This home bowling alley features a custom lane color called "Red Hot Allusion" and special flame graphics that are visible under ultraviolet black lights, and a custom "LA Lanes" logo. 12' wide projection screen, down-lane LED lighting, custom gray pins and black pearl guest bowling balls, both with custom "LA Lanes" logo. Built-in ball and shoe storage. Triple overhead screens (2 scoring displays and 1 TV).

Large transitional walk-out porcelain tile and brown floor basement photo in Minneapolis with gray walls

A dark and dingy basement is now the most popular area of this family’s home. The new basement enhances and expands their living area, giving them a relaxing space for watching movies together and a separate, swanky bar area for watching sports games. The design creatively uses reclaimed barnwood throughout the space, including ceiling beams, the staircase, the face of the bar, the TV wall in the seating area, open shelving and a sliding barn door. The client wanted a masculine bar area for hosting friends/family. It’s the perfect space for watching games and serving drinks. The bar area features hickory cabinets with a granite stain, quartz countertops and an undermount sink. There is plenty of cabinet storage, floating shelves for displaying bottles/glassware, a wine shelf and beverage cooler. The most notable feature of the bar is the color changing LED strip lighting under the shelves. The lights illuminate the bottles on the shelves and the cream city brick wall. The lighting makes the space feel upscale and creates a great atmosphere when the homeowners are entertaining. We sourced all the barnwood from the same torn down barn to make sure all the wood matched. We custom milled the wood for the stairs, newel posts, railings, ceiling beams, bar face, wood accent wall behind the TV, floating bar shelves and sliding barn door. Our team designed, constructed and installed the sliding barn door that separated the finished space from the laundry/storage area. The staircase leading to the basement now matches the style of the other staircase in the house, with white risers and wood treads. Lighting is an important component of this space, as this basement is dark with no windows or natural light. Recessed lights throughout the room are on dimmers and can be adjusted accordingly. The living room is lit with an overhead light fixture and there are pendant lights over the bar.

Large transitional walk-out porcelain tile and brown floor basement photo in Minneapolis with gray walls

This game room/dining room is perfect for entertaining with the flat screen tvs and oversized cantilevered buffet.
Example of a trendy dark wood floor dining room design in Los Angeles

When planning this custom residence, the owners had a clear vision – to create an inviting home for their family, with plenty of opportunities to entertain, play, and relax and unwind. They asked for an interior that was approachable and rugged, with an aesthetic that would stand the test of time. Amy Carman Design was tasked with designing all of the millwork, custom cabinetry and interior architecture throughout, including a private theater, lower level bar, game room and a sport court. A materials palette of reclaimed barn wood, gray-washed oak, natural stone, black windows, handmade and vintage-inspired tile, and a mix of white and stained woodwork help set the stage for the furnishings. This down-to-earth vibe carries through to every piece of furniture, artwork, light fixture and textile in the home, creating an overall sense of warmth and authenticity.

The home sits into an extremely steep, half-acre lot that shares a property line with a ski resort and allows for ski-in, ski-out access to the mountain’s 61 trails. This unique location and challenging terrain informed the home’s siting, footprint, program, design, interior design, finishes, and custom made furniture. Credit: Samyn-D'Elia Architects

