Turn an unused backyard into a stunning entertainment space designed for connection, relaxation, and unforgettable gatherings. This Lafayette project transformed a non-functional outdoor area into a beautifully designed, low-maintenance backyard retreat. The space now features custom paver hardscaping, artificial grass for year-round greenery, and carefully selected low-maintenance plants that bring life without the upkeep. To elevate both ambiance and usability, we installed low-voltage landscape lighting, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere that extends the enjoyment well into the evening. At the heart of the yard, a custom fireplace anchors the space — perfect for gathering with friends, sharing a drink, and enjoying cool nights outdoors. The layout was thoughtfully designed to create a natural flow between lounging, entertaining, and open space, making the backyard feel larger, more functional, and effortlessly welcoming. What was once an overlooked yard is now the centerpiece of the home — a place where friends come together, conversations flow, and every visit feels like an experience.

This couple turned their unused outdoor patio into their new home office.
Inspiration for a mid-sized 1960s freestanding desk vinyl floor and gray floor study room remodel in Austin with gray walls

By relocating the entrance into the home, we were able to convert the unusable covered porch into the perfect space for a home office.
Example of a small arts and crafts freestanding desk medium tone wood floor home office design in Denver with blue walls

An 1800’s carriage house sets the stage for this classic kitchen remodel. The homeowners wanted to be true to the architecture of their home while incorporating top quality, cutting edge appliances and modern day conveniences. They are discerning cooks who entertain often. The original kitchen, done in the 1990’s, had built-out walls covering the original stone of the house. Once exposed and repointed, the stone served as an amazing backsplash in the space, and we were able to gain almost 12” in the width of the room! The fabulous matte black BlueStar range is topped off with a unique antique fireback and is complimented by hand-pegged, hand-planed custom cabinetry that are scribed to the stone walls with precision. The distressed soapstone counters bring warmth to the space that makes you want to cozy up and stay a while. Since the kitchen does not allow for an island, the unused dining room was turned into a combined bar area and butler’s pantry. This small room packs a lot in with antique heart pine countertops, beadboard backsplash, and cabinetry backs, which provide a warm, casual feel. An additional refrigerator and dishwasher, as well as an icemaker, all hidden behind cabinetry panels, provide everything they need, and more, for entertaining family and friends. Suffice it to say, our clients are thrilled with their new ‘old’ kitchen! Matt Villano Photography

BEFORE We provided the design for this bedroom to library conversion. By opening up the ceiling and going into the unused attic space, we were able to create floor to ceiling library shelving that finally housed this academic's literary collection. Original transom windows in the attach as well as three floor level windows let in lots of natural light for working and reading.

We can't help but love the Hollywood glam vibe of this newly renovated master bath. Despite the small space, we managed to create a light and airy atmosphere. By removing an unused stairway closet, we added an enclosed water closet. With the addition of a built-in makeup vanity and new custom cabinetry, this master bath is now highly functional.

This space was the unused upstairs of a barn. We transformed it into the most lovely Mahjong room for the client and her friendsl
Eclectic open concept medium tone wood floor game room photo in Dallas with beige walls

Bud Kane has remodeled nearly every room in his own home over many years. Now reaching his 70’s, he contemplated heading up a major kitchen and laundry room renovation himself, planning on doing the carpentry work with his own hands. “I was not convinced I would ever meet anyone who could do it as well as I could do it myself”, said Bud. Ruth and Bud spent 5 years visiting kitchen firms and interviewing designers. They couldn’t however bring themselves to pull the trigger on the project, until they met Advance Design Studio in 2015. “No one understood what I wanted”, said Ruth. She was continually frustrated by experiences with designers who weren’t hearing what was important to her. “Everyone kept designing my kitchen with what they thought it should look like; I couldn’t find anyone who would listen to me”! When they met designer Scott Christensen from Advance Design Studio, they liked him right away. He listened to Ruth and designed a kitchen that she loved, all the while interjecting years of wisdom and design expertise that Ruth appreciated. “The finished product is better than I expected”, says Ruth. “I respected Scott’s opinions and together we created the perfect place for me to bake with my grandkids and truly enjoy the kitchen and laundry room I’ve been dreaming of for many years!” The kitchen transformation began with removing the home’s soffits, and extending new painted maple cabinetry to the ceiling with the addition of an elegant crown molding. Ruth’s new Vita Mix holds a coveted place on her counter, and adjustments were planned to size the cabinets in conjunction with the under cabinet decorative light molding to fit this appliance just right. “This one small detail was really important to me”, says Ruth smiling. An elegant new island replaced the original island, complete with room for 3 stools where her grandchildren will sit to make home-made pasta every Thanksgiving, and cookies at Christmas time. “Traditions are very important in my family, and making my kitchen work to suit cherished activities with my family was the number one reason this renovation was so desired”, replied Ruth when asked about the island. A picture perfect new tea station replaced a cluttered unused desk area, creating a wonderful place to prepare hot drinks for sipping any season of the year while overlooking the couple’s wonderfully manicured gardens from the lovely 3 season’s room just off the kitchen. The soft sage island bead panel detail was repeated on the backsplash, replicating the feel of a fine old piece of furniture. The biggest problem with the laundry room was 3 doors, one from the garage, one from the closet, and one to the hallway. “Scott designed a pocket door, and oh what a dream it is now to bring groceries in from the garage!” exclaims Bud who grew to disdain this task! Doing laundry is now a breeze in this attractive new space that doubles as a wonderful pantry for the kitchen with room to store food items that didn’t have a home in the poorly designed original space. New Hickory distressed wood flooring was laid both in the kitchen and leading to the hall foyer. Soft gray wood-replicating porcelain was placed in the laundry area, making for an easily cleanable surface for what doubles as a mud room from the garage. Creamy tumbled marble graces an unobtrusive backsplash spilling onto shiny granite counter tops in a rich earthy pattern of fall colors that mimic colors throughout the home. Advance is known details that included custom crafted furniture toe kicks, luxurious crown moldings, and beaded under cabinet moldings. The kitchen is complete with a glass display cabinet showing Ruth’s treasured china tea collection. Early on, it was initially only their intention of purchasing cabinets for the new design. They were so impressed however with Advance Design’s complete program for budgeting, design, installation and management that it became clear to them both that they wanted Advance to handle the entire project from start to finish. “After seeing the quality work they did, coupled with the in-house team completely dedicated to our satisfaction, it became apparent there was no other choice but to hire them to handle everything. And we’re so glad we did, we have not one regret”, says Bud. “The attention to detail by the carpentry crew more than satisfied my perfectionist expectations of the finished carpentry,” exclaimed Bud. “Every one of Advance Design’s people we encountered from design through construction was wonderful. We’ve never met a group of people so dedicated to making sure we were happy with every single detail, and every single part of this experience”, said Ruth and Bud. Designer: Scott Christensen Photographer: Joe Nowak

This backyard was an unusable hillside. We added colorful brick stairs, planted greenwalls, redwood arbor, flagstone patio, horse trough planters, an herb garden, a deck.

Our busy Silicon Valley clients asked us to convert their tight-quartered 1960’s ranch house to a gracious family home that would meet their long term needs. Ease of living was paramount, both in functionality and in ordered design. The project was completed on a moderate budget.While retaining most of the structure of the existing house to avoid costly structural changes, we opened walls to improve the sight lines and flow of the house and bring in more light. We made small additions at the front and back bedrooms to gain space for the family and relatives. An existing underused patio area was improved with a simple outdoor kitchen and overhang to extend the living space to the outside. Costs were kept down with choices of modest materials. Everything was made to be functional. Ample storage has been built into the right places. The details of the kitchen were carefully worked out to accommodate all the wishes of the various cooks in the family. The house is set up to be easy to keep clean. Acoustic walls separate living from bedroom spaces so adults can enjoy time together while children sleep. The outdoor kitchen has easy access to the indoor kitchen and the garage, and its setup promotes socializing while cooking outdoors. A large part of the narrow back yard was previously unusable space due to a steep slope up to a neighbor’s higher fence. With a new retaining wall and some re-grading we took back more of the yard for the patio and play space on a new lawn. The remodeled house is a mix of contemporary and traditional elements. Cool colors have a calming effect. Traditional items such as prairie style windows, trellis, mosaic tiles, and Shaker style cabinets, break down the scale in an otherwise streamlined, contemporary design. A new gabled roof with a broad arch at the front of the house marks the entry and resolves a challenging form where the central entry is set back from walls on both sides. Photography: Kurt Manley https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/modern-ranch/

