This client from Highgate in North London, N6 contacted us about their large honed Limestone tiled floor that was installed throughout the ground floor. It had been laid seven years prior and was now grubby and in need of a deep clean and seal including the grout which had turned black with dirt. I visited the property to survey and assess what was required and provided the owner with a quotation for the renovation. The hallway pictured was in the worst condition, it was a busy house with young children and dogs and over the years the sealer had worn down leaving it vulnerable to ingrained dirt. Without a sealer to protect the stone it had become heavily soiled and lost its original polished appearance. Happy with the quote we scheduled a date for the work to go ahead. The quote included deep cleaning and burnishing the stone to bring back the polish, grout cleaning and re-sealing the Limestone to protect it. We arrived on the first day and prepared the area by taping up the skirting and woodwork to protect them from potential splashing. Next step was to burnish the floor using a set of Tile Doctor Diamond Burnishing Pads, specifically the 400, 800 and 1500 grit pads fitted to a rotary machine, these were used in sequence running each pad over the tiles several times with water to lubricate the process. The water turns into a fine slurry as pores in the stone are opened and the dirt is released, the slurry is rinsed off with more water and extracted using an industrial wet vacuum after each pad. The finer 800 and 1500-grit pads slowly close the pores and refine the appearance of the stone building up the polish in the process. A strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was then applied to the grout lines, leaving it for a short while to soak in and then hand scrubbing with a grout brush. The dirty cleaning solution and were then removed from the floor with the wet vacuum. This process was repeated across the different sections of the Limestone floor until I was satisfied with its appearance. Before leaving for the day, I rinsed the floor again using a buffing machine fitted with a brush fitted to give it a final clean. The floor was dried as much as possible using the wet vacuum and then allowed it to dry off fully overnight. The following day the final 3000-grit pad in the four-pad set was applied to the floor to bring up the polish even further. The pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the tile. We call this process a “Spray Burnish” and as well as leaving the floor nice and dry ready for sealing it adds a nice subtle shine to the stone. The floor was then sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer. This is a colour intensifying impregnating sealer that works by occupying the pores in the stone so dirt cannot become ingrained there. It will provide durable protection and make the floor much easier to keep clean. It worked well on the pale Limestone and beautifully enhanced the colour and features in stone. Once complete the floor looked brand new again. I left a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Stone Soap with the client and gave them some information about how best to maintain the floor. This product is pH neutral and cleans whilst maintaining the patina on the stone helping to keep the floor in great condition. The client was delighted with the result and left us a great review. “Andrew is excellent and gets on with the job and we got a fantastic result. Highly recommend. By Aaron S, Highgate, 15 March 2021” Andrew Newstead North London Tile Doctor

