I designed and assisted the homeowners with the materials, and finish choices for this project while working at Corvallis Custom Kitchens and Baths. Our client (and my former professor at OSU) wanted to have her basement finished. CCKB had competed a basement guest suite a few years prior and now it was time to finish the remaining space. She wanted an organized area with lots of storage for her fabrics and sewing supplies, as well as a large area to set up a table for cutting fabric and laying out patterns. The basement also needed to house all of their camping and seasonal gear, as well as a workshop area for her husband. The basement needed to have flooring that was not going to be damaged during the winters when the basement can become moist from rainfall. Out clients chose to have the cement floor painted with an epoxy material that would be easy to clean and impervious to water. An update to the laundry area included replacing the window and re-routing the piping. Additional shelving was added for more storage. Finally a walk-in closet was created to house our homeowners incredible vintage clothing collection away from any moisture. LED lighting was installed in the ceiling and used for the scones. Our drywall team did an amazing job boxing in and finishing the ceiling which had numerous obstacles hanging from it and kept the ceiling to a height that was comfortable for all who come into the basement. Our client is thrilled with the final project and has been enjoying her new sewing area.

Children’s waiting room interior design project at Princeton University. I was beyond thrilled when contacted by a team of scientists ( psychologists and neurologists ) at Princeton University. This group of professors and graduate students from the Turk-Brown Laboratory are conducting research on the infant’s brain by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI), to see how they learn, remember and think. My job was to turn a tiny 7’x10′ windowless study room into an inviting but not too “clinical” waiting room for the mothers or fathers and siblings of the babies being studied. We needed to ensure a comfortable place for parents to rock and feed their babies while waiting their turn to go back to the laboratory, as well as a place to change the babies if needed. We wanted to stock some shelves with good books and while the room looks complete, we’re still sourcing something interactive to mount to the wall to help entertain toddlers who want something more active than reading or building blocks. Since there are no windows, I wanted to bring the outdoors inside. Princeton University‘s colors are orange, gray and black and the history behind those colors is very interesting. It seems there are a lot of squirrels on campus and these colors were selected for the three colors of squirrels often seem scampering around the university grounds. The orange squirrels are now extinct, but the gray and black squirrels are abundant, as I found when touring the campus with my son on installation day. Therefore we wanted to reflect this history in the room and decided to paint silhouettes of squirrels in these three colors throughout the room. While the ceilings are 10′ high in this tiny room, they’re very drab and boring. Given that it’s a drop ceiling, we can’t paint it a fun color as I typically do in my nurseries and kids’ rooms. To distract from the ugly ceiling, I contacted My Custom Creation through their Etsy shop and commissioned them to create a custom butterfly mobile to suspend from the ceiling to create a swath of butterflies moving across the room. Their customer service was impeccable and the end product was exactly what we wanted! The flooring in the space was simply coated concrete so I decided to use Flor carpet tiles to give it warmth and a grass-like appeal. These tiles are super easy to install and can easily be removed without any residual on the floor. I’ll be using them more often for sure! See more photos of our commercial interior design job below and contact us if you need a unique space designed for children. We don’t just design nurseries and bedrooms! We’re game for anything!

Victorian Bedroom. shane fatland
Inspiration for a timeless bedroom remodel in Minneapolis

For today's Friday Feature we wanted to show off a really cool living room remodel that we did. The homeowners are both professors and avid bookworms. They wanted room to store shelves and shelves of books while creating a livable space. These Custom Wood Products (CWP) natural oak cabinets provide a ton of storage space... even behind the TV!

