Marni Epstein-Mervis © 2018 Houzz
Eclectic bedroom photo in Los Angeles

Jennifer and Dan have lived in their Deer Park Illinois home for 15 years, slowly making minor fixes like painting and decorating; but they had a new plan for their kitchen the entire time. An awkwardly placed garage door, and an island cooktop with a terrible downdraft made a full-scale kitchen remodel an absolute must. Jennifer had many ideas in mind and wanted to work with a company that could provide high-end work, while partnering with a designer that would tailor the kitchen to her ideas. She was intrigued by the phrase “Common Sense Remodeling” in Advance Design’s feature she discovered while perusing an issue of the community’s Quintessential Barrington Magazine. Doing further research on the company’s website, as she looked through project profiles and read about Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling” philosophy, she promptly scheduled an appointment to see if the people and ideas she read about were truly who they said they were. The more she read, the more she knew that the “Common Sense” approach to remodeling they described was exactly the type of company she was looking for. The partnership was sealed after an initial consultation with Owner Todd Jurs and Project Designer Michelle Lecinski. They displayed a combination of friendliness, professionalism and respect that was unmatched by any of the other companies Jennifer talked to. She knew that with Advance Design, she would be able to retain the vision that she had in mind with high-quality craftsmanship. “I reached out to Advance Design because of the ‘Common Sense Remodeling’ tagline,” Jennifer said. “That’s what lingered for me”. “Advance Design was the most respectful- of the house and of my design ideas, and the most professional of the handful of companies that looked at my project”. Soon after the meeting Jennifer began working with Michelle on the project design. They quickly developed chemistry. Jennifer loved how Michelle researched and located every detail that Jennifer wanted for the kitchen. Between the two of them, every concept and idea was worked through and perfected. “Jennifer had definite ideas about what she wanted the new kitchen to look like, she just didn’t know how to bring it all together. We worked together really well to make her ideas into the practical reality necessary for a well-functioning kitchen, with the look and feel that she had envisioned”, says Michelle. “Michelle was wonderful in using the CAD system she would show me new drawings every time we changed the layout while working through the design,” Jennifer said. “She was a really wonderful partner in execution, she made sure everything happened quickly and easily.” The finished design drew out elements of Jennifer’s style and personality. The pair call the look “sophisticated farmhouse” to describe the kitchen renovation to family and friends. The result was a beautifully crafted, authentic-feeling space that satisfied Jennifer’s dreams 15 years in the making. The whole project consisted of a kitchen remodel, mudroom upgrade with powder room, and garage entry relocation. “The projects I personally like the best, are the ones that put the client’s dreams on display,” Project Designer Michelle said. “And this is one of those projects.” The main focal point of the kitchen is custom zinc and brass ventilation hood with a vintage sheen, which was hand made to order by a small company in Indiana named Vogler Metalworking. “It’s like sculpture, a true work of art”, says Jennifer. Your eye is immediately drawn towards this elegant yet practical hood that eliminated the home’s downdraft problem and added a striking conversation piece at the same time. The carpenters had to use special gloves when transporting and installing it, so they didn’t smudge it with fingerprints. The beautiful hood centers proudly over the stunning black enamel and brass LaCornue Range. “I had a friend who had a LaCornue range and after learning how easy it was to cook perfect meals, I was convinced I wanted to have one”, says Jennifer. This unique, breathtaking combination anchors the entire kitchen and is apparent immediately as you walk into the great room the surrounds the space. DuraSupreme Crestwood cabinets with a Kendall Panel add function and sophistication. A custom gray paint color paired with a storm blue was developed so that the new kitchen looked like it belonged to the existing space. Unlacquered brass faucets and hardware were important to Jennifer because she wanted the living finishes to age over time. Remarkable brass diamond mesh cabinet door inserts imported from the UK continue to add this one-of-a-kind kitchen renovation; giving it a “you won’t see this everywhere” quality. The use of old railcar flooring for the coffee bar countertop and reclaimed oak for the open shelving gives an authenticity to the space uncommon in kitchens today. Jennifer and Michelle fell in love with the Limestone Grey Stone while they were investigating unique island countertop ideas. They liked the fact that the limestone as a living finish will age and change over time. Calcutta Miel Quartz countertops made for an excellent pairing around the perimeter, as it’s durable and perfect for cooking preparations. A textured white subway tile backsplash that runs to the ceiling keeps your eye moving towards the open shelving, and to the main focal point of the stunning range hood combination. “The kitchen functions beautifully, and it’s gorgeous,” beams Jennifer as she gestures with both hands while smiling ear to ear. “The most important thing was I wanted a kitchen that had a wonderful flow, cooked beautiful meals and was a great gathering place for family and friends, and this space does that perfectly! Beauty wise, it turned out exactly how I had envisioned. I felt the function part was the hardest part, and that was nailed”! Relocating the garage entry to the new mudroom was a huge priority and has finally separated the family’s arriving home functions from their kitchen. Now coats and shoes and bags have their own area for dropping once members arrive home. Matching gray DuraSupreme cabinetry helped create gorgeous, purposeful lockers for the family. A reclaimed vintage sink and custom wall paper were added to the tiny powder room to beautify the once previously only functional space. Advance Design was even able to create a custom space for their dog to sleep while the family is away. “It was unbelievable that a project of this size was completed in such a short time, and I think that’s because of the large amount of planning and preparation that went into it,” Jennifer marveled, “When we started, we were ready, and everything was prepared”. When it came to execution, Project Manager Justin Davis and his crew were quick, accessible, and organized. Projects like this kitchen are typically completed in as little as 8-10 weeks. Jennifer’s kitchen however despite the relocation of some challenging HVAC in a soffit and moving of an exterior door was completed remarkably fast in part because the team was working with an existing tile floor that ran throughout the first floor that the client really loved. “You get to know these people really well because they’re living in your house while you’re living in your house. They were so fast and really good, it didn’t take as long as even planned” reported Jennifer. “I would text Justin and he always responded almost immediately. I got to know all the guys who were working in our house and they were all wonderful people”. Details in a customized kitchen like this one require skill and care from the people who install it. “All the guys on the job were skilled at what the did. I wanted small details like little feet to look like furniture, that is where their carpentry skill came in to make these all perfect”, said Jennifer. “The tile guys were wonderful. They even let me determine how I wanted the texture with the grout to appear for a salt and pepper look; now that is a very skilled trade person making it custom”. In Jennifer’s interview, she continued to reference Advance Design’s “Common Sense Remodeling”, so I took a minute to ask her exactly what that phrase meant to her and how it played out in her experience with her project and the Advance Design team. Here is what she said: “I was intrigued about Common Sense Remodeling and in my head that there would be clear costs and prices, great communication between the design team, the execution team and me”, said Jennifer. They did deliver on that, it was so clear about the cost breakdown, what I could expect from everyone who came to my house, and everything that we had ordered. That to me is the Common Sense”! It’s great to see a client take literally our assertion that a well-planned remodeling project is simply “Common Sense”! She anticipated each step of the way would be clear, concise, and predictable, all the while protecting the outcome due to the careful upfront planning. “Advance Design delivered on their ‘Common Sense Remodeling’ promise,” Jennifer said. “From the design team, to the execution team - everything was straight forward like I imagined. The project turned out exactly how I envisioned, I enjoyed this process and absolutely would recommend Advance Design Studio to anyone.”