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

Chris and Sofia of Arlington Heights knew when they purchased their home that they would finish the basement. They needed a space for the kids to hang out, for family and friends to stay, and to have a better space for hosting holidays and parties. The dark unfinished space went mostly unused for three years, but once their kids reached the ideal age for use of a well-built basement, they moved ahead with their plan. “The old basement was dark and cold, and the kids came down and played, but they didn’t like it. The new space is like a whole other house, so we have this space for family game nights and for watching games or Super Bowl parties,” Chris said. The couple found Advance Design Studio through a friend who had their entire home renovated by the remodeling company. After the initial meeting and visiting the showroom, Chris and Sofia were positive that Advance Design was the company that could best turn their unfinished basement into a family friendly space for everyone to enjoy. “We really liked the showroom, we liked being able to choose all of those finishes and meet with them in one place,” Chris said. A Custom Space for a Family with Multiple Needs The project began with a fireplace focal point complete with an amazing entertainment wall, a fantastic full kitchen complete with every amenity, and a brand new full bath. The new basement truly has a space for everyone. If the kids want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch they can, if family wants to play games and have a pizza party on the large island they can, and if guests want to stay over night on the pull-out sofa they can enjoy the entire private “suite” complete with a full bath. It is the true definition of a multifunctional basement. The stunning, full kitchen is the highlight of this now bright and airy basement. You walk down the stairs and are immediately impressed with the detailed metal tile work on the ceiling, bringing to mind the classic feel of a comfortable old pub. Cherry Merlot cabinets provide a rich contrast against the soft neutral walls and the contrasting copper tin ceiling tile and backsplash. Rich Santa Cecelia granite countertops pair nicely with timeless stonework on the outer walls. The island is large enough to provide a more than adequate entertaining space, and provides plenty of both seating and storage. The well-appointed kitchen houses a regular size refrigerator, a full size oven for pizza parties and cookie baking anytime, a microwave oven as well as complete sink and trash set up. One could easily do without a home kitchen forever in this generously designed secondary space! The fireplace and buffet wall seating area is the ideal place to watch movies or sporting events. The coordinating stonework on the fireplace flows throughout the basement, and a burnt orange accent wall brings color and warmth to otherwise ordinary basement space. The Elite Merlot media buffet compliments the kitchen as well as provides storage and a unique functional display option, giving this part of the basement a sophisticated, yet functional feel. The full bath is complete with a unique furniture style cherry DuraSupreme vanity and matching custom designed mirror. The weathered look to the cabinets and mirror give the bathroom some earthy texture as does the stone floor in the walk-in shower. Soft blue makes the space a spa-like mini retreat, and the handsome wall to wall tile and granite speak luxury at every corner. Advance Design added clever custom storage spaces to take advantage of otherwise wasted corners. They built a custom mudroom for the kids to house their sports equipment and a handy built in bench area with basket pull outs for a custom home gym. “They were able to custom fit this second mudroom with the lockers and the bench, they were able to custom build that, so the kids could store all of their equipment down here for the sports that they are in,” Chris said. They Got The Amazing Space They Had Envisioned for Years! The basement Chris and Sofia had envisioned had come to life in a few short months of planning, design and construction, just a perfect fit in the summer months. Advance Design Studio was able to design and build a custom, multifunctional space that the whole family can enjoy. “I would recommend Advance Design because of the showroom, because of the cleanliness on the jobsite and the professionalism, combined with Christine’s design side as well as Todd’s builder’s side - it’s nice to have it all together,” reminisced Chris after the project was complete.

After several years on the remodeling to-do list, the homeowners decided to update to add a sense of style to their half-bath/laundry and called the Renovisions team in to help create their vision for this space. The main goal was to provide a clean, open and inviting feel, while adding a nice balance of texture and interest. Upon a few visits to the Renovisions showroom, to discuss a suitable style, the final CAD design was approved and de-construction began. A new double-hung window replaced the old window, and measurements were taken for the new painted wood shutters. Out with the existing tile flooring, vanity, drop-in sink, toilet and outdated wall cabinets over laundry pair and window. In with the stylish, now taller shaker style vanity in stunning blue-green paint color. Pretty quartz countertop with under mount sink, and energy efficient comfort height toilet. The white subway wall tiles provide a classic look with timeless appeal fabulous with black porcelain floor tiles and contrasting light grey grout. Black and white provides a more dramatic look without compromising the rooms longevity. Overall. The client is thrilled with the simple and fresh look of her now more interesting and stylish bath/laundry room. The vintage industrial design with stylish mini pendant light fixtures with clear seedy glass shades in old bronze finish is a perfect addition to this newly remodeled space and ties in nicely with the oil rubbed bronze hardware and accessories. “The bathroom is SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL…….floor, tile, vanity, countertop, cabinets, lighting, and the faucet….I could not be more pleased!!!!!!” - Susan M. (Hanover)

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

Welcome to the Manors at Steeple Chase.Now is the time to Visit this charming home. This center hall colonial offers an open floor plan, hardwood floors in the foyer hallway, and French doors at the entrance of the home office or formal living room, a formal dining room that is bright and airy with new up graded carpet. The family room which opens up to the kitchen offers a wood burning fireplace with the perfect amount of natural sunlight. The kitchen has brand new stainless steel appliances that go nicely with the new granite counter tops and modern lighting. This clean 2 car garage makes it easy to park your car and go in to the home or out to the side yard. The door to the back yard has side windows which opens to allow the air in .The trax stairs leads to the paver patio along with an above ground pool, privacy fencing and two sheds for all your pool and gardening tools .The fully finished off basement houses the gym room, laundry room, play or man cave, along with another room which has all been repainted and new carpet installed with plenty of space for that extra storage. The upstairs has a spacious hallway with 3 nice size bedrooms .The master bedroom suite offers a standalone shower ,soaking tub, dual sinks and a walk in closet .The hall bath has also been completely remodeled with a new vanity and paint.

