Home theater - modern carpeted home theater idea in DC Metro with a projector screen

A common complaint from by clients is that their old kitchens are too isolated, so you end up with a lonely cook, or too many people in the kitchen visiting when the cooking needs to be done. The solution is simple—knock out some wall and create a living space which is integrated with the adjacent rooms, making the kitchen the center—or “heart”—of the home. This is the finished kitchen, open to the living room, with the renovated fireplace. Photo by Mike Medford.

This project for a builder husband and interior-designer wife involved adding onto and restoring the luster of a c. 1883 Carpenter Gothic cottage in Barrington that they had occupied for years while raising their two sons. They were ready to ditch their small tacked-on kitchen that was mostly isolated from the rest of the house, views/daylight, as well as the yard, and replace it with something more generous, brighter, and more open that would improve flow inside and out. They were also eager for a better mudroom, new first-floor 3/4 bath, new basement stair, and a new second-floor master suite above. The design challenge was to conceive of an addition and renovations that would be in balanced conversation with the original house without dwarfing or competing with it. The new cross-gable addition echoes the original house form, at a somewhat smaller scale and with a simplified more contemporary exterior treatment that is sympathetic to the old house but clearly differentiated from it. Renovations included the removal of replacement vinyl windows by others and the installation of new Pella black clad windows in the original house, a new dormer in one of the son’s bedrooms, and in the addition. At the first-floor interior intersection between the existing house and the addition, two new large openings enhance flow and access to daylight/view and are outfitted with pairs of salvaged oversized clear-finished wooden barn-slider doors that lend character and visual warmth. A new exterior deck off the kitchen addition leads to a new enlarged backyard patio that is also accessible from the new full basement directly below the addition. (Interior fit-out and interior finishes/fixtures by the Owners)

Northwest view: The remodeled home fits well in the existing neighborhood. The north facing entry is isolated from the exterior with an exterior and interior glazed vestibule. The simple rectangular floor plan is built to Passive House standards while the garage is built to typical code quality construction. Upper level windows bring light and views into laundry and bathrooms.

Maura McConnell Photography
Inspiration for a cottage kitchen remodel in Philadelphia

So often our task as residential architects is not to create something out of nothing. Instead, it is to help evolve, or bring forward something that is already there; to see with new eyes the best of what exists and to clarify and expand it, so that the house supports and celebrates how the client lives, and hopes to live, in the home. So was the case with our House of Blues. The house was already wonderful. There was plenty of space, good views, a functioning floor plan, and the home was in overall good condition. The best features however, were embedded in the time it was built – mid 1960’s. The views were good, but too small. The kitchen location worked well, but is was closed off, cramped, and lacking counter space. The dining room was elegant, but too large and isolated. The graceful central hallway remained the homes most unique feature, but it was dark and the entry to the rooms on either side were accessed via small doorways. The bathrooms were large enough, and in the right locations, but they were tired and dated, and there was no mudroom. We created something out of something. Beautiful shades of blue permeated the owner’s things and became a central theme in new elements. Daylight was expanded and brought deeper into the space. Doorways were widened and walls removed. The central hallway was fully opened at the end with two-story glass to improve on an already good idea. The kitchen was wholly new and expanded by borrowing space from the dining room. A mudroom was carved out of the garage. All the bathrooms were remodeled with fresh materials and new features. The gracious concrete stoop was reclad in stone and the front door was changed out for a splash of color. Light now permeates all the rooms and spaces flow together without losing their identity or function. The owners no longer feel blue in their House of Blues! Location: St Paul, MN Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal- in -Charge Nate Dodge

This project for a builder husband and interior-designer wife involved adding onto and restoring the luster of a c. 1883 Carpenter Gothic cottage in Barrington that they had occupied for years while raising their two sons. They were ready to ditch their small tacked-on kitchen that was mostly isolated from the rest of the house, views/daylight, as well as the yard, and replace it with something more generous, brighter, and more open that would improve flow inside and out. They were also eager for a better mudroom, new first-floor 3/4 bath, new basement stair, and a new second-floor master suite above. The design challenge was to conceive of an addition and renovations that would be in balanced conversation with the original house without dwarfing or competing with it. The new cross-gable addition echoes the original house form, at a somewhat smaller scale and with a simplified more contemporary exterior treatment that is sympathetic to the old house but clearly differentiated from it. Renovations included the removal of replacement vinyl windows by others and the installation of new Pella black clad windows in the original house, a new dormer in one of the son’s bedrooms, and in the addition. At the first-floor interior intersection between the existing house and the addition, two new large openings enhance flow and access to daylight/view and are outfitted with pairs of salvaged oversized clear-finished wooden barn-slider doors that lend character and visual warmth. A new exterior deck off the kitchen addition leads to a new enlarged backyard patio that is also accessible from the new full basement directly below the addition. (Interior fit-out and interior finishes/fixtures by the Owners)

