Search results for "Isolation" in Home Design Ideas

The existing kitchen was closed off, which necessitated several space-related compromises that affected many aspects of daily life.
Design Objectives:
• Open the tiny kitchen to living space
• Maintain the dining area
• Create a family room/TV space
• Increase kitchen storage and work surface
• Improve lighting
• Upgrade appliances to ‘chef grade’
Biggest Design Challenge:
• Our main challenge was to add a family room/TV area while maintaining a dining space. Prior to the remodel, the homeowners were using a TV room on their third floor, which was less than ideal.
Taking down the kitchen wall and opening up the area to the adjacent living space made a big difference. The repurposed former dining room works well as a TV space. The former breakfast nook was updated with a new table that allows for casual dining on a daily basis, but is expandable for parties and holidays. Kitchen storage was expanded with island and ceiling-height cabinetry. Kitchen island seating and the open floor plan have definitely changed the quality of day-to-day life – the cook no longer feels isolated and now enjoys preparing meals while spending time with friends.

Inspiration for a modern carpeted home theater remodel in DC Metro with a projector screen

Home theater - modern carpeted home theater idea in DC Metro with a projector screen
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This typical late 20th Century home located in Fishers, IN had a somewhat open kitchen-living area.Because their extensive home-grown gardening, canning and wine making needs weren't accommodated by the small existing kitchen/dining areas, these clients hired Residential Architect LeeConstantine to improve their situation. Constantine separated the "wine making zone" from the everyday "family kitchen zone" striving to allow the zones to "flow" between the two without isolating one from the other. A small rear addition allowed the necessary expansion needed to create the different zones as well as provide for a new walk-in food pantry closet, the various prep and cooking centers, and the opportunity and space to entertain guests there to sample their delicious "creations".In addition, Constantine provided a design offering opportunities for the expression of the clients individual personalities and tastes. This was achieved by incorporating niches for artwork, arched stained glass components highlighting the "home-grown" concept and even a dumb waiter housed within a base cabinet accommodating the transport of 5 gallon "carboys" directly to the basement wine cellar.

If you must be home isolating at least have some fun doing it in style! This all in basement brings games and fun for all!
Basement - transitional walk-out carpeted and beige floor basement idea in Baltimore with a bar and beige walls
Basement - transitional walk-out carpeted and beige floor basement idea in Baltimore with a bar and beige walls

Hold your hand over a sensor and this touchless toilet will flush itself.
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless beige tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile powder room remodel in Richmond with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, a one-piece toilet and beige walls
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless beige tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile powder room remodel in Richmond with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, a one-piece toilet and beige walls

This 1,400 sq. ft. studio, built in 2018 for Grammy Award–winning drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Adam Box, was one of the earliest full-scale NILES design–build projects. After years of session and touring work, Adam had a clear vision for his own creative home—a space that combined comfort, vibe, and technical precision. Our team partnered closely with him through every phase of the design and build process to bring that vision to life.
The studio features a full Control Room, a spacious Live Room, two amp isolation booths, and a large dedicated ISO booth engineered specifically for dry drum capture. Each room is fully wired for a complete live-tracking environment, enabling an entire band to plug in and record seamlessly. The Live Room is sonically open and collaborative, while the Control Room is fine-tuned for long stretches of creative focus and accurate monitoring.
Aesthetic direction played a major role in this project. Natural stonework, warm wood details, and a comfortable, lived-in feel create a distinctive character throughout the space. Adam added many of his own finishing touches, giving the studio an unmistakable personal identity that reflects his style and musical approach.
The result is a studio that delivers both atmosphere and performance—an inspiring hub for writing, tracking, mixing, and producing at the highest level.

Private house is located in the northwestern part of the area with the development of the south by the living aisle. The building has 3 floors and a basement.
The building has 5 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, 2 swimming pools, 2 elevators, bowling, sauna, steam bath, garage for 4 cars, an isolated area for staff. The building has developed balconies and terraces, roofs planted with grass and used for recreation.
Facades are decorated with fiber cement panels and granite.
Due to the extensive glazing and the unusual layout, a beautiful view opens to the adjacent lot from the windows of all dwellings. All living rooms have access to the green roof and balconies.
Architect: Sergey Kuzmin

This charming family home in Belmont was in dire need of some tender loving care. The original builder-grade cabinetry and countertops were outdated and in need of an upgrade.
The kitchen was once isolated from the dining room and living room, making entertaining guests a real chore. Cooking in the kitchen meant being cut off from the rest of the household, leading to a disconnect during family time. So, we decided to make some sweeping changes.
The most transformative change was the removal of the load bearing wall separating the kitchen and living room. This created a spacious open-concept kitchen with a massive island, perfect for hosting and socializing. We upgraded the cabinets to reflect a contemporary aesthetic and added a stunning hood vent. The built-in hutch was replaced by a refrigerator and beverage center, providing ample storage space and more practical usage. The kitchen was also equipped with modern features such as roll-out trays, a trash can pull-out, spice racks, and utensil organizers. We replaced the older-style double door base cabinets with modern drawer bases for easy access, and increased the height of the cabinets from 30 inches to 36 inches, giving the kitchen a fresh, airy look and additional storage space.
The laundry room also received a makeover, with new cabinets above the washer and dryer and a tall linen/storage closet, making it more functional and storage-friendly. The small pantry closet was transformed into a sprawling 12 foot deep walk-in pantry with new shelves, cabinetry and lighting, providing ample space for all your pantry essentials. We also upgraded the flooring on the first floor with durable LVP flooring, elevating the overall aesthetic and feel of the home. All of these changes were completed in a mere 21 days, from start to finish.

