Jill's master bath, featuring a contrast of woods, gray tiles, and white. Photo by Chibi Moku. Original artwork by amiguel art.
Trendy white tile and subway tile bathroom photo in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and a two-piece toilet

How do you expand an L shaped Eichler with the challenge of extending a long dark entry? Klopf Architecture's solution, to design a light filled atrium in the hallway to open up the bedroom expansion with green plants, sky lights and a glass wall. Not to mention the thoughtfulness of a blind door with wood siding similar to the rest of the home. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Geoff Campen, Jeffrey Prose, and Angela Todorova Contractor: William Lowe Construction Photography ©2013 Mariko Reed Location: Palo Alto, CA Year completed: 2013

When it comes to finding inspiration for your house or apartment design, there are a variety of routes you can take. For some, it is important to dive into the latest trends in fashion and art, using only the most popular decor pieces and embracing the color palettes seen on runways or in home and garden magazines. But for others, it’s simply about discovering what feels most like “home.” Ashley Steele, the creator of A Styled Affair, was part of the latter group. “Since my husband and I were moving into a space that was previously owned, I needed a way to make it feel like it was truly ours, and unique to us,” she told our team. A Styled Affair sprang from Ashley’s passion for fashion, and need for a creative outlet. But it soon became more than that. She developed a following, and it quickly became a place where she could share her personal style, travel adventures, and lifestyle tips. “While the blogging industry has become overwhelmed with people sharing their favorite home decor or make-up tips, I think what sets A Styled Affair apart is my commitment to stay true to my unique taste. I have always marched to the beat of my own drum – and that carries through in the clothes I wear, the decor I select for our home, and the travels I plan.” Paintzen connected with Ashley as she was settling into her new home in Boston’s Seaport District. Although she and her husband have lived in Boston for almost 8 years, they were used to smaller, more traditional spaces. Their new home is much bigger, and more modern, than any place they lived before. “I wanted to select colors of comfort, simplicity, and sophistication so we could elevate the space and make it feel more like a home.” Ashley also accurately pointed out that new construction can sometimes feel a little cold and sterile, almost industrial. “I wanted our home to feel like a peaceful oasis after coming in from the bustling city.” Ashley chose soft white paint for her walls to bring a sense of comfort and zen. With lots of wall decor, art work and carefully selected furniture, the walls serve as a clean and comfortable palette, and allowed her more freedom when making her other design decisions throughout the space. Ashley kept the overall palette fairly neutral, and incorporated “modern bohemian” inspired decor throughout the home; the final product was clean and simple, and catered to her style. We asked Ashley what she was most excited for now. “I’m most excited to continue to find new decor pieces to compliment the paint colors and decor we’ve already found for the space. We have been really patient with decorating and selected each piece really careful to make sure it is cohesive and flows from room to room. I’m looking forward to enjoying the space with my husband and dog, and entertaining friends and family in the spring and summer!” A few final questions for Ashley on her experience with Paintzen: “I would highly recommend Paintzen to anyone, especially those that live in the city. There are so many different paint companies and contractors to choose from but going through Paintzen simplified the process and made me feel comfortable that we had the right team working on our space. Their platform for booking services and choosing paint colors made the process seamless and was a great way to keep track of what we booked and chose for colors. Most importantly, the customer service team was outstanding whenever we had a question or needed to make an adjustment.” And advice she would give someone repainting their home: “Patience. I would recommend taking your time and doing your research before selecting paint colors. Lighting changes every color so make sure to bring paint swatches and samples into the space and look at it throughout the day to see the different tones that the light will pick up. I would also recommend researching color trends and recommendations for colors in the family you are looking for. We found our living room color through a blog post listing top-used colors by interior designers and it looks amazing.”

Jimmy White
Inspiration for a huge contemporary open concept and formal dark wood floor living room remodel in Tampa with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Scott Davis Photography
Elegant white tile and stone tile bathroom photo in Salt Lake City with an undermount sink, white cabinets, marble countertops and recessed-panel cabinets

Interior design by SOCO Interiors. Photography by Giovanni. Built by Stock Development.
Seated home bar - traditional beige floor seated home bar idea in Miami with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets and multicolored backsplash

Spacecrafting
Inspiration for a transitional powder room remodel in Minneapolis with a vessel sink

We completely gut renovated this pre-war Tribeca apartment but kept some of it's charm and history in tact! The building, which was built in the early 1900's, was home to different executive office operations and the original hallways had a beautiful and intricate mosaic floor pattern. To that point we decided to preserve the existing mosaic flooring and incorporate it into the new design. The open concept kitchen with cantilevered dining table top keeps the area feeling light and bright, casual and not stuffy. Additionally, the custom designed swing arm pendant light helps marry the dining table top area to that of the island.

