This thoughtful kitchen transition involved removing walls to enlarge the space, re-positioning appliances, updating cabinets, countertops, backsplash, paint, and fixtures.

Updated Spec Home: Foyer and Great Room In our last post, we introduced you to my mom and sister’s Updated Spec Home; the Foyer and Great Room will be featured in this post. Foyer As you enter their home, to the right is a hall closet and a french door which leads to the Basement. To the left is a long wall which was perfect for an extra long console table in a rustic finish that served as a sofa table in their previous home. I love repositioning furniture, and by using this table in the entry, it makes it feel new. Additionally, we placed a vibrant piece of art previously used in my sister’s Bedroom above the table. This piece not only sets the tone for our color palette, it also makes the kind of statement you want in your Foyer – Wow! We added accessories and an unique lamp to complete the space. Great Room In the Great Room which is open to the Foyer, we installed our inspiration artwork in the place of honor over the mantel. Since the piece was vertical, it did not take up enough space. I do not like a “fussy” mantel with lots of accessories so we found these two vases in a silver leaf finish. They were perfect because they were large enough, but not too deep. Accessorizing mantels can be tricky because the majority of them are not deep. We went to Jan’s Floral Design to add vibrant color and interesting textures to the vases. The original mantel was too small and uninspired. Therefore, we had our contractor Brad Anderson built a new one based on a photo of a mantel we liked. The new mantel has lots of great detail and is the appropriate proportion for the fireplace. We replaced beige 12×12 ceramic tiles with gorgeous large pieces of smoked carrara marble for a striking fireplace surround. Check out this other mantel that we updated. For furniture, we purchased a shorter sofa in a gray tweed fabric. Typically, two throw pillows come with a sofa.We added a fun fringe to the pillows that came with the sofa. I recommend ordering pillows that match your sofa fabric and layering with custom pillows that support your color palette. We added a patterned custom pillow and a striped throw. Next, we got a small scale recliner in a yummy gray leather for my mom and a chair and ottoman in a small scale mint and gray geometric pattern for my sister. We added an accent chair in a fun small scale stripe to fill a corner and add additional seating – which is always a good thing. Remember that this was a Spec Home so there were no built-ins. As a result, we needed a media cabinet for the television and some bookcases to display my mom’s decorative box collection and my sister’s collection of blown colored glass. This set from Ballard Designs fit the bill perfectly. The back is open and airy with nice detail. The wood finish also adds a richness to the space. My mom needed a space for her computer, and this small writing desk fit the space perfectly. Finally, for finishing touches, we added a patterned rug, cornice boards in a mint leaf fabric, and great lamps for ambient lighting. These two rooms are stunning, vibrant and livable. Can’t wait to show you more in our next post! Enjoy!

Riverside Construction’s creative solution started with removing the shower and converting it into a new hallway, and subsequently creating convenient door access to the existing home office. In place of the unused tub, a new custom tiled shower designed and built with 18×18 Severino Cenere Daltile. The new Emser Cultura™ Autumn Pebble mosaic tile floor pairs beautifully with the main bathroom floor—Daltiles Willow Bend Smoky Brown. Other shower features include a practical oversize bench, integrated shower shelving, and Delta stainless steel fixtures. Riverside updated the existing vanity with a Lennon granite countertop. Smaller undermount sinks were used to increase the counter space, exactly what the homeowners asked for. In addition, the existing sconces were repositioned appropriately away from the mirrors. Last but not least, Riverside properly insulated the freeze-prone pipes on the outside wall to prevent them from freezing again.

Create the ultimate lifestyle of comfort and convenience throughout your entire home with automation and smart home technology. Eliminate the need to walk from room to room to adjust shades, lights, temperature, and enjoy music and video in any room you want it to be. When you leave for work in the morning, press the “Away” button to turn off all the lights, lock doors, arm the security system, set the temperature, lower shades, and power down non-essential devices. Entertain with ease not having to run around the home to set lights, shades and music to create the perfect ambiance. Whether from an easy-to-use touch screen, remote, customized keypad or mobile device, total smart control of your entire house is always at your fingertips.

