Many recent renovations had already taken place at this phenomenal old Tudor home. The kitchen redo was saved for last. Our mission, imposed by our client, was to create a jaw-dropping, ultra-functional space for family and friends to gather in for years to come. Naturally, the new kitchen would have to reflect the style of the home seamlessly. One challenge was to incorporate very large professional style appliances into the space while keeping the feel of a stately, yet warm home. Custom wood panels were designed for the refrigerator units to give a furniture feel. A copper hood was designed to bring in an old world element. Wood panels were applied to all other appliances – two dishwashers, a wine refrigerator, and a beverage refrigerator. An iron I-beam that separated the original kitchen from the butler’s pantry and back entry was covered in wood with chamfers to match the other ceiling beams in the home by a local woodworker. Due to the age of the home, the outside walls are concrete block. This necessitated chiseling troughs into the concrete for electrical wiring. Ceilings were studded randomly, so finding openings for recessed lighting was hit or miss. A large cluster of wiring and plumbing to the second floor had to be hidden behind cabinetry to the left of and above the refrigerators. HVAC wasn’t straight forward either. Toe kick heaters from the old kitchen had to be replaced with other sources. A propane tank had to be added to fuel the large dual fuel, double oven range. The homeowner wanted to add a walk-in pantry for extra storage, so space was taken from an existing exterior space. This created the need for extra insulation, supplemental heat and added lighting. Needless to say, mechanicals were a big challenge. Natural stone was added in backsplash areas to the ceiling to mimic the rectangular stone on the exterior of the home. Wood panels fill the backsplash areas under wall cabinets. Large chandeliers light the space. Open shelves at the wet bar/prep area offer convenient storage for grab and go service items. A built-in pantry with antique mirrored mullion doors hides a microwave, several other small appliances as well as dishes and food items. This pantry was tucked into an alcove for an added architectural element. Herringbone wood floors are classic and timeless. Wrought iron hardware and shelf brackets fit right in. Large Barley twist legs ground the island giving a nod to the Tudor style. Mission accomplished. Matt Villano Photography

Full gut renovation and facade restoration of an historic 1850s wood-frame townhouse. The current owners found the building as a decaying, vacant SRO (single room occupancy) dwelling with approximately 9 rooming units. The building has been converted to a two-family house with an owner’s triplex over a garden-level rental. Due to the fact that the very little of the existing structure was serviceable and the change of occupancy necessitated major layout changes, nC2 was able to propose an especially creative and unconventional design for the triplex. This design centers around a continuous 2-run stair which connects the main living space on the parlor level to a family room on the second floor and, finally, to a studio space on the third, thus linking all of the public and semi-public spaces with a single architectural element. This scheme is further enhanced through the use of a wood-slat screen wall which functions as a guardrail for the stair as well as a light-filtering element tying all of the floors together, as well its culmination in a 5’ x 25’ skylight.

Full gut renovation and facade restoration of an historic 1850s wood-frame townhouse. The current owners found the building as a decaying, vacant SRO (single room occupancy) dwelling with approximately 9 rooming units. The building has been converted to a two-family house with an owner’s triplex over a garden-level rental. Due to the fact that the very little of the existing structure was serviceable and the change of occupancy necessitated major layout changes, nC2 was able to propose an especially creative and unconventional design for the triplex. This design centers around a continuous 2-run stair which connects the main living space on the parlor level to a family room on the second floor and, finally, to a studio space on the third, thus linking all of the public and semi-public spaces with a single architectural element. This scheme is further enhanced through the use of a wood-slat screen wall which functions as a guardrail for the stair as well as a light-filtering element tying all of the floors together, as well its culmination in a 5’ x 25’ skylight.

Nestled in the heart of Kirkland, this condominium underwent a breathtaking transformation. While most rooms had a good layout, with living and dining room windows offering a stunning view of Lake Washington against the backdrop of majestic mountains, I opted to give the kitchen and both bathrooms a complete layout makeover. This intricate project necessitated the expertise of structural and mechanical engineers. Now, let's delve into the kitchen remodel—a true masterpiece. It entailed dramatic changes in layout, plumbing, and equipment placement. We closely collaborated with the client to craft a brand-new design. A primary goal was to create a spacious, functional kitchen space with ample storage, perfect for family gatherings. By removing two interior walls and retaining a structural column, we fashioned an inviting island with a cozy seating area.

When this multi-generational family embarked on rebuilding their Palo Alto home, they had to rethink the entire design due to FEMA regulations. Located in a flood zone, the finished floor had to be raised 4 feet, necessitating a full demolition. This challenge became an opportunity to create a residence that better suited the family’s needs — with three bedrooms on the second floor and a ground floor in-law suite. Drawing references from the previous Eichler-inspired house, the new iteration features glass walls and expressed structure that recalls a midcentury design that is entirely modern. The great room opens onto the garden, where a raised terrace provides outdoor living space. Wraparound planters and tiered stairs ease the transition between levels, allowing the home to blend seamlessly into the neighborhood.

