When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

Most designers will tell you the most difficult project is to work on is your own home. My kitchen remodel was no different for me. We loved our previous downtown loft with the large open spaces and wanted to recreate that feel in our new suburban townhouse. The townhome had wonderful views of the woods but lacked an open floor plan, sophisticated finishes and character we desired. The original kitchen, though open to the living area, had two small islands. One cut the kitchen off from the living areas. The other island had the cooktop and not the sink as I had wished. In fact the sink faced the wall. The challenge was to improve the flow of the room, take advantage of the view and make it more conducive for entertaining. The island was expanded to hold the sink and seating to gather while entertaining. It faces the living space and the views of the woods. All the appliances including a steam oven and TV had to be located on the wall behind the island. A custom appliance cabinet was designed to hold the microwave drawer, steam oven and TV. That unit along with the refrigerator and range make the entire wall appear balanced without being cluttered. With a large open plan, the finishes needed to be as sophisticated as the adjacent living room. The furniture quality cabinetry is creamy white with a grey highlight and the island is a natural stained walnut; colors and materials that are repeated throughout the house. The backsplash tile is a custom cut limestone that matches the new fireplace surround in the adjacent living room. Mission accomplished – the new space is opened up. It’s far more organized and sophisticated. And it functions perfectly while entertaining in our “loft in the woods”.

Most designers will tell you the most difficult project is to work on is your own home. My kitchen remodel was no different for me. We loved our previous downtown loft with the large open spaces and wanted to recreate that feel in our new suburban townhouse. The townhome had wonderful views of the woods but lacked an open floor plan, sophisticated finishes and character we desired. The original kitchen, though open to the living area, had two small islands. One cut the kitchen off from the living areas. The other island had the cooktop and not the sink as I had wished. In fact the sink faced the wall. The challenge was to improve the flow of the room, take advantage of the view and make it more conducive for entertaining. The island was expanded to hold the sink and seating to gather while entertaining. It faces the living space and the views of the woods. All the appliances including a steam oven and TV had to be located on the wall behind the island. A custom appliance cabinet was designed to hold the microwave drawer, steam oven and TV. That unit along with the refrigerator and range make the entire wall appear balanced without being cluttered. With a large open plan, the finishes needed to be as sophisticated as the adjacent living room. The furniture quality cabinetry is creamy white with a grey highlight and the island is a natural stained walnut; colors and materials that are repeated throughout the house. The backsplash tile is a custom cut limestone that matches the new fireplace surround in the adjacent living room. Mission accomplished – the new space is opened up. It’s far more organized and sophisticated. And it functions perfectly while entertaining in our “loft in the woods”.

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

Most designers will tell you the most difficult project is to work on is your own home. My kitchen remodel was no different for me. We loved our previous downtown loft with the large open spaces and wanted to recreate that feel in our new suburban townhouse. The townhome had wonderful views of the woods but lacked an open floor plan, sophisticated finishes and character we desired. The original kitchen, though open to the living area, had two small islands. One cut the kitchen off from the living areas. The other island had the cooktop and not the sink as I had wished. In fact the sink faced the wall. The challenge was to improve the flow of the room, take advantage of the view and make it more conducive for entertaining. The island was expanded to hold the sink and seating to gather while entertaining. It faces the living space and the views of the woods. All the appliances including a steam oven and TV had to be located on the wall behind the island. A custom appliance cabinet was designed to hold the microwave drawer, steam oven and TV. That unit along with the refrigerator and range make the entire wall appear balanced without being cluttered. With a large open plan, the finishes needed to be as sophisticated as the adjacent living room. The furniture quality cabinetry is creamy white with a grey highlight and the island is a natural stained walnut; colors and materials that are repeated throughout the house. The backsplash tile is a custom cut limestone that matches the new fireplace surround in the adjacent living room. Mission accomplished – the new space is opened up. It’s far more organized and sophisticated. And it functions perfectly while entertaining in our “loft in the woods”.

Close-up of a custom panel designed for an assisted living meditation area. The panel accents show a broad range of colors, and simple elements that were requested by the "donor' of this panel: music (amazing grace notes), the wheat, dove, and cross. The overall theme was for color and contemplation with some aspects of a religious theme, but not to be overpowering. This example of incorporating specific requested themes, in a panel, can be addressed in custom residential panels that we can design for specific settings. Photo by Doris Cultraro

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

Farmhouse style laundry room with Schaub hardware, Ann Sacks tile on the splash, and a bridge style faucet....

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

When the clients for this 1940's Minneapolis home came to us with their kitchen, they wanted to really make a kitchen they could be proud to come home to and entertain friends and family. With a Scandinavian focus in mind, we played with a number of different elements to bring the whole design together. The cabinets are painted a blue/gray color and the tops are a marble-like quartz. The backsplash is a simple, yet elegant, gray elongated subway tile that tucks up right under the floating shelves and upper cabinets. The floors are a wood-looking luxury vinyl plank. Finally the open shelves are made of reclaimed barn wood sourced from Minnesota. One of the focuses in this kitchen was to create a space for coffee. The coffee nook was specifically designed to accommodate the specific coffee maker the homeowners selected. Overall, we are completely in love with this look and how beautiful it turned out!

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

Inspiration for a mediterranean home design remodel in Kansas City

Inspiration for a timeless living room remodel in Seattle

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

Who wouldn't fall in love with the Water Street building, and the elegant industrial vibe? The light that floods in through the floor-to-ceiling windows makes this a perfect spot to entertain and host friends from California or adult kids who visit. The location can't be beat--these clients ride their bikes to meet friends for lunch or a tour through the Hirschhorn. We knocked down a wall to open the kitchen, and added modern furnishings punctuated by splashes of deep orangey-red. High contrast and lots of rich textures can be found throughout this urban loft. Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

See "Cottage Kitchen in Elburn" for the kitchen featured in this description Located on a partially wooded lot in Elburn, Illinois, this home needed an eye-catching interior redo to match the unique period exterior. The residence was originally designed by Bow House, a company that reproduces the look of 300-year old bow roof Cape-Cod style homes. Since typical kitchens in old Cape Cod-style homes tend to run a bit small- or as some would like to say, cozy – this kitchen was in need of plenty of efficient storage to house a modern day family of three. Advance Design Studio, Ltd. was able to evaluate the kitchen’s adjacent spaces and determine that there were several walls that could be relocated to allow for more usable space in the kitchen. The refrigerator was moved to the newly excavated space and incorporated into a handsome dinette, an intimate banquette, and a new coffee bar area. This allowed for more countertop and prep space in the primary area of the kitchen. It now became possible to incorporate a ball and claw foot tub and a larger vanity in the elegant new full bath that was once just an adjacent guest powder room. Reclaimed vintage Chicago brick paver flooring was carefully installed in a herringbone pattern to give the space a truly unique touch and feel. And to top off this revamped redo, a handsome custom green-toned island with a distressed black walnut counter top graces the center of the room, the perfect final touch in this charming little kitchen.