In our world of kitchen design, it’s lovely to see all the varieties of styles come to life. From traditional to modern, and everything in between, we love to design a broad spectrum. Here, we present a two-tone modern kitchen that has used materials in a fresh and eye-catching way. With a mix of finishes, it blends perfectly together to create a space that flows and is the pulsating heart of the home. With the main cooking island and gorgeous prep wall, the cook has plenty of space to work. The second island is perfect for seating – the three materials interacting seamlessly, we have the main white material covering the cabinets, a short grey table for the kids, and a taller walnut top for adults to sit and stand while sipping some wine! I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend time in this kitchen?! Cabinetry With a tuxedo trend look, we used Cabico Elmwood New Haven door style, walnut vertical grain in a natural matte finish. The white cabinets over the sink are the Ventura MDF door in a White Diamond Gloss finish. Countertops The white counters on the perimeter and on both islands are from Caesarstone in a Frosty Carrina finish, and the added bar on the second countertop is a custom walnut top (made by the homeowner!) with a shorter seated table made from Caesarstone’s Raw Concrete. Backsplash The stone is from Marble Systems from the Mod Glam Collection, Blocks – Glacier honed, in Snow White polished finish, and added Brass. Fixtures A Blanco Precis Silgranit Cascade Super Single Bowl Kitchen Sink in White works perfect with the counters. A Waterstone transitional pulldown faucet in New Bronze is complemented by matching water dispenser, soap dispenser, and air switch. The cabinet hardware is from Emtek – their Trinity pulls in brass. Appliances The cooktop, oven, steam oven and dishwasher are all from Miele. The dishwashers are paneled with cabinetry material (left/right of the sink) and integrate seamlessly Refrigerator and Freezer columns are from SubZero and we kept the stainless look to break up the walnut some. The microwave is a counter sitting Panasonic with a custom wood trim (made by Cabico) and the vent hood is from Zephyr.

jeremy bittermann
Example of a trendy galley concrete floor open concept kitchen design in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, metallic backsplash, metal backsplash, stainless steel appliances, white walls and green countertops

The owner of this house spends hours crafting so we designed and built this one of a kind craft room. The entire space was custom designed and built for all of her tools and paints. We were careful to plan the entire space with no handles and tamber door to achieve a clean and modern look. We finished off the space with a sink and a coffee station for those long crafting nights.

This lovely two-car garage was constructed to secure antique​​​ automobiles. A second story was designed over the garage bays for a home office. The roof is cedar shake. The remote-operated doors are insulated to keep the interior space temperate year round.

Photo: Sarah Seung McFarland © 2016 Houzz
Living room library - eclectic dark wood floor living room library idea in New York with white walls and a media wall

This great room is filled with natural light all day long with windows all across the back from Western Window Systems. It is the perfect gathering place for cooking, dining or just relaxing. The white oak floors provide a lovely contrast to the white shaker style cabinetry while the marble and quartz counter tops finish off the kitchen counters. Photo Credit: Leigh Ann Rowe

To achieve the open, modern take on Midcentury that our clients desired, we took down upper cabinets over the peninsula, which opened the spaces up to each other. In doing so we creating a storage area for wine and a long countertop for entertaining or setting up a buffet during parties. What had been wasted space to the right of the walkway is now the pantry, with deep storage cabinets. Distinctive Kitchens was brought in to help choose finishes--tile backsplash and floors, sink, faucet, lighting, countertops and cabinet hardware. The adjacent dining room was also part of the design, because the rooms have such a strong relationship to each other. We consulted on furniture and lighting in that room, making sure the two light fixtures (one over the sink, the other over the dining table) didn't compete for attention. We feel the end result is fresh, clean, and texturally beautiful. Kitchen and dining room staging by Allison Scheff of Distinctive Kitchens. Photos by Wynne H Earle

Ruth DiPietro
Minimalist medium tone wood floor hallway photo in Nashville with white walls

Designed with an open floor plan and layered outdoor spaces, the Onaway is a perfect cottage for narrow lakefront lots. The exterior features elements from both the Shingle and Craftsman architectural movements, creating a warm cottage feel. An open main level skillfully disguises this narrow home by using furniture arrangements and low built-ins to define each spaces’ perimeter. Every room has a view to each other as well as a view of the lake. The cottage feel of this home’s exterior is carried inside with a neutral, crisp white, and blue nautical themed palette. The kitchen features natural wood cabinetry and a long island capped by a pub height table with chairs. Above the garage, and separate from the main house, is a series of spaces for plenty of guests to spend the night. The symmetrical bunk room features custom staircases to the top bunks with drawers built in. The best views of the lakefront are found on the master bedrooms private deck, to the rear of the main house. The open floor plan continues downstairs with two large gathering spaces opening up to an outdoor covered patio complete with custom grill pit.

• A busy family wanted to rejuvenate their entire first floor. As their family was growing, their spaces were getting more cramped and finding comfortable, usable space was no easy task. The goal of their remodel was to create a warm and inviting kitchen and family room, great room-like space that worked with the rest of the home’s floor plan. The focal point of the new kitchen is a large center island around which the family can gather to prepare meals. Exotic granite countertops and furniture quality light-colored cabinets provide a warm, inviting feel. Commercial-grade stainless steel appliances make this gourmet kitchen a great place to prepare large meals. A wide plank hardwood floor continues from the kitchen to the family room and beyond, tying the spaces together. The focal point of the family room is a beautiful stone fireplace hearth surrounded by built-in bookcases. Stunning craftsmanship created this beautiful wall of cabinetry which houses the home’s entertainment system. French doors lead out to the home’s deck and also let a lot of natural light into the space. From its beautiful, functional kitchen to its elegant, comfortable family room, this renovation achieved the homeowners’ goals. Now the entire family has a great space to gather and spend quality time.

Judy Proctor
Country exterior home photo in New York

John Gillooly/PEI
Example of a classic enclosed kitchen design in Boston with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Beautiful executive office with wood ceiling, stone fireplace, built-in cabinets and floating desk. Visionart TV in Fireplace. Cabinets are redwood burl and desk is Mahogany. Project designed by Susie Hersker’s Scottsdale interior design firm Design Directives. Design Directives is active in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Carefree, Sedona, and beyond. For more about Design Directives, click here: https://susanherskerasid.com/

Transitional living room photo in Boston

The double patios and outdoor fireplace of this home design urge you to spend your leisure time outdoors, rather than indoors.

Study room - transitional carpeted study room idea in New York with white walls and no fireplace

Example of a mountain style living room design in Denver

Couldn't you spend hours getting ready each morning in this bathroom?

This spacious home in North Vancouver's Deep Cove community had been built and decorated just over 20 years ago and was in need of updating. Our clients who are empty nesters, spend much of their time in the kitchen and family room so we focused on these spaces keeping in mind that the more formal spaces on the main floor will follow in a few years time. For the most part the layout of their kitchen worked well for them so our role was to tweak the kitchen and family room furniture layout and to select updated finishes and furnishings. Since this home transformation is not happening all at once, we purposefully selected classic finishes, like antique brass hardware, that will tie in with the rest of the home's decor until it can be updated. The resulting refresh stays true to the original feel of the house while giving it a clean, updated look.