Michael Robinson
Minimalist exterior home photo in Kansas City

Example of a large classic detached two-car carport design in Boston

Inspiration for a small modern master green tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile, gray floor and double-sink walk-in shower remodel with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, white countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity

Example of a mid-sized transitional garage workshop design in Kansas City

Interior Bar that opens to the outside pool & patio. Builder - Madison/Couturier. Madison/Couturier, Interiors - Sherry Engle SE Design, Photographer - Thompson Photographic.

There is a trend in Seattle to make better use of the space you already have and we have worked on a number of projects in recent years where owners are capturing their existing unfinished basements and turning them into modern, warm space that is a true addition to their home. The owners of this home in Ballard wanted to transform their partly finished basement and garage into fully finished and often used space in their home. To begin we looked at moving the narrow and steep existing stairway to a grand new stair in the center of the home, using an unused space in the existing piano room. The basement was fully finished to create a new master bedroom retreat for the owners with a walk-in closet. The bathroom and laundry room were both updated with new finishes and fixtures. Small spaces were carved out for an office cubby room for her and a music studio space for him. Then the former garage was transformed into a light filled flex space for family projects. We installed Evoke LVT flooring throughout the lower level so this space feels warm yet will hold up to everyday life for this creative family. Model Remodel was the general contractor on this remodel project and made the planning and construction of this project run smoothly, as always. The owners are thrilled with the transformation to their home. Contractor: Model Remodel Photography: Cindy Apple Photography

Madrona Passive House, a new Seattle home designed by SHED Architecture & Design and built by Hammer & Hand, combines contemporary design with high performance building to create an environmentally responsive and resource-efficient house. The home’s airtight, super-insulated building envelope and passive design minimize energy consumption while providing superior thermal comfort to occupants. A heat recovery ventilator supplies constant fresh air to the home’s interior while recovering 90% of thermal energy from exhaust air for reuse inside. A rooftop solar photovoltaic array will provide enough energy to offset most, perhaps all, of the home’s energy consumption on a net annual basis. To manage stormwater the project employs permeable pavers for site hardscape and two cisterns to capture and control rainwater from the home’s roof and the green roof on the garage. By investing in sustainable site development strategies, efficient building systems and an advanced envelope, the project aims to respect the home’s environmentally critical site and achieve one of the world’s most demanding building energy standards: Passive House. Photos by Mark Woods Photography.

This Virginia couple recently moved into a five-acre lot in Haymarket, VA with the expectation of adding an in-law suite to the right side of their home. The addition provides complete independence, with its own garage, secondary garage/storage space with built-in ramp, workshop, a master suite and closet, an aging-in-place bathroom, kitchen, and a main living area, along with a front porch overlooking the front of the home. This couple wanted to maintain the exterior integrity with a seamless connection between the interior and exterior of the home. Matching the front gables, stone and siding fronts, replicating the fascia, windows and doors, garage doors and other details. The front porch leads to the front door of the main living and kitchen area towards the rear portion. A side door leads into the mudroom and existing home. The rear side includes a master bedroom suite which leads towards twelve feet of French doors on the back deck of the existing home, connecting the new deck to the existing porch. A large closet space with built-ins is placed just off the bedroom and connects to the master bathroom suite. This bathroom is equipped with large walk-in shower, frameless glass door, a soaking tub, beautiful tile setting, and double vanity space giving the luxury one needs. The lead staircase connects the upstairs level to the basement level, which includes one multipurpose room, second garage, storage and a workshop. Lots of windows and doors allow plenty of daylight to enter this addition. Outside of the French doors, one can walk onto the basketball court and soccer. Every element of the existing home was replicated for this addition such as, matching cabinetry, trim work, 10 foot ceiling, wide size wood plank, granite countertops and much more. The front garage provides direct access from driveway and the interior ramp serves as a walkway. This family is delighted to have their loved one living just few steps away from them.

The client’s coastal New England roots inspired this Shingle style design for a lakefront lot. With a background in interior design, her ideas strongly influenced the process, presenting both challenge and reward in executing her exact vision. Vintage coastal style grounds a thoroughly modern open floor plan, designed to house a busy family with three active children. A primary focus was the kitchen, and more importantly, the butler’s pantry tucked behind it. Flowing logically from the garage entry and mudroom, and with two access points from the main kitchen, it fulfills the utilitarian functions of storage and prep, leaving the main kitchen free to shine as an integral part of the open living area. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Royal Oaks Design Designer: Kieran Liebl From: Oakdale, Minnesota