Kitchen — Project Description (Bolton, CT) (Full Renovation • Reconfiguration • Architectural Corrections) The original kitchen suffered from spatial imbalance and limited functionality: the right side was visually and physically heavy with cabinetry and appliances, the 135-degree angled walls lacked symmetry due to a missing window on the driveway side, and the small island could only seat two. Circulation was obstructed by a desk positioned in the main traffic flow, and the low French door felt disproportionate in scale compared to the large windows and adjacent two-story Great Room. Major Structural & Functional Improvements Repositioned window on the front elevation to the right, creating a long-desired view to the driveway while freeing space for a centered cooktop and statement hood — visually aligning with the Great Room’s redesigned fireplace focal wall. Installed a new custom sliding door, significantly taller and wider than the original French door. This upgrade enhances natural light, visually opens the kitchen to the deck, and provides unobstructed traffic flow thanks to its sliding operation. New Kitchen Layout & Enhanced Functionality Designed an entirely new layout centered around a 10' double-slab island, providing expansive workspace and a natural gathering zone. Added conversational seating for the whole family, allowing comfortable interaction on all sides of the island. Introduced purpose-designed storage solutions, including pullouts, rollouts, spice towers, tray organizers, and deep drawers to maximize usability. Reallocated the desk area to a dedicated window spot overlooking the backyard, removing it from traffic paths and improving both functionality and comfort. Cabinetry & Architectural Detailing Custom two-tone cabinetry in soft white and a serene blue-green tone reflects the visual language of the adjacent Great Room, creating whole-home cohesion. Installed lit upper glass cabinets along the entire perimeter, balancing vertical proportions and creating an elegant display band throughout the kitchen. A custom range hood was designed and painted to match the base cabinetry, becoming a focal point framed by symmetrical windows. Surfaces, Lighting & Finishes The island features a double-thickness quartz slab with a soft ogee radius for a timeless, furniture-like feel. A full-height, handcrafted aqua subway tile backsplash introduces depth, texture, and a gentle reflective quality. New layered lighting concept, including recessed lights, pendants, task lighting, and integrated cabinet lighting, ensures a warm and functional workspace at any time of day.

A previous client (Big Wood Lane) reached out to us to help design a remodel of a recently purchased on the south shore of Lake Minnetonka. The home had grown organically since its original construction in 1945. It had evolved over time to accommodate the needs of its numerous owners. Our client brought a new set of needs to the home that included a desire to make the lake home a comfortable destination for family and friends. The project consisted of reconfiguring an outdated, inefficient kitchen, expansion of the bedroom wing to include individual bathrooms for bedrooms and redesign of the central stair guard rail. The redesign of the kitchen included repositioning major appliances for greater efficiency, more seating at an enlarged island, a new pantry, and expanded views to the lake. The expansion of the bedroom wing included eliminating a three-season porch on top of the garage on the inland side of the home. The space above the garage roof was enclosed and turned into dedicated bathrooms for each bedroom. These bathrooms are accessible only from the bathrooms which provide privacy and convenience to visitors.

Modern bathroom remodels emphasize sleek design, cutting-edge fixtures, and luxurious amenities. Our modern bathroom remodel service offers a seamless fusion of contemporary style and functionality. This includes clean lines, minimalist fixtures, and innovative materials. From state-of-the-art LED lighting to space-saving vanities and high-tech faucets, we prioritize efficiency and elegance in every detail. Elevate your daily routine with a modern bathroom remodel that embodies sophistication, convenience, and the latest trends in interior design. Our goal for the master bathroom was to make better use of the space. The original bathroom had a small acrylic shower and a large jacuzzi bathtub. Our plan was to create a spacious walk-in shower, relocate the toilet, add a double sink vanity, and maximize the available space. By moving the sink wall over a foot, we were able to accommodate a 72-inch vanity and create a spacious doorway. The toilet was relocated and repositioned for added privacy. We designed a custom curbless walk-in shower with a corner shower bench and niche. A glass-gridded shower partition was added to separate the shower from the rest of the bathroom. To add a touch of color and drama, we chose black fixtures to complement the light gray walls and white quartz countertops. The almost 6-inch shower head, along with the handheld shower wand, provides a luxurious spa-like experience from the comfort of your home.

This kitchen was dramatically transformed with new white cabinets that stretch to the ceiling, custom hood, sink re-positioned under the window, new longer drawer banks, glass cabinet doors and a gorgeous new barn door pantry door! Quartz counter tops with simple subway tile back splash completes the look of this serene kitchen.

**Check out the video of this transformation on our website** This small kitchen was way too small for this 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms apartment. Not only was it a very small kitchen, but the physical location of it made it very difficult to make it any bigger. There wasn't much that could have been done without incurring astronomical cost, which would get little or no return on the investment. The client wanted a kitchen that can be optimized in its current location to add a ton of value for resale. This was difficult to do, because there was no moving of any mechanical around in the kitchen and even if we wanted to, the management of the building would not allow. For those of you who live in condos, co-ops or apartment building, you know how difficult it is to rework these foot prints. When we showed up, we saw the problems, but we also saw a huge opportunity where we can achieve those goals in the small space. This was accomplished by making some key changes and to incorporate some new things that was not possible when this kitchen was built years ago. The crucial part of the design that would drive the entire new layout, was selecting the only appliance; that was the Refrigerator. Once we nailed down that refrigerator, we then proceeded to design the kitchen around it. We moved it to the other side of the wall where the sink was so that we can tap into the water line from the sink plumbing. It was crucial that it stays exactly 24" deep, not an inch more because we had to keep the entry as open as possible. Also, it was going to be directly in front of another big storage unit - The pantry. It is not ideal in most cases, but we needed the rest of the space to ramp up the design and open feel towards the side where all of the activities would take place, which happend to be the dining room and the view. Once all that was figured out, we re-positioned the sink, dishwasher and the range and proceeded to wrap the cabinets around the columns to integrate them into the space. Thirty- six inches cabinets height was used so that they can be installed higher towards the ceiling height to give more room rather than the standard 18" required height between the counter tops. This was done to make the room feel a lot bigger than it really was. Not to mention, we also didn't want the faucet to be buried under the cabinets so that was also a necessary design detail for the space. We then lowered both knee walls so that the counter top can sit on top of them, by removing that stop point that would have otherwise defined the kitchen area. This allowed us to pick up that extra footprint into the room for added prep space and enabled us to create the illusion of a kitchen that is looking longer than it really is. Every inch mattered when designing this kitchen and we made a conscious decision to use every one of that inch. White cabinets were selected to do just what white cabinets are design to do; make a small or dark room appear bigger, brighter and more open. In this kitchen, this was amplified the more because of the kitchen location. It was perfect! We knew we did justice to the space because while we were there taking some photos, a few potential buyers walked in and went straight for the kitchen! They said its design just to fit the apartment. Pantry roll out shelving, Double recycle bin, fancy handles, LED lighting, Quartz counter top, beautiful backslash tiles and grey linen floors finished off the kitchen which looked over a beautiful view of the George Washington Bridge from the top of this lovely 4th floor apartment. Credit to Masterpiece Tile and Marble (Annmarie on the selection of Tiles and countertop and Val on the Construction to complete this project). Davor Kokic Photography

