Hilton Garden Inn Santa Marta: This hotel is located in Santa Marta, a popular beach destination on Colombia's Caribbean coast. While it is not situated directly on the beach, it is conveniently located near the waterfront and provides easy access to the city's beaches.

This barren backyard contained invasive junk plants along the edges and patchy lawn. New stone steps now provide access to the flat lawn area and hose bib from the deck. Plantings along all property lines will create screening, privacy, shade and beauty as they grow.

Lined & tanked the corner to sneak in a shower. The glass mosaics were added in the wet areas to resemble rain, and the scallop tiles and painted wooden panelling to provide contrast and reflect the age of the property

A beautiful blue tone bathroom poised with a modern touch to give any resident the comfort and accessibility they require. A custom installed foot rest compliments the convenience provided by the custom marble countertop adjacent to the sink. The two tone white & grey bathroom is paired perfectly with the blue tiling to complete this oasis.

Drawer organization solution featuring our pegboard base for easy and adjustable plate organization, providing a customizable and efficient way to keep your kitchenware neatly arranged and easily accessible.

Garage shelving was organized to create a centralized household supply station for paper goods, medications, office supplies, electronics, batteries, cleaning products, and home maintenance items. Labeled drawers and categorized storage provide quick access while keeping essential items contained and easy to maintain.

Large sliding glass doors provide access from the kitched to the screened-in porch, inviting natural light wile creating in strong indoor-outdoor connection.

A new path from the deck provides an easy access with flagstone paths through their backyard woodland setting!! New stone retaining walls create added interest and dimension to the planting beds.

Lined & tanked the corner to sneak in a shower. The glass mosaics were added in the wet areas to resemble rain, and the scallop tiles and painted wooden panelling to provide contrast and reflect the age of the property

Lined & tanked the corner to sneak in a shower. The glass mosaics were added in the wet areas to resemble rain, and the scallop tiles and painted wooden panelling to provide contrast and reflect the age of the property

In a small bathroom, updating the storage can make all the difference in its functionality. In this bathroom a new vanity added some counter space and under sink storage that the pedestal sink did not provide. Removing the old built-in closet and putting in a new cabinet created new versatile storage with adjustable shelves and easier accessibility.

For many of us, our mudroom is often the first place we enter when arriving home. For our clients, a family of four with 2 young children, the mudroom had to be well designed with ample storage and an efficient lay-out. A combination of closed door and open shelving provides an abundance of storage and hanging space to house everything from boots, shoes, coats and miscellaneous gear. Ample shelving provides space for baskets of varying sizes to corral a plethora of smaller items. A generous cushioned bench for and decorative deer hooks installed above it for those easy to access items allows the family to hang and organize things and still have a space that looks clean and organized. Personal storage lockers with screen doors also provide a separated space for each person so that things can be easily stored, found and retrieved.

This beautiful North Vancouver home belongs to a nature-loving and health-conscious couple, Emma and Vince (names changed), their two young children, and their dog, Jasper. When they contacted us about renovating and furnishing their kitchen and family room, we walked in and saw a world of potential waiting to be uncovered. Before: Larkhall Crescent Home: Like many original North Vancouver homes, the interior was definitely dated. We encountered late ‘80s finishes in powder pink and teal green, old carpet, and a kitchen that wasn’t maximized to suit this family’s modern-day lifestyle. However, the size of the rooms offered us a ton of space with which to get creative. Knowing our clients’ love of cooking, need for work spaces (Emma and Vince both work remotely), and growing family, we developed a design concept that would increase usable space, optimize storage, and create intimacy in this large area. As for the style, we were inspired by their European roots, inventing a new and modern take on “Belgian Farmhouse” style. Now, the home is truly one-of-a-kind. After: Warm & Cozy Family Room: Fresh, bright, and comfortable, this living area has been transformed! We started with the fireplace as a focal point, selecting aged brick tiles for added texture and a crisp wood mantle. The taupe-coloured sectional infuses the room with visual warmth and serves the added purpose of separating the family room from the kitchen. Emma and Vince were also keen on using non-toxic materials in their home, and we were happy to oblige. To meet their needs, we sourced natural wood elements and sought out Canadian-made products - that adhere to high health standards - whenever possible. Look closer at the elements of this space, and you will find this stunning, honeycomb-patterned rug in earthy gold, beige, and charcoal tones. It’s plush to the touch and full of visual texture that brings this room’s colour palette together. We sourced these two-tone chairs with caning, petrified wood side table, black sconces, and botanical prints in greyscale from local artist, Heather Johnston. We topped off the space with this dark wood and rattan console that offers storage facing the kitchen and presents an opportunity to display cherished items. The result is a cozy lounging space brimming with comfort and functionality. It’s perfect for enjoying quality family time, or Emma can simply slide the coffee table away to make room for her morning yoga practice. Now, let’s turn around and give some attention to the kitchen. Do you remember what the original kitchen looked like? If not, scroll back up, because the transformation is shocking… Moody & Welcoming Kitchen for Healthy Living: This kitchen looks very different from how it started, right? Though we didn’t touch any walls, the kitchen has almost doubled in usable space! We created a long, extended island with storage, an outlet for small appliances, and seating for comfortable prep, after-school snacking, or mingling among friends. On the other side of the island, the family has even more storage and an integrated dishwasher within easy reach of the sink, perfect for quick clean-up. From this angle, you can also see the expansive custom Shaker cabinetry in white and the integrated double ovens. These facilitate their cooking experience and gave us the opportunity to add an additional surprise… A coffee garage station and more hidden storage! Keeping these items located along the perimeter allows them to be accessed by the family or their guests without someone getting under the cook’s feet. These are the little details that make everyday life easier and more enjoyable. Moving deeper into the kitchen, the seamless induction cooktop topped with a freestanding concealed hood fan commands attention in a soft yet prominent way. The natural wood accent mirrors the fireplace mantle, and the choice of off-black wood-grain cabinets not only continues our black-and-white colour palette but adds a sense of depth and contrast. The corner sink is located to the right and perfectly positioned with a view of their thriving backyard. To invite more of this family’s character into the space, we mixed metals for interest — matte black, dark pewter, and warm brass — and created open shelves in white oak for their plants and decor. You can also glimpse the tumbled edge of the backsplash tile, which echoes the rustic brick of the fireplace. It adds that farmhouse charm while still feeling timeless and sophisticated. Last but not least, we designed this dining banquette in the bay window (with integrated bench storage, of course), where the family can share a meal together, the kids can do homework, or Emma and Vince can work and enjoy a change of scenery from their offices. Like the other spaces in the home, it was designed to be beautiful, multi-functional, and long-lasting. Praise from Our Clients: It is clear that we love this home, but what did our clients have to say? “Lori is a visionary and masters execution to the finest detail all at the same time. When she first met us to know more about who we are and how we live, she could right away envision how we could use the space in our kitchen and living room…The results exceeded our expectations. Lori and her team were also a delight to work with — coordination with all the trades, fast problem-solving, regular updates, professional and friendly attitude of her entire team — made it the dream team. Thank you SHD for making our space so beautiful!” In turn, we are so grateful for this family’s trust, their open communication, and for being wonderful people with whom to work. (So, thank you!)

These walnut pegs make room on the base cabinets to house your dishes. Brilliant. This kitchen is designed for DDK Kitchen Design Group by Lisa Murphy. Photography by Michael A. Kaskel

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2016 Houzz
This is an example of a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

The clients found a house they loved for two reasons…location, location, location (first reason) and the exterior style was similar to a beloved childhood home. They came to LaMantia inquiring as to the possibilities for the first floor. Armed with the clients’ “wants and desires” LaMantia designers Jackie Prazak and Andy LaMantia went about redesigning most of the first floor into an open floor plan fit for the young family. LaMantia & Prazak found the key to providing the enlarged feeling was through the poorly designed existing home addition. The additional living space was difficult to access, thus providing no useful function to the home. Completely removing the original exterior walls of the home that blocked access into the addition was the first step in the plan. With the walls removed, the original walled-off space became a part of the home. Relocating the first floor Powder Room, revising the entry closet, removing the wall into the kitchen and resizing the Living Room all were key components to the final rebirth of the larger picture. To finalize the new kitchen space, it was suggested to raise the Bay window unit thus allowing the relocated sink location. With all the revisions, the Kitchen now could easily accommodate a stretched out “L” layout with a large seated Island and a separate desk area. With the final plans in place, the clients were amazed to find that within the existing walls of their newly purchased home they had gained so much extra use. And…the very last prize they gained was a dreamed of Mudroom!

Glass Expanse has created a glass door system that provides accessible luxury to home owners that want to have flexibility in their enclosures. This system enables home owners to completely open (or close off) spaces, without sacrificing the view. The individual panels provide flexibility in configurations to produce partial wind block by spacing the panels out to allow some air flow. The system is compatible with bug screens or shades.

The kitchen is hub of this small Craftsman home, with two islands providing room to prepare and serve casual meals with easy access to the great room and dining room. Built-in bookshelves in the great room and ceiling treatments throughout the home and add custom detail. Walk-in closets in each bedroom and a big utility room provide storage space, and screened and covered porches with skylights take living outdoors.

A well-designed entry doubles as a unique and stylish storage area with multiple organization options. • Tesoro Tuscan Moon coordinates seamlessly with the living space. • High-gloss slab white door and drawer fronts lend a sleek, minimalistic look. • Cleat mount double hooks and coat hooks provide a home for outerwear. • Flip-up mechanism on doors offers easy accessibility and optimizes available space. • Integrated bench area creates a sitting area for removing footwear. • Brushed aluminum decorative hardware adds polish. • Locker-style mud room cubbies provide storage for coats and bags