Photo: Kimberley Bryan © 2013 Houzz
Eclectic living room photo in Seattle with a music area

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional open concept gray floor family room remodel in Chicago with green walls, no fireplace and no tv

One small window, faux woodgrain cabinets and lots of doors made this closed-off Arlington kitchen feel dark and drab, the total opposite of the vibrant young family of four that lives here. To brighten and open up the small kitchen, we removed the wall separating the dining room, expanded the window above the sink and installed a French door to let even more light in from an adjoining sun room. Light now pours into the kitchen, making it feel welcoming, airy and bright. To accommodate the expanded kitchen, we removed a hulking set of built-ins from the dining room which provided two extra feet to work with. The larger footprint allowed us to relocate major appliances and provide a generous amount of storage and prep space including a food safe butcher block to the right of the range. Natural wood elements such as the chopping block, reclaimed shelves and beautiful new floors add character and warmth to the all-white kitchen. One of the must-haves in this renovation was a farmhouse sink which is a great way to maximize function when a smaller sink base is used. We opted to take the tile backsplash all the way to the ceiling along the window wall, creating a more polished look with the added bonus of making the ceiling feel taller. The subway tiles’ subtle texture adds depth to the simple white-on-white motif and the change to a herringbone pattern behind the range adds visual interest without feeling too busy. A crisp white backdrop is perfect for adding pops of color with dishware, accessories and the family’s vintage stand mixer. The newly renovated kitchen-dining area is much better suited for this family’s active lifestyle and the updated design now complements the rest of their stylish home. Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Photography by Samara Vise
Example of a classic kitchen design in Boston

Vincent Builders Inc., Chris Letourneau Designer
Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard rectangular pool remodel in Orange County

Kitchen/dining room combo - large eclectic medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea with gray walls

Beach style patio photo in San Francisco

Living room - traditional dark wood floor living room idea in Atlanta with no tv and blue walls

Alcove bathtub - transitional gray tile and white tile single-sink alcove bathtub idea in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea in Austin

Eat-in kitchen - large contemporary u-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Inspiration for a coastal dark wood floor sunroom remodel in Minneapolis with no fireplace and a standard ceiling

Inspiration for an eclectic bedroom remodel in Denver with orange walls

Inspiration for a small southwestern one-story adobe exterior home remodel in San Francisco

Mid-century modern gray floor living room photo in Raleigh with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

Casey Dunn
Inspiration for a southwestern master gray floor bathroom remodel with an undermount tub

Graham Yelton for B-Metro
Inspiration for an eclectic enclosed living room remodel in Birmingham with beige walls

Sebastian Zachariah
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped enclosed kitchen remodel in Mumbai with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a mid-sized danish formal and open concept painted wood floor living room design in Aarhus with white walls, a wood stove and a wall-mounted tv