Example of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped light wood floor enclosed kitchen design in Boston with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, white cabinets and blue backsplash

Dennis and Joe have a large, light-filled house. New construction meant lofted space and open floor plans with traditional styling. Running a busy dental practice by day and engaged in a rich social life by night, this couple needed a professional to take the lead on making their house a home. That’s my cue! They wanted to take risks, and stay away from “matchy-matchy”. We gussied up a plain ol’ TV room and gave it a healthy dose of luxury. Our plan was initially inspired by an abstract painting hanging over their stone fireplace. We brought in their love of the outdoors to make things cozy and used family furniture whenever possible for nostalgia and comfort. I took their love for one-of-a-kind objects and started making a design plan, aiming to solve their biggest frustration: the family room. They had a tortured relationship with a “forgotten family room,” a great space that was spacious and bright, but not at all cozy or joyful, and certainly not “them.” I wanted to create a cozy space functional for everyday curling up with puppies and watching TV after dinner, yet chic enough for hosting the pre-dinner kitchen overflow and cocktails during parties. I went looking for contrasting textures and materials. I wanted to balance patterns and scale, and use non-traditional colors as neutrals to create an overall sense of “BAM!” Dennis and Joe loved the nod to the classics juxtaposed with new and different globally-inspired pieces. For this project our design aesthetic can be described as Middle Eastern/tribal meets mid-century modern. We played to their sensible side with proportion and balance, and stayed as far away from boring/bleh as we could. You could say this room was pretty successful...It was featured in DC Modern Luxury. (#nobigdeal, right?) From there we moved on to other spaces.. We added colorful pillows and sheer drapery to finish off their formal living room. We kept an inherited bedroom set from Dennis’ Mom and added color, draperies, and pillows to overhaul the guest bedroom. Their project was not a rip-and-replace, we weren’t starting from scratch with a blank piece of paper. Rather, our goal was to take what was already there and make it better, more like them. Using functionality first, we focused on giving the house a soothing, joyful aesthetic. We upped the chic factor by a gajillion and helped them find their ‘happy’ at home. See more Safferstone stuff at www.safferstone.com. Connect with us on Facebook, get inspired on Pinterest, and share modern musings on life & design on Instagram. Or, send us a love note at hello@safferstone.com. Photo: Angie Seckinger

After photos of completely renovated master bathroom Photo Credit: Jane Beiles
Example of a mid-sized transitional master beige tile and subway tile porcelain tile and white floor bathroom design in New York with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white walls, a trough sink, quartz countertops and a hinged shower door

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Dennis Mayer Photography
Large transitional dark wood floor family room photo in San Francisco with blue walls, no fireplace and a media wall

Large and modern master bathroom primary bathroom. Grey and white marble paired with warm wood flooring and door. Expansive curbless shower and freestanding tub sit on raised platform with LED light strip. Modern glass pendants and small black side table add depth to the white grey and wood bathroom. Large skylights act as modern coffered ceiling flooding the room with natural light.

Large beach style u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Providence with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, paneled appliances, wood countertops and an island

Custom natural cherry kitchen designed by Gail Bolling Guilford, ConnecticutTo get more detailed information contact rachel@thekitchencompany.com Photographer, Dennis Carbo

Example of a beach style u-shaped light wood floor and gray floor kitchen design in Miami with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and shaker cabinets

Barry Grossman Photography
Trendy foyer photo in Miami with white walls

Staircase - mid-sized coastal wooden straight staircase idea in Providence with painted risers

Kitchen - traditional l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash and an island

Living room - large contemporary formal dark wood floor living room idea in San Francisco with white walls and a two-sided fireplace

Above and Beyond is the third residence in a four-home collection in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Originally the site of the abandoned Kachina Elementary School, the infill community, appropriately named Kachina Estates, embraces the remarkable views of Camelback Mountain. Nestled into an acre sized pie shaped cul-de-sac lot, the lot geometry and front facing view orientation created a remarkable privacy challenge and influenced the forward facing facade and massing. An iconic, stone-clad massing wall element rests within an oversized south-facing fenestration, creating separation and privacy while affording views “above and beyond.” Above and Beyond has Mid-Century DNA married with a larger sense of mass and scale. The pool pavilion bridges from the main residence to a guest casita which visually completes the need for protection and privacy from street and solar exposure. The pie-shaped lot which tapered to the south created a challenge to harvest south light. This was one of the largest spatial organization influencers for the design. The design undulates to embrace south sun and organically creates remarkable outdoor living spaces. This modernist home has a palate of granite and limestone wall cladding, plaster, and a painted metal fascia. The wall cladding seamlessly enters and exits the architecture affording interior and exterior continuity. Kachina Estates was named an Award of Merit winner at the 2019 Gold Nugget Awards in the category of Best Residential Detached Collection of the Year. The annual awards ceremony was held at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco, CA in May 2019. Project Details: Above and Beyond Architecture: Drewett Works Developer/Builder: Bedbrock Developers Interior Design: Est Est Land Planner/Civil Engineer: CVL Consultants Photography: Dino Tonn and Steven Thompson Awards: Gold Nugget Award of Merit - Kachina Estates - Residential Detached Collection of the Year

Manufacturer: PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes - https://www.precisioncraft.com/ Builder: Denny Building Services Location: Bowling Green, KY Project Name: Bowling Green Residence Square Feet: 4,822

Figuring out how to make a big kitchen work better — for a chef wanting to use her kitchen for both cooking classes and corporate entertaining — is what won Janice two design awards. A designer with Drury Design in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn, Janice won first place in the large kitchen category in the NKBA competition for greater Chicagoland. The same project was also named by Trends magazine as one of its Top 50 kitchens for 2013-2014, the second straight year a Drury project has been so honored. The cabinetry is from Grabill’s Benchmark line with an Olde Towne door style in maple and finished in Super White. Janice uses Grabill all the time, she said. “What we like most about them is their turnaround time. They have a very good product at a fair price. They have a great warranty.” With the kind of detail involved in this kind of project, they are also “most helpful in double-checking everything to make sure everything fits the way I planned it. If they see any issues, if there are any questions, they don’t make assumptions. They call me and we work things out. They’re very flexible in how they work.” This transitional style in its Super White finish from Grabill provides a lot of flexibility, explained Janice. “There’s a really pretty aqua color on the walls, but everything else is neutral, so the owner can put whatever accent color she wants with it and it will still work. So she can really change the look of the kitchen with just the paint color.” Photos provided by Janice Teague

Manufacturer: PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes - https://www.precisioncraft.com/ Builder: Denny Building Services Location: Bowling Green, KY Project Name: Bowling Green Residence Square Feet: 4,822

Inspiration for a timeless bathroom remodel in Miami

Manufacturer: PrecisionCraft Log & Timber Homes - https://www.precisioncraft.com/ Builder: Denny Building Services Location: Bowling Green, KY Project Name: Bowling Green Residence Square Feet: 4,822