This contemporary farmhouse kitchen remodel beautifully marries modern aesthetics with the warmth of traditional white oak millwork. We retained select oak trim elements while infusing a fresh, updated look throughout the space. Key updates include painting the cabinets, updating tile floors in the entryway, bathroom, and laundry room, and reworking the kitchen island to open up the living area. An unused cabinetry section was transformed into a functional computer desk, enhancing the kitchen's versatility and usability. The result is a stylish, inviting kitchen that seamlessly integrates with the rest of the main floor.

For this repeat client (we built DreamDesign 29 for them) we took an unused lanai and transformed it into a riverfront, light-filled art studio.
Example of a farmhouse brick floor sunroom design in Jacksonville

After photo showing the transformation of an unused back lot into a family destination, with playscape, sports court, patio, artificial turf, fire pit, water feature, landscaping & landscape lighting.

Living in place with flex: The mother of the homeowner needed a home that is fully accessible for living in place, so we created a barrier-free entry and installed grab bars. The new suite contains a full bedroom and bath and a small living room with a kitchenette. One of the homeowners especially loves to cook. Now he has a new kitchen with more space, more storage, and better functionality. Fresh paint, wallpaper and a new look: We refinished the hardwood floors throughout and gave the whole home a fresh new look. We updated a powder room with paint, new tile, new fixtures, new lighting, and wallpaper. Kitchen with space, flow, and storage: The kitchen was cut off from the rest of the home. It had a long peninsula with awkward flow around the kitchen that just didn’t work. We removed the peninsula and instead created a large island with seating for three. With the new island, counter space is much more usable now. We put hidden cupboards underneath for added storage. The island also holds the built-in microwave with a steel drawer front below for continuity. We used banked drawers rather than cupboards for ease of access. We also installed new large appliances. Coffee station, cookbooks, and spices: We removed two clumsy closed pantries and an unused main door, and this allowed space for more cabinetry. We added an open shelf section with herringbone tile and a counter for a coffee station and cookbooks. Other features were a waste bin pullout with garbage bag storage and a tall spice pullout drawer. The kitchen now has a big double-wide appliance garage where all small appliances are stored and organized in a big pantry with a light inside. All the appliances are front and centre (rather than buried in the back somewhere), yet hidden behind a door. Flex space means other new spaces for everyone: In creating a flex space for the mother on the main floor, the homeowners lost their space for a family room, although there is still a formal living and dining room on that floor. We solved it by creating a new finished basement with a family room to replace the one upstairs. This gives the family and the mother their own spaces and at the same time comfortable places for all of them.

No living room is complete without a wet bar! That’s at least this client’s motto. This mid-century home’s front living room was missing just that. The living room included an unnecessarily large coat closet, so we converted this unused space into a custom bar. The concept here was tropical and fun so we covered the walls in a vibrant banana leaf wallpaper and painted the custom millwork a coordinating sea green. Tailored glass and brass pipe shelving completed the look.

Once an unused space, this cozy wine room is now functional and elegant. Stacked stone wall is the focal point and wood elements warm up the cool background. Cheers! Native House Photography

This home renovation project transformed unused, unfinished spaces into vibrant living areas. Each exudes elegance and sophistication, offering personalized design for unforgettable family moments. Step into luxury with this master bathroom boasting double vanities, oversized mirrors, a freestanding tub, and a spacious shower area. Elegant tiles adorn every surface, creating a serene sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation. Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/fishers-chic-family-home-renovation/

Designed by Jen Denham of Reico Kitchen & Bath in White Plains, MD in collaboration with Potomac Home Improvement, this casual feeling transitional style kitchen with features Merillat Classic cabinets in the Rowan with 5-piece drawer front door style in a Chiffon finish. Kitchen countertops are Granite White Ice. The kitchen also includes a tile backsplash in Bliss Linear Glass Waterfall. “Jen and the crew at Reico transformed the look of our house with the kitchen redesign. Reico opened up the room and more than doubled our cabinet space,” said the client. “We love the pullout drawers on the pantry and will never lack for storage space again. Not a day goes by where one of us doesn’t say I love our kitchen.” “The clients were so sweet to work with, they were really open to ideas and had exciting ideas on bringing color to the kitchen,” said Jen. “The house had plenty of unused potential for more cabinet space. The challenge was trying to make it look like it made sense with the rest of the house and was still functional. Getting more storage for food was a must. We were able to add a tall pantry cabinet and tons of more useful countertop space for all of their appliances.” Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

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

We transformed a soggy, unused lawn terrace and turned it into an inviting, highly versatile patio. Features include a natural bluestone patio and paths, a corten steel gas fire pit and lush landscaping on all levels.

Our client had a large unused lawn area towards the rear of their property that they wanted transformed into an enjoyable destination. Our design solution has now created a putting green that is enjoyed on a regular basis with an elevated gazebo patio with retaining seat walls that create a beautiful focal point in this well established back yard.

Inquire About Our Design Services This homeowner loved color. In order to bring in more color, I ditched her yellow and orange walls by painting the room gray, with charcoal trim. I often tell folks in order to pump up the color, we have to bring down the backdrop, and Lori’s condo was my case in point. And then we proceeded with construction. Yep, construction. I had to figure out a way around the awkward floor plan, and where to put that TV. We decided to rebuild her fireplace to house her TV - it was great way to utilize the unused space. Marcel Page

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

A tiny kitchen and large unused dining room were combined to create a welcoming, eat in kitchen with the addition of a powder room, and space left for the doggies.

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.

Previously this kitchen had been too tight for words. Moving out some unusable closets in the entry hall and some load bearing walls between the living room and dining room allowed us to create a workable open living space.

John Polzin This project started with a dark, small corner shower and an unused, outdated whirlpool tub. With collaboration with the homeowners we were able to open the space up to create a large walk in tiled shower and a freestanding tub. This warm, inviting space now feels like your walking into a spa.

This back yard was once an unusable steep lawn that was a hazard to mow. The combination of split level patio space. lower level deck and summerhouse allow great flexibility for entertaining and relaxation. Summerhouse "basement" adds bonus storage space. Potted plants ring the upper patio for extra color and are changeable for continuing interest. Dramatic lighting and brass torches provide a spectacular evening atmosphere. Photo by Landscape Design & Associates.

We utilized the unused space under the stairs for a snack station. Since space was limited in this kitchen , this was an ideal spot for the microwave drawer.