Centered Around a 15' Wide x8' Tall Bi-Fold Door, Custom Blue Cabinets, Leather Granite
Example of a mid-sized transitional galley eat-in kitchen design in Houston with an island

Before, there was a U-shaped kitchen work area. The stove was in the center of the room. The wall opposite the sink was heavy with cabinetry. And a breakfast nook and dining room flanked both sides of the kitchen. There was builder grade tile on the floors, counters, and backsplash. The homeowners stressed to Clarissa that they were unhappy with the function of the kitchen. They needed more prep area as well as desired a more functional pantry space.

AT6 Architecture - Boor Bridges Architecture - Semco Engineering Inc. - Stephanie Jaeger Photography
Inspiration for a modern bathroom remodel in San Francisco

Poised on the edge of a deep ravine overlooking the beautiful Barton Creek, the core of this 1960’s renovated home centers on the kitchen. This particular space was artfully collaborated on with the home's owner, who is the owner and chef of one of Austin's premiere restaurants. The original 155 square foot kitchen was not inspiring at all to the culinary professional who was unhappy with the size, layout, lighting, space, lack of appliances, and overall outdated style. One of the key goals was to create a space not only for everyday cooking, but for entertaining as well. The overall design of the kitchen incorporates large amounts of counter space, commercial-style appliances, transparent refrigerator and pantry, as well as natural lighting to pair with necessary task lighting. The openness of the design allows for the dining area to seamlessly flow into the space for everyday family gatherings or entertaining on special occasions. Photography by Adam Steiner

Inspiration for a huge transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Poised on the edge of a deep ravine overlooking the beautiful Barton Creek, the core of this 1960’s renovated home centers on the kitchen. This particular space was artfully collaborated on with the home's owner, who is the owner and chef of one of Austin's premiere restaurants. The original 155 square foot kitchen was not inspiring at all to the culinary professional who was unhappy with the size, layout, lighting, space, lack of appliances, and overall outdated style. One of the key goals was to create a space not only for everyday cooking, but for entertaining as well. The overall design of the kitchen incorporates large amounts of counter space, commercial-style appliances, transparent refrigerator and pantry, as well as natural lighting to pair with necessary task lighting. The openness of the design allows for the dining area to seamlessly flow into the space for everyday family gatherings or entertaining on special occasions. Photography by Adam Steiner

Designed by Marie Lail Blackburn, CMKBD
Bathroom - large contemporary master beige tile, brown tile, gray tile, multicolored tile and slate tile bathroom idea in Seattle with granite countertops, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige walls and an undermount sink

The clients, a young professional couple had lived with this bathroom in their townhome for 6 years. They finally could not take it any longer. The designer was tasked with turning this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan without relocating walls, doors, fittings, or fixtures in this principal bathroom. The client wish list included, better storage, improved lighting, replacing the tub with a shower, and creating a sparkling personality for this uninspired space using any color way except white. The designer began the transformation with the wall tile. Large format rectangular tiles were installed floor to ceiling on the vanity wall and continued behind the toilet and into the shower. The soft variation in tile pattern is very soothing and added to the Zen feeling of the room. One partner is an avid gardener and wanted to bring natural colors into the space. The same tile is used on the floor in a matte finish for slip resistance and in a 2” mosaic of the same tile is used on the shower floor. A lighted tile recess was created across the entire back wall of the shower beautifully illuminating the wall. Recycled glass tiles used in the niche represent the color and shape of leaves. A single glass panel was used in place of a traditional shower door. Continuing the serene colorway of the bath, natural rift cut white oak was chosen for the vanity and the floating shelves above the toilet. A white quartz for the countertop, has a small reflective pattern like the polished chrome of the fittings and hardware. Natural curved shapes are repeated in the arch of the faucet, the hardware, the front of the toilet and shower column. The rectangular shape of the tile is repeated in the drawer fronts of the cabinets, the sink, the medicine cabinet, and the floating shelves. The shower column was selected to maintain the simple lines of the fittings while providing a temperature, pressure balance shower experience with a multi-function main shower head and handheld head. The dual flush toilet and low flow shower are a water saving consideration. The floating shelves provide decorative and functional storage. The asymmetric design of the medicine cabinet allows for a full view in the mirror with the added function of a tri view mirror when open. Built in LED lighting is controllable from 2500K to 4000K. The interior of the medicine cabinet is also mirrored and electrified to keep the countertop clear of necessities. Additional lighting is provided with recessed LED fixtures for the vanity area as well as in the shower. A motion sensor light installed under the vanity illuminates the room with a soft glow at night. The transformation is now complete. No longer an ugly duckling and source of unhappiness, the new bathroom provides a much-needed respite from the couples’ busy lives. It has created a retreat to recharge and replenish, two very important components of wellness.

