This project is a masterclass in combining classic design with modern functionality. The timeless appeal of Shaker style doors provides ample concealed storage, while the entire unit is meticulously spray finished in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue for a seamless, durable surface. Purposeful design details, like hidden cable management and soft lighting integrated within the columns, ensure this media wall is as practical as it is architecturally beautiful.

This is the front of a home that combines modern lake house design with a number of sustainable best practices to create a stunning and amazingly comfortable low carbon home. The solar photovoltaic panels are set on the curved roof (not the equal gaps between the tops of the panels). The 9.8 kW PV 35 Panel array provides 32% of the homes energy usage, with the remaining electricity coming from 100% renewable energy credits from the grid. The energy concept for the home was to be all electric to reduce fracked natural gas usage. Natural gas is only used as a starter for the high efficiency, sealed combustion, outside combustion air fireplace and for a back up generator. The mechanical system is provided by a series of all electric, ultra high efficiency mini-splits, controlled by an integrated smart home system. An induction cooktop, hybrid electric water heater and hybrid electric dryer complete the items that typically use natural gas. Lighting is all high efficiency correctly colored LED’s. A home office is included on the second floor complete with a balcony, facing towards the lake. Their zero carbon work commute consists of walking across the 2nd floor hallway.

Undergo the happiness of a charmingly remodeled area with our kitchen remodeling services. We offer full design service, arrangement as well as completion services for every style and financial plan. Develop practicality and charm with creative layouts, modern appliances. #kitchen_design #kitchen #interior_design #kitchen_remodel #kitchen_cabinets #Laguna_Beach

With two airy bedrooms, sleek hardwood flooring, and matte black fixtures, this Santa Clara ADU construction project for a growing family offers both style and functionality. Large windows invite abundant natural light, complementing the clean, open layout. The custom staircase, with its minimalist metal railing, adds a contemporary edge. Focused on simplicity and practicality, this ADU design and build in Santa Clara brings together thoughtful elements for a comfortable, stylish home that maximizes every inch of space. Santa Clara ADU Builders - https://www.aduspecialistbayarea.com/locations/santa-clara/ Santa Clara ADU Floor Plan - https://www.aduspecialistbayarea.com/adu-floor-plans/santa-clara/2-bed-2-bath/ Santa Clara ADU Regulations - https://www.aduspecialistbayarea.com/adu-regulations/santa-clara/ ADU Project in Santa Clara - https://www.aduspecialistbayarea.com/projects/santa-clara/freeman-family-adu/

This small staging project boasts the most luxurious master bedroom suite. While the rest of the home needed little attention, this room had great potential that just needed a bit of sprucing up and some good pictures. With a little rearranging of the decorations, the furniture & finishes really came together to show of the versatility of comfortability of this large master suite.

Located in Scottsdale, AZ, this contemporary kitchen showcases a large quartz island with integrated sink, warm wood cabinetry, and sleek black hardware. The open floor plan flows effortlessly into the living area, while expansive windows and high ceilings fill the space with natural light. Designed for both entertaining and daily living, this kitchen blends modern style with practical functionality.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary black three-story shingle exterior home remodel in New York with a shingle roof and a black roof

Whether you are planning only a face-lift for your kitchen, a total remodel, or possibly a home addition Creative Partner will design the perfect functional kitchen paired with a beautiful design. The kitchen is no longer a room designated for preparing food and eating, but rather a gathering place for friends and family. Updating your kitchen could be a huge improvement to your home if you consider just how much time is spent in it. Besides traditional kitchen design, owner Petra Jakobskrueger, is an expert in European kitchen design which is much more forward thinking than most American kitchen design. The European design is clean, functional, and practical.

Bright white kitchens are paired with substantial custom islands, warm hardwood flooring, layered pendant and recessed lighting, and generous cabinetry. The collection highlights transitional millwork, stainless steel appliances, open-plan layouts, and practical gathering space designed for cooking, dining, and everyday living.

