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

Living room - transitional living room idea in Los Angeles

Beautiful light bright white and gold kitchen remodel in San Antonio Texas by Bradshaw Designs. Features LaCornue Range, panel front refrigerator, hidden pantry storage. Misha Hettie Photographer,

This transitional timber frame home features a wrap-around porch designed to take advantage of its lakeside setting and mountain views. Natural stone, including river rock, granite and Tennessee field stone, is combined with wavy edge siding and a cedar shingle roof to marry the exterior of the home with it surroundings. Casually elegant interiors flow into generous outdoor living spaces that highlight natural materials and create a connection between the indoors and outdoors. Photography Credit: Rebecca Lehde, Inspiro 8 Studios

Photography, www.petermedilek.com Prop Styling, www.danielemaxwelldesigns.com
Mountain style kitchen photo in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, beige walls and medium tone wood cabinets

Our fun, Bohemian-inspired interpretation of nautical in Newport Beach, CA. Interior Design by: Blackband Design Phone: 949.872.2234
Inspiration for a coastal l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Orange County with white cabinets, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Transitional u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Modern functionality with a vintage farmhouse style makes this the perfect kitchen featuring marble counter tops, subway tile backsplash, SubZero and Wolf appliances, custom cabinetry, white oak floating shelves and engineered wide plank, oak flooring.

Inspiration for a farmhouse u-shaped open concept kitchen remodel in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige backsplash, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

©Lincoln Barbour
Inspiration for a large country dark wood floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, black appliances, white walls and no fireplace

Inspiration for a coastal open concept living room remodel in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets and an island

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized coastal u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Tampa with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Adam Rouse & Patrick Perez
Inspiration for a contemporary galley light wood floor kitchen remodel in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, concrete countertops, blue backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Seattle

IIiar Rizaj Photography
Large elegant l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in New York with white cabinets, quartzite countertops, paneled appliances, an island, white backsplash and beaded inset cabinets

This handmade custom designed kitchen was created for an historic restoration project in Northern NJ. Handmade white cabinetry is a bright and airy pallet for the home, while the Provence Blue Cornufe with matching custom hood adds a unique splash of color. While the large farm sink is great for cleaning up, the prep sink in the island is handily located right next to the end grain butcher block counter top for chopping. The island is anchored by a tray ceiling and two antique lanterns. A pot filler is located over the range for convenience.

Kitchen - transitional medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island