This 2022 project for Sovereign Grace Music was a full-scale, purpose-built recording and production facility designed to support songwriting, live tracking, mixing, and video content creation. Working alongside the extraordinary Sovereign Grace team—and in collaboration with Authentic Carpentry—NILES handled sound reduction, audio integration, and all acoustic treatment design and installation. The facility features a full Control Room, a spacious Live Room, and a large Isolation Booth engineered for dry drum capture or vocal tracking during full-band sessions. Each space was crafted for accuracy, clarity, and intuitive workflow, ensuring that engineers and artists can move seamlessly between rooms without breaking creative momentum. Clear sightlines, generous lighting, and intentional layout choices make the studio equally suited for recording and video production. Every room is wired for a plug-and-play workflow, supporting multi-camera shoots, ensemble tracking, and efficient session flow. Behind the aesthetic, the acoustic infrastructure is highly robust. The Control Room, Live Room, and ISO Booth sit on independent floor systems with tailored sound-reducing wall assemblies and strategic treatments throughout. No suite is mechanically bonded, allowing simultaneous use of all rooms with minimal sound transmission. Monitoring in the Control Room centers around PMC 6-2 loudspeakers, precisely tuned to ensure accurate translation from mix position to the final master. The result is a balanced, inviting, and technically exact environment—built to serve the diverse creative needs of Sovereign Grace Music for years to come.

By opening up the kitchen to the dining room and installing a bay window, this kitchen which was previously isolated and cramped is now warm and inviting. The kitchen features custom maple cabinets, granite counter tops and a beautiful decorative tile backsplash.

The beautiful Aria Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada utilizes Kinon resin surface design to create a bold, classy look.
Minimalist home design photo in Las Vegas

Photographer: Chuck Heiney Crossing the threshold, you know this is the home you’ve always dreamed of. At home in any neighborhood, Pineleigh’s architectural style and family-focused floor plan offers timeless charm yet is geared toward today’s relaxed lifestyle. Full of light, warmth and thoughtful details that make a house a home, Pineleigh enchants from the custom entryway that includes a mahogany door, columns and a peaked roof. Two outdoor porches to the home’s left side offer plenty of spaces to enjoy outdoor living, making this cedar-shake-covered design perfect for a waterfront or woodsy lot. Inside, more than 2,000 square feet await on the main level. The family cook is never isolated in the spacious central kitchen, which is located on the back of the house behind the large, 17 by 30-foot living room and 12 by 18 formal dining room which functions for both formal and casual occasions and is adjacent to the charming screened-in porch and outdoor patio. Distinctive details include a large foyer, a private den/office with built-ins and all of the extras a family needs – an eating banquette in the kitchen as well as a walk-in pantry, first-floor laundry, cleaning closet and a mud room near the 1,000square foot garage stocked with built-in lockers and a three-foot bench. Upstairs is another covered deck and a dreamy 18 by 13-foot master bedroom/bath suite with deck access for enjoying morning coffee or late-night stargazing. Three additional bedrooms and a bath accommodate a growing family, as does the 1,700-square foot lower level, where an additional bar/kitchen with counter, a billiards space and an additional guest bedroom, exercise space and two baths complete the extensive offerings.

Looking back toward the bedroom shows how the ensuite was planned as part of the larger primary suite rather than as an isolated room. The open sightline brings in additional light and gives the tub and vanity comfortable breathing room.

Douglas FIR Wide-Plank Douglas Fir plank in 3-layer construction with a small bevel on long side and approx. 5 mm top layer, with approx. 5 mm backing in the same wood and a conifer middle layer. Tongue and groove on all sides for easy installation. Typical are few bony, well-embedded knots up to 60 mm diameter and pronounced formation of the annual rings. Isolated knotholes, splints and cracks are possible and are closed with appropriate wood putty.

This 80 year old farm house was in need of an update. The kitchen and dining areas were cramped, dark and isolated from one another. The homeowner requested an open floor plan with more storage and space where her children could play while she was busy in the kitchen. Thompson Remodeling flipped the existing positions of the dining room and kitchen and removed walls to open up the space. The new kitchen has bright white cabinets, quartz countertops and an island with a butcher block counter. A custom banquette provides seating and a spot for the kids to play and do homework while its bench doubles as hidden storage. The wet bar in the dining space has loads of pantry space. The existing floors were very uneven, so we used a vinyl plank flooring that would allow more give for installation. It looks just like weathered pine and will offer very easy care for the busy family.

