Figuring out how to make a big kitchen work better — for a chef wanting to use her kitchen for both cooking classes and corporate entertaining — is what won Janice two design awards. A designer with Drury Design in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn, Janice won first place in the large kitchen category in the NKBA competition for greater Chicagoland. The same project was also named by Trends magazine as one of its Top 50 kitchens for 2013-2014, the second straight year a Drury project has been so honored. The cabinetry is from Grabill’s Benchmark line with an Olde Towne door style in maple and finished in Super White. Janice uses Grabill all the time, she said. “What we like most about them is their turnaround time. They have a very good product at a fair price. They have a great warranty.” With the kind of detail involved in this kind of project, they are also “most helpful in double-checking everything to make sure everything fits the way I planned it. If they see any issues, if there are any questions, they don’t make assumptions. They call me and we work things out. They’re very flexible in how they work.” This transitional style in its Super White finish from Grabill provides a lot of flexibility, explained Janice. “There’s a really pretty aqua color on the walls, but everything else is neutral, so the owner can put whatever accent color she wants with it and it will still work. So she can really change the look of the kitchen with just the paint color.” Photos provided by Janice Teague

This walk-out patio shares a two-way fireplace with the living room, now that's indoor-outdoor living.
Mid-sized transitional backyard concrete paver full sun patio photo for summer in Minneapolis with a fireplace and no cover

My team took a fresh approach to traditional style in this home. Inspired by fresh cut blossoms and a crisp palette, we transformed the space with airy elegance. Exquisite natural stones and antique silhouettes coupled with chalky white hues created an understated elegance as romantic as a love poem.

This modern beach house in Jacksonville Beach features a large, open entertainment area consisting of great room, kitchen, dining area and lanai. A unique second-story bridge over looks both foyer and great room. Polished concrete floors and horizontal aluminum stair railing bring a contemporary feel. The kitchen shines with European-style cabinetry and GE Profile appliances. The private upstairs master suite is situated away from other bedrooms and features a luxury master shower and floating double vanity. Two roomy secondary bedrooms share an additional bath. Photo credit: Deremer Studios

The most notable design element is the exceptional use of reclaimed wood throughout almost every design component. Sourced from not only one, but two different Indiana barns, this hand hewn and rough sawn wood is used in a variety of applications including custom cabinetry with a white glaze finish, dark stained window casing, butcher block island countertop and handsome woodwork on the fireplace mantel, range hood, and ceiling. Underfoot, Oak wood flooring is salvaged from a tobacco barn, giving it its unique tone and rich shine that comes only from the unique process of drying and curing tobacco. To keep the design from being too monotonous, concrete countertops are selected to outline the perimeter cabinetry, while wire mesh cabinet frontage, aged bronze hardware, primitive light fixtures and playful bar stools liven the space and add a touch of elegance. Photography Credit: Ashley Avila

Francis Dzikowski
Small transitional u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen photo in New York with white cabinets, beige backsplash, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, soapstone countertops, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Best Special Purpose Room HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Custom Home of the Year HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Project of the Year HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Best Custom Home 6,000-7,000 SF HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Best Remodeled Home $2 Million - $3 Million Brick Industry Associates 2013 Brick in Architecture Awards 2013 - Best in Class - Residential- Single Family AIA Connecticut 2014 Alice Washburn Awards 2014 - Honorable Mention - New Construction athome alist Award 2014 - Finalist - Residential Architecture Charles Hilton Architects Woodruff/Brown Architectural Photography

Two gorgeous custom kitchen islands: one for eating and one for extra cooking space. What else could you need? Built by Southern Green Builders in Houston, Texas

The bar has an adjacent wine cellar with two walls of class for an expanded look.
Example of a mountain style seated home bar design in Denver

A 1927 colonial home in Shaker Heights, Ohio, received a breathtaking renovation that required extensive work, transforming it from a tucked away, utilitarian space, to an all-purpose gathering room, a role that most kitchens embrace in a home today. The scope of work changed over the course of the project, starting more minimalistically and then quickly becoming the main focus of the house's remodeling, resulting in a staircase being relocated and walls being torn down to create an inviting focal point to the home where family and friends could connect. The focus of the functionality was to allow for multiple prep areas with the inclusion of two islands and sinks, two eating areas (one for impromptu snacking and small meals of younger family members and friends on island no. two and a built-in bench seat for everyday meals in the immediate family). The kitchen was equipped with all Subzero and Wolf appliances, including a 48" range top with a 12" griddle, two double ovens, a 42" built-in side by side refrigerator and freezer, a microwave drawer on island no. one and a beverage center and icemaker in island no. two. The aesthetic feeling embraces the architectural feel of the home while adding a modern sensibility with the revamped layout and graphic elements that tie the color palette of whites, chocolate and charcoal. The cabinets were custom made and outfitted with beaded inset doors with a Shaker panel frame and finished in Benjamin Moore's OC-17 White Dove, a soft white that allowed for the kitchen to feel warm while still maintaining its brightness. Accents of walnut were added to create a sense of warmth, including a custom premium grade walnut countertop on island no. one from Brooks Custom and a TV cabinet with a doggie feeding station beneath. Bringing the cabinet line to the 8'6" ceiling height helps the room feel taller and bold light fixtures at the islands and eating area add detail to an otherwise simpler ceiling detail. The 1 1/4" countertops feature Calacatta Gold Marble with an ogee edge detail. Special touches on the interiors include secret storage panels, an appliance garage, breadbox, pull-out drawers behind the cabinet doors and all soft-close hinges and drawer glides. A kneading area was made as a part of island no. one for the homeowners' love of baking, complete with a stone top allowing for dough to stay cool. Baskets beneath store kitchen essentials that need air circulation. The room adjacent to the kitchen was converted to a hearth room (from a formal dining room) to extend the kitchen's living space and allow for a natural spillover for family and guests to spill into. Jason Miller, Pixelate

