After six years of living in their Huntley IL home, Chris and Meghan were tired of their dark, dingy, outdated kitchen and it was finally time for a long-anticipated change. “The kitchen is the place where we live, it’s where we do everything,” Meghan said. “It was important that it be a space where we wanted to be.” Meghan loves cooking and enjoys including their girls in healthy meal prepping, this led them to want a brighter, more enjoyable kitchen with increased functionality and improved storage. For Chris especially, the laundry room was an entirely dysfunctional eyesore. “We had a washer and a dryer, but it was all kind-of cobbled together!” Chris said. “There were always laundry piles everywhere, we weren’t really sure what we wanted to do in there, but it was time for us to make a change.” The mess of the space was stressful every time they walked in the door from the garage each day. Kids’ backpacks and shoes piled up haphazardly in the makeshift boot-bench closet left the family feeling disorganized and stressed. They needed space for folding clothes and locker cubbies to help keep the family organized. Having known Christine and Todd in the Huntley community for years, Chris and Meghan were familiar with their work. “We already trusted them personally and having seen their projects for years we knew they did top notch work. After we reviewed the initial round of designs, we knew that hiring them was definitely the right choice,” Meghan and Chris said. Although Chris had done a lot of work in their home himself, the kitchen and laundry room renovation was such a large undertaking that he didn’t want to steal time away from his family to spend what would surely be many long weekends doing the job himself. “That would not have been a wise choice for us,” Chris laughed. “Our designer, Michelle was very, very, easy to work with; anything we wanted to see or weren’t sure about, she went above and beyond to make this easy for us. She was easy to get hold of and always quick to respond,” the couple said. Michelle pulled ideas that mirrored the couple’s taste and style and was adept at directing the couple to limited choices that didn’t overwhelm them and kept the process moving. “I have a hard time making decisions. Michelle made the decision-making process so easy. I loved how she listened to what I liked and then presented three great options for me to choose from,” Meghan said. The main objectives for the kitchen were better storage solutions, they wanted the space to reflect their lifestyle and taste, and they wanted it to last for years with low maintenance. One of the first steps in creating a more functional kitchen was relocating the refrigerator, creating an improved workflow for the busy family. “We didn’t know that we could even move the refrigerator to a new location where it is now, that was something that we never would have thought of,” Chris said. “The new refrigerator location makes the kitchen feel so much bigger. We didn’t add any space, but our whole kitchen with the new design just seems like it’s so much larger than before!” Meghan said. The perimeter mist colored cabinets helped warm and brighten the entire room, while the graphite colored cabinets on the island added contrast. Using this fresh, clean color palette satisfied the couple’s desire for a bright space that was the exact opposite of what they had before. Organization accessories were also added to the cabinets such as a spice drawer tray and roll outs to create hidden convenience. “I absolutely love the hidden spices – it makes cooking so much more enjoyable!” Chris said. “And all the pull outs, and the double trash bin, who would think you could get so excited about organization!” the couple said in unison. One thing they hated in their original kitchen was how dark the space felt. Added lighting on the ceiling with the new light fixtures combined with the lighter cabinetry colors throughout solved this problem. “Our new kitchen has this warm, almost cozy feeling that our old kitchen never had, it’s just a space that I love spending my time in now,” Meghan said. The light airy feeling was accentuated with the use of floating white shelves on either side of the decorative range hood. “We have so much cabinetry space, the new design is amazing we actually have more storage space than we will ever need,” Meghan said. The island was extended to create more work surface and added space for stool seating. “The new island changes how we live. Now the kids can be in the kitchen with us, doing homework, eating breakfast, and the three of us have special dinners there when Chris is working late,” Meghan said. The Carrara Marmi Quartz countertops were chosen because they are, not only beautiful, but are made from hard-working material that doesn’t require maintenance. The white subway tile backsplash that wraps to the ceiling behind the focal point cooktop range/hood compliments the crisp white countertops perfectly, while brushed brass hardware and light fixtures keep the design fresh and new. The couple had a few fears at the beginning of the project, as most homeowners do. Their biggest fear was being out of their kitchen and laundry room for an extended time. The crew made it very easy for the family to work in a limited space keeping the washer and dryer hooked up the majority of the time, and also getting appliances working with minimal downtime. “They above and beyond accommodated us to get us through the process,” Meghan said. “They did a great job making sure we were as comfortable as possible throughout the process,” Chris added. “Our project manager DJ did a great job. He was very good at updating us on schedule changes, getting guys in as quickly as possible. Everyone that stepped in the house was nice and did great work,” said Chris. They thought Advance’s carpenter was phenomenal and were impressed when he took a conceptual idea from a photograph and worked with designer Michelle to create a one of a kind range/hood that has become the topic of conversation with friends and family who visit the new kitchen. “He was in our house literally every day for several weeks. He was easy to work with and good at what he did,” Meghan and Chris said. The focal point of the kitchen; a hand-crafted, custom-built ventilation hood was clad with handpicked reclaimed barnwood. Advance Design’s carpenter built the framework and the cladding to create a one-of-a-kind design element that the couple loves. “I think it was especially fun for him to create something unique from scratch, showcasing his talent in this area,” Meghan said. “I love that my kitchen is not like everyone else’s. I got to pick out the wood on my hood and watch it being built and was able to choose what pieces of wood went where on it. It’s totally unique.” Red Oak flooring was toothed-in throughout the kitchen and the rest of the first floor anywhere changes were made. Then the whole floor was refinished to tone down the orange undertones in the existing floor stain, ultimately changing the color complexion of the entire first floor. The result is a completely new feeling to the entire home. Renovating the laundry room was extremely important to Meghan and Chris, but they had trouble visualizing what the possibilities were for the seemingly small space. Michelle produced beautiful 3D illustrations that helped them envision the space in a whole new way. “I must have told Michelle 100 times that I am a visual person, seeing the designs in 3D made it so easy to make decisions and see what we could really do with our space,” Meghan said. A dividing wall and doorway were removed between the existing laundry room and hallway formerly containing a coat closet, providing space to design specialized graphite colored cabinetry matching the kitchen island to house custom storage cubbies for each family member. Adding the tall utility cabinetry in the new laundry area helped solve the storage issue, tucking away cleaning supplies, household items, and even the cat got its own cubby. “I love how everything is now hidden in its own space. I can’t tell you how much I hated coming home and seeing everything sitting around on counters,” Chris said. Electrical outlets were planned for the inside of utility cabinets, so devices could charge in hidden locations. Stacking the washer and dryer allowed for wider countertop space to provide a folding area and a special space for clothes to hang. “The way I do laundry has been completely transformed! I can actually fold clothes and hang them now right out of the washer and dryer,” Meghan said. “The end result in the kitchen and the laundry/mud room was an updated light and bright space, with a smarter work flow that better meets the needs of this family,” Michelle said. “I would totally recommend Advance Design,” Meghan said. “Sometimes I sit and just look at my kitchen and laundry room and think ‘Wow, I can’t believe I get to live here!’ It’s an understatement to say we love our new space.”

Turn your storage into usable storage space. Increase storage capacity by up to 50%.
Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Omaha

Organized Living freedomRail is completely customizable to fit any space in a laundry room. Choose from slide out baskets, hampers, shelving, cabinets and more. And the best part is you adjust freedomRail as your storage needs change - without any tools! Find out more about freedomRail here: https://www.organizedliving.com/home/products/freedomrail/about

Farmhouse Laundry Room
Inspiration for a huge cottage u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor dedicated laundry room remodel in Atlanta with an undermount sink, green cabinets, quartz countertops, beige walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer, recessed-panel cabinets and white countertops

With plenty of sleek cabinet space, a laundry room becomes both serene and efficient. • Tesoro Tuscan Moon finish blends seamlessly into the space. • High-gloss White door and drawer fronts lend a sleek look. • High-textured back panel adds dimension to overall white room. • Pull-out ironing board drawer enables ease of use. • Pull-out wire baskets in natural aluminum offer flexible storage for linens. • Large countertop creates a designated place for folding. • Cabinets provide concealed storage for linens.

Cozy Laundry Room with Stacked Washer Dryer is the perfect space to hang and fold laundry, with it's own pull-out laundry basket at the folding station you can grab this weeks laundry and toss it in.

This walk-in closet organizer epitomizes functionality. Pull-out storage compartments and even pull-out laundry hampers will keep this closet looking immaculate year round. Tailored Living has various organizational accessories to keep the clutter away.

Cozy Laundry Room with Stacked Washer Dryer is the perfect space to hang and fold laundry, with it's own pull-out laundry basket at the folding station you can grab this weeks laundry and toss it in.

Pull out laundry basket (clothes hamper great in any closet. Keep your dirty clothes off the floor and in one location. Then, when you are ready to do laundry, remove the canvas bag! Laundry couldn't be easier! Bazaar Home Decorating

After photo - front loading washer/dryer with continuous counter. "Fresh as soap" look, requested by client. Hanging rod suspended from ceiling.
Large elegant single-wall linoleum floor and multicolored floor dedicated laundry room photo in Portland with laminate countertops, a drop-in sink, white cabinets, shaker cabinets, blue walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

We built 24" deep boxes to really showcase the beauty of this walk-in closet. Taller hanging was installed for longer jackets and dusters, and short hanging for scarves. Custom-designed jewelry trays were added. Valet rods were mounted to help organize outfits and simplify packing for trips. A pair of antique benches makes the space inviting.

Gorgeous coastal laundry room. The perfect blend of color and wood tones make for a calming ambiance. With lots of storage and built-in pedestals this laundry room fits every functional need.

Created from a former breezeway this laundry room and mudroom is bright and cheery, Photos by Susan Gilmore
Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage single-wall porcelain tile laundry room remodel in Minneapolis with an utility sink, a side-by-side washer/dryer, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets and quartz countertops

Our client's new washer and dryer were bigger than her old ones, which meant the shelf she used to be able to reach was no longer accessible. Slide Out Shelf Solutions installed two pull out shelves above her laundry to bring her space out to her - now she can roll out her detergents and softeners and reach them with ease.

This repeat client requested that we organize and freshen up her laundry room since it is the main entry point for guests into her home. First we stacked the washer and dryer and enclosed it with a sliding frosted glass barn door. This allowed us to double her cabinetry and counter top space. Cabinets are custom, shaker style in Frosty White with tip-on toe kick pet food bowls, double trash can pull-out (which the homeowner uses to store her dog food for easy access), sink tilt out, undermount sink and Cashmere Carrara Zodiaq counter top. Jason Jasienowski

Maximize your bathroom storage with custom pull out shelves designed to fit your existing bathroom cabinets and vanities. Add riser shelves to your pull out shelves for additional storage. This cabinet features two riser shelves that fit around the plumbing inside the cabinet.

This bright compact Laundry Room with generous counter space and plenty of storage offers a display shelf, under cabinet lighting and large pull out hamper.

Laundry room - transitional laundry room idea in Vancouver

Sort out your laundry room challenges with elfa! Ventilated Shelves keep essential laundry items within easy reasy and easy view. A closet rod is perfect for drip dry or freshly ironed garments while elfa utility Hooks and Holders provide out-of-the-way storage for mops, brooms and dusters. elfa utility Boards combined with elfa utility Shelves, Boxes and Hooks create a sophisticated, functional update on the classic pegboard system. Easy-gliding Hampers easily collect and sort laundry and can be removed for transport. All elfa components are adjustable, so the solution is completely flexible!