ASID Design Excellence First Place Residential – Kitchen and Bathroom: Michael Merrill Design Studio was approached three years ago by the homeowner to redesign her kitchen. Although she was dissatisfied with some aspects of her home, she still loved it dearly. As we discovered her passion for design, we began to rework her entire home for consistency including this bathroom.

Design-build kitchen, powder room, and butler’s pantry remodel in an 1890 Victorian home in Wakefield, MA. Full renovation included reconfiguring the powder room layout and opening a load-bearing wall between the kitchen and dining room to improve flow and functionality. Kitchen remodel features frameless full overlay cabinetry in Steel Blue, quartz countertops (Alleanza Dolomiti Extra), beveled crackle tile backsplash, and hardwood flooring. Island addition replaces freestanding table and adds prep space with microwave drawer. Full-height wall cabinets maximize kitchen storage. Historic-inspired details include ogee-edge countertops, bridge-style faucet in English Bronze, decorative corbels, polished nickel hardware, and industrial-style sconces. Powder room renovation includes reduced footprint layout, basketweave floor tile, applied molding, wallpaper, and vintage-inspired plumbing fixtures in chrome. Butler’s pantry remodel features inset cherry cabinetry in a coffee stain finish, quartz countertops, glass-front cabinets, beverage fridge, bar sink, and wallpapered cabinetry interiors. Designed as a functional wet bar and storage extension off dining room. Style: Traditional / Victorian kitchen remodel, historic home renovation, design-build remodeling contractor Wakefield MA.

Inspiration for a timeless home office remodel in Boston

We joined forces with JHL Design’s Holly Freres and Liz Morgan to transform a dark and dated Pearl District penthouse into an elegant and timeless home. The space was designed with European metropolitan interiors in mind, giving it the “Parisian Modern” look the clients desired. The team replaced cherry casework and red and ochre walls with clean white and neutral shades to brighten the space. The new applied wood paneling serves as an interesting architectural detail while modern fixtures and furniture keep it from feeling too traditional. The project also included new casework, new wood floors and carpet, new terrazzo countertops, new vanity and plumbing fixtures, and reworked cabinetry in the kitchen and pantry. Photos by Haris Kenjar.

Photography: Nanne Springer
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A Study in Calm Cheers to this peaceful home office that is full of champagne tastes and hues! I’d love to spend my day designing here; wouldn’t you?!

Photographer: Matt Craig Designer: Bronwyn Poole
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Beautifully designed modern kitchen with a large central island made of white marble. The island features a sleek gold faucet, integrated sink, and seating for four with stylish black and white bar stools. Above the island, there are three black pendant lights with wide shades, giving the space a contemporary feel. The cabinetry is a soft, neutral tone, with upper cabinets featuring glass fronts. The design incorporates natural light from two large windows, and the brass accents on the lights and hardware complement the warm tones of the kitchen. A vase with fresh flowers adds a pop of color and liveliness to the space.

Inspiration for a transitional bathroom remodel in Charlotte

A low bay window and a second unnecessary door to the backyard limited options for reworking the layout. The solution was to replace the window with a new unit that would offer a great spot for a new farm sink. Eliminating the unused back door enabled us to locate a large new pantry and fridge in its place. (A second door to the backyard remained intact). Connecting the kitchen to the dining room was also a priority. A wide new cased opening makes the dining and kitchen flow beautifully, allowing the cook to chat with guests. New gourmet appliances and a large island offer all the amenities an avid cook could want. On the seating side of the island, lap drawers keep school supplies handy. A tall “between the studs” cabinet offers dedicated storage for kids snacks and a handy spot for mail and school info, so the counters stay free of papers. A charging drawer also helps keep the kitchen tidy. The palette for the new kitchen features fresh white perimeter cabinets, with a contrasting dark stained island, open shelves, and custom hood. The homeowners could not be happier with their new kitchen, which has gone from almost unusable to being the true heart of their home!

