This was a full gut an renovation. The existing kitchen had very dated cabinets and didn't function well for the clients. A previous desk area was turned into hidden cabinetry to house the microwave and larger appliances and to keep the countertops clutter free. The original pendants were about 4" wide and were inappropriate for the large island. They were replaced with larger, brighter and more sophisticated pendants. The use of panel ready appliances with large matte black hardware made gave this a clean and sophisticated look. Mosaic tile was installed from the countertop to the ceiling and wall sconces were installed over the kitchen window. A different tile was used in the bar area which has a beverage refrigerator and an ice machine and floating shelves. The cabinetry in this area also includes a pullout drawer for dog food.

For a client with an enthusiastic appreciation of retro design, this sunny ode to kitchens of the past is a cheerful and comforting retreat for today. The client wanted a kitchen that creatively expressed her fun, unconventional taste while providing all the modern conveniences of a contemporary home. Space was borrowed from an existing office to provide more open area and easier navigation in the kitchen. Bright, optimistic yellow sets the tone in the room, with retro-inspired appliances in buttery yellow chosen as key elements of the design. A generous apron-front farm sink gleams with clean white enameled cast iron and is outfitted with a rare retro faucet with spray and scrub brush attachments. Black trim against the yellow ceramic tile countertops defines the kitchen’s lines. Simple maple cabinetry painted white with black ceramic knobs provides a modern level of storage. Playful positioning of contrasting tiles on the floor presents a modern, quirky interpretation of the traditional checkerboard pattern in this classic kitchen with an original point of view.

The best of past and present architectural styles combine in this welcoming, farmhouse-inspired design. Clad in low-maintenance siding, the distinctive exterior has plenty of street appeal, with its columned porch, multiple gables, shutters and interesting roof lines. Other exterior highlights included trusses over the garage doors, horizontal lap siding and brick and stone accents. The interior is equally impressive, with an open floor plan that accommodates today’s family and modern lifestyles. An eight-foot covered porch leads into a large foyer and a powder room. Beyond, the spacious first floor includes more than 2,000 square feet, with one side dominated by public spaces that include a large open living room, centrally located kitchen with a large island that seats six and a u-shaped counter plan, formal dining area that seats eight for holidays and special occasions and a convenient laundry and mud room. The left side of the floor plan contains the serene master suite, with an oversized master bath, large walk-in closet and 16 by 18-foot master bedroom that includes a large picture window that lets in maximum light and is perfect for capturing nearby views. Relax with a cup of morning coffee or an evening cocktail on the nearby covered patio, which can be accessed from both the living room and the master bedroom. Upstairs, an additional 900 square feet includes two 11 by 14-foot upper bedrooms with bath and closet and a an approximately 700 square foot guest suite over the garage that includes a relaxing sitting area, galley kitchen and bath, perfect for guests or in-laws.

A PLACE TO GATHER Location: Eagan, MN, USA This family of five wanted an inviting space to gather with family and friends. Mom, the primary cook, wanted a large island with more organized storage – everything in its place – and a crisp white kitchen with the character of an older home. Challenges: Design an island that could accommodate this family of five for casual weeknight dinners. Create more usable storage within the existing kitchen footprint. Design a better transition between the upper cabinets on the 8-foot sink wall and the adjoining 9-foot cooktop wall. Make room for more counter space around the cooktop. It was poorly lit, cluttered with small appliances and confined by the tall oven cabinet. Solutions: A large island, that seats 5 comfortably, replaced the small island and kitchen table. This allowed for more storage including cookbook shelves, a heavy-duty roll out shelf for the mixer, a 2-bin recycling center and a bread drawer. Tall pantries with decorative grilles were placed between the kitchen and family room. These created ample storage and helped define each room, making each one feel larger, yet more intimate. A space intentionally separates the upper cabinets on the sink wall from those on the cooktop wall. This created symmetry on the sink wall and made room for an appliance garage, which keeps the countertops uncluttered. Moving the double ovens to the former pantry location made way for more usable counter space around the cooktop and a dramatic focal point with the hood, cabinets and marble backsplash. Special Features: Custom designed corbels and island legs lend character. Gilt open lanterns, antiqued nickel grilles on the pantries, and the soft linen shade at the kitchen sink add personality and charm. The unique bronze hardware with a living finish creates the patina of an older home. A walnut island countertop adds the warmth and feel of a kitchen table. This homeowner truly understood the idea of living with the patina of marble. Her grandmother’s marble-topped antique table inspired the Carrara countertops. The result is a highly organized kitchen with a light, open feel that invites you to stay a while. Liz Schupanitz Designs Photographed by: Andrea Rugg

