This smart kitchen renovation in Silver Spring, Maryland, involved removing three walls and a centrally located powder room and a closet. The powder room was relocated into the original closet area, and the patio door moved nearby. The main window was enlarged to create an anchor and focal point for the new kitchen as well as to enhance the view onto the lovely backyard. An angled island keeps the room feeling spacious and open, and a corner pantry was designed so as not to lose precious storage space.

This hillside unit with a view of all of beautiful Ventura was in desperate need of a remodel! The kitchen went from a tiny box to the entire width of the common space opening up the room to an open concept floor plan. Mixing glossy laminate doors with an ultra-matte black door, we were able to put together this bold design. The fridge is completely concealed and separating the pantry from the fridge is a walnut-look wine stack perfect for all the entertaining this couple plans to have!

2,441 Square Feet, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Three car garage. You will love the 3-car garage, and just a couple steps away, a walk-in pantry. The gathering area is open and inviting, while the bedrooms are separated for privacy. Your spacious bedroom has twin sets of double windows, while the walk-in closet doubles as a dressing area. There's a direct connection from the laundry to your closet, making hanging clothes a snap.

This cozy retreat features all of the bells and whistles of a palatial estate in a more intimate footprint for this active retired couple. The master suite includes a private outdoor shower off of the expansive bathroom for those cool spring mornings, separate his and hers closets and dressing areas, and a deep outdoor patio adjacent to the bedroom. The public areas of the home are anchored by an all-glass dining room overlooking the desert landscape, an open kitchen / living room concept, and a massive multi-level, outdoor entertainment area with bbq, pool, covered outdoor dining, and cigar friendly firepit.

2,441 Square Feet, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Three car garage. You will love the 3-car garage, and just a couple steps away, a walk-in pantry. The gathering area is open and inviting, while the bedrooms are separated for privacy. Your spacious bedroom has twin sets of double windows, while the walk-in closet doubles as a dressing area. There's a direct connection from the laundry to your closet, making hanging clothes a snap.

The subtle color palette of taupe grey and crisp white speak volumes in this master bathroom! We wanted this bathroom to be timeless yet also efficient for this established young couple. We made sure to incorporate everything they would need, from their own personal areas to a classic makeup vanity to a sectioned off toilet room! The glass walls on the walk-in shower luster in the bright, sunlit bathroom.

The subtle color palette of taupe gray and crisp white speak volumes in this master bathroom! We wanted this bathroom to be timeless yet also efficient for this established young couple. We made sure to incorporate everything they would need, from their own personal areas to a classic makeup vanity to a sectioned off toilet room! The glass walls on the walk-in shower luster in the bright, sunlit bathroom.

When the successful couple purchased the 1960s ranch house, which sat in the middle of 31 acres of unspoiled California countryside, they envisioned a retreat that would become the simpler, more tranquil version of their primary urban residence. Among other things, they were lured by the site’s unobstructed canyon views, the seemingly endless grove of old Oak trees, and what they described as the “profound sense of quiet.” After taking the original house down to its basic frame, the house was rebuilt as a California Mission-style home. Adding a new wing for the Master Bedroom suite, as well as a new, separate structure for a guest dwelling, DesignARC was able to bring the couple's vision into being. The 3,700 square foot main house is carefully sited to open into a natural clearing, the interior spaces all share in the beauty of the glen, where exterior rooms and dining areas open to the sky--and where in the evening, according to the homeowners, “one can see every star.”

When the successful couple purchased the 1960s ranch house, which sat in the middle of 31 acres of unspoiled California countryside, they envisioned a retreat that would become the simpler, more tranquil version of their primary urban residence. Among other things, they were lured by the site’s unobstructed canyon views, the seemingly endless grove of old Oak trees, and what they described as the “profound sense of quiet.” After taking the original house down to its basic frame, the house was rebuilt as a California Mission-style home. Adding a new wing for the Master Bedroom suite, as well as a new, separate structure for a guest dwelling, DesignARC was able to bring the couple's vision into being. The 3,700 square foot main house is carefully sited to open into a natural clearing, the interior spaces all share in the beauty of the glen, where exterior rooms and dining areas open to the sky--and where in the evening, according to the homeowners, “one can see every star.”

