Photography by Janis Nicolay
Great room - mid-sized contemporary porcelain tile great room idea in Vancouver with white walls and no fireplace

Mali Azima
Inspiration for a large contemporary light wood floor dining room remodel in Atlanta with white walls

Beach style kitchen photo in Providence

Example of a mid-sized beach style backyard deck design in Palma de Mallorca with a roof extension

Enclosed dining room - mediterranean dark wood floor enclosed dining room idea in San Francisco with beige walls

Large farmhouse beige two-story stone exterior home idea in Orange County with a metal roof

Interior Design by ecd Design LLC This newly remodeled home was transformed top to bottom. It is, as all good art should be “A little something of the past and a little something of the future.” We kept the old world charm of the Tudor style, (a popular American theme harkening back to Great Britain in the 1500’s) and combined it with the modern amenities and design that many of us have come to love and appreciate. In the process, we created something truly unique and inspiring. RW Anderson Homes is the premier home builder and remodeler in the Seattle and Bellevue area. Distinguished by their excellent team, and attention to detail, RW Anderson delivers a custom tailored experience for every customer. Their service to clients has earned them a great reputation in the industry for taking care of their customers. Working with RW Anderson Homes is very easy. Their office and design team work tirelessly to maximize your goals and dreams in order to create finished spaces that aren’t only beautiful, but highly functional for every customer. In an industry known for false promises and the unexpected, the team at RW Anderson is professional and works to present a clear and concise strategy for every project. They take pride in their references and the amount of direct referrals they receive from past clients. RW Anderson Homes would love the opportunity to talk with you about your home or remodel project today. Estimates and consultations are always free. Call us now at 206-383-8084 or email Ryan@rwandersonhomes.com.

Don Hoffman, Houston, Texas
Inspiration for a timeless single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor wet bar remodel in Houston with medium tone wood cabinets and stainless steel countertops

Mediterranean one-story stone gable roof idea in San Francisco

Example of a transitional bathroom design in Dallas

Inspiration for a mediterranean dining room remodel in Hyderabad

DARIS BROWN, WRITER If you think choosing the right shingle color is hard, you are not alone. With an endless array of colors to choose from, getting started can be difficult. But don't worry – we’ve got a great system to help you pick the perfect shingle color. If you are ready to look at shingles in a way you probably never have before, our three-step process can help you choose the color that works best for your home. Choosing By Style Before you can start flipping through a collection of earth-tone samples, you need to determine which shingle style best fits your home — and your price range. You don’t want to waste time falling in love with a beautiful shade of brown (let’s say hickory) if it’s not available in a style you like. Most homeowners are not aware that shingles come in different styles, including three-tab, architectural and slate-look. Three-Tab: These shingles have a traditional, flatter look and are considered the most affordable. They also are available in a wide range of colors. Slate: These asphalt shingles, as the name reveals, are meant to mimic the look of slate but offer the easy care and affordability of asphalt. They come in a variety of colors. Architectural: Also known as laminated or dimensional shingles, architectural shingles are manufactured with aesthetic appeal in mind. Layered to resemble wood shake, they are thicker and provide a more dimensional, interesting look than traditional three-tab shingles. Choosing By Features By comparing the available features, you can systematically narrow down your options to determine the best shingle available. Here are a few features to consider: Class 4 Impact Resistance – Do you live in an area of the country that experiences regular hailstorms? Class 4 impact resistant shingles deliver superior impact resistance to help protect your home during hail season. Algae Resistance – How humid is your region? Do you see roofs all around you with black streaks? Shingles manufactured with Scotchgard Protector help resist those ugly black streaks caused by algae. High Wind Rating – Do you get nervous anytime a strong wind blows? Shingles with high wind resistance, up to 130 mph wind speed coverage, are designed to stay put – and look good in the process. Comprehensive Warranty Protection – Do you want to feel secure with your investment? For maximum protection and warranty coverage, have a full roof system installed and receive an enhanced Premium Protection Period for total peace of mind. Extensive Color Palette – Are you tired of plain black shingles? Get ready for an explosion of color, as there are many different options available. Woodland Green, Desert Shake, Burnt Sienna and Pristine Oyster are a few of the many great colors you can explore. Choosing By Color By choosing shingle style and features first, you can significantly narrow your list of colors. Now go through your shortened list and pick the best color for your home. You could match the shingle color to your shutters or door. If you want to enhance your home, lighter-colored shingles can help make it look bigger. Finally, opposites attract. If you have a light-colored home, you can go with a dark roof, and vice-versa for a dark-colored home. The contrast will help your entire home pop. Don’t be afraid to spread out your sample boards and make a side-by-side comparison to help with your selection process. Likewise, don't hesitate to lean on the advice of your roofer. Years of experience and thousands of homes roofed make them a valuable resource for homeowners trying to choose the best shingle color. Choosing By Heart While many homeowners will go straight to color, taking a methodical approach often provides better results. Take a step back. Decide what style you truly like and what features are available, and the best color for your home will fall right into your lap. Visit AtlasRoofing.com for a quick start to your shingle selection process. Atlas offers a broad range of beautiful designer colors and styles, which makes it easy to find an exceptional shingle to boost your home’s curb appeal.