Chris and Sofia of Arlington Heights knew when they purchased their home that they would finish the basement. They needed a space for the kids to hang out, for family and friends to stay, and to have a better space for hosting holidays and parties. The dark unfinished space went mostly unused for three years, but once their kids reached the ideal age for use of a well-built basement, they moved ahead with their plan. “The old basement was dark and cold, and the kids came down and played, but they didn’t like it. The new space is like a whole other house, so we have this space for family game nights and for watching games or Super Bowl parties,” Chris said. The couple found Advance Design Studio through a friend who had their entire home renovated by the remodeling company. After the initial meeting and visiting the showroom, Chris and Sofia were positive that Advance Design was the company that could best turn their unfinished basement into a family friendly space for everyone to enjoy. “We really liked the showroom, we liked being able to choose all of those finishes and meet with them in one place,” Chris said. A Custom Space for a Family with Multiple Needs The project began with a fireplace focal point complete with an amazing entertainment wall, a fantastic full kitchen complete with every amenity, and a brand new full bath. The new basement truly has a space for everyone. If the kids want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch they can, if family wants to play games and have a pizza party on the large island they can, and if guests want to stay over night on the pull-out sofa they can enjoy the entire private “suite” complete with a full bath. It is the true definition of a multifunctional basement. The stunning, full kitchen is the highlight of this now bright and airy basement. You walk down the stairs and are immediately impressed with the detailed metal tile work on the ceiling, bringing to mind the classic feel of a comfortable old pub. Cherry Merlot cabinets provide a rich contrast against the soft neutral walls and the contrasting copper tin ceiling tile and backsplash. Rich Santa Cecelia granite countertops pair nicely with timeless stonework on the outer walls. The island is large enough to provide a more than adequate entertaining space, and provides plenty of both seating and storage. The well-appointed kitchen houses a regular size refrigerator, a full size oven for pizza parties and cookie baking anytime, a microwave oven as well as complete sink and trash set up. One could easily do without a home kitchen forever in this generously designed secondary space! The fireplace and buffet wall seating area is the ideal place to watch movies or sporting events. The coordinating stonework on the fireplace flows throughout the basement, and a burnt orange accent wall brings color and warmth to otherwise ordinary basement space. The Elite Merlot media buffet compliments the kitchen as well as provides storage and a unique functional display option, giving this part of the basement a sophisticated, yet functional feel. The full bath is complete with a unique furniture style cherry DuraSupreme vanity and matching custom designed mirror. The weathered look to the cabinets and mirror give the bathroom some earthy texture as does the stone floor in the walk-in shower. Soft blue makes the space a spa-like mini retreat, and the handsome wall to wall tile and granite speak luxury at every corner. Advance Design added clever custom storage spaces to take advantage of otherwise wasted corners. They built a custom mudroom for the kids to house their sports equipment and a handy built in bench area with basket pull outs for a custom home gym. “They were able to custom fit this second mudroom with the lockers and the bench, they were able to custom build that, so the kids could store all of their equipment down here for the sports that they are in,” Chris said. They Got The Amazing Space They Had Envisioned for Years! The basement Chris and Sofia had envisioned had come to life in a few short months of planning, design and construction, just a perfect fit in the summer months. Advance Design Studio was able to design and build a custom, multifunctional space that the whole family can enjoy. “I would recommend Advance Design because of the showroom, because of the cleanliness on the jobsite and the professionalism, combined with Christine’s design side as well as Todd’s builder’s side - it’s nice to have it all together,” reminisced Chris after the project was complete.

