Our homeowners purchased this home for its excellent location and great bones. They were desirous of returning it to the era of it’s time while updating and modernizing it with the elegance it deserved. To add to our challenges, they were living out of the country during our design and renovation, making for great communications utilizing modern technology to ensure we could deliver what they hoped to achieve. We opened some space in the kitchen to create an updated and more functional kitchen for this active family, relocating appliances for efficiency, adding an island and relocating a chimney. We had structural challenges with the sagging hardwood floors, which required us to reframe floor systems, and while we were at it, we antique finished the hardwoods reminiscent of the 1940’s. We added wainscoting in the dining room and entry stair hallway to enhance the old-world look and added some arched openings to match other areas of the home. We also added custom moldings to the fireplace wall to allow it to shine as a focal point in the space, utilizing restored antique light fixtures. The finished result is stunning and truly honors the integrity of the original time period of this home.

This family collection of light fixtures: aren't they reminiscent of bells? White and greys dominate the crisp, restful palette. Then here comes the pop! Orange is the colour of joy and creativity, added as an accent to set off the metal and neutrals. Judicious use of big colours brings personality and warmth to utilitarian spaces without needing to physically turn up the thermostat. (Rob Moroto, Calgary Photos)

Example of a bedroom transitional girl kids' bedroom design in Atlanta with beige walls

Dining in pure contemporary coastal style with a touch of rustic charm. This home was outdated, dark and uninviting. I combined a bright color palette with hues reminiscent of the ocean. Troy Campbell Photography. Krista Watterworth Alterman, designer. Krista Watterworth Design Studio, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Greg Hadley
Inspiration for a large industrial medium tone wood floor family room remodel in DC Metro with a tv stand, white walls and no fireplace

My clients purchased a grand home on a spectacular waterfront setting, but the interior felt dark and drab. Our challenge was to turn the existing home into a high end Hampton-style residence without major construction. We choose to focus on color, contrast and texture, changing almost every surface in the home and reversing the contrast to make the home light and airy. We invested the construction expense on elements crucial to style and function. Removing a row of out of scale upper cabinetry in the kitchen and replacing it with 3 double hung windows expands the view to 180 degrees and floods the room with light. To create symmetry and balance in the kitchen, we moved the cooktop and centered the sink. The wine cellar entry opened awkwardly into the kitchen and there was no pantry, so we modified the wine cellar and moved the door for better flow, allowing for a large pantry. On the opposite end of the great room, we balanced the fireplace with cabinetry and tall wainscoting. The floors were stained dark espresso while all other trim and cabinetry went a bright white. It took 14 tries to get the perfect wall color – a pale beige/color reminiscent of sand. The blue and white furniture and details pull the entire space together and creates a sophisticated yet casual feel. Photos by Steve Armstrong www.cascadepromedia.com

Large farmhouse light wood floor dining room photo in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, no island, white walls and a standard fireplace

Example of a mid-sized classic carpeted and gender-neutral carpeted playroom design in Calgary with carpeted risers and gray walls

Bob Greenspan Photography
Example of a mid-century modern dining room design in Kansas City with blue walls and no fireplace

Freestanding bathtub - modern master gray floor freestanding bathtub idea in Toronto with white walls and a hinged shower door

Soft blue color palette, reminiscence of the snow just outside the window. The blue provides a nice contrast to the rest of the home. Wood-clad walls were unchanged by the design team. We love the rustic, natural element that is original to the home. The wood walls throughout the home add so much character – they’re great. Custom built-in bunks were designed by the LU design team. Even though this cabin is small, it sleeps a lot! Designers kept this in mind, maximizing the amount of guest that could stay here. Photographer: Jason Dewey

Large trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo in DC Metro with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace and no tv

In the third floor library we had custom built bookcases constructed with a strong geometric pattern. The shelves were finished in a high gloss black to make them stand out against the white walls. Photo: Eric Roth

Mid-sized farmhouse white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor and white floor alcove shower photo in Richmond with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, blue walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door, white countertops and marble countertops

Dan Armstrong
Mountain style one-story wood exterior home photo with a shed roof

The owners of this mid-century post-and-beam Pasadena house overlooking the Arroyo Seco asked us to add onto and adapt the house to meet their current needs. The renovation infused the home with a contemporary aesthetic while retaining the home's original character (reminiscent of Cliff May's Ranch-style houses) the project includes and extension to the master bedroom, a new outdoor living room, and updates to the pool, pool house, landscape, and hardscape. we were also asked to design and fabricate custom cabinetry for the home office and an aluminum and glass table for the dining room. PROJECT TEAM: Peter Tolkin,Angela Uriu, Dan Parks, Anthony Denzer, Leigh Jerrard,Ted Rubenstein, Christopher Girt ENGINEERS: Charles Tan + Associates (Structural) LANDSCAPE: Elysian Landscapes GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Western Installations PHOTOGRAPHER:Peter Tolkin

Peter Aaron
Minimalist master concrete floor freestanding bathtub photo in New York with an integrated sink and concrete countertops

Toulmin Cabinetry & Design Clem Burch 205 Photography
Transitional white two-story brick gable roof photo in Birmingham with a shingle roof

Ed Butera
Family room - contemporary guest carpeted family room idea in Miami with white walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv