Our clients called us wanting to not only update their master bathroom but to specifically make it more functional. She had just had knee surgery, so taking a shower wasn’t easy. They wanted to remove the tub and enlarge the shower, as much as possible, and add a bench. She really wanted a seated makeup vanity area, too. They wanted to replace all vanity cabinets making them one height, and possibly add tower storage. With the current layout, they felt that there were too many doors, so we discussed possibly using a barn door to the bedroom. We removed the large oval bathtub and expanded the shower, with an added bench. She got her seated makeup vanity and it’s placed between the shower and the window, right where she wanted it by the natural light. A tilting oval mirror sits above the makeup vanity flanked with Pottery Barn “Hayden” brushed nickel vanity lights. A lit swing arm makeup mirror was installed, making for a perfect makeup vanity! New taller Shiloh “Eclipse” bathroom cabinets painted in Polar with Slate highlights were installed (all at one height), with Kohler “Caxton” square double sinks. Two large beautiful mirrors are hung above each sink, again, flanked with Pottery Barn “Hayden” brushed nickel vanity lights on either side. Beautiful Quartzmasters Polished Calacutta Borghini countertops were installed on both vanities, as well as the shower bench top and shower wall cap. Carrara Valentino basketweave mosaic marble tiles was installed on the shower floor and the back of the niches, while Heirloom Clay 3x9 tile was installed on the shower walls. A Delta Shower System was installed with both a hand held shower and a rainshower. The linen closet that used to have a standard door opening into the middle of the bathroom is now storage cabinets, with the classic Restoration Hardware “Campaign” pulls on the drawers and doors. A beautiful Birch forest gray 6”x 36” floor tile, laid in a random offset pattern was installed for an updated look on the floor. New glass paneled doors were installed to the closet and the water closet, matching the barn door. A gorgeous Shades of Light 20” “Pyramid Crystals” chandelier was hung in the center of the bathroom to top it all off! The bedroom was painted a soothing Magnetic Gray and a classic updated Capital Lighting “Harlow” Chandelier was hung for an updated look. We were able to meet all of our clients needs by removing the tub, enlarging the shower, installing the seated makeup vanity, by the natural light, right were she wanted it and by installing a beautiful barn door between the bathroom from the bedroom! Not only is it beautiful, but it’s more functional for them now and they love it! Design/Remodel by Hatfield Builders & Remodelers | Photography by Versatile Imaging

Laundry room - farmhouse laundry room idea in Sacramento

Child's Room Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg Photography; Interior Design: Kristin Try Interiors; Builder: Harry Braswell, Inc.
Kids' room - coastal kids' room idea in DC Metro

Kitchen - mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen idea with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, white countertops and white cabinets

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2017 Houzz Design team: Dana Triano Designs Laundry Room
Inspiration for an eclectic freestanding desk white floor study room remodel in Los Angeles with blue walls

We opened up the kitchen by removing a wall right of the fridge and remove the bar wall above the sink. A place that was not user-friendly to begin with.

Custom cabinetry by Warmington & North Architect: Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Photography: Haris Kenjar
Craft room - traditional built-in desk dark wood floor and brown floor craft room idea in Seattle with gray walls

A peak inside the hidden pantry
Inspiration for a large transitional single-wall light wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, quartz backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands and white countertops

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

A large space that was made narrow by a second staircase. We took the stairs out and turned it into the principle gathering space for the family, combining the functionalities of living room, great room, family room and media room.

Rodney Rose Autumn Skies Landscapes
Inspiration for a transitional outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in San Francisco.

Home and Living Examiner said: Modern renovation by J Design Group is stunning J Design Group, an expert in luxury design, completed a new project in Tamarac, Florida, which involved the total interior remodeling of this home. We were so intrigued by the photos and design ideas, we decided to talk to J Design Group CEO, Jennifer Corredor. The concept behind the redesign was inspired by the client’s relocation. Andrea Campbell: How did you get a feel for the client's aesthetic? Jennifer Corredor: After a one-on-one with the Client, I could get a real sense of her aesthetics for this home and the type of furnishings she gravitated towards. The redesign included a total interior remodeling of the client's home. All of this was done with the client's personal style in mind. Certain walls were removed to maximize the openness of the area and bathrooms were also demolished and reconstructed for a new layout. This included removing the old tiles and replacing with white 40” x 40” glass tiles for the main open living area which optimized the space immediately. Bedroom floors were dressed with exotic African Teak to introduce warmth to the space. We also removed and replaced the outdated kitchen with a modern look and streamlined, state-of-the-art kitchen appliances. To introduce some color for the backsplash and match the client's taste, we introduced a splash of plum-colored glass behind the stove and kept the remaining backsplash with frosted glass. We then removed all the doors throughout the home and replaced with custom-made doors which were a combination of cherry with insert of frosted glass and stainless steel handles. All interior lights were replaced with LED bulbs and stainless steel trims, including unique pendant and wall sconces that were also added. All bathrooms were totally gutted and remodeled with unique wall finishes, including an entire marble slab utilized in the master bath shower stall. Once renovation of the home was completed, we proceeded to install beautiful high-end modern furniture for interior and exterior, from lines such as B&B Italia to complete a masterful design. One-of-a-kind and limited edition accessories and vases complimented the look with original art, most of which was custom-made for the home. To complete the home, state of the art A/V system was introduced. The idea is always to enhance and amplify spaces in a way that is unique to the client and exceeds his/her expectations. To see complete J Design Group featured article, go to: http://www.examiner.com/article/modern-renovation-by-j-design-group-is-stunning Living Room, Dining room, Master Bedroom, Master Bathroom, Powder Bathroom, Miami Interior Designers, Miami Interior Designer, Interior Designers Miami, Interior Designer Miami, Modern Interior Designers, Modern Interior Designer, Modern interior decorators, Modern interior decorator, Miami, Contemporary Interior Designers, Contemporary Interior Designer, Interior design decorators, Interior design decorator, Interior Decoration and Design, Black Interior Designers, Black Interior Designer, Interior designer, Interior designers, Home interior designers, Home interior designer, Daniel Newcomb

