“After the IKEA boxes were installed, we were able to add the Ricabi custom doors and drawer fronts on our own,” she says. She continues: “The main challenge we faced was making sure we measured everything in the kitchen area correctly while the house was in the demo stage. There’s definitely a learning curve to putting the first few IKEA cabinets together but it’s much easier after that.” Andrea concludes with some advice for other IKEA kitchen remodelers. “You can have a custom-looking kitchen without the huge price tag. If you’re concerned that your kitchen is going to look like those in the IKEA showroom, consider a custom door company like Ricabi and an awesome design service like IKD. Constructing IKEA cabinets yourself will save money but be patient on the first few. It’s a lot smoother if you have a partner to help you.”

"Kerry Taylor was professional and courteous from our first meeting forwards. We took a long time to decide on our final design but Kerry and his design team were patient and respectful and waited until we were ready to move forward. There was never a sense of being pushed into anything we didn’t like. They listened, carefully considered our requests and delivered an awesome plan for our new bathroom. Kerry also broke down everything so that we could consider several alternatives for features and finishes and was mindful to stay within our budget. He accommodated some on-the-fly changes, after construction was underway and suggested effective solutions for any unforeseen problems that arose. Having construction done in close proximity to our master bedroom was a challenge but the excellent crew TaylorPro had on our job made it relatively painless: courteous and polite, arrived on time daily, worked hard, pretty much nonstop and cleaned up every day before leaving. If there were any delays, Kerry made sure to communicate with us quickly and was always available to talk when we had concerns or questions." This Carlsbad couple yearned for a generous master bath that included a big soaking tub, double vanity, water closet, large walk-in shower, and walk in closet. Unfortunately, their current master bathroom was only 6'x12'. Our design team went to work and came up with a solution to push the back wall into an unused 2nd floor vaulted space in the garage, and further expand the new master bath footprint into two existing closet areas. These inventive expansions made it possible for their luxurious master bath dreams to come true. Just goes to show that, with TaylorPro Design & Remodeling, fitting a square peg in a round hole could be possible! Photos by: Jon Upson

Designed by : TOC design – Tania Scardellato Photographer: Guillaume Gorini - Studio Point de Vue Cabinet Maker : D. C. Fabrication - Dino Cobetto Lighting: United Lights Contractor: TOC design & Construction inc. / IVCO A designer's Home. When it comes to designer your very own house from scratch, there is so much more to think about, budget, style, materials, space, square footage, positioning of doors & windows, the list goes on and on. Let's just say that from conception to final this home took over a year. 7 months to design and 7 months to build. So basically the lesson learned: Is be patient, consider loads of extras and put in a lot of your own time. Was it worth it - YES and I would do it again.

Sunset Heights Renovation This Victorian style home was beautifully designed from the interior to the exterior. Our clients were looking to update the outdoor space, not only was it not functional, but it did not complement their Victorian home. Although we had a yearlong waiting list for design, our clients were patient and hired us for 3D design. Many times, our clients already have all the components in place, such as a pool, outdoor kitchen, fireplace, pergola etc., but they just don’t feel right. The most important feature of our client’s new space was not only the components, but to be able to have a space that would allow them to create a lifetime of memories. From a visual perspective their existing space seemed limited and confined. Our design team was able to see past this and expanded its space to its full potential which allowed us to create multiple destinations for relaxation, enjoyment and most importantly entertainment. As we began the design process, we were able to take a closer look at the existing space and noticed many safety concerns and how the existing materials did not accentuate the home either. At the completion of their 3D design, we were able to present new ideas and materials that would enhance the value of the home as well as help them visualize the new space created with multiple destinations. Ivory travertine coping & decking was a must as was the Talavera blue highlighted tiles for the newly renovated pool. A new working spa and functional outdoor kitchen with bar were two spaces we are sure they would enjoy while spending time outdoors. We enlarged the existing covered patio to expand the seating area to include chaise lounges, a loveseat and chairs under the pergola shade accent. Newest favorite additions are the gas firepit and cabin play fort which can be highly utilized year-round. Our clients say, “The adults love hanging out in the fort too!” Nestled in the Historic District, our client’s home is now filled with plenty of space and great energy for family gatherings, parties, watching sports, graduations and so much more. Who knows, maybe a future wedding or two! Memories of a lifetime will be made here for years to come! Architecture and lifestyle are always our focus when designing feel good and functional spaces for our clients!