Hi everyone, I'm Sarah and Ogun we are here with fine line kitchens. So we are a couple working together. I do the interior design and remodeling of the space material selection meeting with the clients. And I handled operations outside, you know meaning all the construction work that is taking place the inside. The houses that we work in. I handle all the aspects of the construction, so today's project is very special. We're in Vienna and the client had a very big family. It's a family of seven that lives here. So we had a few aspects that we needed to keep in mind while designing this one. Having everybody be able to sit on the island. So we wanted plenty of seating all the way around. We didn't want anybody standing or anything like that. So what we did is we maximize the space. The center island is the biggest part of the kitchen. We use a natural stone to kind of give it a beautiful texture versus quartz. It's kind of standard white or kind of fabricated, so I wanted something very natural. We did this because I took my inspiration from the outside, so the inspiration if you look at the view right in front of me is there are so many greens there's a lot of brass accents and I wanted to bring this. Into this kitchen while designing it for my clients. She is very warm very. She wanted a very homey, comfy kind of look for the kitchen. So that's what we did today. As you can see, the cabinets are sage green, very light, so I still think it's a neutral, but it's a lighter color that again brings the outside in and we combine that with the oak right behind me so it's a slightly warm oak. It's not very dark. It's not very light. It's a medium brown and the same color went on the island. To kind of tie these two in and the backsplash, my favorite part is where you can see a little bit of design. It is, in my opinion still classic, but includes a pattern so the outside part is as we said in the beginning, is handled by my husband. I'd like him to speak a little bit about that. Thanks, Sarah, I want to talk to you guys a little bit about the construction part of this project. Originally this kitchen was located mostly in this area. They had their stove there sing. It was more of a peninsula layout in Sarah's and the customer vision they wanted. They wanted to get rid of the peninsula and they want to be able to have a huge island that can at least sit seven people because they're familiar with seven. So we wanted to make sure that we can achieve this design and bring it to life so that they can be happy with this layout. Some of the challenges we had, the house, the home being, you know, old home. There were a lot of you know the older electrical and plumbing that had to be replaced. We had to relocate the stove from here to this area. Over here we had put a nice foot fan that we had to relocate all the ductwork and the plumbing. Was being on the peninsula area. We had to relocate it to the center islands. So we achieved all this and kind of like bring it to bring in this kitchen up to date it looks beautiful. That's true, so yes, the old layout did not function for my clients because everything was kind of gathered on one side of the kitchen. So there was like a peninsula right there. So the end of this island kind of continued straight. And that was just the L shape. Kind of where everything was and there used to be another big table here, so they were using only kind of half of the space. So like I said at the beginning, our vision was to kind of feed everybody at the island, create some symmetry. 'cause I love that. So as you can see behind me, this is kind of the focal point symmetrical. Everything is kind of even we wanted to also panel the fridge here so it mimics the pantry and another size. So when you're looking at it, it is bringing again that symmetry back again. I hope you enjoyed this kitchen and this video and I'll see you soon. So how do you think this project turned out? It's nice. I like the color. I think it turned out nice. It's kind of like a little bit different color than what we always do. So I realize. Are you giving me a little bit of credit here that I did something different? Are you proud? I'm so proud of you. Other than that I like it. That they have kind of like a two sink. So if this was our kitchen, if we ever like you can have your own. I can have mine if we ever get into a fight then this can be like my own kitchen. Why are we gonna bring in a fight right now? So I'm cooking anyway. You're grilling most of the time, So what are you even talking about? My kitchen? That's my kitchen. You can just take the small sink. That's fine. It's always good to have your own space right there, so anyways. Thank you guys for watching. We hope to see you soon and if you have any questions please click the link below. It'll lead you to our website, house, YouTube and all of the social media is so nice to have you guys. We'll see you soon. Thanks bye bye-bye.

