The homeowners had just purchased this home in El Segundo and they had remodeled the kitchen and one of the bathrooms on their own. However, they had more work to do. They felt that the rest of the project was too big and complex to tackle on their own and so they retained us to take over where they left off. The main focus of the project was to create a master suite and take advantage of the rather large backyard as an extension of their home. They were looking to create a more fluid indoor outdoor space. When adding the new master suite leaving the ceilings vaulted along with French doors give the space a feeling of openness. The window seat was originally designed as an architectural feature for the exterior but turned out to be a benefit to the interior! They wanted a spa feel for their master bathroom utilizing organic finishes. Since the plan is that this will be their forever home a curbless shower was an important feature to them. The glass barn door on the shower makes the space feel larger and allows for the travertine shower tile to show through. Floating shelves and vanity allow the space to feel larger while the natural tones of the porcelain tile floor are calming. The his and hers vessel sinks make the space functional for two people to use it at once. The walk-in closet is open while the master bathroom has a white pocket door for privacy. Since a new master suite was added to the home we converted the existing master bedroom into a family room. Adding French Doors to the family room opened up the floorplan to the outdoors while increasing the amount of natural light in this room. The closet that was previously in the bedroom was converted to built in cabinetry and floating shelves in the family room. The French doors in the master suite and family room now both open to the same deck space. The homes new open floor plan called for a kitchen island to bring the kitchen and dining / great room together. The island is a 3” countertop vs the standard inch and a half. This design feature gives the island a chunky look. It was important that the island look like it was always a part of the kitchen. Lastly, we added a skylight in the corner of the kitchen as it felt dark once we closed off the side door that was there previously. Repurposing rooms and opening the floor plan led to creating a laundry closet out of an old coat closet (and borrowing a small space from the new family room). The floors become an integral part of tying together an open floor plan like this. The home still had original oak floors and the homeowners wanted to maintain that character. We laced in new planks and refinished it all to bring the project together. To add curb appeal we removed the carport which was blocking a lot of natural light from the outside of the house. We also re-stuccoed the home and added exterior trim.

D Randolph Foulds Photo
Mid-sized elegant loft-style living room photo in Charlotte with beige walls, no fireplace and no tv

The homeowners had just purchased this home in El Segundo and they had remodeled the kitchen and one of the bathrooms on their own. However, they had more work to do. They felt that the rest of the project was too big and complex to tackle on their own and so they retained us to take over where they left off. The main focus of the project was to create a master suite and take advantage of the rather large backyard as an extension of their home. They were looking to create a more fluid indoor outdoor space. When adding the new master suite leaving the ceilings vaulted along with French doors give the space a feeling of openness. The window seat was originally designed as an architectural feature for the exterior but turned out to be a benefit to the interior! They wanted a spa feel for their master bathroom utilizing organic finishes. Since the plan is that this will be their forever home a curbless shower was an important feature to them. The glass barn door on the shower makes the space feel larger and allows for the travertine shower tile to show through. Floating shelves and vanity allow the space to feel larger while the natural tones of the porcelain tile floor are calming. The his and hers vessel sinks make the space functional for two people to use it at once. The walk-in closet is open while the master bathroom has a white pocket door for privacy. Since a new master suite was added to the home we converted the existing master bedroom into a family room. Adding French Doors to the family room opened up the floorplan to the outdoors while increasing the amount of natural light in this room. The closet that was previously in the bedroom was converted to built in cabinetry and floating shelves in the family room. The French doors in the master suite and family room now both open to the same deck space. The homes new open floor plan called for a kitchen island to bring the kitchen and dining / great room together. The island is a 3” countertop vs the standard inch and a half. This design feature gives the island a chunky look. It was important that the island look like it was always a part of the kitchen. Lastly, we added a skylight in the corner of the kitchen as it felt dark once we closed off the side door that was there previously. Repurposing rooms and opening the floor plan led to creating a laundry closet out of an old coat closet (and borrowing a small space from the new family room). The floors become an integral part of tying together an open floor plan like this. The home still had original oak floors and the homeowners wanted to maintain that character. We laced in new planks and refinished it all to bring the project together. To add curb appeal we removed the carport which was blocking a lot of natural light from the outside of the house. We also re-stuccoed the home and added exterior trim.

