Inspired by historic homes in America’s grand old neighborhoods, the Wainsborough combines the rich character and architectural craftsmanship of the past with contemporary conveniences. Perfect for today’s busy lifestyles, the home is the perfect blend of past and present. Touches of the ever-popular Shingle Style – from the cedar lap siding to the pitched roof – imbue the home with all-American charm without sacrificing modern convenience. Exterior highlights include stone detailing, multiple entries, transom windows and arched doorways. Inside, the home features a livable open floor plan as well as 10-foot ceilings. The kitchen, dining room and family room flow together, with a large fireplace and an inviting nearby deck. A children’s wing over the garage, a luxurious master suite and adaptable design elements give the floor plan the flexibility to adapt as a family’s needs change. “Right-size” rooms live large, but feel cozy. While the floor plan reflects a casual, family-friendly lifestyle, craftsmanship throughout includes interesting nooks and window seats, all hallmarks of the past. The main level includes a kitchen with a timeless character and architectural flair. Designed to function as a modern gathering room reflecting the trend toward the kitchen serving as the heart of the home, it features raised panel, hand-finished cabinetry and hidden, state-of-the-art appliances. Form is as important as function, with a central square-shaped island serving as a both entertaining and workspace. Custom-designed features include a pull-out bookshelf for cookbooks as well as a pull-out table for extra seating. Other first-floor highlights include a dining area with a bay window, a welcoming hearth room with fireplace, a convenient office and a handy family mud room near the side entrance. A music room off the great room adds an elegant touch to this otherwise comfortable, casual home. Upstairs, a large master suite and master bath ensures privacy. Three additional children’s bedrooms are located in a separate wing over the garage. The lower level features a large family room and adjacent home theater, a guest room and bath and a convenient wine and wet bar.

Inspired by historic homes in America’s grand old neighborhoods, the Wainsborough combines the rich character and architectural craftsmanship of the past with contemporary conveniences. Perfect for today’s busy lifestyles, the home is the perfect blend of past and present. Touches of the ever-popular Shingle Style – from the cedar lap siding to the pitched roof – imbue the home with all-American charm without sacrificing modern convenience. Exterior highlights include stone detailing, multiple entries, transom windows and arched doorways. Inside, the home features a livable open floor plan as well as 10-foot ceilings. The kitchen, dining room and family room flow together, with a large fireplace and an inviting nearby deck. A children’s wing over the garage, a luxurious master suite and adaptable design elements give the floor plan the flexibility to adapt as a family’s needs change. “Right-size” rooms live large, but feel cozy. While the floor plan reflects a casual, family-friendly lifestyle, craftsmanship throughout includes interesting nooks and window seats, all hallmarks of the past. The main level includes a kitchen with a timeless character and architectural flair. Designed to function as a modern gathering room reflecting the trend toward the kitchen serving as the heart of the home, it features raised panel, hand-finished cabinetry and hidden, state-of-the-art appliances. Form is as important as function, with a central square-shaped island serving as a both entertaining and workspace. Custom-designed features include a pull-out bookshelf for cookbooks as well as a pull-out table for extra seating. Other first-floor highlights include a dining area with a bay window, a welcoming hearth room with fireplace, a convenient office and a handy family mud room near the side entrance. A music room off the great room adds an elegant touch to this otherwise comfortable, casual home. Upstairs, a large master suite and master bath ensures privacy. Three additional children’s bedrooms are located in a separate wing over the garage. The lower level features a large family room and adjacent home theater, a guest room and bath and a convenient wine and wet bar.

