Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. 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

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Tampa with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartzite countertops, beige backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Dedicated laundry room with complementary grey cabinets and marsala washer and dryer. Photography by Spacecrafting
Example of a large transitional l-shaped dedicated laundry room design in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, gray cabinets, granite countertops, beige walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and recessed-panel cabinets

Beautiful Master Bath Features a modern look with a contemporary shower with large glass Panels.
Mid-sized trendy master white tile and porcelain tile light wood floor doorless shower photo with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops and white walls

Sit on a covered swing in your backyard where you can view a bubbling rock and hear the gurgling and peaceful sound of water. Photo and design by Amy Whitworth; Swing structure by Jane's Backyard www.janesbackyard.com. Garden installed by J. Walter Landscape & Irrigation Contractor www.jwlic.com

To ensure peak performance, the Boise Passive House utilized triple-pane glazing with the A5 aluminum window, Air-Lux Sliding door, and A7 swing door. Each product brings dynamic efficiency, further affirming an air-tight building envelope. The increased air-seals, larger thermal breaks, argon-filled glazing, and low-E glass, may be standard features for the Glo Series but they provide exceptional performance just the same. Furthermore, the low iron glass and slim frame profiles provide clarity and increased views prioritizing overall aesthetics despite their notable efficiency values.

The 3 bed/2.5 bath home is situated on 3 levels, taking full advantage of the otherwise limited lot. Guests are welcomed into the home through a full-lite entry door, providing natural daylighting to the entry and front of the home. The modest living space persists in expanding its borders through large windows and sliding doors throughout the family home. Intelligent planning, thermally-broken aluminum windows, well-sized overhangs, and Selt external window shades work in tandem to keep the home’s interior temps and systems manageable and within the scope of the stringent PHIUS standards. To ensure peak performance, the Boise Passive House utilized triple-pane glazing with the A5 aluminum window, Air-Lux Sliding door, and A7 swing door. Each product brings dynamic efficiency, further affirming an air-tight building envelope. The increased air-seals, larger thermal breaks, argon-filled glazing, and low-E glass, may be standard features for the Glo Series but they provide exceptional performance just the same.

These clients came to us with a tiny galley kitchen with a refrigerator in a separate room! Utilizing space from an adjacent three-season porch we created a larger, brighter more functional kitchen, with a slider to the patio. The "fridge room" became pantry space and the substitution of a barn door at the powder room and living room alleviated awkward door swings. The kitchen is now a great gathering space for this busy family. Cabinetry by Fabuwood, Counters by Silestone, Hardware by Amerock, Plumbing by Artisan

It’s a very convenient and stylish way to maximize the most inconvenient cabinet in your kitchen. This blind corner swingout is the perfect solution organize and utilize all the space in the cabinet. It comes in a left and right version to accommodate any placement of this cabinet.

Looking through the house to Port Susan Bay, Camano Island, WA. Photography by Lucas Henning.
Inspiration for a small modern gray one-story concrete house exterior remodel in Seattle with a shed roof and a metal roof

Pinterest Paradise! This house has been completely remodeled into the most charming and quaint home, utilizing all of the convenience and style of modern finishes, with a thoughtful eye turned towards nostalgia and maintaining historical character!! This home will wow you with the thoughtful interior details and design... custom cabinetry, and hardwood throughout the home, special touches like a custom live-edge island countertop, shiplap, built in storage, barn doors, and so much character! Roof replaced 2015. HVAC units replaced 2014, Hot water heater replaced 2016. Zoned Residential /Commercial the possibilities are endless. Super conveniently located in central Calvert, this home will have a commuter in Annapolis or DC quickly. Conveniently located in the historic Huntingtown Town Center, and in the Huntingtown school district. Show us a more darling home, at a better price, in a better location... we're waiting! This is it!!

Large 9'x9' built-in cabinet. Clean lines, no pulls makes this almost 100sq ft of beautiful black walnut be the center of attention in this master suite. The center cabinet houses a TV with hinges that allow a wider swing for viewing at all angles, the two large upper cabinets on left and right are for clothes storage, bottom cabinets are extra storage. The push hardware utilized on this cabinet eliminates the need for door and drawer pulls, for a cleaner look. The tight reveal lines at the top, bottom and sides of the cabinet are the true testament to the craftsmanship involved in such a piece. They are tight and without filler pieces or toe kicks. A subtle design detail, but a more dramatic look and level of work.