This Virginia couple recently moved into a five-acre lot in Haymarket, VA with the expectation of adding an in-law suite to the right side of their home. The addition provides complete independence, with its own garage, secondary garage/storage space with built-in ramp, workshop, a master suite and closet, an aging-in-place bathroom, kitchen, and a main living area, along with a front porch overlooking the front of the home. This couple wanted to maintain the exterior integrity with a seamless connection between the interior and exterior of the home. Matching the front gables, stone and siding fronts, replicating the fascia, windows and doors, garage doors and other details. The front porch leads to the front door of the main living and kitchen area towards the rear portion. A side door leads into the mudroom and existing home. The rear side includes a master bedroom suite which leads towards twelve feet of French doors on the back deck of the existing home, connecting the new deck to the existing porch. A large closet space with built-ins is placed just off the bedroom and connects to the master bathroom suite. This bathroom is equipped with large walk-in shower, frameless glass door, a soaking tub, beautiful tile setting, and double vanity space giving the luxury one needs. The lead staircase connects the upstairs level to the basement level, which includes one multipurpose room, second garage, storage and a workshop. Lots of windows and doors allow plenty of daylight to enter this addition. Outside of the French doors, one can walk onto the basketball court and soccer. Every element of the existing home was replicated for this addition such as, matching cabinetry, trim work, 10 foot ceiling, wide size wood plank, granite countertops and much more. The front garage provides direct access from driveway and the interior ramp serves as a walkway. This family is delighted to have their loved one living just few steps away from them.

Mid-sized transitional attached two-car garage workshop photo in Denver

Example of a huge classic attached four-car garage workshop design in New York

As families grow, the inevitable happens... You continue to get more stuff. Tools, equipment, collectibles and stuff that your significant other wants to get rid of keep adding up. Where does all that stuff go? Unless you live in a mansion, you end up running out of space. Sometimes even adding a shed is not enough. However, we sometimes underestimate the true storage potential of sheds. Did you know all that space by the rafters and back wall is the perfect spot for a loft? Just look at how much stuff you could store in an overhead storage loft. Storage lofts can add up to 40% more overhead storage space. When shopping for the right shed to grow with your family needs, consider adding a loft. It's an economical way of maximizing your sheds true potential.

There is a trend in Seattle to make better use of the space you already have and we have worked on a number of projects in recent years where owners are capturing their existing unfinished basements and turning them into modern, warm space that is a true addition to their home. The owners of this home in Ballard wanted to transform their partly finished basement and garage into fully finished and often used space in their home. To begin we looked at moving the narrow and steep existing stairway to a grand new stair in the center of the home, using an unused space in the existing piano room. The basement was fully finished to create a new master bedroom retreat for the owners with a walk-in closet. The bathroom and laundry room were both updated with new finishes and fixtures. Small spaces were carved out for an office cubby room for her and a music studio space for him. Then the former garage was transformed into a light filled flex space for family projects. We installed Evoke LVT flooring throughout the lower level so this space feels warm yet will hold up to everyday life for this creative family. Model Remodel was the general contractor on this remodel project and made the planning and construction of this project run smoothly, as always. The owners are thrilled with the transformation to their home. Contractor: Model Remodel Photography: Cindy Apple Photography

This Virginia couple recently moved into a five-acre lot in Haymarket, VA with the expectation of adding an in-law suite to the right side of their home. The addition provides complete independence, with its own garage, secondary garage/storage space with built-in ramp, workshop, a master suite and closet, an aging-in-place bathroom, kitchen, and a main living area, along with a front porch overlooking the front of the home. This couple wanted to maintain the exterior integrity with a seamless connection between the interior and exterior of the home. Matching the front gables, stone and siding fronts, replicating the fascia, windows and doors, garage doors and other details. The front porch leads to the front door of the main living and kitchen area towards the rear portion. A side door leads into the mudroom and existing home. The rear side includes a master bedroom suite which leads towards twelve feet of French doors on the back deck of the existing home, connecting the new deck to the existing porch. A large closet space with built-ins is placed just off the bedroom and connects to the master bathroom suite. This bathroom is equipped with large walk-in shower, frameless glass door, a soaking tub, beautiful tile setting, and double vanity space giving the luxury one needs. The lead staircase connects the upstairs level to the basement level, which includes one multipurpose room, second garage, storage and a workshop. Lots of windows and doors allow plenty of daylight to enter this addition. Outside of the French doors, one can walk onto the basketball court and soccer. Every element of the existing home was replicated for this addition such as, matching cabinetry, trim work, 10 foot ceiling, wide size wood plank, granite countertops and much more. The front garage provides direct access from driveway and the interior ramp serves as a walkway. This family is delighted to have their loved one living just few steps away from them.

