Office and laundry room combo.
Example of a cottage laundry room design in San Francisco

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents. Early History The earliest St. Simons Island Village record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini. Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned. Colonial History As Fort Frederica early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat. Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service. Plantation Era By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war. Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton. Between Ebos Landing the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing. One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863). Another Retreat Plantation large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves. The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall. The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church. Civil War and Beyond The St. Simons Island Lighthouse outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned. After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations. By St. Simons Lumber Mills 1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross. The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island. Twentieth Century The St. Simons Island Pier and Village opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development. In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s. The St. Simons Island outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents. Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa. Since Epworth by the Sea 1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant. Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

ASOS32M4: adorne® SensaSwitch - Auto-ON/Auto-OFF - Magnesium ARTR152M4: adorne® Tamper-Resistant Outlet - 15A - 125V - Magnesium SensaSwitches include passive infrared (PIR) sensor technology, automatically turning lights on or off when you enter or leave a room. The design features an innovative micro-movement that allows you to also manually turn on lights with a soft touch of the finger. Switch supports single-pole/3-Way/4-Way. All adorne outlets include a tamper-resistant design featuring a patented shutter system, keeping children safe by preventing them from pushing small objects into the outlet. The shutters are molded a dark color that they fade into the background while keeping users safe. Patented shutter system helps prevent improper insertion of foreign objects. Easy "1-for-1" installation lets you simply replace your existing switch in just minutes. Fits in your existing electrical box and does not require new wires for typical installation. Innovative assembly and snap-in system make it fast and simple to install. Meant to combined with "AW" series of adorne wall plates. Maximum Wattage Compatibility: 600 UL Listed Voltage: 120VAC Country: Canada Limited Lifetime Warranty

THEME Every element of this room evokes images from the Enchanted Forest. Tiny lights twinkle like fireflies; curtains swing from real tree limbs and sticker stones lay a pathway to the bed. Ceramic mushrooms and birdhouses are scattered throughout the room, creating perfect hiding spots for fairies, pixies and other magical friends. The dominant color of both bedroom and bathroom — a soft, feminine pink — creates a soothing, yet wondrous atmosphere. In the corner sits a large tree with a child-size door at the base, promising a child-size adventure on the other side. FOCUS Illuminated by two beautiful flower-shaped lamps, the six-footdiameter circular bed becomes the centerpiece of the room. Imitation bark on the bed’s exterior augments the room’s theme and makes it easy for a child to believe they have stepped out of the suburbs and into the forest. Three lily pads extending from tree bark serve as both steps to the bed and stools to sit on. Ready-made for princess parties and sleepovers, the bed easily accommodates two to three small children or an adult. Twelvefoot ceilings enhance the sense of openness, while soft lighting and comfy pillows make this a cozy reading and resting spot. STORAGE The shelves on the rear of the bed and the two compartments in the tree — one covered by a doubledoor, the other by a miniature door — supplement the storage capacity of the room’s giant closet without interrupting the theme. GROWTH The bed meets standard specifications for a baby crib, and can accommodate both children and adults. The railing is easily removed when baby girl becomes a “big girl,” and eventually, a teenager. SAFETY Rounded edges on all of the room’s furnishings help prevent nasty bumps, and lamps are positioned well out-of-reach of small children. The mattress is designed to fit snugly to meet current crib safety standards, while a 26-inch railing allows this bed to act as a safe, comfortable and fun play area.

Photography by Living Maui Media
Large island style beige one-story stucco exterior home photo in Hawaii

