Inspiration for a mid-sized industrial open concept vinyl floor and brown floor living room library remodel in Las Vegas with white walls, a hanging fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and no tv

Living Room Turning left in the Entry Hall, one sees the Living room, set up for listening to music with the hi-fi stereo hidden in the cabinetry. The television can be dropped into the same cabinet, using an automated scissor lift. The vaulted ceiling replaced the formerly flat ceiling. Solar tube skylights and a clerestory window brighten the room with daylight, while a built-in cove light brightens the space at night. A new picture window facing the street replaces the original. A small high window facing north brings in additional natural light, and a view to the trees beyond. stained oak trim; original oak floors • Waynesboro Taupe by Benjamin paint on walls & ceiling • Seattle Mist by Benjamin Moore paint in music nook • sun tunnel • custom designed & built buffet Construction by CG&S Design-Build. Photography by Tre Dunham, Fine focus Photography

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Los Angeles

Example of a trendy freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor home office design in New York with beige walls

This fireplace wall was designed by listening to the client's need for a transitional look. This comfortable space allows them to escape the daily activities of a busy lifestyle and relax with the latest amenities. Photo: Joe Kyle

Bud Kane has remodeled nearly every room in his own home over many years. Now reaching his 70’s, he contemplated heading up a major kitchen and laundry room renovation himself, planning on doing the carpentry work with his own hands. “I was not convinced I would ever meet anyone who could do it as well as I could do it myself”, said Bud. Ruth and Bud spent 5 years visiting kitchen firms and interviewing designers. They couldn’t however bring themselves to pull the trigger on the project, until they met Advance Design Studio in 2015. “No one understood what I wanted”, said Ruth. She was continually frustrated by experiences with designers who weren’t hearing what was important to her. “Everyone kept designing my kitchen with what they thought it should look like; I couldn’t find anyone who would listen to me”! When they met designer Scott Christensen from Advance Design Studio, they liked him right away. He listened to Ruth and designed a kitchen that she loved, all the while interjecting years of wisdom and design expertise that Ruth appreciated. “The finished product is better than I expected”, says Ruth. “I respected Scott’s opinions and together we created the perfect place for me to bake with my grandkids and truly enjoy the kitchen and laundry room I’ve been dreaming of for many years!” The kitchen transformation began with removing the home’s soffits, and extending new painted maple cabinetry to the ceiling with the addition of an elegant crown molding. Ruth’s new Vita Mix holds a coveted place on her counter, and adjustments were planned to size the cabinets in conjunction with the under cabinet decorative light molding to fit this appliance just right. “This one small detail was really important to me”, says Ruth smiling. An elegant new island replaced the original island, complete with room for 3 stools where her grandchildren will sit to make home-made pasta every Thanksgiving, and cookies at Christmas time. “Traditions are very important in my family, and making my kitchen work to suit cherished activities with my family was the number one reason this renovation was so desired”, replied Ruth when asked about the island. A picture perfect new tea station replaced a cluttered unused desk area, creating a wonderful place to prepare hot drinks for sipping any season of the year while overlooking the couple’s wonderfully manicured gardens from the lovely 3 season’s room just off the kitchen. The soft sage island bead panel detail was repeated on the backsplash, replicating the feel of a fine old piece of furniture. The biggest problem with the laundry room was 3 doors, one from the garage, one from the closet, and one to the hallway. “Scott designed a pocket door, and oh what a dream it is now to bring groceries in from the garage!” exclaims Bud who grew to disdain this task! Doing laundry is now a breeze in this attractive new space that doubles as a wonderful pantry for the kitchen with room to store food items that didn’t have a home in the poorly designed original space. New Hickory distressed wood flooring was laid both in the kitchen and leading to the hall foyer. Soft gray wood-replicating porcelain was placed in the laundry area, making for an easily cleanable surface for what doubles as a mud room from the garage. Creamy tumbled marble graces an unobtrusive backsplash spilling onto shiny granite counter tops in a rich earthy pattern of fall colors that mimic colors throughout the home. Advance is known details that included custom crafted furniture toe kicks, luxurious crown moldings, and beaded under cabinet moldings. The kitchen is complete with a glass display cabinet showing Ruth’s treasured china tea collection. Early on, it was initially only their intention of purchasing cabinets for the new design. They were so impressed however with Advance Design’s complete program for budgeting, design, installation and management that it became clear to them both that they wanted Advance to handle the entire project from start to finish. “After seeing the quality work they did, coupled with the in-house team completely dedicated to our satisfaction, it became apparent there was no other choice but to hire them to handle everything. And we’re so glad we did, we have not one regret”, says Bud. “The attention to detail by the carpentry crew more than satisfied my perfectionist expectations of the finished carpentry,” exclaimed Bud. “Every one of Advance Design’s people we encountered from design through construction was wonderful. We’ve never met a group of people so dedicated to making sure we were happy with every single detail, and every single part of this experience”, said Ruth and Bud. Joe Nowak

