This one is near and dear to my heart. Not only is it in my own backyard, it is also the first remodel project I've gotten to do for myself! This space was previously a detached two car garage in our backyard. Seeing it transform from such a utilitarian, dingy garage to a bright and cheery little retreat was so much fun and so rewarding! This space was slated to be an AirBNB from the start and I knew I wanted to design it for the adventure seeker, the savvy traveler, and those who appreciate all the little design details . My goal was to make a warm and inviting space that our guests would look forward to coming back to after a full day of exploring the city or gorgeous mountains and trails that define the Pacific Northwest. I also wanted to make a few bold choices, like the hunter green kitchen cabinets or patterned tile, because while a lot of people might be too timid to make those choice for their own home, who doesn't love trying it on for a few days?At the end of the day I am so happy with how it all turned out!

Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard stone patio remodel in Chicago with a fire pit and a pergola

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Emily Andrews
Inspiration for a contemporary master bedroom remodel in New York

Example of a mid-sized trendy powder room design in London with a pedestal sink, a wall-mount toilet and purple walls

Martin Vecchio Photography
Example of a large beach style master white tile porcelain tile and brown floor bathroom design in Detroit with white cabinets, gray walls, marble countertops, a hinged shower door, white countertops and an undermount sink

Jon Encarnacion Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary master gray floor bathroom remodel in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, an undermount tub, white walls and an integrated sink

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Dining room - eclectic medium tone wood floor dining room idea in New York with multicolored walls

Photo credit: Nolan Painting Interior Design: Raindrum Design
Large trendy eat-in kitchen photo in Philadelphia with white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, glass tile backsplash, an island, an undermount sink, soapstone countertops, black countertops and shaker cabinets

Example of a small transitional galley light wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Other with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, solid surface countertops, stainless steel appliances, an island and an undermount sink

Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Chicago

Roost Architecture, Inc
Inspiration for a farmhouse medium tone wood floor great room remodel in Other with beige walls

Emily Minton Redfield
Inspiration for a mid-sized farmhouse enclosed medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room remodel in Denver with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Photo: Mars Photo and Design © 2017 Houzz. Underneath the basement stairs is the perfect spot for a custom designed and built bed that has lots of storage. The unique stair railing was custom built and adds interest in the basement remodel done by Meadowlark Design + Build.

Dan Cutrona Photography
Staircase - coastal wooden staircase idea in Boston with painted risers

Photo by Mary Costa
Example of a trendy light wood floor living room design in Los Angeles with white walls

Bathroom - large craftsman master beige tile and mosaic tile limestone floor and gray floor bathroom idea in Denver with shaker cabinets, an undermount sink, soapstone countertops, medium tone wood cabinets, beige walls, a hinged shower door and a two-piece toilet

Chuck Choi
Living room - modern living room idea in New York

Photography by William Quarles. Designed by Shannon Bogen. Built by Robert Paige Cabinetry. Contractor Tom Martin
Example of a mid-sized transitional kitchen design in Charleston with gray cabinets, recessed-panel cabinets and an island