The Yountville Residence was designed to accommodate three family generations coming together over food, wine, outdoor living and the land. Located amongst continuous vineyards on the broad flood plain of the Napa River, creating a strong sense of place was foremost. Rich in a culture of wine making and production from the land, the site demanded a design solution that honored its history and elevated the experience of the land. The house pays homage to its context by creating a reimagined agrarian compound. Conceived as a family of smaller buildings, the architecture comes together around a shaded patio and pool. The kitchen, dining, and living spaces all flow onto the shaded outdoor patio and gardens. Low-sloped gable roofs evoke the agricultural history of the region and echo the gentle slope of the foothills beyond. The home remains understated – quietly drawing one’s attention back to the magnificent natural features of the landscape. Gently pulled back into the heart of the serene vineyards, it is carefully oriented with Stag’s Leap at the foot of the Vaca Mountains to the East and the Mayacamas Range to the West. Scenic views continue uninterrupted through the home. Large window walls slide open and pocket on either side of the house, connecting the family to the outdoors and building a personal experience of place on the Valley floor. “If we can enrich people’s lives, and just maybe inspire them to do something beyond what they might otherwise have done, that brings us great satisfaction.” – Stan Field, fA Principal The connection of the architecture to the land goes beyond its visual connectivity. The design sensitively responds to land and place by recognizing key passive cooling and natural daylighting strategies present on the site. Broad overhanging roofs and the large slide away doors capture prevailing breezes up the valley. The patio, which is pulled close into a recessed cut-out in the main living space of the house, allows summer breezes across the pool to cool the house. Expansive windows and a narrow cross-section allow natural daylight to penetrate deep into the spaces and illuminate the rich and earthy palette of natural materials. The architecture created is a vehicle through which the powerful forms of the landscape craft a powerful experience of place. It is a respite from urban life, designed to bring one back to the basics: a love of family, land, food, and of course, wine.

The Yountville Residence was designed to accommodate three family generations coming together over food, wine, outdoor living and the land. Located amongst continuous vineyards on the broad flood plain of the Napa River, creating a strong sense of place was foremost. Rich in a culture of wine making and production from the land, the site demanded a design solution that honored its history and elevated the experience of the land. The house pays homage to its context by creating a reimagined agrarian compound. Conceived as a family of smaller buildings, the architecture comes together around a shaded patio and pool. The kitchen, dining, and living spaces all flow onto the shaded outdoor patio and gardens. Low-sloped gable roofs evoke the agricultural history of the region and echo the gentle slope of the foothills beyond. The home remains understated – quietly drawing one’s attention back to the magnificent natural features of the landscape. Gently pulled back into the heart of the serene vineyards, it is carefully oriented with Stag’s Leap at the foot of the Vaca Mountains to the East and the Mayacamas Range to the West. Scenic views continue uninterrupted through the home. Large window walls slide open and pocket on either side of the house, connecting the family to the outdoors and building a personal experience of place on the Valley floor. “If we can enrich people’s lives, and just maybe inspire them to do something beyond what they might otherwise have done, that brings us great satisfaction.” – Stan Field, fA Principal The connection of the architecture to the land goes beyond its visual connectivity. The design sensitively responds to land and place by recognizing key passive cooling and natural daylighting strategies present on the site. Broad overhanging roofs and the large slide away doors capture prevailing breezes up the valley. The patio, which is pulled close into a recessed cut-out in the main living space of the house, allows summer breezes across the pool to cool the house. Expansive windows and a narrow cross-section allow natural daylight to penetrate deep into the spaces and illuminate the rich and earthy palette of natural materials. The architecture created is a vehicle through which the powerful forms of the landscape craft a powerful experience of place. It is a respite from urban life, designed to bring one back to the basics: a love of family, land, food, and of course, wine.

Inspired by historic homes in America’s grand old neighborhoods, the Wainsborough combines the rich character and architectural craftsmanship of the past with contemporary conveniences. Perfect for today’s busy lifestyles, the home is the perfect blend of past and present. Touches of the ever-popular Shingle Style – from the cedar lap siding to the pitched roof – imbue the home with all-American charm without sacrificing modern convenience. Exterior highlights include stone detailing, multiple entries, transom windows and arched doorways. Inside, the home features a livable open floor plan as well as 10-foot ceilings. The kitchen, dining room and family room flow together, with a large fireplace and an inviting nearby deck. A children’s wing over the garage, a luxurious master suite and adaptable design elements give the floor plan the flexibility to adapt as a family’s needs change. “Right-size” rooms live large, but feel cozy. While the floor plan reflects a casual, family-friendly lifestyle, craftsmanship throughout includes interesting nooks and window seats, all hallmarks of the past. The main level includes a kitchen with a timeless character and architectural flair. Designed to function as a modern gathering room reflecting the trend toward the kitchen serving as the heart of the home, it features raised panel, hand-finished cabinetry and hidden, state-of-the-art appliances. Form is as important as function, with a central square-shaped island serving as a both entertaining and workspace. Custom-designed features include a pull-out bookshelf for cookbooks as well as a pull-out table for extra seating. Other first-floor highlights include a dining area with a bay window, a welcoming hearth room with fireplace, a convenient office and a handy family mud room near the side entrance. A music room off the great room adds an elegant touch to this otherwise comfortable, casual home. Upstairs, a large master suite and master bath ensures privacy. Three additional children’s bedrooms are located in a separate wing over the garage. The lower level features a large family room and adjacent home theater, a guest room and bath and a convenient wine and wet bar.

