Living Room in Alyssa Lane | Key Feature: A complete kitchen + living room transformation designed for a young, growing family who loved their home, but needed it to work harder and reflect their personality. The updated kitchen became the heart of the home, featuring a hidden smoothie station to keep daily essentials out of sight, plus a dedicated cocktail bar setup for entertaining. In the living room, the fireplace wall was fully reimagined by centering the previously cornered fireplace and creating a multifunctional media wall with custom furnishings and a statement chandelier. To top it off, the former formal dining room was transformed into a bar lounge with custom brass shelving, a black grasscloth backdrop, and a bold, elevated vibe perfect for hosting friends and family. Challenge: This home belonged to a young couple with two small kids and a growing business, and while they loved the house itself, the spaces didn’t support the way they actually lived. The kitchen lacked function and storage, everyday routines (like smoothie-making) created visual clutter, and cocktail entertaining essentials were being shoved into the pantry with no dedicated space. The living room also felt awkward and unfinished due to the cornered fireplace, which made it difficult to create a centered, functional media wall. On top of that, the formal dining room wasn’t being used, leaving valuable square footage underutilized and disconnected from their lifestyle and personality. Solution: We redesigned the home around how the family truly uses it day-to-day, focusing on function, personality, and elevated livability. In the kitchen, we created a modern, highly organized layout complete with a hidden smoothie station so daily supplies stay accessible but out of sight. For entertaining, we designed a dedicated bar area for Ryan, giving him a more inspired space to make cocktails without relying on pantry storage. In the living room, we centered the fireplace and fully revamped the feature wall into a multifunctional entertainment/media wall, then layered in custom furniture pieces and a statement chandelier to bring warmth and style. Finally, we converted the unused formal dining room into a bar lounge with custom brass shelving, a striking black grasscloth wall, and a sophisticated hangout space perfect for entertaining family and friends. Budget: $100k-$150k | Timeline: 4 months

To keep the design slim and unobtrusive, the power supply unit and other accessories are stored separately in the closet. Cables run behind the set, well out of view. This ensures and neat, uncluttered look. The television is managed through a URC MX-780 universal remote control.

In case you assume that the prerequisite for a contemporary kitchen is monochromatic white, this design will shatter your misconceptions. Admittedly, the upper cabinets are gloss white, but there are two additional cabinet materials that create a rich combination of color and texture. The bases and back of the island are high-gloss dark teak-patterned laminate that echo the dark tongue-and-groove wood ceiling. The tall cabinets, fridge panels, and front and sides of the island are a soft matte gray-toned rift cut patterned laminate. For a clean profile, the white cabinets use touch latches, while the gray and dark doors employ aluminum channel pulls that add a low-sheen metallic accent. Tying everything together is the gray and taupe marble countertops with matching slab backsplashes. The subtly mottled limestone-like porcelain tile flooring is the perfect backdrop for the room’s lively mix. Influenced by innovative European kitchens, these cabinets use gray metal drawer boxes, elevated to luxury status with walnut knife and cutlery inserts. A popular corner solution is the LeMans corner swing-out, which provides full accessibility to what is ordinarily a dead zone. Undercounter illumination is supplied by LED lights set into grooves routed out in the bottom of the wall cabinets.

SLCC FLOORS™ supplies and distributes products that not only look beautiful, but also have a low impact on our environment. We are a U.S.-based supplier commited to providing flooring products that meet or exceed sustainability standards with beauty and durability. #hardwood #flooring #qualityfloors

SLCC FLOORS™ supplies and distributes products that not only look beautiful, but also have a low impact on our environment. We are a U.S.-based supplier commited to providing flooring products that meet or exceed sustainability standards with beauty and durability. #hardwood #flooring #qualityfloors

