Designed by Cameron Snyder, CKD and Julie Lyons. Removing the former wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open floor plan meant the former powder room tucked in a corner needed to be relocated. Cameron designed a 7' by 6' space framed with curved wall in the middle of the new space to locate the new powder room and it became an instant focal point perfectly located for guests and easily accessible from the kitchen, living and dining room areas. Both the pedestal lavatory and one piece sanagloss toilet are from TOTO Guinevere collection. Faucet is from the Newport Brass-Bevelle series in Polished Nickel with lever handles.

Ulrich Designer: Tom Santarsiero Photography by Peter Rymwid This is a master bath with subtle sophistication and understated elegance. The cabinets were custom designed by Tom, with straight, simple lines, and custom built by Draper DBS of walnut, with a deep, rich brown finish. The richness of the dark cabinetry juxtaposed with the elegance of the white carrara marble on the countertop, wall and floors contributes to the room's sophistication. Ample storage is found in the large vanity and an armoire style cabinet, designed to mimic a free-standing furniture piece, that is positioned behind the door. Architectural beams placed across the vaulted ceiling bring a sense of scale to the room and invite natural light in through the skylight.

This home is built by Robert Thomas Homes located in Minnesota. Our showcase models are professionally staged. Please contact Ambiance at Home for information on furniture - 952.440.6757

This moody and sophisticated piano room exudes timeless charm and modern refinement, creating a space that feels both dramatic and inviting. At its heart, a deep green velvet sofa draws you in with its luxurious texture, while the grand piano stands as a centerpiece, evoking an air of classic elegance and creativity. Floor-to-ceiling black-framed windows flood the room with soft natural light, beautifully contrasting the rich gray walls and enhancing the room’s layered design. A glass-top coffee table with metallic accents adds a touch of glamour, while a plush area rug and lush greenery bring warmth and life to the space. Thoughtfully curated decor ties it all together, creating an atmosphere that is both serene and striking—a room made for music, connection, and quiet inspiration.

Master bath with a free standing tub, wall mounted faucet and controls. Cedar planked wall divider with glass doors each side to access the shower and toilet room Peter Nilson

This great room is stunning! Tall wood windows and doors, exposed trusses and the private view make the room a perfect blank canvas. The room was lacking contrast, lighting, window treatments and functional furniture to make the space usable by the entire family. By creating custom furniture we maximized seating while keeping the furniture scale within proportion for the room. New carpet, beautiful herringbone fabric wallpaper and a very long console to house the children's toys rounds out this spectacular room. Photo Credit: Holland Photography - Cory Holland - hollandphotography.biz

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

This room was redesigned to accommodate the latest in audio/visual technology. The exposed brick fireplace was clad with wood paneling, sconces were added and the hearth covered with marble. photo by Anne Gummerson

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   The homeowners of this mid-century Colonial and family of four were frustrated with the layout of their existing kitchen which was a small, narrow peninsula layout but that was adjoining a large space that they could not figure out how to use. Stealing part of the unused space seemed like an easy solution, except that there was an existing transition in floor height which made that a bit tricky. The solution of bringing the floor height up to meet the height of the existing kitchen allowed us to do just that. This solution also offered some challenges. The exterior door had to be raised which resulted in some exterior rework, and the floor transition had to happen somewhere to get out to the garage, so we ended up “pushing” it towards what is now a new mudroom and powder room area. This solution allows for a small but functional and hidden mudroom area and more private powder room situation. Another challenge of the design was the very narrow space. To minimize issues with this, we moved the location of the refrigerator into the newly found space which gave us an L-shaped layout allowing for an island and even some shallow pantry storage. The windows over the kitchen sink were expanded in size and relocated to allow more light into the room. A breakfast table fits perfectly in the area adjacent to the existing French doors and there was even room for a small bar area that helps transition from inside to outside for entertaining. The confusing unused space now makes sense and provides functionality on a daily basis. To help bring some calm to this busy family, a pallet of soft neutrals was chosen -- gray glass tile with a simple metal accent strip, clear modern pendant lights and a neutral color scheme for cabinetry and countertops. For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Complete overhaul of the common area in this wonderful Arcadia home. The living room, dining room and kitchen were redone. The direction was to obtain a contemporary look but to preserve the warmth of a ranch home. The perfect combination of modern colors such as grays and whites blend and work perfectly together with the abundant amount of wood tones in this design. The open kitchen is separated from the dining area with a large 10' peninsula with a waterfall finish detail. Notice the 3 different cabinet colors, the white of the upper cabinets, the Ash gray for the base cabinets and the magnificent olive of the peninsula are proof that you don't have to be afraid of using more than 1 color in your kitchen cabinets. The kitchen layout includes a secondary sink and a secondary dishwasher! For the busy life style of a modern family. The fireplace was completely redone with classic materials but in a contemporary layout. Notice the porcelain slab material on the hearth of the fireplace, the subway tile layout is a modern aligned pattern and the comfortable sitting nook on the side facing the large windows so you can enjoy a good book with a bright view. The bamboo flooring is continues throughout the house for a combining effect, tying together all the different spaces of the house. All the finish details and hardware are honed gold finish, gold tones compliment the wooden materials perfectly.

Mathew and his team at Cummings Architects have a knack for being able to see the perfect vision for a property. They specialize in identifying a building’s missing elements and crafting designs that simultaneously encompass the large scale, master plan and the myriad details that make a home special. For this Winchester home, the vision included a variety of complementary projects that all came together into a single architectural composition. Starting with the exterior, the single-lane driveway was extended and a new carriage garage that was designed to blend with the overall context of the existing home. In addition to covered parking, this building also provides valuable new storage areas accessible via large, double doors that lead into a connected work area. For the interior of the house, new moldings on bay windows, window seats, and two paneled fireplaces with mantles dress up previously nondescript rooms. The family room was extended to the rear of the house and opened up with the addition of generously sized, wall-to-wall windows that served to brighten the space and blur the boundary between interior and exterior. The family room, with its intimate sitting area, cozy fireplace, and charming breakfast table (the best spot to enjoy a sunlit start to the day) has become one of the family’s favorite rooms, offering comfort and light throughout the day. In the kitchen, the layout was simplified and changes were made to allow more light into the rear of the home via a connected deck with elongated steps that lead to the yard and a blue-stone patio that’s perfect for entertaining smaller, more intimate groups. From driveway to family room and back out into the yard, each detail in this beautiful design complements all the other concepts and details so that the entire plan comes together into a unified vision for a spectacular home. Photos By: Eric Roth

Laundry Room Troy Theis Photography
Dedicated laundry room - small transitional l-shaped brick floor dedicated laundry room idea in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored walls, a stacked washer/dryer and an undermount sink

This one-room sunroom addition is connected to both an existing wood deck, as well as the dining room inside. As part of the project, the homeowners replaced the deck flooring material with composite decking, which gave us the opportunity to run that material into the addition as well, giving the room a seamless indoor / outdoor transition. We also designed the space to be surrounded with windows on three sides, as well as glass doors and skylights, flooding the interior with natural light and giving the homeowners the visual connection to the outside which they so desired. The addition, 12'-0" wide x 21'-6" long, has enabled the family to enjoy the outdoors both in the early spring, as well as into the fall, and has become a wonderful gathering space for the family and their guests.

A fresh take on traditional style, this sprawling suburban home draws its occupants together in beautifully, comfortably designed spaces that gather family members for companionship, conversation, and conviviality. At the same time, it adroitly accommodates a crowd, and facilitates large-scale entertaining with ease. This balance of private intimacy and public welcome is the result of Soucie Horner’s deft remodeling of the original floor plan and creation of an all-new wing comprising functional spaces including a mudroom, powder room, laundry room, and home office, along with an exciting, three-room teen suite above. A quietly orchestrated symphony of grayed blues unites this home, from Soucie Horner Collections custom furniture and rugs, to objects, accessories, and decorative exclamationpoints that punctuate the carefully synthesized interiors. A discerning demonstration of family-friendly living at its finest.

Cooking for Two Location: Plymouth, MN, United States When this couple’s last child graduated from college they began the process of looking for a new home. After a lengthy search they decided to stay with the neighborhood they loved, saving money by remodeling rather than starting over. The top priorities on their wish list were adding character to their 1990’s era home with a classic white kitchen and a larger island while keeping within the existing footprint. With the intention of honing their cooking skills, they were also considering better appliances and two ovens. Challenges and Solutions Design a larger island with seating for at least two. The existing island was small and the area behind the seating was less than recommended clearances. To solve this challenge, the seating area of the island was extended out into the open area of the kitchen. This created a larger island with seating for three, extra storage and a bookshelf across from the range. The original kitchen had a range with microwave above, so adding another oven was a challenge with limited wall space. Because the adjoining dining room is used infrequently, the homeowner was open to placing the second oven and microwave in the walkway. This made room for the small buffet between the built in refrigerator and ovens, creating one of her favorite areas. The client requested a white painted kitchen but wanted to make sure it had warmth and character. To achieve this the following elements were chosen: 1) Cabinets painted with Benjamin Moore Capitol White, a luminous and warm shade of white. 2) The Range hood was painted with warm metallic shades to reflect the bronze of the Ashley Norton hardware. 3) Black Aqua Grantique granite was chosen for countertops because it looks like soapstone and adds contrast. 4) Walker Zanger Café tile in Latte was chosen for it’s handmade look with uneven edges. 5) The to-the-counter-cabinet with glass door shows off serving dishes and lends sophisticated charm. The result is a welcoming classic kitchen, where this couple enjoys cooking more often and sharpening their skills with gourmet appliances. Liz Schupanitz Designs Photographed by: Andrea Rugg Photography

Clients' first home and there forever home with a family of four and in laws close, this home needed to be able to grow with the family. This most recent growth included a few home additions including the kids bathrooms (on suite) added on to the East end, the two original bathrooms were converted into one larger hall bath, the kitchen wall was blown out, entrying into a complete 22'x22' great room addition with a mudroom and half bath leading to the garage and the final addition a third car garage. This space is transitional and classic to last the test of time.

Mekenzie France
Example of an eclectic enclosed living room design in Charlotte with white walls

James Kruger, LandMark Photography Interior Design: Martha O'Hara Interiors Architect: Sharratt Design & Company
Inspiration for a large french country open concept and formal dark wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Minneapolis with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

A sculptural statement in its own right, this concrete-and-glass “Gallery House” was designed to showcase the owners’ art collection as well as the natural landscape. The architecture is truly one with its site: To the east, a sheltering wall echoes the curve of a crowded cul-de-sac, while to the west, the design follows the sweeping contours of the cliff—ensuring privacy while maximizing views. The architectural details demanded flawless construction: Windows and doors stretch floor-to-ceiling, and minimalist reveals define the walls, which “float” between perfect shadow lines in the long T-shape foyer. Ideal for entertaining, the layout fosters seamless indoor-outdoor living. Amenities include four pocketing glass walls, a lanai with heated floor, and a partially cantilevered multi-level terrace. The front courtyard sequesters a frameless glass entry. From here, sight lines stretch through the house to an infinity pool that hovers between sky and sea.