Huge Custom Kitchen with Attached Chef Kitchen
Open concept kitchen - large contemporary beige floor and limestone floor open concept kitchen idea in Las Vegas with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island, granite countertops, gray backsplash, stone slab backsplash and beige countertops

Though DIY living room makeovers and bedroom redecorating can be an exciting undertaking, these projects often wind up uncompleted and with less than satisfactory results. This was the case with our client, a young professional in his early 30’s who purchased his first apartment and tried to decorate it himself. Short on interior décor ideas and unhappy with the results, he decided to hire an interior designer, turning to Décor Aid to transform his one-bedroom into a classy, adult space. Our client already had invested in several key pieces of furniture, so our Junior Designer worked closely with him to incorporate the existing furnishings into the new design and give them new life. Though the living room boasted high ceilings, the space was narrow, so they ditched the client’s sectional in place of a sleek leather sofa with a smaller footprint. They replaced the dark gray living room paint and drab brown bedroom paint with a white wall paint color to make the apartment feel larger. Our designer introduced chrome accents, in the form of a Deco bar cart, a modern chandelier, and a campaign-style nightstand, to create a sleek, contemporary design. Leather furniture was used in both the bedroom and living room to add a masculine feel to the home refresh.

The clients, a young professional couple had lived with this bathroom in their townhome for 6 years. They finally could not take it any longer. The designer was tasked with turning this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan without relocating walls, doors, fittings, or fixtures in this principal bathroom. The client wish list included, better storage, improved lighting, replacing the tub with a shower, and creating a sparkling personality for this uninspired space using any color way except white. The designer began the transformation with the wall tile. Large format rectangular tiles were installed floor to ceiling on the vanity wall and continued behind the toilet and into the shower. The soft variation in tile pattern is very soothing and added to the Zen feeling of the room. One partner is an avid gardener and wanted to bring natural colors into the space. The same tile is used on the floor in a matte finish for slip resistance and in a 2” mosaic of the same tile is used on the shower floor. A lighted tile recess was created across the entire back wall of the shower beautifully illuminating the wall. Recycled glass tiles used in the niche represent the color and shape of leaves. A single glass panel was used in place of a traditional shower door. Continuing the serene colorway of the bath, natural rift cut white oak was chosen for the vanity and the floating shelves above the toilet. A white quartz for the countertop, has a small reflective pattern like the polished chrome of the fittings and hardware. Natural curved shapes are repeated in the arch of the faucet, the hardware, the front of the toilet and shower column. The rectangular shape of the tile is repeated in the drawer fronts of the cabinets, the sink, the medicine cabinet, and the floating shelves. The shower column was selected to maintain the simple lines of the fittings while providing a temperature, pressure balance shower experience with a multi-function main shower head and handheld head. The dual flush toilet and low flow shower are a water saving consideration. The floating shelves provide decorative and functional storage. The asymmetric design of the medicine cabinet allows for a full view in the mirror with the added function of a tri view mirror when open. Built in LED lighting is controllable from 2500K to 4000K. The interior of the medicine cabinet is also mirrored and electrified to keep the countertop clear of necessities. Additional lighting is provided with recessed LED fixtures for the vanity area as well as in the shower. A motion sensor light installed under the vanity illuminates the room with a soft glow at night. The transformation is now complete. No longer an ugly duckling and source of unhappiness, the new bathroom provides a much-needed respite from the couples’ busy lives. It has created a retreat to recharge and replenish, two very important components of wellness.