The Yountville Residence was designed to accommodate three family generations coming together over food, wine, outdoor living and the land. Located amongst continuous vineyards on the broad flood plain of the Napa River, creating a strong sense of place was foremost. Rich in a culture of wine making and production from the land, the site demanded a design solution that honored its history and elevated the experience of the land. The house pays homage to its context by creating a reimagined agrarian compound. Conceived as a family of smaller buildings, the architecture comes together around a shaded patio and pool. The kitchen, dining, and living spaces all flow onto the shaded outdoor patio and gardens. Low-sloped gable roofs evoke the agricultural history of the region and echo the gentle slope of the foothills beyond. The home remains understated – quietly drawing one’s attention back to the magnificent natural features of the landscape. Gently pulled back into the heart of the serene vineyards, it is carefully oriented with Stag’s Leap at the foot of the Vaca Mountains to the East and the Mayacamas Range to the West. Scenic views continue uninterrupted through the home. Large window walls slide open and pocket on either side of the house, connecting the family to the outdoors and building a personal experience of place on the Valley floor. “If we can enrich people’s lives, and just maybe inspire them to do something beyond what they might otherwise have done, that brings us great satisfaction.” – Stan Field, fA Principal The connection of the architecture to the land goes beyond its visual connectivity. The design sensitively responds to land and place by recognizing key passive cooling and natural daylighting strategies present on the site. Broad overhanging roofs and the large slide away doors capture prevailing breezes up the valley. The patio, which is pulled close into a recessed cut-out in the main living space of the house, allows summer breezes across the pool to cool the house. Expansive windows and a narrow cross-section allow natural daylight to penetrate deep into the spaces and illuminate the rich and earthy palette of natural materials. The architecture created is a vehicle through which the powerful forms of the landscape craft a powerful experience of place. It is a respite from urban life, designed to bring one back to the basics: a love of family, land, food, and of course, wine.

