The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

This large space did not function well for this family of 6. The cabinetry they had did not go to the ceiling and offered very poor storage options. The island that existed was tiny in comparrison to the space. By taking the cabinets to the ceiling, enlarging the island and adding large pantry's we were able to achieve the storage needed. Then the fun began, all of the decorative details that make this space so stunning. Beautiful tile for the backsplash and a custom metal hood. Lighting and hardware to complement the hood. Then, the vintage runner and natural wood elements to make the space feel more homey.

The client requested a kitchen that would not only provide a great space to cook and enjoy family meals but one that would fit in with her unique design sense. An avid collector of contemporary art, she wanted something unexpected in her 100-year-old home in both color and finishes but still providing a great layout with improved lighting, storage, and superior cooking abilities. The existing kitchen was in a closed off space trapped between the family room and the living. If you were in the kitchen, you were isolated from the rest of the house. Making the kitchen an integrated part of the home was a paramount request. Step one, remove the wall separating the kitchen from the other rooms in the home which allowed the new kitchen to become an integrated space instead of an isolation room for the cook. Next, we relocated the pantry access which was in the family room to the kitchen integrating a poorly used recess which had become a catch all area which did not provide any usable space for storage or working area. To add valuable function in the kitchen we began by capturing unused "cubbies", adding a walk-in pantry from the kitchen, increasing the storage lost to un-needed drop ceilings and bring light and design to the space with a new large awning window, improved lighting, and combining interesting finishes and colors to reflect the artistic attitude of the client. A bathroom located above the kitchen had been leaking into the plaster ceiling for several years. That along with knob and tube wiring, rotted beams and a brick wall from the back of the fireplace in the adjacent living room all needed to be brought to code. The walls, ceiling and floors in this 100+ year old home were completely out of level and the room’s foot print could not be increased. The choice of a Sub-Zero wolf product is a standard in my kitchen designs. The quality of the product, its manufacturing and commitment to food preservation is the reason I specify Sub Zero Wolf. For the cook top, the integrated line of the contemporary cooktop and the signature red knobs against the navy blue of the cabinets added to the design vibe of the kitchen. The cooking performance and the large continuous grate on the cooktop makes it an obvious choice for a cook looking for a great cook top with professional results in a more streamlined profile. We selected a Sharp microwave drawer for the island, an XO wine refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher and Kitchen Aid double convection wall ovens to round out the appliance package. A recess created by the fireplace was outfitted with a cabinet which now holds small appliances within easy reach of my very petite client. Natural maple accents were used inside all the wall cabinets and repeated on the front of the hood and for the sliding door appliance cabinet and the floating shelves. This allows a brighter interior for the painted cabinets instead of the traditional same interior as exterior finish choice. The was an amazing transformation from the old to the new. The final touches are the honey bronze hardware from Top Knobs, Mitzi pendants from Hudson Valley Lighting group, a fabulous faucet from Brizo. To eliminate the old freestanding bottled water cooler, we specified a matching water filter faucet.

In this recent kitchen design and renovation project, these long time clients came to me originally, several years ago to start discussing the design of their kitchen. At that time, the kitchen in this 1800’s home included a kitchen that had been poorly remodeled in the 1980’s, so the kitchen had already lost most of it’s original charm. I created a design plan creating a beautiful large kitchen expanding the space into the adjacent rooms. My clients loved this design plan, but other home issues took precedence, so after a few additional years, my clients were now ready to start their kitchen project. Their overall goals for the property did change since we first looked at this project, my clients decided that they did not want to enlarge or expand the small kitchen by opening it up to the adjacent rooms. So, I went back to the drawing board to create a kitchen in the existing kitchen space that fulfilled their new goals and created a beautiful functional space within the existing kitchen space. This new design, like my former design, honored this home’s traditional architecture, but added a light, fresh feel to the space using updated colors and material selections. This design consisted of additional storage and cabinetry, additional countertop space, and a small space to sit. We added new cabinetry, appliances, electrical, plumbing, beautiful quartz countertops, glass backsplash tile, traditional lighting fixtures, and finished everything off using beautiful classic hardware elements. My clients are now in love with this new renovated kitchen space. It contains many of the elements of a much larger kitchen, and melds beautifully with the rest of the house which we have also designed renovated over the last few years. Finally my client’s get to enjoy their new kitchen space as much as they enjoy the rest of this beautiful home!

