This downtown Shrewsbury, MA project was a collaborative effort between our talented design team and the discerning eye of the homeowner. Our goal was to carefully plan and construct an orangery-style addition in a very difficult location without significantly altering the architectural flow of the existing colonial home. The traditional style of an English orangery is characterized by large windows built into the construction as well as a hip style skylight centered within the space (adding a masterful touch of class). In keeping with this theme, we were able to incorporate Anderson architectural French doors and a spectacular skylight so as to allow an optimum amount of light into the structure. Engineered and constructed using solid dimensional lumber and insulated in compliance with (and exceeding) international residential building code requirements, this bespoke orangery blends the beauty of old world design with the substantial benefits of contemporary construction practices. Bringing together the very best characteristics of a Sunspace Design project, the orangery featured here provides the warmth of a traditional English AGA stove, the rustic feel of a bluestone floor, and the elegance of custom exterior and interior decorative finishes. We invite you to add a modern English orangery to your own home so that you can enjoy a lovely dining space with your family, or simply an extra area to sit back and relax within.

With more substantial proportions than Copthorne®, Town Hall is cast from original brick street pavers and offers a distressed, time-worn appearance. As well, with Unilock’s ever-increasing focus on permeable pavers, Town Hall has been designed to satisfy both traditional and permeable installation methods.

Sally Painter
Trendy living room photo in Portland with a corner fireplace

This is an example of a mid-sized craftsman front porch design with a roof extension and decking.

Paul Go Images
Inspiration for a huge transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Dallas with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands, a farmhouse sink and stone tile backsplash

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This project started out as a kitchen remodel but ended up as so much more. As the original plan started to take shape, some water damage provided the impetus to remodel a small upstairs hall bath. Once this bath was complete, the homeowners enjoyed the result so much that they decided to set aside the kitchen and complete a large master bath remodel. Once that was completed, we started planning for the kitchen! The original kitchen was just large enough to accommodate an island and a separate pantry but felt a little cramped, especially during the weekends when the couple likes to entertain. The primary goal was to maintain the functionality of the current space, but to add some breathing room as well as to provide a view to the homeowner’s side yard and substantial Hosta garden. The solution was to bump out the space about 10 feet which provided ample room for large pro appliances, a large island for gathering and an upgraded pantry space. It was important to the homeowners to create a space that felt like it belonged in their historic 1866 home. Details such as matching new trim to the existing large custom profiles in the original home and re-purposing an existing door to be used for the new pantry, provided these touches. A large window at the main sink provides that view into the yard and a beautiful focal point for the room. A mix of painted wood and stained cabinetry gives the new kitchen a sense of belonging in the older home, as do the Super White quartzite that has the look of marble, subway tile backsplash, polished nickel lanterns and glass and mirrored doors. The large pantry, filled with custom shelving built to the homeowner’s specifications, stainless steel appliances and the two Galley Workstations – sinks that do double duty as prep space – ensure that not only does the kitchen look great, but also functions in a personalized manner that works perfectly for the occupants. Doing the bump out also allowed the opportunity for a small mudroom and powder room right off the kitchen as well as re-arranging some openings to allow for better traffic flow throughout the entire first floor. The result is a comfortable up-to-date home that feels both steeped in history yet allows for today’s style of living. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Project designed and built by Atlanta Decking & Fence. Photo by Jan Stittleburg, JS PhotoFX.
Inspiration for a timeless patio remodel in Atlanta

Example of a mountain style living room design in New York

Alex chronos
Example of a classic patio design in Atlanta

Enjoy the outdoors all year long snuggled up near the fire
Example of a mid-sized mountain style backyard stone patio design in Atlanta with a fireplace and no cover

Cherry raised panel, award winning, his and her closet. Gorgeous dressing area.
Dressing room - huge traditional gender-neutral dressing room idea in Houston with raised-panel cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

These Northern Virginia residents have owned this vacation home for about ten years. With retirement imminent, they decided to give the entire home an over-haul. With it’s great bones and amazing location, this seemed like a very sound investment for their future. Paola McDonald from Olamar Interiors had been working with the clients for the past three years, helping them to renovate their Sterling, VA condominium and their Moorefield, WV weekend home. It seemed fitting that they would also hire her to help them renovate this home as well. For this project we took the home down to the studs and practically rebuilt it. The renovation includes an addition to the basement level and main floor to create a new fitness room, additional guest bedroom and larger kitchen and dining area. It also included a renovation of the facade of the home. The exterior of the home was completely re-sided and painted, and we added the tall windows at the stairs. The lower entry deck was expanded and an upper deck was added just off the kitchen in order for the homeowner to keep his grill away from the strong ocean winds. A new deck was also added off of the master bedroom. New stainless steel railings were added to all the decks. We opened the homes stairwells, adding custom glass railings and new lighting to create a much more open feel and allow for natural light to flood the entire main living area. The original, tiny kitchen was expanded substantially, adding a large custom eat in bar, wine storage area and plenty of storage. We utilized Decora’s Marquis Cabinetry in an espresso finish to give the kitchen a very clean, contemporary feel. Carrara marble countertops paired with a grey quartz, single slap marble backsplash, and stainless appliances create a clean look. In the new dining area, a simple Modloft dining table was paired with a Regina Andrew bubbles chandelier and Jessica Charles dining chairs for a sophisticated feel accentuated perfectly by beachy colors and textures that tie in the beautiful views of the Ocean. A custom chandelier from John Pomp is the highlight of the family room, particularly at night when it is reminiscent to fireflies in the sky. A new custom designed, custom made sectional, cozy newly added Spark Modern Fires gas fireplace, custom rug by Julie Dasher and Lee Industries chairs create a cozy place to lounge and watch television after a long day at the beach. Guests feel like they are in a luxurious boutique hotel complete with spectacular views, comfortable Ann Gish linens and beautiful and unique lighting fixtures. All three full baths and the powder room received complete facelifts with new glass, marble and ceramic tiles, Decora cabinetry, new lighting fixtures, quartz countertops and unique features that make unique statements in each one. Phillip Jeffries mica wallpaper are used in the entryway and family room fireplace walls to add a sandy texture to each space. Phillip Jeffries grasscloth was added to the master bedroom accent wall to create a delicate feature. New flooring throughout includes gorgeous dark stained hardwood floors, ceramic tile and Karastan carpeting in the bedrooms. The crisp white and grey walls are accentuated throughout the home by beach inspired turquoises, navies and lime greens. Perfectly appointed furnishings, artwork, accessories and custom made window treatments complete the look and feel of this gorgeous vacation home. Photography by Tinius Photography

A true rustic style, the Industrial hanger is characterized by its metal hanger strap that loops completely over the top of the wheel leaving the sides of the wheel visible as it rolls along the track. A substantial looking roller strap with a straight bottom edge and unique industrial look, this roller hanger is one of best sellers. This hanger mounts to the face of the door

A substantial house in one of the Peninsula’s most desirable neighborhoods, this residence was home to a busy family of five looking to design spaces that welcomed their large extended family and friends. For the living room, we were tasked with creating an architectural, elegant space to seat fifteen. A den/library highlights the homeowner’s passion for green. In the powder room, we selected green and navy grasscloth wallpaper for a burst of vibrancy.

Joe Purvis Photos
Open concept kitchen - large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, marble countertops, blue backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

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.

Enclosed dining room - mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room idea in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

Chad Mellon Photographer
Beach style patio photo in Orange County