Willie & Leslie of Barrington Hills loved the location of their home. Its breathtaking views overlooked a wooded backyard and a captivating lake. They didn’t want to move, but they needed more space. But the house was missing that big family room where everyone could gather, relax and converse, and the house was completely cut off visually from the beautiful outdoor view right outside! They knew what they wanted meant building an addition to their home. They began searching the internet and came across Advance Design Studio, and after browsing through project after project and reading one outstanding client review after another, they were sold on Advance Design. Additionally, they loved Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling” process and felt confident that it would allow the Design/Build company to easily coordinate the multiple projects they wanted to complete all at one time. Willie and Leslie immediately set up a meeting with Owner Todd Jurs and Project Designer Claudia Pop. When the meeting ended, they were sure that Advance Design were the right people and the right approach for their project. "Establishing a direction and a budget is always key in project of this size," Todd said. "This house was screaming for a family room and it didn't have one. Ultimately, it's about working together towards the same goal of a beautiful functional addition." The project consisted of a significant family room addition with an extraordinary vaulted ceiling and floor to ceiling fireplace, a guest suite renovation with a luxury bath, a garage addition, and an adjoining outdoor patio renovation complete with a fantastic built in grilling station. The main goal was to add comfort and space to the existing home that would last their lifetime, and finally allow them to capture the amazing view of the backyard and lake that they never could really enjoy previously. Willie, Leslie and Claudia paid special attention to designing the space to make sure that the footprint of the room did not interfere with the views. Floor to ceiling Pella windows were incorporated into a spectacular window wall to provide plenty of natural light. Vaulted ceilings gave the room a bigger feel and the stunning floor to ceiling masonry fireplace was designed giving the room a rustic, comfortable feel of a Colorado Lodge. Barnwood doors and exposed wooden beams accentuate the crackling fireplace and family gathering space. An oversized statement chandelier bathes the space in soft light once the sun sets and compliments the exposed wood and fireplace perfectly. “It simple elegant and beautiful,” Designer Claudia Pop said. “It is a great family room that captures the views perfectly. They love the fireplace, the barndoors and the openness of the space we designed for the whole family now to enjoy.” And when warm weather beckons, the outdoor patio is a terrific place to spend an evening. The family now enjoys fall nights in front of their outdoor fireplace overlooking the quiet lake. Dekton Trillium Quartz counters tops adorn an amazing grilling bar. Nearly indestructible, they are the only manufactured stone product designed exclusively to withstand high heat in summer and extreme cold temperatures in winter. The guest bath renovation makes Willie and Leslie’s friends and family feel like they are staying at a 5-star hotel. Carlisle colored Maple cabinets from Medallion make a roomy dual vanity more than adequate with plenty of space to get ready for the day after a peaceful night’s sleep. Cambria Quartz countertops are durable and elegant, while contrasting the neutral cabinets flawlessly. Heated flooring from Warmly Yours is the cherry on top for this cozy guest bath. All the projects turned out better than they even imagined. Willie and Leslie now have a spacious family room with even better views of the lake and woods, a much larger garage, a fantastic relaxing outdoor patio, and a guest bath that makes it almost impossible to get the guest to leave after their stay. Are you thinking about a remodeling project? Talk to the experts at Advance Design about the renovation of your dreams. Now is the perfect time to renovate. Check out other amazing projects here. With “Common Sense Remodeling”, the process of renovating your home has never been easier. Contact us today at 847-836-2600 or schedule an appointment to talk with us about your kitchen remodeling project, or any other home renovation you are planning. Our talented team can help you design and build the new space you’ve been dreaming about.

The Willow - Transitional Family Home on Acreage in Brush Prairie, Washington by Cascade West Development Inc. Lastly, the style. Shabby Chic (chique) was a trend favorited early on by these clients. We wanted to create a space that used similar elements in materials and construction while allowing their style to play out over interior walls. On the outside this amounted to over 200 square feet of Eldorado Stone’s stacked stone, giving the façade giving the exterior a strong, natural and rustic feel. The stone is additionally used in the rear of the home as well, to frame an outdoor family living area equipped with a full outdoor kitchen. On the interior, their style translated into many accents. Antique wall sconces. Reclaimed wood. Wrought iron fixtures. Ornate woodwork. And old-world stylings of modern furniture. That idea is evidenced in pieces like their mud-bench in the second entryway. The hyperfunctional mud-bench is made of dark, unfinished natural wood stained to match an adjacent tongue and groove ceiling. Cascade West Facebook: https://goo.gl/MCD2U1 Cascade West Website: https://goo.gl/XHm7Un These photos, like many of ours, were taken by the good people of ExposioHDR - Portland, Or Exposio Facebook: https://goo.gl/SpSvyo Exposio Website: https://goo.gl/Cbm8Ya

