Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Collaborations with builders on new construction is a favorite part of my job. I love seeing a house go up from the blueprints to the end of the build. It is always a journey filled with a thousand decisions, some creative on-the-spot thinking and yes, usually a few stressful moments. This Naperville project was a collaboration with a local builder and architect. The Kitchen Studio collaborated by completing the cabinetry design and final layout for the entire home. The kitchen is spacious and opens into the neighboring family room. A 48” Thermador range is centered between two windows, and the sink has a view through a window into the mudroom which is a unique feature. A large island with seating and waterfall countertops creates a beautiful focal point for the room. A bank of refrigeration, including a full-size wine refrigerator completes the picture. The area between the kitchen and dining room houses a second sink and a large walk in pantry. The kitchen features many unique storage elements important to the new homeowners including in-drawer charging stations, a cutlery divider, knife block, microwave drawer, pull out trash, multiple appliance garages, spice pull outs and tray dividers. There’s not much you can’t store in this room! Cabinetry is white shaker inset styling with a gray stain on the island. The back of the island features lap style siding that coordinates with the fireplace in the neighboring family room. Mid-century inspired lighting gives the room a modern vibe. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKBD Builder: Hampton Homes Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

We completed this stunning basement renovation, featuring a bar and a walk-in wine cellar. The bar is the centerpiece of the basement, with a beautiful countertop and custom-built cabinetry. With its moody and dramatic ambiance, this location proves to be an ideal spot for socializing.

After purchasing this home my clients wanted to update the house to their lifestyle and taste. We remodeled the home to enhance the master suite, all bathrooms, paint, lighting, and furniture. Photography: Michael Wiltbank

Instead of purchasing a second home, the homeowners decided to create a vacation destination right in their own yard. When the project was finished, the family had a whole new world just outside their door. Three sitting areas, dining spaces, and lounging areas under the decks. An outdoor kitchen, hot tub, and fountain. There is no reason for this family to travel to relax and get away from it all. The outdoor “rooms” were created to provide intimate retreats for each of the family members, at every stage of their lives. The outdoor kitchen was designed for entertaining, as was the hot tub. The cozy sitting areas provide ideal spots for reading a book, or sharing a glass of wine. The fountain’s stuccoed brick veneer is graced with handmade brass flutes that fill the garden with the soothing sounds of water. No travel required.

After years of spending the summers on the lake in Minnesota lake country, the owners found an ideal location to build their "up north" cabin. With the mix of wood tones and the pop of blue on the exterior, the cabin feels tied directly back into the landscape of trees and water. The covered, wrap around porch with expansive views of the lake is hard to beat. The interior mix of rustic and more refined finishes give the home a warm, comforting feel. Sylvan lake house is the perfect spot to make more family memories.

This stunning custom home seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living, creating an expansive, open-concept space perfect for entertaining and relaxation. The retractable glass wall invites the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape inside, while the warm wood tones and clean lines add a touch of modern elegance. The spacious kitchen, equipped with high-end appliances and a large island, flows effortlessly into the dining and living areas, making it ideal for hosting gatherings. Outside, the covered patio provides a cozy spot for alfresco dining, allowing you to enjoy the serene views and fresh air in style. ? Pin for inspiration if you're dreaming of a home that effortlessly connects with nature while offering all the comforts of contemporary living! ✨ #CustomHome #ModernLiving #IndoorOutdoorLiving #HomeDesign #DreamHome #OpenConcept

Even when there is a steep grade, the addition (or rearrangement of) boulders, rocks and plantings can transform a problem area into a real advantage. In the first photo, in order to add a pool, a retaining wall of support was needed to hold back the grade. Instead of an unattractive wooden one, Deck and Patio suggested the addition of boulders etc. as the ideal spot for several waterfalls and a water slide nestled into the slope . This turned the area into a natural vista that enhances, instead of takes away, from the family’s enjoyment of their yard. www.deckandpatio.com

With its versatile layout and thoughtful features, this outdoor patio provides the ideal setting for entertaining, dining, and unwinding in style. First, there's a grilling area equipped with a built-in grill. The addition of folding windows allows for a convenient passthrough, making it easy to serve food and drinks to your guests. Next, you'll find a spacious dining area with folding doors that seamlessly connect to the inside space, creating a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor living. It's the perfect spot to gather for meals and create lasting memories. Lastly, there's a cozy seating hangout area complete with an outdoor fireplace. This inviting space offers a warm and relaxing atmosphere for lounging, conversing, and enjoying the great outdoors.

An intimate park-like setting with low-maintenance materials replaced an aging wooden rooftop deck at this Bucktown home. Three distinct spaces create a full outdoor experience, starting with a landscaped dining area surrounded by large trees and greenery. The illusion is that of a secret garden rather than an urban rooftop deck. A sprawling green area is the perfect spot to soak in the summer sun or play an outdoor game. In the front is the main entertainment area, fully outfitted with a louvered roof, fire table, and built-in seating. The space maintains the atmosphere of a garden with shrubbery and flowers. It’s the ideal place to host friends and family with a custom kitchen that is complete with a Big Green Egg and an outdoor television.

