Living room - large transitional open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room idea in St Louis with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Tommy White, Boone NC
Bathroom - rustic bathroom idea in Charlotte

Beach style kitchen photo in Tampa

Designed for a client who wanted a light, bright airy feeling in their kitchen, we chose painted cabinets arranged in an open floor plan around a dark-stained cooking island. To meet the kitchen's varied demands throughout the day, we incorporated multiple types of lighting: dramatic niche lights to highlight the client's art and to give ambiance; targeted task lighting under cabinets and over the stove; and ample recessed ceiling lights for bright, overall coverage. The art niches and under-cabinet lights are on a Lutron Pico wall-mounted remote dimmer, allowing you to change the room's mood with the click of a button. The stainless steel Heartland 6-burner gas stove and free-standing chimney hood create a striking focal point, while the other custom-paneled appliances integrate seamlessly into the surrounding cabinets. Directly behind the stove is the hand-carved travertine farm sink, and a deep garden window that offers more display space for the clients artwork. The backsplash is a mosaic of roughhewn travertine stones with carved travertine switch plate covers, complimenting the St. Cecilia granite countertops throughout the kitchen.

Taken by Capistrano Homes. This fireplace is metal panels that were copper plated then chemically burned. The mantle is a custom made out of steel and blackened with hand welded rivets. Accent lighting was custom installed and recessed within the mantel for up and down lighting

Example of a beach style black two-story wood house exterior design in Other with a hip roof and a shingle roof

The homeowners wanted to transform their dining room into a more open, functional, and visually connected space while honoring the home’s modern, mid-century style. Their main goals included removing the massive wall of rough-textured cabinetry, adding a view of the backyard from the front door, creating a serving area with multiple outlets for small appliances, incorporating deep drawers for linens, and adding display space. They also wanted quarter sawn oak cabinetry with hardware instead of the nail breaking routed pocket pulls, black accents, and a backsplash tile in a fun color or shape. Originally, the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen was slated for removal, but engineering requirements made this cost prohibitive. Instead, we collaborated with an architect and engineer to design a passthrough that maintained structural integrity. During construction, hidden HVAC was discovered, prompting us to build the wall out further, resulting in a deeper 16" passthrough; a happy accident that created an ideal display area with puck lighting. The cabinetry features Crystal Cabinet Works’ Encore frameless line in Quarter Sawn White Oak with a Natural matte finish, paired with matte black ladder shelves for display. A tiled, extra-deep toekick covered in matching floor tile gives the appearance of floating cabinetry while ensuring easy, mop-friendly maintenance. The wall is finished in matte square Nemo tile with glossy accents, adding vibrant color and texture. Cambria’s Smithfield quartz countertops provide a durable serving surface, while black floor tile with a metallic finish grounds the design. Now, the dining room serves as a hub for entertaining, with ample space for serving dishes, convenient power access, and a direct sightline from the kitchen to the backyard. Ready for a dining space that serves looks as well as dinner? Pull up a chair and let’s talk.

Inspiration for a mid-sized full sun backyard brick outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Dallas.

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless guest carpeted bedroom remodel in Boston with blue walls

Lavenders and grays play nicely in this unisex guest room. Plush bedding and all the amenities make your guest feel pampered and refreshed! Photo by Walt Roycraft

Blue Bruin Photography
Example of a mountain style patio design in Austin

With education being key to our remodel process, our designer discussed lighting elements, space planning, cabinet options and finish materials with our homeowners. To begin, she talked about under cabinet and above cabinet lighting options. They also discussed the popularity and functionality of LED lights for task, decorative and ambient lighting scenes. Eavesdropping on our conversation, one of the brothers chimed in on how often they had to change the recessed ceiling fixtures. That comment from the brother led our designer to increase our scope of work to add dimmable LED can lights in the color frequency close to daylight. Now it was time to complete the finish selections. Product selection had to go quickly, as the homeowner was only able to dedicate one long weekend to shop. With this goal in mind, our designer made choosing plumbing products and decorative lighting an online event. Then they went to an appliance showroom and granite/tile showroom to make the final choices. Our designer made sure they found a gorgeous set of slabs for the granite above the cooktop, since it was a key factor for the client and her mother. With all the selections made, final space plan drawings and the electrical layout complete, the client met with our designer to sign off on all the paperwork and move forward with their new kitchen. The key improvements incorporated into the final design were: LED can lights, under cabinet and above cabinet lights all on dimmers. Accessible items for wheelchair use with a touch-free faucet and microwave drawer . Extra deep counter space and seating at the island. Additional storage cabinets under the seating area of the island. Decreased traffic flow issues by adjusting refrigerator/freezer location and double oven cabinet. Plug strips under the wall cabinets to eliminate backsplash outlets. An expansive granite slab backsplash centered on the cooktop area. Our project manager started the job with rough electrical and rough plumbing, as the homeowner had enlisted the assistance of a family friend to remove the kitchen cabinets and re-install them in her garage. The plumbing was straight forward with the gas line already in place and the sink location staying in the island. The electrician wired for the new under-cabinet and above cabinet LED strip lights. The sconce locations were adjusted for the new bar top location, as were a row of can lights to accommodate for an even pour of ambient light throughout the space. The new LED can lights are a hit, as none have needed to be changed out. Our project manager specializes in trim carpentry so he did the cabinet install to keep our schedule on time. The cabinets went in smoothly except for the custom refrigerator panel. One of the panels needed to be remade three times, as each time it was produced the manufacturer’s quality control caught a defect. Our project manager worked closely with manufacturer and homeowner to keep everyone in the loop waiting patiently on its arrival. When it came time for the quartzite installation, we worked closely with our fabricator at cut layout to create the focal point at the hood. His team did an excellent job with the installation. The sink area was a surprise. They went above and beyond in framing the sink with the similar vein to the hood backsplash. Upon installation, the tile backsplash just did not do justice to the amazing quartzite. Discussion with the family and pictures sent to the homeowner lead to a decision to call the fabricator to see how much quartzite might be left. He had just enough to complete the island and beverage center. In the end, the backsplash worked out beautifully in all stone. We met our schedule for the end date of the project and the wheelchair-bound sister was able to move in. For this large Italian family, big meals with lots of family and friends in the new wonderful hub/kitchen is now a part of their happy life. Mission accomplished.

