When our client came to us, she was stumped with how to turn her small living room into a cozy, useable family room. The living room and dining room blended together in a long and skinny open concept floor plan. It was difficult for our client to find furniture that fit the space well. It also left an awkward space between the living and dining areas that she didn’t know what to do with. She also needed help reimagining her office, which is situated right off the entry. She needed an eye-catching yet functional space to work from home. In the living room, we reimagined the fireplace surround and added built-ins so she and her family could store their large record collection, games, and books. We did a custom sofa to ensure it fits the space and maximized the seating. We added texture and pattern through accessories and balanced the sofa with two warm leather chairs. We updated the dining room furniture and added a little seating area to help connect the spaces. Now there is a permanent home for their record player and a cozy spot to curl up in when listening to music. For the office, we decided to add a pop of color, so it contrasted well with the neutral living space. The office also needed built-ins for our client’s large cookbook collection and a desk where she and her sons could rotate between work, homework, and computer games. We decided to add a bench seat to maximize space below the window and a lounge chair for additional seating.

In the kitchen, our designer sought a more efficient use of space with extra storage capacity. In order to do so, she moved the refrigerator next to the ovens in order to create an uninterrupted counter run, which achieved a much more usable space. The hood over the stove top served as the kitchen’s focal point, complete with decorative tiles. A large leathered granite island with chiseled edges and decorative wood columns provided more interest in the kitchen, as well as another solution for storage and useable space.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

YEAR ROUND USEABLE SPACE. GAS HEATERS KEEP SPACE TOASTY !
Example of a mid-sized transitional sunroom design in Portland

Conservatory Entertainment Kitchen with Craftsman cabinets, large marble island, and custom bronze hood. Barry Toranto Photography
Enclosed kitchen - craftsman u-shaped enclosed kitchen idea in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops and paneled appliances

This large backyard project features a sunken fire pit patio. The fire pit demonstrates the unique Jim Reynolds creativity with vertical flagstone fire pit enclosure set into the random stone patio surrounded by large boulder benches. The drainage engineered play lawn, under-deck plantings and border gardens provide attractive, useable space.

When our client came to us, she was stumped with how to turn her small living room into a cozy, useable family room. The living room and dining room blended together in a long and skinny open concept floor plan. It was difficult for our client to find furniture that fit the space well. It also left an awkward space between the living and dining areas that she didn’t know what to do with. She also needed help reimagining her office, which is situated right off the entry. She needed an eye-catching yet functional space to work from home. In the living room, we reimagined the fireplace surround and added built-ins so she and her family could store their large record collection, games, and books. We did a custom sofa to ensure it fits the space and maximized the seating. We added texture and pattern through accessories and balanced the sofa with two warm leather chairs. We updated the dining room furniture and added a little seating area to help connect the spaces. Now there is a permanent home for their record player and a cozy spot to curl up in when listening to music. For the office, we decided to add a pop of color, so it contrasted well with the neutral living space. The office also needed built-ins for our client’s large cookbook collection and a desk where she and her sons could rotate between work, homework, and computer games. We decided to add a bench seat to maximize space below the window and a lounge chair for additional seating.

The kitchen and dining room in this 1960’s colonial were cramped and uncomfortable for any sort of large entertaining or crowd. With a small 3’ bump out along the back wall of the home, both rooms became much more spacious and useable. The kitchen addition allowed for a large center island and hearth cooking center as the focal point for the whole kitchen. While the expanded dining room, now allows room for a large holiday gathering, neighborhood card party or a group of kids after school. The custom kitchen was designed with Omega Cabinetry, leathered granite countertops around the perimeter and Ceasarstone on the island. The custom hearth hood encapsulates a 36” Thermador professional gas range top that makes cooking a joy! Alongside the 36” built-in Subzero French door refrigerator a Thermador steam/bake oven and convection oven offer the homeowner tremendous cooking and baking options. Finally, the microwave drawer in the island makes quick warm ups easy for the 3 children. Additionally, the kitchen was opened up dramatically to the home’s family room, creating an open feeling and central place for the family to gather. Sink - Kohler, K-6489-96 Whitehaven Self Trimming Apron Sink (Biscuit) Faucet - Brizo, 63225LF-RB Artesso Single Handle Articulating Kitchen Faucet (Venetian Bronze Finish) Island Cabinets - Brand: Omega Door Style: Loring Species & Finish: Cherry, Truffle Finish Flooring - Oak Wood w/ Jacobean Stain Double Oven - Thermador, MES301HP 24” Steam Bake Oven with Pro Handle w/ a 30” trim kit Thermador, MED301JP 30” Masterpiece oven with pro handle 2 TLSP Racks Dishwasher - Thermador, DWHD650JPR Saphire Series Overlay Dishwasher Panel ready