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW As with most projects, it all started with the kitchen layout. The home owners came to us wanting to upgrade their kitchen and overall aesthetic in their suburban home, with a combination of fresh paint, updated finishes, and improved flow for more ease when doing everyday activities. A monochromatic, earth-toned palette left the kitchen feeling uninspired. It lacked the brightness they wanted from their space. An eat-in table underutilized the available square footage. The butler’s pantry was out of the way and hard to access, and the dining room felt detached from the kitchen. Lead Designer, Stephanie Cole, saw an improved layout for the spaces that were no longer working for this family. By eliminating an existing wall between the kitchen and dining room, and relocating the bar area to the dining room, we opened up the kitchen, providing all the space we needed to create a dreamy and functional layout. A new perimeter configuration promoted circulation while also making space for a large and functional island loaded with seating – a must for any family. Because an island that isn’t big enough for everyone (and a few more) is a recipe for disaster. The light white cabinetry is fresh and contrasts with the deeper tones in the wood flooring, creating a modern aesthetic that is elevated, yet approachable for everyday living. With better flow as the overarching goal, we made some structural changes too. To remove a bottleneck in the entryway, we angled one of the dining room walls to create more natural separation between rooms and facilitate ease of movement throughout the large space. At The Kitchen Studio, we believe a well-designed kitchen uses every square inch to the fullest. By starting from scratch, it was possible to rethink the entire kitchen layout and design the space according to how it is used, because the kitchen shouldn’t make it harder to feed the family. A new location for the existing range, flanked by a new column refrigerator and freezer on each side, worked to anchor the space. The very large and very spacious island (a dream island if we do say so ourselves) now houses the primary sink and provides ample space for food prep and family gathering. The new kitchen table and coordinating banquette seating provide a cozy nook for quick breakfasts before school or work, and evening homework sessions. Elegant gold details catch the natural light, elevating the aesthetic. The dining room was transformed into one of this client’s favorite spaces and we couldn’t agree more. We saw an opportunity to give the dining room a more distinguished identity by closing off the entrance from the foyer. The relocated wet bar enhances the sophisticated vibe of this gathering space, complete with beautiful antique mirror tiles and open shelving encased by moody built-in cabinets. Updated furnishings add warmth. A rich walnut table is paired with custom chairs in a muted coral fabric. The large, transitional chandelier grounds the room, pairing beautifully with the gold finishes prevalent in the faucet and cabinet hardware. Linen-inspired wallpaper and cream-toned window treatments add to the glamorous feel of this entertainment space. There is no way around it. The laundry room was cramped. The large washer and dryer blocked access to the sink and left little room for the space to serve its other essential function – as a mudroom. Because we reworked the kitchen layout to create more space overall, we could rethink the mudroom too – an essential for any busy family. The first step was moving the washer and dryer to an existing area on the second floor, where most of the family’s laundry lives (no one wants to carry laundry up and down the stairs if they don’t have to anyway). This is a more functional solution and opened up the space for all the mudroom necessities – including the existing kitchen refrigerator, loads of built-in cubbies, and a bench. It’s hard to not fall in love with every detail of a new space, especially when it serves your day-to-day life. But that doesn’t mean the clients didn’t have their favorite features they use on the daily. This remodel was focused largely on function with a new kitchen layout. And it’s the functional features that have the biggest impact. The large island provides much needed workspace in the kitchen and is a spot where everyone gathers together – it grounds the space and the family. And the custom counter stools are the icing on the cake. The nearby mudroom has everything their previous space was lacking – ample storage, space for everyone’s essentials, and the beloved cement floor tiles that are both durable and artistic.