There is a trend in Seattle to make better use of the space you already have and we have worked on a number of projects in recent years where owners are capturing their existing unfinished basements and turning them into modern, warm space that is a true addition to their home. The owners of this home in Ballard wanted to transform their partly finished basement and garage into fully finished and often used space in their home. To begin we looked at moving the narrow and steep existing stairway to a grand new stair in the center of the home, using an unused space in the existing piano room. The basement was fully finished to create a new master bedroom retreat for the owners with a walk-in closet. The bathroom and laundry room were both updated with new finishes and fixtures. Small spaces were carved out for an office cubby room for her and a music studio space for him. Then the former garage was transformed into a light filled flex space for family projects. We installed Evoke LVT flooring throughout the lower level so this space feels warm yet will hold up to everyday life for this creative family. Model Remodel was the general contractor on this remodel project and made the planning and construction of this project run smoothly, as always. The owners are thrilled with the transformation to their home. Contractor: Model Remodel Photography: Cindy Apple Photography

After six years of living in their Huntley IL home, Chris and Meghan were tired of their dark, dingy, outdated kitchen and it was finally time for a long-anticipated change. “The kitchen is the place where we live, it’s where we do everything,” Meghan said. “It was important that it be a space where we wanted to be.” Meghan loves cooking and enjoys including their girls in healthy meal prepping, this led them to want a brighter, more enjoyable kitchen with increased functionality and improved storage. For Chris especially, the laundry room was an entirely dysfunctional eyesore. “We had a washer and a dryer, but it was all kind-of cobbled together!” Chris said. “There were always laundry piles everywhere, we weren’t really sure what we wanted to do in there, but it was time for us to make a change.” The mess of the space was stressful every time they walked in the door from the garage each day. Kids’ backpacks and shoes piled up haphazardly in the makeshift boot-bench closet left the family feeling disorganized and stressed. They needed space for folding clothes and locker cubbies to help keep the family organized. Having known Christine and Todd in the Huntley community for years, Chris and Meghan were familiar with their work. “We already trusted them personally and having seen their projects for years we knew they did top notch work. After we reviewed the initial round of designs, we knew that hiring them was definitely the right choice,” Meghan and Chris said. Although Chris had done a lot of work in their home himself, the kitchen and laundry room renovation was such a large undertaking that he didn’t want to steal time away from his family to spend what would surely be many long weekends doing the job himself. “That would not have been a wise choice for us,” Chris laughed. “Our designer, Michelle was very, very, easy to work with; anything we wanted to see or weren’t sure about, she went above and beyond to make this easy for us. She was easy to get hold of and always quick to respond,” the couple said. Michelle pulled ideas that mirrored the couple’s taste and style and was adept at directing the couple to limited choices that didn’t overwhelm them and kept the process moving. “I have a hard time making decisions. Michelle made the decision-making process so easy. I loved how she listened to what I liked and then presented three great options for me to choose from,” Meghan said. The main objectives for the kitchen were better storage solutions, they wanted the space to reflect their lifestyle and taste, and they wanted it to last for years with low maintenance. One of the first steps in creating a more functional kitchen was relocating the refrigerator, creating an improved workflow for the busy family. “We didn’t know that we could even move the refrigerator to a new location where it is now, that was something that we never would have thought of,” Chris said. “The new refrigerator location makes the kitchen feel so much bigger. We didn’t add any space, but our whole kitchen with the new design just seems like it’s so much larger than before!” Meghan said. The perimeter mist colored cabinets helped warm and brighten the entire room, while the graphite colored cabinets on the island added contrast. Using this fresh, clean color palette satisfied the couple’s desire for a bright space that was the exact opposite of what they had before. Organization accessories were also added to the cabinets such as a spice drawer tray and roll outs to create hidden convenience. “I absolutely love the hidden spices – it makes cooking so much more enjoyable!” Chris said. “And all the pull outs, and the double trash bin, who would think you could get so excited about organization!” the couple said in unison. One thing they hated in their original kitchen was how dark the space felt. Added lighting on the ceiling with the new light fixtures combined with the lighter cabinetry colors throughout solved this problem. “Our new kitchen has this warm, almost cozy feeling that our old kitchen never had, it’s just a space that I love spending my time in now,” Meghan said. The light airy feeling was accentuated with the use of floating white shelves on either side of the decorative range hood. “We have so much cabinetry space, the new design is amazing we actually have more storage space than we will ever need,” Meghan said. The island was extended to create more work surface and added space for stool seating. “The new island changes how we live. Now the kids can be in the kitchen with us, doing homework, eating breakfast, and the three of us have special dinners there when Chris is working late,” Meghan said. The Carrara Marmi Quartz countertops were chosen because they are, not only beautiful, but are made from hard-working material that doesn’t require maintenance. The white subway tile backsplash that wraps to the ceiling behind the focal point cooktop range/hood compliments the crisp white countertops perfectly, while brushed brass hardware and light fixtures keep the design fresh and new. The couple had a few fears at the beginning of the project, as most homeowners do. Their biggest fear was being out of their kitchen and laundry room for an extended time. The crew made it very easy for the family to work in a limited space keeping the washer and dryer hooked up the majority of the time, and also getting appliances working with minimal downtime. “They above and beyond accommodated us to get us through the process,” Meghan said. “They did a great job making sure we were as comfortable as possible throughout the process,” Chris added. “Our project manager DJ did a great job. He was very good at updating us on schedule changes, getting guys in as quickly as possible. Everyone that stepped in the house was nice and did great work,” said Chris. They thought Advance’s carpenter was phenomenal and were impressed when he took a conceptual idea from a photograph and worked with designer Michelle to create a one of a kind range/hood that has become the topic of conversation with friends and family who visit the new kitchen. “He was in our house literally every day for several weeks. He was easy to work with and good at what he did,” Meghan and Chris said. The focal point of the kitchen; a hand-crafted, custom-built ventilation hood was clad with handpicked reclaimed barnwood. Advance Design’s carpenter built the framework and the cladding to create a one-of-a-kind design element that the couple loves. “I think it was especially fun for him to create something unique from scratch, showcasing his talent in this area,” Meghan said. “I love that my kitchen is not like everyone else’s. I got to pick out the wood on my hood and watch it being built and was able to choose what pieces of wood went where on it. It’s totally unique.” Red Oak flooring was toothed-in throughout the kitchen and the rest of the first floor anywhere changes were made. Then the whole floor was refinished to tone down the orange undertones in the existing floor stain, ultimately changing the color complexion of the entire first floor. The result is a completely new feeling to the entire home. Renovating the laundry room was extremely important to Meghan and Chris, but they had trouble visualizing what the possibilities were for the seemingly small space. Michelle produced beautiful 3D illustrations that helped them envision the space in a whole new way. “I must have told Michelle 100 times that I am a visual person, seeing the designs in 3D made it so easy to make decisions and see what we could really do with our space,” Meghan said. A dividing wall and doorway were removed between the existing laundry room and hallway formerly containing a coat closet, providing space to design specialized graphite colored cabinetry matching the kitchen island to house custom storage cubbies for each family member. Adding the tall utility cabinetry in the new laundry area helped solve the storage issue, tucking away cleaning supplies, household items, and even the cat got its own cubby. “I love how everything is now hidden in its own space. I can’t tell you how much I hated coming home and seeing everything sitting around on counters,” Chris said. Electrical outlets were planned for the inside of utility cabinets, so devices could charge in hidden locations. Stacking the washer and dryer allowed for wider countertop space to provide a folding area and a special space for clothes to hang. “The way I do laundry has been completely transformed! I can actually fold clothes and hang them now right out of the washer and dryer,” Meghan said. “The end result in the kitchen and the laundry/mud room was an updated light and bright space, with a smarter work flow that better meets the needs of this family,” Michelle said. “I would totally recommend Advance Design,” Meghan said. “Sometimes I sit and just look at my kitchen and laundry room and think ‘Wow, I can’t believe I get to live here!’ It’s an understatement to say we love our new space.”

