Tighter view of the ridge caps, valleys, and copper eyebrow dormer on this Western Red Cedar perfection shingle roof put on this expansive and intricate New Canaan, CT residence. This installation involved numerous dormers, valleys and protrusions, and over 8,000 square feet of copper chromated arsenate-treated cedar.

Planning a Modern Kitchen Remodel Every successful kitchen remodeling project begins with careful planning. Before construction starts, it is important to evaluate the existing layout, cabinet storage, lighting conditions, appliance placement, and how the kitchen connects to surrounding living spaces. For this project, the primary design goals included: Creating a brighter open concept kitchen Improving functionality and circulation Increasing pantry and cabinet storage Maximizing natural light with skylight integration Creating a clean and timeless design aesthetic The final layout centered around a large kitchen island that functions as both a workspace and gathering area. Open concept kitchens remain highly desirable because they improve communication between living areas while helping the home feel larger and more connected. Importance of Natural Light Natural lighting plays a major role in modern kitchen remodeling. In this renovation, the skylight significantly improved brightness throughout the space and helped create a softer, more inviting atmosphere during the day. Combined with recessed lighting and pendant fixtures above the island, the layered lighting design provides both functional task lighting and balanced ambient illumination. Construction and Material Selection Kitchen remodeling projects require coordination between multiple construction trades including demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, and finish carpentry. Bi-Color Kitchen Remodel Design One of the standout features of this project is the bi-color kitchen remodel design. The warm natural wood island creates contrast against the surrounding white cabinetry while maintaining a clean and balanced appearance. This approach helps: Add visual depth to the kitchen Create separation between functional zones Prevent the space from feeling overly monochromatic Introduce warmth into modern kitchen designs The oversized island also provides additional storage, countertop workspace, and seating opportunities for everyday use and entertaining. Countertops, Cabinetry, and Finishes The kitchen includes: Quartz countertops with waterfall-style edges Custom shaker-style cabinetry Stainless steel appliances Modern pendant lighting Wide plank engineered hardwood flooring Full-height backsplash surfaces The neutral color palette was selected to create a timeless appearance while allowing flexibility for future décor and furniture changes. Pantry Kitchen Renovation Storage planning is one of the most important aspects of kitchen remodeling. The pantry kitchen renovation focused on improving organization and accessibility while maximizing usable storage space. Modern pantry systems help homeowners: Reduce countertop clutter Improve kitchen organization Store small appliances more efficiently Increase long-term functionality Thoughtful storage design can significantly improve the daily usability of a kitchen without increasing square footage. Real Estate Value and Long-Term Benefits Kitchen remodeling remains one of the highest-value residential renovation projects in the Bay Area real estate market. A professionally designed open concept kitchen can improve buyer perception, increase property appeal, and modernize outdated layouts. Features such as large islands, skylights, pantry storage, and bi-color cabinetry continue to remain highly desirable among homeowners and future buyers alike. Common Kitchen Remodeling Mistakes Some common mistakes homeowners should avoid include: Insufficient lighting design Poor circulation planning Limited storage solutions Choosing low-durability materials Overcrowded layouts Inadequate electrical preparation Working with experienced remodeling professionals can help avoid costly design and construction issues later in the process. Common Questions How long does a kitchen remodel usually take? Most kitchen remodeling projects take approximately 6–12 weeks depending on the project scope, inspections, material lead times, and structural modifications. Do kitchen remodels require permits? Permits are often required when plumbing, electrical, structural, or layout changes are involved. Requirements vary depending on the city and scope of work. What is a bi-color kitchen remodel? A bi-color kitchen remodel uses two cabinet finishes or tones to create visual contrast and a more customized design appearance. Does an open concept kitchen increase home value? Open concept kitchens are highly desirable because they improve functionality, natural lighting, and overall flow throughout the home. Conclusion A well-planned kitchen remodeling project combines thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and durable materials to create a space that is both functional and visually appealing. Features such as skylight integration, open concept layouts, pantry kitchen renovations, and bi-color cabinetry continue to remain popular among Bay Area homeowners seeking timeless and practical kitchen designs. Careful planning, professional coordination, and attention to detail are essential for creating a kitchen that performs well aesthetically and functionally for many years. -------> If you’re planning a kitchen remodeling project, consulting with an experienced contractor can help simplify the design and construction process while avoiding costly mistakes. Book a consultation: calendly.com/lemonremodeling