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

Chris and Sofia of Arlington Heights knew when they purchased their home that they would finish the basement. They needed a space for the kids to hang out, for family and friends to stay, and to have a better space for hosting holidays and parties. The dark unfinished space went mostly unused for three years, but once their kids reached the ideal age for use of a well-built basement, they moved ahead with their plan. “The old basement was dark and cold, and the kids came down and played, but they didn’t like it. The new space is like a whole other house, so we have this space for family game nights and for watching games or Super Bowl parties,” Chris said. The couple found Advance Design Studio through a friend who had their entire home renovated by the remodeling company. After the initial meeting and visiting the showroom, Chris and Sofia were positive that Advance Design was the company that could best turn their unfinished basement into a family friendly space for everyone to enjoy. “We really liked the showroom, we liked being able to choose all of those finishes and meet with them in one place,” Chris said. A Custom Space for a Family with Multiple Needs The project began with a fireplace focal point complete with an amazing entertainment wall, a fantastic full kitchen complete with every amenity, and a brand new full bath. The new basement truly has a space for everyone. If the kids want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch they can, if family wants to play games and have a pizza party on the large island they can, and if guests want to stay over night on the pull-out sofa they can enjoy the entire private “suite” complete with a full bath. It is the true definition of a multifunctional basement. The stunning, full kitchen is the highlight of this now bright and airy basement. You walk down the stairs and are immediately impressed with the detailed metal tile work on the ceiling, bringing to mind the classic feel of a comfortable old pub. Cherry Merlot cabinets provide a rich contrast against the soft neutral walls and the contrasting copper tin ceiling tile and backsplash. Rich Santa Cecelia granite countertops pair nicely with timeless stonework on the outer walls. The island is large enough to provide a more than adequate entertaining space, and provides plenty of both seating and storage. The well-appointed kitchen houses a regular size refrigerator, a full size oven for pizza parties and cookie baking anytime, a microwave oven as well as complete sink and trash set up. One could easily do without a home kitchen forever in this generously designed secondary space! The fireplace and buffet wall seating area is the ideal place to watch movies or sporting events. The coordinating stonework on the fireplace flows throughout the basement, and a burnt orange accent wall brings color and warmth to otherwise ordinary basement space. The Elite Merlot media buffet compliments the kitchen as well as provides storage and a unique functional display option, giving this part of the basement a sophisticated, yet functional feel. The full bath is complete with a unique furniture style cherry DuraSupreme vanity and matching custom designed mirror. The weathered look to the cabinets and mirror give the bathroom some earthy texture as does the stone floor in the walk-in shower. Soft blue makes the space a spa-like mini retreat, and the handsome wall to wall tile and granite speak luxury at every corner. Advance Design added clever custom storage spaces to take advantage of otherwise wasted corners. They built a custom mudroom for the kids to house their sports equipment and a handy built in bench area with basket pull outs for a custom home gym. “They were able to custom fit this second mudroom with the lockers and the bench, they were able to custom build that, so the kids could store all of their equipment down here for the sports that they are in,” Chris said. They Got The Amazing Space They Had Envisioned for Years! The basement Chris and Sofia had envisioned had come to life in a few short months of planning, design and construction, just a perfect fit in the summer months. Advance Design Studio was able to design and build a custom, multifunctional space that the whole family can enjoy. “I would recommend Advance Design because of the showroom, because of the cleanliness on the jobsite and the professionalism, combined with Christine’s design side as well as Todd’s builder’s side - it’s nice to have it all together,” reminisced Chris after the project was complete.

