Example of a farmhouse u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design with raised-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, wood countertops, metallic backsplash, mirror backsplash, stainless steel appliances and brown countertops

Neutral tones, rich textures, and great art give this living room it's inviting feel. Knoll sofa and chrome chairs. Fireplace is open to both living and dining spaces. Antique coffee table mixes it up. Photos: Emily Redfield

Lee Grider Photography
Inspiration for a rustic medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Atlanta with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

Inspiration for a contemporary brown two-story wood house exterior remodel in Sacramento with a shed roof

This 1920s colonial had “great bones” but the small, dark galley kitchen needed an overhaul. Studio Dearborn designed a fresh, inviting space with white and navy inset cabinetry crafted from solid maple. The navy blue island, albeit small, packs a ton of storage. The island is color matched to Benjamin Moore Hale Navy. White cabinetry in Benjamin Moore’s White Opulence, with white cararra marble countertops and white thassos mosaic backsplash keep the kitchen feeling light and airy. A banquette provides cozy family seating near the bar. Photography by Tim Lenz. Architect, Greg Lewis.

Kitchen of newly constructed Post & Beam home with craftsman style. Stansbury Photography
Large arts and crafts l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, white backsplash and ceramic backsplash

custom furniture, custom sectional, leather sectional, ottoman, custom finishes, table lamp, furniture, lighting, decor, window treatments, custom window treatments, stripes, drapes

Living room - contemporary open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room idea in Seattle with a ribbon fireplace, a stacked stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Mid-sized elegant galley dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Houston with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble countertops, multicolored backsplash, cement tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Living room - mid-century modern open concept light wood floor living room idea in Los Angeles with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

Sara Essex Bradley
Bedroom - eclectic bedroom idea in New Orleans

This client came to us looking for a space that would allow their children a place to hang out while still feeling at home. The versatility of finished concrete flooring works well to adapt to a variety of home styles, and works seamlessly with this Craftsman-style home. We worked with the client to decide that a darker reactive stain would really make the space feel warm, inviting, and comfortable. The look and feel of the floor with this stain selection would be similar to the pictures they provided of the look they were targeting when we started the selection process. The clients really embraced the existing cracks in the concrete, and thought they exhibited the character of the house – and we agree. When our team works on residential projects, it is imperative that we keep everything as clean and mess-free as possible for the client. For this reason, our first step was to apply RAM Board throughout the house where our equipment would be traveling. Tape and 24″ plastic were also applied to the walls of the basement to protect them. The original floor was rather new concrete with some cracks. Our team started by filling the cracks with a patching product. The grinding process then began, concrete reactive stain was applied in the color Wenge Wood, and then the floor was sealed with our two step concrete densification and stain-guard process. The 5 step polishing process was finished by bringing the floor to a 800-grit level. We were excited to see how the space came together after the rest of construction, which was overseen by the contractor Arbor Homes, was complete. View the gallery below to take a look!

custom furniture, custom sectional, leather sectional, ottoman, custom finishes, table lamp, furniture, lighting, decor, window treatments, custom window treatments, stripes, drapes, artwork

Jessica Klewicki Glynn
Bedroom - traditional master bedroom idea in Miami

Bob Skinner
Inspiration for a large timeless backyard deck remodel in New York

Kimberly Gavin Photography
Example of a small mountain style medium tone wood floor seated home bar design in Denver with open cabinets and dark wood cabinets

Photo of a mid-sized transitional full sun front yard concrete paver garden path in Toronto.