Photograph by Alan Abramowitz
Contemporary exterior home idea in Seattle

The kitchen is open and located next to the living room. As the warm tones are spread throughout the living space it was a must to compliment the space by adding cool blues on the island and backsplash. Some other elements to pay attention to are the white quartz countertops, flat front walnut cabinets, and black fixtures / hardware.

Just off the kitchen, this small, well organized home office constructed in 2015 for a West Bloomfield family gets the job done. Teak cabinetry in a Dark Chocolate finish from Tafisa keeps supplies organized and out of sight. The upper doors have no handles, keeping the look sleek. Lower cabinets feature slim line silver pulls. Task lighting mounted under the upper cabinets illuminates the Calacatta quartzite counters to provide a bright, easy to use desk surface. The ‘L’ shaped counter continues down the window wall to provide plenty of room for the family to pay bills or do homework. A linen covered tack board offers a handy place to display important memos and treasured memorabilia.

The new flooring throughout is DuChateau Villandry with added creamy white wall and warm wood ceiling beams overhead, creates a modern rustic elegance with the most stunning views of the hillside summit.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Birchwood Construction had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Lee Architects to revitalize this beautiful waterfront cottage. Located in the historic Belvedere Club community, the home's exterior design pays homage to its original 1800s grand Southern style. To honor the iconic look of this era, Birchwood craftsmen cut and shaped custom rafter tails and an elegant, custom-made, screen door. The home is framed by a wraparound front porch providing incomparable Lake Charlevoix views. The interior is embellished with unique flat matte-finished countertops in the kitchen. The raw look complements and contrasts with the high gloss grey tile backsplash. Custom wood paneling captures the cottage feel throughout the rest of the home. McCaffery Painting and Decorating provided the finishing touches by giving the remodeled rooms a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

Mid-Century Remodel on Tabor Hill This sensitively sited house was designed by Robert Coolidge, a renowned architect and grandson of President Calvin Coolidge. The house features a symmetrical gable roof and beautiful floor to ceiling glass facing due south, smartly oriented for passive solar heating. Situated on a steep lot, the house is primarily a single story that steps down to a family room. This lower level opens to a New England exterior. Our goals for this project were to maintain the integrity of the original design while creating more modern spaces. Our design team worked to envision what Coolidge himself might have designed if he'd had access to modern materials and fixtures. With the aim of creating a signature space that ties together the living, dining, and kitchen areas, we designed a variation on the 1950's "floating kitchen." In this inviting assembly, the kitchen is located away from exterior walls, which allows views from the floor-to-ceiling glass to remain uninterrupted by cabinetry. We updated rooms throughout the house; installing modern features that pay homage to the fine, sleek lines of the original design. Finally, we opened the family room to a terrace featuring a fire pit. Since a hallmark of our design is the diminishment of the hard line between interior and exterior, we were especially pleased for the opportunity to update this classic work.

The new patio space is greatly expanded over what was original to the home. Renn Kuhnen Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized mid-century modern full sun backyard landscaping in Milwaukee for summer.

Birchwood Construction had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Lee Architects to revitalize this beautiful waterfront cottage. Located in the historic Belvedere Club community, the home's exterior design pays homage to its original 1800s grand Southern style. To honor the iconic look of this era, Birchwood craftsmen cut and shaped custom rafter tails and an elegant, custom-made, screen door. The home is framed by a wraparound front porch providing incomparable Lake Charlevoix views. The interior is embellished with unique flat matte-finished countertops in the kitchen. The raw look complements and contrasts with the high gloss grey tile backsplash. Custom wood paneling captures the cottage feel throughout the rest of the home. McCaffery Painting and Decorating provided the finishing touches by giving the remodeled rooms a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

This light and airy kitchen is the definition of elegance. It has white shaker cabinets with satin gold pulls topped with white quartz counters. The matching white quartz backsplash provides a clean look. The center piece of the room is the large island! With seating for four, the deep blue island is loaded with storage and has a drawer microwave. For a special touch on the white quartz counter, we used an extra thick quartz slab. The striking gold pendants are from Ferguson Lighting. Sleek and contemporary, this beautiful home is located in Villanova, PA. Blue, white and gold are the palette of this transitional design. With custom touches and an emphasis on flow and an open floor plan, the renovation included the kitchen, family room, butler’s pantry, mudroom, two powder rooms and floors. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016, 2017 and 2019. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: Linda McManus Images

