Search results for "Typical challenges" in Home Design Ideas

Photo: Charles Davis Smith, AIA
Small urban backyard concrete paver patio photo in Dallas with a roof extension
Small urban backyard concrete paver patio photo in Dallas with a roof extension

Dresner Design possesses the expertise to design cutting edge, cost-effective kitchens, baths and closets for developer’s multi-unit projects. They were recently part of the design team for The Ronsley, River North's best new luxury condominium development.
This former industrial timber loft building was transformed into an incredible 41-unit building, and Dresner Design was hired to design both the kitchens and baths using Italian cabinetry from Stosa Cucine.
Challenges:
All the units were the same but with varying configurations. The goal was to make all the units feel and look the same but each of the layouts was different- making 30 layouts in all.
Concept:
The kitchens and baths were designed to be sleek and modern, blending in with the loft style. The kitchen islands fabricated with wood compliments the wood ceilings and beams typical of loft living. White kitchens are always timeless and the Ronsley used the most beautiful and high-end cabinetry made of 100% lacquer.
Photography by Jim Tschetter
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Dresner Design possesses the expertise to design cutting edge, cost-effective kitchens, baths and closets for developer’s multi-unit projects. They were recently part of the design team for The Ronsley, River North's best new luxury condominium development.
This former industrial timber loft building was transformed into an incredible 41-unit building, and Dresner Design was hired to design both the kitchens and baths using Italian cabinetry from Stosa Cucine.
Challenges:
All the units were the same but with varying configurations. The goal was to make all the units feel and look the same but each of the layouts was different- making 30 layouts in all.
Concept:
The kitchens and baths were designed to be sleek and modern, blending in with the loft style. The kitchen islands fabricated with wood compliments the wood ceilings and beams typical of loft living. White kitchens are always timeless and the Ronsley used the most beautiful and high-end cabinetry made of 100% lacquer.
Photography by Jim Tschetter

Inspiration for a coastal dark wood floor kids' bedroom remodel in Boston with white walls

Photograph by Alan Abramowitz
Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea in Seattle
Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea in Seattle

Project Developer Elle Hunter
Designer Alexandria Hubbard
Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Example of a trendy bathroom design in DC Metro
Example of a trendy bathroom design in DC Metro

Dresner Design possesses the expertise to design cutting edge, cost-effective kitchens, baths and closets for developer’s multi-unit projects. They were recently part of the design team for The Ronsley, River North's best new luxury condominium development.
This former industrial timber loft building was transformed into an incredible 41-unit building, and Dresner Design was hired to design both the kitchens and baths using Italian cabinetry from Stosa Cucine.
Challenges:
All the units were the same but with varying configurations. The goal was to make all the units feel and look the same but each of the layouts was different- making 30 layouts in all.
Concept:
The kitchens and baths were designed to be sleek and modern, blending in with the loft style. The kitchen islands fabricated with wood compliments the wood ceilings and beams typical of loft living. White kitchens are always timeless and the Ronsley used the most beautiful and high-end cabinetry made of 100% lacquer.
Photography by Jim Tschetter