A small courtyard garden in San Francisco. • Creative use of space in the dense, urban fabric of hilly SF. • For the last several years the clients had carved out a make shift courtyard garden at the top of their driveway. It was one of the few flat spaces in their yard where they could sit in the sun and enjoy a cup of coffee. We turned the top of a steep driveway into a courtyard garden. • The actual courtyard design was planned for the maximum dimensions possible to host a dining table and a seating area. The space is conveniently located outside their kitchen and home offices. However we needed to save driveway space for parking the cars and getting in and out. • The design, fabrication and installation team was comprised of people we knew. I was an acquaintance to the clients having met them through good friends. The landscape contractor, Boaz Mor, http://www.boazmor.com/, is their neighbor and someone I worked with before. The metal fabricator is Murray Sandford of Moz Designs, https://mozdesigns.com/, https://www.instagram.com/moz_designs/ . Both contractors have long histories of working in the Bay Area on a variety of complex designs. • The size of this garden belies the complexity of the design. We did not want to remove any of the concrete driveway which was 12” or more in thickness, except for the area where the large planter was going. The driveway sloped in two directions. In order to get a “level”, properly, draining patio, we had to start it at around 21” tall at the outside and end it flush by the garage doors. • The fence is the artful element in the garden. It is made of power-coated aluminum. The panels match the house color; and posts match the house trim. The effect is quiet, blending into the overall property. The panels are dramatic. Each fence panel is a different size with a unique pattern. • The exterior panels that you see from the street are an abstract riff on the seasons of the Persian walnut tree in their front yard. The cut-outs illustrate spring bloom when the walnut leafs out to autumn when the nuts drop to the ground and the squirrels eats them, leaving a mess of shells everywhere. Even the pesky squirrel appears on one of the panels. • The interior panels, lining the entry into the courtyard, are an abstraction of the entire walnut tree. • Although the panel design is made of perforations, the openings are designed to retain privacy when you are inside the courtyard. • There is a large planter on one side of the courtyard, big enough for a tree to soften a harsh expanse of a neighboring wall. Light through the branches cast playful shadows on the wall behind. • The lighting, mounted on the house is a nod to the client’s love of New Orleans gas lights. • The paving is black stone from India, dark enough to absorb the warmth of the sun on a cool, summer San Francisco day.

We are so proud to introduce our first Boston residential project for our very first Bostonian Client, Steven C., and his incredible team! #championshipteam We were part of a superb team that transformed a “barn” into a spectacular modern day villa in Jamaica Plain, MA. Credits are posted below to their respective accounts. (The before pic of the space is last!) - There’s so much more to come, we are so excited to have worked with such wonderful people and professionals that inspire what’s possible through the art of design when passion is at the forefront! - If you’d like to see what opportunities can exist with your renovation projects please reach out to any of us and we’d happily consult with you to produce a detailed and realistic project rendering for you to envision your completed project! - Credits: The Builder: @finalpickcontracting The Designer: @debellis_designs Furnished by @vipsaloti

Kitchen design by Astrid Newton Rush Interiors FCD: How does your design process work? Astrid: My design process begins with getting to know my clients and observing the space in which they live. I ask questions, I listen and I take notes. I trust in my instincts. I am very open and honest with my clients. I tell them if I think they are on the wrong track or making poor decisions. As for the process itself, I believe in inspiration and doing the right thing. This applies to both people and place. I like to involve my clients in the choices I make for them. I aim to create a home environment that they will appreciate and enjoy when my work is finished. FCD: Our last job together was the modern kitchen and I saw how closely you worked with our kitchen design and the owners wishes. It was truly a collaboration and the end result showed all the hard work that went into the design.

Emerald crispy Gulf of Mexico seawater, bright gold sun, blue clear sky, silver luminous moon, white cotton clouds were the perfect inspiration to create the customer’s own personal paradise. We built 1500 square feet of covered outdoor living, suitable for family enjoyment and friend’s entertainment. We selected long lasting and low maintenance materials that can stand wind, rain, salt and sun in coastal areas. To achieve the rich look of a wood deck we selected tahoe ocre wood tiles that not only are durable, easy to maintain and clean, but also are environmental friendly. We took advantage of the view to make daily eating al fesco feel like a gateway in their own backyard. The open dinning area was designed to comfortable seat up to 10 people.