Bud Kane has remodeled nearly every room in his own home over many years. Now reaching his 70’s, he contemplated heading up a major kitchen and laundry room renovation himself, planning on doing the carpentry work with his own hands. “I was not convinced I would ever meet anyone who could do it as well as I could do it myself”, said Bud. Ruth and Bud spent 5 years visiting kitchen firms and interviewing designers. They couldn’t however bring themselves to pull the trigger on the project, until they met Advance Design Studio in 2015. “No one understood what I wanted”, said Ruth. She was continually frustrated by experiences with designers who weren’t hearing what was important to her. “Everyone kept designing my kitchen with what they thought it should look like; I couldn’t find anyone who would listen to me”! When they met designer Scott Christensen from Advance Design Studio, they liked him right away. He listened to Ruth and designed a kitchen that she loved, all the while interjecting years of wisdom and design expertise that Ruth appreciated. “The finished product is better than I expected”, says Ruth. “I respected Scott’s opinions and together we created the perfect place for me to bake with my grandkids and truly enjoy the kitchen and laundry room I’ve been dreaming of for many years!” The kitchen transformation began with removing the home’s soffits, and extending new painted maple cabinetry to the ceiling with the addition of an elegant crown molding. Ruth’s new Vita Mix holds a coveted place on her counter, and adjustments were planned to size the cabinets in conjunction with the under cabinet decorative light molding to fit this appliance just right. “This one small detail was really important to me”, says Ruth smiling. An elegant new island replaced the original island, complete with room for 3 stools where her grandchildren will sit to make home-made pasta every Thanksgiving, and cookies at Christmas time. “Traditions are very important in my family, and making my kitchen work to suit cherished activities with my family was the number one reason this renovation was so desired”, replied Ruth when asked about the island. A picture perfect new tea station replaced a cluttered unused desk area, creating a wonderful place to prepare hot drinks for sipping any season of the year while overlooking the couple’s wonderfully manicured gardens from the lovely 3 season’s room just off the kitchen. The soft sage island bead panel detail was repeated on the backsplash, replicating the feel of a fine old piece of furniture. The biggest problem with the laundry room was 3 doors, one from the garage, one from the closet, and one to the hallway. “Scott designed a pocket door, and oh what a dream it is now to bring groceries in from the garage!” exclaims Bud who grew to disdain this task! Doing laundry is now a breeze in this attractive new space that doubles as a wonderful pantry for the kitchen with room to store food items that didn’t have a home in the poorly designed original space. New Hickory distressed wood flooring was laid both in the kitchen and leading to the hall foyer. Soft gray wood-replicating porcelain was placed in the laundry area, making for an easily cleanable surface for what doubles as a mud room from the garage. Creamy tumbled marble graces an unobtrusive backsplash spilling onto shiny granite counter tops in a rich earthy pattern of fall colors that mimic colors throughout the home. Advance is known details that included custom crafted furniture toe kicks, luxurious crown moldings, and beaded under cabinet moldings. The kitchen is complete with a glass display cabinet showing Ruth’s treasured china tea collection. Early on, it was initially only their intention of purchasing cabinets for the new design. They were so impressed however with Advance Design’s complete program for budgeting, design, installation and management that it became clear to them both that they wanted Advance to handle the entire project from start to finish. “After seeing the quality work they did, coupled with the in-house team completely dedicated to our satisfaction, it became apparent there was no other choice but to hire them to handle everything. And we’re so glad we did, we have not one regret”, says Bud. “The attention to detail by the carpentry crew more than satisfied my perfectionist expectations of the finished carpentry,” exclaimed Bud. “Every one of Advance Design’s people we encountered from design through construction was wonderful. We’ve never met a group of people so dedicated to making sure we were happy with every single detail, and every single part of this experience”, said Ruth and Bud. Designer: Scott Christensen Photographer: Joe Nowak