Architect: Andre Tchelistcheff Architects New York. NY Builder: Xhema of Greenwich CT Installer: TRM Enterprises Bridgehampton NY Back story. Northern has worked with both Xhema and TRM many tiles. We have worked with Andre before he branched out on his own. Originally Xhema’s contact was to replace the roof and repair the garage, which as some point had been made into an indoor swimming pool without adequate ventilation. The budget was about $8m and there were 20 drawings. By the time the job was 6 months old the scope of work has expanded to over $30m and over 200 drawings had been produced. Northern was contacted to visit the site and evaluate the existing roof. Although the house had been added to over the years the same tile was used but due to the location of the house the color of the tile varied considerably from the front to the back. Northern identified a large number of custom details which would require us to: 1) Match the existing Field tile in size, thickness (it was actually thicker at the butt and reduced to ½” where the tile is overlapped) , surface texture and the color. 2) Make tiles that are curved in their length to suit the curved rafter on the gabled dormers. 3) Make the curved tiles to suit the low slope octagonal tower. 4) Make the curved tiles and Arris style hips to suit the hipped dormers with the curved rafters. 5) Make the segmented tiles to suit the round turret. 6) Make the custom arris style hip tiles for the octagonal tower. 7) Make the custom Arris style hip to suit the different roof pitches as well as the varying splays at the eaves. 8) Make the custom pieces to suit the swept valleys Simon broke down each section of the roof. He indented all items for each section and agreed the measure etc with the installers. This ‘Project Bible’ became an invaluable tool for the installer, our tile makers and us. We shipped some samples from the original roof to Sahtas who replicated tall the details. I was visiting factory and delayed my return to the Saturday so that the tiles coming out of the kiln late Friday night could be wrapped and packed into newly purchase suit cases. I arrived home late Saturday evening and Simon picked me up Sunday afternoon and drove us down to Greenwich for an 8 am meeting with the clients. When we unpacked the tiles they were still warm and Hilfiger signed off on the color, although his wife suggested we make them a bit darker a ‘as he has a dreadful sense of color!’ We took Vincent Liot, owner of TRM to the factory twice so that he could oversee the prototyping of all the myriad custom pieces. This was an invaluable move as he pre-approved all the pieces before they were shipped. The installation was completed and everyone was very pleased with the final outcome. The Hilfiger’s estate manager told me that a group of friends who were staying the weekend after all the work was completed were heard to ask Mr. Hilfiger ‘I thought you were having a new roof’…to which he responded ‘we did but you can’t tell, which as the plan” …perfect! In refection this is probably the most complicated roof Northern has ever had the pleasure to supply. We learned a lot of very valuable lessons but in future when we are asked how did we do it we will answer ‘that is for us to know and for you to pay for!’

Inspiration for a timeless exterior home remodel in New York

Elegant backyard stone and round pool photo in Boston

This Poolside Kitchen & Entertaining Area includes an outdoor kitchen, unilock paver flooring in the kitchen and dining area, walk to fence gate and conservatory stoop, natural stone step from the sunroom, stone veneer from the conservatory egress window to the the back of the home from kitchen to the sunroom and wrapping around the sunroom, stone veneer on the kitchen cabinets facing outward and stucco on the back side around the egress window, 36″ grill in stainless steel, single side burner, wine caddy, two double access and one single stainless steel doors under the cabinets, and low voltage lighting to down light the counter tops from the pergola structure. This project also includes supply and installation of a pergola over the kitchen island constructed of oiled douglas fir.

Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in Orange County.

On the first floor, mom’s home office doubles as a crafts room for the kids. The window bench and surrounding bookcases are custom built-ins designed by Down2Earth Interior Design. Within the built-ins, Games are kept down low for easy reach, while closed cabinets can hide messier items. Items displayed on open shelving above are accented by a teal blue background color. The cushion and window treatments are custom designed to lend a cozy air to the window seat, which takes advantage of the view out to the beautiful, leafy neighborhood. Purple acrylic chairs can take a beating at the kids’ crafts table. The adjacent wall features chalk-board paint, which provides plenty of opportunities for the kids to express their creative ideas as they grow. photo credit: David Hershy