Inspiration for a rustic brown one-story wood gable roof remodel in Seattle

THEME Every element of this room evokes images from the Enchanted Forest. Tiny lights twinkle like fireflies; curtains swing from real tree limbs and sticker stones lay a pathway to the bed. Ceramic mushrooms and birdhouses are scattered throughout the room, creating perfect hiding spots for fairies, pixies and other magical friends. The dominant color of both bedroom and bathroom — a soft, feminine pink — creates a soothing, yet wondrous atmosphere. In the corner sits a large tree with a child-size door at the base, promising a child-size adventure on the other side. FOCUS Illuminated by two beautiful flower-shaped lamps, the six-footdiameter circular bed becomes the centerpiece of the room. Imitation bark on the bed’s exterior augments the room’s theme and makes it easy for a child to believe they have stepped out of the suburbs and into the forest. Three lily pads extending from tree bark serve as both steps to the bed and stools to sit on. Ready-made for princess parties and sleepovers, the bed easily accommodates two to three small children or an adult. Twelvefoot ceilings enhance the sense of openness, while soft lighting and comfy pillows make this a cozy reading and resting spot. STORAGE The shelves on the rear of the bed and the two compartments in the tree — one covered by a doubledoor, the other by a miniature door — supplement the storage capacity of the room’s giant closet without interrupting the theme. GROWTH The bed meets standard specifications for a baby crib, and can accommodate both children and adults. The railing is easily removed when baby girl becomes a “big girl,” and eventually, a teenager. SAFETY Rounded edges on all of the room’s furnishings help prevent nasty bumps, and lamps are positioned well out-of-reach of small children. The mattress is designed to fit snugly to meet current crib safety standards, while a 26-inch railing allows this bed to act as a safe, comfortable and fun play area.

The Yin-Yang House is a net-zero energy single-family home in a quiet Venice, CA neighborhood. The design objective was to create a space for a large and growing family with several children, which would create a calm, relaxed and organized environment that emphasizes public family space. The home also serves as a place to entertain, and a welcoming space for teenagers as they seek social space with friends. The home is organized around a series of courtyards and other outdoor spaces that integrate with the interior of the house. Facing the street the house appears to be solid. However, behind the steel entry door is a courtyard, which reveals the indoor-outdoor nature of the house behind the solid exterior. From the entry courtyard, the entire space to the rear garden wall can be seen; the first clue of the home’s spatial connection between inside and out. These spaces are designed for entertainment, and the 40 foot sliding glass door to the living room enhances the harmonic relationship of the main room, allowing the owners to host many guests without the feeling of being overburdened. The tensions of the house’s exterior are subtly underscored by a 12-inch steel band that hews close to, but sometimes rises above or falls below the floor line of the second floor – a continuous loop moving inside and out like a pen that is never lifted from the page, but reinforces the intent to spatially weave together the indoors with the outside as a single space. Scale manipulation also plays a formal role in the design of the structure. From the rear, the house appears to be a single-story volume. The large master bedroom window and the outdoor steps are scaled to support this illusion. It is only when the steps are animated with people that one realizes the true scale of the house is two stories. The kitchen is the heart of the house, with an open working area that allows the owner, an accomplished chef, to converse with friends while cooking. Bedrooms are intentionally designed to be very small and simple; allowing for larger public spaces, emphasizing the family over individual domains. The breakfast room looks across an outdoor courtyard to the guest room/kids playroom, establishing a visual connection while defining the separation of uses. The children can play outdoors while under adult supervision from the dining area or the office, or do homework in the office while adults occupy the adjacent outdoor or indoor space. Many of the materials used, including the bamboo interior, composite stone and tile countertops and bathroom finishes are recycled, and reinforce the environmental DNA of the house, which also has a green roof. Blown-in cellulose insulation, radiant heating and a host of other sustainable features aids in the performance of the building’s heating and cooling. The active systems in the home include a 12 KW solar photovoltaic panel system, the largest such residential system available on the market. The solar panels also provide shade from the sun, preventing the house from becoming overheated. The owners have been in the home for over nine months and have yet to receive a power bill.

Create an ultimate functional and stylish dining room with this rectangular dining table. Featuring a faux marble tabletop with the artistic texture, this dining table will showcase sophisticated natural aesthetics and add an elegant touch to any space. Come with faux marble pedestal bases and gold metal frame, it ensures stable support and enhances the modern, luxurious style as well. The smooth round corner design will prevent scratches, especially safe for the elderly and children. Spacious enough to seat 6-8 people comfortably. Moreover, tabletop color and marble texture can be customized. Please contact us if you need it. - Material: Natural Stone + Marble Veneer, Metal - Finish: Brushed Gold - Table Size: Small - Overall Dimensions of Small: 63"L x 35.4"W x 29.5"H (1600mmL x 900mmW x 750mmH) - Seating Capacity: Seats 6-8 people - Chair Included: Not Included - Assembly Required: Yes - Care & Clean: Wipe clean with a damp cloth, wipe dry with a clean cloth. - Tabletop color and marble texture can be customized. Please contact us if you need.