Made by VISTATILES Ships from a small business in Pennsylvania Introducing our exquisite handcrafted ceramic mosaic tiles, measuring 17x17 cm, these Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles are a true work of art. Each tile is meticulously created, resulting in a set of 75 unique pieces per square meter (10 square feet). Their captivating design showcases the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship, making them ideal for various applications, from bathroom tiles to decorative elements. Product Details: Material: Ceramic Size: 17x17 cm (6.69 x 6.69 inches) Quantity: 75 pieces per square meter (10 square feet) Color: Cobalt Blue with Gold Accents Pattern: Fish Scale Style: Handmade, Artisan Crafted Origin: Turkey Product Description: Elevate your space with our stunning Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles. These handcrafted ceramic tiles feature a mesmerizing design inspired by the scales of a fish. The intricate details and rich cobalt blue color create a captivating visual effect that will add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any room. Our tiles are perfect for a variety of applications, including: Bathroom Tiles: Create a spa-like atmosphere in your bathroom with our beautiful fish scale tiles. They are ideal for backsplashes, shower walls, and floors. Kitchen Backsplashes: Add a splash of color and personality to your kitchen with our unique tiles. They are easy to clean and maintain, making them a practical choice for this high-traffic area. Decorative Elements: Use our tiles to create stunning decorative accents throughout your home. They can be used to frame mirrors, fireplaces, or accent walls. Why Choose Our Tiles: Handcrafted Quality: Each tile is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring the highest quality and attention to detail. Unique Design: Our fish scale pattern is truly one-of-a-kind, adding a touch of personality and style to any space. Versatile Applications: Our tiles can be used in a variety of settings, from bathrooms and kitchens to living rooms and bedrooms. Durable and Easy to Maintain: Our ceramic tiles are durable and easy to clean, making them a practical choice for any home. Turkish Craftsmanship: Our tiles showcase the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship, bringing a piece of Turkish culture into your home. To achieve their exceptional quality, our tiles undergo a firing process at 1050 degrees Celsius in specialized tile ovens. This meticulous process imparts exceptional resilience, making the tiles suitable for outdoor use as well. From adorning the interiors of Turkish baths to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of spa entrances, these tiles serve as both functional and decorative elements. The unique cracked appearance on the surface of the Dark Green Fish Scale Tiles is a deliberate design choice. This subtle crackle pattern remains a hidden gem, adding depth and character to each tile. While these tiles are perfect for various interior and exterior architectural projects, it's important to note that they aren't recommended for direct water immersion due to their surface characteristics. For aquatic applications such as swimming pools, we recommend opting for our porcelain-based tiles with pigmented colors, ensuring both durability and aesthetic satisfaction. Our crackle tile collection, though not suitable for water exposure, offers an array of options for floor tiles. These specially crafted flat surface tiles find their place in bathroom, kitchen, spa, hammam, hotel, and villa decorations. The resilience of our Kütahya Fish Scale Tiles against environmental elements, be it sunlight or wind, underscores their exceptional quality. Designed for easy application, these tiles are equally suitable for novice and experienced designers alike. The assortment of Kütahya and Iznik patterned Fish Scale Tiles presents a versatile range that caters to various preferences and budgets. Order your Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles today and transform your space into a work of art! Additional Information: Shipping: We offer worldwide shipping. Please contact us for shipping rates and estimated delivery times. Returns: We accept returns within 30 days of purchase. Please contact us for return instructions. Custom Orders: We can also create custom orders to match your specific needs. Please contact us for more information. Detailed Specifications: Width: 17 cm Height: 17 cm Thickness: 0.8 cm Weight per 1 m2: 15.50 kg Quantity per 1 m2: 75 pieces We kindly advise international buyers to be aware of potential duties, customs charges, and import taxes applicable upon shipping to their respective countries. These fees are determined and enforced by the buyer's country upon the item's arrival. In the event of a return, please note that a 25% restocking fee will be deducted from the order amount, and the customer will be responsible for the return shipping costs. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we look forward to providing you with exceptional products that elevate your designs.