Mid-sized trendy backyard brick patio photo in Charlotte with a fire pit and a pergola

The Hidden Gem is a lake house nestled on a private lake in NJ. This house was taken down to the studs and rebuilt. The renovated kitchen is perfect for cooking and gathering. The nook holds a table with seating for 4 and is the perfect place for pancakes or afternoon tea. The dining room has a wet with an Art TV in the center so no one will miss the game while eating Thanksgiving dinner. The living room is a great spot to unwind at the end of the day. A gas fireplace with a reclaimed wood, live edge mantel is the focal point. The bonus room over the garage is ideal for teenagers to gather and play video games or watch movies. This house is light and airy and the summer sun floods in through all the windows. It's also cozy for brisk autumn nights and cooler spring days.

Chester County Kitchen and Bath loved remodeling the Hall and Master Bath at this lovely Chadds Ford home. Clean and Cool Hall Bath The hall bath vanity cabinetry is Echelon Brand in the Addison door style in maple wood with Mocha finish. The hall bath countertop is a beautiful piece of Fantasy Brown Granite with undermount porcelain bowls. The shower was tiled in a clean grey subway tile with glass mosaic stripe and finished with a simple Dreamline Duet shower door. Bright and Warm Master Bath This Master bath and walk-in closet were redesigned to provide a larger closet and create a larger and brighter shower. The vanities are Fieldstone Cabinetry in the Griffith door style in cherry wood with Toffee finish; topped with sandy swirls of Astoria Granite. The large neo-angle shower with glass surround is tiled beautifully. The half walls of the shower provide an ideal spot for the towel bars on the outside and a great spot to conceal the shampoos and soaps on the inside with double built in niches. The stone and glass mosaic used as a waterfall behind the fixtures and as an accent outside the shower at the top of the half walls really bring this custom shower to life.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Instead of purchasing a second home, the homeowners decided to create a vacation destination right in their own yard. When the project was finished, the family had a whole new world just outside their door. Three sitting areas, dining spaces, and lounging areas under the decks. An outdoor kitchen, hot tub, and fountain. There is no reason for this family to travel to relax and get away from it all. The outdoor “rooms” were created to provide intimate retreats for each of the family members, at every stage of their lives. The outdoor kitchen was designed for entertaining, as was the hot tub. The cozy sitting areas provide ideal spots for reading a book, or sharing a glass of wine. The fountain’s stuccoed brick veneer is graced with handmade brass flutes that fill the garden with the soothing sounds of water. No travel required.

This inviting living room features a dark modern aqua blue sofa positioned in front of a glass wall, allowing an abundance of natural light to fill the space. The sofa is elegantly accented with two soft mauve pillows and a striking black and cream geometric pillow, adding layers of color and texture. The natural light enhances the soothing hues of the sofa, creating a bright and airy atmosphere. This serene setting offers a perfect blend of comfort and style, making it an ideal spot for relaxation and unwinding.

The Hidden Gem is a lake house nestled on a private lake in NJ. This house was taken down to the studs and rebuilt. The renovated kitchen is perfect for cooking and gathering. The nook holds a table with seating for 4 and is the perfect place for pancakes or afternoon tea. The dining room has a wet with an Art TV in the center so no one will miss the game while eating Thanksgiving dinner. The living room is a great spot to unwind at the end of the day. A gas fireplace with a reclaimed wood, live edge mantel is the focal point. The bonus room over the garage is ideal for teenagers to gather and play video games or watch movies. This house is light and airy and the summer sun floods in through all the windows. It's also cozy for brisk autumn nights and cooler spring days.

This stunning custom home seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living, creating an expansive, open-concept space perfect for entertaining and relaxation. The retractable glass wall invites the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape inside, while the warm wood tones and clean lines add a touch of modern elegance. The spacious kitchen, equipped with high-end appliances and a large island, flows effortlessly into the dining and living areas, making it ideal for hosting gatherings. Outside, the covered patio provides a cozy spot for alfresco dining, allowing you to enjoy the serene views and fresh air in style. ? Pin for inspiration if you're dreaming of a home that effortlessly connects with nature while offering all the comforts of contemporary living! ✨ #CustomHome #ModernLiving #IndoorOutdoorLiving #HomeDesign #DreamHome #OpenConcept

Example of a minimalist kitchen design in Minneapolis

Designed as a tranquil retreat, this home offers the perfect blend of comfort, privacy, and natural beauty. The unique layout places the kitchen, living area, and master suite on the upper floor, creating a serene, elevated space that maximizes both views and relaxation. Below, two additional bedrooms, each with its own full bath, ensure a restful and peaceful stay. A striking tall stone fireplace adds a touch of warmth to the interior, making it the perfect spot for quiet, cozy moments. Step outside to experience the home’s stunning outdoor spaces: a large, double-decker deck that enhances your connection to nature. The first-floor deck features a relaxing hot tub, ideal for unwinding while enjoying the surrounding views. The second-floor deck offers a similarly expansive space for soaking in the sights and sounds of the wilderness.