The owners of a charming home in the hills west of Paso Robles recently decided to remodel their not-so-charming kitchen. Referred to San Luis Kitchen by several of their friends, the homeowners visited our showroom and soon decided we were the best people to design a kitchen fitting the style of their home. We were delighted to get to work on the project right away. When we arrived at the house, we found a small, cramped and out-dated kitchen. The ceiling was low, the cabinets old fashioned and painted a stark dead white, and the best view in the house was neglected in a seldom-used breakfast nook (sequestered behind the kitchen peninsula). This kitchen was also handicapped by white tile counters with dark grout, odd-sized and cluttered cabinets, and small ‘desk’ tacked on to the side of the oven cabinet. Due to a marked lack of counter space & inadequate storage the homeowner had resorted to keeping her small appliances on a little cart parked in the corner and the garbage was just sitting by the wall in full view of everything! On the plus side, the kitchen opened into a nice dining room and had beautiful saltillo tile floors. Mrs. Homeowner loves to entertain and often hosts dinner parties for her friends. She enjoys visiting with her guests in the kitchen while putting the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. Sadly, her small kitchen really limited her interactions with her guests – she often felt left out of the mix at her own parties! This savvy homeowner dreamed big – a new kitchen that would accommodate multiple workstations, have space for guests to gather but not be in the way, and maybe a prettier transition from the kitchen to the dining (wine service area or hutch?) – while managing the remodel budget by reusing some of her major appliances and keeping (patching as needed) her existing floors. Responding to the homeowner’s stated wish list and the opportunities presented by the home's setting and existing architecture, the designers at San Luis Kitchen decided to expand the kitchen into the breakfast nook using Wood-Mode cabinetry. This change allowed the work area to be reoriented to take advantage of the great view – we replaced the existing window and added another while moving the door to gain space. A second sink and set of refrigerator drawers (housing fresh fruits & veggies) were included for the convenience of this mainly vegetarian cook – her prep station. The clean-up area now boasts a farmhouse style single bowl sink – adding to the ‘cottage’ charm. We located a new gas cook-top between the two workstations for easy access from each. Also tucked in here is a pullout trash/recycle cabinet for convenience and additional drawers for storage. Running parallel to the work counter we added a long butcher-block island with easy-to-access open shelves for the avid cook and seating for friendly guests placed just right to take in the view. A counter-top garage is used to hide excess small appliances. Glass door cabinets and open shelves are now available to display the owners beautiful dishware. The microwave was placed inconspicuously on the end of the island facing the refrigerator – easy access for guests (and extraneous family members) to help themselves to drinks and snacks while staying out of the cook’s way. We also moved the pantry storage away from the dining room (putting it on the far wall and closer to the work triangle) and added a furniture-like hutch in its place allowing the more formal dining area to flow seamlessly into the up-beat work area of the kitchen. This space is now also home (opposite wall) to an under counter wine refrigerator, a liquor cabinet and pretty glass door wall cabinet for stemware storage – meeting Mr. Homeowner’s desire for a bar service area. And then the aesthetic: an old-world style country cottage theme. The homeowners wanted the kitchen to have a warm feel while still loving the look of white cabinetry. San Luis Kitchen melded country-casual knotty pine base cabinets with vintage hand-brushed creamy white wall cabinets to create the desired cottage look. We also added bead board and mullioned glass doors for charm, used an inset doorstyle on the cabinets for authenticity, and mixed stone and wood counters to create an eclectic nuance in the space. All in all, the happy homeowners now boast a charming county cottage kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining their guests while creating gourmet meals to feed them.

This gorgeous Mediterranean/Tuscan style home is perched on a hillside overlooking thousands of acres of Texas Hill Country. Everything about the home captures your interest and draws you in. The home was built with every room taking advantage of the incredible views. As you enter, the handmade brick ceiling entices you into the magnificent great room. Your eyes continue through the great room and are drawn to the huge picture window that looks out forever. The great room has a see through fireplace to the master bedroom, Saltillo tile floors, and a full bar with wine frig and icemaker. To the right of the foyer is a study with wooden floors, a half bath and also includes a nice size closet. To the left of the foyer is an open dining room with a cathedral ceiling and windows at the top allowing ample light to flow in. The dining room has wooden floors with a built-in buffet. The master bedroom has plush carpet, French doors that open out onto the veranda, fireplace, his/hers closets with built ins and a huge master bath complete with laundry room. The master bath has his/hers sinks with generous counter space, Jacuzzi tub and a walk- through shower with double heads. The enormous kitchen is open to the den area and also has incredible views. A large granite island houses the sink and leaves more than enough room for friends to visit while your chef is preparing the meal. Stainless steel double ovens, five burner gas stove, terracotta tile countertops with backsplash, and thermador frig and freezer. The den has a native stone fireplace and a large wall of built-ins for your T.V. and plenty of books and other décor. Saltillo tile floors cover the kitchen and den area. Next to the kitchen is a custom butler’s pantry with wood floors, terracotta tile counters, copper sink, a compact dishwasher plus a cutout into the wet bar area for ease of service. Two additional bedrooms with private baths are in the main home, with a separate 900 SF guest quarters that has a nice size living area, kitchenette, two bedrooms and a full bath. This incredible 4574+-SF estate is in a gated subdivision just minutes out of Kerrville and a stone’s throw from the eclectic Camp Verde General Store and Post Office. The home was custom built in 2004 with such attention to detail that it will stand the test of time and changing décor. The home sits on 30 acres in an area that is all wildlife exempt with superb restrictions to protect the homeowner’s investment.

