Designed more than 115 years ago, this classic Shaws Original apron-front sink (rohlhome.com) is simple without being boring, and it's extra deep for washing pots and pans. Photo by Erica George Dines for Southern Living

Dining room - transitional dining room idea in Charlotte

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless slate floor and gray floor mudroom remodel in Orange County with gray walls

Example of a small trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in New York with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Photo: Angela Flournoy © 2013 Houzz
Example of a classic garage workshop design in Dallas

To achieve a bright, light-filled kitchen and maximize the orchard views, a banquette was removed and floor to ceiling windows were added at the bay window. Andrea Rugg Photography

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Portland with shaker cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Open concept kitchen - large farmhouse single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen idea in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Transitional formal and open concept dark wood floor living room photo in DC Metro with white walls

Fun, cheerful little girl's room featuring custom house twin bed frame, bright rug, fun twinkly lights, golden lamp, comfy gray reading chair and custom blue drapes. Photo by Exceptional Frames.

The clean, calm, restful interiors of this heart-of-the-city home are an antidote to urban living, and busy professional lives. As well, they’re an ode to enduring style that will accommodate the changing needs of the young family who lives here. Photos by June Suthigoseeya

Meghan Bob Photography
Inspiration for a large transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room remodel in Los Angeles with white walls

David O. Marlow Photography
Bedroom - mid-sized rustic guest medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Denver with white walls, a corner fireplace and a stone fireplace

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

photos by Susan Teare • www.susanteare.com
Small mountain style medium tone wood floor living room photo in Burlington with a wood stove, a tile fireplace and beige walls

Northpeak Design
Example of a large mountain style brown two-story wood gable roof design in Portland Maine

Cottage shiplap wall double front door photo in Seattle with white walls and a black front door

Example of a large minimalist open concept light wood floor and brown floor family room design in Austin with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Doug Petersen Photography
Mid-sized elegant open concept light wood floor and beige floor family room photo in Boise with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace