Search results for "Poor functionality" in Home Design Ideas

What the owners of the Madeline Ave Residence loved about the home when they bought it was the charm of the original 1920’s structure. However, a dissonance addition from the 1970’s shifted original charm to aesthetic awkwardness and poor flow. While maintaining the feel of the front façade, the rest of the home was reconfigured and choreographed to offer beauty and meet functional needs. Like many homes in historic districts, the homes grow organically to meet needs. Multiple forms and roof lines result.
Due to incorporating these same moves, this renovation fits seamlessly into the neighborhood. It is formal where it needs to be yet comfortable for the daily life. The people, the dog, the cats, the wine: all were carefully tended to throughout the design of the home. The spacious rooms and crisp white palette set the stage for vibrant tile and offers many locations for large scale art. Easy connections to the exterior spaces offer all-season gathering under the shade of the trellis or while making s’mores around the fire pit.

The original kitchen featured outdated finishes, worn tile flooring, and limited functionality. Aged cabinetry with inset doors and glass fronts, while charming, lacked modern storage solutions and efficiency. The space felt dark and closed in, with poor lighting and aging fixtures, and a noticeable separation from the adjacent areas.

Transformed Urban Oasis: Premium Artificial Turf Installation"
Set in the heart of Palm Beach Gardens this backyard underwent a comprehensive transformation, turning a previously underutilized space into a lush, evergreen oasis. The aim was clear: to craft an outdoor environment that requires minimal maintenance, provides aesthetic pleasure, and offers functional space for various activities.
Initially, the backyard presented challenges including uneven ground, patchy grass areas, and poor soil conditions. Our team addressed these issues with precision grading and soil stabilization techniques, preparing a perfect base for the upcoming transformation.
We opted for a premium artificial turf, chosen for its realistic texture, durability, and environmental resilience. Spread across [specific square footage/size of the area], the turf exudes a natural charm that rivals the best of lawns. With its soft pile height and UV resistance, it promises year-round greenery without the hassle of watering, mowing, or fertilizing.
Details, such as the seamless integration of the turf with existing patios or garden beds, highlight our team's meticulous attention to detail and commitment to excellence. The results are evident — a green sanctuary ready for sunbathing, children's play, or simply lounging.
Homeowners have praised the transformation, noting the newfound usability of their outdoor space, the reduction in water bills, and the numerous compliments they receive from visitors.
This project isn't just about installing artificial turf; it's about reimagining urban backyards, bringing nature closer to home, and offering sustainable and beautiful solutions for modern living.
Find the right local pro for your project

Emily and Steve have remodeled several pieces of their home and because they love Kaufman’s process so much, they keep coming back. In past years, we’ve remodeled most of their main floor including an updated living space and staircase, and a completely remodeled powder room and kitchen with a nice big island that’s perfect for entertaining. Their most recent project was this year when we remodeled their deck. The major pain points Steve and Emily dealt with before the remodel was lack of functionality due to poor design and because the previous owners had built the deck themselves, there were quite a few safety concerns. Throughout the design process, we decided to remove the existing deck completely and start fresh with a screened in porch, Emily’s Porch, and a deck off the porch with stairs going down to the beautiful backyard – one of the factors that motivated them to make this house their home to begin with.

This beautiful 1881 Alameda Victorian cottage, wonderfully embodying the Transitional Gothic-Eastlake era, had most of its original features intact. Our clients, one of whom is a painter, wanted to preserve the beauty of the historic home while modernizing its flow and function.
From several small rooms, we created a bright, open artist’s studio. We dug out the basement for a large workshop, extending a new run of stair in keeping with the existing original staircase. While keeping the bones of the house intact, we combined small spaces into large rooms, closed off doorways that were in awkward places, removed unused chimneys, changed the circulation through the house for ease and good sightlines, and made new high doorways that work gracefully with the eleven foot high ceilings. We removed inconsistent picture railings to give wall space for the clients’ art collection and to enhance the height of the rooms. From a poorly laid out kitchen and adjunct utility rooms, we made a large kitchen and family room with nine-foot-high glass doors to a new large deck. A tall wood screen at one end of the deck, fire pit, and seating give the sense of an outdoor room, overlooking the owners’ intensively planted garden. A previous mismatched addition at the side of the house was removed and a cozy outdoor living space made where morning light is received. The original house was segmented into small spaces; the new open design lends itself to the clients’ lifestyle of entertaining groups of people, working from home, and enjoying indoor-outdoor living.
Photography by Kurt Manley.
https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/artists-victorian/

This beautiful 1881 Alameda Victorian cottage, wonderfully embodying the Transitional Gothic-Eastlake era, had most of its original features intact. Our clients, one of whom is a painter, wanted to preserve the beauty of the historic home while modernizing its flow and function.
From several small rooms, we created a bright, open artist’s studio. We dug out the basement for a large workshop, extending a new run of stair in keeping with the existing original staircase. While keeping the bones of the house intact, we combined small spaces into large rooms, closed off doorways that were in awkward places, removed unused chimneys, changed the circulation through the house for ease and good sightlines, and made new high doorways that work gracefully with the eleven foot high ceilings. We removed inconsistent picture railings to give wall space for the clients’ art collection and to enhance the height of the rooms. From a poorly laid out kitchen and adjunct utility rooms, we made a large kitchen and family room with nine-foot-high glass doors to a new large deck. A tall wood screen at one end of the deck, fire pit, and seating give the sense of an outdoor room, overlooking the owners’ intensively planted garden. A previous mismatched addition at the side of the house was removed and a cozy outdoor living space made where morning light is received. The original house was segmented into small spaces; the new open design lends itself to the clients’ lifestyle of entertaining groups of people, working from home, and enjoying indoor-outdoor living.
Photography by Kurt Manley.
https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/artists-victorian/

In areas where real grass is difficult to grow or maintain–due to high traffic or poor conditions–we offer a superb alternative that is functional, durable, remarkably realistic and replicates a natural appearance of pristine landscape in any environment.

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Structural Remodeling
Franklin County's Heavy Timber Specialists | Best of Houzz 2020!

The #LakesideLeisure Project was a comprehensive redesign of a lakefront property that transformed various challenges into stunning solutions. Initially, the property featured a small, high-maintenance cedar deck with minimal lake views, poorly placed stairs, limited flat yard space due to extensive tiered landscaping and excessive plantings, obstructed lake views, and privacy concerns from a neighboring home.
The client’s vision was clear: they wanted a large, flat yard for family activities and hosting, enhanced outdoor living spaces for dining and lounging, increased privacy from neighbors, more shaded hangout areas, improved “curb appeal” from the lake, and reduced maintenance.

When our clients came to us with their renovation project asking for a pink kitchen, we were thrilled at the opportunity to create a unique, bright and colourful kitchen. It’s not something you see everyday, and we live for it! Being that they are a young family, who loves to cook but felt secluded and overwhelmed when in this space, we knew that this was going to be an epic transformation, not just aesthetically but also for their day-to-day life.
This renovation transformed a closed off, cramped, and poorly laid-out kitchen into a colourful, bright, open, and inviting space that combines functionality with vibrant colours and character. The redesign focused on maximizing storage, improving layout efficiency, and infusing the space with unique design elements that make it both practical and fun.

The owners of this incredible home in Lake Sammamish, Washington, had been discouraged by the work done by a previous artificial turf company at their home—a low quality product was installed poorly and therefore didn’t function as it should. Their faith in the artificial turf industry was restored when ForeverLawn Bellevue stepped in to remove and correct the issues that the previous company had created. ForeverLawn transformed a disaster into the homeowners’ dream yard. This wonderfully executed installation included over 4,000 square feet of DuPont™ ForeverLawn® Select HD and a unique backyard putting green surfaced with EZ Putt, a variation of GolfGreens™ ideal for fun, family-focused putting greens that requires little maintenance and will provide endless entertainment.

