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Kitchens with fabulous water views require a design that is central to the view. In this case, Bilotta designer, Randy O’Kane, working with Rachel Laxer of Rachel Laxer Interiors, Robert Keller of Keller Eaton Architects, and the homeowner, quickly established that the focal point would be the outside, thus there are really no wall cabinets. The cooktop and main sink are situated on the island so that they face the water with wall ovens and refrigerator/freezer behind. The lines of the Bilotta Collection cabinetry are sleek and there is little to no hardware; drawers have a channel system in place of hardware. A tall pantry area hugs the wall and disappears with only glass pulls giving it away. The natural quartzite countertops have the undulating feel of moving water. The bar area is tucked away with the same clean lined cabinetry, but with an added touch of antique mercury mirrors to help reflect the lovely views. Soft seating by way of a custom banquette and sectional makes this kitchen not just a place to eat, but a relaxing area to watch the boats go by. Contemporary painted casing trims an extra-large pocket door into a formal dining room beautifully detailed by Rachel Laxer and continues the soft color scheme with added pops of color. This is definitely a great space to entertain in or just enjoy! Additional people involved include Staci Ruiz of Staci Ruiz Lighting Consultant and Bobby Noonan of Noonan Construction. Appliances are a mix of Miele, Sub-Zero and Gaggenau; sinks are Franke and faucets by Dornbracht. Bilotta Designer Randy O’Kane with Rachel Laxer for Rachel Laxer Interiors and Robert Keller of Keller Eaton Architects. Photo Credit: Peter Krupenye

Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

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Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

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Sunbury, OH

J.Holderby - Renovations4 Reviews

Franklin County's Leading General Contractors - 2X Best of Houzz!

Water Views in Mamaroneck

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Houston kitchen, living room, patio remodel with Restoration Hardware products

InnovationLand

This Houston kitchen remodel turned an outdated bachelor pad into a contemporary dream fit for newlyweds. The client wanted a contemporary, somewhat commercial look, but also something homey with a comfy, family feel. And they couldn't go too contemporary, since the style of the home is so traditional. The clean, contemporary, white-black-and-grey color scheme is just the beginning of this transformation from the previous kitchen, The revamped 20-by-15-foot kitchen and adjoining dining area also features new stainless steel appliances by Maytag, lighting and furnishings by Restoration Hardware and countertops in white Carrara marble and Absolute Black honed granite. The paneled oak cabinets are now painted a crisp, bright white and finished off with polished nickel pulls. The center island is now a cool grey a few shades darker than the warm grey on the walls. On top of the grey on the new sheetrock, previously covered in a camel-colored textured paint, is Sherwin Williams' Faux Impressions sparkly "Striae Quartz Stone." Ho-hum 12-inch ceramic floor tiles with a western motif border have been replaced with grey tile "planks" resembling distressed wood. An oak-paneled flush-mount light fixture has given way to recessed lights and barn pendant lamps in oil rubbed bronze from Restoration Hardware. And the section housing clunky upper and lower banks of cabinets between the kitchen an dining area now has a sleek counter-turned-table with custom-milled legs. At first, the client wanted to open up that section altogether, but then realized they needed more counter space. The table - a continuation of the granite countertop - was the perfect solution. Plus, it offered space for extra seating. The black, high-back and low-back bar stools are also from Restoration Hardware - as is the new round chandelier and the dining table over which it hangs. Outdoor Homescapes of Houston also took out a wall between the kitchen and living room and remodeled the adjoining living room as well. A decorative cedar beam stained Minwax Jacobean now spans the ceiling where the wall once stood. The oak paneling and stairway railings in the living room, meanwhile, also got a coat of white paint and new window treatments and light fixtures from Restoration Hardware. Staining the top handrailing with the same Jacobean dark stain, however, boosted the new contemporary look even more. The outdoor living space also got a revamp, with a new patio ceiling also stained Jacobean and new outdoor furniture and outdoor area rug from Restoration Hardware. The furniture is from the Klismos collection, in weathered zinc, with Sunbrella fabric in the color "Smoke."

