The owners of this beautiful St. Louis Park home are savvy designers, my longest-term client, and good friends. Years ago, they decided to make this house their “forever” home. They imagined how to expand their home over time to meet the needs of a growing family. My work on this home began in 2008. Our first project added a comfortable second-floor master suite with full bath. We also updated the exterior from dark brown to grey with white accents to enhance curb appeal. In 2012 we remodeled the basement with a big, warm family room and fireplace, updated laundry and utility room, and a custom wet bar. An open staircase invites traffic into the family room, while a child-proof gate to keep the 3-year-old twins safe. More In 2019 we added a two-story addition by extending the first floor into the backyard, creating a large, open kitchen/dining/family space. We reconfigured the existing main floor bath to a roomy ¾ bath with shower, and removed the existing tub. Two existing first-floor bedrooms were updated as well. The second floor was expanded toward the back yard, creating a larger master suite featuring two large 10′ X 10′ custom closets. The second floor was also expanded over a new garage to make room for another new bedroom with a 100 sq. ft. closet. All this transformed their home into a comfortable, full featured four-bedroom home. With all this construction over the years the backyard was in dire need of landscaping. And as before, the owners wanted to do this in phases. The fourth phase has just been completed, and the results are amazing. Like an arboretum, the backyard features mature trees with abundant shade for Minnesota’s hot and humid summers. The patio is perfect for barbecue entertaining. Naturally stained cedar fencing surrounds the yard, and a small utility shed looks mimics the home’s exterior. Notice the second-floor dormer and window on the front of the house, and the first-floor expansion on the back of the house (+ 25 feet) with windows looking into the family room and kitchen. Imagine the view of this backyard from the kitchen table, where owners often work from home. As plants grow over the years and it will only get better. The result: A forever home that grows with this family.

The owners of this beautiful St. Louis Park home are savvy designers, my longest-term client, and good friends. Years ago, they decided to make this house their “forever” home. They imagined how to expand their home over time to meet the needs of a growing family. My work on this home began in 2008. Our first project added a comfortable second-floor master suite with full bath. We also updated the exterior from dark brown to grey with white accents to enhance curb appeal. In 2012 we remodeled the basement with a big, warm family room and fireplace, updated laundry and utility room, and a custom wet bar. An open staircase invites traffic into the family room, while a child-proof gate to keep the 3-year-old twins safe. More In 2019 we added a two-story addition by extending the first floor into the backyard, creating a large, open kitchen/dining/family space. We reconfigured the existing main floor bath to a roomy ¾ bath with shower, and removed the existing tub. Two existing first-floor bedrooms were updated as well. The second floor was expanded toward the back yard, creating a larger master suite featuring two large 10′ X 10′ custom closets. The second floor was also expanded over a new garage to make room for another new bedroom with a 100 sq. ft. closet. All this transformed their home into a comfortable, full featured four-bedroom home. With all this construction over the years the backyard was in dire need of landscaping. And as before, the owners wanted to do this in phases. The fourth phase has just been completed, and the results are amazing. Like an arboretum, the backyard features mature trees with abundant shade for Minnesota’s hot and humid summers. The patio is perfect for barbecue entertaining. Naturally stained cedar fencing surrounds the yard, and a small utility shed looks mimics the home’s exterior. Notice the second-floor dormer and window on the front of the house, and the first-floor expansion on the back of the house (+ 25 feet) with windows looking into the family room and kitchen. Imagine the view of this backyard from the kitchen table, where owners often work from home. As plants grow over the years and it will only get better. The result: A forever home that grows with this family.

Here are few of the beautiful bathrooms we have remodeled! You would be surprised what is possible in terms of what can be done to your existing bathroom! We can remove your outdated garden tub an install a beautiful frame-less shower, new tile and add a beautiful vanity. Call us at 919-432-4077 or visit our website www.Portofinotile.com for more information. You can also email us at Portofinotile@gmail.com. We have a showroom in Downtown Cary at 115 Ward Street where you can see our tile work and bathrooms on display.

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land. They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot. Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family. The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day. A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms. Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.