New Fountain Display installed at Dental Care of Lancaster. This fountain consists of six Mongolian Basalt Columns displayed directly in front of the entrance to the dental center. The entrance was plain and drab so we had to hook it up with something fresh and welcoming to all the patients. Besides the basalt columns we added a few weathered limestone boulders and some drift wood to really set off the display.

Designed by Dave Wilhide of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Woodbridge, VA in collaboration with Professional Home Improvements, this bathroom remodel features a transitional style inspired bathroom design. The bathroom cabinets are Merillat Classic in the Glenrock door style in a Cotton finish. The bathroom vanity top is a MSI Carrera Lumos quartz countertop. The bathroom also includes Meram Blanc Carrara tile for the shower floor, baseboard and tub wall tile; Seta shower wall tile; and Home Choice Ash floor tile. “I am not one to like change. So when we decided to completely remodel our bathroom, it was a challenge,” said the client. “There are just so many options and it is easy to become overwhelmed. That is why we chose Reico to help. My designer, Dave, was extremely patient and helpful during the entire process. We love our new bathroom and we couldn’t be more pleased!” Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

Minimalist home design photo in Richmond

Designed by Jen Denham of Reico Kitchen & Bath in White Plains, MD in collaboration with Potomac Home Improvements, this multi-room remodeling project features Merillat Cabinetry in a variety of collections, styles and finishes. The kitchen features Merillat Masterpiece in the door style Atticus. The perimeter cabinets feature an Evercore Bonsai, complimented by a kitchen island in Hickory with a Sunset Suede finish, all covered by a Silestone Lusso Quartz countertop. The kitchen tile backsplash is Elon Tile Boston North East BC125 2.5x10 Brick, with a Carrara Stone tile custom painted accent. The adjacent Breakfast Area features Merillat Classic in the Ralston door style with a Java Glaze finish with same countertop and brick tile. The laundry room design is also Merillat Classic cabinets in Ralston with a Cotton finish. All three rooms feature Armstrong Prysm PC001 Salvaged Plank Ridged Core White flooring. “Jen was very helpful and supported our color and design features we asked to be included,” said the clients. “If we had an idea, Jen would find a way to make it work. We now have a very beautiful and functional kitchen, breakfast nook and laundry room." “The client was kind, patient, and open to ideas. They wanted to incorporate features of feng shui and bring elements that were most important to her into the kitchen. To do this, we used a natural palette, functional touches, and a custom tile from her home country of Thailand,” said Jen. “They also wanted to reflect the brick style of the front of the house by adding an accent wall into the breakfast area and back splash. However, some of the pull out wall cabinets and doors for the coffee station needed some tweaking once installed. We learned how to create a more custom look by doing a "hutch" area created from stacking wall cabinets and adding glass.” Photos courtesy of BTW Images.

This is a brand new custom home we built for some clients at Cowichan Lake. It has been built with SIPS panels (Structurally Insulated Panel System) from Insulspan. This is an alternative to traditional stick framing that is a prefabricated wall system that is a six inch wall made of wood and filled with styrofoam. The exterior of the home uses a combination of brick, stucco, tile, and an amazing vertical charred cedar exterior cladding. With the help of Chris Wiebe from Energy Experts who is our energy advisor the home has achieved level 4 in the step code which means it is super energy efficient and super air tight. The home has a great flow and has ikea kitchens, quartz countertops, and some incredible lighting solutions the client had imported from China. These clients have a wonderful modern sense of style and were very patient with us through the building process. Building a home like this is a trying process. Getting out of the ground was a challenge and the unconventional exterior cladding choices caused some stress along the way.