Family room - traditional family room idea in Cleveland

Like most of our projects, we can't gush about this reno—a new kitchen and mudroom, ensuite closet and pantry—without gushing about the people who live there. The best projects, we always say, are the ones in which client, contractor and design team are all present throughout, conception to completion, each bringing their particular expertise to the table and forming a cohesive, trustworthy team that is mutually invested in a smooth and successful process. They listen to each other, give the benefit of the doubt to each other, do what they say they'll do. This project exemplified that kind of team, and it shows in the results. Most obvious is the opening up of the kitchen to the dining room, decompartmentalizing somewhat a century-old bungalow that was originally quite purposefully compartmentalized. As a result, the kitchen had to become a place one wanted to see clear through from the front door. Inset cabinets and carefully selected details make the functional heart of the house equal in elegance to the more "public" gathering spaces, with their craftsman depth and detail. An old back porch was converted to interior space, creating a mudroom and a much-needed ensuite walk-in closet. A new, larger deck went on: Phase One of an extensive design for outdoor living, that we all hope will be realized over the next few years. Finally, a duplicative back stairwell was repurposed into a walk-in pantry. Modernizing often means opening spaces up for more casual living and entertaining, and/or making better use of dead space. In this re-conceptualized old house, we did all of that, creating a back-of-the-house that is now bright and cheerful and new, while carefully incorporating meaningful vintage and personal elements. The best result of all: the clients are thrilled. And everyone who went in to the project came out of it friends. Contractor: Stumpner Building Services Cabinetry: Stoll’s Woodworking Photographer: Gina Rogers

Screen porch off of the dining room
This is an example of a coastal screened-in side porch design in Manchester with decking and a roof extension.

Renovated dining room w/ built-in sideboard
Mid-sized 1950s light wood floor and vaulted ceiling great room photo in Wilmington with white walls

"Kerry Taylor was professional and courteous from our first meeting forwards. We took a long time to decide on our final design but Kerry and his design team were patient and respectful and waited until we were ready to move forward. There was never a sense of being pushed into anything we didn’t like. They listened, carefully considered our requests and delivered an awesome plan for our new bathroom. Kerry also broke down everything so that we could consider several alternatives for features and finishes and was mindful to stay within our budget. He accommodated some on-the-fly changes, after construction was underway and suggested effective solutions for any unforeseen problems that arose. Having construction done in close proximity to our master bedroom was a challenge but the excellent crew TaylorPro had on our job made it relatively painless: courteous and polite, arrived on time daily, worked hard, pretty much nonstop and cleaned up every day before leaving. If there were any delays, Kerry made sure to communicate with us quickly and was always available to talk when we had concerns or questions." This Carlsbad couple yearned for a generous master bath that included a big soaking tub, double vanity, water closet, large walk-in shower, and walk in closet. Unfortunately, their current master bathroom was only 6'x12'. Our design team went to work and came up with a solution to push the back wall into an unused 2nd floor vaulted space in the garage, and further expand the new master bath footprint into two existing closet areas. These inventive expansions made it possible for their luxurious master bath dreams to come true. Just goes to show that, with TaylorPro Design & Remodeling, fitting a square peg in a round hole could be possible! Photos by: Jon Upson

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

Inspiration for a modern dark wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in New York with white walls

photo: Andrea Cipriani Mecchi design: Michele Plachter
Example of a transitional light wood floor and brown floor mudroom design in Philadelphia with white walls

This family loves classic mid century design. We listened, and brought balance. Throughout the design, we conversed about a solution to the existing fireplace. Over time, we realized there was no solution needed. It is perfect as it is. It is quirky and fun, just like the owners. It is a conversation piece. We added rich color and texture in an adjoining room to balance the strength of the stone hearth . Purples, blues and greens find their way throughout the home adding cheer and whimsy. Beautifully sourced artwork compliments from the high end to the hand made. Every room has a special touch to reflect the family’s love of art, color and comfort.

A beautiful kitchen is the central gathering place of today’s home. Crestron connects this kitchen with the entire home to make it more comfortable, convenient and entertaining. From one touchscreen, you can see, hear, and control all of the technology in the home. Check the weather or look up a recipe as you listen to your favorite music, check security cameras, turn lights on and off around the house, adjust the temperature, let in a guest, or even watch TV right on your touchscreen. Spectrum Technology Integrators creates all-in-one seamless connectivity in the heart of the home.

Inspiration for a transitional medium tone wood floor and wall paneling living room remodel in London with gray walls and a standard fireplace

Phoebe Bell
Kids' room - contemporary kids' room idea in Melbourne