We love organized shoes!! Located in Colorado. We will travel. Storage solution provided by the Closet Factory. Budget varies.
Walk-in closet - large traditional women's carpeted walk-in closet idea in Denver with open cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Hi everyone, I'm Sarah and Ogun we are here with fine line kitchens. So we are a couple working together. I do the interior design and remodeling of the space material selection meeting with the clients. And I handled operations outside, you know meaning all the construction work that is taking place the inside. The houses that we work in. I handle all the aspects of the construction, so today's project is very special. We're in Vienna and the client had a very big family. It's a family of seven that lives here. So we had a few aspects that we needed to keep in mind while designing this one. Having everybody be able to sit on the island. So we wanted plenty of seating all the way around. We didn't want anybody standing or anything like that. So what we did is we maximize the space. The center island is the biggest part of the kitchen. We use a natural stone to kind of give it a beautiful texture versus quartz. It's kind of standard white or kind of fabricated, so I wanted something very natural. We did this because I took my inspiration from the outside, so the inspiration if you look at the view right in front of me is there are so many greens there's a lot of brass accents and I wanted to bring this. Into this kitchen while designing it for my clients. She is very warm very. She wanted a very homey, comfy kind of look for the kitchen. So that's what we did today. As you can see, the cabinets are sage green, very light, so I still think it's a neutral, but it's a lighter color that again brings the outside in and we combine that with the oak right behind me so it's a slightly warm oak. It's not very dark. It's not very light. It's a medium brown and the same color went on the island. To kind of tie these two in and the backsplash, my favorite part is where you can see a little bit of design. It is, in my opinion still classic, but includes a pattern so the outside part is as we said in the beginning, is handled by my husband. I'd like him to speak a little bit about that. Thanks, Sarah, I want to talk to you guys a little bit about the construction part of this project. Originally this kitchen was located mostly in this area. They had their stove there sing. It was more of a peninsula layout in Sarah's and the customer vision they wanted. They wanted to get rid of the peninsula and they want to be able to have a huge island that can at least sit seven people because they're familiar with seven. So we wanted to make sure that we can achieve this design and bring it to life so that they can be happy with this layout. Some of the challenges we had, the house, the home being, you know, old home. There were a lot of you know the older electrical and plumbing that had to be replaced. We had to relocate the stove from here to this area. Over here we had put a nice foot fan that we had to relocate all the ductwork and the plumbing. Was being on the peninsula area. We had to relocate it to the center islands. So we achieved all this and kind of like bring it to bring in this kitchen up to date it looks beautiful. That's true, so yes, the old layout did not function for my clients because everything was kind of gathered on one side of the kitchen. So there was like a peninsula right there. So the end of this island kind of continued straight. And that was just the L shape. Kind of where everything was and there used to be another big table here, so they were using only kind of half of the space. So like I said at the beginning, our vision was to kind of feed everybody at the island, create some symmetry. 'cause I love that. So as you can see behind me, this is kind of the focal point symmetrical. Everything is kind of even we wanted to also panel the fridge here so it mimics the pantry and another size. So when you're looking at it, it is bringing again that symmetry back again. I hope you enjoyed this kitchen and this video and I'll see you soon. So how do you think this project turned out? It's nice. I like the color. I think it turned out nice. It's kind of like a little bit different color than what we always do. So I realize. Are you giving me a little bit of credit here that I did something different? Are you proud? I'm so proud of you. Other than that I like it. That they have kind of like a two sink. So if this was our kitchen, if we ever like you can have your own. I can have mine if we ever get into a fight then this can be like my own kitchen. Why are we gonna bring in a fight right now? So I'm cooking anyway. You're grilling most of the time, So what are you even talking about? My kitchen? That's my kitchen. You can just take the small sink. That's fine. It's always good to have your own space right there, so anyways. Thank you guys for watching. We hope to see you soon and if you have any questions please click the link below. It'll lead you to our website, house, YouTube and all of the social media is so nice to have you guys. We'll see you soon. Thanks bye bye-bye.

