Mike and Anne of Barrington Hills desperately needed to update and renovate both their kid’s hall bath and guest bath, and in their 1980’s home each project presented a different set of unique challenges to overcome. When they set out to identify the right remodeling company to partner with, it was important to find a company that could help them to visualize design solutions for the bath renovations. When they came across Advance Design Studio’s website, they were immediately drawn to the solution-oriented remodeling process and the family friendly company. They say they chose Advance Design because of the integrated approach of “Common Sense Remodeling”, making the design, project management and construction all happen in one place. When they met with Project Designer Michelle Lecinski, they knew they chose the right company. “Michelle’s excellent work on the initial designs made it easy to proceed with Advance Design Studio,” Mike said. Like most homeowners anticipating a big renovation project, they had some healthy fears; with two bathrooms being remodeled at the same time they worried about timeframes and staying within budget. With the help of Michelle, and the “Common Sense” guidelines, they were confident that Advance Design would stay true, orchestrating all the moving parts to stay within both the estimated timeline and budget. The guest bath offered the biggest design challenge. A dormer obstruction made the already cramped shower awkward to access. Mike and Anne also wanted the shower size to be expanded, making it more accommodating. Working with Advance’s construction expert DJ Yurik, Michelle relocated the shower concealing the original dormer and creating a larger, more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing guest shower. The unsightly and not at all user-friendly closet was removed and replaced with elegant White Maple Dura Supreme cabinetry with much improved function featuring dual tall linen cabinets, a special makeup area and two sinks, providing a dual vanity which was extremely important for better guest use. The Fossil Brown quartz countertop is in pleasing contrast to the white cabinetry, and coordinates nicely with the mocha porcelain tile gracing the shower for an accent. The decorative glazed turquoise tile backsplash, tile border, and bottle niche adds a taste of marine green to the room, while marble-looking porcelain tile makes guests feel they are staying in a 5-star hotel. Polished nickel Kohler plumbing fixtures were chosen to add a touch of sophistication. This renovated guest bath is comfortable and elegant, and Anne and Mike’s house guests may never want to leave! “The end result was updated and restyled bathrooms that the client will enjoy and increase the value of their home,” Designer Michelle said. The children’s hall bath had its own set of challenges. The current placement of the sink was not conducive to the best use of the existing space, nor did it allow for any visual interest, something Advance’s designers always work to achieve even within the tight confines of a small bath. Advance removed the linen closet and used the gain in wall space to create a dramatic focal point on the vanity wall. They also took additional space that wasn’t being used for new Storm Gray Dura Supreme tall built-in linen cabinets, creating functional storage space that the former bath lacked. A customized glass splash panel was created for the bath, and the high ceilings with skylights were accented with a custom-made track lighting fixture featuring industrial pipe and cage materials. Authentic cement encaustic tile was used wall to wall surrounding the vanity to create a dramatic and interesting back drop for the new elegant and stately furniture-like double sink wall. Hand-made encaustic tile originated in Western Europe beginning in the 1850’s and reminded Mike and Anne of tile they had seen and loved from their travels overseas. Today, encaustic tile has made a re-appearance in today’s modern bath design with its wide array of appealing patterns and artistic use of color. Oil rubbed bronze Kohler fixtures echo the black accents in the beautiful tile pattern and reflect the matte black of the unique lighting detail. Easy to maintain Blanca Arabescato Quartz countertops add practicality and natural beauty and compliments the warm wood porcelain tile floors. This handsome bath has generated praise from friends and family even before it’s complete unveiling as photos of the space leaked out on social media! It’s not only completely functional to use, but especially pretty to look at. “Advance Design Studio did a terrific job for us. We really appreciated how easy it was to work with them on a complex project of the complete remodeling of two bathrooms. They very capably handled all the details from design, to project management, to construction. It is a great group of people to work with and we would welcome the opportunity to work with them again anytime,” Mike said.

Photo Credits: Pixil Studios
Example of a small mountain style loft-style medium tone wood floor living room design in Denver with beige walls, a wood stove, a metal fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Boxford, MA kitchen renovation designed by north of Boston kitchen design showroom Heartwood Kitchens. This kitchen includes white painted cabinetry with a glaze and dark wood island. Heartwood included a large, deep boxed out window on the window wall to brighten up the kitchen. This kitchen includes a large island with seating for 4, Wolf range, Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer, large pantry cabinets and glass front china cabinet. Island/Tabletop items provided by Savoir Faire Home Andover, MA Oriental rugs from First Rugs in Acton, MA Photo credit: Eric Roth Photography.

nstead of flooding the ice rink, a broken water pipe had been flooding the basement with several inches of water. The pipe was repaired, but all the flooring and carpeting, as well as the lowest two feet of sheetrock and insulation had to be taken out. Fortunately, there was no structural damage. The owners figured that this might be the best time for a total basement renovation. The flooring needed to be replaced. The four basement windows were small, dim, and worthless. The combined bathroom and laundry room had to go, as well as all non-supporting walls and the big bulky soffits. They talked with Rick Jacobson and together they worked out a design. Rick’s solution: Make the space big and bright and functional. Make it a good investment. Make it a good experience.

