This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Jeffrey Bale
This is an example of an eclectic shade stone landscaping in Portland.

Example of a classic u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Exterior siding from Prodema. ProdEx is a pre-finished exterior wood faced panel. Stone veneer from Salado Quarry.
Huge modern two-story mixed siding flat roof idea in San Francisco

One of the most important things for the homeowners was to maintain the look and feel of the home. The architect felt that the addition should be about continuity, riffing on the idea of symmetry rather than asymmetry. This approach shows off exceptional craftsmanship in the framing of the hip and gable roofs. And while most of the home was going to be touched or manipulated in some way, the front porch, walls and part of the roof remained the same. The homeowners continued with the craftsman style inside, but added their own east coast flare and stylish furnishings. The mix of materials, pops of color and retro touches bring youth to the spaces. Photography by Tre Dunham

New Yorkers are always on the prowl for innovative ways to make the most of the space they have. An upper east side couple, challenged with a slightly narrow L shaped apartment sought out Decor Aid’s help to make the most of their Manhattan condo. Paired with one of our senior designer, Kimberly P., we learned that the clients wanted a space that looked beautiful, comfortable and also packed with functionality for everyday living. “Immediately upon seeing the space, I knew that we needed to create a narrative that allowed the design to control how you moved through the space,” reports Kimberly, senior interior designer. After surveying each room and learning a bit more about their personal style, we started with the living room remodel. It was clear that the couple wanted to infuse mid-century modern into the design plan. Sourcing the Room & Board Jasper Sofa with its narrow arms and tapered legs, it offered the mid-century look, with the modern comfort the clients are used to. Velvet accent pillows from West Elm and Crate & Barrel add pops of colors but also a subtle touch of luxury, while framed pictures from the couple’s honeymoon personalize the space. Moving to the dining room next, Kimberly decided to add a blue accent wall to emphasize the Horchow two piece Percussion framed art that was to be the focal point of the dining area. The Seno sideboard from Article perfectly accentuated the mid-century style the clients loved while providing much-needed storage space. The palette used throughout both rooms were very New York style, grays, blues, beiges, and whites, to add depth, Kimberly sourced decorative pieces in a mixture of different metals. “The artwork above their bureau in the bedroom is photographs that her father took,” Moving into the bedroom renovation, our designer made sure to continue to stick to the client’s style preference while once again creating a personalized, warm and comforting space by including the photographs taken by the client’s father. The Avery bed added texture and complimented the other colors in the room, while a hidden drawer at the foot pulls out for attached storage, which thrilled the clients. A deco-inspired Faceted mirror from West Elm was a perfect addition to the bedroom due to the illusion of space it provides. The result was a bedroom that was full of mid-century design, personality, and area so they can freely move around. The project resulted in the form of a layered mid-century modern design with touches of luxury but a space that can not only be lived in but serves as an extension of the people who live there. Our designer was able to take a very narrowly shaped Manhattan apartment and revamp it into a spacious home that is great for sophisticated entertaining or comfortably lazy nights in.

Example of a minimalist u-shaped kitchen design in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and marble backsplash

Fu-Tung Cheng, CHENG Design • Front Entryway of House 6 concrete and wood home. House 6, is Cheng Design’s sixth custom home project, was redesigned and constructed from top-to-bottom. The project represents a major career milestone thanks to the unique and innovative use of concrete, as this residence is one of Cheng Design’s first-ever ‘hybrid’ structures, constructed as a combination of wood and concrete. Photography: Matthew Millman

Dress your Home with Silestone® Eternal Collection & Williams Sonoma and get a $150 gift card: https://www.silestoneusa.com/silestone-eternal-williams-sonoma/ Eternal Calacatta Gold

With tall ceilings, an impressive stone fireplace, and original wooden beams, this home in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago, had plenty of character and a style that felt coastal. Six months into the purchase of their home, this family of six contacted Alessia Loffredo and Sarah Coscarelli of ReDesign Home to complete their home’s renovation by tackling the kitchen. “Surprisingly, the kitchen was the one room in the home that lacked interest due to a challenging layout between kitchen, butler pantry, and pantry,” the designer shared, “the cabinetry was not proportionate to the space’s large footprint and height. None of the house’s architectural features were introduced into kitchen aside from the wooden beams crossing the room throughout the main floor including the family room.” She moved the pantry door closer to the prepping and cooking area while converting the former butler pantry a bar. Alessia designed an oversized hood around the stove to counterbalance the impressive stone fireplace located at the opposite side of the living space. She then wanted to include functionality, using Trim Tech‘s cabinets, featuring a pair with retractable doors, for easy access, flanking both sides of the range. The client had asked for an island that would be larger than the original in their space – Alessia made the smart decision that if it was to increase in size it shouldn’t increase in visual weight and designed it with legs, raised above the floor. Made out of steel, by Wayward Machine Co., along with a marble-replicating porcelain countertop, it was designed with durability in mind to withstand anything that her client’s four children would throw at it. Finally, she added finishing touches to the space in the form of brass hardware from Katonah Chicago, with similar toned wall lighting and faucet.