Challenges of a Small Kitchen. "How can we add a dishwasher and increase storage to our already small kitchen?" A good question for sure. We tucked the refrigerator into what had been a hall closet, encorporated a neat rolling cabinet/cutting board 'under' the new (handmade by owner) oak table, replaced a window into a new place, removed an space wasting unused brick chimney, strategically added many storage cabinets and removed bearing walls. The countertops are a combination of soapstone and Quartzite. We even squeezed in the "small but pretty" farm sink! "Lance Kramer (project manager) kept us informed every step, kept the job clean, did great work" ...and with a twinkle in his eye ... " I'd recommend you do not fire him". Richard L." No danger there! Great job K Team.

Photo 2: Crawl Space The project started for us when the owner first showed us the unused crawlspace beneath his hillside home. It was cavernous. He asked me if I thought we could build another floor in the space. I said "absolutely.” Photo Credit: Indivar Sivanathan

While the root of the scope stayed the same - open the kitchen to the dining and living rooms - this project grew into so much more than just reconfiguring spaces. The design team loved the creativity that comes from working with a trusting client and our opportunity to flex our design muscles in the mid century category. The goal was to not be literal with the design style, but to be respectful of the home’s original architecture and features while making it decidedly Pacific Northwest by letting it’s setting in the trees really shine! We doubled the size of the kitchen, taking over an unused second eat-in space that sat immediately next to the homes dining room. We opened the walls between the dining/kitchen/and hallway creating an expansive open feel. Step in pantry closet that was lacking in efficiency and took up precious walk-way space was removed in favor of a custom pantry cabinet with roll-out shelves for easy use. The custom walnut stair railing is a welcomed greeting near the front door and ties all of the spaces together.

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.

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 unused third floor of an historic home in Delaware was transformed into a bright, playful family room that doubles as a guest room with an en suite bathroom. Architect: Lauren Rubin Architecture Decorator: City Nest Design Photography: Alyssa Kirsten

This remodel project consisted of the primary (master) bathroom, bedroom, closet, hall bathroom, and laundry room. In the primary bathroom, we removed the walk-in shower, which felt cave-like, to add much-needed closet space. The unused jetted bath was then replaced with a zero-entry spa shower. Honed Grecian marble covers the floors and shower for a casually elevated sanctuary. In addition, the quiet texture of the shiplap balances the shower. To finish, a tranquil color pallet was chosen to sweep throughout the space, accented with matte black fixtures.

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camilleriparismode projects and design team were approached to rethink a previously unused double height room in a wonderful villa. the lower part of the room was planned as a sitting and dining area, the sub level above as a tv den and games room. as the occupants enjoy their time together as a family, as well as their shared love of books, a floor-to-ceiling library was an ideal way of using and linking the large volume. the large library covers one wall of the room spilling into the den area above. it is given a sense of movement by the differing sizes of the verticals and shelves, broken up by randomly placed closed cupboards. the floating marble fireplace at the base of the library unit helps achieve a feeling of lightness despite it being a complex structure, while offering a cosy atmosphere to the family area below. the split-level den is reached via a solid oak staircase, below which is a custom made wine room. the staircase is concealed from the dining area by a high wall, painted in a bold colour on which a collection of paintings is displayed. photos by: brian grech