For this HouseHome project, we transformed the main floor of a classic 1940s home into a luxury living space that balances historical integrity with contemporary refinement. The renovation emphasizes ornate detailing and timeless architectural elements, celebrating the precision and craftsmanship of mid-century design while introducing modern functionality. The design aesthetic is rooted in discipline, subtlety, and quality, using a subdued color palette that enhances the home’s architectural features and highlights the care put into every detail. Custom fine millwork and meticulously crafted trim elevate the spaces, adding depth, elegance, and a sense of permanence that only true artisanal work can achieve. This luxury main floor renovation in Colorado demonstrates HouseHome’s signature approach: blending historical inspiration, refined materials, and thoughtful design to create spaces that feel sophisticated, intentional, and timeless. Every element—from layout to finishes—reflects a commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and enduring beauty...just the way the client likes it, and what we love to deliver at HouseHome.

In this Albany, CA garden, we used a red hot Anigozanthus and orange Carex to set off the front yard. A subdued base of dark Phormium, plus cool colored succulents and Dymondia help the warm colors stand out.

Minimalism isn’t supposed to be vanilla—this one actually earns the label. Clean, modern simplicity is the core, but it’s rich in intention. Every line, surface, and texture is deliberate; emptiness feels calculated, not lazy. The subdued palette and essentialist layout speak to refined restraint, yet the space still communicates a quiet, confident presence. Real minimalism with character—not stripped, but sharpened.

This coastal kitchen needed a refresh. Its solid wood cabinets were painted in a sage green, with putty colored trim and a cherry island and dark countertop. We painted the cabinetry and replaced countertops and appliances. We also moved the refrigerator to a side wall to create a better work space flow and added two windows to provide symmetry on the cooktop wall. A new custom wood hood and patterned marble backsplash help add a cheerful upbeat vibe to a previously subdued and muted space.

Mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Vancouver with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

The geometric pattern of the bold blue tiles adds a playful quality to the more subdued walnut cabinetry and quartzite countertops.
Example of a mid-sized mid-century modern light wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white countertops

Choosing to abandon uniformity in your kitchen can be a great choice if you're looking to opt out of a monochrome aesthetic. Two-toned kitchen cabinets add visual interest and contrast while drawing focus to different features within the space. Designs utilizing two-toned cabinets have become very popular in recent years and it's not a trend that will be fading out any time soon. Our clients opted for a combination of Earl Grey and Macchiato Classic cabinetry in their two-toned kitchen. The large island with its second faucet, sink, microwave drawer and lower storage is the focal point of the room and a great work surface for food prep and entertaining. A vertical pull out PowerDock was installed into the top of the island for plugging in kitchen tools, phones and laptops. Dolomite Marble subway tile and Brunello quartz countertops brighten up the kitchen and balance out the tone of the cabinets creating a light and airy feel. The addition of contrasting touches such as the Honey Bronze, Flat Black hardware and Champaign Bronze faucets, accessories the room beautifully. The subdued and sophisticated style of this two-toned kitchen is exquisite and shows the various ways that two-tone cabinets can be versatile and appealing. Some of the other areas that were remodeled in this home included the complete overhaul of the existing stair well, a guest bath and laundry area. The guest bath has beautiful vanity cabinets in Celest finish, Monochrome Lotus Deco tile and very reflective Midnight Dots in the shower floor and niche. The combination of all three give a striking white, blue and black design that will inspire and show that you can use pattern and texture in small spaces. A twenty four inch wall mounted shower seat can be lifted and secured when in use and tucked away to allow access out of the shower. A pocket door from the guest bathroom provides a second access point to the hallway with the laundry that has also been revamped with the same style and finish of cabinetry.

