An old unused jetted tub was removed and converted to a walk-in shower stall. The shower features Hansgrohe shower valve/controls with Raindance shower head and handheld.

Living Room in Alyssa Lane | Key Feature: A complete kitchen + living room transformation designed for a young, growing family who loved their home, but needed it to work harder and reflect their personality. The updated kitchen became the heart of the home, featuring a hidden smoothie station to keep daily essentials out of sight, plus a dedicated cocktail bar setup for entertaining. In the living room, the fireplace wall was fully reimagined by centering the previously cornered fireplace and creating a multifunctional media wall with custom furnishings and a statement chandelier. To top it off, the former formal dining room was transformed into a bar lounge with custom brass shelving, a black grasscloth backdrop, and a bold, elevated vibe perfect for hosting friends and family. Challenge: This home belonged to a young couple with two small kids and a growing business, and while they loved the house itself, the spaces didn’t support the way they actually lived. The kitchen lacked function and storage, everyday routines (like smoothie-making) created visual clutter, and cocktail entertaining essentials were being shoved into the pantry with no dedicated space. The living room also felt awkward and unfinished due to the cornered fireplace, which made it difficult to create a centered, functional media wall. On top of that, the formal dining room wasn’t being used, leaving valuable square footage underutilized and disconnected from their lifestyle and personality. Solution: We redesigned the home around how the family truly uses it day-to-day, focusing on function, personality, and elevated livability. In the kitchen, we created a modern, highly organized layout complete with a hidden smoothie station so daily supplies stay accessible but out of sight. For entertaining, we designed a dedicated bar area for Ryan, giving him a more inspired space to make cocktails without relying on pantry storage. In the living room, we centered the fireplace and fully revamped the feature wall into a multifunctional entertainment/media wall, then layered in custom furniture pieces and a statement chandelier to bring warmth and style. Finally, we converted the unused formal dining room into a bar lounge with custom brass shelving, a striking black grasscloth wall, and a sophisticated hangout space perfect for entertaining family and friends. Budget: $100k-$150k | Timeline: 4 months

photos by Pedro Marti The main goal of this renovation was to improve the overall flow of this one bedroom. The existing layout consisted of too much unusable circulation space and poorly laid out storage located at the entry of the apartment. The existing kitchen was an antiquated, small enclosed space. The main design solution was to remove the long entry hall by opening the kitchen to create one large open space that interacted with the main living room. A new focal point was created in the space by adding a long linear element of floating shelves with a workspace below opposite the kitchen running from the entry to the living space. Visually the apartment is tied together by using the same material for various elements throughout. Grey oak is used for the custom kitchen cabinetry, the floating shelves and desk, and to clad the entry walls. Custom light grey acid etched glass is used for the upper kitchen cabinets, the drawer fronts below the desk, and the tall closet doors at the entry. In the kitchen black granite countertops wrap around terminating with a raised dining surface open to the living room. The black counters are mirrored with a soft black acid etched backsplash that helps the kitchen feel larger as they create the illusion of receding. The existing floors of the apartment were stained a dark ebony and complimented by the new dark metallic porcelain tiled kitchen floor. In the bathroom the tub was replaced with an open shower. Brown limestone floors flow straight from the bathroom into the shower with out a curb, European style. The walls are tiled with a large format light blue glass.

Small space does not equate to compromise on style. This fabulous office we created by playing with the existing architecture. We cut into a deep closet to create a niche. We followed the lines of the roofline to maximize the shelving. This creates a fabulous and functional office in an otherwise unused corner.

Kitchen was fully updated with a large, central island and more open concept. Quartzite countertops, brass hardware and designer lighting. We updated the built ins around their fireplace, added a large sliding glass door and tied the spaces together with contrasting trim throughout that coordinates with the new cabinetry. When we initially walked the home, there was no mudroom or pantry. We took an unused front living space and created a new entry from the garage and a large, functional mudroom, and added a hidden pantry.