Chris and Sofia of Arlington Heights knew when they purchased their home that they would finish the basement. They needed a space for the kids to hang out, for family and friends to stay, and to have a better space for hosting holidays and parties. The dark unfinished space went mostly unused for three years, but once their kids reached the ideal age for use of a well-built basement, they moved ahead with their plan. “The old basement was dark and cold, and the kids came down and played, but they didn’t like it. The new space is like a whole other house, so we have this space for family game nights and for watching games or Super Bowl parties,” Chris said. The couple found Advance Design Studio through a friend who had their entire home renovated by the remodeling company. After the initial meeting and visiting the showroom, Chris and Sofia were positive that Advance Design was the company that could best turn their unfinished basement into a family friendly space for everyone to enjoy. “We really liked the showroom, we liked being able to choose all of those finishes and meet with them in one place,” Chris said. A Custom Space for a Family with Multiple Needs The project began with a fireplace focal point complete with an amazing entertainment wall, a fantastic full kitchen complete with every amenity, and a brand new full bath. The new basement truly has a space for everyone. If the kids want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch they can, if family wants to play games and have a pizza party on the large island they can, and if guests want to stay over night on the pull-out sofa they can enjoy the entire private “suite” complete with a full bath. It is the true definition of a multifunctional basement. The stunning, full kitchen is the highlight of this now bright and airy basement. You walk down the stairs and are immediately impressed with the detailed metal tile work on the ceiling, bringing to mind the classic feel of a comfortable old pub. Cherry Merlot cabinets provide a rich contrast against the soft neutral walls and the contrasting copper tin ceiling tile and backsplash. Rich Santa Cecelia granite countertops pair nicely with timeless stonework on the outer walls. The island is large enough to provide a more than adequate entertaining space, and provides plenty of both seating and storage. The well-appointed kitchen houses a regular size refrigerator, a full size oven for pizza parties and cookie baking anytime, a microwave oven as well as complete sink and trash set up. One could easily do without a home kitchen forever in this generously designed secondary space! The fireplace and buffet wall seating area is the ideal place to watch movies or sporting events. The coordinating stonework on the fireplace flows throughout the basement, and a burnt orange accent wall brings color and warmth to otherwise ordinary basement space. The Elite Merlot media buffet compliments the kitchen as well as provides storage and a unique functional display option, giving this part of the basement a sophisticated, yet functional feel. The full bath is complete with a unique furniture style cherry DuraSupreme vanity and matching custom designed mirror. The weathered look to the cabinets and mirror give the bathroom some earthy texture as does the stone floor in the walk-in shower. Soft blue makes the space a spa-like mini retreat, and the handsome wall to wall tile and granite speak luxury at every corner. Advance Design added clever custom storage spaces to take advantage of otherwise wasted corners. They built a custom mudroom for the kids to house their sports equipment and a handy built in bench area with basket pull outs for a custom home gym. “They were able to custom fit this second mudroom with the lockers and the bench, they were able to custom build that, so the kids could store all of their equipment down here for the sports that they are in,” Chris said. They Got The Amazing Space They Had Envisioned for Years! The basement Chris and Sofia had envisioned had come to life in a few short months of planning, design and construction, just a perfect fit in the summer months. Advance Design Studio was able to design and build a custom, multifunctional space that the whole family can enjoy. “I would recommend Advance Design because of the showroom, because of the cleanliness on the jobsite and the professionalism, combined with Christine’s design side as well as Todd’s builder’s side - it’s nice to have it all together,” reminisced Chris after the project was complete.

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.