Reverse Shed Eichler This project is part tear-down, part remodel. The original L-shaped plan allowed the living/ dining/ kitchen wing to be completely re-built while retaining the shell of the bedroom wing virtually intact. The rebuilt entertainment wing was enlarged 50% and covered with a low-slope reverse-shed roof sloping from eleven to thirteen feet. The shed roof floats on a continuous glass clerestory with eight foot transom. Cantilevered steel frames support wood roof beams with eaves of up to ten feet. An interior glass clerestory separates the kitchen and livingroom for sound control. A wall-to-wall skylight illuminates the north wall of the kitchen/family room. New additions at the back of the house add several “sliding” wall planes, where interior walls continue past full-height windows to the exterior, complimenting the typical Eichler indoor-outdoor ceiling and floor planes. The existing bedroom wing has been re-configured on the interior, changing three small bedrooms into two larger ones, and adding a guest suite in part of the original garage. A previous den addition provided the perfect spot for a large master ensuite bath and walk-in closet. Natural materials predominate, with fir ceilings, limestone veneer fireplace walls, anigre veneer cabinets, fir sliding windows and interior doors, bamboo floors, and concrete patios and walks. Landscape design by Bernard Trainor: www.bernardtrainor.com (see “Concrete Jungle” in April 2014 edition of Dwell magazine). Microsoft Media Center installation of the Year, 2008: www.cybermanor.com/ultimate_install.html (automated shades, radiant heating system, and lights, as well as security & sound).

A formidable pallet of Asian style plant species along with traditional bamboo construction and meandering stone and gravel pathways.
This is an example of an asian landscaping in San Francisco.

Large transitional white two-story gable roof photo in Dallas with a metal roof

Easton, Maryland Traditional Kitchen Design by #JenniferGilmer with a lake view http://gilmerkitchens.com/ Photography by Bob Narod

Photo Credit: Neil Landino, Counter Top: Connecticut Stone Calacatta Gold Honed Marble, Kitchen Sink: 39" Wide Risinger Double Bowl Fireclay, Paint Color: Benjamin Moore Arctic Gray 1577, Trim Color: Benjamin Moore White Dove, Kitchen Faucet: Perrin and Rowe Bridge Kitchen Faucet VIDEO BLOG, EPISODE 2 – FINDING THE PERFECT STONE Watch this happy client’s testimonial on how Connecticut Stone transformed her existing kitchen into a bright, beautiful and functional space.Featuring Calacatta Gold Marble and Carrara Marble. Video Link: https://youtu.be/hwbWNMFrAV0

Patrick Barta
Inspiration for a contemporary living room remodel in Seattle with a standard fireplace

Pecan hardwood flooring, Kohler vessel sinks, Newport brass fixtures, Restoration Hardware lighting, barn siding vanity wall. Woodland cabinetry
Bathroom - rustic bathroom idea in Los Angeles with a vessel sink, dark wood cabinets, shaker cabinets and marble countertops

Example of a transitional gray two-story stone exterior home design in Baltimore with a hip roof and a mixed material roof

The family purchased the 1950s ranch on Mullet Lake because their daughter dreamed of being married on its shores. The home would be used for the wedding venue and then as a wedding gift to the young couple. We were originally hired in August 2014 to help with a simple renovation of the home that was to be completed well in advance of the August 2015 wedding date. However, thorough investigation revealed significant issues with the original foundation, floor framing and other critical elements of the home’s structure that made that impossible. Based on this information, the family decided to tear down and build again. So now we were tasked with designing a new home that would embody their daughter’s vision of a storybook home – a vision inspired by another one of our projects that she had toured. To capture this aesthetic, traditional cottage materials such as stone and cedar shakes are accentuated by more materials such as reclaimed barn wood siding and corrugated CORTEN steel accent roofs. Inside, interior finishes include hand-hewn timber accents that frame openings and highlight features like the entrance reading nook. Natural materials shine against white walls and simply furnished rooms. While the house has nods to vintage style throughout, the open-plan kitchen and living area allows for both contemporary living and entertaining. We were able to capture their daughter’s vision and the home was completed on time for her big day. - Jacqueline Southby Photography