The owner of this period cottage in the old market town of Tadcaster near Leeds, had what was once a beautiful Yorkshire stone floor in the kitchen. It has been a long time since it had been given a proper clean so over the years and with the Kitchen being a high traffic area the whole floor including the grout had darkened and he now wanted it refurbished in time for Christmas. I visited the property to assess what needed to be done and could see straight away that any protective sealer that was once on the floor had long since worn off. In fact, it was so consistently dirty with years of built-up grease and dirt I had to wonder if one had ever been applied. I explained what the floor needed was a really deep intensive clean and then a sealer applied to make it easy to keep clean. The problem with most tile and stone is its porosity and if left unprotected dirt easily becomes lodged into its pores making cleaning a struggle. To prove the difference that can be achieved and to allow me to work out a process on which I could base an accurate quote I ran a test clean on part of the kitchen floor. The test clean went very well, the difference was remarkable, and the cleaned section really stood out. Pleased with the potential of a clean floor they accepted my quote, and we pencilled a date in the diary. I returned on the appointed date and began by removing the kickboards from under the kitchen units to protect them from splashing. Next, I set about spaying the floor with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, this is a purpose made tile and grout cleaner that eats into the grease and dirt so it can be removed. This product works best if you leave it for ten minutes before scrubbing in using a heavy-duty machine fitted with a heavy-duty brush. The soil released from the floor was then extracted using a wet vacuum. The Pro-Clean did a good job on the grout however it was clear something stronger was required to really get the stone clean, so I stepped up a gear and applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go using the same process as before. This is a really good product for removing deeply ingrained grease and dirt. The final step of the cleaning process was to give the stone and acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up to remove old grout haze and other mineral deposits; additionally, being an acidic product, it counters the alkaline cleaning products used earlier neutralising the pH level of the floor and leaving it ready for sealing. Before sealing I like to discuss the different products available and the finishes they can provide. In this case my clients’ main concerns were that they wanted the stone to look natural and easy to maintain going forward. With this in mind, Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra was chosen, it’s a modern acrylic-based sealer that brings out the natural colours in the stone and gives a very slight smooth finish. The protection it provides will prevent dirt becoming ingrained int the pores of the stone and ensure the floor is easier to maintain. Several coats were applied, until we achieved the required finish. The deep cleaning process and fresh sealer transformed the stone floor bringing out its original beauty and my customer couldn’t believe the difference in the floor and was highly delighted. For aftercare I gave the client a bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner, this product is pH neutral so it will clean the floor but won’t damage the sealer. Often people use household cleaners for cleaning tiled floors, but due to the strong chemicals they contain, they can do more harm than good by slowly stripping away the protective sealer and taking the floor back to square one. Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner is reasonably priced, and the concentrated formula means a small amount goes a long way so it’s well worth using. This was a pleasurable job for me as it was good to see the floor transform from dull and lifeless to clean and showing the natural colour and beauty of the York stone, and always lovely to have another satisfied client. Simon Testa North East Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Made by VISTATILES Ships from a small business in Pennsylvania Introducing our exquisite handcrafted ceramic mosaic tiles, measuring 17x17 cm, these Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles are a true work of art. Each tile is meticulously created, resulting in a set of 75 unique pieces per square meter (10 square feet). Their captivating design showcases the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship, making them ideal for various applications, from bathroom tiles to decorative elements. Product Details: Material: Ceramic Size: 17x17 cm (6.69 x 6.69 inches) Quantity: 75 pieces per square meter (10 square feet) Color: Cobalt Blue with Gold Accents Pattern: Fish Scale Style: Handmade, Artisan Crafted Origin: Turkey Product Description: Elevate your space with our stunning Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles. These handcrafted ceramic tiles feature a mesmerizing design inspired by the scales of a fish. The intricate details and rich cobalt blue color create a captivating visual effect that will add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any room. Our tiles are perfect for a variety of applications, including: Bathroom Tiles: Create a spa-like atmosphere in your bathroom with our beautiful fish scale tiles. They are ideal for backsplashes, shower walls, and floors. Kitchen Backsplashes: Add a splash of color and personality to your kitchen with our unique tiles. They are easy to clean and maintain, making them a practical choice for this high-traffic area. Decorative Elements: Use our tiles to create stunning decorative accents throughout your home. They can be used to frame mirrors, fireplaces, or accent walls. Why Choose Our Tiles: Handcrafted Quality: Each tile is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring the highest quality and attention to detail. Unique Design: Our fish scale pattern is truly one-of-a-kind, adding a touch of personality and style to any space. Versatile Applications: Our tiles can be used in a variety of settings, from bathrooms and kitchens to living rooms and bedrooms. Durable and Easy to Maintain: Our ceramic tiles are durable and easy to clean, making them a practical choice for any home. Turkish Craftsmanship: Our tiles showcase the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship, bringing a piece of Turkish culture into your home. To achieve their exceptional quality, our tiles undergo a firing process at 1050 degrees Celsius in specialized tile ovens. This meticulous process imparts exceptional resilience, making the tiles suitable for outdoor use as well. From adorning the interiors of Turkish baths to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of spa entrances, these tiles serve as both functional and decorative elements. The unique cracked appearance on the surface of the Dark Green Fish Scale Tiles is a deliberate design choice. This subtle crackle pattern remains a hidden gem, adding depth and character to each tile. While these tiles are perfect for various interior and exterior architectural projects, it's important to note that they aren't recommended for direct water immersion due to their surface characteristics. For aquatic applications such as swimming pools, we recommend opting for our porcelain-based tiles with pigmented colors, ensuring both durability and aesthetic satisfaction. Our crackle tile collection, though not suitable for water exposure, offers an array of options for floor tiles. These specially crafted flat surface tiles find their place in bathroom, kitchen, spa, hammam, hotel, and villa decorations. The resilience of our Kütahya Fish Scale Tiles against environmental elements, be it sunlight or wind, underscores their exceptional quality. Designed for easy application, these tiles are equally suitable for novice and experienced designers alike. The assortment of Kütahya and Iznik patterned Fish Scale Tiles presents a versatile range that caters to various preferences and budgets. Order your Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles today and transform your space into a work of art! Additional Information: Shipping: We offer worldwide shipping. Please contact us for shipping rates and estimated delivery times. Returns: We accept returns within 30 days of purchase. Please contact us for return instructions. Custom Orders: We can also create custom orders to match your specific needs. Please contact us for more information. Detailed Specifications: Width: 17 cm Height: 17 cm Thickness: 0.8 cm Weight per 1 m2: 15.50 kg Quantity per 1 m2: 75 pieces We kindly advise international buyers to be aware of potential duties, customs charges, and import taxes applicable upon shipping to their respective countries. These fees are determined and enforced by the buyer's country upon the item's arrival. In the event of a return, please note that a 25% restocking fee will be deducted from the order amount, and the customer will be responsible for the return shipping costs. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we look forward to providing you with exceptional products that elevate your designs.