Suite Sensations

Renovisions

It’s no surprise these Hanover clients reached out to Cathy and Ed of Renovisions for design and build services as they wanted a local professional bath specialist to turn their plain builder-grade bath into a luxurious handicapped accessible master bath. Renovisions had safety and universal design in mind while creating this customized two-person super shower and well-appointed master bath so their clients could escape to a special place to relax and energize their senses while also helping to conserve time and water as it is used simultaneously by them. This completely water proofed spacious 4’x8’ walk-in curb-less shower with lineal drain system and larger format porcelain tiles was a must have for our senior client –with larger tiles there are less grout lines, easier to clean and easier to maneuver using a walker to enter and exit the master bath. Renovisions collaborated with their clients to design a spa-like bath with several amenities and added conveniences with safety considerations. The bench seat that spans the width of the wall was a great addition to the shower. It’s a comfortable place to sit down and stretch out and also to keep warm as electric mesh warming materials were used along with a programmable thermostat to keep these homeowners toasty and cozy! Careful attention to all of the details in this master suite created a peaceful and elegant environment that, simply put, feels divine. Adding details such as the warming towel rack, mosaic tiled shower niche, shiny polished chrome decorative safety grab bars that also serve as towel racks and a towel rack inside the shower area added a measure of style. A stately framed mirror over the pedestal sink matches the warm white painted finish of the linen storage cabinetry that provides functionality and good looks to this space. Pull-down safety grab bars on either side of the comfort height high-efficiency toilet was essential to keep safety as a top priority. Water, water everywhere for this well deserving couple – multiple shower heads enhances the bathing experience for our client with mobility issues as 54 soft sprays from each wall jet provide a soothing and cleansing effect – a great choice because they do not require gripping and manipulating handles yet provide a sleek look with easy cleaning. The thermostatic valve maintains desired water temperature and volume controls allows the bather to utilize the adjustable hand-held shower on a slide-bar- an ideal fixture to shower and spray down shower area when done. A beautiful, frameless clear glass enclosure maintains a clean, open look without taking away from the stunning and richly grained marble-look tiles and decorative elements inside the shower. In addition to its therapeutic value, this shower is truly a design focal point of the master bath with striking tile work, beautiful chrome fixtures including several safety grab bars adding aesthetic value as well as safety benefits.

Staircases out of Limestone

Ancient Surfaces

Stone Stairs by 'Ancient Surfaces' Product: Antique Stone Stairs Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com Stairs are one of the most basic indoors and outdoors architectural feature that are a must both functionally and esthetically speaking. In landscaping beside their obvious usefulness in helping you access various elevations on your property they will also allow you to divide and breakup various section of your outdoor design, they'll help you redirect your line of sight to specific focal points of interest and by themselves can make a powerful design statement that symbolizes hospitality and openness towards guests. When creating staircases out of our antique stone building elements we focus on waring all of those hats that your stairs need to ware in order to serve their intended multipurpose role. Most don't dwell or even think twice about this seemingly rudimentary and basic building element that on its surface seems unchanged from the days of the Roman empire. However we've identified various stairs designs and cataloged over 30 divers stone stairs type that forms the bulk of our stone stair library. Here are a few that are noteworthy of mentioning: 1- The thick hexagon staggered stepping stone stairs ideal for any ancient, whimsical, 17th century English or Asiatic landscaping themes you may be using in your outdoors. 2- The 3" and 5" Thick foundation slab slices that are massive cut-out chunks from salvaged cornerstone foundation blocks that used to be laid underneath old farmhouses and building structures in medieval and renaissance Europe before the invention of modern cement and steel foundations. 3- The double stacked antique reclaimed limestone stair edge and risers. All made out of our various lines of very hard antique limestone paves that defies all weather types from sub-Saharan to Tundra climates and perfect for both indoors and outdoors applications. 4- Full blocked 8" thick (or more) )stairs with both the squared backs and the slanted backs ideal for the outdoors or for creating a self-supporting structure that will allow architects and designer an extended range of design options and usages. 5- Limestone stairs with Encaustic Tile raisers ideal for any coastal Spanish or Italian style home. 6- Thick and solid single pieced bull-nosed stairs and raisers flanked by wrist high limestone balustrades when used on the outdoor entryway staircase of your home. All of those types of stairs and countless many others will play an invisible role in defining the character and feel of your future home.

