Literally Nicely - Photos & Ideas

Quinn and Paige, residents of this tired 1960’s tri-level home hated their kitchen. As a matter of fact, prior to making plans to renovate the first floor - they considered selling the home, but were reluctant because of its enviable location near the heart of downtown Barrington which was within walking distance to local stores and all their favorite places. So instead they contacted Advance Design Studio after hearing about them from a neighbor, to rescue their tired home and give it new life. The very first plan was to remove the constricting walls surrounding the original kitchen, and open the expansive first floor living room and dining area to the new heart of the space; a stunning state of the art coastal designed kitchen. Exposing attractive beams in the vaulted ceiling created an interesting structural detail that suits the open plan and salutes the original architecture of the home, further emphasizing the height of the new space enjoyed now by the family as a great room. The stage was set for the seaside feel of this kitchen by pairing crisp white painted maple cabinets with Dura Supreme’s one of kind hand weathered finish on the island in soft blue-green finish. But the authentic feeling of being on your favorite beach was supremely achieved by the matching of unique Mt. Claire marble on the island and the specialty Wareham acid washed stone on the perimeter counter tops. Pictures don’t do justice to the feel of this stone under your hand; its water-washed texture reminds instantly of summer vacations collecting rocks softly etched by hundreds of waves. Stainless steel appliances and satin nickel hardware shine brightly against the backdrop of bright white subway tiles accentuated by subtle grey grout lines contributing to the nautical feel of this comfortable kitchen. Seeded glass door cabinetry reminiscent of beach grasses dress up the space just enough, and a proud 6” stacked crown molding extends above 36” wall cabinets into the expanse of the now taller space; balancing this kitchen nicely within its newly integrated home. Features in this kitchen include a built in standard depth refrigerator, pull out spice racks, tall tray dividers and wood super Susan with double pull out trash and recycling. A cutlery divider holds sharp knives, and an angled cabinet was customized to hold a secret USB charging station. The bright white Kohler farm sink is graced by an elegant bridge faucet in brushed nickel. This now airy and spacious kitchen has room for guest and family to congregate around the large island, complete with stools and attractive hidden storage for seldom used entertainment pieces. “I was sold when I saw the drawings. My designer nailed it, down to every last storage idea and coastal detail I envisioned, it was all in there. It was unbelievable how accurate her interpretation was of what was in my head; working with her made my kitchen renovation so easy, it’s as if she literally read my mind”, said Paige enthusiastically. The woman of the house expressed upon completion not only her love for her fantastic new cooking space, but how renovating her kitchen has given new life to the entire home. Talk of moving has been relegated to the recycling bin, and instead the family is discussing plans to renovate the master bath now that they’ve decided to stay for the long term. Friends who visit the home do a double-take as they recognize the new space’s dramatic transformation from original cramped and closed spaces - to the now amazingly fresh open kitchen that has become the center of every gathering and family meal. Designer: Nicole Ryan Photographer: Joe Nowak

Chic High-Rise Primary Bathroom Makeover

Drury Design

THE SETUP This client lives in a great high-rise condo in downtown Chicago. Alicia has already remodeled a few areas of her home, including her kitchen and home office. The bathroom is one of the last big places the client wanted to update. The existing bathroom had a large, outdated whirlpool tub in the corner. It was a darker space that had a lack of natural light. There are no windows (due to the bathroom’s location within the high-rise building). So, the idea was to brighten up the space and give the client an updated, elegant primary bathroom that is more her style and tailor-made for her routines. Design Objectives: - Make the space brighter. - Create different daily routine stations to maximize functionality while keeping things clutter-free – a makeup station, a blow-dry station, and a sink-needs station. - Achieve the client’s specific style and function needs while also keeping the look and design open to future possibilities: different users of the space/resale clients. Design Challenges: - Toilet cannot be moved. (In a high-rise, you can’t really move plumbing around too much when reimagining a space) - Existing bathroom had a soffit that hid a lot of electrical wiring, so completely removing the soffit wasn’t an option. - The blow-dry station needs to accommodate the client’s preference for standing up. - Finding a place for the make-up station, which the client wants oriented for sitting. - Create storage within the shower that can eliminate the clutter of personal care products that are actually needed every day. Do this, while keeping the client’s favorite things about the existing shower: the shower bench, a tub filler faucet (for rinsing shaving cream when shaving legs) and a low niche for placing her foot when shaving her legs. THE RENEWED SPACE Design Solutions: - Extended a bit of wall near the toilet to give the commode its own area within the space, but without closing it off into a claustrophobic WC. - Worked within the reality of the existing soffit situation, reshaping it to align with the new shower. Can lights were also added. Installed a beautiful ceiling light fixture that works within the new soffit shape, commanding attention and adding light, as if the sofit shape was chosen for it. - Created a nice, furniture-looking 42”-high cabinet with pullout drawers to be the blow-dry station, complete with a mirror and a nice top. The pullout drawers are all powered, concealing a Dyson dryer and curling iron (and all the accoutrements) while keeping them plugged in, which is ideal for easy usage and put away. A stylish mirror on the wall above the cabinet, and proper lighting, make this the perfect blow-dry station. The top has a grommet that can accommodate a power cord should the client ever want to have a powered device on top of the cabinet. - Put the sit-down makeup station where the tub used to be, putting the mirror back into a new recessed wall just a bit, allowing the area to have more room. - Created a niche in the shower’s inner wall so that you can’t see it unless you are literally inside the shower. At the client’s request, it also has a hook so she can hang her loofa. Hiding the utility niche in this way allowed us to use the full main wall of the shower as a canvas for a beautiful accent stripe of raised decorative tile. The new shower has her old favorites, too: the tub filler, foot niche and bench. Alicia’s client loves her new primary bathroom, especially the blow dry area. It is very accommodating for her, as a tall lady, while being very easy to use. The drawers store everything. Being powered, they make using already-plugged in appliances very easy to use and put away. Her previous makeup station was a freestanding vanity with a single drawer, so beauty products were all over the surface top. With her new makeup station, everything is nicely tucked away and organized in drawers. The new lighting is fantastic and the colors are light and soft. The clients loves the overall look and feel of her new bathroom and raves about how well the functionality-minded design makes her morning routine – and her life – easier and enjoyable!

Elegant Expansion

Drury Design

The appliances were all fit into a compact, strategic triangle of work functionality. A pot filler was added by the 48” range to help create separate prep and cleanup areas. A 48″ Galley Workstation sink with a beautiful oversized brushed brass faucet created a full work area in itself. (The Galley Workstation is a clever new category of kitchen appliance, consisting of a sink and layered, sliding components – like cutting boards, prep trays and serving decks – in a unified, ergonomic design). The cabinets were loaded up with accessories like pull-out spice racks and miracle corner cabinets. Insightful design maximized and expanded the possibilities of every inch of storage space. A man-made material called Luxe Olivo was used on the cabinet doors. It is a gorgeous, material with a high-gloss finish that simulates zebrawood without the hassles and concerns that come with having a natural exotic veneer cabinet. The durable finish will literally last a lifetime. The contemporary cabinetry is mixed with a more traditional marbleized tile to create a nice, soft background for the exotic cabinetry. The reflections of the contemporary light fixtures add a nice touch and sparkle to this stunning kitchen.

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz