Chris and Sofia of Arlington Heights knew when they purchased their home that they would finish the basement. They needed a space for the kids to hang out, for family and friends to stay, and to have a better space for hosting holidays and parties. The dark unfinished space went mostly unused for three years, but once their kids reached the ideal age for use of a well-built basement, they moved ahead with their plan. “The old basement was dark and cold, and the kids came down and played, but they didn’t like it. The new space is like a whole other house, so we have this space for family game nights and for watching games or Super Bowl parties,” Chris said. The couple found Advance Design Studio through a friend who had their entire home renovated by the remodeling company. After the initial meeting and visiting the showroom, Chris and Sofia were positive that Advance Design was the company that could best turn their unfinished basement into a family friendly space for everyone to enjoy. “We really liked the showroom, we liked being able to choose all of those finishes and meet with them in one place,” Chris said. A Custom Space for a Family with Multiple Needs The project began with a fireplace focal point complete with an amazing entertainment wall, a fantastic full kitchen complete with every amenity, and a brand new full bath. The new basement truly has a space for everyone. If the kids want to watch a movie and hang out on the couch they can, if family wants to play games and have a pizza party on the large island they can, and if guests want to stay over night on the pull-out sofa they can enjoy the entire private “suite” complete with a full bath. It is the true definition of a multifunctional basement. The stunning, full kitchen is the highlight of this now bright and airy basement. You walk down the stairs and are immediately impressed with the detailed metal tile work on the ceiling, bringing to mind the classic feel of a comfortable old pub. Cherry Merlot cabinets provide a rich contrast against the soft neutral walls and the contrasting copper tin ceiling tile and backsplash. Rich Santa Cecelia granite countertops pair nicely with timeless stonework on the outer walls. The island is large enough to provide a more than adequate entertaining space, and provides plenty of both seating and storage. The well-appointed kitchen houses a regular size refrigerator, a full size oven for pizza parties and cookie baking anytime, a microwave oven as well as complete sink and trash set up. One could easily do without a home kitchen forever in this generously designed secondary space! The fireplace and buffet wall seating area is the ideal place to watch movies or sporting events. The coordinating stonework on the fireplace flows throughout the basement, and a burnt orange accent wall brings color and warmth to otherwise ordinary basement space. The Elite Merlot media buffet compliments the kitchen as well as provides storage and a unique functional display option, giving this part of the basement a sophisticated, yet functional feel. The full bath is complete with a unique furniture style cherry DuraSupreme vanity and matching custom designed mirror. The weathered look to the cabinets and mirror give the bathroom some earthy texture as does the stone floor in the walk-in shower. Soft blue makes the space a spa-like mini retreat, and the handsome wall to wall tile and granite speak luxury at every corner. Advance Design added clever custom storage spaces to take advantage of otherwise wasted corners. They built a custom mudroom for the kids to house their sports equipment and a handy built in bench area with basket pull outs for a custom home gym. “They were able to custom fit this second mudroom with the lockers and the bench, they were able to custom build that, so the kids could store all of their equipment down here for the sports that they are in,” Chris said. They Got The Amazing Space They Had Envisioned for Years! The basement Chris and Sofia had envisioned had come to life in a few short months of planning, design and construction, just a perfect fit in the summer months. Advance Design Studio was able to design and build a custom, multifunctional space that the whole family can enjoy. “I would recommend Advance Design because of the showroom, because of the cleanliness on the jobsite and the professionalism, combined with Christine’s design side as well as Todd’s builder’s side - it’s nice to have it all together,” reminisced Chris after the project was complete.

Michael Partenio
Inspiration for a coastal bathroom remodel in Boston with marble countertops, gray cabinets, shaker cabinets, gray walls and a drop-in sink

After pull out shelves installed in kitchen cabinet.
Example of a country kitchen design in Wichita

Access to space in cabinets is easier after pull out shelves are installed in kitchen cabinets.
Inspiration for a cottage kitchen remodel in Wichita

Pull out shelves with risers that fit around your under-sink plumbing create better organization.

Each pull out shelf from ShelfGenie of Grand Valley holds up to 100 pounds, allowing you to store your bottled beverages, canned foods, kitchen appliances and more.

Holger Obenaus
Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped multicolored floor dedicated laundry room design in Charleston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

The kitchen was a tight space, so we got creative, kitting it out with additional storage and pantry space that didn’t exist before. The family is Italian, so we gathered a lot of inspiration from compact European kitchens, reconfiguring interior walls, but mostly staying within the footprint of the existing floor plan. Italians are really good at designing their kitchens “behind closed doors.” Drawing from that model, we incorporated hidden, multi-functional elements like custom pull out prep surfaces that tuck away, pop up utensil vessels, and a dish drying rack in the cabinet above the sink. Kitchen finishes included custom cabinetry with white automotive paint finish and oak cabinets stained a matte jet black. We anchored the space with one of our favorite light fixtures, the Moooi Random light.

Irish Luck Productions Photography, Pete Boehm Construction, Hobbit Construction, Designer: Robert Carpenter Small space traditional kitchen in a 90+ year-old home, respect for tradition with a great use of space and a lot of storage.

Photography by Jim Tetro This house, built in the 1960s, sits southfacing on a terrific wooded lot in Bethesda, Maryland. The owners desire a whole-house renovation which would improve the general building fabric and systems, and extend the sense of living out of doors in all seasons. The original sixties-modern character is preserved and the renovation extends the design forward into a contemporary, modern approach. Connections to and through the site are enhanced through the creation of new larger window and door openings. Screened porches and decks perch above the sloped and wooded site. The new kitchen and bathrooms allow for opportunities to feel out-of -doors while preparing, cooking, dining, and bathing. Smart passive strategies guide the environmental choices for this project, including envelope improvements, updated mechanical systems, and on-site stormwater management.

Rick Mattson Photography
Inspiration for a coastal l-shaped open concept kitchen remodel in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This baking island has everything needed to whip up batches of cookies and muffins for the hungry crowds! There's no need to ever move the mixer -easy peasy. Design and construction by Jewett Farms + Co. Photography by Justen Peters

This wall hung reach-in-closet featured in white veneer and accented with polished chrome hardware can maximize your smaller closet spaces to their full potential. Our sectional silver aluminum sliding doors with frosted glass make it easy to access and close off your belongings. With extra drawers and hanging space you can display your apparel while accessories are neatly hung on sliding racks and rods. Pull-out pant racks will keep your best slacks organized and wrinkle free. Chrome baskets are a modern way to effortlessly access your important belongings. Top shelves offer room to store luggage and occasionally used items. Slanted shoe shelves make it easy to match your most fashionable footwear to any outfit. transFORM’s all-inclusive design will provide everything you need for day to day dressing, in one place.

This country kitchen is accented with detailed tiles, brass light fixtures and a large butcher block. Greg Premru Photography
Example of a mid-sized cottage u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Boston with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and tile countertops

The space under the stairs was made useful as a coffee bar and for overflow storage. Ample lighting and a sink make it useful for entertaining as well. Photos: Dave Remple

This contemporary kitchen features the NEW Stainless Steel Drawers and Roll-Out Shelves from Dura Supreme Cabinetry. The Bria (frameless) cabinets in Dura Supreme's "White" and Wired-Foil cabinets in Dura Supreme's "Wired-Mercury" are a great combination of cabinetry for creating the clean sleek look of this modern two-tone kitchen design. Dura Supreme Cabinetry is excited to introduce NEW Stainless Steel Drawers and Roll-Out Shelves for their Bria Cabinetry (Frameless / Full-Access product line). For a limited time, this new metal drawer system is available exclusively from Dura Supreme as they partnered with Blum to be the first American manufacturer to bring it to market. Dura Supreme’s Stainless Steel Drawers and Roll-Out Shelves are an attractive option for any kitchen design. Sleek, double-wall, stainless steel sides are only ½” thick and work with many of Dura Supreme’s wood drawer accessories, as well as the coordinating gray metal accessories designed specifically for Stainless Steel drawers. Concealed, undermount glides are integrated into the sides and are self-closing with a soft-close feature. Our new Stainless Steel drawer option provides a contemporary alternative to our classic Maple dovetailed drawer. For homeowners that favor Transitional or Contemporary styling, this sleek, high-performance drawer system will be ideal! Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure Find a Dura Supreme Showroom in your area: http://www.durasupreme.com/dealer-locator Want to become a Dura Supreme Dealer? Go to: http://www.durasupreme.com/new-dealer-inquiry To view a video and more info about this product go to: http://www.durasupreme.com/storage-solutions/stainless-steel-drawers-roll-outs

The traditional lazy Susan is a time-tested solution for making your corner cabinets more accessible. Installed in either an upper or lower cabinet, a lazy Susan can create better organization, better visibility and better accessibility to all of your stored items.

The traditional lazy Susan is a time-tested solution for making your corner cabinets more accessible. Installed in either an upper or lower cabinet, a lazy Susan can create better organization, better visibility and better accessibility to all of your stored items.

Pull out shelves provide fantastic pantry organization! Kitchen Designed by Galen Clemmer of Kountry Kraft
Inspiration for an industrial l-shaped kitchen pantry remodel in Philadelphia with white cabinets and an island