Birchwood Construction had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Lee Architects to revitalize this beautiful waterfront cottage. Located in the historic Belvedere Club community, the home's exterior design pays homage to its original 1800s grand Southern style. To honor the iconic look of this era, Birchwood craftsmen cut and shaped custom rafter tails and an elegant, custom-made, screen door. The home is framed by a wraparound front porch providing incomparable Lake Charlevoix views. The interior is embellished with unique flat matte-finished countertops in the kitchen. The raw look complements and contrasts with the high gloss grey tile backsplash. Custom wood paneling captures the cottage feel throughout the rest of the home. McCaffery Painting and Decorating provided the finishing touches by giving the remodeled rooms a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

Birchwood Construction had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Lee Architects to revitalize this beautiful waterfront cottage. Located in the historic Belvedere Club community, the home's exterior design pays homage to its original 1800s grand Southern style. To honor the iconic look of this era, Birchwood craftsmen cut and shaped custom rafter tails and an elegant, custom-made, screen door. The home is framed by a wraparound front porch providing incomparable Lake Charlevoix views. The interior is embellished with unique flat matte-finished countertops in the kitchen. The raw look complements and contrasts with the high gloss grey tile backsplash. Custom wood paneling captures the cottage feel throughout the rest of the home. McCaffery Painting and Decorating provided the finishing touches by giving the remodeled rooms a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

Birchwood Construction had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Lee Architects to revitalize this beautiful waterfront cottage. Located in the historic Belvedere Club community, the home's exterior design pays homage to its original 1800s grand Southern style. To honor the iconic look of this era, Birchwood craftsmen cut and shaped custom rafter tails and an elegant, custom-made, screen door. The home is framed by a wraparound front porch providing incomparable Lake Charlevoix views. The interior is embellished with unique flat matte-finished countertops in the kitchen. The raw look complements and contrasts with the high gloss grey tile backsplash. Custom wood paneling captures the cottage feel throughout the rest of the home. McCaffery Painting and Decorating provided the finishing touches by giving the remodeled rooms a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

Example of a transitional kitchen design in Montreal

Mid-Century Remodel on Tabor Hill This sensitively sited house was designed by Robert Coolidge, a renowned architect and grandson of President Calvin Coolidge. The house features a symmetrical gable roof and beautiful floor to ceiling glass facing due south, smartly oriented for passive solar heating. Situated on a steep lot, the house is primarily a single story that steps down to a family room. This lower level opens to a New England exterior. Our goals for this project were to maintain the integrity of the original design while creating more modern spaces. Our design team worked to envision what Coolidge himself might have designed if he'd had access to modern materials and fixtures. With the aim of creating a signature space that ties together the living, dining, and kitchen areas, we designed a variation on the 1950's "floating kitchen." In this inviting assembly, the kitchen is located away from exterior walls, which allows views from the floor-to-ceiling glass to remain uninterrupted by cabinetry. We updated rooms throughout the house; installing modern features that pay homage to the fine, sleek lines of the original design. Finally, we opened the family room to a terrace featuring a fire pit. Since a hallmark of our design is the diminishment of the hard line between interior and exterior, we were especially pleased for the opportunity to update this classic work.

Birchwood Construction had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Lee Architects to revitalize this beautiful waterfront cottage. Located in the historic Belvedere Club community, the home's exterior design pays homage to its original 1800s grand Southern style. To honor the iconic look of this era, Birchwood craftsmen cut and shaped custom rafter tails and an elegant, custom-made, screen door. The home is framed by a wraparound front porch providing incomparable Lake Charlevoix views. The interior is embellished with unique flat matte-finished countertops in the kitchen. The raw look complements and contrasts with the high gloss grey tile backsplash. Custom wood paneling captures the cottage feel throughout the rest of the home. McCaffery Painting and Decorating provided the finishing touches by giving the remodeled rooms a fresh coat of paint. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

In the divide between the kitchen and family room, we built storage into the buffet. We applied moulding to the columns for an updated and clean look. Sleek and contemporary, this beautiful home is located in Villanova, PA. Blue, white and gold are the palette of this transitional design. With custom touches and an emphasis on flow and an open floor plan, the renovation included the kitchen, family room, butler’s pantry, mudroom, two powder rooms and floors. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016, 2017 and 2019. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: Linda McManus Images

Pay Attention to Safety. When installing lighting fixtures, it is crucial to prioritize safety. Always choose lighting fixtures and electrical wires that comply with safety standards and have them connected by professionals. Additionally, the installation location of the fixtures should also consider human safety factors, avoiding placing them directly above head or in positions where they can be easily touched or bumped into.

Large transitional l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and gray countertops