This gray and white family kitchen has touches of gold and warm accents. The Diamond Cabinets that were purchased from Lowes are a warm grey and are accented with champagne gold Atlas cabinet hardware. The Taj Mahal quartzite countertops have a nice cream tone with veins of gold and gray. The mother or pearl diamond mosaic tile backsplash by Jeffery Court adds a little sparkle to the small kitchen layout. The island houses the glass cook top with a stainless steel hood above the island. The white appliances are not the typical thing you see in kitchens these days but works beautifully. Designed by Danielle Perkins @ DANIELLE Interior Design & Decor Taylor Abeel Photography

Kitchen designed by Knight Architects LLC Princeton, NJ.
Transitional l-shaped light wood floor kitchen photo in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

Nestled into the hills of Portola Valley, California the structures open space carefully defines and details outdoor rooms and interior space. While this form naturally echoes its landscape and beauty it was able to maintain and score Gold in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Windy Hill Heaven residents incorporated sustainable aspects such as: STRUCTURE // Passive-solar design, spray foam insulation, structurally insulated panel called (SIPs), and high efficiency low e windows ELECTRICITY // Photovoltaic solar-panel array tied to the grid allowing this home to be net zero, Energy Star appliances, and energy efficient fans and lighting HEATING AND COOLING // In-floor radiant hot-water and a highly efficient fireplace SUSTAINABLE FEATURE // Native landscaping locally sourced building materials, low-VOC materials, paint and sealers. In all making this a very ECO-logically designed home

SCHULER CABINETRY Monroe maple White Icing; Island is Monroe maple Eagle Rock Sable Glaze The allure of this Monroe kitchen is in the complementary fresh and warm colors of White Icing and Eagle Rock along with the functional appeal of cabinets that have built-in appliances and great storage options. A built-in appliance cabinet with a pull-out work surface creates extra countertop space and is a perfect place holder for that extra pot of coffee during brunch. Hutch shown in Appaloosa. #Lowes Moreno Valley www.schulercabinetry.com/ www.Lowes.Com/KitchenandBath

Photos by Alan K. Barley, AIA Modern Contemporary Kitchen kitchen island stainless steel appliances pendant lighting, wood countertops kitchen alcove, open floor plan Austin luxury home, Austin custom home, BarleyPfeiffer Architecture, BarleyPfeiffer, wood floors, sustainable design, sleek design, pro work, modern, low voc paint, interiors and consulting, house ideas, home planning, 5 star energy, high performance, green building, fun design, 5 star appliance, find a pro, family home, elegance, efficient, custom-made, comprehensive sustainable architects, barley & Pfeiffer architects, natural lighting, AustinTX, Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, professional services, green design, Screened-In porch, Austin luxury home, Austin custom home, BarleyPfeiffer Architecture, wood floors, sustainable design, sleek design, modern, low voc paint, interiors and consulting, house ideas, home planning, 5 star energy, high performance, green building, fun design, 5 star appliance, find a pro, family home, elegance, efficient, custom-made, comprehensive sustainable architects, natural lighting, Austin TX, Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, professional services, green design, curb appeal, LEED, AIA,

