Our clients already had a cottage on Torch Lake that they loved to visit. It was a 1960s ranch that worked just fine for their needs. However, the lower level walkout became entirely unusable due to water issues. After purchasing the lot next door, they hired us to design a new cottage. Our first task was to situate the home in the center of the two parcels to maximize the view of the lake while also accommodating a yard area. Our second task was to take particular care to divert any future water issues. We took necessary precautions with design specifications to water proof properly, establish foundation and landscape drain tiles / stones, set the proper elevation of the home per ground water height and direct the water flow around the home from natural grade / drive. Our final task was to make appealing, comfortable, living spaces with future planning at the forefront. An example of this planning is placing a master suite on both the main level and the upper level. The ultimate goal of this home is for it to one day be at least a 3/4 of the year home and designed to be a multi-generational heirloom. - Jacqueline Southby Photography

This homeowner lived on a very prominent golf course and wanted to feel like he was on the putting green of the 9th hole while standing at his family room window. The existing layout of the home had the garage enjoying that view with the outdated dining room, family room and kitchen further back on the lot. We completely demoed the garage and a section of the home, allowing us to design and build with that view in mind. The completed project has the family room at the back of the home with a gorgeous view of the golf course from two large curved bay windows. A new fireplace with custom cabinetry and shelf niches and coffered high ceilings makes this room a treasure. The new kitchen boasts of white painted cabinetry, an island with wood top and a 6 burner Wolf cooktop with a custom hood, white tile with multiple trim details and a pot filler faucet. A Butler’s Pantry was added for entertaining complete with beautiful white painted cabinetry with glass upper cabinets, marble countertops and a prep sink and faucet. We converted an unused dining room into a custom, high-end home office with beautiful site- built mahogany bookcases to showcase the homeowners book collections. To complete this renovation, we added a “friends” entry and a mudroom for improved access and functionality. The transformation is not only efficient but aesthetically pleasing to the eye and exceeded the homeowner’s expectations to enjoy their view of the 9th hole.

This elegant wine room was created by closing in an unused and awkward courtyard off of the existing dining room. The brick walls remained as they were. We closed in the roof and then clad the ceiling with actual wood remnants from reclaimed wine casks. Storefront glass keeps the wine room at the optimum temperature and allows viewing from the dining room to the 1200 bottle capacity space. The client’s preference for Cisco “wine” is beyond our control.

This family was referred to me by another of my clients. They requested that I help them with their 2 daughter’s loft area. At the time, it was uninviting, didn’t get much use and there was unused space in the existing layout, which wasn’t conducive to gathering. They gave me a great canvas to start with: wood floors, dark moldings and clean white walls. I had a couple of things I had to incorporate into the design plan which were: a wall mounted TV with speakers and an elliptical machine. I came up with a floor plan that tied all the areas of the loft together and made the space more inviting. New furniture was purchased and I layered in decor and accessories that now make it feel like a youthful, but not too young, cool hang out space.

this project began with an dilapidated site with no landscape. The large front yard was unusable for this family with 2 young boys. the inspiration was to create a clean modern space but with ample room for the children to have practical outdoor play areas. the anchor of the project was to use a large 2 ton rock, already purchased by the owner, and create a center piece. the rock was converted into a water feature and the space was developed into a meditative seating pit wrapped in corten steel. the remaining areas were developed as retaining / seat walls bordering the open lawn play areas. modern railings & fence were designed to wrap the upper patio and perimeter fence. landscape lighting provide enough light for safety and mood.

Check out our latest kitchen transformation of a worn-out kitchen into a fresh and functional space. The main goals were to replace the worn laminate countertop, update the kitchen's color scheme, and creatively utilize previously blocked-off, unused spaces. We embraced a transitional design style, featuring the Lancaster door in the stunning Midnight SuperMatte Blue color, bringing a sophisticated yet timeless look to the kitchen. Beautiful Cambria Quartz Swan Bridge countertops, replacing the old laminate, and added custom cabinets from the Kitchen Solvers Legacy Collection. The kitchen also features a new wine fridge, seamlessly incorporated into the reverse angle wall. We transformed blocked-off areas into custom wine cubbies, adding a touch of elegance and functionality. The kitchen now includes various rollouts and pull-outs, as well as a larger pantry, enhancing the overall storage and usability. The team did an outstanding job on this kitchen remodel.

This client was looking to design a mid-century modern kitchen with an industrial touch that would feel bigger and improve its workflow by changing the layout. Additionally, the client was looking to change the laundry room to make it less crowded and more functional. We placed the previously unused pantry in an area, between the kitchen and the powder bathroom on the other side of the wall, increasing their pantry space from very small to 32 SF. We moved the fridge, sink, and cook-top to increase proximity to each other and improve workflow. We still used some of the space from the old pantry to hold spices and other essential cooking ingredients in an accessible-for-cooking area next to the fridge. We opened up the countertop to be a straight line all the way to their dining room, instead of the "L" they had before, which made the space feel smaller. We changed the orientation of their dining room table. We turned their bar, which they were not so keen on, into a wine rack. We created a buffet space in their dining room.