Featured in Dwell, Hacienda Granada is an eclectic modern residence designed by Working Holiday Studio that subtly combines the Spanish influences of a Mexican hacienda with Scandinavian minimalism and features All Weather Architectual Aluminun custom windows and doors. Carlos Nuade and Whitney Brown run Working Holiday, a multi disciplinary creative studio based in Los Angeles that boasts a portfolio of several renovation projects across Southern California. Originally built in 1962, the 2,762-square-foot residence with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths was not the couple’s dream home but they saw potential in its vaulted ceilings, ample-sized kitchen, backyard pool and large garage and more importantly, they found a space where they could infuse with their own personal history and distinct taste. "Our style is very modern and minimalist," Carlos explains. "But we still wanted to include some of the warmth, accents, and tones from traditional Spanish architecture." Carlos and Whitney chose All Weather Series 5000 casement and fixed windows with SDL's to infuse the home with the Hacienda vibe. They replaced the existing patio entry door with expansive Series 8100 Multi Slide Doors that connect to the living and dining room. The couple opened up the kitchen by adding an All Weather Series 7000 French Doors and repositioned the island so you can see into the house when they are cooking. They also reshaped most of the interior doorways, creating arches to enhance the Spanish-Mexican vibe. All Weather was honored to be selected for Hacienda Granada because Carlos and Whitney treat their projects like showrooms and they only bring on brands they like and curate the space accordingly.

The Family Room remains the largest and most open of all. The red wall continues the theme and traffic flow from the kitchen. Check out the before and after pictures of this room. What used to be varnished pine walls have been replaced with white panel wainscoting and red walls. The old wood-burning fireplace was replaced with a gas fireplace, and white bookshelves match the cabinet style in the kitchen. The flat-screen TV is mounted in a way that allows servicing and repositioning. The TV fits flush against the wall, thanks to a 6-inch recessed pocket built into the wall behind the TV. The bracket is mounted inside the wall, allowing the TV to fit flush with the wall.

Beautiful kitchen remodeling project where the homeowner wanted to give their kitchen a new look while also changing the layout. We started by tearing out the existing cabinets and repositioning the refrigerator and oven onto different walls. We were then ready to start installing the new cabinets. They went with the Nantucket door in a polar white color. Next, we installed a new Calacatta with dark grey vein quartz countertop and a blue hexagon shaped backsplash. To finish the new look, we added a new vinyl floor. Now this homeowner has a beautiful new kitchen.

This Bonita Bay remodel involved a transformative process in the kitchen, dining, and living room areas. Walls were taken down to reposition the space, creating an open and more interconnected layout. This redesign enhances the flow of natural light, promotes a more spacious atmosphere, and fosters a cohesive and modern living experience.

Believe it or not, this beautiful Roncesvalles home was once carved into three separate apartments. As a result, central to this renovation was the need to create a floor plan with a staircase to access all floors, space for a master bedroom and spacious ensuite on the second floor. The kitchen was also repositioned from the back of the house to the front. It features a curved leather banquette nestled in the bay window, floor to ceiling millwork with a full pantry, integrated appliances, panel ready Sub Zero and expansive storage. Custom fir windows and an oversized lift and slide glass door were used across the back of the house to bring in the light, call attention to the lush surroundings and provide access to the massive deck clad in thermally modified ash. Now reclaimed as a single family home, the dwelling includes 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a main floor mud room and an open, airy yoga retreat on the third floor with walkout deck and sweeping views of the backyard.

Here I am comparing the new drapery in the room. I like it. It's deep jewel colors add interest to the room. I've also re-positioned the Chaise lounge to a more prominent position. A new rug from Pier One picks up all the colors again.

For this project, we were brought on to update this 1920's home and open up multiple small rooms into one great room. Some of the features incorporated with this were new pocket doors, all new flooring, lighting, cabinets, countertops, windows, backsplashes, and updated paint. Another unique way we accomplished opening up the home was by repositioning the stairway which provided more square footage in the kitchen and create a better traffic flow throughout the house. Alongside of opening up the main level, we also totally renovated both upstairs bathrooms by performing a complete gut and remodel.

Example of a mid-sized classic l-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen design in Other with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and beige floor enclosed dining room design in Raleigh with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

For this home we were hired to go beyond the kitchen and bathrooms and redesign the entire home. The "Before and After" photos really tell the story of how this house went from cramped, dark, & cluttered, to a cozy and functional home. We removed and repositioned walls to make for an open concept feel, making for a much larger kitchen with clever storage and a place to better entertain family & friends bringing in more natural lighting in the process. The final takeaway is a space that is up to date, open, and comfortable. This home is more comfortable than it has ever been and is now the gold standard of design in the Lynwood neighborhood.