Dining room - country dining room idea in Phoenix

Mike and Michelle of Lake Barrington knew they needed extra space. Their home was becoming too crowded for their family with blossoming teenagers, so a basement renovation offered the perfect solution for more space for the kids and more room to entertain for the adults. “Our project consisted of expanding our laundry room, putting in a first floor wet bar so we had adult space upstairs, while also renovating our basement for a family-friendly and teen-functional area as well,” Michelle says. They found Advance Design Studio through a neighbor who gave a glowing recommendation, giving Michelle and Mike the confidence they needed to move forward with a major home renovation. They felt like they knew Advance Design before they even worked together. When they met with the owner Todd Jurs and designer Nicole Ryan, Mike and Michelle knew they were getting a trustworthy, dependable team that could create the project they had been dreaming about for 7 years. Having virtually no natural light to work with, one of the biggest design challenges was creating a basement that did not feel dark and depressing. The Advance team got to work creating architectural archways and custom detailed dry-stack stone columns artfully designed into the space, adding a dramatic element that made the space feel less like a basement or more like a relaxing family room. Color 3D renderings were created to portray what the space would look like so Mike and Michelle could visualize the space in advance. Detailed trim and crown moldings grace the built in buffet and wet bar making for an amazingly functional space that lacks nothing in style and visual interest. Cherry wood cabinetry by Dura Supreme is featured in the space with a “Cocoa Brown” finish and includes beautiful mirrored glass doors embellished with unique elliptical mullion details. A built-in microwave, dishwasher and mini fridge add practicality to the ample entertainment mecca. An under mounted sink finishes the space joined with a intricate mosaic tile backsplash and “Ventisca Polished” quartz countertops. The basement is absolutely perfect for hosting friends and family with expertly designed key areas such as a game space for the kids, a movie area for the family, an ample workout room with luxurious full bath, and even built in wine storage. The family absolutely loves the new basement living space, and has already enjoyed numerous family movie nights and sleep-overs with friends. While custom cabinets made by Dura Supreme were used to create unique spaces that lived up to Mike and Michelle’s expectations., heated flooring under the 16”x16” “Mongolian Spring” tile was installed giving all tiled areas of the basement a much cozier feel, eliminating that cold hard surface most of us hate in our basements! The new basement must-have requirement list included a new bath space, which was incorporated adjacent to the work out room. The sleek shower door and cabinets in the new bathroom make guests and family feel like they are in an elegant hotel. The new guest bath features 4”x36” “Silver Screen” honed marble tile in a brick pattern on the shower walls and 2”x2” “Chenille” limestone tile in a hexagon mosaic pattern on the shower floor. “I came in with very specific requirements for our three project areas,” Michelle says. “There was not one time that I felt like I was asking for something that was not going to turn out how I anticipated.” Tying in multiple rooms during a renovation if you have can do it makes a lot of sense and saves money in the long run. A fully functional laundry room as well was a must on this family’s wish list. Michelle wanted to add space to the existing cramped and awkward laundry room, and Mike wanted to make sure they could still park a car in the garage. Reconfiguring interior walls required borrowing unused space cleverly from the garage in order to enlarge the laundry room space. Drawers under the stairs added beautiful hidden storage created almost magically out of dead space. White painted Dura Supreme cabinets bring additional light into the small space; while the 16”x16” cleft slate tile flooring provides excellent contrast and the naturally earthy feel Michelle wanted. Quartz countertops with a 3”x12” “Debut Dew” subway tile backsplash add elegance to the now upliftingly bright laundry room. The extra space makes doing laundry much more pleasurable and the added storage is a great for all those little things like winter hats and gloves, umbrellas and the like. “The Advance Design project team was phenomenal to work with,” Michelle says. “They came in, shared the plans with us and walked us through the expectations. We always knew what was coming next.” Converting an existing closet space, the wet bar upstairs was challenging because they wanted a functional area that didn’t look or feel like cabinets just sticking out of a closet. So the Advance team transformed this ordinary closet space into a stunning wet bar that architecturally appears as if it’s always been there. Traditional, elegant hand carved custom molding matching the adjacent fireplace ties the new entertainment bar area in nicely with the existing family room and kitchen area. Featuring a built in wine refrigerator, Dura Supreme cabinetry in deep cherry wood elegantly displays wine bottles and etched glass mullion doors that fill with soft light in the evening hours. Cambria “Windermere” quartz countertops with a sophisticated hammered copper sink and a glimmering backsplash round out the stunning wet bar. Hosting parties and family functions has become much more enjoyable now that they have a dedicated beverage serving area large enough to include hors devours. All three projects were designed and constructed together at the same time, making for a cohesive project that was administered smoothly and easily both for the design team and for the family. Disruption to the home was minimal as each phase was completed in each project conclusively, and design and meeting time for the homeowner was efficient and organized making for an enjoyable process. “Advance Design was great to work with,” Michelle says. “I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a home improvement project. They took the time at the beginning to understand our needs, our budget, and our vision for our home. The field team was great, attentive, on time, cleaned up each day and made the overall experience very positive. We couldn't be happier with the finished product.” With the help of our talented, award winning design team you can create the basement, laundry room, or any other home renovation that you have been dreaming of. With our “Common Sense Remodeling” approach, the process of renovating you home has never been easier. Contact us today at 847-836-2600 or schedule an appointment to talk with us about that kitchen remodeling project. Joe Nowak

Beautiful custom shaker fireplace wall with open shelving above and plenty of storage for today's media needs. This great remodeled fireplace wall is shown in a warm walnut finish with an incredibly fun mosaic tile surround.

This property is situated on the hillside overlooking the Channel Islands and the ocean beyond. The original house, however, did not take advantage of the views. The project scope included a gut remodel of the existing house, a new guesthouse, a game room converted from the garage, and new pool. The new design has an open floor plan with expansive sliding glass doors to access ocean views. A new detached structure houses the new garage and home office.

Boise Home Photography
Basement - eclectic basement idea in Boise

Inspiration for a contemporary home office remodel in Salt Lake City

A lower level family room doesn't have to be boring - it can be exciting! By using dark finishes on the TV wall and the cabinets, the client has a definite focal point for this open space. Complemented by pops of color in the artwork and pillows, the space feels sophisticated but yet a little young at heart.

Kids' room - large transitional boy carpeted kids' room idea in Oklahoma City with blue walls

Trent Teigan
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped porcelain tile and beige floor open concept kitchen remodel in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, colored appliances and an island

Huge cottage light wood floor and beige floor indoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court photo in Salt Lake City

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2016 Houzz
Eclectic kitchen photo in Portland

Architecture, Construction Management, Interior Design, Art Curation & Real Estate Advisement by Chango & Co. Construction by MXA Development, Inc. Photography by Sarah Elliott See the home tour feature in Domino Magazine