When Joe Germann founded Motorhead Extraordinaire in 2005, his shop was your typical motorhead shop – lots of hand-me-downs, "way too many" piles of junk, and always too much work going on. Joe used the shop for full frame-up restorations that involved engine work, body work, painting, etc. – your typical hard-core home based restoration shop.
The shop was a 24' x 32' building with a cathedral ceiling and was carved up into two car bays (one with a lift), and a bay for the workshop area. The office was located in a spare room in the house, only big enough for one person to work in at a time. Typical of 15 year old shops, it had a collection of everything in every corner – "your basic junk shop."
Joe knew he needed a shop and home office to better meet his needs and to be a reflection of his business philosophies. His goals were simple:
1. Upgrade the workshop to the 21st century and make it more efficient for the space he had and the type of work he likes to do in there
2. Add a new office to run the business out of
3. Make it an enjoyable place to hang out to swill a few beers and smoke a few good cigars!
Mission accomplished.
Joe added a 12' x 22' office addition and remodeled the existing garage/workshop area. (Trying to simultaneously work on restorations – a '71 Corvette and a Raven – as well as doing engine work on his Wild Child drag car was a challenge, to say the least.) Both the new shop and office are fully furnished with a host of Lista storage and workspace products.
“ The Lista workspaces are simply awesome and work out so well for us. ”
Joe raves, "The Lista workspaces are simply awesome and work out so well for us. The desks are at a 35-1/2" workbench height so they are comfortable to use either standing up or sitting down in a Lista work chair. My workspace uses a Nexus frame system with 16" overhead cabinets and a large double hinged door storage cabinet with roll-out trays, which we use to store product catalogs and other heavy stacks of literature. In my wife Isabelle's work area, we used 12' of standard overhead cabinets fastened directly to the wall and a large 12' long double workspace. She has two heavy-duty Lista file cabinets, and believe me they are loaded up and work flawlessly!"
Joe is a big fan of Lista products, which he sells through his business. "Well-thought-out is an understatement. Lista workspace solutions are among the most functional, highest quality, and best value available today. There is nothing as sturdy and long lasting as Lista workspace products."

Dresner Design possesses the expertise to design cutting edge, cost-effective kitchens, baths and closets for developer’s multi-unit projects. They were recently part of the design team for The Ronsley, River North's best new luxury condominium development.
This former industrial timber loft building was transformed into an incredible 41-unit building, and Dresner Design was hired to design both the kitchens and baths using Italian cabinetry from Stosa Cucine.
Challenges:
All the units were the same but with varying configurations. The goal was to make all the units feel and look the same but each of the layouts was different- making 30 layouts in all.
Concept:
The kitchens and baths were designed to be sleek and modern, blending in with the loft style. The kitchen islands fabricated with wood compliments the wood ceilings and beams typical of loft living. White kitchens are always timeless and the Ronsley used the most beautiful and high-end cabinetry made of 100% lacquer.
Photography by Jim Tschetter

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment.
The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home.
Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition.
The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions.
The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns.
Overview:
Elm Grove
Size:
2,800 sf,
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Completion Date:
September 2014
Services:
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

Harebell / Campanula rotundifolia
This is an example of a landscaping in Minneapolis.
This is an example of a landscaping in Minneapolis.

This kitchen was designed for a family who decided to leave life in the big city and move up to Westchester for more room. The large space exuberates a calm, clean and classic feeling. “I love being brought in as a collaborative partner with both the architect and homeowner. It becomes my job as the kitchen designer to deliver on the vision of which the architect and homeowner are dreaming” says Bilotta Designer Randy O’Kane. The details become the focus, such as in this case, using just the right fluted Bendheim low iron Pyramid textured glass with just the correct proportions. Understanding the appliances (a mix of SubZero, Wolf and Miele) and their exterior panel and space requirements is critical. Framing out each doorway while lining up all the reveals can only happen when the architect has an eye for detail. Ira of Ira Grandberg Architects focuses on how all the surrounding rooms center on the kitchen so that from every angle you see one cohesive space, interfacing with the adjacent rooms. The client had specific "asks" as it related to the door style and color as well as the range and hood (a La Canche French Range by Art Culinaire in Matte Black with Brass Trim with a Custom Hood by Rangecraft.) Kismet is when there are "just the right" number of cooks creating this amazing kitchen. The challenge for the architect was designing a larger eat-in kitchen that did not feel overpowering. With all the light coming in from the many windows they wanted to keep the space bright but not use the typical white paint and so opted for a soft grey for the custom cabinetry. They decided to forgo the cabinet and countertop surfaces on the exterior wall so that they could have a large table for the family to eat meals at together. This also brought an enormous amount of light into the space – very inviting.
Bilotta Designer: Randy O’Kane
Photographer: Kirt Washington
Architect: Ira Grandberg Architects
Builder: ABC Construction

Sustainable Garden design on tight suburban lot with new shed as focal point.
This is an example of a small modern drought-tolerant, privacy and full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in New York for spring.
This is an example of a small modern drought-tolerant, privacy and full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in New York for spring.

