Photo credit: PDET Photography, Pawel Dmytrow Designed for a home in the Chicago suburbs, this kitchen was created around the client’s desire for clean, minimal lines, visual balance, and highly functional storage. A warm, high-end European textured TFL brings depth and natural character to the cabinetry, with careful grain matching from panel to panel reinforcing the seamless, tailored appearance. Floating shelves were introduced to break up the cabinetry and create a lighter composition, while integrated dimmable lighting adds warmth and ambiance—especially important given the kitchen’s connection to the surrounding great room. Function was considered at every level. A custom utensil storage solution was stained to coordinate with the cabinetry finish, while a concealed integrated outlet in the island keeps everyday power readily available without interrupting the clean exterior. Generous drawer and pantry storage maximize usability, including a reduced-depth pantry positioned near the window to provide additional capacity without unnecessarily projecting into the room or compromising natural light. Every element—from proportions and lighting to storage, material transitions, and grain direction—was considered to create a kitchen that feels calm, cohesive, and deliberately understated.

Photo credit: PDET Photography, Pawel Dmytrow Designed for a home in the Chicago suburbs, this kitchen was created around the client’s desire for clean, minimal lines, visual balance, and highly functional storage. A warm, high-end European textured TFL brings depth and natural character to the cabinetry, with careful grain matching from panel to panel reinforcing the seamless, tailored appearance. Floating shelves were introduced to break up the cabinetry and create a lighter composition, while integrated dimmable lighting adds warmth and ambiance—especially important given the kitchen’s connection to the surrounding great room. Function was considered at every level. A custom utensil storage solution was stained to coordinate with the cabinetry finish, while a concealed integrated outlet in the island keeps everyday power readily available without interrupting the clean exterior. Generous drawer and pantry storage maximize usability, including a reduced-depth pantry positioned near the window to provide additional capacity without unnecessarily projecting into the room or compromising natural light. Every element—from proportions and lighting to storage, material transitions, and grain direction—was considered to create a kitchen that feels calm, cohesive, and deliberately understated.

With all the benefits of Karndean LooseLay, yet in extra-long plank format, Champagne Oak is quick and easy to install and perfect for spaces where you’re looking to reduce the transfer of noise. Like all Karndean products, it is also a low maintenance option for busy family homes.

In this modest-sized master bathroom, modern and farmhouse are bound together with a white and gray color palette, accented with pops of natural wood. Floor-to-ceiling subway tiles and a frameless glass shower door provide a classic, open feel to a once-confined space. A barnwood-framed mirror, industrial hardware, exposed lightbulbs, and wood and pipe shelving complete the industrial look, while a carrara marble countertop and glazed porcelain floor tiles add a touch of luxury. We were hesitant to add a custom bench seat in the shower, as we didn’t want to reduce the usable shower space in an already modest-sized bathroom, so we opted for a natural teak shower bench. A small niche was also added to store bath and body products. Photo Credit: Nina Leone Photography

The shower features a tiled-in linear drain, and the large niche adds height and drama, Photo by Michael J Lee
Transitional gray tile and white tile alcove shower photo in Denver with white walls and a hinged shower door

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Presenting the first Carbon Neutral collection by Silestone®. A commitment to sustainability in which we reduce and offset the emissions of the manufacturing process with reforestation projects. Sunlit Days is inspired by the evocative Mediterranean shades of a unique lifestyle.

Transitional deck photo in Sacramento with no cover

We used a beautiful and earthy sage green on the cabinets, warm wood on the floors, island, floatng shelves, and back of glass cabinets for added warmth.

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

This home has been through many transformations throughout the decades. It originally was built as a ranch style in the 1970’s. Then converted into a two-story with in-law apartment in the 1980’s. In 2015, the new homeowners wished to take this to the next level and create a modern beauty in the heart of suburbia. Photography: Jame R. Salomon

Modern Kitchen
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, paneled appliances and an island

Via our website "This 20' × 30' prefab cabin kit is a large post and beam model that comes with design options to create a functional space to suit a variety of needs. This kit has a versatile frame that can be set up as a cabin, cold storage, two or three bay garage, living quarters, as a livestock barn or any combination of. This particular cabin kit is a favorite as a 1,200 square foot tiny house. As a Two Bay Garage, the space creates room for your cars and workshop. As a 20' × 30' Barn, it can shelter horses, cows, goats, and sheep with enough room for tack and grain while the standard full loft makes great hay storage."

This is a beauty! Allheart Redwood wood with a Dark Walnut stain. Includes archway over tabletop and diamond bin, curved corners with waterfall racks leading down. With a beautiful wine room chandelier. "Eric Flores was very helpful with hints and videos. The racks assembled quite well as the components' quality was very consistent. The nail gun really reduced assembly time. A nail would occasionally go slightly to the side due to wood grain and would have to be redone. This was probably less than one percent. Overall, I would give the kits a 9.5 /10.0. The room is 8'-10" x 11'- 8" with 2x6 wall studs, sprayed foam insulation, and an exterior "speak-easy" door. We are using a WhisperKool through-the-wall unit with a bottle probe holding 60 degrees F and 50% humidity. The fun part was the trip to Healdsburg (Sonoma County) to stock up on their local award winning Cabs, Zinns, PNs, & Chards."

Via our website "This 20' × 30' prefab cabin kit is a large post and beam model that comes with design options to create a functional space to suit a variety of needs. This kit has a versatile frame that can be set up as a cabin, cold storage, two or three bay garage, living quarters, as a livestock barn or any combination of. This particular cabin kit is a favorite as a 1,200 square foot tiny house. As a Two Bay Garage, the space creates room for your cars and workshop. As a 20' × 30' Barn, it can shelter horses, cows, goats, and sheep with enough room for tack and grain while the standard full loft makes great hay storage."

Form and function intertwined with this acoustic slat panel guest bedroom installation. With its light, neutral tone and even grain pattern, Parchment Oak acoustic slat panels were the perfect choice to elevate this room without being intrusive. The room is small, and anything darker would have made it feel boxed in, but this color was the perfect choice. Echoes and room reverberations were dramatically reduced with these panels, which really helped make it a more welcoming environment to guests. Luxe LED lights were installed to serve as mood lighting and a reading lamp. The seamless nature of the slat panels made it possible to create a hidden door to the bathroom, a unique and impressive final touch to the accent wall.

Kitchen Design by Ralph Katz Photos by Nettie Einhorn
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and two islands

Form and function intertwined with this acoustic slat panel guest bedroom installation. With its light, neutral tone and even grain pattern, Parchment Oak acoustic slat panels were the perfect choice to elevate this room without being intrusive. The room is small, and anything darker would have made it feel boxed in, but this color was the perfect choice. Echoes and room reverberations were dramatically reduced with these panels, which really helped make it a more welcoming environment to guests. Luxe LED lights were installed to serve as mood lighting and a reading lamp. The seamless nature of the slat panels made it possible to create a hidden door to the bathroom, a unique and impressive final touch to the accent wall.

Photo: Tyler Van Stright, JLC Architecture Architect: JLC Architecture General Contractor: Naylor Construction Interior Design: KW Designs Cabinetry: Peter Vivian