This beautiful 1881 Alameda Victorian cottage, wonderfully embodying the Transitional Gothic-Eastlake era, had most of its original features intact. Our clients, one of whom is a painter, wanted to preserve the beauty of the historic home while modernizing its flow and function.
From several small rooms, we created a bright, open artist’s studio. We dug out the basement for a large workshop, extending a new run of stair in keeping with the existing original staircase. While keeping the bones of the house intact, we combined small spaces into large rooms, closed off doorways that were in awkward places, removed unused chimneys, changed the circulation through the house for ease and good sightlines, and made new high doorways that work gracefully with the eleven foot high ceilings. We removed inconsistent picture railings to give wall space for the clients’ art collection and to enhance the height of the rooms. From a poorly laid out kitchen and adjunct utility rooms, we made a large kitchen and family room with nine-foot-high glass doors to a new large deck. A tall wood screen at one end of the deck, fire pit, and seating give the sense of an outdoor room, overlooking the owners’ intensively planted garden. A previous mismatched addition at the side of the house was removed and a cozy outdoor living space made where morning light is received. The original house was segmented into small spaces; the new open design lends itself to the clients’ lifestyle of entertaining groups of people, working from home, and enjoying indoor-outdoor living.
Photography by Kurt Manley.
https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/artists-victorian/

Designed by Marc Jean-Michel of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Bethesda, MD in collaboration with Liz Forgione of MMD Construction, this small transitional kitchen features Green Forest cabinets in the Park Place shaker door style in two finishes. The base cabinets feature a Summit Grey finish and the wall cabinets a White finish. The kitchen countertops are MSI Artic White Quartz.
The kitchen includes a Maravilla/Alvetian Isles Honed Marble 4x16 tile backsplash along with GE and Frigidaire appliances.
“The hardest part was envisioning a new functional space in an old kitchen with a poor layout and use of space,” said the client. “I love most the transformation in the flow of the whole first floor. The kitchen entries are wide, more inviting and create a lot of great light! There is so much great storage in a small kitchen! Marc was great to work with. I loved all of his ideas.”
Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

A must see before and after kitchen. What was a drab brown kitchen before with a not-so-functional layout, we have completely opened up the space, by removing a peninsula and a poorly used pantry space and added a large floating island and slide-out pantry storage instead. Now this bright and open space now feels fresh, clean and expansive.

The #LakesideLeisure Project was a comprehensive redesign of a lakefront property that transformed various challenges into stunning solutions. Initially, the property featured a small, high-maintenance cedar deck with minimal lake views, poorly placed stairs, limited flat yard space due to extensive tiered landscaping and excessive plantings, obstructed lake views, and privacy concerns from a neighboring home.
The client’s vision was clear: they wanted a large, flat yard for family activities and hosting, enhanced outdoor living spaces for dining and lounging, increased privacy from neighbors, more shaded hangout areas, improved “curb appeal” from the lake, and reduced maintenance.