Jason Hulet Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal formal and enclosed medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Other with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Photo: Lucy Call © 2015 Houzz
Example of a living room design in Salt Lake City

Inspiration for a timeless open concept living room remodel in Jacksonville with beige walls

Interior Designer: Allard & Roberts Interior Design, Inc, Photographer: David Dietrich, Builder: Evergreen Custom Homes, Architect: Gary Price, Design Elite Architecture

Spacecrafting Photographers: Mark Venema & Mike McCaw
Alcove shower - traditional white tile and subway tile multicolored floor alcove shower idea in Minneapolis with purple walls

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz Design: James Curvan Read the Houzz article about this kids' tree house: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/20845319/list/A-Magical-Tree-House-Lights-Up-for-Christmas

With a little bit of love, you can transform your kitchen into a space you love to spend time in! Many people are so used to their surroundings that we don’t realize what a little bit of paint and new finishes can do to change a room. That’s exactly the case of this kitchen. Actually, the cabinetry was already refinished prior to us coming into the picture, our clients couldn’t wait! So, we had the opportunity to incorporate those finishing touches to really seal the deal of this space. Today, this kitchen is up-to-date and classic. It really will stand the test of time! To learn more about this space, continue reading below: Cabinets The cabinetry was already refinished prior to us doing our magic. But we love how the crisp and clean finishes of the cabinetry pairs so well with the new finishes and materials we incorporated. To elevate the cabinetry, we embellished the doors and drawers with 5 inch “Emerald” hardware from Top Knobs (TK288BSN). Countertops At first glance, you may have noticed we incorporated beautiful marble countertops to this space. So, what if we told you those countertops are not made of marble? Actually, not even close! These countertops are a beautiful 3cm Cambria quartz in the finish “Ironsbridge”. The specs of grey and veining in the countertops might have fooled you! We love the way it looks in this space. Backsplash Subway tiles have been around a long time. Still, we love the classic look of subway tile and our clients are always requesting it! A simple way to add interested to subway tile is to utilize tile with beveling, create a contrasting pattern, and add contrasting grout color, as we have done here. Here we have utilized a 3×6 Daltile Rittenhouse Square with beveled edges as the main tile. Then, over the range, we have framed the tile and changed the pattern to herringbone to add some pop! Fixtures The fixtures of this space are classically styled as well. From Blanco, we have the main sink in a Precis Super Single Bowl in White paired with an Atura kitchen faucet with pull-down spray in stainless steel. Then on the island, we have a Precis Medium Bowl in White and an Atura Pulldown bar faucet in stainless steel, also from Blanco.

Mike Butler
Inspiration for a contemporary white tile and subway tile bathroom remodel in Miami with a bidet and white walls

Before we remodeled this space, the kitchen cabinetry had a deep-dark stain, standard builder finishes, and could use a little makeover. Overall, the space lacked excitement, finesse, and good layout. So, in order to maximize the space to its full potential, we incorporated a new kitchen island which would give the space more storage, counter space, and we could include a wine unit! Win-win! Plus, the existing cabinetry on the perimeter was in great condition, so we could refinish those and have a little more fun with the other finishes of the space. Want to see what we did? Take a look below! Cabinetry As mentioned above, the cabinetry on the perimeter was refinished with white paint. The new island we installed cabinetry from WWWoods Shiloh, with a Heritage door style, and a finish of Arctic paint. Countertops The countertops feature a beautiful 3 cm Caesarstone Quartz in Symphony Grey. We also incorporated a waterfall on the edge, adding that extra element of design. Backsplash From the Glazzio Gemstone Series, we installed a Glacier Onyx 3” x 12” as the main backsplash tile and on the backside of the island. As a picture frame over the sink, we installed a Daltile Contempo White Polished marble pencil rail, with a Daltile Carrara White 1”x random marble Mosaic inside the frame. Fixtures From Blanco we have installed a Quatrus R0 Super Single Bowl sink, and a BLANCOCULINA semiprofessional kitchen faucet in satin nickel. The hardware cabinetry is the It Pull in Modern Bronze from Atlas. Flooring The new flooring is a hardwood oak, that’s been sanded and finished.

A chunky Everest Honed Quartzite not only tops the island but flanks the kitchen and runs straight up the backsplash, making this truly a kitchen built for a busy family that loves to gather and cook.

Photos by Paul Johnson; Kitchen Design by Veronica Campell, Deane; Interior Design by Karen Perry Designs; Architect by Robert A. Cardello Architects; Builder by Liesegang Building and Remodeling