Traditional kitchen with white cabinetry, furnished with appliances from LG in the new Black Stainless collection.
Inspiration for a light wood floor kitchen remodel in Tampa with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and black appliances

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Cosmic Black granite is shown in this project! Search the specific granite name, see more granite or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Learn more about granite to see if it’s right for you: Granite countertops can last a lifetime. It contains no harmful chemicals and do not emit harmful radiation or gasses. Granite is heat resistant and is one of the most heat-resistant countertops on the market. You can place a hot pan out of the oven directly onto the countertop surface. Experts do recommend the use of a trivet when using appliances that emit heat for long periods of time, such as crockpots. Since the material is so dense, there is a small possibility heating one area of the top and not the entire thing, could cause the countertop to crack. Granite is scratch resistant. You can cut on it, but it will dull your knives! Granite scores a seven on Moh’s hardness scale. Granite countertops are considered to be a low maintenance countertop surface. The likelihood of needing to be repaired or resurfaced is low. Granite is a porous material. Most fabricators will apply a sealer to granite countertops before they are installed which will protect them from absorbing liquids too quickly. Many sealers last more than 10 years before needing to be reapplied. When they do need to be reapplied, it is something that most homeowners can do on their own as the process is similar to cleaning. Darker granites are very dense and sometimes don’t even require a sealer. When it comes to pricing, there are a lot of variables such as edge profile, total square footage, backsplash, etc. Don’t be fooled by the stereotype that all granite is expensive. Lower-range granites will cost less than high-range laminate. Though granite countertops are not considered “low range” in pricing, there are a lot of affordable options. If you are looking for something truly unique, consider an exotic granite. Some quarries are not easily accessible and/or only able to be quarried for short periods of time throughout the year. If these circumstances exist in a quarry with gorgeous stone, the price will be driven upward You won’t find a lot of solid patterns or bright colors, but both do exist. Also, watch for a large range of color and pattern within the same color of stone. It’s always a good idea to view the exact slab(s) that will be fabricated for your kitchen to make sure they are what you expected to see from the sample. Another factor is that many exotic types of granite have huge flowing waves, and a small sample will not be an accurate representation of the whole slab. Granite countertops are very resistant to chemicals. Acids and bases will not harm the material.

Large refrigerator, built-in microwave, and stove from Thermador add a nice touch in stainless steel. Photos by Chris Veith.
Inspiration for a mid-sized country l-shaped brown floor and medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in New York with white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, black countertops, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets and soapstone countertops

Our goal on this project was to create a live-able and open feeling space in a 690 square foot modern farmhouse. We planned for an open feeling space by installing tall windows and doors, utilizing pocket doors and building a vaulted ceiling. An efficient layout with hidden kitchen appliances and a concealed laundry space, built in tv and work desk, carefully selected furniture pieces and a bright and white colour palette combine to make this tiny house feel like a home. We achieved our goal of building a functionally beautiful space where we comfortably host a few friends and spend time together as a family. John McManus

Denash Photography, designed by Jenny Rausch
Small beach style l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in St Louis with white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, colored appliances, an island, an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, quartz countertops and mosaic tile backsplash