Hi everyone, I'm Sarah and Ogun we are here with fine line kitchens. So we are a couple working together. I do the interior design and remodeling of the space material selection meeting with the clients. And I handled operations outside, you know meaning all the construction work that is taking place the inside. The houses that we work in. I handle all the aspects of the construction, so today's project is very special. We're in Vienna and the client had a very big family. It's a family of seven that lives here. So we had a few aspects that we needed to keep in mind while designing this one. Having everybody be able to sit on the island. So we wanted plenty of seating all the way around. We didn't want anybody standing or anything like that. So what we did is we maximize the space. The center island is the biggest part of the kitchen. We use a natural stone to kind of give it a beautiful texture versus quartz. It's kind of standard white or kind of fabricated, so I wanted something very natural. We did this because I took my inspiration from the outside, so the inspiration if you look at the view right in front of me is there are so many greens there's a lot of brass accents and I wanted to bring this. Into this kitchen while designing it for my clients. She is very warm very. She wanted a very homey, comfy kind of look for the kitchen. So that's what we did today. As you can see, the cabinets are sage green, very light, so I still think it's a neutral, but it's a lighter color that again brings the outside in and we combine that with the oak right behind me so it's a slightly warm oak. It's not very dark. It's not very light. It's a medium brown and the same color went on the island. To kind of tie these two in and the backsplash, my favorite part is where you can see a little bit of design. It is, in my opinion still classic, but includes a pattern so the outside part is as we said in the beginning, is handled by my husband. I'd like him to speak a little bit about that. Thanks, Sarah, I want to talk to you guys a little bit about the construction part of this project. Originally this kitchen was located mostly in this area. They had their stove there sing. It was more of a peninsula layout in Sarah's and the customer vision they wanted. They wanted to get rid of the peninsula and they want to be able to have a huge island that can at least sit seven people because they're familiar with seven. So we wanted to make sure that we can achieve this design and bring it to life so that they can be happy with this layout. Some of the challenges we had, the house, the home being, you know, old home. There were a lot of you know the older electrical and plumbing that had to be replaced. We had to relocate the stove from here to this area. Over here we had put a nice foot fan that we had to relocate all the ductwork and the plumbing. Was being on the peninsula area. We had to relocate it to the center islands. So we achieved all this and kind of like bring it to bring in this kitchen up to date it looks beautiful. That's true, so yes, the old layout did not function for my clients because everything was kind of gathered on one side of the kitchen. So there was like a peninsula right there. So the end of this island kind of continued straight. And that was just the L shape. Kind of where everything was and there used to be another big table here, so they were using only kind of half of the space. So like I said at the beginning, our vision was to kind of feed everybody at the island, create some symmetry. 'cause I love that. So as you can see behind me, this is kind of the focal point symmetrical. Everything is kind of even we wanted to also panel the fridge here so it mimics the pantry and another size. So when you're looking at it, it is bringing again that symmetry back again. I hope you enjoyed this kitchen and this video and I'll see you soon. So how do you think this project turned out? It's nice. I like the color. I think it turned out nice. It's kind of like a little bit different color than what we always do. So I realize. Are you giving me a little bit of credit here that I did something different? Are you proud? I'm so proud of you. Other than that I like it. That they have kind of like a two sink. So if this was our kitchen, if we ever like you can have your own. I can have mine if we ever get into a fight then this can be like my own kitchen. Why are we gonna bring in a fight right now? So I'm cooking anyway. You're grilling most of the time, So what are you even talking about? My kitchen? That's my kitchen. You can just take the small sink. That's fine. It's always good to have your own space right there, so anyways. Thank you guys for watching. We hope to see you soon and if you have any questions please click the link below. It'll lead you to our website, house, YouTube and all of the social media is so nice to have you guys. We'll see you soon. Thanks bye bye-bye.

