The hardwood floors are a custom 3/4" x 10" Select White Oak plank with a hand wirebrush and custom stain & finish created by Gaetano Hardwood Floors, Inc. Home Builder: Patterson Custom Homes Ryan Garvin Photography

Halkin Mason Photography
Example of a large transitional l-shaped light wood floor kitchen design in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

3/4" x 10" Custom Select White Oak Plank with a custom stain and finish. Photography by: The Bowman Group
Mid-sized trendy light wood floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Orange County with white walls

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Photo: Mark Weinberg Interiors: Ann Tempest
Inspiration for a scandinavian light wood floor kitchen remodel in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and an island

Reclaimed red and white oak flooring, posts, and beam wraps by Longleaf Lumber for a private residence in Maine. John Cole architecture and Brian Vanden Brink photography.

White Oak flooring - rift and quartersawn - select grade - custom milled by Hull Forest Products, www.hullforest.com. 1-800-928-9602. Floors are available unfinished or prefinished and ship nationwide direct from our mill - we also deliver throughout the Northeast. Design by Krajewski Architect. Photo by Mikiko Kikuyama. As featured in Dwell Magazine.

This private residence at Sunday River in Maine has embraced reclaimed oak with almost every design decision. White oak was reclaimed for the flooring and paneling material. Reclaimed wire-brushed oak paneling was used for the ceiling. The large oak beams were surfaced by hand. Builder: Clearwater Builders Design: Rob Bramhall Architects Photography: Irvin Serrano

White Oak flooring - rift and quartersawn - select grade - custom milled by Hull Forest Products, www.hullforest.com. 1-800-928-9602. Floors are available unfinished or prefinished and ship nationwide direct from our mill - we also deliver throughout the Northeast. Design by Krajewski Architect. Photo by Mikiko Kikuyama. Featured in Dwell Magaine 11/16.

Example of a classic wooden u-shaped wood railing staircase design in Los Angeles with wooden risers

Mix of modern and minimal concept. Lots of natural light through oversized windows, Venetian stucco pure white, and the warmth of white European oak by Lignum Elite - Ibiza (Platinum Collection). The wide plank flooring is used for the whole staircase and installed in the entrance hall with a darker border of Lignum Elite - Marbella Plus (Platinum Collection).

The mixture of grey green cabinets with the distressed wood floors and ceilings, gives this farmhouse kitchen a feeling of warmth. Cabinets: Brookhaven and the color is Green Stone Benjamin Moore paint color: There's not an exact match for Green Stone, but Gettysburg Grey, HC 107 is close. Sink: Krauss, model KHF200-30, stainless steel Faucet: Kraus, modelKPF-1602 Hardware: Restoration hardware, Dakota cup and Dakota round knob. The finish was either the chestnut or iron. Windows: Bloomberg is the manufacturer the hardware is from Restoration hardware--Dakota cup and Dakota round knob. The finish was either the chestnut or iron. Floors: European Oak that is wired brushed. The company is Provenza, Pompeii collection and the color is Amiata. Distressed wood: The wood is cedar that's been treated to look distressed! My client is brilliant , so he did some googling (is that a word?) and came across several sites that had a recipe to do just that. He put a steel wool pad into a jar of vinegar and let it sit for a bit. In another jar, he mixed black tea with water. Brush the tea on first and let it dry. Then brush on the steel wool/vinegar (don't forget to strain the wool). Voila, the wood turns dark. Andrew McKinney Photography

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Natural Red Oak Stairs with hand scraped railings
Example of a minimalist wooden l-shaped wood railing staircase design in New York with wooden risers

Hit or Miss Reclaimed Oak Flooring
Example of a country dark wood floor living room design in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Natural Red Oak Stairs with hand scraped railings
Minimalist home design photo in New York

Jeri Koegel Photography
Family room - large contemporary open concept light wood floor and beige floor family room idea in Orange County with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a metal fireplace

Fantastic opportunity to own a new construction home in Vickery Place, built by J. Parker Custom Homes. This beautiful Craftsman features 4 oversized bedrooms, 3.5 luxurious bathrooms, and over 4,000 sq.ft. Kitchen boasts high end appliances and opens to living area .Massive upstairs master suite with fireplace and spa like bathroom. Additional features include natural finished oak floors, automatic side gate, and multiple energy efficient items.

The hardwood floors are a custom 3/4" x 10" Select White Oak plank with a hand wirebrush and custom stain & finish created by Gaetano Hardwood Floors, Inc. Home Builder: Patterson Custom Homes Ryan Garvin Photography