The expansive basement entertainment area features a tv room, a kitchenette and a custom bar for entertaining. The custom entertainment center and bar areas feature bright blue cabinets with white oak accents. Lucite and gold cabinet hardware adds a modern touch. The sitting area features a comfortable sectional sofa and geometric accent pillows that mimic the design of the kitchenette backsplash tile. The kitchenette features a beverage fridge, a sink, a dishwasher and an undercounter microwave drawer. The large island is a favorite hangout spot for the clients' teenage children and family friends. The convenient kitchenette is located on the basement level to prevent frequent trips upstairs to the main kitchen. The custom bar features lots of storage for bar ware, glass display cabinets and white oak display shelves. Locking liquor cabinets keep the alcohol out of reach for the younger generation.

pool patio & firepit
Pool - contemporary pool idea in San Francisco

ASTH1532M2: adorne® Touch Switch - Single Pole/3-Way - 15amps - 120V - Magnesium ADTH700MMTUM2: adorne® Touch™ Wireless Dimmer Switch - 700W - Tru-Universal - Magnesium ARTR152M4: adorne® Tamper-Resistant Outlet - 15A - 125V - Magnesium The Touch design features a stunning translucent face - simply touch your finger on the circle to turn lights on and off. Switch supports single-pole and three-way operation. Easy "1-for-1" installation lets you simply replace your existing switch in just minutes. All adorne outlets include a tamper-resistant design featuring a patented shutter system, keeping children safe by preventing them from pushing small objects into the outlet. The shutters are molded a dark color that they fade into the background while keeping users safe. Patented shutter system helps prevent improper insertion of foreign objects. Fits in your existing electrical box and does not require new wires for typical installation. Innovative assembly and snap-in system make it fast and simple to install. Meant to combined with "AW" series of adorne wall plates. UL Listed Voltage: 120VAC Country: Canada Limited Lifetime Warranty

This was once a damp basement that frequently flooded with each rain storm. Two sump pumps were added, along with some landscaping that helped prevent water getting into the basement. Ceramic tile was added to the floor, drywall was added to the walls and ceiling, recessed lighting, and some doors and trim to finish off the space. There was a modern style powder room added, along with some pantry storage and a refrigerator to make this an additional living space. All of the mechanical units have their own closets, that are perfectly accessible, but are no longer an eyesore in this now beautiful space. There is another room added into this basement, with a TV nook was built in between two storage closets, which is the perfect space for the children.

Beautiful, expansive Midcentury Modern family home located in Dover Shores, Newport Beach, California. This home was gutted to the studs, opened up to take advantage of its gorgeous views and designed for a family with young children. Every effort was taken to preserve the home's integral Midcentury Modern bones while adding the most functional and elegant modern amenities. Photos: David Cairns, The OC Image

Dylan Chandler
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern gender-neutral medium tone wood floor and brown floor playroom remodel in New York with beige walls

Complete remodel and addition to the master bathroom. We took the original tiny bathroom, and tore down a wall to an oversized walk in closet, to make room for this luxurious walk in shower and tub combo. There's generous room in the shower to allow for a built in bench that carries over to the deck mounted tub filler. The large ledge around the tub serves multiple functions; first as seating space for the owners to be able to bathe their young children and second, for them to rest a glass of wine while soaking to relax at the end of a long day.

All adorne outlets include a tamper-resistant design featuring a patented shutter system, keeping children safe by preventing them from pushing small objects into the outlet. The shutters are molded a dark color that they fade into the backgorund while keeping users safe. Patented shutter system helps prevent improper insertion of foreign objects. Configuration easily supports two plugs and offers the capacity of a standard outlet. Easy "1-for-1" installation lets you simply replace your existing outlet in just minutes. Fits in your existing electrical box and does not require new wires for typical installation. Innovative assembly and snap-in system make it fast and simple to install. The adorne® Wave switch features innovative technology combined with sleek, contemporary design. Simply wave your hand in front of the switch to turn lights on and off. Switch supports single-pole and three-way operation. Easy "1-for-1" installation lets you simply replace your existing switch in just minutes. Fits in your existing electrical box and does not require new wires for typical installation. Innovative assembly and snap-in system make it fast and simple to install. ARTR152W4 ASWV1532W2

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.