When down2earth interior design was called upon to redesign this Queen Village row house, we knew that a complete overhaul to the plan was necessary. The kitchen, originally in the back of the house, had an unusable fireplace taking up valuable space, a terrible workflow, and cabinets and counters that had seen better days. The dining room and family room were one open space without definition or character. The solution: reorganize the entire first floor. The dining area, with its deep blue walls and capiz chandelier, provides an immediate sense of place when you first walk into the home, and there is space for entryway items immediately next to the door. Photos: Rebecca McAlpin

“We could never have envisioned what could be” – Steiner Ranch Homeowner and Client It is an especially fulfilling Project for an Interior Designer when the outcome exceeds Client expectations, and imagination. This remodeling project required instilling modern sensibilities, openness, styles and textures into a dated house that was past its prime. Strategically, the goal was to tear down where it made sense without doing a complete teardown. Starting with the soul of the home, the kitchen, we expanded out room by room to create a cohesiveness and flow that invites, supports and provides the warmth and relaxation that only a home can. In the Kitchen, we started by removing the wooden beams and adding bright recessed lighting. We removed the old limestone accent wall and moved the sink and cooktop from the island on to the countertop – the key goal was to create room for the family to gather around the kitchen. We replaced all appliances with modern Energy Star ones, along with adding a wine rack. The first order of business for the Living Room was to brighten it up by adding more lighting and replacing an unused section with a glass door to the backyard. Multi-section windows were replaced with large no-split glass overlooking the backyard. Once more, the limestone accent was removed to create a clean, modern look. Replacing the dated wooden staircase with the clean lines of a metal, wire and wooded staircase added interest and freshness. An odd bend in the staircase was removed to clean things up. The Master Bedroom went from what looked like a motel room with green carpet and cheap blinds to an oasis of luxury and charm. A section of the wraparound doors were closed off to increase privacy, accentuate the best view from the bedroom and to add usable space. Artwork, rug, contemporary bed and other accent pieces brought together the seamless look across the home. The Master Bathroom remodel started by replacing the standard windows with a single glass pane that enhanced the view of the outdoors. The dated shower was replaced by a walk-in shower and soaking tub to create the ultimate at-home spa experience. Lighted LED mirrors frame His & Hers sinks and bathe them in a soft light. The flooring was upgraded throughout the house to reflect the contemporary color scheme. Each of the smaller bedrooms were similarly upgraded to match the clean and modern décor of the rest of the house. After such a transformation inside, it was only appropriate that the exterior needed an upgrade as well. All of the legacy limestone accents were replaced by stucco and the color scheme extended from the interior of the house to the gorgeous wrap around balconies, trim, garage doors etc. to complete the inside outside transformation.

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.

Full Kitchen remodel. Kitchen enlarged by removing wall between existing kitchen and dining room and extending kitchen into the previously unused dining space, therefore providing a great new functional space for cooking and entertaining.

After a leak prevented them from using their master bath shower, our clients welcomed the chance to elevate their builder-grade bathroom. From the start, we were impressed with their eagerness to consider unique selections. They were willing to think beyond the monotonous choices of gray, taupe, and white to create a space they loved! The result is a master bath that reflects their easy-going, fun personalities. While the overall footprint remained the same, we replaced the bulky, unused corner tub with a free-standing tub; added a knee wall and custom glass enclosure to the shower; and installed cabinetry (Medallion Cabinetry, Macchiato) with a center tower for additional storage and to designate his and her space. The wall paint, tile floor (Happy Floors, Exotic Stone), and countertop (Caesarstone, Rugged Concrete) give the dramatic pop.

This late 90’s home was ready for a refresh, and boy did we have fun delivering just that! Fully renovating the kitchen, family room, dining room, laundry room, entry, and study as well as converting an unused formal room to a wine lounge allowed us to update the first floor of this home in a meaningful way. Lightening and brightening the walls and completely redoing all furnishings and decor, were just the beginning. The kitchen’s complete redesign involved moving obtrusive walls, creating more functional spaces, and incorporating current design trends. Fresh greens and blues were chosen to brighten the spaces, and texture was integrated to keep an organic feel.