Also known as Seabreeze, this award-winning custom home, in collaboration with Andrea Burrell Design, has been featured in the Spring 2020 edition of Boulevard Magazine. Our Genoa Bay Custom Home sits on a beautiful oceanfront lot in Maple Bay. The house is positioned high atop a steep slope and involved careful tree clearing and excavation. With three bedrooms and two full bathrooms and a powder room for a total of 2,278 square feet, this well-designed home offers plenty of space. Interior Design was completed by Andrea Burrell Design, and includes many unique features. The hidden pantry and fridge, ship-lap styling, hallway closet for the master bedroom, and reclaimed vanity are all very impressive. But what can’t be beat are the ocean views from the three-tiered deck. Photos By: Luc Cardinal

This Kirkland, WA deck resurfacing and repair project involved extensive structural upgrades and a complete transformation of the deck's appearance while preserving the existing framework where possible. The scope included removing an aging hot tub, demolishing an existing half wall, and replacing it with a modern aluminum cable railing system to improve views and safety. Areas of siding affected by the half wall were repaired and restored to create a clean, finished appearance. Due to moisture-related wear, 12 deck joists and their hangers were replaced as part of the structural rehabilitation. The deck, which features approximately 300 square feet of elevated surface reaching nearly 16 feet above grade, required careful material handling and installation due to steep terrain and limited side-yard access. The existing decking was replaced with premium TimberTech Terrain composite decking in Vintage Weathered Teak, creating a low-maintenance outdoor living space with the warmth and character of natural wood. New picture-framed borders and finishing details enhanced the overall appearance, while strategic fascia installation was completed on visible interior step-down areas. The result is a safer, stronger, and more visually appealing deck that maximizes the property's views while providing years of low-maintenance performance.

Also known as Seabreeze, this award-winning custom home, in collaboration with Andrea Burrell Design, has been featured in the Spring 2020 edition of Boulevard Magazine. Our Genoa Bay Custom Home sits on a beautiful oceanfront lot in Maple Bay. The house is positioned high atop a steep slope and involved careful tree clearing and excavation. With three bedrooms and two full bathrooms and a powder room for a total of 2,278 square feet, this well-designed home offers plenty of space. Interior Design was completed by Andrea Burrell Design, and includes many unique features. The hidden pantry and fridge, ship-lap styling, hallway closet for the master bedroom, and reclaimed vanity are all very impressive. But what can’t be beat are the ocean views from the three-tiered deck. Photos By: Luc Cardinal

The fact that this home is in a development called Providence now seems perfectly fitting. Chris, the owner, was merely considering the possibility of downsizing from a formal residence outside Atlanta when he happened on the small complex of luxury brownstones under construction in nearby Roswell. “I wandered into The Providence by chance and loved what I saw. The developer, his wife, and the agent were there and discussing how Cantoni was going to finish out one of the units, and so we all started talking,” Chris explains “They asked if I wanted to meet with the designer from Cantoni, and suggested I could customize the home as I saw fit, and that did it for me. I was sold.” Cantoni was originally approached by Mike and Joy Walsh, of Lehigh Homes, to create a contemporary model home to be featured on the Roswell Woman’s Club home tour. “Since Chris bought the brownstone right after we agreed to do the design work,” Lorna Hunter recalls, “we brought him in on the meetings with the architects to help finalize the layout.” From selecting tile and counter tops, to designing the kitchen and baths, to the furniture, art and even linens—Cantoni was involved with every phase of the project. “This home really represents the complete range of design and staging services we offer at Cantoni,” says Lorna. “Rooms were reconfigured to allow for changes Chris found appealing, and every tile and doorknob was thoughtfully chosen to complete the overall look.” Chris found an easy rapport with Lorna. “I have always been drawn to contemporary décor,” he explains, “ so Lorna and I hit it off immediately.” Among the custom design ideas the two conceived for the 2,600 sq. ft. 3/3 brownstone: creating a “wing wall” (open on both sides) to form a sitting area adjacent to the guest room downstairs, removing the elevator to enhance a sense of openness while leaving the 3-story shaft as a unique focal point, and choosing to expand the height of windows on the third level to maximize the flow of natural light. The Providence is ideally located near quaint shops, great restaurants, jogging trails and a scenic river—not to mention it’s just four miles from Chris’ office. The project represents the breadth and depth of Cantoni’s in-house creative resources, and proves again that GREAT DESIGN IS A WAY OF LIFE.

