This garden storage cottage is viewed in the landscape from the house and has a setting that encourages a stroll to see the Summer perennials as well as the small vegetable garden set off to the side.

Inspired by DesignARC's Greenworth House, the owners of this 1960's single-story ranch house desired a fresh take on their out-dated, well-worn Montecito residence. Hailing from Toronto Canada, the couple is at ease in urban, loft-like spaces and looked to create a pared-down dwelling that could become their home. Photo Credit: Jim Bartsch Photography

This home was featured in the January 2016 edition of HOME & DESIGN Magazine. To see the rest of the home tour as well as other luxury homes featured, visit http://www.homeanddesign.net/designer-at-home-loft-living-in-sarasota/

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

This beautiful home is used regularly by our Calgary clients during the weekends in the resort town of Fernie, B.C. While the floor plan offered ample space to entertain and relax, the finishes needed updating desperately. The original kitchen felt too small for the space which features stunning vaults and timber frame beams. With a complete overhaul, the newly redesigned space now gives justice to the impressive architecture. A combination of rustic and industrial selections have given this home a brand new vibe, and now this modern cabin is a showstopper once again! Design: Susan DeRidder of Live Well Interiors Inc. Photography: Rebecca Frick Photography

This charming Lyon Park house was built in 1925, when the typical kitchen was small, modest and closed-off from the rest of the home. For a family that loves to cook and bake, the cramped, outdated and dysfunctional kitchen was a source of constant frustration. Our new design expanded the kitchen into an adjacent sunroom, opening it up to the rest of the home and creating a spacious, light and updated kitchen that now serves as the heart of the home. We more than doubled the amount of countertop space and added much needed pantry storage as well as a dedicated coffee nook. The bold blue herringbone backsplash, honed black granite, white shaker cabinets and substantial matte black pulls complement the rustic modern style of the adjoining living space.

Richard Leo Johnson
Inspiration for a small cottage gray one-story exterior home remodel in Atlanta

The brick color featured on this home is Adobe Wells. This brick comes in King Size and is available at the San Felipe Plant. Please visit brick.com for availability in your area. © 2016 Acme Brick Company

The 100-year old home’s kitchen was old and just didn’t function well. A peninsula in the middle of the main part of the kitchen blocked the path from the back door. This forced the homeowners to mostly use an odd, U-shaped corner of the kitchen. Design objectives: -Add an island -Wow-factor design -Incorporate arts and crafts with a touch of Mid-century modern style -Allow for a better work triangle when cooking -Create a seamless path coming into the home from the backdoor -Make all the countertops in the space 36” high (the old kitchen had different base cabinet heights) Design challenges to be solved: -Island design -Where to place the sink and dishwasher -The family’s main entrance into the home is a back door located within the kitchen space. Samantha needed to find a way to make an unobstructed path through the kitchen to the outside -A large eating area connected to the kitchen felt slightly misplaced – Samantha wanted to bring the kitchen and materials more into this area -The client does not like appliance garages/cabinets to the counter. The more countertop space, the better! Design solutions: -Adding the right island made all the difference! Now the family has a couple of seats within the kitchen space. -Multiple walkways facilitate traffic flow. -Multiple pantry cabinets (both shallow and deep) are placed throughout the space. A couple of pantry cabinets were even added to the back door wall and wrap around into the breakfast nook to give the kitchen a feel of extending into the adjoining eating area. -Upper wall cabinets with clear glass offer extra lighting and the opportunity for the client to display her beautiful vases and plates. They add and an airy feel to the space. -The kitchen had two large existing windows that were ideal for a sink placement. The window closest to the back door made the most sense due to the fact that the other window was in the corner. Now that the sink had a place, we needed to worry about the dishwasher. Samantha didn’t want the dishwasher to be in the way of people coming in the back door – it’s now in the island right across from the sink. -The homeowners love Motawi Tile. Some fantastic pieces are placed within the backsplash throughout the kitchen. -Larger tiles with borders make for nice accent pieces over the rangetop and by the bar/beverage area. -The adjacent area for eating is a gorgeous nook with massive windows. We added a built-in furniture-style banquette with additional lower storage cabinets in the same finish. It’s a great way to connect and blend the two areas into what now feels like one big space!

TraaLite, provider of low voltage landscape lighting, offers this Paver Well Light to brighten parking areas and provide architectural lighting. The 5.33 x 7.5 inch commercial grade lighting fixture accepts a 36W PAR-36 lamp and can be easily installed with a landscape lighting LED. Finish shown in Aged Brass (AB).

Designed for rest and rejuvenation, the wellness room takes advantage of sweeping ocean views and ample natural lighting. Adjustable lighting with custom linen shades can easily accommodate a variety of uses and lighting needs for the space. A wooden bench made by a local artisan displays fresh flowers, favorite books, and art by Karen Sikie for a calming, nature-inspired backdrop for yoga or meditation.

Designed for rest and rejuvenation, the wellness room takes advantage of sweeping ocean views and ample natural lighting. Adjustable lighting with custom linen shades can easily accommodate a variety of uses and lighting needs for the space. A wooden bench made by a local artisan displays fresh flowers, favorite books, and art by Karen Sikie for a calming, nature-inspired backdrop for yoga or meditation.

Designed for rest and rejuvenation, the wellness room takes advantage of sweeping ocean views and ample natural lighting. Adjustable lighting with custom linen shades can easily accommodate a variety of uses and lighting needs for the space. A wooden bench made by a local artisan displays fresh flowers, favorite books, and art by Karen Sikie for a calming, nature-inspired backdrop for yoga or meditation.

Exterior home idea in Milwaukee