This home resides in the covert worthy neighborhood of Garthwick. Surrounded by one of Portland’s most prestigious country clubs, beautifully classic homes, and oak trees that tell the stories of generations; it was a dream to breathe new life into this traditional cottage. The clients truly enjoyed the design process from start to finish, commenting regularly at how much fun it was to work through all of the details with the APD team! Awkwardly located stairs to the basement were reconfigured and an unused chimney was removed adding significant square footage of space and linear footage of storage & countertop to the kitchen. An original window at the back of the kitchen was removed in favor of French doors out to the client’s new terrace making perfect access for alfresco dining with family and friends. Within an existing nook, we created a multi-purpose zone with convenient coffee prep space, wine decanting and buffet serving surface, and even custom storage for baking sheets and trays … perfect for baking cookies with the grandchildren! Custom push-out casement windows behind the sink speak to the home’s original architecture while bringing in an abundance of natural light. Clean lined and elegant fixtures and a custom plaster hood make the space shine! The new kitchen is at once classic, casual, traditional, and in-keeping with the home’s original character while infused with the modern amenities including custom cabinets, storage accessories, professional appliances, & easily maintained surfaces.

Ooh La La Home Furnishings designer, Dee Hencken, transformed an unused loft into a charming space full of old world European charm.
Example of a hallway design in St Louis

An unused dining room gave us the space to create a stunning, modern kitchen with large island, built in breakfast area and views of the lake.
Open concept kitchen - mid-sized contemporary medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, quartz backsplash, black appliances, an island and white countertops

This patio was part of a surprise patio makeover called Patio Flip. This patio is now fit to entertain any crowd and provide several areas to entertain. The unused side yard was turned into a beautiful dining space. This stunning outdoor kitchen also received a makeover as well and was repositioned to become more functional in the space. The outdoor lounge area provides a contemporary, casual seating area. Overall Design, Layout, Plants, Furniture and Accessories by Outdoor Space Designs and Kate Bowers Landscape Design

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

This front yard had a non-functional and failing walkway that needed to be re-done. Concrete that was heaving and cracking made an unusable path and were pushing on the stair case to the house from freeze thaw cycles. We cam in and designed and built a new inviting but eye-eye catching set of front cascading stairs and landings. Not only did the stairs need to be beautiful the homeowner needed them to blend seamlessly with the architecture of the house so they looked like they were planned with the original build! Add in the homeowners love for gardening and horticulture and this meant we needed to create a space that had local hardy plants that were densely planted so they started to mature and spill onto the hardscapes overtime. By doing this the hardscapes will soften and blend into the surrounding landscape in no time!

The design of this Milwaukee bathroom remodel fits this 1930s home with a built-in linen cabinet, a leaded glass window, 3 arched doorways, and historic trim, doors and door knobs. This 1930s bathroom remodel in Milwaukee’s Story Hill neighborhood includes accessibility features including grab bars, a walk-in shower and a handheld showerhead. The goals of this project: + Maintain the historic charm of the 1930s bathroom + Design with accessibility features for aging in place Highlights of this Milwaukee Bathroom Remodel: Walk-In Shower & Bathtub – The homeowners wanted their bathroom to include accessibility features. We added grab bars and reinforced some areas for future grab bars if needed. The walk-in shower has a minimal threshold and a handheld showerhead for easy use. Heated Floors & Built-In Linen Cabinet – A built-in linen cabinet had been deteriorating over the years and was partly unusable because of the radiator being in the way. We removed the radiator and installed electric floors as the heat source. We also refaced, painted and added roll outs behind the bottom doors of the cabinet. New Vanity – The homeowners needed more storage and countertop space so we replaced the pedestal sink with a vanity. A traditional style faucet fixture looks similar to what you would have originally seen in this 1930s home. The countertop is quartz that looks like a classic marble without the maintenance of marble. A traditional profile edge gives it an elevated look. A new medicine cabinet over the sink also provides storage in a bathroom the entire family uses. Arched Doorways – This bathroom features three arched doorways – one in the entryway, one over the bathtub and one near the toilet. Our team carefully worked around the arches, as It was important to keep these architectural elements. Tilework – The patterned floor tile is a fresh take on the traditional black and white historical bathrooms. It pairs seamlessly with the traditional subway tile walls and hexagon shower floor tile. Historic Design Elements – Custom doors and trim match the existing in the home, as well as door knobs. It was important to salvage and clean up the leaded glass window and keep the existing arches. Bead board walls, cabinet hardware and overhead lighting were carefully selected to fit the period of the home.

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