Photo by Jim Raycroft
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.

2010 NARI CAPITAL COTY FINALIST AWARD WINNER
Project Scope:
Transform a little-used room in the client’s lower level into an entertainment center, featuring a 1,500-bottle refrigerated wine cabinet, a wet bar, a custom-made bookshelves surround for existing hearth, and television hanging built-ins.
Challenges:
Primary technical challenge was to find a way to unobtrusively install a large “split system” chilling unit to service the wine cooler.
Solutions
The contractor started with a rectangular space that was appreciably stripped down, except for the fireplace at the far end. An adjacent room housed a professional pool table.
The client’s primary concern was how to situate the custom-built wine rack were to specify and fabricate. Although there was plenty of space in niche to the left of the stairway, there was no obvious way to locate the wine rack’s chilling unit for ducting and chiller unit.
Both client and contractor agreed that the logical setting for the rack would be along the short wall adjacent to the room’s entrance. But the short wall afforded no room for the chiller, a “split system” unit that needed adequate “breathing room” to avoid overheating
After many design sketches, the contractor had a tentative solution: house the chilling unit in a utility room behind the stairs leading to the basement. This would keep the unit out of sight and muffle the sound of the compressor.
Then question was how to “circumnavigate” the stairwell and run plumbing lines from the utility room – which was about 20 feet away — to the rack. A floor-level path would be exposed to possible damage and aesthetically unpleasing. Installing the line in the concrete slab flooring would be difficult and expensive – and any repairs to the line would mean tearing up the floor.The only alternative, the contractor suggested, would be to route the lines overhead – run them straight up from the chilling unit, over the joists above, and around the back of the stair case. Once past the staircase, it was straight shot above the joists to the short wall; the lines would then run behind the wall to the wine cooler resting on the floor.
This highly creative solution pleased the client greatly: it not only isolated the chilling unit, but allowed it to be easily serviced; the lines were protected and out of sight; and the wine rack – situated as it was in the room – seemed like it was part of the original house design.
At that point, the contractor needed a wine rack design that seemed equally “original” to the home – and here, too, the challenge was met. Custom-built cabinetry span the length of the wall, with two floor-level cabinets flanking the wine cooler. Above, twin glass-facing walnut displays – lighted and rising nearly to the ceiling – rest on a black marble countertop, showcasing the client’s impressive wine collection.
On the long wall perpendicular to the rack, a widescreen television hangs between two built-in bookcases designed by the contractor. The firm also fabricated the two bookcases now flanking the original fireplace in the far end wall – as well as the glass-faced hanging cabinets which are lighted above the newly installed wet bar.

A expansive backyard with modern touch ups. Everything seen in the pictures are built or installed by Park Landscaping Ltd. From the brown slate outdoor walkway that supports the dark wood deck to the ocean pearl slate stairs that lead to the outdoor stone fireplace. Creativity with stealthy and modern elements to ensure that the surrounding area is complemented, not isolated.

We focused on opening up this small, isolated, galley style kitchen into a space where these home owners could entertain, cook, and have an occasional glass of wine. Honestly - check out that wine refrigerator! By removing the central wall between the dining room and kitchen, it allowed light to flow through the entire home. We added a large pantry to ensure we maintained plenty of storage space while creating this open floorplan. White cabinets, dark countertops, and a medium tone hardwood floor leave this space feeling timeless and elegant.

The goal of this gut renovation was to create three isolated rooms: main bedroom and two small working studios. Each studio has custom made furniture for sleeping, as well as working tables and closets. Both can be used as a guest bedroom, if necessary.

This private studio, built in collaboration with producer, engineer, and pianist Ian Miller, is a fully custom creative space designed around his workflow and artistic process. The project blended NILES’ technical execution with Ian’s hands-on finishing work, resulting in a studio where every corner has intention and every system supports a seamless, plug-and-play workflow.
The structure began as a barn-style two-car garage with a second floor. After exploring several layouts and engineering options, we landed on a design that leveraged the high ceilings and existing footprint to create a dynamic and spacious acoustic environment. Generous daylight from surrounding windows connects the interior to the outdoors, while layered textures, warm tones, and custom finishes create a grounded yet inspiring atmosphere.
The Control Room is fully isolated from the rest of the building with sound-reducing wall systems, a full soft-ceiling bass trap, tuned corner traps, treatment throughout, and full-lite doors for controlled transmission and visibility. Though modest in size, it delivers accurate monitoring and integrates smoothly with the larger live environment.
Roasted Bean Studio was built to support any direction Ian pursues—from producing to mixing to live performance. The space provides the sonic palette and creative flexibility needed for a wide range of projects, offering a visually inspiring and acoustically reliable environment that empowers his work every day.

Gardner/Fox provided architectural, interior design and construction services to create an entertainment area in a full unfinished walk- out basement. A large custom bar beckons to all who descend the staircase. Innovative storage solutions at the bar include shelving in a column that opens from 3 sides, an under counter refrigerator paneled to match the bar cabinets, and glass cabinets to display the homeowners stemware.
Dave Stimmel designed custom display cases for the homeowners NCAA fencing trophies and swords.
New walls were erected to seal off mechanical equipment in the corner adjacent to the bar and also a separate exercise room off of the sitting area. An arched walkway beneath the stairs provides better flow & opens up an other wise isolated corner. Follow the wide hallway beyond the fireplace to French doors and a new pool area. From there, another arched opening leads to a changing area and a full bath room.

Graybox is a 950 sq. ft. studio environment designed and built by NILES to redefine what a home-based creative space can be. The client wanted a light-filled, timeless studio that balanced aesthetic warmth with the precision and durability of a commercial facility. Our team handled the full scope—from architectural acoustics and mechanical planning to framing, treatments, electrical distribution, and final integration.
The Control Room is a compact, golden-ratio mix suite engineered for accuracy, featuring a finely tuned treatment plan and a Barefoot monitor system. The Live Room gains surprising scale from its 16’ ceiling, delivering sonic depth and natural ambience ideal for full-band tracking, ensemble sessions, or detailed acoustic work. Expansive glass and natural light shape the visual character of the studio while maintaining controlled isolation and proper acoustic performance.
This space was built to function as a dual-purpose creative hub for music recording and video production. The open layout supports multi-camera film shoots, quick-turn content capture, and flexible session flow. Engineers, producers, and artists can walk in, sit down, and work immediately thanks to intuitive wiring paths, plug-and-play audio infrastructure, and a layout designed for seamless movement between rooms.
Graybox has become a go-to destination for both recording and visual content, hosting sessions and video work for Capitol Records, Meinl Cymbals, The Dove Awards, Gibson, and many others. The result is a studio that feels as inspiring as it sounds—purpose-built, timeless, and engineered for long-term creative use.

This was a complete kitchen renovation. The remodel included removing skylights and installing a two story bump up adding no square footage to the room but creating a dramatic visual even for the most discriminating designer. When you enter this kitchen your eyes wander trying to absorb the immense planning and detail that went into the renovation but ultimately you find yourself positioned under the large Theresa Maria chandelier gazing into the sky. The kitchen was designed around the 48 inch Thermador stove. The 2 story inset cabinet creation around the stove flows up into the addition creating a visual masterpiece that is only rivaled by original pieces of art works created by the likes of Van Gogh, Picasso and Rembrandt. The sink was relocated from the exterior wall and into the island so that the stove wall would be isolated and not connected any other cabinets. The 36-inch-wide refrigerator and 36-inch-wide freezer were designed and installed next to a microwave cabinet that makes heating up items as convenient as 1,2,3. The outside cabinet wall section is perfect for entertaining with the 42 inch base cabinets. The massive two-tiered island of 124 inches long is perfect for everyday family living. A farmer’s sink adds the perfect touch to this traditional design. Renovating a kitchen without ceiling detail is one of the most overlooked parts of the renovation. The amount of money spent on the renovation depends on the budget of course but I highly recommend including ceiling detail as much as one considers the tile backsplash.

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

This private studio, built in collaboration with producer, engineer, and pianist Ian Miller, is a fully custom creative space designed around his workflow and artistic process. The project blended NILES’ technical execution with Ian’s hands-on finishing work, resulting in a studio where every corner has intention and every system supports a seamless, plug-and-play workflow.
The structure began as a barn-style two-car garage with a second floor. After exploring several layouts and engineering options, we landed on a design that leveraged the high ceilings and existing footprint to create a dynamic and spacious acoustic environment. Generous daylight from surrounding windows connects the interior to the outdoors, while layered textures, warm tones, and custom finishes create a grounded yet inspiring atmosphere.
The Control Room is fully isolated from the rest of the building with sound-reducing wall systems, a full soft-ceiling bass trap, tuned corner traps, treatment throughout, and full-lite doors for controlled transmission and visibility. Though modest in size, it delivers accurate monitoring and integrates smoothly with the larger live environment.
Roasted Bean Studio was built to support any direction Ian pursues—from producing to mixing to live performance. The space provides the sonic palette and creative flexibility needed for a wide range of projects, offering a visually inspiring and acoustically reliable environment that empowers his work every day.
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