In 17th century Isaac Newton identified the colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) that make up the visible spectrum. And as his discovery at a time shocked the world and became a first step for a new era of discoveries and world evolution, we believe that the new Electric collection, creation of which is based on a solid theory of photon spectrum and physical characteristics of 4 speeds of rays which travel between Gamma as form of nuclear and cosmic radiation to infrared rays, a result of movement of lower-energy photons, will become a breakthrough of contemporary interior design. This collection reflects a principally new approach to perception of rug in interior making it an art object at the first place. Nevertheless, very important value that remains untouched whatever we do and however futuristic our works are is extreme care about ecologic background and sustainability of our product. Through all the history of Atelier Tapis Rouge each of our rugs has been manually drawn by the team of our designers and afterwards tinted and knotted by hands of best Nepalese craftsmen, who carefully maintain tradition of rug knotting throughout the centuries. The world has gone through a very hard time during last 2 years and perception of things, behavior, philosophic approach of people has changed drastically. We all need a recharge of energy and inspiration to restart our live paths in a new reality and there is no better place where we get energetic feed as home and family. Therefore, having created Electtrico we meant to boost the homes with warm solar energy – eternal source of life and continuity and we believe that it is a good start for new conquests. Designed by Natalia Enze

The sink area of the kitchen. This is the main work area of the kitchen. Its easy to clean and large. Many times clients worry about where to put their toaster ovens or toasters. Why on the counter! Why not!? This is a kitchen people cook in. It is not a show case kitchen no one ever uses. Where the original cabinets worked well for over 70 years we expect our modern casual remake of the original to last as long. It should only get better with age.

The Willow - Transitional Family Home on Acreage in Brush Prairie, Washington by Cascade West Development Inc. Lastly, the style. Shabby Chic (chique) was a trend favorited early on by these clients. We wanted to create a space that used similar elements in materials and construction while allowing their style to play out over interior walls. On the outside this amounted to over 200 square feet of Eldorado Stone’s stacked stone, giving the façade giving the exterior a strong, natural and rustic feel. The stone is additionally used in the rear of the home as well, to frame an outdoor family living area equipped with a full outdoor kitchen. On the interior, their style translated into many accents. Antique wall sconces. Reclaimed wood. Wrought iron fixtures. Ornate woodwork. And old-world stylings of modern furniture. That idea is evidenced in pieces like their mud-bench in the second entryway. The hyperfunctional mud-bench is made of dark, unfinished natural wood stained to match an adjacent tongue and groove ceiling. Cascade West Facebook: https://goo.gl/MCD2U1 Cascade West Website: https://goo.gl/XHm7Un These photos, like many of ours, were taken by the good people of ExposioHDR - Portland, Or Exposio Facebook: https://goo.gl/SpSvyo Exposio Website: https://goo.gl/Cbm8Ya

The homeowners came to us wanting to create flow throughout their main living space. They achieved this by having luxury vinyl plank flooring installed throughout their foyer, kitchen, hallway, laundry room, first floor bathroom, and office space. They opened their kitchen up by removing their oddly shaped island into a peninsula with seating up to 3 people. Lighter colored cabinets were used to make the space feel big and open, while creating warmth through the darker backsplash and earthy green painted walls. Off the kitchen, we turned the not often used desk/landing zone area into 2 side by side tall pantry units with lots of rollout shelves and storage. Lastly, before the renovation there were 2 arched openings into the kitchen. We closed one off, which made the dining room not only be a true dining room, but it also allowed for this wall in the kitchen to become the “appliance wall”. The homeowners now have lots of space to prep, cook and entertain while still having access to their coffee station, fridge, microwave and double oven.

This kitchen came together with Ornamental White granite on the counters. No waterfall, no fancy backsplash story here, just solid granite doing what granite does best, holding up to real cooking and real life in a busy South Carolina kitchen. We finished the edges with an eased profile, which is the detail people don't think about until they're leaning on the counter every day. An eased edge takes the sharp corner off the slab and rounds it just enough so it's comfortable to work against, without adding a bunch of extra machining that can chip or crack down the line. It's a clean, classic look that doesn't fight with the granite's natural pattern, and it wears well over years of use. Granite is still one of the best choices you can put in a kitchen. It's hard, it's heat resistant, and you can set a hot pan on it without worrying. It'll take a knife dragged across it by accident and shrug it off. Every slab has its own movement in the stone, its own crystal structure catching light differently depending on where you stand, and templating a kitchen like this means matching that pattern at the seams so it reads like one continuous piece instead of two pieces bolted together. Day to day, this countertop is going to earn its keep. Granite seals up easily and, once it's sealed, it resists staining from wine, oil, coffee, whatever gets set down on it. It doesn't scratch from normal kitchen use, and it doesn't dull over time the way some softer stones can. That's why we keep coming back to it for kitchens that actually get used, not just looked at. We fabricate and install jobs like this all over the Midlands, and it's the same story every time: good stone, cut right, set level, edges finished clean. That's what makes a countertop last for decades instead of years, and that's what you're getting here.