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2017 Houzz
Living room - country living room idea in Boston

Refined Oak & Stone kitchen renovation, nestled near Rancho Santa Fe. This stunning kitchen features rift-cut white oak cabinets, sleek black accents, and timeless Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and backsplash. Perfect for those seeking a modern yet refined aesthetic, this design blends natural warmth with sophisticated elements. The spacious layout and meticulous craftsmanship make it an ideal example of luxury kitchen design in San Diego. If you’re looking for inspiration or a high-end kitchen remodel, the Refined Oak & Stone project is a showcase of excellence in materials and design. Whether you want custom cabinetry, premium stone surfaces, or a sleek, contemporary feel, this kitchen renovation highlights the best in modern kitchen design.

This condo in Sterling, VA belongs to a couple about to enter into retirement. They own this home in Sterling, along with a weekend home in West Virginia, a vacation home on Emerald Isle in North Carolina and a vacation home in St. John. They want to use this home as their "home-base" during their retirement, when they need to be in the metro area for business or to see family. The condo is small and they felt it was too "choppy," it didn't have good flow and the rooms were too separated and confined. They wondered if it could have more of an open concept feel but were doubtful due to the size and layout of the home. The furnishings they owned from their previous home were very traditional and heavy. They wanted a much lighter, more open and more contemporary feel to this home. They wanted it to feel clean, light, airy and much bigger then it is. The first thing we tackled was an unsightly, and very heavy stone veneered fireplace wall that separated the family room from the office space. It made both rooms look heavy and dark. We took down the stone and opened up parts of the wall so that the two spaces would flow into each other. We added a view thru fireplace and gave the fireplace wall a faux marble finish to lighten it and make it much more contemporary. Glass shelves bounce light and keep the wall feeling light and streamlined. Custom built ins add hidden storage and make great use of space in these small rooms. Our strategy was to open as much as possible and to lighten the space through the use of color, fabric and glass. New furnishings in lighter colors and soft textures help keep the feeling light and modernize the space. Sheer linen draperies soften the hard lines and add to the light, airy feel. Tinius Photography

After living in this newer townhome for years, this family of two decided that a builder grade master bathroom suite is not what they wanted. The couple desired a more contemporary and modern combination of tiles and fixtures. The husband really wanted a steam shower and the wife wished for a state of the art whirlpool/spa fixture. Our team tore down the original bathroom to its bare studs. Taking a few inches from the adjacent closet, allowed our team to convert the old shower stall to a larger steam shower with a built-in bench and niche, added space and a gorgeous glass enclosure. They cleverly mixed the stacked stone and large-scale porcelain tile to emphasize the modern flair for this spa-style bathroom. The tub was moved to the corner to become a curved whirlpool jet tub surrounded in mosaic front and stacked background stone. A separate commode area was created with a frosted glass pocket door. His and her vanities were separated to give each of them a space of their own. Using contemporary floating vanities with marble tops contributed more to the final look. New double glass entry doors open up this master bath suite to the adjacent seating room and give a much more open feel for the new space. Smart use of LED lighting, chandelier, recessed and decorative vanity lights made this master bathroom suite brighter. The couple aptly named this project “Oasis From Heaven".

Project was awarded Gold for the 2018 DDA Canada Competition About the project: This couple wished for a functional space while incorporating a sexy feel. The mandates for the space included a separate shower, freestanding tub, two sinks and a bright, minimalistic European feel.

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.

Designer: Leslie Lamarre TRG Architects http://www.trgarch.com
Inspiration for a huge contemporary u-shaped kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash and two islands

Transitional bathroom photo in Boston

This breathtaking bathroom remodel was completed for a couple in Dunwoody, GA. The bathroom now includes a bright, comfortable, spa-like feel, perfect for this young couple. They can choose to relax in the stylish, claw-foot tub or their seamless-glass shower in complete serenity. The large picture window allows plenty of natural lighting as well as the use of recessed can lighting and wall-mounted vanity lights. The comfort is extended even farther with a separate room for the commode. Tabitha Stephens

Project was awarded Gold for the 2018 DDA Canada Competition About the project: This couple wished for a functional space while incorporating a sexy feel. The mandates for the space included a separate shower, freestanding tub, two sinks and a bright, minimalistic European feel.