After remodeling and living in a 1920s Colonial for years, creative consultant and editor Michelle Adams set out on a new project: the complete renovation of a new mid-century modern home. Though big on character and open space, the house needed work—especially in terms of functional storage in the master bedroom. Wanting a solution that neatly organized and hid everything from sight while staying true to the home’s aesthetic, Michelle called California Closets Michigan to create a custom design that achieved the style and functionality she desired. Michelle started the process by sharing an inspiration photo with design consultant Janice Fisher, which highlighted her vision for long, clean lines and feature lighting. Janice translated this desire into a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling custom unit that stored Michelle’s wardrobe to a T. Multiple hanging sections of varying heights corral dresses, skirts, shirts, and pants, while pull-out shoe shelves keep her collection protected and accessible. In the center, drawers provide concealed storage, and shelves above offer a chic display space. Custom lighting throughout spotlights her entire wardrobe. A streamlined storage solution that blends seamlessly with her home’s mid-century style. Plus, push-to-open doors remove the need for handles, resulting into a clean-lined solution from inside to out.

After remodeling and living in a 1920s Colonial for years, creative consultant and editor Michelle Adams set out on a new project: the complete renovation of a new mid-century modern home. Though big on character and open space, the house needed work—especially in terms of functional storage in the master bedroom. Wanting a solution that neatly organized and hid everything from sight while staying true to the home’s aesthetic, Michelle called California Closets Michigan to create a custom design that achieved the style and functionality she desired. Michelle started the process by sharing an inspiration photo with design consultant Janice Fisher, which highlighted her vision for long, clean lines and feature lighting. Janice translated this desire into a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling custom unit that stored Michelle’s wardrobe to a T. Multiple hanging sections of varying heights corral dresses, skirts, shirts, and pants, while pull-out shoe shelves keep her collection protected and accessible. In the center, drawers provide concealed storage, and shelves above offer a chic display space. Custom lighting throughout spotlights her entire wardrobe. A streamlined storage solution that blends seamlessly with her home’s mid-century style. Plus, push-to-open doors remove the need for handles, resulting into a clean-lined solution from inside to out.

Classic San Francisco residence facade which had Deco influences with the beautifully made circular window details which were preserved. Built by Conscious Construction with photos by Treve Johnson Photography.

An elegant coffee table in the center of this living room and upholstered furniture pieces – chic armchairs and a beautiful sofa around the coffee table are the main elements of this living room interior design. Thanks to the large window, the living room is always filled with daylight. A wall mounted TV adds some functionality to the interior, and a few abstract paintings by contemporary artists make the atmosphere in the living room kind of magic … You can make your living room interior comfortable and fully functional as well. Just contact our interior designers as soon as possible and get a fully updated interior in the shortest terms!

CONTACT These home owners initially contacted their Designer to identify the reason that the floor in their upstairs bedroom suffered from a noticeable slant. The floor problem actually impacted a small bathroom and adjoining study also. Early on, the decision was made to re-design the footprint for the 3 rooms in conjunction with repairing the uneven floor. The approach was to gut all three spaces of walls and floors and start from scratch. The new spaces were designed with the clients needs for accessibility in mind. DESIGN The design effort included identifying the products to be used throughout the spaces. This included everything from the flooring to the wall paint. Kohler plumbing fixtures and Adelphi cabinetry were decided on first. A radiant heat grid was included for the bathroom floor. Lighting, paint and tile soon followed. Wood flooring was installed throughout the adjoining spaces. The master bedroom was redesigned to allow for entry from the study or the master bath via pocket doors. The study was given an access to the master bath also. The hardwood flooring ties the bedroom and study together and gives each room a very spacious feel. The original master bedroom was changed to incorporate a large walk-in closet that features custom storage throughout. The study that also doubles as the IT center for the home was updated with custom book cases and cabinetry from Adelphi Cabinets. When discussing the reapportioning of the entire space for the individual rooms the bathroom was given priority. The previous small bathroom did not include a window for natural light. The new design corrected that in a big way by incorporating an existing bedroom window into the new space. The decision was made early on to allow for the inclusion of a large shower with full granite walls and custom plate glass surround. The shower system includes both fixed and hand held shower heads. A thermostatic control system was included to eliminate scalding. A large bench seat of matching granite allows for relaxing while getting squeaky clean. A separate air massage tub from Kohler centered under the new windows allows for a relaxed moment while being caressed by all those tiny bubbles. His and her side by side vanity sinks allows for efficient use of the space. The Caxton sinks and coordinated toilet were selected to match the color of the tub and do so beautifully! CONSTRUCTION We started the project not knowing what we were going to find. The slanting floor upstairs was not evident in the ceiling of the first floor Once the demolition had been completed it was evident that the floor joists were at the heart of the problem. The home had been framed with floor joists that had been strung together to increase their length. Over time and with the house settling, the strung together joists started to droop from their connection point. This was concealed on the first floor by a large HVAC duct running through the garage. This was corrected by the addition of two laminated beams in the ceiling of the first floor (luckily in the garage) that re-supported the offending joists. THE END The project was a huge success in terms of problem solving and designing with budget and time frame in mind. The overall impact of the new space is impressive both visually and from a practicality point of view. The new master suite with upscale bathroom and study adds significant value to the home and the home owners quality of life!