The glass patio door was recycled. It provides a good sound isolation to the office. The placement opposite of mirrored closet makes the space feel bigger and brighter.

This project for a builder husband and interior-designer wife involved adding onto and restoring the luster of a c. 1883 Carpenter Gothic cottage in Barrington that they had occupied for years while raising their two sons. They were ready to ditch their small tacked-on kitchen that was mostly isolated from the rest of the house, views/daylight, as well as the yard, and replace it with something more generous, brighter, and more open that would improve flow inside and out. They were also eager for a better mudroom, new first-floor 3/4 bath, new basement stair, and a new second-floor master suite above. The design challenge was to conceive of an addition and renovations that would be in balanced conversation with the original house without dwarfing or competing with it. The new cross-gable addition echoes the original house form, at a somewhat smaller scale and with a simplified more contemporary exterior treatment that is sympathetic to the old house but clearly differentiated from it. Renovations included the removal of replacement vinyl windows by others and the installation of new Pella black clad windows in the original house, a new dormer in one of the son’s bedrooms, and in the addition. At the first-floor interior intersection between the existing house and the addition, two new large openings enhance flow and access to daylight/view and are outfitted with pairs of salvaged oversized clear-finished wooden barn-slider doors that lend character and visual warmth. A new exterior deck off the kitchen addition leads to a new enlarged backyard patio that is also accessible from the new full basement directly below the addition. (Interior fit-out and interior finishes/fixtures by the Owners)

We worked alongside ACG Architects and accessible kitchen design specialist, Adam Thomas to create this stunning wheelchair-accessible kitchen so our client could prepare, cook and serve meals for her family independently. We designed this kitchen to have three different heights to enable our client and family to prepare and cook food easily. For example, the accessible worktop with a custom-made sink was made to be 870mm - the perfect height for a wheelchair user. Other key features in this design include wheelchair level ovens with tray slides that sit directly under two Neff Slide & Glide ovens, a Neff Steamer and a Microwave, so hot oven trays can be moved easily across each tray slide. A pull-out shelf allows for food/trays to be moved easily to the worktop level that was designed to be lower than standard for wheel-chair use. In front of the hob, there is also a protective lip at the edge of the worktop to stop a pan from boiling over onto the floor, or onto the client's lap. A stone sink was also custom made by Cosentino, so it wasn’t too deep for our client to reach into. The architects included wood slatting across the entire ground floor that creating a stunning feature in the kitchen space. Each slat was designed to run with precision over the door units - there were also toasters and pull-out drawers hidden behind this area which were designed to be isolated from the power when the doors were closed. Mixing different materials and textures in a kitchen space created interest and contrast. The striking mix of the stained wood slatting, Graphite Grey cabinetry and durable Dekton Keon worktops in this collaborative kitchen design creates a real wow factor. This kitchen design works for each family member with varying needs and heights so that it is a space that allows for the whole family to enjoy and create memories together. Photography by: Paul Craig Kitchen designed by The Myers Touch in collaboration with Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt Architects & Adam Thomas adamthomasconsultancy.com

The owner of this distinguished Somerville late Victorian wanted not just a new kitchen, but a more efficient and healthier house overall. The challenge wasn’t just to capture the light and view towards the Boston skyline; we also needed to improve the space plan and work flow. Overlaid on those goals, we needed to respect the carefully maintained Victorian character of the rest of the home and bring that sensibility back into the kitchen space. OPENING THE SPACE We removed the wall that isolated the sink space to create one unified kitchen area. We relocated the sink to a center island so that we could replace the small window with a large sliding glass door out onto the deck and the view of the skyline. REPURPOSING MATERIALS We salvaged and re-used the honey-colored southern yellow pine wainscoting; we matched and extended it to a window seat and laundry room door to create continuity and tie those new elements to the old. The cabinets and counters have traditional styling in light colors to reflect the light from the new sliding doors deep into the space. More light from the rear utility stairs is brought into the space by means of a frosted glass door. IMPROVING EFFICIENCY More prosaically, but just as important to the client and the project team, we upgraded the insulation and air-sealing throughout the house to improve the home’s comfort and efficiency. Photo by Jim Raycroft

2,800 Hillside Makeover. Torn down to the studs, re-roof, 1,500 sqft deck reframe, 5 structural underpinnings, 11 isolated piers. OMGsh!!! It was so much fun to bring this vision to life. The design was amazing to come up with.