A new Informal Dining Area that is an addition off a renovated Kitchen in an 1897 Colonial Revival House, showing the skylight/roof monitor above the dining table

Avid cooks and entertainers purchased this 1925 Tudor home that had only been partially renovated in the 80's. Cooking is a very important part of this hobby chef's life and so we really had to make the best use of space and storage in this kitchen. Modernizing while achieving maximum functionality, and opening up to the family room were all on the "must" list, and a custom banquette and large island helps for parties and large entertaining gatherings. Cabinets are from Cabico, their Elmwood series in both white paint, and walnut in a natural stained finish. Stainless steel counters wrap the perimeter, while Caesarstone quartz is used on the island. The seated part of the island is walnut to match the cabinetry. The backsplash is a mosaic from Marble Systems. The shelving unit on the wall is custom built to utilize the small wall space and get additional open storage for everyday items. A 3 foot Galley sink is the main focus of the island, and acts as a workhorse prep and cooking space. This is aired with a faucet from Waterstone, with a matching at the prep sink on the exterior wall and a potfiller over the Dacor Range. Built-in Subzero Refrigerator and Freezer columns provide plenty of fresh food storage options. In the prep area along the exterior wall, a built in ice maker, microwave drawer, warming drawer, and additional/secondary dishwasher drawer helps the second cook during larger party prep.

Inspiration for a mid-sized eclectic l-shaped slate floor open concept kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and marble countertops

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Working with this Glen Ellyn client was so much fun the first time around, we were thrilled when they called to say they were considering moving across town and might need some help with a bit of design work at the new house. The kitchen in the new house had been recently renovated, but it was not exactly what they wanted. What started out as a few tweaks led to a pretty big overhaul of the kitchen, mudroom and laundry room. Luckily, we were able to use re-purpose the old kitchen cabinetry and custom island in the remodeling of the new laundry room — win-win! As parents of two young girls, it was important for the homeowners to have a spot to store equipment, coats and all the “behind the scenes” necessities away from the main part of the house which is a large open floor plan. The existing basement mudroom and laundry room had great bones and both rooms were very large. To make the space more livable and comfortable, we laid slate tile on the floor and added a built-in desk area, coat/boot area and some additional tall storage. We also reworked the staircase, added a new stair runner, gave a facelift to the walk-in closet at the foot of the stairs, and built a coat closet. The end result is a multi-functional, large comfortable room to come home to! Just beyond the mudroom is the new laundry room where we re-used the cabinets and island from the original kitchen. The new laundry room also features a small powder room that used to be just a toilet in the middle of the room. You can see the island from the old kitchen that has been repurposed for a laundry folding table. The other countertops are maple butcherblock, and the gold accents from the other rooms are carried through into this room. We were also excited to unearth an existing window and bring some light into the room. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Informal dining area with architectural wall molding and custom drapes.
Dining room - transitional light wood floor and beige floor dining room idea with gray walls and no fireplace

The main level at this modern farmhouse has a great room and den bookended by stone fireplaces. The kitchen is at the center of the main living spaces where we designed multiple islands for smart base cabinet storage which still allows visual connection from the kitchen to all spaces. The open living spaces serve the owner’s desire to create a comfortable environment for entertaining during large family gatherings. There are plenty of spaces where everyone can spread out whether it be eating or cooking, watching TV or just chatting by the fireplace. The main living spaces also act as a privacy buffer between the master suite and a guest suite. Photography by Todd Crawford.

Hillside Garden Designed by Kim Rooney Landscape architect, located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle Washington. This photo was taken by Eva Blanchard Photography.

Transitional home design photo in Houston

This three-story vacation home for a family of ski enthusiasts features 5 bedrooms and a six-bed bunk room, 5 1/2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, great room, 2 wet bars, great room, exercise room, basement game room, office, mud room, ski work room, decks, stone patio with sunken hot tub, garage, and elevator. The home sits into an extremely steep, half-acre lot that shares a property line with a ski resort and allows for ski-in, ski-out access to the mountain’s 61 trails. This unique location and challenging terrain informed the home’s siting, footprint, program, design, interior design, finishes, and custom made furniture. Credit: Samyn-D'Elia Architects

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Furnishings & Photo Styling | Detail Design + Build, Builder | Charlie & Co. Design, Architect | Corey Gaffer, Photography | Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Informal Foyer
Example of a mid-sized transitional multicolored floor, slate floor and wood wall entry hall design in Grand Rapids with white walls and a medium wood front door

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | AMEK Custom Builders, Builder | Troy Thies, Photography Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. 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

Beach style black floor sunroom photo in Boston with a standard ceiling

This majestic hallway reflects how beautifully WoodHaven building materials compliment a high-end full log home. Our knotty pine paneling, doors and trim -- even the staircase, with its cedar railing -- are perfect accents in a chinked full log home.

Kitchen/dining room combo - mid-sized contemporary dark wood floor and gray floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in New York with gray walls and no fireplace

Interior design by Mitchell Channon Design, Window treatments measured, executed, and installed by Dezign Sewing Inc.
Large elegant formal and open concept dark wood floor living room photo in Chicago with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Small beach style dark wood floor, brown floor and shiplap ceiling kitchen/dining room combo photo in Grand Rapids with no fireplace and beige walls

Melissa Clark Photography
Photo of a huge coastal full sun courtyard brick formal garden in DC Metro for summer.