When we were asked to finish off this Cardinal Club Dining Area, we started with the homeowner’s table & chairs and the existing paint color. We added warmth with drapery panels and a rug, color with artwork and interest with the fabulous chandelier. We needed a console table to anchor the back wall. We found this narrow piece in a light finish that works well against the darker wall. The landscape artwork brings in the colors from the Living Area. We added a coordinating group of artwork in the Kitchen Area to break up the long wall. Adding a rug underneath the table helped break up the wood tones in the furniture and the flooring and made the space flow into the Living Area by incorporating the same colors. We wanted to make a real statement in this Cardinal Club Dining Area with the chandelier. The homeowner was very patient because it took us a while to get this one in. As you can see, it was definitely worth the wait! The moral of this story is you can make a Big Impact in a Small Space. Enjoy!

Houston Interior Designer Lisha Maxey took this Museum District condo from the dated, mirrored walls of the 1980s to Mid Century Modern with a gallery look featuring the client’s art collection. The place was covered with glued-down, floor-to-ceiling mirrors,” says Lisha Maxey, senior designer for Homescapes of Houston and principal at LGH Design Services in Houston. “When we took them off the walls, the walls came apart. We ended up taking them down to the studs." The makeover took six months to complete, primarily because of strict condo association rules that only gave the Houston interior designers very limited access to the elevator – through which all materials and team members had to go. “Monday through Friday, we could only be noisy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and if we had to do something extra loud, like sawing or drilling, we had to schedule it with the management and they had to communicate that to the condo owners. So it was just a lot of coordination. But a lot of Inner City Loopers live in these kinds of buildings, so we’re used to handling that kind of thing.” The client, a child psychiatrist in her 60s, recently moved to Houston from northeast Texas to be with friends. After being widowed three years ago, she decided it was time to let go of the traditionally styled estate that wasn’t really her style anyway. An avid diver who has traveled around the world to pursue her passion, she has amassed a large collection of art from her travels. Downsizing to 1,600 feet and wanting to go more contemporary, she wanted the display – and the look – more streamlined. “She wanted clean lines and muted colors, with the main focus being her artwork,” says Maxey. “So we made the space a palette for that.” Enter the white, gallery-grade paint she chose for the walls: “It’s halfway between satin and flat,” explains Maxey. “It’s not glossy and it’s not chalky – just very smooth and clean." Adding to the gallery theme is the satin nickel track lighting with lamps aimed to highlight pieces of art. “This lighting has no wires,” notes Maxey. “It’s powered by a positive and negative conduit.” The new flooring throughout is a blended-grey porcelain tile that looks like wood planks. “It’s gorgeous, natural-looking and combines all the beauty of wood with the durability of tile,” says Maxey. “We used it throughout the condo to unify the space.” After Maxey started looking at the client’s bright, vibrant, colorful artwork, she felt the palette couldn’t stay as muted anymore. Hence the Mid Century Modern orange leather sofas from West Elm and bright green chairs from Joybird, plus the throw pillows in different textures, patterns and shades of gold, orange and green. The concave lines of the Danish-inspired chairs, she notes, help them look beautiful from all the way around – a key to designing spaces for loft living. “The table in the living room is very interesting,” notes Maxey. “It was handmade for the client in 1974 and has a signature on it from the artist. She was adamant about including the piece, which has all these hand-painted black-and-white art tiles on the top. I took one look at it and said ‘It’s not really going to go.’” However, after cutting 6 inches off the bottom and making it look a little distressed, the table ended up being the perfect complement to the sofas. The dining room table – from Design Within Reach – is a solid piece of mahogany, the chair upholstery a mix of grey velvet and leather and the legs a shiny brass. “The side chairs are leather and the end ones are velvet,” says Maxey. “It’s a nice textural mix that lends depth and texture.”The galley kitchen, meanwhile, has been lightened and brightened, with new, white contemporary cabinetry, quartz countertops mimicking the look of Carrara marble, stainless steel appliances and a velvet green bench seat for a punch of color.The two bathrooms have been updated with contemporary white vanities and vessel sinks and the master bath now features a walk-in shower tiled in Dolomite white marble (the floor is Bianco Carrara marble mosaic, done in a herringbone pattern).In the master bedroom, Homescapes of Houston knocked down a wall between two smaller closets with swing doors to make one large walk-in closet with pocket doors. The closet in the guest bedroom also came out 13 more inches.The client’s artwork throughout personalizes the space and tells the story of a life. There’s a huge bowl of shells from the client’s diving adventures, framed art from her child psychiatry patients and a 16th century wood carving from a monastery that’s been in her family forever. “Her collection is quite impressive,” says Maxey. “There’s even a framed piece of autographed songs written by John Lennon.” (You can see this black-framed piece of art on the wall in the photo above of two green chairs). “We’re extremely happy with how the project turned out, and so is the client,” says Maxey. “No expense was spared for her. It was a labor of love and we were excited to do it.”