A fresh update for a dated bathroom layout. This lovely couple wanted to remove the unused corner soaker tub and replace it with open space. We converted from a standard shower pan to a much larger curbless shower. Heated floors throughout. Featuring Durasupreme Cabinetry, Moen and Kohler Components. Vicostone Quartz, Color Botticino. Photography by Fly by Chicago-Dan Barker Photography

Any empty unused wall in the bedroom can become a valuable and attractive storage space, it can be designed to be any size and shape to match your bedroom set-up. Due to the immense aesthetic value they add and the utility they have along with the reasonable prices and good quality, customized wardrobes are quite popular in NYC. Smart Closets of NYC

White and grey marble basket weave tile for the floor w/4"x12" marble wall tile with a black tumbled tile to match the black floor accents. Wall hung toilet and vanity open up the space. The shower has a curved rod and hand held shower head allowing space and versatility. The soft corners on the recessed medicine cabinet and vanity light complete this vintage look. Space and storage are both at a premium in the only bathroom in this home. Pie shaped marble corner shelves make use of the small corner of unused wall space in the bathroom. A hotel style towel rack over the wall hung toilet allows for additional towel storage and a full length wall niche in the shower adds a nice home for bath product storage.

A previously unused nook of the lower level, transformed into a conversation area for four. Swivel chairs allow those in the space to converse with others a the nearby wet bar, or living room.

APD was hired to update the kitchen, living room, primary bathroom and bedroom, and laundry room in this suburban townhome. The design brought an aesthetic that incorporated a fresh updated and current take on traditional while remaining timeless and classic. The kitchen layout moved cooking to the exterior wall providing a beautiful range and hood moment. Removing an existing peninsula and re-orienting the island orientation provided a functional floorplan while adding extra storage in the same square footage. A specific design request from the client was bar cabinetry integrated into the stair railing, and we could not be more thrilled with how it came together! The primary bathroom experienced a major overhaul by relocating both the shower and double vanities and removing an un-used soaker tub. The design added linen storage and seated beauty vanity while expanding the shower to a luxurious size. Dimensional tile at the shower accent wall relates to the dimensional tile at the kitchen backsplash without matching the two spaces to each other while tones of cream, taupe, and warm woods with touches of gray are a cohesive thread throughout.

Originally an un-used space in the Olympia Residence, this lounge is now a fun place to grab a drink and relax by the window. Jessica Reynaud Design really drew inspiration from the location of the existing windows; and highlighted these using custom built-ins with floating shelves displaying a mix of collected and vintage items.

This home enjoys stunning views of Sweeney Lake from almost anywhere in the home; however it was in need of repair and a significant reorganization of the plan to take full advantage of site. The project is about the complete restoration and rethinking of this vintage 1965 mid-century gem. The house is deceivingly large with a full finished lower level and an indoor pool room; however it lived cramped and broken up. The entry was uninviting and small, the poolroom unused and poorly heated, the kitchen undersized, and the bedrooms and baths poorly accessed. Our task was to open up the home through the rethinking of the floor plan and the introduction of a new central axis connecting and organizing the homes functions and spaces around view corridors and existing or new focal points. The home had beautiful features to build upon; the central brick fireplace, the raised roofs over the living and pool rooms, and the view to the lake itself. A fully redone exterior and interior preserve the homes proportion and scale, while at the same time bring greater connection to the site and a much needed clarity to the homes organization. Project Team: Ben Awes AIA, Principal-In-Charge Bob Ganser AIA Christian Dean AIA Nate Dodge

Aesthetics meets Practicality...... At LH we make our own Kitchens: From design board to execution. We build it from Scratch keeping things in mind that matter the most in a well functioning kitchen: 1: Tear & Wear 2: Wow Factor 3: Feeling of Spending time in there. A lot of home gatherings and parties end up at the Breakfast bar 4: Make all Space accessible, available & renewable (seeing what is inside each drawer: full extension, and ability to discard unused items. 5: Hardware, in LH has lifetime warranty, as this take the every day beating, but we also make sure it looks good and works day in and day out....nonstop without a hiccup... Let's do some serious cooking.....!