Modern design and time-honored techniques meld seamlessly in the Makai House, a 3000-square-foot custom home designed to strategically fit on an existing footprint, located a stone’s throw from the Fauntleroy ferry dock in West Seattle. A courtyard in the rear of the house, a covered patio, and the front beach are all physically and visually connected, creating dynamic indoor-outdoor living, constantly changing with the seasons and the times of the day. Project Team | Lindal Home Architectural Designer | OTO Design Landscape Design | Board & Vellum General Contractor | Schaefer Construction Photography | Kevin Scott

Coastal Companions Seagulls Vintage Retro Subdued Seagulls Photorealistic Digital Artwork Canvas in Transitional Style Home Office. Explore print options: https://pipafineart.com/pages/coastal-companions-vintage-retro-subdued-seagulls-photorealistic-digital-artwork-wall-art-prints-and-digital-backgrounds

- Tony Colangelo Photography - Everything you need to feel right at home. The grey and white colour scheme adds subdued elegance to the intricately designed island and classic shaker style cabinets. The subway tile backsplash offsets the black bordered glass front cabinets, which combine with the hanging pendants above the island to create a soft glow. The apron sink, hood fan and range, inset wine rack, and fridge tower add a modern flair to the traditional design of this space.

custom bookshelves in contrasting color add punch to the subdued color scheme in the kitchen
Elegant kitchen photo in Grand Rapids

Inspiration for a small transitional galley ceramic tile open concept kitchen remodel in Louisville with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface countertops, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This cabin, located on the Northwest bank of Payette Lake, illustrates massing volumes to create spacious interiors that appear modest to the passerby. While many of the old, family cabins on Payette have been demolished and replaced, this area of the lakefront still has a number of these characters in place.

Open concept kitchen - large transitional galley medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

If “desert retro” could be translated as a design style, this MCM-inspired kitchen would be it. Our goal for these clients — a young couple who recently relocated to the Pittsburgh-area from Phoenix, AZ — was to bring a touch of the sunny Sonoran into their new home. This subdued, sun-bleached palette feels both vibrant and earthy. A dramatic, shifting landscape that comes alive with the day’s changing light. Large format terrazzo tiles ground the space with muted, dusty green, ochre and amber. A nod to the tough skins of cacti, agave, and creosote bushes. A mixed finish glass tile backsplash adds pale yellow accents found in parched sand dunes. Three different cabinet finishes form our rocky canyons. Deep brown and clay purple hues like ancient cliff faces stained by manganese and iron oxide. Washed out skies reflecting warm white light. Golden brass details throughout gleam like the desert sun. By removing a wall in between the kitchen and dining room, we were able to add a working peninsula and pull the range out of the corner. This change opened up the space, solving layout and storage puzzles for our clients — without making the kitchen feel cold or contemporary. Smooth, slab-style cabinet faces paired with streamlined appliances and fixtures keep things low maintenance.

This renovation consists of remodeling the existing semi-enclosed kitchen into modern open kitchen, with state of the art semi-professional panel ready appliances by “Thermador” and flush vertical cabinets by German kitchen manufacturer: “Bulthaup”. Reveals between the materials accentuate the simple geometries created by the new design. Champagne aluminum metal panels contrast the more subdued white panels in front of the staircase. Moreover, a hidden panelized door connects to a new utility room, pantry and laundry area. In the utility room, additional open shelving and countertop display commonly used appliances along with wine and beverage coolers are located away from the main kitchen area. Spaced was maximized by utilizing the area under the stairs to accommodate the laundry and pantry.

The use of the Fantasy Brown natural quartzite in this space adds the perfect balance to the contrasting cabinetry and the subdued gray tone of the Stellar Dovetail tile. The Herringbone Pattern above the range is both appealing and the perfect touch of sophisticated detail. Location: Cumming, GA 30040 Countertops: Fantasy Brown Quartzite Island: Fantasy Brown Quartzite, supported by Traditional Corbels underneath Backsplash: 3"x6" Stellar Dove Tail tiles Cooktop Backsplash: 3"x9 Stellar Dove Tail tiles in herringbone pattern Sink: Undermount Stainless Steel Single Large Bowl

We used cool tones of blue and gray for this client's serene basement renovation project paired with subdued coastal accents. One of our main goals for this project was to transform our client's office space complete with a soft blue and gray accent wall, flat roman window treatment, and walnut floating shelves; as well as subtle gold accents in both the artwork and hardware on this gorgeous custom desk.

Inspiration for a timeless living room remodel in Toronto