Architect: Patrick Ahearn Architect LLC
Construction: Rosbeck
BuildersInteriors: Slifer Designs
Photography By: Greg Premru
“Rigorously symmetrical yet relaxed in shape and proportions, this house is very well executed inside and out. It feels appropriately sized for its site and is well detailed. It’s by far the best of the Shingle Style submittals.”
The project is a new construction of a family compound consisting of two new houses and associated site development along South Beach. Due to the topography of the nearby dunes, the living spaces of the main and guest houses were located on the second floor in order to gain the panoramic views of the ocean and extended coastline beyond. The challenge was to create a shingle-style island vernacular architecture that did not reflect the upside-down nature of the primary living space.
The inspiration was based on the desire to take a large program and break it into smaller architectural elements based on the idea that the homes could have originally been constructed in the 1920s or 1930s and then added onto over time. This concept of "implied history" is one that creates a legacy of a seaside architecture from the rich history of New England’s past, yet has evolved into how people want to live today.
The Marvin products, with their hurricane-resistant capabilities, were a clear choice based on this locale. The use of the folding door systems allowed for the ease of flow from indoor to outdoor spaces in a timeless way.

When Joe Germann founded Motorhead Extraordinaire in 2005, his shop was your typical motorhead shop – lots of hand-me-downs, "way too many" piles of junk, and always too much work going on. Joe used the shop for full frame-up restorations that involved engine work, body work, painting, etc. – your typical hard-core home based restoration shop.
The shop was a 24' x 32' building with a cathedral ceiling and was carved up into two car bays (one with a lift), and a bay for the workshop area. The office was located in a spare room in the house, only big enough for one person to work in at a time. Typical of 15 year old shops, it had a collection of everything in every corner – "your basic junk shop."
Joe knew he needed a shop and home office to better meet his needs and to be a reflection of his business philosophies. His goals were simple:
1. Upgrade the workshop to the 21st century and make it more efficient for the space he had and the type of work he likes to do in there
2. Add a new office to run the business out of
3. Make it an enjoyable place to hang out to swill a few beers and smoke a few good cigars!
Mission accomplished.
Joe added a 12' x 22' office addition and remodeled the existing garage/workshop area. (Trying to simultaneously work on restorations – a '71 Corvette and a Raven – as well as doing engine work on his Wild Child drag car was a challenge, to say the least.) Both the new shop and office are fully furnished with a host of Lista storage and workspace products.
“ The Lista workspaces are simply awesome and work out so well for us. ”
Joe raves, "The Lista workspaces are simply awesome and work out so well for us. The desks are at a 35-1/2" workbench height so they are comfortable to use either standing up or sitting down in a Lista work chair. My workspace uses a Nexus frame system with 16" overhead cabinets and a large double hinged door storage cabinet with roll-out trays, which we use to store product catalogs and other heavy stacks of literature. In my wife Isabelle's work area, we used 12' of standard overhead cabinets fastened directly to the wall and a large 12' long double workspace. She has two heavy-duty Lista file cabinets, and believe me they are loaded up and work flawlessly!"
Joe is a big fan of Lista products, which he sells through his business. "Well-thought-out is an understatement. Lista workspace solutions are among the most functional, highest quality, and best value available today. There is nothing as sturdy and long lasting as Lista workspace products."

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment.
The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home.
Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition.
The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions.
The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns.
Overview:
Elm Grove
Size:
2,800 sf,
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Completion Date:
September 2014
Services:
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment.
The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home.
Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition.
The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions.
The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns.
Overview:
Elm Grove
Size:
2,800 sf,
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Completion Date:
September 2014
Services:
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design
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