This transformation started with a builder grade bathroom and was expanded into a sauna wet room. With cedar walls and ceiling and a custom cedar bench, the sauna heats the space for a relaxing dry heat experience. The goal of this space was to create a sauna in the secondary bathroom and be as efficient as possible with the space. This bathroom transformed from a standard secondary bathroom to a ergonomic spa without impacting the functionality of the bedroom. This project was super fun, we were working inside of a guest bedroom, to create a functional, yet expansive bathroom. We started with a standard bathroom layout and by building out into the large guest bedroom that was used as an office, we were able to create enough square footage in the bathroom without detracting from the bedroom aesthetics or function. We worked with the client on her specific requests and put all of the materials into a 3D design to visualize the new space. Houzz Write Up: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/bathroom-of-the-week-stylish-spa-retreat-with-a-real-sauna-stsetivw-vs~168139419 The layout of the bathroom needed to change to incorporate the larger wet room/sauna. By expanding the room slightly it gave us the needed space to relocate the toilet, the vanity and the entrance to the bathroom allowing for the wet room to have the full length of the new space. This bathroom includes a cedar sauna room that is incorporated inside of the shower, the custom cedar bench follows the curvature of the room's new layout and a window was added to allow the natural sunlight to come in from the bedroom. The aromatic properties of the cedar are delightful whether it's being used with the dry sauna heat and also when the shower is steaming the space. In the shower are matching porcelain, marble-look tiles, with architectural texture on the shower walls contrasting with the warm, smooth cedar boards. Also, by increasing the depth of the toilet wall, we were able to create useful towel storage without detracting from the room significantly. This entire project and client was a joy to work with.

We used clear storage bins for various toys and crafts that are easily stored in bottom cabinets. We are located in Colorado, but would love to travel for you!

The basement batthroom is bright and open. There is plenty of room for the laundry facilities and additional cabinetry.
Corner shower - large traditional corner shower idea in Denver with beige walls, a vessel sink, shaker cabinets and green cabinets

The refrigerator and pantry were relocated making way for a beverage bar complete with refrigeration and a bar sink. Located out of the way of the kitchen work triangle, this dedicated space supports everything from morning coffee to cocktail prep for the adjoining dining room.

Even a small addition can improve the layout of your home! It only took adding a footprint of 155 square feet to transform our clients kitchen to the one of their dreams. By bumping out the back of the home, we were able to relocate the kitchen, giving them the island they hoped for and new windows looking out to the backyard. The old kitchen then got divided up to create a mudroom space just off of the garage and added space for the central dining room. The dining room also includes a pantry closet and separate coffee bar with built-in beverage fridge, providing even more storage. In the family room, we added walls to create a new opening into the dining room to help define the spaces. A new front window provides the missing sightline to the front yard and the relocated patio door greets you into the new screened in porch. Upstairs, we stacked the addition over the kitchen to give our clients a larger primary bathroom with plenty of storage and a large shower.