This beautiful custom wine cellar / wine wall / wine room in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California is truly a jaw dropper. Vintage Cellars, wine cellar builders out of san diego, california, were able to design and build this masterpiece as a major centerpoint of this dining room and kitchen. A custom wine cellar designed and built by vintage wine cellars out of San Diego, California - this custom wine wall has tons of unique and noteworthy features throughout. The bottom of the cellar begins with multiple areas for wine case storage and other bulk storage options. The great thing about this space is that it was designed for multi-use capability, leaving ample room to store multiple layers deep of single bottle storage as well. Directly above the case storage lie multiple layers of easy pull out shelving on smooth rolling tracks, seamlessly allowing for drawer sliding with no risk of bottle movement or abrupt stops. These are fantastic features to have, especially in the case of having flights of wines from your favorite wineries. A collection of 2010 through 2016 Larkmeade Cabernet Sauvignon bottles from Napa have never looked so good. In the center, a small countertop and opening are used for a practical space to open and decant wines. Glass shelving features and acrylic wine racking dividers make for a fun, transparent, and sleek looking centerpiece. On either side of this wine wall feature / kitchen wine cellar are long rows of high reveal display of wine bottles, carefully designed and engineered to lay down properly so that the cork will stay wet and wines are aged perfectly and gracefully over time. These display rows act as fantastic "show off" sections - perfectly highlighting each bottle's respective label and giving you the ability to really display your gems. More sections sit above these displays, turning the bottles inward and facing them cork out. In this certain circumstance and with this specific client's collection, these sections really popped with color and intrigue with many cases of the same wines being placed into the racking. Intense hues of Red and Yellow POP, keeping this wine cellar interesting and a pleasure to look at no matter what section you're exploring. Horizontal stainless steel metal rods are Integrated into the custom cabinetry horizontally and angled across each multiple sections, again offering another unique and different design feature, now with wine bottle labels facing outward and completely visible. This look in custom wine wall / custom wine cellar / custom wine room / custom wine display / custom wine storage solutions is a great way to integrate modern nuances into your cellar. Accents of metal into an otherwise "traditional" wooden wine cellar can actually add a unique change of pace and give an entire new breath of life to an existing wine storage space. 700 bottle capacity, with room for magnum storage above. Vintage Cellars enjoys working directly with NOE Design Co. and MAIDEN Steel companies when integrating a major glass door feature. The quality of work is second to none, unparalleled, and we are able to ensure that our clients are left with an absolutely stunning, but more importantly, 100% perfectly sealed and specified door and stainless steel framing system. With so many different kinds of wine racks / wine racking / wine cellar designs and styles, you can really go in any and every direction in the discovery and design phase of a custom wine cellar project. The Custom wine cellar builder custom wine cellar builders team at Vintage Cellars make the entire process exciting, informative, and smooth from start to finish. Vintage Cellars has built gorgeous custom wine cellars and wine storage rooms across the United States and World for over 25 years. We are your go-to business for anything wine cellar and wine storage related! Whether you're interested in a wine closet, wine racking, custom wine racks, a custom wine cellar door, or a cooling system for your existing space, Vintage Cellars has you covered! We carry all kinds of wine cellar cooling and refrigeration systems, incuding: Breezaire, CellarCool, WhisperKool, Wine Guardian, CellarPro and Commercial systems. We also carry many types of Wine Refrigerators, Wine Cabinets, and wine racking types, including La Cache, Marvel, N'Finity, Transtherm, Vinotheque, Vintage Series, Credenza, Walk in wine rooms, Climadiff, Riedel, Fontenay, and VintageView. Vintage Cellars also does work in many styles, including Contemporary and Modern, Rustic, Farmhouse, Traditional, Craftsman, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid-Century, Industrial and Eclectic. Some locations we cover often include: Agora Hills, Alameda, Albany, Alhambra, Aliso Viejo, Altadena, Anaheim, Angwin, Arcadia, Aromas, Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Atherton, Avila Beach, Balboa Terrace, Bel Air, Belmont, Belvedere, Benton, Berkeley, Bermuda Dunes, Beverly Hills, Big Sur, Bolinas, Boyle