Meet Marta Herbert Marta comes to Star Furniture from the mountains and valleys of the West where she specialized in turning apartments into lofts, cabins into lodges and houses into estates. From cozy, to chic, to expansive, Marta's fluency with color, texture, and lighting in perfect balance is a gift first noted by professors at The American River College in Sacramento, and has evolved over the past three decades into the ability to translate the desires of her clients into classic statements of style. As an avid student of design and proponent of continuing education, Marta has remained at the forefront of her profession gathering broad knowledge about exotic woods, fabrics, fine carpets, and the vast assortment of leathers. She understands the elements needed to create personal spaces that welcome use. "Let me bring your vision of your room to life...it's not just a room, it's the place you want to live." Contact Marta and let her know that you found her on Houzz.com. Webpage: https://www.starfurniture.com/marta-herbert Address: Star Furniture, 18107 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77090 Phone: 281-440-3330 Email: mherbert@starfurniture.com

With children raised and the work of establishing a career behind them, Dennis and Helene Liotta decided it was time to simplify life and downsize—by moving up. They sold their 5,000 sq. ft. family home (complete with the requisite pool and expansive yard), in favor of a 3,600 sq. ft. residence on the 47th floor of The Sovereign, a sleek mixed-use tower located in Atlanta’s Buckhead district. Realizing they wanted to enlist a talented decorative collaborator for all phases of the project, the couple sought the assistance of Mercedes Williams, design consultant at Cantoni Atlanta. Having helped the couple’s sons with purchases in the past, he came highly recommended. “I know the Liotta’s were thrilled to have the opportunity to personally conceptualize their new home,” recalls Mercedes. “They wanted my input to customize the space—confirming paint, tile, flooring, and finish choices—and they wanted help choosing furniture that would create an elegant yet warm and comfortable living environment.” “Dennis and Helene also had a vision for how they wanted the space to flow,” he explains. “The large, open floor plan for the main living room included the kitchen and dining areas, so we had to delineate the spaces while creating visual interest…without using a lot of furniture.” Choosing pieces with impact, and looks that simultaneously celebrated texture, scale, finish, and color, was the key to success. The dining table and large wool rug were custom-made by Cantoni and colored to coordinate with some of the couple’s key glass collectibles. “We also made the salt water aquarium a focal point in the living area because Dennis and Helene love the beach and ocean,” explains Mercedes. Along with additional new furnishings from Cantoni the couple wanted to incorporate other existing pieces from their extensive art and glass collection. Given the size of their former residence, an editing session was in order, so the Liotta’s took a novel approach to the task at hand. “We had a huge ‘Sovereign’ moving party and let friends and family take some of the things we knew we could part with,” says Helene. Dennis and Helene have been settled into their new digs since November. He continues to work as a professor at Emory University, and she enjoys searching for premium wines sold at Wine Gallery + Market, a family-owned gourmet emporium in Atlanta. With two bedrooms and a study, there remains room enough for the grandkids to sleep over—and a large dining table was selected so the couple could continue to accommodate multi-generational gatherings. “This project was a dream job for me,” reflects Mercedes, with enthusiasm. “The Liotta’s have excellent taste and wanted to create a fun and inviting environment that evokes luxury without stuffiness. They knew what they wanted, but needed a little help getting there. I’m flattered they chose me and Cantoni to help them realize the life they dreamed of living at The Sovereign.”

The existing house was designed by one of our architecture professors who recently passed away. It was a labor of great love and an in-depth exploration of his ideas – manifested in heavy-gauge steel and corrugated metal…seemingly modern and yet beautifully vernacular and simple … a vertical shotgun house. The exterior of the existing house was beautiful as it was; we only cleaned it up and gave it a polish. A new entry sequence with a new ramp and rear patio ties the house to its exterior surroundings. Our colleagues, David Keiffer and Michael Nius, worked on the exterior portion of this project. As the original house was a labor of love, so too was the renovation and completion of the house as a residence for the School's visiting faculty.

Tasoulla Hadjiyanni
Example of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen design in Minneapolis with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

In 1974, Jack Sherman Baker, FAIA, designed this striking residence for Gertrude “GiGi” Robinson, a sociology professor at the University of Illinois. The house features three unique units – a studio apartment and guest bedroom on the ground floor, and a large, light filled dwelling unit on the second floor. Unfortunately, years of neglect have taken their toll on the exterior envelope and grounds. The objective of this phase was to revitalize the exterior with new cladding, resolve structural problems, and restore and upgrade interior finishes and details. These new elements are introduced with sensitivity for the existing design, maintaining and enhancing the concepts powerfully executed in the original design. The objective of the second phase is to add three unique elements to the originl composition: a reflecting pool in the entrance courtyard, a lap pool along the western edge, and a rooftop terrace and pavilion. These new elements are introduced with sensitivity for the existing design, maintaining and enhancing the spatial and proportional concepts powerfully executed in the original residence.

This was a unique remodel, we completely transformed an old abandon building into upscale housing for visiting professors to the area.

With children raised and the work of establishing a career behind them, Dennis and Helene Liotta decided it was time to simplify life and downsize—by moving up. They sold their 5,000 sq. ft. family home (complete with the requisite pool and expansive yard), in favor of a 3,600 sq. ft. residence on the 47th floor of The Sovereign, a sleek mixed-use tower located in Atlanta’s Buckhead district. Realizing they wanted to enlist a talented decorative collaborator for all phases of the project, the couple sought the assistance of Mercedes Williams, design consultant at Cantoni Atlanta. Having helped the couple’s sons with purchases in the past, he came highly recommended. “I know the Liotta’s were thrilled to have the opportunity to personally conceptualize their new home,” recalls Mercedes. “They wanted my input to customize the space—confirming paint, tile, flooring, and finish choices—and they wanted help choosing furniture that would create an elegant yet warm and comfortable living environment.” “Dennis and Helene also had a vision for how they wanted the space to flow,” he explains. “The large, open floor plan for the main living room included the kitchen and dining areas, so we had to delineate the spaces while creating visual interest…without using a lot of furniture.” Choosing pieces with impact, and looks that simultaneously celebrated texture, scale, finish, and color, was the key to success. The dining table and large wool rug were custom-made by Cantoni and colored to coordinate with some of the couple’s key glass collectibles. “We also made the salt water aquarium a focal point in the living area because Dennis and Helene love the beach and ocean,” explains Mercedes. Along with additional new furnishings from Cantoni the couple wanted to incorporate other existing pieces from their extensive art and glass collection. Given the size of their former residence, an editing session was in order, so the Liotta’s took a novel approach to the task at hand. “We had a huge ‘Sovereign’ moving party and let friends and family take some of the things we knew we could part with,” says Helene. Dennis and Helene have been settled into their new digs since November. He continues to work as a professor at Emory University, and she enjoys searching for premium wines sold at Wine Gallery + Market, a family-owned gourmet emporium in Atlanta. With two bedrooms and a study, there remains room enough for the grandkids to sleep over—and a large dining table was selected so the couple could continue to accommodate multi-generational gatherings. “This project was a dream job for me,” reflects Mercedes, with enthusiasm. “The Liotta’s have excellent taste and wanted to create a fun and inviting environment that evokes luxury without stuffiness. They knew what they wanted, but needed a little help getting there. I’m flattered they chose me and Cantoni to help them realize the life they dreamed of living at The Sovereign.”

The Henriksen Residence was an amazing project. The owner Jorgen Henriksen, who is a retired Art Professor from the Boston University and a painter, had very clear ideas about which colors to use. The problem for TRC was the amount…there were 5-different color hardeners broadcast onto the slabs and a week later we were acid staining those floors with 3-different acid stains. At one point we pulled out our power trowels to assist with the color lay down because there was just far too much color to handle by hand. Later Jorgen added colorful concrete countertops and a shower with an exposed Mexican pebble floor.

Modern home designed by a Professor of architecture for his own family. The project was prefabricated into wall, floor and roof panels in our factory in Portland, Oregon. The project includes a 400 square foot accessory dwelling unity for rental.