Helene Terry is an award winning Kitchen Design Specialist. She works with homeowners and designers to create a kitchen space that uses every square inch of area available. Her superb planning ability transforms the kitchen into functional, useable space that flows and performs. She creates detailed drawings, floor plans and perspectives to communicate the new design to all trades and principals. The owner of this beautiful blue kitchen had a great sense of style This a custom remodel that included the demolition of 3 walls and the relocation of the central island. You'll note the focal point of the new island which has two (2) Miele dishwashers, a Sub Zero icemaker and various custom recycling and pull out bins. There is seasonal storage for dishes in front of the barstools. Spacious walkways between wall counters and island of 41"-48" allow 2 cooks to move easily. There are 2 sinks in the island at right angles to facilitate conversation. On the side walls, custom cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. The custom color and glaze is from Benjamin Moore and was specified by the Interior Designer, Charlotte Comer. Flanking the Wolf 36" range and built into the wall are two appliance garages with concealed electrical outlets. One garage houses the owner's blender and pulls out on a tray. The other one houses spices. The Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator with glass door is 36" wide. There are other integrated refrigerator drawers as well. The Vent Hood is from Best with a 900 cfm remote blower. There is a pot filler spout behind the range. To the left of the range is a plumbed Miele coffee maker. The backsplash is recessed with contrasting tiles inserts and bullnose trim from Antique Floors. Cabinet Hardware is from Top Knob. The flooring is a Silver Travertine from Porcelanosa laid on a straight stack. The counter top is Carerra Marble from Aria Stone fabricated by Holland Marble. The microwave and additional appliances garages are concealed behind the range wall in a former under stairway pantry. This space acts as a second staging area for large dinner parties and to conceal frequently used appliances.

Example of a trendy entryway design in San Francisco

This home was in need of a indoor outdoor entertaining space that would compliment the residents desire for clean lines and crisp architectural elements. By adding a lounging area with fire pit, water feature, outdoor kitchen and dinning spaces all atop modern pavers we were able to greatly increase the useable space while providing the polished look the client longed for.

The Puget Sound region is know for slopes, hills and valleys. Uneven terrain is the norm. For us at Reynolds Landscape it is an opportunity to work with nature to create stunning yet useable homesites. Large granite risers create a stairway through shade loving plants. Substantial excavation was required to create this user friendly yet natural access.

Locally quarried sandstone walls, steps, patio and pond. The design reclaimed a steep slope and made for a visually appealing area that becomes very useable. Photo: The Ardent Gardener Landscape

Designed by Closet Factory Kentucky. This walnut wood walk-in closet is cohesive throughout the space, as the flooring, drawers, cabinets, and shelves have all been custom stained to blend seamlessly together. Just because this stained walnut walk-in looks stylish doesn’t mean it lacks functionality. Here we have triple-hanging sections made accessible by manual pull-down rods, ensuring that every inch of useable wall space is maximized to its full potential. Space-saving accessories like concealed hampers further this idea of combining form and function to help keep this beautiful closet organized.

When our client came to us, she was stumped with how to turn her small living room into a cozy, useable family room. The living room and dining room blended together in a long and skinny open concept floor plan. It was difficult for our client to find furniture that fit the space well. It also left an awkward space between the living and dining areas that she didn’t know what to do with. She also needed help reimagining her office, which is situated right off the entry. She needed an eye-catching yet functional space to work from home. In the living room, we reimagined the fireplace surround and added built-ins so she and her family could store their large record collection, games, and books. We did a custom sofa to ensure it fits the space and maximized the seating. We added texture and pattern through accessories and balanced the sofa with two warm leather chairs. We updated the dining room furniture and added a little seating area to help connect the spaces. Now there is a permanent home for their record player and a cozy spot to curl up in when listening to music. For the office, we decided to add a pop of color, so it contrasted well with the neutral living space. The office also needed built-ins for our client’s large cookbook collection and a desk where she and her sons could rotate between work, homework, and computer games. We decided to add a bench seat to maximize space below the window and a lounge chair for additional seating.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

Locally quarried sandstone walls, steps, patio and pond. The design reclaimed a steep slope and made for a visually appealing area that becomes very useable. Simple plantings allow the wall to be the star. Photo: The Ardent Gardener Landscape

The BPI team designed and installed this space in the spring of 2014. The space includes an outdoor dining area with a step down into an outdoor room covered by a cedar pergola with a gas fire feature below. The space was designed on a 45degree angle to play off of the homes architecture and maximize useable green space for the kids. The addition of the levels in the space help to create unique spaces within the space as well as take advantage of the natural terrain of the site. This creative use of materials and textures really added amazing character to the space proving that a well thought out design can compensate for lack of size

When our client came to us, she was stumped with how to turn her small living room into a cozy, useable family room. The living room and dining room blended together in a long and skinny open concept floor plan. It was difficult for our client to find furniture that fit the space well. It also left an awkward space between the living and dining areas that she didn’t know what to do with. She also needed help reimagining her office, which is situated right off the entry. She needed an eye-catching yet functional space to work from home. In the living room, we reimagined the fireplace surround and added built-ins so she and her family could store their large record collection, games, and books. We did a custom sofa to ensure it fits the space and maximized the seating. We added texture and pattern through accessories and balanced the sofa with two warm leather chairs. We updated the dining room furniture and added a little seating area to help connect the spaces. Now there is a permanent home for their record player and a cozy spot to curl up in when listening to music. For the office, we decided to add a pop of color, so it contrasted well with the neutral living space. The office also needed built-ins for our client’s large cookbook collection and a desk where she and her sons could rotate between work, homework, and computer games. We decided to add a bench seat to maximize space below the window and a lounge chair for additional seating.