Removal of the walls that separated a once tiny kitchen from the dining room was like that feeling of relief when you unbutton those far too tight pants at the end of the day. It opened up the core of the house, let the daylight flood in, and provided a desired social connection between the cooking, dining, and entertaining experience, plus views to the front yard. One step towards achieving historic status to even apply for the MILS act - all the windows were replaced and returned back to their wood frame glory, and a previously modified window was returned back to it's orginal glass door and window configuration with direct access to the front porch. Existing harwood floors were patched and refinished, structural beams and footings were added as required, and all well worth the effort. The coveted island/ "command station" features a natural quartzite countertop, farmhouse sink, beautiful hand-painted tile, and uber comfortable counter height stools - perfectly proportioned to where the seat back will never get dinged up against the stone top and can tuck completely under the countertop when not in use. Tall, flanking pantries are convenient for everyday items, and deep lower drawers house all the necessities a home chef wants within arms reach.

Kelsey Schweickert
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern partial sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in San Francisco.

Pamela Crawford designed this porch two ways to show two exciting, new outdoor living trends: Designing the outdoor living area with items we normally associate with indoor designs - art, rugs, and throw pillows - and living walls. The first makeover shows these decorative accessories accenting the wicker furniture. Each of these pieces was manufactured to withstand outdoor conditions. The second makeover shows a trendy living wall from kinsmangarden.com. This simple planting system allows container gardens to become an art form - easily and instantly. Discover thousands of ideas on Pamela's web site, pamela-crawford.com. Pamela designs landscapes, container gardens, and outdoor living areas throughout Palm Beach County, FL, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach, the town of Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Wellington. She provides beautiful, custom designs that include professional installation of beautiful plant material, planters, and outdoor furniture and accessories.

This is an example of a small modern full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in Chicago.

Morgan Howarth
Large beach style master blue tile and ceramic tile mosaic tile floor freestanding bathtub photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, white cabinets, blue walls and recessed-panel cabinets

This delightfully private patio sits under expansive tree canopy in the front garden. Wrapped in dense, native foliage it is full of fragrance and wildlife. Natural stone with decomposed granite joints allows water to sink into the soil to feed the surrounding foliage. The homeowners enjoy taking their coffee and lunch under the vintage chandelier.

Example of a trendy patio design in New York

Trendy backyard concrete patio photo in San Diego

My client loves to quilt and wanted custom built cabinetry including custom shelving and portable island
Example of a large classic freestanding desk carpeted craft room design in Vancouver with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Inspiration for a large traditional backyard mulch landscaping in New York.

The newly constructed parts of this face lift were built with cedar shake as siding. This added character to the facade, without the difficulty of patching existing siding. Photo by Daniel Contelmo Jr.

Megan Maloy www.meganmaloy.com
Design ideas for a small contemporary full sun backyard stone landscaping in New York.

Our clients loved the location of their duplex home with its peak-a-boo ocean view, but their existing kitchen was not suited for their growing family. They wanted a kitchen with a coastal vibe, plenty of storage space, and an eat-in area. We started by bringing the far wall into the kitchen space to accommodate a large panty and communication center for the family. Doing this allowed us to move the refrigerator out of the main traffic area and doubled the amount of storage space. Several new windows were added to bring in natural light. A half wall was moved to allow more countertop area and open up sight lines. The previously awkwardly shaped island was slimmed down to create better flow. There were a few venting challenges to overcome; gas lines and plumbing had to be re-routed without disturbing the unit below. To open up sight lines, soffits were eliminated which allowed the extension of cabinets to the ceiling. To stay within the homeowner’s budget, we match existing scraped flooring by lacing in and repairing patches. The old dining area was too small for table, so we designed and built a custom banquette to maximize the space and take advantage of the outdoor views. The overall space works for family meals as well as entertaining. A light summer palette was used to reflect the shades of the sand, sea and sky. Even though the new kitchen is actually smaller than the original space, its now far more functional and open.

Home design - traditional home design idea in Seattle

Design ideas for a southwestern drought-tolerant backyard landscaping.

Our Coastal Living Room is grounded by an oriental Patchwork Rug that has been Overdyed. Each patch takes the dye in a different way. The Seagrass woven chairs allows one to swivel around to see the view of the Bay. Geoffrey Hodgdon Photography

Example of a trendy kitchen design in Seattle

Kitchen Remodel. Patched walls, ceilings and skylight and repainted grey. Repainted all the existing cupboards and doors with a lighter grey. Added in new LED lighting. New Granite Counter top. New subway tile back splash throughout. Added in new Stainless steel appliance, sink and faucet. New automatic door closer's and hardware for the cupboards.

Photo of a modern landscaping in Los Angeles.