The client requested a kitchen that would not only provide a great space to cook and enjoy family meals but one that would fit in with her unique design sense. An avid collector of contemporary art, she wanted something unexpected in her 100-year-old home in both color and finishes but still providing a great layout with improved lighting, storage, and superior cooking abilities. The existing kitchen was in a closed off space trapped between the family room and the living. If you were in the kitchen, you were isolated from the rest of the house. Making the kitchen an integrated part of the home was a paramount request. Step one, remove the wall separating the kitchen from the other rooms in the home which allowed the new kitchen to become an integrated space instead of an isolation room for the cook. Next, we relocated the pantry access which was in the family room to the kitchen integrating a poorly used recess which had become a catch all area which did not provide any usable space for storage or working area. To add valuable function in the kitchen we began by capturing unused "cubbies", adding a walk-in pantry from the kitchen, increasing the storage lost to un-needed drop ceilings and bring light and design to the space with a new large awning window, improved lighting, and combining interesting finishes and colors to reflect the artistic attitude of the client. A bathroom located above the kitchen had been leaking into the plaster ceiling for several years. That along with knob and tube wiring, rotted beams and a brick wall from the back of the fireplace in the adjacent living room all needed to be brought to code. The walls, ceiling and floors in this 100+ year old home were completely out of level and the room’s foot print could not be increased. The choice of a Sub-Zero wolf product is a standard in my kitchen designs. The quality of the product, its manufacturing and commitment to food preservation is the reason I specify Sub Zero Wolf. For the cook top, the integrated line of the contemporary cooktop and the signature red knobs against the navy blue of the cabinets added to the design vibe of the kitchen. The cooking performance and the large continuous grate on the cooktop makes it an obvious choice for a cook looking for a great cook top with professional results in a more streamlined profile. We selected a Sharp microwave drawer for the island, an XO wine refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher and Kitchen Aid double convection wall ovens to round out the appliance package. A recess created by the fireplace was outfitted with a cabinet which now holds small appliances within easy reach of my very petite client. Natural maple accents were used inside all the wall cabinets and repeated on the front of the hood and for the sliding door appliance cabinet and the floating shelves. This allows a brighter interior for the painted cabinets instead of the traditional same interior as exterior finish choice. The was an amazing transformation from the old to the new. The final touches are the honey bronze hardware from Top Knobs, Mitzi pendants from Hudson Valley Lighting group, a fabulous faucet from Brizo. To eliminate the old freestanding bottled water cooler, we specified a matching water filter faucet.