Sunset Heights Renovation This Victorian style home was beautifully designed from the interior to the exterior. Our clients were looking to update the outdoor space, not only was it not functional, but it did not complement their Victorian home. Although we had a yearlong waiting list for design, our clients were patient and hired us for 3D design. Many times, our clients already have all the components in place, such as a pool, outdoor kitchen, fireplace, pergola etc., but they just don’t feel right. The most important feature of our client’s new space was not only the components, but to be able to have a space that would allow them to create a lifetime of memories. From a visual perspective their existing space seemed limited and confined. Our design team was able to see past this and expanded its space to its full potential which allowed us to create multiple destinations for relaxation, enjoyment and most importantly entertainment. As we began the design process, we were able to take a closer look at the existing space and noticed many safety concerns and how the existing materials did not accentuate the home either. At the completion of their 3D design, we were able to present new ideas and materials that would enhance the value of the home as well as help them visualize the new space created with multiple destinations. Ivory travertine coping & decking was a must as was the Talavera blue highlighted tiles for the newly renovated pool. A new working spa and functional outdoor kitchen with bar were two spaces we are sure they would enjoy while spending time outdoors. We enlarged the existing covered patio to expand the seating area to include chaise lounges, a loveseat and chairs under the pergola shade accent. Newest favorite additions are the gas firepit and cabin play fort which can be highly utilized year-round. Our clients say, “The adults love hanging out in the fort too!” Nestled in the Historic District, our client’s home is now filled with plenty of space and great energy for family gatherings, parties, watching sports, graduations and so much more. Who knows, maybe a future wedding or two! Memories of a lifetime will be made here for years to come! Architecture and lifestyle are always our focus when designing feel good and functional spaces for our clients!

Designed by Lisa Gebhart of Reico Kitchen & Bath in King of Prussia PA in collaboration with Gebhart Remodeling, this kitchen and mudroom design features Merillat Classic cabinets in the door style Glenrock with 5-piece drawer in Maple Cotton. The kitchen countertops are Silestone Eternal Calacatta Gold. “The client was in desperate need of a new kitchen,” said Lisa. “Their existing cabinet doors were literally falling off. We went through many design revisions and changes until we finally landed on the final design. They wanted to incorporate open shelving as well as some glass cabinetry, but was having a hard time envisioning where and how. In the end, it all came together for the client. One of my favorite things about the space is the live-edge wood tops as well as the overall flow of the layout. The old kitchen had an island that did not fit the space well that we redesigned. The matching wood hood in lieu of a traditional other the range microwave gave added a nice personal touch as well.” “The hardest part of the project was making selections. There are so many options,” said the client. “Lisa was integral to the success of this project. She was practical, realistic and challenged me to really think about my needs and what I was looking for. She was extremely patient and always willing to help me and answer all of my questions throughout the process.” “Her best suggestion was not to think about what anyone else says and choose what I would love, and I’m so glad I did! My original design evolved into the perfect “me” space. I love the space I now have in my new kitchen!” Photos courtesy of Dan Williams Photography.

