Matthew Kleinrock
Elegant gender-neutral playroom photo in DC Metro with beige walls

Once apon a time I was a scary basement located in a congested section of Cambridge MA. My clients and I set out to create a new space inspired by France that could also double as a guest room when needed. Painting the existing wood joists and adding bead board in between the joists and painting any exposed pipes white celebrates the ceiling rather than trying to hide it keeps the much needed ceiling height. Italian furniture, books and antique rug gives this once basement a very European well travelled feel. Michael J Lee Photography

This space needed to be redesigned to better improve both the functionality and overall aesthetics of the room. The narrow footprint didn’t inhibit on all that is included in this laundry and mud room! The homeowners received their much-needed overflow pantry storage, ample shoe storage for their growing family, and plenty of room to fold laundry with additional space made for a drying rack and pull out waste/recycle bin. The final design gives everything a place!

“Immediately upon seeing the space, I knew that we needed to create a narrative that allowed the design to control how you moved through the space,” reports Kimberly, senior interior designer. After surveying each room and learning a bit more about their personal style, we started with the living room remodel. It was clear that the couple wanted to infuse mid-century modern into the design plan. Sourcing the Room & Board Jasper Sofa with its narrow arms and tapered legs, it offered the mid-century look, with the modern comfort the clients are used to. Velvet accent pillows from West Elm and Crate & Barrel add pops of colors but also a subtle touch of luxury, while framed pictures from the couple’s honeymoon personalize the space. Moving to the dining room next, Kimberly decided to add a blue accent wall to emphasize the Horchow two piece Percussion framed art that was to be the focal point of the dining area. The Seno sideboard from Article perfectly accentuated the mid-century style the clients loved while providing much-needed storage space. The palette used throughout both rooms were very New York style, grays, blues, beiges, and whites, to add depth, Kimberly sourced decorative pieces in a mixture of different metals. “The artwork above their bureau in the bedroom is photographs that her father took,” Moving into the bedroom renovation, our designer made sure to continue to stick to the client’s style preference while once again creating a personalized, warm and comforting space by including the photographs taken by the client’s father. The Avery bed added texture and complimented the other colors in the room, while a hidden drawer at the foot pulls out for attached storage, which thrilled the clients. A deco-inspired Faceted mirror from West Elm was a perfect addition to the bedroom due to the illusion of space it provides. The result was a bedroom that was full of mid-century design, personality, and area so they can freely move around. The project resulted in the form of a layered mid-century modern design with touches of luxury but a space that can not only be lived in but serves as an extension of the people who live there. Our designer was able to take a very narrowly shaped Manhattan apartment and revamp it into a spacious home that is great for sophisticated entertaining or comfortably lazy nights in.

This outdoor cabana kitchen was turned into private sanctuary once the owners added Weatherwell Elite aluminum shutters. It gave them the flexibility to block the wind and the sun glare when needed, or open up to the view. It also created some much needed privacy from their neighbors. Now they can use their cabana 365 days a year.

The media room features a wool sectional and a pair of vintage Milo Baughman armchairs reupholstered in a snappy green velvet. All upholstered items were made with natural latex cushions wrapped in organic wool in order to eliminate harmful chemicals for our eco and health conscious clients (who were passionate about green interior design). An oversized table functions as a desk or a serving table when our clients entertain large parties. Thomas Kuoh Photography

Photo: Jalapeno Photography © 2015 Houzz
Eclectic kitchen photo in DC Metro

The bathroom was previously closed in and had a large tub off the door. Making this a glass stand up shower, left the space brighter and more spacious. Other tricks like the wall mount faucet and light finishes add to the open clean feel.

An underutilized closet was removed and replaced with this highly efficient built in pantry, complete with platter dividers and roll out drawers. Mary Parker Architectural Photography

design: Carrie Preston (Studio TOOP) and Jasper Helmantel (Cruydt Hoeck), 2011 location: Appeltern, NL status: built in 2012 by Appeltern Model Garden Complex photos: Jolanthe Lalkens, October 2012 Designed as assignment from both the Dutch gardening magazine Groei & Bloei and the television and radio nature program Vara's Vroege Vogels, this garden serves as a model of how homeowners can incorporate lots of plant life and wildlife into the design but without sacrificing practicality or aesthetics. The garden is deliberately contemporary in its style to emphasize that nature-rich gardens need not look a certain way - insects and birds don't care if the lines are straight or curved. At the same time the garden makes use of affordable, simple, no-nonsense materials. The 40x60 cm paving stones are one of the most common and affordable paving options in the Netherlands, available en masse for free on the Internet. Conceptually we imagined a garden completely paved with the tiles (as to many gardens are) and what would happen if took out some of these stones, used them to build benches and structure and added plants where the tiles had been. In the construction of the benches we include other materials such as bamboo sticks and insulation bricks that create habitat for insects such as solitary bees. The plant palette is based on a selection of native and host plants in combination with the 26 plants plan set up by Groei & Boei -- a list of plants aimed at making the use of more plants in gardens accessible and less intimidating. The choice for the number 26 corresponds with the number of letters in the alphabet in line with the famous Dutch garden designer Mien Ruy's comment that if we only need 26 letters to create a whole language, we should be able to combine and mix 26 plants to express far more than we think.