AVENTURA MAGAZINE selected our client’s luxury 5000 Sf ocean front apartment in Miami Beach, to publish it in their issue and they Said: Story by Linda Marx, Photography by Daniel Newcomb Light & Bright New York snowbirds redesigned their Miami Beach apartment to take advantage of the tropical lifestyle. WHEN INTERIOR DESIGNER JENNIFER CORREDOR was asked to recreate a four-bedroom, six-bath condominium at The Bath Club in Miami Beach, she seized the opportunity to open the rooms and better utilize the vast ocean views. In five months last year, the designer transformed a dark and closed 5,000-square-foot unit located on a high floor into a series of sweeping waterfront spaces and updated the well located apartment into a light and airy retreat for a sports-loving family of five. “They come down from New York every other weekend and wanted to make their waterfront home a series of grand open spaces,” says Corrredor, of the J. Design Group in Coral Gables, a firm specializing in modern and contemporary interiors. “Since many of the rooms face the ocean, it made sense to open and lighten up the home, taking advantage of the awesome views of the sea and the bay.” The designer used 40 x 40 all white tile throughout the apartment as a clean base. This way, her sophisticated use of color would stand out and bring the outdoors in. The close-knit family members—two parents and three boys in college—like to do things together. But there were situations to overcome in the process of modernizing and opening the space. When Corredor was briefed on their desires, nothing seemed too daunting. The confident designer was ready to delve in. For example, she fixed an area at the front door that was curved. “The wood was concave so I straightened it out,” she explains of a request from the clients. “It was an obstacle that I overcame as part of what I do in a redesign. I don’t consider it a difficult challenge. Improving what I see is part of the process.” She also tackled the kitchen with gusto by demolishing a wall. The kitchen had formerly been enclosed, which was a waste of space and poor use of available waterfront ambience. To create a grand space linking the kitchen to the living room and dining room area, something had to go. Once the wall was yesterday’s news, she relocated the refrigerator and freezer (two separate appliances) to the other side of the room. This change was a natural functionality in the new open space. “By tearing out the wall, the family has a better view of the kitchen from the living and dining rooms,” says Corredor, who also made it easier to walk in and out of one area and into the other. “The views of the larger public space and the surrounding water are breathtaking. Opening it up changed everything.” They clients can now see the kitchen from the living and dining areas, and at the same time, dwell in an airy and open space instead of feeling stuck in a dark enclosed series of rooms. In fact, the high-top bar stools that Corredor selected for the kitchen can be twirled around to use for watching TV in the living room. In keeping with the theme of moving seamlessly from one room to the other, Corredor designed a subtle wall of glass in the living room along with lots of comfortable seating. This way, all family members feel at ease while relaxing, talking, or watching sporting events on the large flat screen television. “For this room, I wanted more open space, light and a supreme airy feeling,” she says. “With the glass design making a statement, it quickly became the star of the show.”……. ….. To add texture and depth, Jennifer Corredor custom created wood doors here, and in other areas of the home. They provide a nice contrast to the open Florida tropical feel. “I added character to the openness by using exotic cherry wood,” she says. “I repeated this throughout the home and it works well.” Known for capturing the client’s vision while adding her own innovative twists, Jennifer Corredor lightened the family room, giving it a contemporary and modern edge with colorful art and matching throw pillows on the sofas. She added a large beige leather ottoman as the center coffee table in the room. This round piece was punctuated with a bold-toned flowering plant atop. It effortlessly matches the pillows and colors of the contemporary canvas. 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Dedicated laundry room - mid-sized contemporary dedicated laundry room idea in Other with white cabinets, laminate countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer and shaker cabinets

This large space did not function well for this family of 6. The cabinetry they had did not go to the ceiling and offered very poor storage options. The island that existed was tiny in comparrison to the space. By taking the cabinets to the ceiling, enlarging the island and adding large pantry's we were able to achieve the storage needed. Then the fun began, all of the decorative details that make this space so stunning. Beautiful tile for the backsplash and a custom metal hood. Lighting and hardware to complement the hood. Then, the vintage runner and natural wood elements to make the space feel more homey.

This large space did not function well for this family of 6. The cabinetry they had did not go to the ceiling and offered very poor storage options. The island that existed was tiny in comparrison to the space. By taking the cabinets to the ceiling, enlarging the island and adding large pantry's we were able to achieve the storage needed. Then the fun began, all of the decorative details that make this space so stunning. Beautiful tile for the backsplash and a custom metal hood. Lighting and hardware to complement the hood. Then, the vintage runner and natural wood elements to make the space feel more homey.

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.

In this recent kitchen design and renovation project, these long time clients came to me originally, several years ago to start discussing the design of their kitchen. At that time, the kitchen in this 1800’s home included a kitchen that had been poorly remodeled in the 1980’s, so the kitchen had already lost most of it’s original charm. I created a design plan creating a beautiful large kitchen expanding the space into the adjacent rooms. My clients loved this design plan, but other home issues took precedence, so after a few additional years, my clients were now ready to start their kitchen project. Their overall goals for the property did change since we first looked at this project, my clients decided that they did not want to enlarge or expand the small kitchen by opening it up to the adjacent rooms. So, I went back to the drawing board to create a kitchen in the existing kitchen space that fulfilled their new goals and created a beautiful functional space within the existing kitchen space. This new design, like my former design, honored this home’s traditional architecture, but added a light, fresh feel to the space using updated colors and material selections. This design consisted of additional storage and cabinetry, additional countertop space, and a small space to sit. We added new cabinetry, appliances, electrical, plumbing, beautiful quartz countertops, glass backsplash tile, traditional lighting fixtures, and finished everything off using beautiful classic hardware elements. My clients are now in love with this new renovated kitchen space. It contains many of the elements of a much larger kitchen, and melds beautifully with the rest of the house which we have also designed renovated over the last few years. Finally my client’s get to enjoy their new kitchen space as much as they enjoy the rest of this beautiful home!