Heights, Bradbury, Bradley, Brea, Brentwood, Bridgeport, Brisbane, Buellton, Buena Park, Burbank, Burlingame, Calabasas, Calistoga, Cambria, Canoga Park, Cardiff, Carlsbad, Carmel, Carmel By The Sea, Carmel Valley, Carnelian Bay, Carpinteria, Casmalia, Castroville, Cathedral City, Cayucos, Chatsworth, Chualar, City of LA, City of SF, Coachella, Coleville, Colma, Corona Del Mar, Coronado, Coronado Island, Corte Madera, Costa Mesa, Coto De Caza, Creston, Crystal Cove, Cupertino, Cypress, Danville, Deer Park, Del Mar, Diablo, Duarte, Eagle Rock, East Palo Alto, East Pasadena, Echo Park, El Granada, El Monte, Emeryville, Encinitas, Encino, Fairfax, Foster City, Fountain Valley, Fremont, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Glendale, Golden Gate Park, Goleta, Gonzales, Granada Hills, Granite Bay, Greenbrae, Greenfield, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Half Moon Bay, Hancock Park, Harmony, Hidden Hills, Hillsborough, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Huntington Beach, Indian Wells, Indio, Industry, Inner Richmond, Inverness, Irvine, Jolon, June Lake, Kentfield, King City, La Canada Flintridge, La Habra, La Honda, La Jolla, La Palma, La Quinta, Ladera Heights, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Balboa, Lake Forest, Lake Tahoe, Lake View Terrace, Larkspur, Laurel Canyon, Lee Vining, Lockwood, Lompoc, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Alamos, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Angeles, Los Gatos, Los Olivos, Los Osos, Malibu, Mammoth Lakes, Manhattan Beach, Marin, Marina, Marshall, Mayflower Village, Menlo Park, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Mission Hills, Mission Viejo, Mono, Monrovia, Montara, Montebello, Monterey, Monterey Park, Morro Bay, Moss Beach, Moss Landing, Mountain View, Napa, New Cuyama, Newark, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Nicasio, Nipomo, North Hills, Northridge, Novato, Oakland, Oakville, Ocean Beach, Oceano, Orange, Orange County, Pacific Grove, Pacific Palisades, Pacoima, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Palo Alto, Palos Verdes, Panorama City, Pasadena, Paso Robles, Pebble Beach, Pescadero, Piedmont, Pismo Beach, Placentia, Point Reyes Station, Pope Valley, Portola Valley, Presidio, Presidio Heights, Rancho Mirage, Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Margarita, Redondo Beach, Redwood City, Reseda, Rosemead, Russian Cliff, Rutherford, Saint Helena, Salinas, San Anselmo, San Ardo, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Clemente, San Diego, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Gabriel, San Gregorio, San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, San Lucas, San Luis Obispo, San Marino, San Mateo, San Miguel, San Rafael, San Simeon, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Margarita, Santa Maria, Santa Monica, Santa Ynez, Saratoga, Sausalito, Sea Cliff, Seal Beach, Seaside, Shadow Hills, Shandon, Sherman Oaks, Sierra Madre, Silver Lake, Solana Beach, Soledad, Solvang, Sonoma, South El Monte, South Pasadena, South San Gabriel, Spreckels, Squaw Valley, St Helena, Stanford, Stanton, Stinson Beach, Stough Park, Studio City, Summerland, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sunnyvale, Sylmar, Tahoe City, Tahoe Vista, Tarzana, Temple City, Templeton, Thousand Oaks, Thousand Palms, Tiburon, Toluca Lake, Topanga, Topaz, Torrey Pines, Tujanga, Tustin, Union City, Valencia, Verdugo Mountains, Vernon, Villa Park, Walnut, Walnut Creek, West Puente Valley, Westminster, Westwood, Whittier, Woodside, Yorba Linda, Yountville San Diego Wine Cellars, Rancho Santa Fe Wine Cellars, Beverly Hills Wine Cellars, Bel Air Wine Cellars, Orange County Wine Cellars, Newport Beach Wine Cellars, San Francisco Wine Cellars, Napa Wine Cellars, Sonoma Wine Cellars, Los Angeles Wine Cellars, Santa Barbara Wine Cellars, Palm Desert Wine Cellars, La Jolla Wine Cellars, Del Mar Wine Cellars, Coronado Wine Cellars, Pacific Palisades Wine Cellars, Malibu Wine Cellars, Santa Monica Wine Cellars, Brentwood Wine Cellars, Laguna Wine Cellars, Crystal Cove Wine Cellars, Hollywood Wine Cellars, Bay Area Wine Cellars, South Bay Wine Cellars, LA Wine Cellars, SD Wine Cellars, OC Wine Cellars, SF Wine Cellars, Huntington Beach Wine Cellars, Carlsbad Wine Cellars, Palos Verdes Wine Cellars, Paso Robles Wine Cellars, Encinitas Wine Cellars, Manhattan Beach Wine Cellars, Marin Wine Cellars, Tiburon Wine Cellars, Coto De Caza Wine Cellars, Thousand Oaks Wine Cellars, Cardiff Wine Cellars, RSF Wine Cellars, San Marino Wine Cellars, Ladera Heights Wine Cellars, Westwood Wine Cellars, Hillsborough Wine Cellars, Luxury Wine Cellars, Custom Wine Cellars, High End Wine Cellars, Estate Wine Cellars, Modern Wine Cellars, Contemporary Wine Cellars, Rustic Wine Cellars, Traditional Wine Cellars Contact Vintage Cellars today with any of your Wine Cellar needs! (800) 876-8789 Vintage Cellars 904 Rancheros Drive San Marcos, California 92069 (800) 876-8789