This is an extensive kitchen/dining remodel that involved the removal of a wall and moving a large support header to the attic. The customer wanted a custom oak desk that covering the entire wall of their home office to match the new kitchen cabinetry, large pantry, and hutch/china cabinet with glass doors. The kitchen includes pullouts for spices and trash, as well as a cookie-sheet cabinet above the double oven. The island has an under-counter space for a large microwave and a stainless steel and glass vent hood for the cooktop. The floors are tiled with a ceramic hard-wood styled tile that is very resilient to drops and spills. All our cabinetry is custom made with 100% true-wood (no MDF of particle board), full-extension heavy-duty pull-out tracks, and European hidden-hinges.

This project was the design and delivery of a flexible and fault-tolerant main equipment closet (MEC) housing an enterprise-class infrastructure that services a 20,000 square foot home, a vibrant business, and a world-class home theater. In Boca Theater and Automation’s experience, the three cornerstones of any successful project in South Florida involve clean power, proper management of heat, and ANSI/TIA certified copper and fiber terminations; enterprise-class systems add in redundancy where it matters. To achieve this level of performance, the MEC and all endpoints are powered by a RoseWater HUB20 system backed up by a large-scale generator. The MEC is cooled using a dedicated air conditioner with four backup 300CFM exhaust fans triggered by temperature sensors. Both systems send alerts monitoring key parameters such as heat, moisture, incoming power, battery health, and more. Every rack-mounted device can be individually rebooted using the custom-designed touch panel interface, or from sixty-four labeled buttons on the user side of the rack. BTA designed patch bays provide professional landing points for 11.7 miles of low voltage copper and fiber runs servicing the entire campus, and each termination was tested using a Fluke DSX8000 system following extended ANSI/TIA guidelines for 10GB permalink installations.

At this beautiful LEICHT Westchester project, The original design was traditional, with a layout involving many angled corners. The goal was to streamline the design and create a modern and more functional space. We accomplished this first by squaring off all corners, rotating the island and enlarging the main window to add more sunlight and visual balance. In the new design, there is ample pantry space, large pots/pans drawer storage and an appliance garage unit to hide away small items to keep the countertop clutter-free. An open display unit with built-in LED lighting allows the homeowner a place to showcase her beautiful artwork. Finishes- Bondi in Arctic (matt laminate), Topos in Textured Oak Marsh (wood veneer) Countertop- Quartz- Aurea in Divine, Granite- Black Absolute in a leathered finish.

At this beautiful LEICHT Westchester project, The original design was traditional, with a layout involving many angled corners. The goal was to streamline the design and create a modern and more functional space. We accomplished this first by squaring off all corners, rotating the island and enlarging the main window to add more sunlight and visual balance. In the new design, there is ample pantry space, large pots/pans drawer storage and an appliance garage unit to hide away small items to keep the countertop clutter-free. An open display unit with built-in LED lighting allows the homeowner a place to showcase her beautiful artwork. Finishes- Bondi in Arctic (matt laminate), Topos in Textured Oak Marsh (wood veneer) Countertop- Quartz- Aurea in Divine, Granite- Black Absolute in a leathered finish.

Entertaining friends and family doesn't work well when rooms are small and closed off. So when our clients decided to remodel, they knew they wanted to open up the space to accommodate large gatherings. Also important were ample storage and quality appliances that would hold up to the demands of cooking creative meals several nights a week. As is sometimes the case with remodeling, solving one problem can create another. Opening up the space involved removing a wall, which sacrificed critical square footage for cabinetry and appliances. We knew the wall needed to come down so we were challenged with making sure every available cabinet space in the kitchen was being utilized as thoughtfully and creatively as possible. A tall pantry was added next to the refrigerator to allow for storage of pots and pans, as well as food, while another pantry in the adjacent dining room housed all dishes and silverware. A small bar area was created in an unused section in the back of the home to store coffee and tea accessories and drinkware. Finally, a small island in the center of the kitchen offered the ideal location for the microwave and most-used pots and pans. With the expanded space, smart use of storage options and top-notch appliances, our clients are enjoying working in their new kitchen and have already hosted a ravioli-making class! Matt Villano Photography

The stars of this kitchen are the luxuriously modern black & white Kauri tile floors, solid white waterfall island, crisp white walls, and open space. The white stools with low backs pick up on the white of the island. The bar stools at the indoor-outdoor bar contrast against the white walls. The Wood pattern in the warm grey cabinets continues from top to bottom of the upper cabinets. The panel refrigerator is tucked in with the cabinetry at the side wall. This modern transformation from an outdated home in Rumson, NJ came about by the vision of jersey shore architect, Brendan McHugh, & the work of Lead Dog Construction. This involved an addition and major renovation of this waterfront home.