A beautiful custom built, curving two tone wooden staircase with white painted risers, dark walnut stained treads and handrail, huge two story windows, dotted with wall sconces, an abstract art painting, dark slate tile flooring, white wainscoting and crown moulding millwork. Custom Home Builder and General Contractor for this Home: Leinster Construction, Inc., Chicago, IL www.leinsterconstruction.com Miller + Miller Architectural Photography

A custom-made expansive two-story home providing views of the spacious kitchen, breakfast nook, dining, great room and outdoor amenities upon entry. Featuring 11,000 square feet of open area lavish living this residence does not disappoint with the attention to detail throughout. Elegant features embellish this home with the intricate woodworking and exposed wood beams, ceiling details, gorgeous stonework, European Oak flooring throughout, and unique lighting. This residence offers seven bedrooms including a mother-in-law suite, nine bathrooms, a bonus room, his and her offices, wet bar adjacent to dining area, wine room, laundry room featuring a dog wash area and a game room located above one of the two garages. The open-air kitchen is the perfect space for entertaining family and friends with the two islands, custom panel Sub-Zero appliances and easy access to the dining areas. Outdoor amenities include a pool with sun shelf and spa, fire bowls spilling water into the pool, firepit, large covered lanai with summer kitchen and fireplace surrounded by roll down screens to protect guests from inclement weather, and two additional covered lanais. This is luxury at its finest!

Transitional style U-shaped kitchen has all the counter space you could ever want with two-toned cabinet colors. This kitchen has two dishwashers and two full size sinks for all your food prep and clean-up needs. Photos by Chris Veith

Danish light wood floor open concept kitchen photo in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, an island and marble backsplash

HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Custom Home of the Year HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Project of the Year HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Best Custom Home 6,000-7,000 SF HOBI Award 2013 - Winner - Best Remodeled Home $2 Million - $3 Million Brick Industry Associates 2013 Brick in Architecture Awards 2013 - Best in Class - Residential- Single Family AIA Connecticut 2014 Alice Washburn Awards 2014 - Honorable Mention - New Construction athome alist Award 2014 - Finalist - Residential Architecture Charles Hilton Architects Woodruff/Brown Architectural Photography

This dramatic contemporary residence features extraordinary design with magnificent views of Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the ever changing San Francisco Bay. The amazing great room has soaring 36 foot ceilings, a Carnelian granite cascading waterfall flanked by stairways on each side, and an unique patterned sky roof of redwood and cedar. The 57 foyer windows and glass double doors are specifically designed to frame the world class views. Designed by world-renowned architect Angela Danadjieva as her personal residence, this unique architectural masterpiece features intricate woodwork and innovative environmental construction standards offering an ecological sanctuary with the natural granite flooring and planters and a 10 ft. indoor waterfall. The fluctuating light filtering through the sculptured redwood ceilings creates a reflective and varying ambiance. Other features include a reinforced concrete structure, multi-layered slate roof, a natural garden with granite and stone patio leading to a lawn overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Completing the home is a spacious master suite with a granite bath, an office / second bedroom featuring a granite bath, a third guest bedroom suite and a den / 4th bedroom with bath. Other features include an electronic controlled gate with a stone driveway to the two car garage and a dumb waiter from the garage to the granite kitchen.

Previously renovated with a two-story addition in the 80’s, the home’s square footage had been increased, but the current homeowners struggled to integrate the old with the new. An oversized fireplace and awkward jogged walls added to the challenges on the main floor, along with dated finishes. While on the second floor, a poorly configured layout was not functional for this expanding family. From the front entrance, we can see the fireplace was removed between the living room and dining rooms, creating greater sight lines and allowing for more traditional archways between rooms. At the back of the home, we created a new mudroom area, and updated the kitchen with custom two-tone millwork, countertops and finishes. These main floor changes work together to create a home more reflective of the homeowners’ tastes. On the second floor, the master suite was relocated and now features a beautiful custom ensuite, walk-in closet and convenient adjacency to the new laundry room. Gordon King Photography

This contemporary style kitchen features a two combination finish of white lacquer and a dark grey metallic high gloss. Redl Kitchens 156 Jessop Avenue Saskatoon, SK S7N 1Y4 10341-124th Street Edmonton, AB T5N 3W1 1733 McAra St Regina, SK, S4N 6H5

Previously renovated with a two-story addition in the 80’s, the home’s square footage had been increased, but the current homeowners struggled to integrate the old with the new. An oversized fireplace and awkward jogged walls added to the challenges on the main floor, along with dated finishes. While on the second floor, a poorly configured layout was not functional for this expanding family. From the front entrance, we can see the fireplace was removed between the living room and dining rooms, creating greater sight lines and allowing for more traditional archways between rooms. At the back of the home, we created a new mudroom area, and updated the kitchen with custom two-tone millwork, countertops and finishes. These main floor changes work together to create a home more reflective of the homeowners’ tastes. On the second floor, the master suite was relocated and now features a beautiful custom ensuite, walk-in closet and convenient adjacency to the new laundry room. Gordon King Photography