Made by VISTATILES Ships from a small business in Pennsylvania Introducing our exquisite handcrafted ceramic mosaic tiles, measuring 17x17 cm, these Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles are a true work of art. Each tile is meticulously created, resulting in a set of 75 unique pieces per square meter (10 square feet). Their captivating design showcases the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship, making them ideal for various applications, from bathroom tiles to decorative elements. Product Details: Material: Ceramic Size: 17x17 cm (6.69 x 6.69 inches) Quantity: 75 pieces per square meter (10 square feet) Color: Cobalt Blue with Gold Accents Pattern: Fish Scale Style: Handmade, Artisan Crafted Origin: Turkey Product Description: Elevate your space with our stunning Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles. These handcrafted ceramic tiles feature a mesmerizing design inspired by the scales of a fish. The intricate details and rich cobalt blue color create a captivating visual effect that will add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any room. Our tiles are perfect for a variety of applications, including: Bathroom Tiles: Create a spa-like atmosphere in your bathroom with our beautiful fish scale tiles. They are ideal for backsplashes, shower walls, and floors. Kitchen Backsplashes: Add a splash of color and personality to your kitchen with our unique tiles. They are easy to clean and maintain, making them a practical choice for this high-traffic area. Decorative Elements: Use our tiles to create stunning decorative accents throughout your home. They can be used to frame mirrors, fireplaces, or accent walls. Why Choose Our Tiles: Handcrafted Quality: Each tile is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring the highest quality and attention to detail. Unique Design: Our fish scale pattern is truly one-of-a-kind, adding a touch of personality and style to any space. Versatile Applications: Our tiles can be used in a variety of settings, from bathrooms and kitchens to living rooms and bedrooms. Durable and Easy to Maintain: Our ceramic tiles are durable and easy to clean, making them a practical choice for any home. Turkish Craftsmanship: Our tiles showcase the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship, bringing a piece of Turkish culture into your home. To achieve their exceptional quality, our tiles undergo a firing process at 1050 degrees Celsius in specialized tile ovens. This meticulous process imparts exceptional resilience, making the tiles suitable for outdoor use as well. From adorning the interiors of Turkish baths to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of spa entrances, these tiles serve as both functional and decorative elements. The unique cracked appearance on the surface of the Dark Green Fish Scale Tiles is a deliberate design choice. This subtle crackle pattern remains a hidden gem, adding depth and character to each tile. While these tiles are perfect for various interior and exterior architectural projects, it's important to note that they aren't recommended for direct water immersion due to their surface characteristics. For aquatic applications such as swimming pools, we recommend opting for our porcelain-based tiles with pigmented colors, ensuring both durability and aesthetic satisfaction. Our crackle tile collection, though not suitable for water exposure, offers an array of options for floor tiles. These specially crafted flat surface tiles find their place in bathroom, kitchen, spa, hammam, hotel, and villa decorations. The resilience of our Kütahya Fish Scale Tiles against environmental elements, be it sunlight or wind, underscores their exceptional quality. Designed for easy application, these tiles are equally suitable for novice and experienced designers alike. The assortment of Kütahya and Iznik patterned Fish Scale Tiles presents a versatile range that caters to various preferences and budgets. Order your Cobalt Fish Scale Patterned Tiles today and transform your space into a work of art! Additional Information: Shipping: We offer worldwide shipping. Please contact us for shipping rates and estimated delivery times. Returns: We accept returns within 30 days of purchase. Please contact us for return instructions. Custom Orders: We can also create custom orders to match your specific needs. Please contact us for more information. Detailed Specifications: Width: 17 cm Height: 17 cm Thickness: 0.8 cm Weight per 1 m2: 15.50 kg Quantity per 1 m2: 75 pieces We kindly advise international buyers to be aware of potential duties, customs charges, and import taxes applicable upon shipping to their respective countries. These fees are determined and enforced by the buyer's country upon the item's arrival. In the event of a return, please note that a 25% restocking fee will be deducted from the order amount, and the customer will be responsible for the return shipping costs. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we look forward to providing you with exceptional products that elevate your designs.