When this family came to us, they loved their home — but their bathrooms were failing them. The kids' bathroom had a non-functioning tub, a serious problem with two young children in the house. The primary bathroom was battling an active shower leak, a poor layout, and finishes well past their prime. Both spaces needed to be gutted. We got to work.
The Primary Bath: Elevated, Effortless, Unmistakably Theirs
Our clients arrived with a clear vision and a beautiful, refined sense of style. The layout was reconfigured from the ground up, and at the heart of the room sits a custom double vanity in a soft, sophisticated sage, topped with a stunning marble countertop and coordinating backsplash. Paired with elegant walnut-framed mirrors, a sculptural black and brass sconce, and wall-mounted polished nickel faucets, the vanity wall is a showpiece. Custom woven shades add warmth without sacrificing light.
The walk-in shower delivers — floor-to-ceiling white subway tile, a mosaic marble floor, transom windows, and frameless glass. Schluter DITRA radiant floor heating adds the kind of quiet luxury you feel every morning. Both marble surfaces were professionally sealed with StoneGuard to protect the investment for the long haul.
The Kids' Bath: Cheerful, Timeless, Built to Last
The girls' bathroom is designed with just as much intention as any room in the house. A warm white oak vanity with marble countertop anchors the space, paired with an antique brass-framed mirror and raspberry custom sconce shades that bring personality without being precious. A botanical-print Roman shade layers in pattern and charm.
The fully rebuilt tub-shower features wall-to-wall white subway tile, polished nickel fixtures, and a beautiful geometric floor tile in cream and warm taupe. A glass-front wall cabinet keeps things tidy, and tile wainscoting wraps the room for durability where it counts. Schluter DITRA radiant heat runs underfoot here too — because warm floors aren't just for adults.
Two bathrooms. Completely distinct. Completely intentional. Built for a family that already loved their home — and loves it even more now.

After moving into a luxurious home in Ashburn, Virginia, the homeowners decided the master bathroom needed to be revamped. The existing whirlpool tub was far too big, the shower too small and the make-up area poorly designed.
From a functional standpoint, they wanted lots of storage, his and her separate vanities with a large make-up area, better lighting, a large steam shower and a vaulted ceiling. Aesthetics were also important, however, and the lady of the house had always dreamed of having a Venetian style spa.
Taking some space from an adjacent closet has allowed for a much larger shower stall with an arched transom window letting plenty of natural light into the space. Using various sizes of tumbled limestone to build its walls, it includes a rain shower head, a hand shower and body sprayers. A seating bench and storage niches make it easier to use.
New plumbing was put in place to add a large vanity with upper glass cabinets for the man of the house, while one corner of the space was used to create a make-up desk complete with a seamless mirror and embedded sconce lights
A free standing Neapolitan-style soaking tub with fluted columns and arched header is the real focal point of this space. Set among large corner windows, under a stylish chandelier, this elegant design sets this bathroom apart from any bathroom in its category.

What was once a dark and dated kitchen with a poor layout was transformed into a bright open kitchen that is much more functional. We opened up some walls and removed another, relocated the door leading to the garage and relocated the sink. We added recessed and under cabinet lighting as well as updating outlets and switched. The new cabinets are Bridgewood Advantage Maple Mission door in painted white. The countertops are black quartz. The backsplash is Carrera marble.

This bedroom/office had no shower in a very small bathroom with only a wall sink and small toilet. There was a poorly configured closet adjacent to the left wall which was used for the additional space in this bathroom allowing for a 36 in x 40 in shower stall. New plumbing and electric was added to the space as well..
The floors are 12 x 24 in porcelain marble tiles from The Tile Shop. We cut additional tile to use as the baseboard. The vanity which was purchased, has enough room for additional towels and toiletries and is an attractive and functional addition to the space.

Before renovation: compacted soil, exposed tree roots, and poorly defined planting areas contributed to drainage issues and uneven turf conditions. The yard required regrading and underground drainage correction to restore function and structure.

Emily and Steve have remodeled several pieces of their home and because they love Kaufman’s process so much, they keep coming back. In past years, we’ve remodeled most of their main floor including an updated living space and staircase, and a completely remodeled powder room and kitchen with a nice big island that’s perfect for entertaining. Their most recent project was this year when we remodeled their deck. The major pain points Steve and Emily dealt with before the remodel was lack of functionality due to poor design and because the previous owners had built the deck themselves, there were quite a few safety concerns. Throughout the design process, we decided to remove the existing deck completely and start fresh with a screened in porch, Emily’s Porch, and a deck off the porch with stairs going down to the beautiful backyard – one of the factors that motivated them to make this house their home to begin with.
38
