless steel appliances. The grace and timelessness of this sparkling new kitchen maintains the charm and character of a space that has seen generations past. And now this family will enjoy this new space for many more generations to come in the future with the help of the team at Advance Design Studio. Dura Supreme Cabinetry Photographer: Joe Nowak

Elegant entryway photo in Louisville

Pool - traditional custom-shaped pool idea in New York

Farmhouse Exterior with stained shutters, front porch with blue bead board ceiling Shar Sitter

Custom lighting over the kitchen island marries the sloped ceiling with the fine lines of the rest of the kitchen.
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in New York with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island, white backsplash, a farmhouse sink, solid surface countertops and white countertops

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2016 Houzz
Bedroom - bedroom idea in San Francisco

Christine Michelle Photography
Example of a beach style home design design in Miami