Also known as Seabreeze, this award-winning custom home, in collaboration with Andrea Burrell Design, has been featured in the Spring 2020 edition of Boulevard Magazine. Our Genoa Bay Custom Home sits on a beautiful oceanfront lot in Maple Bay. The house is positioned high atop a steep slope and involved careful tree clearing and excavation. With three bedrooms and two full bathrooms and a powder room for a total of 2,278 square feet, this well-designed home offers plenty of space. Interior Design was completed by Andrea Burrell Design, and includes many unique features. The hidden pantry and fridge, ship-lap styling, hallway closet for the master bedroom, and reclaimed vanity are all very impressive. But what can’t be beat are the ocean views from the three-tiered deck. Photos By: Luc Cardinal

Designed with Winslow Architects Inc., this gut renovation involved partial demolition of an existing structure and a full interior gut renovation plus a 750 square foot addition including new two-car garage, living spaces and bonus room.

Also known as Seabreeze, this award-winning custom home, in collaboration with Andrea Burrell Design, has been featured in the Spring 2020 edition of Boulevard Magazine. Our Genoa Bay Custom Home sits on a beautiful oceanfront lot in Maple Bay. The house is positioned high atop a steep slope and involved careful tree clearing and excavation. With three bedrooms and two full bathrooms and a powder room for a total of 2,278 square feet, this well-designed home offers plenty of space. Interior Design was completed by Andrea Burrell Design, and includes many unique features. The hidden pantry and fridge, ship-lap styling, hallway closet for the master bedroom, and reclaimed vanity are all very impressive. But what can’t be beat are the ocean views from the three-tiered deck. Photos By: Luc Cardinal

This project involved a full kitchen remodel where the square footage and the locations of previous windows, doors, and kitchen items were changed. The old kitchen and dining room finishes were completely removed and new windows, doors, flooring, custom cabinetry, countertops, paint, appliances, hood, lighting and plumbing fixtures were installed in the kitchen and dining room spaces.

ForeverLawn of Puget Sound has been involved in several projects with the city of Seattle as part of the Yesler renovation project. So when it came time to transform this hillside playground, the heads of the project turned to ForeverLawn® artificial grass. They were looking for a superior surfacing solution that would work with the elevation of the space and look great all year long. The angles and elevation of the playground made this installation a bit of a challenge, but our expert team was able to pull it off. Plus, the elevation gives park-goers a beautiful view of the city, and kids are loving the hills covered in artificial grass that they can roll and play on. Using a total of 10,000 square feet of Playground Grass™ Ultra, the team created a soccer field, hillside playground, and an additional landing area playground.

Also known as Seabreeze, this award-winning custom home, in collaboration with Andrea Burrell Design, has been featured in the Spring 2020 edition of Boulevard Magazine. Our Genoa Bay Custom Home sits on a beautiful oceanfront lot in Maple Bay. The house is positioned high atop a steep slope and involved careful tree clearing and excavation. With three bedrooms and two full bathrooms and a powder room for a total of 2,278 square feet, this well-designed home offers plenty of space. Interior Design was completed by Andrea Burrell Design, and includes many unique features. The hidden pantry and fridge, ship-lap styling, hallway closet for the master bedroom, and reclaimed vanity are all very impressive. But what can’t be beat are the ocean views from the three-tiered deck. Photos By: Luc Cardinal

This one bedroom apartment is located in a converted loft building in the Flatiron District of Manhattan overlooking Madison Square, the start of Madison Avenue and the Empire State Building. The project involved a gut renovation interior fit-out including the replacement of the windows. In order to maximize natural light and open up views from the apartment, the layout is divided into three "layers" from enclosed to semi-open to open. The bedroom is set back as far as possible within the central layer so that the living room can occupy the entire width of the window wall. The bedroom was designed to be a flexible space that can be completely open to the living room and kitchen during the day, creating one large space, but enclosed at night. This is achieved with sliding and folding glass doors on two sides of the bedroom that can be partially or completely opened as required. The open plan kitchen is focused on a long island that acts as a food preparation area, workspace and can be extended to create a dining table projecting into the living room. The bathroom acts as a counterpoint to the light, open plan design of the rest of the apartment, with a sense of luxury provided by the finishes, the generous shower and bath and three separate lighting systems that can be used together or individually to define the mood of the space. The materials throughout the apartment are a simple palette of glass, metal, stone and wood. www.archphoto.com