Cosmic Black granite is shown in this project! Search the specific granite name, see more granite or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Learn more about granite to see if it’s right for you: Granite countertops can last a lifetime. It contains no harmful chemicals and do not emit harmful radiation or gasses. Granite is heat resistant and is one of the most heat-resistant countertops on the market. You can place a hot pan out of the oven directly onto the countertop surface. Experts do recommend the use of a trivet when using appliances that emit heat for long periods of time, such as crockpots. Since the material is so dense, there is a small possibility heating one area of the top and not the entire thing, could cause the countertop to crack. Granite is scratch resistant. You can cut on it, but it will dull your knives! Granite scores a seven on Moh’s hardness scale. Granite countertops are considered to be a low maintenance countertop surface. The likelihood of needing to be repaired or resurfaced is low. Granite is a porous material. Most fabricators will apply a sealer to granite countertops before they are installed which will protect them from absorbing liquids too quickly. Many sealers last more than 10 years before needing to be reapplied. When they do need to be reapplied, it is something that most homeowners can do on their own as the process is similar to cleaning. Darker granites are very dense and sometimes don’t even require a sealer. When it comes to pricing, there are a lot of variables such as edge profile, total square footage, backsplash, etc. Don’t be fooled by the stereotype that all granite is expensive. Lower-range granites will cost less than high-range laminate. Though granite countertops are not considered “low range” in pricing, there are a lot of affordable options. If you are looking for something truly unique, consider an exotic granite. Some quarries are not easily accessible and/or only able to be quarried for short periods of time throughout the year. If these circumstances exist in a quarry with gorgeous stone, the price will be driven upward You won’t find a lot of solid patterns or bright colors, but both do exist. Also, watch for a large range of color and pattern within the same color of stone. It’s always a good idea to view the exact slab(s) that will be fabricated for your kitchen to make sure they are what you expected to see from the sample. Another factor is that many exotic types of granite have huge flowing waves, and a small sample will not be an accurate representation of the whole slab. Granite countertops are very resistant to chemicals. Acids and bases will not harm the material.

Modern Appliances and updates were brought into this East Village kitchen on a budget and with improved efficiency in mind. The open plan for the kitchen and living area allows for a bright kitchen and a great place to entertain. © Devon Banks

Valerie Wilcox
Inspiration for a tropical kitchen remodel in Toronto with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, metallic backsplash, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

The family who owned this 1965 home chose a dramatic upgrade for their Coquitlam full home renovation. They wanted more room for gatherings, an open concept kitchen, and upgrades to bathrooms and the rec room. Their neighbour knew of our work, and we were glad to bring our skills to another project in the area. Choosing Dramatic Lines In the original house, the entryway was cramped, with a closet being the first thing everyone saw. We opened the entryway and moved the closet, all while maintaining separation between the entry and the living space. To draw the attention from the entry into the living room, we used a dramatic, flush, black herringbone ceiling detail across the ceiling. This detail goes all the way to the entertainment area on the main floor. The eye arrives at a stunning waterfall edge walnut mantle, modern fireplace. Open Concept Kitchen with Lots of Seating The dividing wall between the kitchen and living areas was removed to create a larger, integrated entertaining space. The kitchen also has easy access to a new outdoor social space. A new large skylight directly over the kitchen floods the space with natural light. The kitchen now has gloss white cabinetry, with matte black accents and the same herringbone detail as the living room, and is tied together with a low maintenance Caesarstone’s white Attica quartz for the island countertop. This over-sized island has barstool seating for five while leaving plenty of room for homework, snacking, socializing, and food prep in the same space. To maximize space and minimize clutter, we integrated the kitchen appliances into the kitchen island, including a food warming drawer, a hidden fridge, and the dishwasher. This takes the eyes to focus off appliances, and onto the design elements which feed throughout the home. We also installed a beverage center just beside the kitchen so family and guests can fix themselves a drink, without disrupting the flow of the kitchen. Updated Downstairs Space, Updated Guest Room, Updated Bathrooms It was a treat to update this entire house. Upstairs, we renovated the master bedroom with new blackout drapery, new decor, and a warm light grey paint colour. The tight bathroom was transformed with modern fixtures and gorgeous grey tile the homeowners loved. The two teen girls’ rooms were updated with new lighting and furniture that tied in with the whole home decor, but which also reflected their personal taste. In the basement, we updated the rec room with a bright modern look and updated fireplace. We added a needed door to the garage. We upgraded the bathrooms and created a legal second suite which the young adult daughter will use, for now. Laundry Its Own Room, Finally In a family with four women, you can imagine how much laundry gets done in this house. As part of the renovation, we built a proper laundry room with plenty of storage space, countertops, and a large sink.