Nestled in the heart of Kirkland, this condominium underwent a breathtaking transformation. While most rooms had a good layout, with living and dining room windows offering a stunning view of Lake Washington against the backdrop of majestic mountains, I opted to give the kitchen and both bathrooms a complete layout makeover. This intricate project necessitated the expertise of structural and mechanical engineers. Now, let's delve into the kitchen remodel—a true masterpiece. It entailed dramatic changes in layout, plumbing, and equipment placement. We closely collaborated with the client to craft a brand-new design. A primary goal was to create a spacious, functional kitchen space with ample storage, perfect for family gatherings. By removing two interior walls and retaining a structural column, we fashioned an inviting island with a cozy seating area.

A small galley kitchen necessitated added storage. An artful solution was devised with backlighting a louvred-door cabinet and small wine rack in the entryway flanked with counter height stools. A mosaic detail in the limestone flooring adds interest.

The slope of the site necessitated an interesting strategy to drive under the garage to reach the parking court. The house has an elevator which allowed us to locate the public spaces on the top floor of the house.

Cat Neitzey of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Fredericksburg, VA, in collaboration with Abby Construction, designed a transitional kitchen design featuring Masterpiece cabinetry. The kitchen cabinets are in the Masterpiece Gallina door style in Maple in a Dove White finish for the perimeter and a Midnight Blue finish for the island. The design also features both finishes on tall cabinets designed for pantry, display and coffee bar use. The kitchen also includes Cambria Portrush for the countertops, full height and standard backsplashes. “Cat knew her products and knew good design. She was a great problem solver,” said the client. According to Cat, Abby Construction undertook the transformation of a 1951 home from traditional to modern, open, and accessible, enabling its owners to age gracefully. They reconfigured doors, walls and the façade, integrating the garage into the living space. "The clients' construction background and design expertise positioned them as the ideal team to tackle a project of this magnitude. Throughout the process, we maintained frequent communication, meeting regularly both on-site and in the showroom. Our primary challenge arose from the evolving plan, necessitated by the structural alterations to the existing house, which impacted the future design," said Cat. “Our primary focus was to keep the design accessible. We needed to dramatically increase the amount of storage from the original kitchen. Adding roll trays, drawers, a base microwave and a mixer pop up ensured that everything remained easily within reach.” Photos courtesy of Tim Snyder Photography.

This new construction timber lake house kitchen captures the long water views from both the island prep sink and perimeter clean up sink, which are both flanked by their own respective dishwashers. The homeowners often entertain parties of 14 to 20 friends and family who love to congregate in the kitchen and adjoining keeping room which necessitated the six-place snack bar. Although a large space overall, the work triangle was kept tight. Gourmet chef appliances include 2 warming drawers, 2 ovens and a steam oven, and a microwave, with a hidden drop-down TV tucked between them.

A contemporary style bath that is also wheelchair accessible. The angled face of the sink cabinet combined with the protruding granite vessel sink allow easy access for all! (The weight of the granite sink necessitated posts under the center vanity -- using a lighter vessel, we would have deleted them for a cleaner aesthetic.) The upper doors lift up -- made with aluminum edging and frosted glass. Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry

Designed By: Sarah Buehlman Marc and Mandy Maister were clients and fans of Cantoni before they purchased this harbor home on Balboa Island. The South African natives originally met designer Sarah Buehlman and Cantoni’s Founder and CEO Michael Wilkov at a storewide sale, and quickly established a relationship as they bought furnishings for their primary residence in Newport Beach. So, when the couple decided to invest in this gorgeous second home, in one of the ritziest enclaves in North America, they sought Sarah’s help in transforming the outdated 1960’s residence into a modern marvel. “It’s now the ultimate beach house,” says Sarah, “and finished in Cantoni from top to bottom—including new custom cabinetry installed throughout.” But let’s back up. This project began when Mandy contacted Sarah in the midst of the remodel process (in December 2010), asking if she could come take a look and help with the overall design. “The plans were being drawn up with an architect, and they opted not to move anything major. Instead, they updated everything—as in the small carpeted staircase that became a gorgeous glass and metal sculpture,” Sarah explains. She took photographs and measurements, and then set to work creating the scaled renderings. “Marc and Mandy were drawn to the One and Only Collection. It features a high-gloss brown and white color scheme which served as inspiration for the project,” says Sarah. Primary pieces in the expansive living area include the Mondrian leather sectional, the Involution sculpture, and a pair of Vladimir Kagan Corkscrew swivel chairs. The Maisters needed a place to house all their electronics but didn’t want a typical entertainment center. The One and Only buffet was actually modified by our skilled shop technicians, in our distribution center, so it could accommodate all the couple’s media equipment. “These artisans are another one of our hidden strengths—in addition to the design tools, inventory and extensive resources we have to get a job done,” adds Sarah. Marc and Mandy also fell in love with the exotic Makassar ebony wood in the Ritz Collection, which Sarah combined in the master bedroom with the Ravenna double chaise to provide an extra place to sit and enjoy the beautiful harbor views. Beyond new furnishings, the Maisters also decided to completely redo their kitchen. And though Marc and Mandy did not have a chance to actually see our kitchen displays, having worked with Sarah over the years, they had immense trust in our commitment to craftsmanship and quality. In fact, they opted for new cabinetry in four bathrooms as well as the laundry room based on our 3D renderings and lacquer samples alone—without ever opening a drawer. “Their trust in my expertise and Cantoni’s reputation were a major deciding factor,” says Sarah. This plush second home, complete with a private boat dock right out back, counts as one of Sarah’s proudest accomplishments. “These long-time clients are great. They love Cantoni and appreciate high quality Italian furnishings in particular. The home is so gorgeous that once you are inside and open the Nano doors, you simply don’t want to leave.” The job took almost two years to complete, but everyone seems quite happy with the results, proving that large or small—and in cases necessitating a quick turnaround or execution of a long-term vision—Cantoni has the resources to come through for all clients.

The best features of this loft were formerly obscured by its worst. While the apartment has a rich history—it’s located in a former bike factory, it lacked a cohesive floor plan that allowed any substantive living space. A retired teacher rented out the loft for 10 years before an unexpected fire in a lower apartment necessitated a full building overhaul. He jumped at the chance to renovate the apartment and asked InSitu to design a remodel to improve how it functioned and elevate the interior. We created a plan that reorganizes the kitchen and dining spaces, integrates abundant storage, and weaves in an understated material palette that better highlights the space’s cool industrial character.

Adjustments to this kitchen made it more workable and updating appliances necessitated removing, rebuilding, sprucing up the some of the existing cabinetry and countertops with new. Lighting was updated.

Cat Neitzey of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Fredericksburg, VA, in collaboration with Abby Construction, designed a transitional kitchen design featuring Masterpiece cabinetry. The kitchen cabinets are in the Masterpiece Gallina door style in Maple in a Dove White finish for the perimeter and a Midnight Blue finish for the island. The design also features both finishes on tall cabinets designed for pantry, display and coffee bar use. The kitchen also includes Cambria Portrush for the countertops, full height and standard backsplashes. “Cat knew her products and knew good design. She was a great problem solver,” said the client. According to Cat, Abby Construction undertook the transformation of a 1951 home from traditional to modern, open, and accessible, enabling its owners to age gracefully. They reconfigured doors, walls and the façade, integrating the garage into the living space. "The clients' construction background and design expertise positioned them as the ideal team to tackle a project of this magnitude. Throughout the process, we maintained frequent communication, meeting regularly both on-site and in the showroom. Our primary challenge arose from the evolving plan, necessitated by the structural alterations to the existing house, which impacted the future design," said Cat. “Our primary focus was to keep the design accessible. We needed to dramatically increase the amount of storage from the original kitchen. Adding roll trays, drawers, a base microwave and a mixer pop up ensured that everything remained easily within reach.” Photos courtesy of Tim Snyder Photography.

The extensive renovation of this Colonial Revival influenced residence aimed to blend historic period details with modern amenities. Challenges for this project were that the existing front entry porch and side sunroom were structurally unsound with considerable settling, water damage and damage to the shingle roof structure. This necessitated the total demolition and rebuilding of these spaces, but with modern materials that resemble the existing characteristics of this residence. A new flat roof structure with ornamental railing systems were utilized in place of the original roof design. An ARDA for Renovation Design goes to Roney Design Group, LLC Designers: Tim Roney with Interior Design by HomeOwner, Florida's Finest From: St. Petersburg, Florida

