Richard and Monica of Huntley, IL, needed to make better use of their kitchen as well as more storage for pots, pans, and countertop appliances. Their space was laid out unconventionally, making cooking a challenge. A triangular nook held their refrigerator, hard-to-reach cabinets, and a cramped pantry. They needed to find a solution, so they searched Facebook for home remodeling companies in their area. Soon they found Advance Design Studio’s profile and were immediately impressed. “Advance Design was the first and last studio I contacted,” Richard said. Richard called Advance Design and felt an immediate connection with Project Designer Nicole. She was knowledgeable and thorough and offered many unique solutions to their kitchen layout problem. A week later, Nicole came out to their home to meet the couple. They talked about their kitchen remodeling project and told Nicole what they wanted in their dream kitchen. Nicole saw that the kitchen had weird angles that hindered the cabinets you could use. She knew that designing a space that met both the client’s needs and dreams would be challenging. Nicole worked with Richard and Monica to create an innovative design. When the couple came out to Advance Design Studio in Gilberts, they were blown away by the 3D illustrations Nicole showed them. “I incorporated a hidden pantry cabinet to not only be a cool feature but also allowed me to square off the walls to gain more cabinet space,” Nicole said. The hidden pantry added storage and squared off the strange triangular nook, creating a more traditional and functional kitchen layout. With the layout problems solved, they worked together to select materials. Richard and Monica wanted something brighter than their previous dark brown kitchen. They chose a combination of blue and white cabinetry with a white subway tile backsplash and white quartz countertops. The design was finalized, the materials were selected. It was time to begin construction. One fear most homeowners have when beginning a home remodel is dust. Advance Design uses BuildClean HEPA filters to eliminate dust throughout the house while construction is going on. Project Manager Jason and his crew created temporary walls and cleaned up after every day of work. “We were very impressed with how clean and organized the crew kept things while the remodeling process was underway,” Richard said. The result is just what Richard and Monica envisioned when they began the process. Richard’s love for cooking can be explored through all-new Thermador appliances, featuring an easy-to-use induction cooktop, built-in double oven, and spacious refrigerator. Matte black hardware contrasts the bright white backsplash, countertops, and cabinets, while the stunning blue cabinets complement the dark hardwood floor and stainless-steel appliances. The dual pendant light fixtures over the reconfigured island are eye-catching and add necessary lighting. This Huntley kitchen renovation turned out better than Richard and Monica hoped. Their experience with Advance Design’s Common Sense Remodeling process has them thinking about other projects they could do in the future. Our award-winning design team would love to create a beautiful, functional, and spacious place for you and your family. With our “Common Sense Remodeling” approach, the process of renovating your home has never been easier. Contact us today at 847-665-1711 or schedule an appointment.

This project started as a repair to a severely age degraded basement wall. With a bit of creative thinking it became an opportunity for creating a daylight basement. See Project Video: Part 1: https://youtu.be/xaDcO0X1wOI Part 2: https://youtu.be/9nGNaCc6Fpw The basement wall repair solution is a new below grade window wall and covered entry door area. The plan for this daylight basement project was to terrace the adjacent grade, allowing for a wall of lower level windows and a set of steps dropping down to a new exterior entry door. We had just enough room in the side yard setback to fit it all in. A daylight basement project such as this is no small matter regarding safety issues. I have a lot of respect for the fearless yet professional manner that Jason Smith of Ozz Construction showed to execute this difficult project. The temporary support shoring allowed the crew enough working room to put in the structural steel and wall framing that holds up the entire south side of the building. The completed daylight basement transforms the feel and functionality of this formally dark and dreary area. This new natural light will be a great improvement to this future finished apartment space.

Penny Lane Home Builders
Inspiration for a small country look-out basement remodel in Other with white walls

Update your walls with this grey dandelion peel and stick wallpaper!
Trendy bedroom photo in Boston

Photography: John Knowlton/Till Gardens, Julia Heine/McInturff Architects Project completed while working for Oehme, van Sweden Landscape Architects
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary partial sun backyard garden path in DC Metro.

Inspiration for a coastal kitchen remodel in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Naomi Vogel
Inspiration for an eclectic home design remodel in Santa Barbara

Our pull-out valet rods are amazing space savers! It's the little details that add up and make the difference. The valet rod makes it easy to plan outfits ahead. Come and see them in action at our showroom at 17 Echo Place in Williston, VT.