CEC Design, Charity E. Calene
Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Omaha

Example of a large country master white tile and marble tile marble floor and white floor bathroom design in Chicago with white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops and recessed-panel cabinets

Holly Days Nursery and Landscapes http://hollydaysnursery.com Project Entry: Collegeville Manor 2013 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential Hardscaping $15,000 - $30,000 Project Description: Located on a hilltop in rural Collegeville, Montgomery County, this three-story single-family residence creates a bold silhouette when viewed from the road below. Built on a 2-acre lot in 1997, the home has undergone several upgrades — a lovely stone façade, a pool and bathhouse, an extensive paver patio for entertaining guests, and a gazebo to enjoy quieter times. However, despite attempts by others to improve upon the builder's original design, the front entry remained unwelcoming and therefore underused. The original front entry included a portico stretching three stories above a narrow porch. The porch steps were of uneven length with one step situated two feet off-center. The portico columns, only 8" in diameter, rested on the lowest step, further highlighting the off-centered step above. The landing and walkway were installed using small pavers, while minimal plantings occupied narrow beds. At a later date several planting beds within the entry area were enlarged to make space for a more complex planting plan, yet the overall design remained out­of-scale. The clients were most unhappy with the space and were at a loss as to how to remedy the situation. Here, in this beautiful countryside, sat this big bold three-story house that demanded an equally bold front entry. The design solution was to remove all the under-scaled distractions and make the portico, with the door at its center, the focal point it was meant to be. The key elements required to make this transformation would include: Install wider portico pillars and visually anchor them on an elevated base; Center the porch steps; Pay particular attention to size, color and pattern with regard to stone work and pavers; and Create a sense of space using sitting walls, formal plantings and outdoor lighting. The original 8" diameter portico columns looked like toothpicks straining to hold the weight of the roof above. The columns were replaced with 14" square pillars set on a 32"H base using flamed West Mountain Pier Caps (30"x30"x3") and rock face edge. The steps were recreated; being of equal length, they now sit snuggly between the pillar bases. The portico elements (steps, porch, door, pillars and roof) now function as one architectural feature with the door at its center. The original design included a small landing area that appeared even smaller due to the size and pattern of the pavers. An expanded landing area and reconfigured walkway was installed using Rinox Palazzo, Panama Beige pavers set in a random pattern with a sailor bond edge. Two sitting walls flank the entrance to the landing to create a formal courtyard. The sitting walls were capped using Architectural Stone's 2" West Mountain Flagstone. The beige pavers and West Mountain stone more closely match the color of the stone façade of the house. Architectural lighting was installed on the sitting wall piers to light the walkway, while spotlighting and backlighting are used to accent trees and taller shrubs within the courtyard. Formal plantings of hollies, boxwoods and laurels provide structure to the courtyard while a few larger shrubs provide color and texture. The homeowners chose not to add many perennials to the courtyard's planting plan, preferring instead to focus more on the structure of the plants and how they compliment the larger features of the house. However, the formal lines of the boxwoods and hollies are softened by the informality of Knockout roses and Oakleaf Hydrangeas. What makes this project special is the sense of accomplishment everyone felt when the project was completed. The homeowners, the designer and the stone mason knew the space had great potential; however, its beauty was overshadowed by so many distractions — the scale of the original portico; the uneven steps; the missing focal point and mismatched hardscape components. As testament to the success of the design, the clients tell us that guests now approach the front entry and courtyard on a regular basis, no longer choosing to knock at the side- door entrance. Photo Credit: Holly Days Nursery and Landscapes

Convenient drawer for recharging electronics Jeff Herr Photography
Home design - large cottage home design idea in Atlanta

Photo of a mid-sized modern partial sun front yard concrete paver formal garden in Orange County.

Allen Haren
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern partial sun side yard gravel landscaping in Los Angeles.

This Playa Del Rey, CA. design / build project began after our client had a terrible flood ruin her kitchen. In truth, she had been unhappy with her galley kitchen prior to the flood. She felt it was dark and deep with poor air conditioning circulating through it. She enjoys entertaining and hosting dinner parties and felt that this was the perfect opportunity to reimagine her galley kitchen into a space that would reflect her lifestyle. Since this is a condominium, we decided the best way to open up the floorplan was to wrap the counter around the wall into the dining area and make the peninsula the same height as the work surface. The result is an open kitchen with extensive counter space. Keeping it light and bright was important but she also wanted some texture and color too. The stacked stone backsplash has slivers of glass that reflect the light. Her vineyard palette was tied into the backsplash and accented by the painted walls. The floating glass shelves are highlighted with LED lights on a dimmer switch. We were able to space plan to incorporate her wine rack into the peninsula. We reconfigured the HVAC vent so more air circulated into the far end of the kitchen and added a ceiling fan. This project also included replacing the carpet and 12X12 beige tile with some “wood look” porcelain tile throughout the first floor. Since the powder room was receiving new flooring our client decided to add the powder room project which included giving it a deep plum paint job and a new chocolate cherry vanity. The white quartz counter and crystal hardware balance the dark hues in the wall and vanity.