Custom Knotty Alder Daughter's Suite: Integrated Storage & Home Tech We designed this daughter's bedroom as a fully unified sanctuary, leveraging intricate, hand-finished millwork to create a seamless living and media hub. By strictly utilizing the same custom Knotty Alder found throughout the entire Hayden estate, we ensured the secondary rooms deliver the identical "no-expense-spared" standard as the primary master suite. Artisan Features & Construction Excellence: Complete Knotty Alder Media Wall: The centerpiece of the room is a comprehensive Knotty Alder built-in system. This isn't just cabinetry; it's a structural element designed to define the room’s function, showcasing the natural, rustic texture that balances the home’s modern technology. Integrated Media Console: The lower cabinetry features a dedicated media console with open component shelving and concealable storage drawers. We engineered the console to support a integrated smart TV (note the kitchen construction detail on the screen!), seamlessly hiding all wiring behind the precision panel work. High-Capacity Floor-to-Ceiling Storage: Flanking the media zone are massive linen towers and wardrobes, providing sophisticated, long-term organization. Every door and drawer utilizes furniture-grade joinery and substantial, traditional hardware to match the luxury aesthetic of the home's plumbing. Unified Architectural Details: We extended the Knotty Alder into substantial architectural casings, framing the expansive window/slider and tying the room into the surrounding Idaho landscape. This continuity of material creates a sophisticated, "Mountain Modern" environment throughout the entire residence. Technical Flow: Note the complex integration of the built-ins into the room’s geometry, including the perfectly fit baseboard trim. This level of finish work demonstrates our capability to manage complex millwork installations as effectively as our advanced Kohler hydrotherapy systems.

This project, an extensive remodel and addition to an existing modern residence high above Silicon Valley, was inspired by dominant images and textures from the site: boulders, bark, and leaves. We created a two-story addition clad in traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood siding that anchors home and site. Natural textures also prevail in the cosmetic remodeling of all the living spaces. The new volume adjacent to an expanded kitchen contains a family room and staircase to an upper guest suite. The original home was a joint venture between Min | Day as Design Architect and Burks Toma Architects as Architect of Record and was substantially completed in 1999. In 2005, Min | Day added the swimming pool and related outdoor spaces. Schwartz and Architecture (SaA) began work on the addition and substantial remodel of the interior in 2009, completed in 2015. Photo by Matthew Millman

Our client describes this project best by saying: "When I purchased a home in Harbor Springs in the spring of 2018, I knew it would need a substantial overhaul, and that I would be hard pressed to come up with a design on my own. My realtor recommended both a contractor and a designer for me to work with and it made all the difference. When I first met with Stephanie Baldwin of Edgewater Design it was at the house soon after the purchase had been completed, and she agreed that the work I envisioned would be substantial; however, she agreed with a twinkle in her eye and with unbounded confidence that together we would make this home comfortable, welcoming, and eye-catching, and we would do it within my budget. It helped too that I felt from the beginning that we were on the same wavelength, and that feeling persisted from start to finish."

This is another beautiful piece we feel privileged to be a part of creating that was designed by Alicia Jonik of Tracy Lynn Studios. This is definitely the feature piece of this dining area and the seating decision to go without head chairs allows the eye to be drawn to this stunning custom table and base. The base is style lands somewhere between transitional and contemporary which matches the overall vibe of this stunning dining room. It is 2" thick solid Ash wood to carry the load of the 1.5" thick solid Ash table top. The joints are all floating mortise and tenon joinery to ensure durability in this heirloom piece of furniture. There are 3 stretchers that tie the bases together into one unit to connect to the top. The stretchers will keep the top from sagging over time as well as prevent any racking of the outside legs. The base is slotted underneath at the connection points to allow for the substantial seasonal wood movement that will happen from the horizontal stacked plank table top. The top is laced with recessed steel c-channel to give the table a substantial amount of support and help keep it flat over time. The finish we came up with for this table was a custom mix of mid tone earth browns that are accented by whitewashed grain to help tie it to other light tones in the room. What a beautiful space that this landed in. We are thrilled to have our table featured here!