Inspiration for a mediterranean landscaping in Orange County.

The remodeling of the kitchen and bathroom forms the core of this interior renovation. The existing peninsula design and cabinetry broke up the ‘great room’ and stood the kitchen as a distinct element within the room. Our design strategy operates more on a principle of integration. As such, we created a galley condition with a spine of cabinetry and appliances that anchors to the long wall of the room. The feature design element is the solid Caesarstone backsplash which appears to be carved from the wall itself. The particular challenge in the windowless bathroom was how to create an inviting, expanded sense of depth without a resulting cave-like feel. Removal of a half wall, soffit and tub unified the space overall. We reinforced the unification with the deployment of a single large format tile spec. Smaller details such as touch latch cabinetry hardware and flush conditions between tile, wall and mirror further the principle that simpler is bigger, deeper and more inviting. We were also charged with elevating what was a pedestrian 1990’s townhouse to something more sophisticated and engaging. Our approach was to first remove builder grade detailing around windows and railings. Then, we introduced simplified profiles and glass guardrails that would extend a consistency established in the new kitchen and bathroom designs. photo by Scott Hargis

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

The interior of the home went from Colonial to Classic Lodge without changing the footprint of the home. Columns were removed, fur downs removed that defined space, fireplace relocated, kitchen layout and direction changed, breakfast room and sitting room flip flopped, study reduced in size, entry to master bedroom changed, master suite completely re-arranged and enlarged, custom hand railing designed to open up stairwell, hardwood added to stairs, solid knotty alder 8’ doors added, knotty alder crown moldings added, reclaimed beamed ceiling grid, tongue and groove ceiling in kitchen, knotty alder cabinetry, leather finish to granite, seeded glass insets, custom door to panty to showcase an antique stained glass window from childhood church, custom doors and handles made for study entry, shredded straw added to wall texture, custom glazing done to all walls, wood floor remnants created an antique quilt pattern for the back wall of the powder bath, custom wall treatment created by designer, and a mixture of new and antique furnishing were added, all to create a warm, yet lived in feeling for this special family. A new central stone wall reversed with an over scaled fireplace and reclaimed flooring from the East became the anchor for this level of the home. Removing all the “divisions” of space and using a unified surface made unused rooms, part of the daily living for this family. The desire to entertain large group in a unified space, yet still feel like you are in a cozy environment was the driving force for removing divisions of space. Photos by Randy Colwell

This was a challenging project for very discerning clients. The home was originally owned by the client’s father, and she inherited it when he passed. Care was taken to preserve the history in the home while upgrading it for the current owners. This home exceeds current energy codes, and all mechanical and electrical systems have been completely replaced. The clients remained in the home for the duration of the reno, so it was completed in two phases. Phase 1 involved gutting the basement, removing all asbestos containing materials (flooring, plaster), and replacing all mechanical and electrical systems, new spray foam insulation, and complete new finishing. The clients lived upstairs while we did the basement, and in the basement while we did the main floor. They left on a vacation while we did the asbestos work. Phase 2 involved a rock retaining wall on the rear of the property that required a lengthy approval process including municipal, fisheries, First Nations, and environmental authorities. The home had a new rear covered deck, garage, new roofline, all new interior and exterior finishing, new mechanical and electrical systems, new insulation and drywall. Phase 2 also involved an extensive asbestos abatement to remove Asbestos-containing materials in the flooring, plaster, insulation, and mastics. Photography by Carsten Arnold Photography.

Scott Norsworthy
Hallway - industrial hallway idea in Toronto

Hopewell Residential
Minimalist laundry room photo in Edmonton