The room was dark brown, which was fine for a while ... but for an entranceway and a room without windows, dark was not an appropriate long term choice. There was a feng shui request in this re-decorating project, earth tones were not welcome in this area of the home, black, white, metal and water were preferable colors/elements. The walls are 2 layers of metallic paint, the undercoat is a silver, the top coat is a gunmetal mixed with the silver to create an uneven tone. A wide wallpaper paste brush was used to create a vertical linear pattern. The Larson Juhl gold leaf framed mirror is covered in adhesive car vinyl. The Ikea unit is enveloped in an adhesive mural, printed by muralsyourway.com, the artist is David Bromstad. The chair seats were recovered in a silver vinyl fabric. The rug is from overstock.com. The capiz chandelier is from West Elm. The table base is an Ikea take on the Eero Saarinen tulip table. In the "before" room, there were glass tables cluttered with everyday items and "to do" piles of paper. The goal was to have storage in this room to hide the clutter. There was not an outlet on the wall where the Ikea unit sits, and there was not a budget to have the prewar wall fitted with electricity, so an extension cord crosses the room under a grey cord concealer.

Patio - patio idea in DC Metro

The original bathroom on the main floor had an odd Jack-and-Jill layout with two toilets, two vanities and only a single tub/shower (in vintage mint green, no less). With some creative modifications to existing walls and the removal of a small linen closet, we were able to divide the space into two functional bathrooms – one of them now a true en suite master. In the master bathroom we chose a soothing palette of warm grays – the geometric floor tile was laid in a random pattern adding to the modern minimalist style. The slab front vanity has a mid-century vibe and feels at place in the home. Storage space is always at a premium in smaller bathrooms so we made sure there was ample countertop space and an abundance of drawers in the vanity. While calming grays were welcome in the bathroom, a saturated pop of color adds vibrancy to the master bedroom and creates a vibrant backdrop for furnishings.

Scott and Janet of Elgin have had four design to build renovations with Advance Design over the last decade. We got the chance to sit down and talk with Janet about her experience working with Advance Design on so many different areas of her home. Starting with her kitchen in 2009, Janet proclaimed, “The reason we kept coming back is because our first [renovation] went so extremely well, exceeding all of my expectations.” Since their kitchen renovation with Advance Design ten years ago, Scott and Janet have also worked with Advance to remodel their master bedroom, their power room, a wet bar, and most recently their master bath. Having renovated practically every major room in the house with the team, we asked Janet what made her experience with Advance Design so special. “We went with Advance Design because we trusted them so much more, their experience, and everything that they brought. We were confident they were giving us what we wanted for the money we were spending.” For their most recent renovation, Scott and Janet clearly knew what to expect going into their master bath renovation. They were familiar with Advance’s step by step design process that epitomizes the “Common Sense Remodeling” philosophy applied in every project Advance creates. After once again experiencing the careful budgeting analysis, the pointed design meetings, and the clear documentation that leads up the a thoroughly managed installation, Janet’s simple summary of their experience is this; “The word I would use to describe the process is – collaboration!” Working closely with Advance Design kitchen designer Michelle Lecinski, together they were able to develop a new master bath design that not only worked with their investment goal, but also made sense for their lifestyle. “Oh Michelle, my designer! I connected with her immediately. She spent time getting to know us, our lifestyle, even the setting of our house.” The threesome had a great experience designing and producing yet another successful project together. When it came to their new project plans, Scott and Janet were interested in creating a relaxing “spa-like” experience in their master bath. One of the many ideas Michelle introduced during the design process was installing a Kohler Alteo series showerhead for a rain-like shower experience. This designer showerhead, mixed with the warm ambiance of the lighting and pebble accent running throughout the shower make for what Janet calls a “luxury spa essence”. From the oversized glass sliding door to the recessed niche for accessories, each special detail was considered and implemented intentionally so as to create the maximumly optimized use of the compact space. Not only was this transformation one of beauty and luxury, but special attention was given to every way possible to provide additional storage to maximize the functionality of the bath area as a whole. Once design was complete and the bath construction project began in their home, making sure everything happened efficiently and on schedule became new priority number one. “Having a project manager made an enormous difference,” Janet said, “It was so worth it to hire professionals that knew exactly what they were doing. Even after all of these years, I wouldn’t change a thing.” “It was a pleasure working together with Janet and Scott to create this beautiful space that will enhance their lives for many years,” says Michelle. “It is so much fun to get to do this job every day, I love that I can have this sort of impact on their lives by doing something for them [Janet & Scott] that comes so naturally to me!” After reviewing the long-term relationship with clients like Scott and Janet, owner Todd Jurs had this to say, “Clients returning and asking us to transform that next area of their home really warms my heart. It reaffirms that every decision to please clients no matter what is always the right choice, and that our honesty and integrity along with the immense collective talent of this team is recognized and appreciated by those who continue to return to us year after year.” He continued to say, “I always say how blessed we truly are to be able to do what we do, and experiences like this one put a smile on my face every time.”

After remodeling and living in a 1920s Colonial for years, creative consultant and editor Michelle Adams set out on a new project: the complete renovation of a new mid-century modern home. Though big on character and open space, the house needed work—especially in terms of functional storage in the master bedroom. Wanting a solution that neatly organized and hid everything from sight while staying true to the home’s aesthetic, Michelle called California Closets Michigan to create a custom design that achieved the style and functionality she desired. Michelle started the process by sharing an inspiration photo with design consultant Janice Fisher, which highlighted her vision for long, clean lines and feature lighting. Janice translated this desire into a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling custom unit that stored Michelle’s wardrobe to a T. Multiple hanging sections of varying heights corral dresses, skirts, shirts, and pants, while pull-out shoe shelves keep her collection protected and accessible. In the center, drawers provide concealed storage, and shelves above offer a chic display space. Custom lighting throughout spotlights her entire wardrobe. A streamlined storage solution that blends seamlessly with her home’s mid-century style. Plus, push-to-open doors remove the need for handles, resulting into a clean-lined solution from inside to out.

Master Shower Featuring Wall Tile by Walker Zanger in Rue Pierre Gris 3 x 6 Antique. Shower Floor Tile by Topcu Tile + Stone in 2x2 Bianco Gioia Honed. Niches by Schluter Systems. Grout by TEC Installation Systems in Silverado. Project by Johnson & Galyon. Tile & Installation by Exact Tile Inc. #exacttile #tiledesign #tileinstallation #tileknoxville #walkerzanger #topcutile #schlutersystems #tecgrout #shower #tile

After remodeling and living in a 1920s Colonial for years, creative consultant and editor Michelle Adams set out on a new project: the complete renovation of a new mid-century modern home. Though big on character and open space, the house needed work—especially in terms of functional storage in the master bedroom. Wanting a solution that neatly organized and hid everything from sight while staying true to the home’s aesthetic, Michelle called California Closets Michigan to create a custom design that achieved the style and functionality she desired. Michelle started the process by sharing an inspiration photo with design consultant Janice Fisher, which highlighted her vision for long, clean lines and feature lighting. Janice translated this desire into a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling custom unit that stored Michelle’s wardrobe to a T. Multiple hanging sections of varying heights corral dresses, skirts, shirts, and pants, while pull-out shoe shelves keep her collection protected and accessible. In the center, drawers provide concealed storage, and shelves above offer a chic display space. Custom lighting throughout spotlights her entire wardrobe. A streamlined storage solution that blends seamlessly with her home’s mid-century style. Plus, push-to-open doors remove the need for handles, resulting into a clean-lined solution from inside to out.

Engineered cedar siding creates beautiful gray-blue tones at the exterior of the home, while adding a textural element to activate the simple exterior design.

This house is set on a sunny natural plateau, sheltered from the wind and enjoys magnificent views of Sutton Mounts and Echo. The layout of the house integrates harmoniously with the surrounding forest, opening to nature through large expanses of glass and terraces that connect the living spaces to the forest. A long roof shelters the house, its deep eaves acting as a sunshade and defining protected outside spaces. The wide south and east terraces, close to ground level, bring the house into contact with its site and enjoy lots of sunshine. A screen porch is strategically located to avoid blocking the primary views and provides access to the forest. The living living spaces are arranged in an open layout under a ceiling ceiling that reaches 12 feet in height, yet more intimate spaces such as the fireplace alcove modulate the spaces between the higher volumes. The construction will achieve Novoclimat certification and integrates among other things a radiant floor fed by a geothermal heating system. This project was completed in collaboration with engineers and Construction Boivin.