When my client had to move from her company office to work at home, she set up in the dining room. Despite her best efforts, this was not the long-term solution she was looking for. My client realized she needed a dedicated space not on the main floor of the home. On one hand, having your office space right next to the kitchen is handy. On the other hand, it made separating work and home life was not that easy. The house was a ranch. In essence, the basement would run entire length of the home. As we came down the steps, we entered a time capsule. The house was built in the 1950’s. The walls were covered with original knotty pine paneling. There was a wood burning fireplace and considering this was a basement, high ceilings. In addition, there was everything her family could not store at their own homes. As we wound though the space, I though “wow this has potential”, Eventually, after walking through the laundry room we came to a small nicely lit room. This would be the office. My client looked at me and asked what I thought. Undoubtedly, I said, this can be a great workspace, but do you really want to walk through this basement and laundry to get here? Without reservation, my client said where do we start? Once the design was in place, we started the renovation. The knotty pine paneling had to go. Specifically, to add some insulation and control the dampness and humidity. The laundry room wall was relocated to create a hallway to the office. At the far end of the room, we designated a workout zone. Weights, mats, exercise bike and television are at the ready for morning or afternoon workouts. The space can be concealed by a folding screen for party time. Doors to an old closet under the stairs were relocated to the workout area for hidden storage. Now we had nice wall for a beautiful console and mirror for storage and serving during parties. In order to add architectural details, we covered the old ugly support columns with simple recessed millwork panels. This detail created a visual division between the bar area and the seating area in front of the fireplace. The old red brick on the fireplace surround was replaced with stack stone. A mantle was made from reclaimed wood. Additional reclaimed wood floating shelves left and right of the fireplace provides decorative display while maintaining a rustic element balancing the copper end table and leather swivel rocker. We found an amazing rug which tied all of the colors together further defining the gathering space. Russet and burnt orange became the accent color unifying each space. With a bit of whimsy, a rather unusual light fixture which looks like roots from a tree growing through the ceiling is a conversation piece. The office space is quite and removed from the main part of the basement. There is a desk large enough for multiple screens, a small bookcase holding office supplies and a comfortable chair for conference calls. Because working from home requires many online meetings, we added a shiplap wall painted in Hale Navy to contrast with the orange fabric on the chair. We finished the décor with a painting from my client’s father. This is the background online visitors will see. The last and best part of the renovation is the beautiful bar. My client is an avid collector of wine. She already had the EuroCave refrigerator, so I incorporated it into the design. The cabinets are painted Temptation Grey from Benjamin Moore. The counter tops are my favorite hard working quartzite Brown Fantasy. The backsplash is a combination of rustic wood and old tin ceiling like porcelain tiles. Together with the textures of the reclaimed wood and hide poofs balanced against the smooth finish of the cabinets, we created a comfortable luxury for relaxing. There is ample storage for bottles, cans, glasses, and anything else you can think of for a great party. In addition to the wine storage, we incorporated a beverage refrigerator, an ice maker, and a sink. Floating shelves with integrated lighting illuminate the back bar. The raised height of the front bar provides the perfect wine tasting and paring spot. I especially love the pendant lights which look like wine glasses. Finally, I selected carpet for the stairs and office. It is perfect for noise reduction. Meanwhile for the overall flooring, I specifically selected a high-performance vinyl plank floor. We often use this product as it is perfect to install on a concrete floor. It is soft to walk on, easy to clean and does not reduce the overall height of the space.

A beautiful transitional design was created by removing the range and microwave and adding a cooktop, under counter oven and hood. The microwave was relocated and an under counter microwave was incorporated into the design. These appliances were moved to balance the design and create a perfect symmetry. Additionally the small appliances, coffee maker, blender and toaster were incorporated into the pantries to keep them hidden and the tops clean. The walls were removed to create a great room concept that not only makes the kitchen a larger area but also transmits an inviting design appeal. The master bath room had walls removed to accommodate a large double vanity. Toilet and shower was relocated to recreate a better design flow. Products used were Miralis matte shaker white cabinetry. An exotic jumbo marble was used on the island and quartz tops throughout to keep the clean look. The Final results of a gorgeous kitchen and bath

Kat Alves-Photography
Small cottage 3/4 multicolored tile and stone tile marble floor doorless shower photo in Sacramento with black cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops and flat-panel cabinets