Mid-sized transitional light wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Bridgeport with gray walls

Inspiration for a large transitional backyard rectangular and stone lap pool house remodel in Other

The Sanctuary pendant is substantial in scale and features aged details for a true time-worn design perfect for Quoizel's Naturals Collection. The wood is painted and distressed in a beautiful Driftwood finish. The column fixture loop and chain are painted in a ruddy gold hue. The large cylinder of clear seedy glass makes a statement as it takes center stage.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   I am still sometimes shocked myself at how much of a difference a kitchen remodel can make in a space, you think I would know by now! This was one of those jobs. The small U-shaped room was a bit cramped, a bit dark and a bit dated. A neighboring sunroom/breakfast room addition was awkwardly used, and most of the time the couple hung out together at the small peninsula. The client wish list included a larger, lighter kitchen with an island that would seat 7 people. They have a large family and wanted to be able to gather and entertain in the space. Right outside is a lovely backyard and patio with a fireplace, so having easy access and flow to that area was also important. Our first move was to eliminate the wall between kitchen and breakfast room, which we anticipated would need a large beam and some structural maneuvering since it was the old exterior wall. However, what we didn’t anticipate was that the stucco exterior of the original home was layered over hollow clay tiles which was impossible to shore up in the typical manner. After much back and forth with our structural team, we were able to develop a plan to shore the wall and install a large steal & wood structural beam with minimal disruption to the original floor plan. That was important because we had already ordered everything customized to fit the plan. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief once that part was completed. Now we could move on to building the kitchen we had all been waiting for. Oh, and let’s not forget that this was all being done amidst COVID 2020. We covered the rough beam with cedar and stained it to coordinate with the floors. It’s actually one of my favorite elements in the space. The homeowners now have a big beautiful island that seats up to 7 people and has a wonderful flow to the outdoor space just like they wanted. The large island provides not only seating but also substantial prep area perfectly situated between the sink and cooktop. In addition to a built-in oven below the large gas cooktop, there is also a steam oven to the left of the sink. The steam oven is great for baking as well for heating daily meals without having to heat up the large oven. The other side of the room houses a substantial pantry, the refrigerator, a small bar area as well as a TV. The homeowner fell in love the with the Aqua quartzite that is on the island, so we married that with a custom mosaic in a similar tone behind the cooktop. Soft white cabinetry, Cambria quartz and Thassos marble subway tile complete the soft traditional look. Gold accents, wood wrapped beams and oak barstools add warmth the room. The little powder room was also included in the project. Some fun wallpaper, a vanity with a pop of color and pretty fixtures and accessories finish off this cute little space. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Mountain Modern Kitchen: Architectural Integrity and Flow This perspective captures the harmony between the high-performance culinary equipment and the artisan woodworking that defines the entire estate. Located in Rathdrum, Idaho, this kitchen exemplifies our "Mountain Modern" philosophy, blending the rugged, natural materials of the region with sleek, contemporary lines and advanced technology. The open layout is carefully structured to define a professional cooking zone while maintaining continuous visual connection with the adjacent dining and living areas. Key Design Features & Specs: Professional Island Core: The custom cabinetry island houses a professional-grade induction cooktop, capped by a substantial floating stainless steel hood that anchors the architectural volume of the space. Integrated Artisan Details: Substantial, hand-finished timber posts and beams define the space, connecting the kitchen to the natural world just outside. The unique arched dormer window provides natural light to the prep sink area, showcasing complex structural framing. High-Performance Stainless Contrast: Floor-to-ceiling custom knotty-wood cabinetry seamlessly integrates a large built-in double refrigerator/freezer column and a specialized speed oven, balancing warmth with a sleek, industrial edge. Textural Backsplash Pattern: The traditional honeycomb mosaic tile backsplash adds a layer of fine pattern and texture, contrasting beautifully against the heavy stone countertops. Layered Functional Lighting: Recessed LED ceiling lights combine with linear LED toe-kick lighting and task lighting to create a warm, inviting glow that shifts the mood from efficient meal prep to evening ambiance.

This is another beautiful piece we feel privileged to be a part of creating that was designed by Alicia Jonik of Tracy Lynn Studios. This is definitely the feature piece of this dining area and the seating decision to go without head chairs allows the eye to be drawn to this stunning custom table and base. The base is style lands somewhere between transitional and contemporary which matches the overall vibe of this stunning dining room. It is 2" thick solid Ash wood to carry the load of the 1.5" thick solid Ash table top. The joints are all floating mortise and tenon joinery to ensure durability in this heirloom piece of furniture. There are 3 stretchers that tie the bases together into one unit to connect to the top. The stretchers will keep the top from sagging over time as well as prevent any racking of the outside legs. The base is slotted underneath at the connection points to allow for the substantial seasonal wood movement that will happen from the horizontal stacked plank table top. The top is laced with recessed steel c-channel to give the table a substantial amount of support and help keep it flat over time. The finish we came up with for this table was a custom mix of mid tone earth browns that are accented by whitewashed grain to help tie it to other light tones in the room. What a beautiful space that this landed in. We are thrilled to have our table featured here!