This challenging kitchen came our way at the same time as another similarly located Centennial kitchen. It was apparent that both houses had been built by the same builder: tight space, low ceilings, awkward arrangement, and poor building materials. Our client here is a single mother of three boys with an incredibly demanding work life. Once finally home at the end of a busy day, our client was virtually unable to use her kitchen. Cabinet doors were falling off, limited storage and workspace offered her little opportunity to cook and prep for her children, and the dark and low ceiling created an atmosphere that can only be described as depressing. Our client is also from Louisiana and has always dreamed of a kitchen that reminds her of home warmth and hospitality. Our goal was not only to expand functional storage and workspace, but bring in the southern NOLA appeal that reminds our client so much of home. To do this, we removed the wall between the formal dining room and kitchen to create an extended kitchen that runs the full length of both spaces. The back wall of what used to be the dining room is now the cooking zone for our client: we've relocated her range and microwave, and have created an island full of storage where her children can sit and socialize. We've also lifted up the low ceiling to create a tray ceiling that we have finished with ghostwood. The cabinetry is an off-white color with a hazelnut glaze that offers a more traditional, warm appearance. The island and mini work nook feature dramatic, handmade tin ceiling tiles for a dramatic texture and color. We've finished the space with functional quartz countertops and an arabesque two-toned marble backspalsh. The sinks, faucets and hardware are all in a matte black finish that offer a dramatic pop throughout the space. Little touches of Parisian flair add to this Cajun-French aesthetic and we are so thrilled with the final result!

Starting Each Day Clean and Refreshed In This Classically-Modern, Marble Masterpiece In 1985, the previous owner of the house had added an addition of which part included a 17 feet by 13 feet space off the master bedroom for both a master bath and walk-in closet. Irrespective of the dated red carpet that blanketed the entire bathroom of this 1964 colonial in Annandale, VA, the combination bathroom/closet space had its other oddities, primarily in that there was no shower. The current homeowners -- a family of five, who has been in the home for 7 years, was tired of going down the hall to use the kids’ bathroom to take a shower before work. The renovation that they have created now is a bright and luxurious space that one could bask in all day. They used this bathroom renovation opportunity to total remake the layout and function of this essential room that sets the tone for the day ahead. Prior to the renovation, the existing bathroom oddly had two entrances, a typical one off of the master bedroom, but another straight off the upstairs hallway. As the toilet was out in the open in the previous design, ensuring that this second door was closed when company was in town was essential and a nuisance. As you entered the room, situated below the arc window, a large soaking tub that was covered on three sides with wooden steps dominated the room from the corner it projected. A relatively small 42” single bowl sink did not leave much space for his and hers toiletries, and there was no other linen closet or cabinetry for storage in the bathroom. The 8 foot by 5 foot closet with accordion doors had poorly laid out rungs not letting the storage space to be fully utilized. At over 220 square feet, the room did offer considerable space to work with, yet the existing layout, which even included a partition wall behind the vanity, felt cramped and dysfunctional. The homeowners wished to create a classic yet modern, private, deluxe bathroom that would better integrate into their master suite and enable them to start and end each day in a luxurious way. They wanted to maintain having a soaking tub, add in a large shower, have an enclosed commode, expand to include double sinks, and add more storage for toiletries and linens. We worked with the customer to develop a creative design with extensive plumbing rework that accomplished all these needs and more. The first order of business was to gut out all the carpet, tub, cabinetry, and non-load bearing partition walls. The new tub would be generally in the same location, but as the previous walk-in closet would be repurposed for the commode and the walk-in shower additional water lines, plumbing, and draining needed to be added; fortunately the room below is the garage, which enabled the team to frame out some bulkheads to accomplish this complex plumbing. Following the framing, including walling up the second entrance to the bathroom, adding in a pocket door for the commode, and creating the shape of the new shower, the team also laid down the wiring for one of the luxuries of this room – heated flooring. A glossy percaline boarder, and two-inch hexagon shape percaline tiles cover the entire floor, making it much easier and cleaner than the previous carpet. Marble look tile is predominant throughout the bathroom as despite the angled frameless glass door, the entire shower is covered in 18 inch polished marble look tiles. The shower coats the user in water from either the overhead rain head, large main showerhead and/or the hand held sprayer. Over 7 feet of white Italian Statuetto marble countertop, enable the couple to have two sink bowls and plenty of room on each side. The bowls are exposed in this stainless steel console sink design which required the team to ensure that the exposed plumbing looked pristine, and painting the bottom of the porcelain bowl to match the coloring. The white cast-iron 72-inch Cecilia claw-foot soaking tub and its chrome lion’s paws complement that other chrome and white used throughout the room. A tall, almost floor-to-ceiling linen closet finished in arctic white is nestled in the corner near the tub, enabling ample storage of towels, etc. Other cabinetry includes an 18 inch-wide vanity with decorative footing is centered between the two sinks, and a 27 inch wall mounted cabinet with shelf is above the Kohler Devonshire elongated toilet. Billowing cloud colored grey blue paint was a great choice for this room to pick up on the veining in the marble. Mirrored medicine chests, a chandelier, wall sconces, and overhead recessed lighting also were incorporated into the design and function of the new room. The artful combination of classic design from material choices, such as free-standing Victorian claw-foot tub along with the modern design as seen in the angled shower, frameless medicine cabinet mirrors, and frosted glass pocket door on the commode, make this bathroom quite a masterpiece. The clients are enjoying having their private space and not having the use the kids’ bathroom anymore.