Richard Leo Johnson
Traditional one-story wood exterior home idea in Atlanta

reclaimed wood siding, Antique Moss rock veneer, dark sky lighting, rusty metal garage doors. Built by Capistrano Homes
Huge rustic gray two-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Phoenix

  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

Perimeter counters and island (with waterfall end panels) in Cambria White Cliff quartz and full-height backsplash at stove in Cambria Roxwell quartz.

The homeowners wanted to transform their dining room into a more open, functional, and visually connected space while honoring the home’s modern, mid-century style. Their main goals included removing the massive wall of rough-textured cabinetry, adding a view of the backyard from the front door, creating a serving area with multiple outlets for small appliances, incorporating deep drawers for linens, and adding display space. They also wanted quarter sawn oak cabinetry with hardware instead of the nail breaking routed pocket pulls, black accents, and a backsplash tile in a fun color or shape. Originally, the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen was slated for removal, but engineering requirements made this cost prohibitive. Instead, we collaborated with an architect and engineer to design a passthrough that maintained structural integrity. During construction, hidden HVAC was discovered, prompting us to build the wall out further, resulting in a deeper 16" passthrough; a happy accident that created an ideal display area with puck lighting. The cabinetry features Crystal Cabinet Works’ Encore frameless line in Quarter Sawn White Oak with a Natural matte finish, paired with matte black ladder shelves for display. A tiled, extra-deep toekick covered in matching floor tile gives the appearance of floating cabinetry while ensuring easy, mop-friendly maintenance. The wall is finished in matte square Nemo tile with glossy accents, adding vibrant color and texture. Cambria’s Smithfield quartz countertops provide a durable serving surface, while black floor tile with a metallic finish grounds the design. Now, the dining room serves as a hub for entertaining, with ample space for serving dishes, convenient power access, and a direct sightline from the kitchen to the backyard. Ready for a dining space that serves looks as well as dinner? Pull up a chair and let’s talk.

Photos by Kaity Custom picnic table design by: Marty Rhein, CKD, CBD - crafted by Edge
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized craftsman l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Grand Rapids with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, granite countertops, brown backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

The homeowners wanted to transform their dining room into a more open, functional, and visually connected space while honoring the home’s modern, mid-century style. Their main goals included removing the massive wall of rough-textured cabinetry, adding a view of the backyard from the front door, creating a serving area with multiple outlets for small appliances, incorporating deep drawers for linens, and adding display space. They also wanted quarter sawn oak cabinetry with hardware instead of the nail breaking routed pocket pulls, black accents, and a backsplash tile in a fun color or shape. Originally, the wall separating the dining room from the kitchen was slated for removal, but engineering requirements made this cost prohibitive. Instead, we collaborated with an architect and engineer to design a passthrough that maintained structural integrity. During construction, hidden HVAC was discovered, prompting us to build the wall out further, resulting in a deeper 16" passthrough; a happy accident that created an ideal display area with puck lighting. The cabinetry features Crystal Cabinet Works’ Encore frameless line in Quarter Sawn White Oak with a Natural matte finish, paired with matte black ladder shelves for display. A tiled, extra-deep toekick covered in matching floor tile gives the appearance of floating cabinetry while ensuring easy, mop-friendly maintenance. The wall is finished in matte square Nemo tile with glossy accents, adding vibrant color and texture. Cambria’s Smithfield quartz countertops provide a durable serving surface, while black floor tile with a metallic finish grounds the design. Now, the dining room serves as a hub for entertaining, with ample space for serving dishes, convenient power access, and a direct sightline from the kitchen to the backyard. Ready for a dining space that serves looks as well as dinner? Pull up a chair and let’s talk.