Example of a minimalist u-shaped concrete floor, gray floor and wood ceiling kitchen design in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Hi everyone, I'm Sarah and Ogun we are here with fine line kitchens. So we are a couple working together. I do the interior design and remodeling of the space material selection meeting with the clients. And I handled operations outside, you know meaning all the construction work that is taking place the inside. The houses that we work in. I handle all the aspects of the construction, so today's project is very special. We're in Vienna and the client had a very big family. It's a family of seven that lives here. So we had a few aspects that we needed to keep in mind while designing this one. Having everybody be able to sit on the island. So we wanted plenty of seating all the way around. We didn't want anybody standing or anything like that. So what we did is we maximize the space. The center island is the biggest part of the kitchen. We use a natural stone to kind of give it a beautiful texture versus quartz. It's kind of standard white or kind of fabricated, so I wanted something very natural. We did this because I took my inspiration from the outside, so the inspiration if you look at the view right in front of me is there are so many greens there's a lot of brass accents and I wanted to bring this. Into this kitchen while designing it for my clients. She is very warm very. She wanted a very homey, comfy kind of look for the kitchen. So that's what we did today. As you can see, the cabinets are sage green, very light, so I still think it's a neutral, but it's a lighter color that again brings the outside in and we combine that with the oak right behind me so it's a slightly warm oak. It's not very dark. It's not very light. It's a medium brown and the same color went on the island. To kind of tie these two in and the backsplash, my favorite part is where you can see a little bit of design. It is, in my opinion still classic, but includes a pattern so the outside part is as we said in the beginning, is handled by my husband. I'd like him to speak a little bit about that. Thanks, Sarah, I want to talk to you guys a little bit about the construction part of this project. Originally this kitchen was located mostly in this area. They had their stove there sing. It was more of a peninsula layout in Sarah's and the customer vision they wanted. They wanted to get rid of the peninsula and they want to be able to have a huge island that can at least sit seven people because they're familiar with seven. So we wanted to make sure that we can achieve this design and bring it to life so that they can be happy with this layout. Some of the challenges we had, the house, the home being, you know, old home. There were a lot of you know the older electrical and plumbing that had to be replaced. We had to relocate the stove from here to this area. Over here we had put a nice foot fan that we had to relocate all the ductwork and the plumbing. Was being on the peninsula area. We had to relocate it to the center islands. So we achieved all this and kind of like bring it to bring in this kitchen up to date it looks beautiful. That's true, so yes, the old layout did not function for my clients because everything was kind of gathered on one side of the kitchen. So there was like a peninsula right there. So the end of this island kind of continued straight. And that was just the L shape. Kind of where everything was and there used to be another big table here, so they were using only kind of half of the space. So like I said at the beginning, our vision was to kind of feed everybody at the island, create some symmetry. 'cause I love that. So as you can see behind me, this is kind of the focal point symmetrical. Everything is kind of even we wanted to also panel the fridge here so it mimics the pantry and another size. So when you're looking at it, it is bringing again that symmetry back again. I hope you enjoyed this kitchen and this video and I'll see you soon. So how do you think this project turned out? It's nice. I like the color. I think it turned out nice. It's kind of like a little bit different color than what we always do. So I realize. Are you giving me a little bit of credit here that I did something different? Are you proud? I'm so proud of you. Other than that I like it. That they have kind of like a two sink. So if this was our kitchen, if we ever like you can have your own. I can have mine if we ever get into a fight then this can be like my own kitchen. Why are we gonna bring in a fight right now? So I'm cooking anyway. You're grilling most of the time, So what are you even talking about? My kitchen? That's my kitchen. You can just take the small sink. That's fine. It's always good to have your own space right there, so anyways. Thank you guys for watching. We hope to see you soon and if you have any questions please click the link below. It'll lead you to our website, house, YouTube and all of the social media is so nice to have you guys. We'll see you soon. Thanks bye bye-bye.

As seen in this photo, the front to back view offers homeowners and guests alike a direct view and access to the deck off the back of the house. In addition to holding access to the garage, this space holds two closets. One, the homeowners are using as a coat closest and the other, a pantry closet. You also see a custom built in unit with a bench and storage. There is also access to a powder room, a bathroom that was relocated from middle of the 1st floor layout. Relocating the bathroom allowed us to open up the floor plan, offering a view directly into and out of the playroom and dining room.

Photographer: Evan Joseph Broker: Raphael Deniro, Douglas Elliman Design: Bryan Eure
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary guest light wood floor and beige floor bedroom remodel in New York with white walls and no fireplace