Open Plan Kitchen /Living / Dining
Example of a large danish galley light wood floor kitchen pantry design in San Francisco with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white appliances and an island

This is the lakeside of a home that combines modern lake house design with a number of sustainable best practices to create a stunning and amazingly comfortable low carbon home. To maximize the view out to the lake, a very large segemented window wall was designed that integrated the structure directly into the window mulls to minimize visual obstructions. Skylights on remotes are set above the great room to encourage natural ventilation. Except for the bedrooms and bathrooms, the rooms are all open to one another, again for natural ventilation. The energy concept for the home was to be all electric to reduce fracked natural gas usage. Natural gas is only used as a starter for the high efficiency, sealed combustion, outside combustion air fireplace and for a back up generator. The 9.8 kW PV 35 Panel array provides 32% of the homes energy usage, with the remaining electricity coming from 100% renewable energy credits from the grid. The mechanical system is provided by a series of all electric, ultra high efficiency mini-splits, controlled by an integrated smart home system. An induction cooktop, hybrid electric water heater and hybrid electric dryer complete the items that typically use natural gas. Lighting is all high efficiency correctly colored LED’s. A home office is included on the second floor complete with a balcony, facing towards the lake. Their zero carbon work commute consists of walking across the 2nd floor hallway.

Open Plan Kitchen /Living / Dining
Kitchen pantry - large scandinavian galley light wood floor kitchen pantry idea in San Francisco with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white appliances and an island

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This homeowner’s daughter originally contacted us on behalf of her parents who were reluctant to begin the remodeling process in their home due to the inconvenience and dust. Once we met and they dipped their toes into the process, we were off to the races. The existing bathroom in this beautiful historical 1920’s home, had not been updated since the 70’/80’s as evidenced by the blue carpeting, mirrored walls and dropped ceilings. In addition, there was very little storage, and some health setbacks had made the bathroom difficult to maneuver with its tub shower. Once we demoed, we discovered everything we expected to find in a home that had not been updated for many years. We got to work bringing all the electrical and plumbing up to code, and it was just as dusty and dirty as the homeowner’s anticipated! Once the space was demoed, we got to work building our new plan. We eliminated the existing tub and created a large walk-in curb-less shower. An existing closet was eliminated and in its place, we planned a custom built in with spots for linens, jewelry and general storage. Because of the small space, we had to be very creative with the shower footprint, so we clipped one of the walls for more clearance behind the sink. The bathroom features a beautiful custom mosaic floor tile as well as tiled walls throughout the space. This required lots of coordination between the carpenter and tile setter to make sure that the framing and tile design were all properly aligned. We worked around an existing radiator and a unique original leaded window that was architecturally significant to the façade of the home. We had a lot of extra depth behind the original toilet location, so we built the wall out a bit, moved the toilet forward and then created some extra storage space behind the commode. We settled on mirrored mullioned doors to bounce lots of light around the smaller space. We also went back and forth on deciding between a single and double vanity, and in the end decided the single vanity allowed for more counter space, more storage below and for the design to breath a bit in the smaller space. I’m so happy with this decision! To build on the luxurious feel of the space, we added a heated towel bar and heated flooring. One of the concerns the homeowners had was having a comfortable floor to walk on. They realized that carpet was not a very practical solution but liked the comfort it had provided. Heated floors are the perfect solution. The room is decidedly traditional from its intricate mosaic marble floor to the calacutta marble clad walls. Elegant gold chandelier style fixtures, marble countertops and Morris & Co. beaded wallpaper provide an opulent feel to the space. The gray monochromatic pallet keeps it feeling fresh and up-to-date. The beautiful leaded glass window is an important architectural feature at the front of the house. In the summertime, the homeowners love having the window open for fresh air and ventilation. We love it too! The curb-less shower features a small fold down bench that can be used if needed and folded up when not. The shower also features a custom niche for storing shampoo and other hair products. The linear drain is built into the tilework and is barely visible. A frameless glass door that swings both in and out completes the luxurious feel. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Mid-sized arts and crafts open concept medium tone wood floor living room photo in New Orleans with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Dining room - french country dining room idea in Other