Curtis and Peggy had been thinking of a kitchen remodel for quite some time, but they knew their house would have a unique set of challenges. Their older Victorian house was built in 1891. The kitchen cabinetry was original, and they wanted to keep the authenticity of their period home while adding modern comforts that would improve their quality of life. A friend recommended Advance Design Studio for their exceptional experience and quality of work. After meeting with designer Michelle Lecinski at Advance Design, they were confident they could partner with Advance to accomplish the unique kitchen renovation they’d been talking about for years. “We wanted to do the kitchen for a long, long time,” Curtis said. “(We asked ourselves) what are we actually going to do? How are we going to do this? And who are we going to find to do exactly what we want?” The goal for the project was to keep the home renovation and new kitchen feeling authentic to the time in which it was built. They desperately wanted the modern comforts that come with a larger refrigerator and the dishwasher that they never had! The old home was also a bit drafty so adding a fireplace, wall insulation and new windows became a priority. They very much wanted to create a comfortable hearth room adjacent to the kitchen, complete with old world brick. The original cabinetry had to go to make way for beautiful new kitchen cabinetry that appears as if it was a hundred years old, but with all the benefits of cutting-edge storage, self-closing drawers, and a brand-new look. “We just wanted to keep it old looking, but with some modern updates,” Peggy said. Dura Supreme Highland Cabinets with a Heritage Old World Painted Finish replaced the original 1891 cabinets. The hand-applied careful rubbed-off detailing makes these exquisite cabinets look as if they came from a far-gone era. Despite the small size of the kitchen, Peggy, Curtis and Michelle utilized every inch with custom cabinet sizes to increase storage capacity. The custom cabinets allowed for the addition of a 24” Fisher Paykel dishwasher with a concealing Dura Supreme door panel. Michelle was also able to work into the new design a larger 30” Fisher Paykel French refrigerator. “We made every ¼ inch count in this small space,” designer Michelle said. “Having the ability to custom size the cabinetry was the only way to achieve this.” “The kitchen essentially was designed around the Heartland Vintage range and oven,” says Michelle. A classic appliance that combines nostalgic beauty and craftsmanship for modern cooking, with nickel plated trim and elegantly shaped handles and legs; the not to miss range is a striking focal point of the entire room and an engaging conversation piece. Granite countertops in Kodiak Satin with subtle veining kept with the old-world style. The delicate porcelain La Vie Crackle Sonoma tile kitchen backsplash compliments the home’s style perfectly. A handcrafted passthrough designed to show off Peggy’s fine china was custom built by project carpenters Justin Davis and Jeff Dallain to physically and visually open the space. Additional storage was created in the custom panty room with Latte Edinburg cabinets, hand-made weathered wood shelving with authentic black iron brackets, and an intricate tin copper ceiling. Peggy and Curtis loved the idea of adding a Vermont stove to make the hearth-room not only functional, but a truly beckoning place to be. A stunning Bordeaux red Vermont Castings Stove with crisp black ventilation was chosen and combined with the authentic reclaimed Chicago brick wall. Advance’s talented carpenters custom-built elegant weathered shelves to house family memorabilia, installed carefully chosen barn sconces, and made the hearth room an inviting place to relax with a cup of coffee and a good book. “Peggy and Curtis’ project was so much fun to work on. Creating a space that looks and feels like it always belonged in this beautiful old Victorian home is a designer’s dream. To see the delight in their faces when they saw the design details coming together truly made it worth the time and effort that went into making the very compact kitchen space work”, said Michelle. “The result is an amazing custom kitchen, packed with functionality in every inch, nook and cranny!” exclaims Michelle. The renovation didn’t end with the kitchen. New Pella windows were added to help lessen the drafts. The removal of the original windows and trim necessitated the re-creation of hand-made corbels and trim details no longer available today. The talented carpenter team came to the rescue, crafting new pieces and masterfully finishing them as if they were always there. New custom gutters were formed and installed with a front entry rework necessary to accommodate the changes. The whole house functions better, but it still feels like the original 1891 home. “From start to finish it’s just a much better space than we used to have,” Peggy said. “Jeff and Justin were amazing.” Curtis added; “We were lucky to find Advance Design, because they really came through for us. I loved that they had everything in house, anything you needed to have done, they could do it”.

When this multi-generational family embarked on rebuilding their Palo Alto home, they had to rethink the entire design due to FEMA regulations. Located in a flood zone, the finished floor had to be raised 4 feet, necessitating a full demolition. This challenge became an opportunity to create a residence that better suited the family’s needs — with three bedrooms on the second floor and a ground floor in-law suite. Drawing references from the previous Eichler-inspired house, the new iteration features glass walls and expressed structure that recalls a midcentury design that is entirely modern. The great room opens onto the garden, where a raised terrace provides outdoor living space. Wraparound planters and tiered stairs ease the transition between levels, allowing the home to blend seamlessly into the neighborhood.

Built in 1997, this home’s original kitchen had great bones, but an impractical appliance and cabinetry layout obstructed the room’s natural flow, necessitating a makeover to improve form and function. A new appliance arrangement, custom cabinetry, and updated finishes resulted in a wow-worthy space that is as functional as it is stylish.