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

Richard and Monica of Huntley, IL, needed to make better use of their kitchen as well as more storage for pots, pans, and countertop appliances. Their space was laid out unconventionally, making cooking a challenge. A triangular nook held their refrigerator, hard-to-reach cabinets, and a cramped pantry. They needed to find a solution, so they searched Facebook for home remodeling companies in their area. Soon they found Advance Design Studio’s profile and were immediately impressed. “Advance Design was the first and last studio I contacted,” Richard said. Richard called Advance Design and felt an immediate connection with Project Designer Nicole. She was knowledgeable and thorough and offered many unique solutions to their kitchen layout problem. A week later, Nicole came out to their home to meet the couple. They talked about their kitchen remodeling project and told Nicole what they wanted in their dream kitchen. Nicole saw that the kitchen had weird angles that hindered the cabinets you could use. She knew that designing a space that met both the client’s needs and dreams would be challenging. Nicole worked with Richard and Monica to create an innovative design. When the couple came out to Advance Design Studio in Gilberts, they were blown away by the 3D illustrations Nicole showed them. “I incorporated a hidden pantry cabinet to not only be a cool feature but also allowed me to square off the walls to gain more cabinet space,” Nicole said. The hidden pantry added storage and squared off the strange triangular nook, creating a more traditional and functional kitchen layout. With the layout problems solved, they worked together to select materials. Richard and Monica wanted something brighter than their previous dark brown kitchen. They chose a combination of blue and white cabinetry with a white subway tile backsplash and white quartz countertops. The design was finalized, the materials were selected. It was time to begin construction. One fear most homeowners have when beginning a home remodel is dust. Advance Design uses BuildClean HEPA filters to eliminate dust throughout the house while construction is going on. Project Manager Jason and his crew created temporary walls and cleaned up after every day of work. “We were very impressed with how clean and organized the crew kept things while the remodeling process was underway,” Richard said. The result is just what Richard and Monica envisioned when they began the process. Richard’s love for cooking can be explored through all-new Thermador appliances, featuring an easy-to-use induction cooktop, built-in double oven, and spacious refrigerator. Matte black hardware contrasts the bright white backsplash, countertops, and cabinets, while the stunning blue cabinets complement the dark hardwood floor and stainless-steel appliances. The dual pendant light fixtures over the reconfigured island are eye-catching and add necessary lighting. This Huntley kitchen renovation turned out better than Richard and Monica hoped. Their experience with Advance Design’s Common Sense Remodeling process has them thinking about other projects they could do in the future. Our award-winning design team would love to create a beautiful, functional, and spacious place for you and your family. With our “Common Sense Remodeling” approach, the process of renovating your home has never been easier. Contact us today at 847-665-1711 or schedule an appointment.

Design: H2D Architecture + Design Build: Crescent Builds Photos: Rafael Soldi
Example of a small transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Seattle with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white countertops