The goal for this 1939 Tudor-style story-and-a-half home was to create a kitchen that offered the conveniences, storage, and performance of a modern workspace while preserving the warmth, craftsmanship, and vintage charm that made the home special. The client, an avid home cook, wanted the room to feel as though it had always belonged to the house, with thoughtful upgrades that respected the original architecture rather than competing with it. Just as important, she needed a more efficient layout with enough storage for small appliances, so everyday cooking would no longer require carrying items up from the lower level. Several existing conditions shaped the design approach. The kitchen retained original, amber-stained birch woodwork that the client wished to keep, and the compact footprint was interrupted by six doorways and two windows, none of which were to be moved, altered, or replaced. A previous flooring update had left the door casings undercut too short, creating visible gaps where the casing met the floor. The existing vintage 40-inch range also lacked proper ventilation, yet the client wished to accommodate a refrigerator, dishwasher, cooktop, double ovens, built-in microwave, and effective venting above the cooktop into the new kitchen layout. To honor the original millwork, beaded inset-style cherry cabinetry was selected in a soft, hand-rubbed finish that will deepen over time and develop a natural patina. Charcoal-gray soapstone countertops complement the cabinetry while reinforcing the historic character of the home with an organic, timeworn texture. The former breakfast nook was transformed into a butler’s pantry, adding valuable base cabinet storage and expanded work surfaces for frequently used small appliances. Also in the butler’s pantry, a single upper cabinet was paired with open shelves to give an open, airy feeling while adding character and practical storage. A classic single-bowl apron-front workstation sink contributes both period-appropriate character and practical prep and cleanup function. Because the home’s openings were such a defining feature, the design worked within the existing architecture instead of altering it. Custom plinth blocks were created for each doorway to extend the original casing gracefully down to the new natural red oak flooring, resolving the earlier construction issue while adding a detail that feels authentic to the age of the house. Despite the number of door and window openings, the new layout provides a significantly more functional, built-in kitchen with an improved work triangle for serious cooking. Appliance placement was carefully planned to deliver the requested performance without overwhelming the small room. Three cooking functions (double ovens & microwave) were consolidated into one location with a GE Café double oven featuring Advantium Technology, while the client’s compact 31-inch refrigerator was reused to preserve space. A sleek 30-inch induction cooktop provides efficient cooking, and a Vent-A-Hood ARS ductless vent hood supplies needed ventilation without requiring a duct run to the exterior. The finish palette balances richness, texture, and historical sensitivity. A deeply textured navy backsplash tile adds depth and dramatic shadow play against the soapstone, while wallpaper in the back entry echoes the tile’s geometric pattern to visually connect the adjoining spaces. Oil-rubbed bronze cabinet hardware and light fixtures enhance the warmth of the cherry cabinetry and complete the antique-inspired feel. Lighting was layered to make the compact kitchen brighter, more useful, and more inviting. Vintage-style semi-flush ceiling fixtures establish the overall tone, while dimmable puck lights highlight select areas and undercabinet task lighting keeps work surfaces well illuminated. The completed kitchen now feels both highly functional and deeply rooted in the home’s history. Rich cherry cabinetry, velvety soapstone, natural red oak flooring, navy tile, bronze accents, and carefully preserved birch trim work together to create a warm, cohesive space that celebrates timeless craftsmanship. By increasing storage, improving workflow, integrating modern appliances, and respecting the Tudor home’s original character, the design achieves the client’s vision: a kitchen that feels personal, practical, historically appropriate, and as though it has always been there.

Natural, calm, family-centered. This client knew what she wanted and just needed some assistance getting there. Susan helped her out with imagery and product research, a first floor furniture plan and several working meetings to nail down the built-in functionality and look in the dining-room-turned-office/family drop-zone. Cork floors installed throughout give the home a warm and eco-friendly foundation. Pine-cones, tree trunk cookies, plants and lots of unstained wood make the family's focus on nature clear. The result: a beautiful and light-filled but relaxed and practical family space. Carpenter/Contractor: Sam Dennis From the client: We hired Susan to assist with a downstairs remodel. She brings a personalization that feels like getting advice from a family member at the same time adding helpful details of her industry knowledge. Her flexibly in work style allows her to come with plans fully researched and developed or to advise, plan and draw on the spot. She has been willing to do as much as we needed or to let us roll with our own ideas and time frame and consult with her as needed.

Transitional style remodel with rustic elements. Space planning by Ourso Designs. Beams, door casings, and mantel by The Olde Mill. Photo by Collin Richie