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

Revelateur
Danish open concept family room photo in Toronto with white walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace and a concealed tv

Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it. Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy. Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy. The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors. Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house. The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood. The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu 
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects 
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers 
Staging: Da Lusso Design 
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed 
Location: Los Altos, CA
 Year completed: 2017

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

**I. Spatial Composition & Architectural Volume** This powder room operates as a compressed, processional vestibule — a jewel-box volume whose narrowness is deliberately weaponized to intensify the encounter with a single focal event. The plan reads as a tight rectilinear corridor, entered obliquely past a pivoting sculptural door leaf at the left foreground, with the sightline funnelling directly to a recessed alcove at the terminal wall. That alcove is the compositional engine of the room: a deep, orthogonal reveal framed in slender blackened-metal profiles, within which a monolithic marble vanity cantilevers as a full-width plinth, its shadow-gap plinth detail dissolving the mass into apparent levitation. The full-height glazed screens flanking both side walls — divided into a disciplined grid of stile-and-rail metal mullions above a stone dado — introduce a Miesian rhythm of verticals that visually widen the space while preserving enclosure. Above, a crisp plaster soffit with a razor-thin perimeter reveal caps the volume, while the mullion grid's continuation across the ceiling plane and door surround creates a cage-like armature, an architectural drawing rendered in three dimensions. The suspended, wall-hung water closet at left is deliberately subordinated, half-concealed by the stone return, ensuring the axial procession terminates not on plumbing but on art. **II. Materiality, Color & Texture** The material palette is orchestrated as a controlled dialogue between the geologic, the vegetal, and the metallic. Book-matched Calacatta Viola — or a closely related Paonazzo — sheathes the dado and vanity in slabs whose oxblood, umber, and graphite veining reads as gestural brushwork, its cool bone-white ground counterweighted by the warm ferrous rust of its fissures; the veining on the right-hand wall is sequenced to cascade, treating stone as a continuous painterly field rather than a modular cladding. Against this, the foreground door presents a deeply carved, three-dimensional sculpted timber relief in a mid-tone oak or walnut, its undulating, plaited chevron texture introducing a haptic, almost textile-like tactility that provides the composition's most overtly artisanal register. The glazed screens deploy reeded or fluted glass in a smoky sage-olive cast, their striations diffusing and abstracting whatever lies beyond into vertical striae of light — a translucent counterpoint to the opacity of stone and wood. Blackened bronze or patinated steel mullions supply the graphic scaffolding, while unlacquered brass appears as accent punctuation: the gooseneck spout with exposed swivel collar, and, most emphatically, the flame-patinated bronze oval of the mirror frame, whose molten amber bloom is the single high-saturation event in an otherwise desaturated envelope of greys, greiges, and bone. Underfoot, chevron-laid oak parquet in a soft tobacco stain grounds the palette and repeats the door's zigzag geometry at a domestic scale. **III. Lighting, Atmosphere & Style Profile** Lighting is handled with theatrical restraint and a distinctly museological logic. The terminal alcove is backlit by a full-height plane of sheer, pinch-pleated linen sheers washed with daylight — an ambiguous, screened luminance that functions as a lightbox, silhouetting the mirror and reading as a window without conceding a view. Concealed cove or perimeter LED at the soffit reveal lifts the ceiling and grazes the plaster, while the reeded glass side screens capture and refract borrowed light along their flutes, producing a soft vertical shimmer that keeps the narrow volume from collapsing into gloom. The lower register is intentionally darker, the recessed shadow gap beneath the vanity and the bronze toe detail anchoring the composition in a low-key, chiaroscuro base. The atmosphere is hushed, contemplative, and faintly ecclesiastical — the alcove operating as a reredos, the framed portrait glimpsed in the mirror's reflection functioning as an unexpected, wry apparition that injects narrative and humor into an otherwise austere scheme. Stylistically, the room synthesizes into what might be termed *Tactile Luxe Modernism* or Refined Warm Modernism: the structural clarity and metal-gridded transparency of mid-century International Style, tempered by Italian post-war sensuality in the bronze and marble, and finally humanized by contemporary craft-forward texture. The result is a space of considerable discipline that nonetheless privileges touch, patina, and surprise over minimalist abstinence.

Concrete can be made to look like any substance. Tile, stone, wood, brick, etc. With unlimited color options, Ky-Kan Coatings can transform any room in your home or business using lightweight, beautiful concrete.