This modern structure is a new primary residence for a soon-to-be-retired professor of mathematics. The three-bedroom, 2-1/2 bath custom home is primarily on two floors but features a third-story look-out containing a study and presenting panoramic views of the gorge. Large picture windows on the main living floor open the interior to notable views on two distinct axes: the westerly view presents a view of the Columbia River as it winds its way toward Portland, the northerly view frames the majestic Mt. St. Helens. The bottom-most level is a two-bedroom accessory dwelling area for extended family to be used during extended visits. A three-car garage makes space for snow removal equipment, two vehicles and a limited shop. The home features a rooftop photovoltaic array providing enough electric power to sell back to the utility district during much of the year, and a geothermal loop for heating and cooling. Corrugated metal siding and standing seam roofing meets the safety requirements of the area that is prone to forest fires.

The site is a single-story mid-century residence that fronts Urbana's historic Carle Park. The owners are an academic couple with a young family who originally wanted to replace their dilapidated garage with one that would also contain a family gym. After discussing their priorities, we decided to eliminate the garage altogether, and replace it with a two-story tower. On the ground floor is a fully equipped gym, with a power rack, Peloton bike, treadmill, and bike storage. Above the gym is an office for Professor Clancy. The raised office has a striking view of the park, as well as the surrounding landscape. Proximity to their university jobs allowed the family to reduce their vehicles to a single electric crossover. The tower includes an EV charger adjacent to the driveway

This was a unique remodel, we completely transformed an old abandon building into upscale housing for visiting professors to the area.

ELITE DESIGN AWARD WINNER 2016: This academic professor works from home, and decided to come up from the basement to take advantage of the natural light on the main floor. We turned this playroom into a fully functioning multi-person office space that allows customization and flexibility no matter the task. His research is far from square and boring – so we came up with a unique curvilinear countertop design using Maple desktops from Décor Cabinets, which truly add a touch of whimsy to the everyday. Against his wife’s preference, his creative process requires access to many types of material at once, so solutions like bi-fold cabinets and the large aluminum tambour doors allow him to organize loose papers, but shut away the mess when the day is done. Mixing a few different finishes creates enough interest so that staying in the same room for long periods is far from boring, and the acid etch mirror inserts give a frosted glass look without showing any of the mess inside. With this design, the move upstairs was a benefit for everyone.

ELITE DESIGN AWARD WINNER 2016: This academic professor works from home, and decided to come up from the basement to take advantage of the natural light on the main floor. We turned this playroom into a fully functioning multi-person office space that allows customization and flexibility no matter the task. His research is far from square and boring – so we came up with a unique curvilinear countertop design using Maple desktops from Décor Cabinets, which truly add a touch of whimsy to the everyday. Against his wife’s preference, his creative process requires access to many types of material at once, so solutions like bi-fold cabinets and the large aluminum tambour doors allow him to organize loose papers, but shut away the mess when the day is done. Mixing a few different finishes creates enough interest so that staying in the same room for long periods is far from boring, and the acid etch mirror inserts give a frosted glass look without showing any of the mess inside. With this design, the move upstairs was a benefit for everyone.

What was originally supposed to be an addition, turned into a teardown with a completely new, contemporary home as the final product. Now filled with large windows, vibrant colours and well-traveled, unique décor, this space blew away the client's original expectations. With both owners working as professors, the home needed to spark inspiration and exude a peaceful ambiance, despite being set in the busy downtown of Waterloo. The well-planned floor plan design featured everything they needed: kitchen and living spaces, a main floor study, a second floor office, a guest bedroom and master bedroom and ensuite. The contemporary kitchen features flat panel doors and modern pull handles and is designed to focus on the view of the backyard. A mix of neutral brown tones and a crisp white palette can be seen throughout the house and the customers' personal touches are found in the selection of interior furnishings and exterior, lime green door. The main concept of the house's architecture grasps black forms and flat lines, while surrounded by greenery.