This design is in a house that almost didn’t happen. After two decades of cherished memories within its walls, the decision to sell their comfortable, albeit aging, home and embark on the ambitious journey of building their dream house felt like a natural progression for the homeowners.. Their current house, a testament to years of family life, had served them well, but the vision of a custom-built sanctuary, tailored to their every desire, had long captured their imaginations. With floor plans finalized and the lot secured, they confidently listed their established home, anticipating a smooth transition to their future home. However, the real estate market, it seemed, had other plans. Almost immediately after their listing went live, a wave of instability swept through the local market. Multiple offers, which initially seemed promising, began to unravel for various reasons, leaving the homeowners in a state of mounting frustration and doubt. Each failed negotiation chipped away at their optimism, leading them to confide in their builder that they were seriously considering withdrawing from the new house project altogether. It felt as though their dream was slipping through their fingers, a beautiful vision that might remain just that – a dream. Just as they were steeling themselves to pull their current home off the market, a ray of hope emerged. A remarkable buyer, seemingly out of nowhere, submitted a robust and appealing offer. The timing was uncanny, a lifeline thrown at the eleventh hour. With the offer now ratified and the wheels of their existing home's sale finally turning, the couple’s focus shifted back to their dream home. The builders, who had patiently weathered their wavering commitment, were now on track to complete the project. And so, in May of 2025, the keys to their meticulously crafted dream home were finally handed over. The following month, the homeowners joyfully moved into their new sanctuary, a testament to their perseverance and the unexpected turn of events that ultimately made their vision a reality.

Designed by Jens Bunte of Reico Kitchen & Bath, this transitional style kitchen design features Merillat Classic cabinets in the Spring Valley door style in Mist with a Desert Glaze finish except for the kitchen island cabinets, which hand finished by the clients’ contractor. The kitchen also features a Cambria Montgomery countertop on the perimeter of the kitchen and a Caesarstone London Grey Honed countertop on the kitchen island. For Jens working with the clients was a pleasure. “Their attention to detail was such a breath of fresh air and it really was all of the little things that brought this design together and turned it into such a special space. My favorite aspects of this project really came down to the details: a custom-designed bar area that doubles as functional storage space; the use of additional doors and trim to match their recessed pantry to the rest of the kitchen and really bring the space together; the use of Honey Bronze hardware and French Wire on some of the doors to add details that impacted the overall look. They were so gracious and patient during the COVID-19 pandemic and truly embodied what it means to work as a team when it comes to the client-designer-contractor relationship.” Added the client, “Jens was a joy to work with. We discussed budget for the project, and she guided us to the cabinet options that would work best for us. When it came to countertops, Reico’s selection was incredible. Jens kept us fully informed at every step. We love everything that she helped us with.” Photos courtesy of Frank Biganski, AgentsChoice360.

Through several conversation with the owners and patient planning and idea development, we turned this into a welcoming outdoor space.
Design ideas for a small full sun backyard stone formal garden in San Francisco for summer.

Hey TNL Friends! Holy Cross is one of our favorite downtown neighborhoods. A lot of good folks there. A shout out to the Re-Dev Group for building a fine home, that we got to put the 'icing' on the landscape several years later. We LOVE jobs like this, patient & pleasant Client, a blank slate to work with, lots o' plants, stone, & Hardwood Fines Mulch to top it off. Apologize for no before pics, it happened so fast & this was... ONE DAY!! GREAT JOB Team Lindsay, Peter, David & Tyler.

This is a 15' long mural I painted for the AIHS Dental Clinic. The "trompe l'oeil" illusion of a window looking over the majestic Santa Ynez Valley helps calm patients and take them to a "happy place".

Designed by renowned architect and 'sacred geometer' David Yarbrough, this sacred space in Corbett, Oregon combines three functions under one roof: a Chinese medicine healing arts center, a community center, and a 1400 SF new home. An earth plaster, cedar chip, clay slip, natural wood slat wall system combines traditional construction techniques with energy efficiency to create a healthy environment for denizens, care providers, and patients. Photography by Sally Painter.