The architecture of this mid-century ranch in Portland’s West Hills oozes modernism’s core values. We wanted to focus on areas of the home that didn’t maximize the architectural beauty. The Client—a family of three, with Lucy the Great Dane, wanted to improve what was existing and update the kitchen and Jack and Jill Bathrooms, add some cool storage solutions and generally revamp the house. We totally reimagined the entry to provide a “wow” moment for all to enjoy whilst entering the property. A giant pivot door was used to replace the dated solid wood door and side light. We designed and built new open cabinetry in the kitchen allowing for more light in what was a dark spot. The kitchen got a makeover by reconfiguring the key elements and new concrete flooring, new stove, hood, bar, counter top, and a new lighting plan. Our work on the Humphrey House was featured in Dwell Magazine.

An updated 1920's style Hutch was designed to replace an existing built in hutch. Solid Surface counter top 2 colors full height seamless construction. Glass door wall cabinets with Craftsman style windows. Custom designed cabinets (Aristocratic Cabinets, WA) to fit in front of pipes and drain lines in each corner to upstairs bath room. Note the light valance with arches at each end. The mid level trim and base boards were retained to keep the 1920's look. Photo by; Randy Trager

Concealed overhead steam pipes with architectural accent distressed beams and support pillars, replaced old baseboard with matching clear Alder trim, created memorabilia wall with hand framed recessed nooks, each with it's own recessed lighting to focus attention on family photos and momentos. Design/Build Consultant—Cherie Poissant Photo—Alyssa Lee

See close up of fabrics used. I replaced a black element in the cotton print with a diamond of the woven material to tie it together. the piping is the same color as one of the sheet sets.. Notice stitching in green, to hold the layers together. Kastendiek Photo

Client: Family House in North London. Brief: To replace existing carpets with new Oak Wide Boards to Hall, Drawing Room & cloakroom. The solution: Firstly the existing floor coverings were removed , the floors levelled where necessary and an engineered oak floor was installed as a floating floor over existing floorboards, after allowing for expansion at the perimeter. An entrance mat was fitted and the radiator pipes finished with oak rings.

Client: Family House in North London. Brief: To replace existing carpets with new Oak Wide Boards to Hall, Drawing Room & cloakroom. The solution: Firstly the existing floor coverings were removed , the floors levelled where necessary and an engineered oak floor was installed as a floating floor over existing floorboards, after allowing for expansion at the perimeter. An entrance mat was fitted and the radiator pipes finished with oak rings.

Over time, copper gutters and downspouts develop an interesting patina.. An Atlantic Beach, Florida client called Top Tier Seamless Gutters to repair the copper downspout on their home. To restore the functionality of their downspout, we had to replace two copper elbows. Over time, the repaired downspout sections will develop their own patina, too. For seamless gutters, underground drainage piping, gutter repairs or gutter cleaning, call Nathan Littlefield at Top Tier Seamless Gutters - 904.609.0240. http://toptierseamlessgutters.com/services/

Beach style powder room photo in Los Angeles with a vessel sink

Client: Family House in North London. Brief: To replace existing carpets with new Oak Wide Boards to Hall, Drawing Room & cloakroom. The solution: Firstly the existing floor coverings were removed , the floors levelled where necessary and an engineered oak floor was installed as a floating floor over existing floorboards, after allowing for expansion at the perimeter. An entrance mat was fitted and the radiator pipes finished with oak rings.

Client: Family House in North London. Brief: To replace existing carpets with new Oak Wide Boards to Hall, Drawing Room & cloakroom. The solution: Firstly the existing floor coverings were removed , the floors levelled where necessary and an engineered oak floor was installed as a floating floor over existing floorboards, after allowing for expansion at the perimeter. An entrance mat was fitted and the radiator pipes finished with oak rings.

The property is a 700 square foot condo. The homeowner's goal was to have his 40+ year old unit transformed into a brand new space. To accomplish this, we gutted the entire unit; we replaced the popcorn ceiling with new drywall, replaced the old flooring with maple engineered wood flooring, and removed the kitchen walls and bulkheads to create an open concept. Additions include: Handsome crown moulding and custom baseboards, Sherwin Williams paint for the wall, ceiling and trim (the ceiling is NOT white), LED recessed light fixtures, custom island pendants, Quartz countertops, custom dining chandelier, custom shelving over the kitchen sink and custom "iron pipe" designed to house existing telephone wires (building restricted the removal of existing phone line). Photography by Michael Anthony Harrison, www.MikeAntPhotography.com