The Brooke Residence ‘Addi- tion by Subtraction’ remodeling project was recognized with numerous regional and national awards and was selected for Fine Homebuilding’s Annual Issue on Houses. This 1920’s Craftsman Bungalow had been poorly modified in the 70’s in an attempt to address poor energy performance with a scabbed on solarium. The design solution removed the solarium and completely reimagined the floor plan: The kitchen was relocated to the rear; the stairway was relocated to enhance function, and a better connection to the family room was created.

This was a very outdated, poorly designed bathroom that we wanted to update with a much more modern, functional design; but keep a bit of a rustic appeal to fit in this comfy country home. We combined a small 1 1/2 bathroom design into a much larger open bathroom. By moving the wet area, we were able to give them a more functional design, with plenty of badly needed storage space. We used a distressed wood look porcelain tile to keep the rustic appeal, while incorporating some cleaner lines and modern features.

Our client purchased what had been a custom home built in 1973 on a high bank waterfront lot. They did their due diligence with respect to the septic system, well and the existing underground fuel tank but little did they know, they had purchased a house that would fit into the Three Little Pigs Story book. The original idea was to do a thorough cosmetic remodel to bring the home up to date using all high durability/low maintenance materials and provide the homeowners with a flexible floor plan that would allow them to live in the home for as long as they chose to, not how long the home would allow them to stay safely. However, there was one structure element that had to change, the staircase. The staircase blocked the beautiful water/mountain few from the kitchen and part of the dining room. It also bisected the second-floor master suite creating a maze of small dysfunctional rooms with a very narrow (and unsafe) top stair landing. In the process of redesigning the stairs and reviewing replacement options for the 1972 custom milled one inch thick cupped and cracked cedar siding, it was discovered that the house had no seismic support and that the dining/family room/hot tub room and been a poorly constructed addition and required significant structural reinforcement. It should be noted that it is not uncommon for this home to be subjected to 60-100 mile an hour winds and that the geographic area is in a known earthquake zone. Once the structural engineering was complete, the redesign of the home became an open pallet. The homeowners top requests included: no additional square footage, accessibility, high durability/low maintenance materials, high performance mechanicals and appliances, water and energy efficient fixtures and equipment and improved lighting incorporated into: two master suites (one upstairs and one downstairs), a healthy kitchen (appliances that preserve fresh food nutrients and materials that minimize bacterial growth), accessible bathing and toileting, functionally designed closets and storage, a multi-purpose laundry room, an exercise room, a functionally designed home office, a catio (second floor balcony on the front of the home), with an exterior that was not just code compliant but beautiful and easy to maintain. All of this was achieved and more. The finished project speaks for itself.