Visit our page: https://conde.pl/architekt-wnetrz-poznan/ Modbarn house interior designed by STUDIO KONDE Konrad Idaszewski Architekt, a Poznań-based interior architect creating contemporary residential spaces with a strong architectural identity. As part of the Modelowedomy collection of individually configurable houses, Modbarn combines the character of a modern barn with a spacious high-ceilinged living and dining area, while the kitchen is partially separated from the lounge by an openwork shelving unit. Contemporary living room designed as part of a modern barn house interior project in Poland. The space combines minimalist architecture, natural materials and soft neutral tones to create a calm and timeless atmosphere. Full-height glazing brings the garden directly into the composition, while the impressive ceiling height emphasizes the generous scale of the living area. Seen from the lounge, the high interior is defined by a light palette and carefully coordinated textures. A large, deep upholstered sofa in warm beige occupies the foreground, accompanied by a folded textured throw and soft cushions. In front of it, two low round coffee tables create a layered arrangement, with a sculptural wooden bowl providing a simple decorative accent. A large woven rug extends across the seating zone, introducing a subtle tactile pattern and visually anchoring the furniture against the light oak herringbone floor. The television is presented as a freestanding element on a slim black floor stand rather than mounted directly onto the wall, giving the arrangement a lighter and more architectural appearance. Behind it, the entire wall is finished with narrow vertical white slats, creating a distinctive ribbed texture that adds depth to the otherwise monochromatic interior. Several slender pendant lights hang from the high ceiling above the living and dining area, emphasizing the vertical proportions of the room. Next to the television, a freestanding black wood-burning stove stands on its own protective glass hearth. Its compact, traditional form and visible flame introduce a strong dark accent and a sense of warmth against the predominantly white and beige surroundings. The contrast between the black stove, television stand and pale finishes gives the room a crisp contemporary character without losing its residential feel. Large windows and glazed doors fill the background with daylight and provide a direct view towards the greenery outside. White vertical blinds soften the extensive glazing, while the light-filled garden becomes a natural backdrop for the neutral interior. The combination of the tall living space, textured wall cladding, freestanding television, wood-burning stove, soft sofa and natural timber flooring illustrates the refined yet comfortable approach to modern interiors developed by STUDIO KONDE, an interior architecture studio in Poznań.

DHM Remodeling
Basement - contemporary basement idea in Indianapolis

These traditional closet doors feature smaller, fixed louvers in the top and colonial raised panels in the bottom and are custom sized to fit your openings. To receive a quote on our Fixed Louver over Raised Panel doors follow the "Visit Store" link: below.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

THE SETUP Upon moving to Glen Ellyn, the homeowners were eager to infuse their new residence with a style that resonated with their modern aesthetic sensibilities. The primary bathroom, while spacious and structurally impressive with its dramatic high ceilings, presented a dated, overly traditional appearance that clashed with their vision. Design objectives: Transform the space into a serene, modern spa-like sanctuary. Integrate a palette of deep, earthy tones to create a rich, enveloping ambiance. Employ a blend of organic and natural textures to foster a connection with nature. THE REMODEL Design challenges: Take full advantage of the vaulted ceiling Source unique marble that is more grounding than fanciful Design minimal, modern cabinetry with a natural, organic finish Offer a unique lighting plan to create a sexy, Zen vibe Design solutions: To highlight the vaulted ceiling, we extended the shower tile to the ceiling and added a skylight to bathe the area in natural light. Sourced unique marble with raw, chiseled edges that provide a tactile, earthy element. Our custom-designed cabinetry in a minimal, modern style features a natural finish, complementing the organic theme. A truly creative layered lighting strategy dials in the perfect Zen-like atmosphere. The wavy protruding wall tile lights triggered our inspiration but came with an unintended harsh direct-light effect so we sourced a solution: bespoke diffusers measured and cut for the top and bottom of each tile light gap. THE RENEWED SPACE The homeowners dreamed of a tranquil, luxurious retreat that embraced natural materials and a captivating color scheme. Our collaborative effort brought this vision to life, creating a bathroom that not only meets the clients’ functional needs but also serves as a daily sanctuary. The carefully chosen materials and lighting design enable the space to shift its character with the changing light of day. “Trust the process and it will all come together,” the home owners shared. “Sometimes we just stand here and think, ‘Wow, this is lovely!'”

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.