After several years on the remodeling to-do list, the homeowners decided to update to add a sense of style to their half-bath/laundry and called the Renovisions team in to help create their vision for this space. The main goal was to provide a clean, open and inviting feel, while adding a nice balance of texture and interest. Upon a few visits to the Renovisions showroom, to discuss a suitable style, the final CAD design was approved and de-construction began. A new double-hung window replaced the old window, and measurements were taken for the new painted wood shutters. Out with the existing tile flooring, vanity, drop-in sink, toilet and outdated wall cabinets over laundry pair and window. In with the stylish, now taller shaker style vanity in stunning blue-green paint color. Pretty quartz countertop with under mount sink, and energy efficient comfort height toilet. The white subway wall tiles provide a classic look with timeless appeal fabulous with black porcelain floor tiles and contrasting light grey grout. Black and white provides a more dramatic look without compromising the rooms longevity. Overall. The client is thrilled with the simple and fresh look of her now more interesting and stylish bath/laundry room. The vintage industrial design with stylish mini pendant light fixtures with clear seedy glass shades in old bronze finish is a perfect addition to this newly remodeled space and ties in nicely with the oil rubbed bronze hardware and accessories. “The bathroom is SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL…….floor, tile, vanity, countertop, cabinets, lighting, and the faucet….I could not be more pleased!!!!!!” - Susan M. (Hanover)

Recliners.LA is a leading distributor of high quality motion, sleeping & reclining furniture and home entertainment furniture. Check out our Stressless by Ekornes Furniture Collection. Come visit a showroom in Los Angeles and Orange County today or visit us online at https://goo.gl/7Pbnco. (Recliners.LA)

This homeowner had a design challenge for our team. They were looking for something completely unique and special for their back yard. In a neighborhood with "nice" pools they didn't want something ordinary. Our designer/builder, Al Curtis, proposed something completely new. He proposed a swimming pool, built freeform, gunite, with a raised waterfall spilling, finished with the same quartzite coping as the pool, over into the pool, with a swim in grotto and a boat as a seating area at the deep end of the pool. His original idea had him taking an actual boat, reclaiming and reusing it to create this custom feature. The homeowners had other ideas once they heard his crazy cool idea, and asked if he could build it out of concrete. Of course, Al and our entire team was thrilled with the challenge, and hand crafted the boat you see entirely out of concrete, hand shaped, sculpted and molded the cement to form with such attention to detail that you can't tell from a distance that it is not a real boat hovering at the deep end of this pool! The boat was finished with a few reclaimed details from the actual boat it was modeled after...since details are just a part of the surprise and delight in a Legendary Escape, they add just the right elements to make this a very real experience. The homeowner also asked for a different type of coping next to the raised spillover gunite spa, to create the illusion of a swim up bar on the edge of the pool. The pool guy took this idea, raised the pool wall, added a custom poured concrete bar, and added a swim up ledge and in-pool bar stools with seats created out of concrete and stainless steel stands. The perfect custom features, finished with the thermoplastic of ecoFinish, the newest and best trend for a smoother more comfortable swimming surface for gunite pools, spas, sun ledges and seats that we use on our Michigan custom swimming pools, whether hybrid (vinyl liner/gunite combo) or all gunite swimming pools and spas. With the boat in place, it only made sense to create the outside of the grotto as if it were the boat house, for this one of a kind speedboat. The waterfall coming over the face of the grotto has two speeds, fast and warp speed...so jumping off, swimming through the waterfall, or heading down the slide from the dock/wharf patio area adjacent to the boat is a terrific way for kids and adults to enjoy this pool! Swim into the grotto and you are immersed in a 3-dimensional cave, with carvings of fish in vibrant color hand sculpted and painted by Karen, one of our on the job artisans who is instrumental in helping bring our sculptures and always surprising elements to life. Karen has an artistic whimsy, though she is also precise and accurate as she specializes in placing the coping just right and always making sure the tile is just right on every project. To complete this project landscaping, the homeowners looked to Jodi Cook, of Naturally Jodi to create a landscape that blended with the pool area to create a unique feel for the space. She used a variety of plants, ornamental trees, and even created pillars like you would see at a marina to complete the look. Once her landscaping was in, Al added a surprise element at the end of the dock - a lifesize alligator with a fishing rod catching a fish - as just one more detail to this project. Al, and his entire team aim to create a magical environment, where around every corner is just one more surprise that completes the awe and inspiring joy when visiting on of our Legendary Escapes! To say the homeowners are delighted just may be an understatement. Their kick off party included visits from superheros and Disney characters - enjoying all the elements of this backyard retreat in Rochester, Michigan.