Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design | L. Cramer Builders + Remodelers, Builder | Troy Thies, Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Inspiration for a coastal sunroom remodel in New York with a standard ceiling

THE SETUP Client Background: Our clients, a couple who have transitioned into the empty nest phase, have cherished their home for over three decades without undergoing any significant renovations. With a newfound desire to adapt their living space to better suit their current lifestyle, they’ve embarked on a journey to reimagine their kitchen — the heart of their home. Their aspiration is to cultivate a serene, neutral-toned sanctuary on the first floor that seamlessly merges with their family room, ensuring a harmonious and inviting environment. Design Inspiration: The renovation is inspired by the couple’s penchant for soft, calming neutrals, using their cherished family room and the kitchen’s existing tile flooring as the cornerstone for the color scheme. This approach aims to foster a sense of warmth and tranquility throughout. Design Objectives: Harmonize the kitchen with the family room by adopting a soothing, neutral color scheme, ensuring a seamless flow across the first floor. Enhance kitchen functionality with thoughtfully designed cabinetry, providing a designated place for every item and maximizing storage efficiency. Cultivate an inviting and comfortable atmosphere that reflects the homeowners’ desire for a calm and relaxing space. Design Challenges: The homeowners wish to retain the existing kitchen tile flooring and integrate it into a refreshed, modern design. Accommodating a dining area spacious enough for family visits without compromising the kitchen’s open feel or functional layout. Despite liking the current placement of plumbing and appliances, the homeowners aspire for a more open floor plan to facilitate better movement and interaction. The need to amplify natural light in the kitchen, especially around the sink area, where existing lighting is insufficient. Preserving the half-wall between the kitchen and family room, a feature the homeowners want to keep, while ensuring it complements the new design. THE RENEWED SPACE Design Solutions: By choosing a neutral color palette that complements the existing tile, the design unifies the kitchen with the adjacent spaces. The tile’s grout was cleaned and restored, enhancing the floor’s appearance and integrating it seamlessly with the new kitchen aesthetic. The inclusion of a larger island with seating for two, alongside maintaining a substantial dining table, was achieved by optimizing the spatial layout. This allowed for a sociable yet functional kitchen, accommodating large family gatherings without feeling crowded. Minor adjustments to the kitchen’s layout maintained the preferred locations for plumbing and appliances while introducing an ‘open’ design concept. Strategic modifications, such as angling the pantry wall, improved the flow and accessibility within the space. Replacing the garden window with a broader, standard window significantly increased natural light, transforming the sink area into a bright, welcoming space with enhanced views of the outdoors. The decision to keep the half-wall was ingeniously leveraged to define the dining area while maintaining an open connection to the family room. This feature not only serves as a visual separator but also ties the two spaces together through the shared color scheme and design elements. The homeowners are thrilled with their newly remodeled kitchen, which has become a hub of warmth and hospitality. Hosting a wedding shower and a birthday party, they have shared their renewed space with friends and family, who have been equally enamored. This remodel has not only met their functional and aesthetic desires but has also enriched their home with a fresh sense of serenity and joy. The upstairs part of the home is shaping up nicely. Here’s their newly remodeled primary bathroom.

Trendy single-wall concrete floor, orange floor and wood ceiling open concept kitchen photo in Boston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, metallic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Some of our goals and solutions were obvious in this Timeless Style Renovation, other challenges required loads of plotting and planning. Our client inherited his Marlton, New Jersey childhood home and for years chose to keep it ‘as is’ out of respect for his family and because (truth) it was going to be a significant investment — the entire house needed to be refreshed! Flooring, fireplace, removal of walls, windows enlarged, many pocket doors added, all bathrooms redesigned, electric/ gas not to code (from 1965), a massive 300lb safe to incorporate/ tuck away somewhere, planning for a future potential main level in-law suite — the list was very long! Inspiration was easy: they had won awards for their stunning koi pond and landscaping, and they love to entertain. Getting these high powered professionals who were used to running divisions of huge corporations to hand over the reins … NOT so easy. Thankfully, they now can’t stop singing our praises! See their other amazing rooms here.

Paul Dyer
Mid-sized transitional black one-story wood house exterior idea in San Francisco with a hip roof and a shingle roof

The sunroom features large windows with transoms, allowing more natural light into the space and offering visual and physical access to the homeowners' gardens. The lightly white-washed tongue and groove ceiling adds texture and interest. Photo Credit - David Bader Interior Design Partner - Jeff Wasserman

Formal Living Space with an entrance to the home study.
Mid-sized transitional formal and open concept light wood floor and coffered ceiling living room photo in Dallas with white walls and no tv

Photo by Krista Cox Studio
Transitional medium tone wood floor, brown floor, exposed beam and vaulted ceiling living room photo in Charlotte with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Eat-in kitchen - large contemporary u-shaped marble floor, gray floor and wood ceiling eat-in kitchen idea in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black backsplash, an island, solid surface countertops, stone tile backsplash and black appliances

Gibeon Photography
Example of a trendy l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen design in Other with open cabinets, white cabinets, concrete countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Living room - mid-sized country open concept light wood floor living room idea in Santa Barbara with black walls

Inspiration for a timeless dark wood floor and brown floor dining room remodel in New York with beige walls

Example of a kitchen design in DC Metro

Mid-sized urban formal and open concept concrete floor and gray floor living room photo in Tampa with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

Photo by: Leonid Furmansky
Kitchen - small transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and orange floor kitchen idea in Austin with an undermount sink, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, shaker cabinets and blue cabinets

Spacious elegant classic kitchen design with modern features including sociable breakfast bar area and open plan living.
Elegant kitchen photo in Houston

Spacious elegant classic kitchen design with modern features including sociable breakfast bar area and open plan living.
Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Houston

Living room photo in Philadelphia