Deck - contemporary deck idea in New York

Update your walls with this coral tree peel and stick wallpaper!
Trendy dining room photo in Boston

Update your walls with this navy geometric peel and stick wallpaper!
Trendy living room photo in Boston

Can't decide between doors or no doors? Why not both? Open shelves for every day items like shoes and temporary storage; behind closed doors for longer term, seasonal or bulk pantry goods. Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions/David Buchsbaum

One homeowner of a particular model home in the Sun City Roseville development that came with a rather large space for a laundry room, was faced with this dilemma recently. After relocating her washer and dryer into the garage and setting up a make shift office of her own in the laundry room, the homeowner realized that, although she succeeded in turning the space into a somewhat functional work area, it just wasn’t up to par for all of her wants and needs. Hoping to come up some new small home office ideas that would squeeze all of her needs into the tiny space, she decided to seek help from a home organization specialist and sat down with The Closet Doctor. There were several requirements and obstacles that made the development of an office design which satisfied the homeowner particularly difficult. One was the need for two workstations which would have enough desk space for each person to sit comfortably and not be on top of each other. Another obstacle was the new design had to work around a cut-out in the corner of the wall, which contained built-in shelves for the components of a nearby entertainment center. Finally, the designer also had to be sure to incorporate “lots of legal sized filing drawers” into its new design. The Closet Doctor went to work and was able to design a solution that, not only met all of the homeowner’s needs, but was attractive, and within her budget. The new built-in design included two work areas that were spacious and each with its own overhead cabinet, storage drawer, and single letter size file drawer for active projects. In between the two overhead cabinets, additional open shelving allowed for display items as well as space for a small TV in the center. Extra storage and organization space was also put behind doors for a clean and neat look. In addition, in order to maintain as much space as possible, the cabinets on the end and left side wall were made just deep enough to fit legal size lateral file drawers. Finally, the built in component shelves were left open in the corner for easy access, with the desk top passing in front of the space at the same height as one of the shelves, which gave the corner a neat and organized appearance as well. To top it off, low energy under cabinet LED lights with a dimmer switch were installed in order to illuminate the work area. The Client loved the result of her home improvement project, in both the look and functionality of the new design compared to the “temporary setup” she had in place before. With the additional storage space and organization that the new built in office unit provided, the satisfied homeowner was able to achieve the clean and organized look as well as optimum functionality that she preferred.

Update your walls with this trellis peel and stick wallpaper!
Example of a trendy kitchen design in Boston

This project started as a repair to a severely age degraded basement wall. With a bit of creative thinking it became an opportunity for creating a daylight basement. See Project Video: Part 1: https://youtu.be/xaDcO0X1wOI Part 2: https://youtu.be/9nGNaCc6Fpw The basement wall repair solution is a new below grade window wall and covered entry door area. The plan for this daylight basement project was to terrace the adjacent grade, allowing for a wall of lower level windows and a set of steps dropping down to a new exterior entry door. We had just enough room in the side yard setback to fit it all in. A daylight basement project such as this is no small matter regarding safety issues. I have a lot of respect for the fearless yet professional manner that Jason Smith of Ozz Construction showed to execute this difficult project. The temporary support shoring allowed the crew enough working room to put in the structural steel and wall framing that holds up the entire south side of the building. The completed daylight basement transforms the feel and functionality of this formally dark and dreary area. This new natural light will be a great improvement to this future finished apartment space.

backyard terrace and steps leading up through garden
Inspiration for a rustic landscaping in Burlington.

Penny Lane Home Builders
Example of a small cottage look-out basement design in Other with white walls

Erik Grammer Photography - I recently came across a post on Facebook with a photo of an elderly couple with a quote saying "We were born in a time when if something was broken we would fix it, not throw it away..." This quote resonated with me. I found myself thinking of it while working on the same house - for the fourth time. I affectionately call this beautiful Southern California beach house the Humpty Dumpty home. I started a wonderful business relationship with one of my favorite clients back in 2003. Initially, I was called in to "fix" and finish what another designer started. Once completed and with everything just so, the couple unfortunately divorced and amicably divided the art, rugs and furnishings. I was hired for a second time to recreate each room as close as possible to replace all items that were missing. The house was happily restored back to the original design and all was well for a few years. My client relocated to the East Coast for a temporary job assignment and the house was rented to a person (whose name I can't say) from a famous all-girl band. During this time there was a problem with the upstairs laundry room and water damage occurred. I was hired for the third time to help repair and update (ever so slightly) some areas in the house. My client requested to keep the design and feeling of the house intact because he loved it so much. A few years passed before a pipe broke in the master bathroom while the new renter was out of town on vacation. Unfortunately, things like this do happen - and if not attended to quickly, major damage can occur. In this case, nearly the entire house was flooded requiring it to be completely gutted and stripped down to the floorboards and studs. In January of this year, I was hired to help the client, the insurance company, and the contractor put the house back together again. But unlike the Humpty Dumpty story, this house has actually been put back together again - several times over. Although, this house and client have experienced some challenges, I say this is a perfect example of design success. My client has had many opportunities to change and create something new in his environment with every mis-adventure. Instead, he realizes his home is exactly the way he likes it. It has been such an honor to work with this man who is definitive, trusting, and confident enough to create (or re-create) the perfect home that "fits" his personality and lifestyle. Although this Humpty Dumpty home has been good for my business, I hope the next project with this client is to decorate another property - perhaps a New York City Apartment!

The
Elegant deck photo in DC Metro