Relocating to Portland, Oregon from California, this young family immediately hired Amy to redesign their newly purchased home to better fit their needs. The project included updating the kitchen, hall bath, and adding an en suite to their master bedroom. Removing a wall between the kitchen and dining allowed for additional counter space and storage along with improved traffic flow and increased natural light to the heart of the home. This galley style kitchen is focused on efficiency and functionality through custom cabinets with a pantry boasting drawer storage topped with quartz slab for durability, pull-out storage accessories throughout, deep drawers, and a quartz topped coffee bar/ buffet facing the dining area. The master bath and hall bath were born out of a single bath and a closet. While modest in size, the bathrooms are filled with functionality and colorful design elements. Durable hex shaped porcelain tiles compliment the blue vanities topped with white quartz countertops. The shower and tub are both tiled in handmade ceramic tiles, bringing much needed texture and movement of light to the space. The hall bath is outfitted with a toe-kick pull-out step for the family’s youngest member!

Believe it or not this beautifully renovated bathroom started out as a cramped, outdated bathroom with a single vanity and tiny shower. An adjoining bedroom was added to the space to enlarge the bathroom as well as add a much needed walk in closet. The client was looking for a farmhouse feel so shiplap was utilized as well as vintage feel lighting and accessories. Black and white floor tile was used to add interest and a free standing tub for much needed relaxation!

In this Photo, We added a much needed large window without mullions to take advantage of the beautiful view of the lake. A bench made of kitchen cabinetry was then added and Faux finished to provide a much needed storage area and breakfast nook.

Believe it or not this beautifully renovated bathroom started out as a cramped, outdated bathroom with a single vanity and tiny shower. An adjoining bedroom was added to the space to enlarge the bathroom as well as add a much needed walk in closet. The client was looking for a farmhouse feel so shiplap was utilized as well as vintage feel lighting and accessories. Black and white floor tile was used to add interest and a free standing tub for much needed relaxation!

The bedroom had just one small closet, and for a couple that would not do! So, we changed the range wall in the kitchen thereby reconfiguring the bedroom to add much needed closet space where there was none. Brand new wall to wall walk-in closets were designed. Luxe and beautiful, they feature solid rift cut custom dark stained oak doors with satin stainless steel edge and inset door pulls. Beyond much needed storage, when contrasted with the gray stained wood floors they bring visual drama and stunning contrast.

Believe it or not this beautifully renovated bathroom started out as a cramped, outdated bathroom with a single vanity and tiny shower. An adjoining bedroom was added to the space to enlarge the bathroom as well as add a much needed walk in closet. The client was looking for a farmhouse feel so shiplap was utilized as well as vintage feel lighting and accessories. Black and white floor tile was used to add interest and a free standing tub for much needed relaxation!

The family room received a much-needed makeover with the white bookshelves flanking the mantel now painted in a rich green hue. The seating arrangement includes a spacious sectional and two leather swivel chairs, perfect for watching TV. Additionally, the oversized artwork adds a striking focal point to the room "The family room received a much-needed makeover with the white bookshelves flanking the mantel now painted in a rich green hue. The seating arrangement includes a spacious sectional and two leather swivel chairs, perfect for watching TV. Additionally, the oversized artwork adds a striking focal point to the room."

An existing red brick two story house in Bronte was given a facelift, new render and paint and new entry garage and front doors along with front balcony balustrade. To match this and give the property some presence a new boundary fence incorporating sandstone and slatted timber was designed and built. Sandstone was chosen to give warmth and softness plus some privacy. Elegant vertical cedar battens were used on the pedestrian and driveway gate to match the cedar used on the house. They also add warmth, contrast against the white walls of the house and blend in with the soft tones of the sandstone. Three Kentia palms with Liriope at their base finish off the garden providing much needed greenery their fronds a lovely canopy as you enter down the front path. Simple sandstone coloured tiling and two feature pots either side of the front door further welcome you to the house. The resulting garden perfectly matches the contemporary renovation of the façade of the house, creating much needed street appeal.

A china hutch/pantry with wood top provides much need storage along with visible storage space for family collectibles.
Example of a small transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, green backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and green countertops