This kitchen was designed with the intent of hosting large family gatherings, upwards of twenty people at a time. Locating the kitchen adjacent to the informal eating area, the family room and the patio, was the ideal choice for entertaining. The implementation of a large double island, in an unexpected “L” shape, allowed for a ton of extra space without consequently feeling like an industrial environment. The choice to panel the expansive fridge and freezer allowed the mirrored stainless-steel display cabinets to really become a focal point in the space. These cabinets worked perfectly to house the client’s large stemware collection. Repeating the mirrored finish on the other side of the room, with a refined hood fan exudes glamour. Lastly, the sophisticated hardware and sculptural light fixtures elevate this kitchen to the contemporary, yet traditional, formal style found throughout the rest of the home.

Villa Lumina, in Paphos, Cyprus, blends modern architecture and practicality with nature preservation. We made sure to harmonize nature with the modern style, integrating trees into the overall design for the house and terrace. The materials used, like stone, wood, and porcelain stoneware, not only match the Cypriot scenery but are also long-lasting and environmentally friendly. For instance, stone surfaces look nice and are able to withstand the elements well, whereas wood keeps the warmth inside. The villa has two separate parts - a spacious open plan kitchen, dining and living area, and a more secluded part containing a main bedroom, walk-in closet, kids' rooms, and private bathrooms. Entering the house leads to a courtyard which is connected to the terrace and pool area and extends the living space. Villa Lumina shows how to make living spaces that fulfill people's needs without hurting the environment. Size / 351 sq.m. Year / 2023 Location / Paphos, Cyprus

We are passionate about creating beautiful homes founded on innovative design and lasting function. We love, as you do, creating spaces and places for people to live, laugh, love and enjoy; especially spaces for your family. We strive to provide the products and services that help our customers turn houses into homes.

We were thrilled to be recommended for this project, by a client that we have completed 3 projects for over the last 2 years. Our clients were keen to have a space they could sit and watch movies in and also entertain friends. They wanted to add a little colour and drama to the space, to make it feel more interesting and enveloping. We used Linwood wallpaper in panels around the room and complemented them with Farrow and Ball Inchyra Blue walls and Drop Cloth ceiling in Dead Flat. Painting in the woodwork gave a more contemporary feel and also a seamless finish when the door to the room is closed. Bespoke sofas were designed to ensure that the entry to the room wasn't blocked by the back of the sofa, but was made big enough to ensue that a good number of people could be seated at anyone time. Wall lights and lamps create an intimate and interesting feel to the room, the parrot wall lights are certainly a talking point! ​ We have now been engaged to help this client with their next project, a games room above a new triple garage just being built.

Most people who have lived in Auckland for a long time remember The Heritage Grand Tearoom, a beautiful large room with an incredible high-stud art-deco ceiling. So we were beyond honoured to be a part of this, as projects of these types don’t come around very often. Because The Heritage Grand Tea Room is a Heritage site, nothing could be fixed into the existing structure. Therefore, everything had to be self-supporting, which is why everything was made out of steel. And that’s where the first challenge began. The first step was getting the steel into the space. And due to the lack of access through the hotel, it had to come up through a window that was 1500x1500 with a 200 tonne mobile crane. We had to custom fabricate a 9m long cage to accommodate the steel with rollers on the bottom of it that was engineered and certified. Once it was time to start building, we had to lay out the footprints of the foundations to set out the base layer of the mezzanine. This was an important part of the process as every aspect of the build relies on this stage being perfect. Due to the restrictions of the Heritage building and load ratings on the floor, there was a lot of steel required. A large part of the challenge was to have the structural fabrication up to an architectural quality painted to a Matte Black finish. The last big challenge was bringing both the main and spiral staircase into the space, as well as the stanchions, as they are very large structures. We brought individual pieces up in the elevator and welded on site in order to bring the design to life. Although this was a tricky project, it was an absolute pleasure working with the owners of this incredible Heritage site and we are very proud of the final product.