Inspiration for a kitchen remodel in DC Metro

This substantial house sits in the Fallingbrook neighbourhood of Toronto’s Beaches. Our work, while only minimally visible to the street, consisted primarily of extensive interior renovations and rear additions. We also designed extensions to the outdoor terrace area and a new substantial garden pavilion overlooking the swimming pool.

This project, an extensive remodel and addition to an existing modern residence high above Silicon Valley, was inspired by dominant images and textures from the site: boulders, bark, and leaves. We created a two-story addition clad in traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban burnt wood siding that anchors home and site. Natural textures also prevail in the cosmetic remodeling of all the living spaces. The new volume adjacent to an expanded kitchen contains a family room and staircase to an upper guest suite. The original home was a joint venture between Min | Day as Design Architect and Burks Toma Architects as Architect of Record and was substantially completed in 1999. In 2005, Min | Day added the swimming pool and related outdoor spaces. Schwartz and Architecture (SaA) began work on the addition and substantial remodel of the interior in 2009, completed in 2015. Photo by Matthew Millman

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   I am still sometimes shocked myself at how much of a difference a kitchen remodel can make in a space, you think I would know by now! This was one of those jobs. The small U-shaped room was a bit cramped, a bit dark and a bit dated. A neighboring sunroom/breakfast room addition was awkwardly used, and most of the time the couple hung out together at the small peninsula. The client wish list included a larger, lighter kitchen with an island that would seat 7 people. They have a large family and wanted to be able to gather and entertain in the space. Right outside is a lovely backyard and patio with a fireplace, so having easy access and flow to that area was also important. Our first move was to eliminate the wall between kitchen and breakfast room, which we anticipated would need a large beam and some structural maneuvering since it was the old exterior wall. However, what we didn’t anticipate was that the stucco exterior of the original home was layered over hollow clay tiles which was impossible to shore up in the typical manner. After much back and forth with our structural team, we were able to develop a plan to shore the wall and install a large steal & wood structural beam with minimal disruption to the original floor plan. That was important because we had already ordered everything customized to fit the plan. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief once that part was completed. Now we could move on to building the kitchen we had all been waiting for. Oh, and let’s not forget that this was all being done amidst COVID 2020. We covered the rough beam with cedar and stained it to coordinate with the floors. It’s actually one of my favorite elements in the space. The homeowners now have a big beautiful island that seats up to 7 people and has a wonderful flow to the outdoor space just like they wanted. The large island provides not only seating but also substantial prep area perfectly situated between the sink and cooktop. In addition to a built-in oven below the large gas cooktop, there is also a steam oven to the left of the sink. The steam oven is great for baking as well for heating daily meals without having to heat up the large oven. The other side of the room houses a substantial pantry, the refrigerator, a small bar area as well as a TV. The homeowner fell in love the with the Aqua quartzite that is on the island, so we married that with a custom mosaic in a similar tone behind the cooktop. Soft white cabinetry, Cambria quartz and Thassos marble subway tile complete the soft traditional look. Gold accents, wood wrapped beams and oak barstools add warmth the room. The little powder room was also included in the project. Some fun wallpaper, a vanity with a pop of color and pretty fixtures and accessories finish off this cute little space. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   I am still sometimes shocked myself at how much of a difference a kitchen remodel can make in a space, you think I would know by now! This was one of those jobs. The small U-shaped room was a bit cramped, a bit dark and a bit dated. A neighboring sunroom/breakfast room addition was awkwardly used, and most of the time the couple hung out together at the small peninsula. The client wish list included a larger, lighter kitchen with an island that would seat 7 people. They have a large family and wanted to be able to gather and entertain in the space. Right outside is a lovely backyard and patio with a fireplace, so having easy access and flow to that area was also important. Our first move was to eliminate the wall between kitchen and breakfast room, which we anticipated would need a large beam and some structural maneuvering since it was the old exterior wall. However, what we didn’t anticipate was that the stucco exterior of the original home was layered over hollow clay tiles which was impossible to shore up in the typical manner. After much back and forth with our structural team, we were able to develop a plan to shore the wall and install a large steal & wood structural beam with minimal disruption to the original floor plan. That was important because we had already ordered everything customized to fit the plan. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief once that part was completed. Now we could move on to building the kitchen we had all been waiting for. Oh, and let’s not forget that this was all being done amidst COVID 2020. We covered the rough beam with cedar and stained it to coordinate with the floors. It’s actually one of my favorite elements in the space. The homeowners now have a big beautiful island that seats up to 7 people and has a wonderful flow to the outdoor space just like they wanted. The large island provides not only seating but also substantial prep area perfectly situated between the sink and cooktop. In addition to a built-in oven below the large gas cooktop, there is also a steam oven to the left of the sink. The steam oven is great for baking as well for heating daily meals without having to heat up the large oven. The other side of the room houses a substantial pantry, the refrigerator, a small bar area as well as a TV. The homeowner fell in love the with the Aqua quartzite that is on the island, so we married that with a custom mosaic in a similar tone behind the cooktop. Soft white cabinetry, Cambria quartz and Thassos marble subway tile complete the soft traditional look. Gold accents, wood wrapped beams and oak barstools add warmth the room. The little powder room was also included in the project. Some fun wallpaper, a vanity with a pop of color and pretty fixtures and accessories finish off this cute little space. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Taragano Design & Build completed this fireplace wall as part of a whole house remodel in Alamo, California. The existing firebox stayed. Rebuilding a masonry fireplace is substantial work with a substantial cost, and in a house where the firebox was sound, the money was better spent on everything around it. What changed is the surround, the hearth, and the wall the wall sits in. The tile is fluted and runs vertically from hearth to ceiling in a single plane, wrapping the raised platform in the same material. Carrying it around the hearth rather than stopping at the floor is what makes the fireplace read as one built object rather than a firebox with a facing applied. Shelves are lit from the underside of each board, so the light falls on the objects rather than into the room. In a wall this long, that keeps the shelving legible in the evening without adding a fixture that competes with the fire. Millwork was matched in tone to the flooring and kept lighter than the walls, which is what stops a full height feature wall from reading as heavy. Licensed general contractor, CSLB #1143420. Diamond Certified.