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Sunbury, OH

J.Holderby - Renovations4 Reviews

Franklin County's Leading General Contractors - 2X Best of Houzz!

A Great Answer to a Bad Design

Bridgewater

The new owners were looking forward to living in their new home with an open floor plan, tall vaulted ceilings, and great views. It featured a large Great Room with two big French Doors separating the Dining Room from the Master Bedroom. But after only a few months they identified a major design flaw: Each of the French Doors had ten glass windows with two large windows above each door. (Check out our before and after designs, traffic flow diagrams and photos of this project.) Glass windows and doors allowed sound and light from guests or the TV in the great room to easily sneak into the bedroom. With unique work and sleep schedules (he’s a pilot, she’s a registered nurse) this design wasn’t working. Then there was a traffic flow design flaw: The Master Bedroom had a second entrance from a hallway. To get into the bedroom from the hallway you needed to walk down another claustrophobic hallway. To get from the Master Bedroom to the Master Bath begin at the most remote corner of the bedroom and down a hallway between two closets. Once inside the bath, a huge triangular Jacuzzi dominating the space. So, from a privacy and traffic flow perspective, this home had some major design issues. When Craig Weber first met with the owners, he listened to their ideas and concerns. The owners trusted Craig to come up with the most efficient and most effective solution to this design dilemma. He offered a solution that resolved the bed-bath traffic flow problem, offered some bedroom room privacy, and updated the bath. First, the two French Doors and windows were removed. A new wall was built with sound-absorbing materials, making the Great Room and Dining Room more comfortable spaces for entertaining while creating the bedroom privacy the owners craved. Solving the Bedroom/Bath traffic flow problem began with removing the two existing closets. The bath door was relocated next to the hall entrance, and then a new walk-in closet was added adjacent to the hallway entrance. The solution offered easy access to and from the bath, closet and hallway without a hint of claustrophobia. The Master Bath underwent a major transformation designed for convenience and comfort – especially during long, cold Minnesota winters. Most everything from the former bath was torn out, beginning with the giant Jacuzzi. A new bathtub that is wider and deeper than the standard size was installed with brushed Nickel fixtures. It’s the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine and candles. Warm floors are a Minnesota “must have.” The bath’s new ceramic floor features in-floor electric heat. Getting in and out of the tub is easy and comfortable. The new walk-in shower again features in-floor heating and a place to sit. The most interesting feature of this shower may the custom ceramic tile installed with unique patterns. A new vanity Cambria Bradshaw countertops features two under-hung ceramic sinks with matching brushed Nickel fixtures. Tall ceilings and three glass windows near the ceiling flood the room with natural light. A new energy-efficient window frames an ornamental stained glass window created by the owner’s father – a great personal touch. A quiet place to sleep. A private dining room for entertaining. A Master Bath to die for. And easy traffic flow. The owners couldn’t have been more delighted with the outcome. And Lilly, their cat, loves it too.

2021 NARI CotY National Winner

Twelve Stones Designs, LLC

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.

Kitchen Remodel

Design Connection, Inc.

The new Wolfe and Sub Zero appliances captured the clients’ dreams about redoing this space and they love their new kitchen! The owners of this attractive Johnson County home wanted an update to their kitchen. Their 17-year-old kitchen appliances needed replacing, so they decided to change out all the pale wood cabinets and start anew to accommodate the fresh sizes and styles. Arlene Ladegaard and the Design Connection, Inc. team assisted with the revitalization of the kitchen, creating a stunning new space through professional space planning, elevations and selections of modern materials, colors, and designs. The inset cabinet style produced a seamless look with the appliances hidden behind beautiful cabinet faces. The spiral brushed nickel pendants over the contrasting wood island topped off the look. Design Connection, Inc. provided; Kitchen design and layouts, tile, countertops, painting, appliance selection, cabinets, electrical, lighting and bar stools, project management, and installation of all materials to keep the integrity of the Design Connection, Inc. high standards.