There is a trend in Seattle to make better use of the space you already have and we have worked on a number of projects in recent years where owners are capturing their existing unfinished basements and turning them into modern, warm space that is a true addition to their home. The owners of this home in Ballard wanted to transform their partly finished basement and garage into fully finished and often used space in their home. To begin we looked at moving the narrow and steep existing stairway to a grand new stair in the center of the home, using an unused space in the existing piano room. The basement was fully finished to create a new master bedroom retreat for the owners with a walk-in closet. The bathroom and laundry room were both updated with new finishes and fixtures. Small spaces were carved out for an office cubby room for her and a music studio space for him. Then the former garage was transformed into a light filled flex space for family projects. We installed Evoke LVT flooring throughout the lower level so this space feels warm yet will hold up to everyday life for this creative family. Model Remodel was the general contractor on this remodel project and made the planning and construction of this project run smoothly, as always. The owners are thrilled with the transformation to their home. Contractor: Model Remodel Photography: Cindy Apple Photography

There is a trend in Seattle to make better use of the space you already have and we have worked on a number of projects in recent years where owners are capturing their existing unfinished basements and turning them into modern, warm space that is a true addition to their home. The owners of this home in Ballard wanted to transform their partly finished basement and garage into fully finished and often used space in their home. To begin we looked at moving the narrow and steep existing stairway to a grand new stair in the center of the home, using an unused space in the existing piano room. The basement was fully finished to create a new master bedroom retreat for the owners with a walk-in closet. The bathroom and laundry room were both updated with new finishes and fixtures. Small spaces were carved out for an office cubby room for her and a music studio space for him. Then the former garage was transformed into a light filled flex space for family projects. We installed Evoke LVT flooring throughout the lower level so this space feels warm yet will hold up to everyday life for this creative family. Model Remodel was the general contractor on this remodel project and made the planning and construction of this project run smoothly, as always. The owners are thrilled with the transformation to their home. Contractor: Model Remodel Photography: Cindy Apple Photography