Stable Works will provide labor, material and equipment for the completion of the scope of work outlined below. -Current (22'x8') New (22'x20' with 5'x'5 landing for stairs) -Supply and install deck extension as pictured in rendering - Remove current facia, soffet and header - Temporarily support roof while work is being performed - Move center support beam to against the house (Needed to carry the load of new LVL) - Install new 5 1/2" x 11 7/8" x 22' LVL header - Replace all facia and soffet -All footings will use 4000psi concrete -6"x6" pressure treated supports -Decking will be Fiberon Good Life (Cottage) $2.49 per linear foot) -Railing will be White vinyl "Safe-T-Rail" -Gate at top of steps to be made same as railing. -Fascia and risers will be PVC board to color match -Fix all missing fasteners on current deck -Relocate electrical under new stairs -Add LED low voltage lighting to post caps and stair treads -All trash and debris will be removed from site -Deck area will be power washed after completion

The 2007 Mountain Living Magazine Natural Dream Home Warmboard joined with Ken Piper and Associates and numerous other eco-friendly suppliers to showcase green building trends. This 8,200-square-foot, five-bedroom home has been designed and constructed to surpass Built Green standards, using natural, reclaimed, and organic materials wherever possible. Energy efficient, low maintenance, fire resistant and luxurious.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary multicolored three-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Seattle with a shed roof and a shingle roof

The A5 Aluminum Series was used throughout the home. The dual pane windows provide cost-effective durability in the temperate climate. The A5 Series boasts a larger continuous thermal break, high-performance spacers, multiple air seals, and low iron glass, which helped facilitate the Passive House standards. For a design where clean lines are key, the thinner profile frame furnishes the contemporary home with an effortless style. The double-pane glazing coupled with European operability is the perfect combination in creating a contemporary home-design worth noting. The homeowners absolutely love the form and function of their tilt-turn windows!

The West Town GreenStar Retrofit is a historic landmarked two-flat in Ukranian Village that was converted to an efficient, healthy, and modern single-family home, while keeping interior and exterior historic character details. Special emphasis was put on indoor air quality and indoor-outdoor connections. The design focuses on non-toxic materials, good ventilation, low energy and water use, and the biophilic health advantages of light and views of nature. The kitchen, work, and family zones have views of the sun-filled south garden, an oasis in the urban environment containing native plants and fruit trees, rain garden, vegetable garden, chicken coop, apiary, and a patio. Outdoor connection and daylighting are also optimized through the skylight on the top level which spills light down the staircase. The energy strategy began with thorough retrofit insulation and air sealing, and included high performance windows and doors, solar thermal (hot water) and solar photovoltaic (electricity production) systems which support electric vehicle (EV) charging and high-efficiency smart lighting and appliances. HVAC is supplied by a combination of radiant heat, mini-split heat pumps, and a conditioning energy recovery ventilation system (CERV).

This kitchen was all about mixing the best of transitional and contemporary together to create a perfect bond. We used a simple white frameless shaker door with a medium sheen and walnut slab door with a hand-buffed polyester finish to bring the two contrasting elements together. The floor is a 12x18 ceramic tile, the tops are White Zeus, the range backsplash is a Calacatta slab, the tile backsplash and tile backs of cabinets are custom cut Calacatta tiles. The cabinetry is all our private line of cabinets with custom finishes. This ceiling is roughly 8' high. The light fixtures and chairs were purchased by the home owner, we have no information on them. Photo by Peter Rymwid

Central hose stand has working faucet which can be used without interfering with water timer setup connections. Photos by John Kelly of LandscapeConsultation.com

"Wow factor" is not in short supply for this beautiful pool, spa and outdoor living centre. The covered outdoor room serves a three-fold purpose, as an outdoor lounge and kitchen on this level, as a walkout deck from the home on the level above, and as a pool equipment and storage room on the level below. For a final touch of luxury, the spa is fully winterized for year round use. (19 x 45, custom rectangular)