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”.

design by christina britt lewis, photography by angela statzer
Inspiration for a contemporary home design remodel in Charlotte

The walls in the Kitchen are finished in Japanese stucco. This goes on over a troweled scratch coat. The finish coats consists os a troweled mixture of clay, grass, straw and water. I applied this myself on all of the Kitchen and Mud Room walls, between the oak floor moulding and the maple frieze board. It is extremely durable. Photo by Glen Grayson, AIA

Elegant nursery photo in Calgary

Custom furnishings for a private residence includes a Walnut credenza, desk top, floating fold down bar, and shelf. A long low credenza has a white lacquer exterior, mitered edges, integrated brass hardware, and perforated blackened brass doors which conceal media and allow remote access. A solid Walnut floating bar cabinet has brass fold down hardware and a mirrored back.

Ten Piece Solar System Wall Art Arrangement (Including Pluto!). This space design is perfect for any school, home or office space, and it makes a great gift!

We found this vintage postal sorting desk on a sourcing trip in France. The small cubbies, originally used for sorting mail, are perfectly sized for sorting swatches, paint decks and other supplies. It also happens to be exactly as deep as our sheets of tissue and our school paper cutter…how divine! Photo by Liz Daly

Lauren Colton
Living room - small mid-century modern open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Seattle with white walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and no tv

Andrew Thomas Lee photography
Example of a bedroom and mid-sized transitional boy kids' bedroom design in Atlanta

Ben Finch of Finch Photo

Photo by Mary Costa
Living room - modern living room idea in Los Angeles

Photo by Adza
Small trendy freestanding desk dark wood floor home office photo in San Francisco with gray walls

Brandelyn Lee Photography
Kids' room - eclectic kids' room idea in Atlanta

Elizabeth Day
Bedroom and mid-sized transitional girl dark wood floor kids' bedroom photo in Atlanta with purple walls

Dirk Mai
Urban entryway photo in Los Angeles

Rustic hewn alder mantel with a light brown stain and black glaze. We build these mantels custom size, color & distressing can be made to suite your style.

Piston Design
Inspiration for a transitional staircase remodel in Houston

Custom Surface Solutions (www.css-tile.com) - Owner Craig Thompson (512) 430-1215. This project shows the remodel of a small 1950's vintage home master bathroom. 8"" x 18" Calcutta gold marble tile was used on the shower walls and floor wall base and ceramic gray penny tile on the floor. Shower includes curbless pan / floor, dual shower boxes, frameless glass slider, trough duel fixture sink and chrome fixtures.

“Em uma área de quase 120m² se instalaria um sonho de adolescente que surgiu há quase 20 anos atrás, a paixão por rock n’ roll aliada a necessidade de um local adequado para os ensaios da banda que é embalada pelo ritmo, o ambiente seria composto por um palco todo equipado com som e luz para além dos ensaios também receber outras bandas, um bar para as festas particulares que correspondesse ao tamanho do espaço, além de um belo camarim, como não poderia faltar. “ Projeto Metrik Design - Arquitetura e Interiores Blumenau e Balneário Camboriú Fotografia: Alexandre Zelinski