Many West Lafayette homeowners want to change their kitchens, whether because it functions poorly, their tastes have evolved, the kitchen is deteriorating, or they simply want to change. Tackling several common pain points in their older kitchen, these West Lafayette homeowners approached Riverside Construction with a desire to open up their living area and update all the kitchen amenities including the fixtures, cabinets, and appliances. With peninsula-like counters that were too low, the kitchen also lacked much-needed countertop space. Still yet, the homeowners wanted to add a larger window above the sink to bring in natural light and expand the view of the ravine in the backyard. Riverside Construction took out the wall separating the living room from the kitchen, and changed the layout (from U-shaped to L-shaped) to create the larger, more functional space our clients were looking for. We swapped the old white cabinetry for new custom Wellborn shaker-style cabinets in a coffee stain and installed a 'City Lights Tokyo' Daltile tile backsplash. The countertops were topped with Giallo Verona granite. An oversize island was designed into the space to match the new custom cabinetry and provided comfortable seating for five, also eliminating the need for a kitchen table. The old back door was replaced with a large sliding glass door letting in more natural light. Other highlights of this kitchen remodel include a beautiful Maglia Bronze chandelier that creates a stunning focal point, along with warm and durable Bella Cera Sisters chester engineered hickory hardwood flooring throughout.

Our client purchased what had been a custom home built in 1973 on a high bank waterfront lot. They did their due diligence with respect to the septic system, well and the existing underground fuel tank but little did they know, they had purchased a house that would fit into the Three Little Pigs Story book. The original idea was to do a thorough cosmetic remodel to bring the home up to date using all high durability/low maintenance materials and provide the homeowners with a flexible floor plan that would allow them to live in the home for as long as they chose to, not how long the home would allow them to stay safely. However, there was one structure element that had to change, the staircase. The staircase blocked the beautiful water/mountain few from the kitchen and part of the dining room. It also bisected the second-floor master suite creating a maze of small dysfunctional rooms with a very narrow (and unsafe) top stair landing. In the process of redesigning the stairs and reviewing replacement options for the 1972 custom milled one inch thick cupped and cracked cedar siding, it was discovered that the house had no seismic support and that the dining/family room/hot tub room and been a poorly constructed addition and required significant structural reinforcement. It should be noted that it is not uncommon for this home to be subjected to 60-100 mile an hour winds and that the geographic area is in a known earthquake zone. Once the structural engineering was complete, the redesign of the home became an open pallet. The homeowners top requests included: no additional square footage, accessibility, high durability/low maintenance materials, high performance mechanicals and appliances, water and energy efficient fixtures and equipment and improved lighting incorporated into: two master suites (one upstairs and one downstairs), a healthy kitchen (appliances that preserve fresh food nutrients and materials that minimize bacterial growth), accessible bathing and toileting, functionally designed closets and storage, a multi-purpose laundry room, an exercise room, a functionally designed home office, a catio (second floor balcony on the front of the home), with an exterior that was not just code compliant but beautiful and easy to maintain. All of this was achieved and more. The finished project speaks for itself.

When this family of 7 bought their home, they came to us and said "We want a purple kitchen!". Naturally we jumped at the opportunity to create something outside of the box. With 5 young children, functionality and storage was imperative. We designed the kitchen to accommodate our client's lifestyle and busy household. It houses, 3 floor to ceiling storage compartments, each with its own individual function. First, the "Chef's Pantry", complete with top to bottom pullouts. Secondly, the "Breakfast Pantry", that houses everyday appliances, dinner ware, breakfast cereals and spreads. Finally, the once closet, converted 'Walk In Pantry". The oak frame around the range was specifically designed to allow for quick & easy access to everyday cooking essentials, and serve as a focal point in the space. Additional accessories included in the design were a double garbage pull out bin, retractable shelf for smaller, yet heavy appliances, Tupperware organizer, 2 spice pulls, and 2 Le Mans corner organizers. We opted for bespoke cabinetry, with an HDF painted & and oak construction, paired with purple and champagne bronze accents to tie it all together. Overall, this once dull and poorly organized kitchen is now the embodiment of bright, bold and beautiful, offering this colorful family comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values.