Bridle Path Residence — Primary Bedroom Suite This Bridle Path Residence primary bedroom is designed as a quietly luxurious private retreat, balancing the architectural formality of the home with a softer, more intimate residential atmosphere. The space demonstrates how classical detailing can be paired with expressive colour, layered textiles, and contemporary lighting to create a bedroom that feels both elegant and personal. The architecture establishes a calm, cohesive backdrop. Crisp white wall panelling, substantial crown moulding, and a carefully detailed recessed ceiling create a sense of proportion and permanence. Rather than competing with the furnishings, these architectural elements provide a restrained framework that allows texture, colour, and light to become the defining layers. A custom fireplace creates an architectural focal point within the bedroom. Its clean, linear treatment is deliberately understated, allowing the fire itself to introduce warmth and atmosphere without overwhelming the room. The fireplace also visually connects the bedroom to the adjoining sitting area, creating a sense of continuity across the suite. The recessed ceiling is an important design feature. Layered moulding frames the central ceiling plane, while concealed perimeter lighting creates a soft architectural glow. This indirect illumination gives the room a warmer evening character and highlights the geometry of the ceiling without relying solely on decorative fixtures. The upholstered bed provides a substantial yet comfortable centrepiece. Its tall, softly rounded headboard introduces a tactile quality against the crisp architectural envelope, while the layered bedding and collection of jewel-toned cushions bring personality into the otherwise neutral setting. Colour is used selectively but confidently. Deep fuchsia, sapphire blue, plum, and charcoal accents create a sophisticated jewel-tone palette that contrasts with the white architecture and pale textiles. These richer colours make the room feel curated and expressive while maintaining an overall sense of serenity. The adjoining sitting area extends the bedroom beyond its sleeping function. A pair of sculptural upholstered chairs and a richly coloured ottoman create a small private lounge, allowing the suite to function as a complete retreat rather than simply a bedroom. Artwork introduces another layer of personality and creates a visual transition between the two spaces. The hardwood flooring provides warmth and continuity, grounding the predominantly light palette and connecting the bedroom with the rest of the residence. The combination of wood, upholstered surfaces, reflective accents, architectural millwork, and soft lighting creates a carefully balanced sensory experience. Overall, the design is an expression of refined residential luxury with a more personal and intimate character. Classical millwork establishes timelessness, while jewel-toned textiles, sculptural furnishings, contemporary lighting, and curated artwork prevent the room from feeling overly traditional. The result is a sophisticated primary suite designed for comfort, privacy, and understated glamour.

Inspiration for a transitional family room remodel in San Francisco

Bright and airy kitchen with ample storage. Featuring built in refrigerator, large island pendant lighting, and island seating.
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Salt Lake City with shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and yellow countertops