Exterior remodel. Changing an unused balcony space into an master bedroom ensuite.
Inspiration for a mediterranean brown two-story exterior home remodel in Auckland

This beautiful pool patio is part of a backyard project completed by Gary Duff Designs. The team first stepped onto this unkempt yard equip with a few relaxation requisites but lacking the thoughtful finishing touches needed to refine the space. In one month, Gary Duff Designs tapped into its unused potential by opening up the yard, adding an entrance and creating extra areas to sit and relax, including a shelf in the home’s new spa and a new counter at the bar. When confronted with years-old pavers, the team found a perfect replacement that protected cohesion and elevated design. By combining earth tones, wood grain, bronze ornamental aluminum railing and colorful flowers throughout, the backyard was transformed into a homey escape that embraces residents and guests alike.

Cramped kitchen be gone! That was the project motto and top priority. The goal was to transform the current layout from multiple smaller spaces into a connected whole that would activate the main level for our clients, a young family of four. The biggest obstacle was the wall dividing the kitchen and the dining room. Removing this wall was central to opening up and integrating the main living spaces, but the existing ductwork that ran right through the center of the wall posed a design challenge, er design opportunity. The resulting design solution features a central pantry that captures the ductwork and provides valuable storage- especially when compared to the original kitchen's 18" wide pantry cabinet. The pantry also anchors the kitchen island and serves as a visual separation of space between the kitchen and homework area. Through our design development process, we learned the formal living room was of no service to their lifestyle and therefore space they rarely spent time in. With that in mind, we proposed to eliminate the unused living room and make it the new dining room. Relocating the dining room to this space inherently felt right given the soaring ceiling and ample room for holiday dinners and celebrations. The new dining room was spacious enough for us to incorporate a conversational seating area in the warm, south-facing window alcove. Now what to do with the old dining room?! To answer that question we took inspiration from our clients' shared profession in education and developed a craft area/homework station for both of their boys. The semi-custom cabinetry of the desk area carries over to the adjacent wall and forms window bench base with storage that we topped with butcher block for a touch of warmth. While the boys are young, the bench drawers are the perfect place for a stash of toys close to the kitchen. The kitchen begins just beyond the window seat with their refrigerator enclosure. Opposite the refrigerator is the new pantry with twenty linear feet of shelving and space for brooms and a stick vacuum. Extending from the backside of the pantry the kitchen island design incorporates counter seating on the family room side and a cabinetry configuration on the kitchen side with drawer storage, a trashcan center, farmhouse sink, and dishwasher. We took careful time in design and execution to align the range and sink because while it might seem like a small detail, it plays an important role in supporting the symmetrical configuration of the back wall of the kitchen. The rear wall design utilizes an appliance garage mirrors the visual impact of the refrigerator enclosure and helps keep the now open kitchen tidy. Between the appliance garage and refrigerator enclosure is the cooking zone with 30" of cabinetry and work surface on either side of the range, a chimney style vent hood, and a bold graphic tile backsplash. The backsplash is just one of many personal touches we added to the space to reflect our client's modern eclectic style and love of color. Swooping lines of the mid-mod style barstools compliment the pendants and backsplash pattern. A pop of vibrant green on the frame of the pantry door adds a fresh wash of color to an otherwise neutral space. The big show stopper is the custom charcoal gray and copper chevron wall installation in the dining room. This was an idea our clients softly suggested, and we excitedly embraced the opportunity. It is also a kickass solution to the head-scratching design dilemma of how to fill a large and lofty wall. We are so grateful to bring this design to life for our clients and now dear friends.

This beautiful, 1,600 SF duplex three-bedroom, two-bath apartment in the heart of the West Village was originally a diamond in the rough with great potential. The coop is located on a quiet, tree-lined street and, as a top floor unit, boasts lovely southern and eastern exposures with views of this charming neighborhood overlooking the Hudson. Our clients were making a big move from the West Coast and wanted the new home to be ready in time for the start of the new school year, so Studioteka’s architecture and interior design team rolled up our sleeves and got to work! Construction documents were prepared for the coop board and NYC Department of Buildings approval and our team coordinated the renovation. The entire unit had new hardwood flooring, moldings, and doors installed, the stairs were gently refinished, and we took down a wall separating the living room from a small den on the lower level, making the living space much more open, light-filled, and inviting. The hot water heater was tucked away in an unused space under the stair landing, allowing for the creation of a new kitchen pantry with additional storage. We gut-renovated the upstairs bathroom, creating a built-in shower niche as well as a brand new Duravit tub, Mirabelle high-efficiency toilet, American Standard matte black fixtures, and a white Strasser Woodenworks vanity with black hardware. Classic white subway tile lines the walls and shower enclosure, while black and white basketweave tile is used on the floor. The matte black towel hooks, toilet roll holder, and towel rod contrast with the white wall tile, and a shower curtain with a delicate black and white pattern completes the room. Finally, new mid-century modern furnishings were combined with existing pieces to create an apartment that is both a joy to come home to and a warm, inviting urban oasis for this family of four.