Furthermore, VDom Doors insulate your home from extreme weather conditions, as well as unwanted animals, insects, and dust from entering. Our doors have several superior features: - Single sheet of metal is used in construction. No welded seams are best as these can significantly weaken the structural integrity of the entranceway. Our doors are also more resilient to mechanic damage, such as sledgehammer strikes. - The advantage of a single, non-welded door is that it reduces interior internal condensation. Over time, condensation can negatively affect the door mechanisms. - Stiffening Ribs: These non-visible details add to our door's security. - Quality insulation serves to reduce unwanted external noise, as well as protect against extreme heat, and severe cold. - 3D Hinges: Hacking are often carried out at the side of a door's hinges. A better feature is utilizing hinges with ball bearings and installed anti-cuts. Introducing the Deux collection of modern exterior entrance doors in a white enamel color. Expertly crafted from a single sheet of metal with a sturdy Aluminum frame and threshold, these doors offer both style and security for your home. The exterior design features the horizontal strips of clear glass and frosted glass, creating a striking and contemporary look that will enhance the curb appeal of any home. The white enamel color provides a sophisticated and modern feel, perfect for those who want to make a bold statement with their entrance. The interior design also boasts the horizontal strips of clear glass and frosted glass, creating a cohesive and stylish look throughout the home. The Deux collection of modern front doors is ideal for homeowners who want to elevate the look of their home's exterior while also ensuring the safety and security of their property. And with our easy ordering process and user-friendly website, you can have your new door delivered right to your doorstep. Upgrade your home's curb appeal and make a bold statement with the Deux collection of modern exterior entrance doors in white paint. Order yours today and experience the perfect combination of style and function. Model - 6500 Deux Color - White Door thickness - 3 1/4" Frame thickness - 4" Exterior design - Stainless steel inserts, frosted glass. Coating of the door - White enamel. Interior design - Stainless steel inserts, frosted glass. Coating of the door - White enamel. Hardware included: - Aluminum frame 4" thick - Dimensions of the door including frame is 74" x 82". - Aluminum threshold. - Plate-type, primary mortise lock for armoured type of aluminum doors, locked by 3 key turns, doors are captured in 3 places. The lock has replaceable core and 5 keys. - Heavy-duty Cylinder. - 3D hinges Wala - Turnknob for lock. - Armor plate Securemme for the lock. - 2 Bar Handles.

Jim Garrison Photography
Example of a huge classic white three-story mixed siding exterior home design in Philadelphia

Exterior deck doubles the living space for my teeny tiny house! All the wood for the deck is reclaimed from fallen trees and siding from an old house. The french doors and kitchen window is also reclaimed. Photo: Chibi Moku

Discover how premium light-filtering materials and smart-home automation can secure street-level entryway glass without losing natural daylight. Choosing the right window treatments for a home's front entrance is one of the most challenging design decisions a homeowner can face. The front door is the focal point of a home's curb appeal, often featuring expansive glass panels or side-by-side double doors designed to make a grand architectural statement. During the day, these large glass features are an asset, flooding entryways and foyers with beautiful natural daylight. However, for homes situated on busy local roads or highly trafficked street-level lots, the dynamic completely changes once the sun goes down. The moment interior lights are switched on in the evening, a stark contrast is created with the dark outdoors. This creates a severe privacy issue, leaving the entire foyer completely exposed to passing traffic and pedestrians. Finding a solution that delivers absolute evening privacy without permanently plunging the front entrance into darkness during the day requires understanding how modern window treatment materials and operating systems interact. Light-Filtering vs. Blackout Fabrics The first step in solving street-level privacy is selecting the correct fabric type. Many homeowners mistakenly assume they need heavy, opaque blackout shades to secure their home from outside eyes at night. While blackout fabrics certainly block 100% of the view, they also block 100% of the natural daylight during the day, forcing you to constantly raise and lower the shades just to see inside your own foyer. A more effective approach for entryways utilizes premium light-filtering materials. These specialized fabrics are engineered with a precise, tight weave that operates on the principles of directional light and optical density. Daytime Functionality: When the sun is shining outside, the exterior light levels are significantly higher than the interior light levels. The light-filtering fabric diffuses the intense, direct sunlight into a soft, ambient glow throughout the entryway. This keeps the home bright, eliminates harsh glares, and protects interior hardwood flooring, paint, and trim from damaging UV rays. Night-Time Functionality: At night, the lighting dynamic reverses. The interior foyer lights make the inside bright, while the outside is dark. Because of the specialized tight weave, the fabric blocks the transmission of clear shapes and details. To a person standing out on the street or driving by on a busy road, the view inside is completely obstructed, delivering total privacy when the family is home for the evening. Challenges of Front Door Installations Securing privacy for a double wide front entrance introduces unique structural hurdles that standard windows do not face. Traditional blinds with hanging cords or manual pull chains are poorly suited for front doors. They disrupt the clean architectural lines of a grand foyer, create a safety hazard, and can easily get tangled or damaged when the doors are opened and closed. The window treatments must be mounted high and wide enough above the door trim to ensure that the front doors can swing open and close freely without ever catching on the fabric or the lower hem bar. How We Applied These Principles in Sherrills Ford, NC Applying these exact educational principles to real-world homes is what Cole and I do every day at Bloomin' Blinds of North Charlotte. We recently worked with a homeowner in Sherrills Ford whose beautiful new construction property sat on a highly trafficked road. They loved their double wide front door entrance but felt entirely too exposed to the street at night. We brought our mobile showroom directly to their driveway. This allowed us to hold up premium light-filtering fabric samples directly against their entryway glass, matching the materials perfectly to their home's natural lighting, interior paint, and trim before making a single cut. To solve their street-level privacy issue, we custom-built and installed two matching light-filtering roller shades, mounting them flawlessly side-by-side above the front door frame. To keep the home’s interior design completely cohesive, we carried the exact same style to the back of the house, installing a matching single roller shade on the rear door. Smart Home Window Automation at Your Fingertips Because entryway windows can be tall and awkward to reach manually, our family team integrated advanced smart-home motorization into this Sherrills Ford project. Beyond the convenience of a handheld remote control, these automated roller shades feature seamless Wi-Fi integration. The homeowners can control their privacy through a dedicated smartphone app or link the system directly to their existing voice-activated smart home networks, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. This allows for complete hands-free window automation. The clients can program custom daily routines—such as setting the front entry shades to automatically lower exactly at sunset—or simply use a voice command to secure the foyer instantly from the comfort of the couch.