A family downsizing from the City to their Country home in Virginia. An eclectic mix of antiques, heirlooms, and re-worked new furnishings. Refreshed paint colors and window treatments complete the look.

Trendy three-story brick townhouse exterior photo in Boston

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Alcove shower - coastal 3/4 blue tile multicolored floor and single-sink alcove shower idea in New York with a wall-mount sink, a hinged shower door and a niche

Living Room
Living room - coastal dark wood floor living room idea in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace and no tv

These wonderful clients returned to us for their newest home remodel adventure. Their newly purchased custom built 1970s modern ranch sits in one of the loveliest neighborhoods south of the city but the current conditions of the home were out-dated and not so lovely. Upon entering the front door through the court you were greeted abruptly by a very boring staircase and an excessive number of doors. Just to the left of the double door entry was a large slider and on your right once inside the home was a soldier line up of doors. This made for an uneasy and uninviting entry that guests would quickly forget and our clients would often avoid. We also had our hands full in the kitchen. The existing space included many elements that felt out of place in a modern ranch including a rustic mountain scene backsplash, cherry cabinets with raised panel and detailed profile, and an island so massive you couldn’t pass a drink across the stone. Our design sought to address the functional pain points of the home and transform the overall aesthetic into something that felt like home for our clients. For the entry, we re-worked the front door configuration by switching from the double door to a large single door with side lights. The sliding door next to the main entry door was replaced with a large window to eliminate entry door confusion. In our re-work of the entry staircase, guesta are now greeted into the foyer which features the Coral Pendant by David Trubridge. Guests are drawn into the home by stunning views of the front range via the large floor-to-ceiling glass wall in the living room. To the left, the staircases leading down to the basement and up to the master bedroom received a massive aesthetic upgrade. The rebuilt 2nd-floor staircase has a center spine with wood rise and run appearing to float upwards towards the master suite. A slatted wall of wood separates the two staircases which brings more light into the basement stairwell. Black metal railings add a stunning contrast to the light wood. Other fabulous upgrades to this home included new wide plank flooring throughout the home, which offers both modernity and warmth. The once too-large kitchen island was downsized to create a functional focal point that is still accessible and intimate. The old dark and heavy kitchen cabinetry was replaced with sleek white cabinets, brightening up the space and elevating the aesthetic of the entire room. The kitchen countertops are marble look quartz with dramatic veining that offers an artistic feature behind the range and across all horizontal surfaces in the kitchen. As a final touch, cascading island pendants were installed which emphasize the gorgeous ceiling vault and provide warm feature lighting over the central point of the kitchen. This transformation reintroduces light and simplicity to this gorgeous home, and we are so happy that our clients can reap the benefits of this elegant and functional design for years to come.

This true mid-century modern home was ready to be revived. The home was built in 1959 and lost its character throughout the various remodels over the years. Our clients came to us trusting that with our help, they could love their home again. This design is full of clean lines, yet remains playful and organic. The first steps in the kitchen were removing the soffit above the previous cabinets and reworking the cabinet layout. They didn't have an island before and the hood was in the middle of the room. They gained so much storage in the same square footage of kitchen. We started by incorporating custom flat slab walnut cabinetry throughout the home. We lightened up the rooms with bright white countertops and gave the kitchen a 3-dimensional emerald green backsplash tile. In the hall bathroom, we chose a penny round floor tile, a terrazzo tile installed in a grid pattern from floor-to-ceiling behind the floating vanity. The hexagon mirror and asymmetrical pendant light are unforgettable. We finished it with a frameless glass panel in the shower and crisp, white tile. In the master bath, we chose a wall-mounted faucet, a full wall of glass tile which runs directly into the shower niche and a geometric floor tile. Our clients can't believe this is the same home and they feel so lucky to be able to enjoy it every day.

The kitchen features cesarstone countertops with maple cabinets below. The island inverts this motif with a maple countertop and white cabinets below. The existing door and window to the roof terrace were replaced with Kolbe&Kolbe Historic windows.

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