To ensure peak performance, the Boise Passive House utilized triple-pane glazing with the A5 aluminum window, Air-Lux Sliding door, and A7 swing door. Each product brings dynamic efficiency, further affirming an air-tight building envelope. The increased air-seals, larger thermal breaks, argon-filled glazing, and low-E glass, may be standard features for the Glo Series but they provide exceptional performance just the same. Furthermore, the low iron glass and slim frame profiles provide clarity and increased views prioritizing overall aesthetics despite their notable efficiency values.

Custom made garage doors and carriage doors can not only improve your home's curb appeal but the functionality you get out of your garage. Investing in well-built and authentically designed wooden garage doors can also prove to increase your home's curb value and give your home marketing advantages should you ever sell your property. This custom garage built in a Tuscan architectural style was fitted with Dynamic Garage Doors that were richly crafted and designed for this specific home. The single car garage features real carriage doors that are paired with electric motors for easy access while the double car garage door is conventional roll-up door that operates at the push of a button. Both doors are crafted in solid alder wood and decorated with real iron hardware that was crafted by hand to further enhance the beauty and Tuscan flavor of these rustic garage doors. Dynamic Garage Door is a custom design and manufacturing house specializing in full customization for mid to high end homes in California and nationwide. Call today (855) 343-3667

All Weather teamed up with the Property Brothers and Darren Criss on this week’s episode of HGTV’s hit series Celebrity IOU. In the Darren Criss Makes Over his Managers Garage episode. the 34-year old actor, singer and songwriter trades in his guitar for a sledgehammer to help transform his decade-long best friend and manager Ricky’s old, detached garage into a beautiful, dedicated home office space with a spa like bathroom, kitchenette and living area. Darren wanted to express his heartfelt gratitude and thank Ricky, who he credits with helping to launch his career, for his years of support. “Ricky is easily one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life,” added the Emmy and Golden Globe winning multi talented star. “He has invested so much of himself into making my dreams come true. This is a small token of all my appreciation for everything he’s done.” In addition to the turning the garage into a much needed five star home office/flex space that can also be utilized as an in law suite, the Property Brothers give Ricky’s lackluster backyard a major upgrade including an outdoor kitchen and hot tub. All Weather’s Series 7000 Swing Door opens into the new spacious outdoor kitchen and dining space. All Weather Series 5000 casement windows allow natural light to brighten the renovated home office/in law suite. And to maximize space, All Weather Series 9100 Bifold Doors connect to the outdoor lounging area and hot tub tp create indoor/outdoor living. Check out the project photos from this epic transformation. As an added bonus, Darren Criss can turn anything into a musical moment. From harmonizing with the Property Brothers to bursting into song while helping host Jonathan Scott select design options for this epic transformation. Darren ends the episode by singing Celebrity IOU’s first ever theme song and jamming with his newest band that include Drew Scott on guitar, Jonathan Scott on cymbals and Ricky on drums. Now in its second season, Celebrity IOU gives celebrities a chance to show their deepest gratitude for someone who helped shape their life or career by giving their living space a complete redesign, courtesy of the Drew and Jonathan Scott.