Sammamish, after photo, removed old mini-blinds, and changed to Duette, UltraGlide with Top-Down/Bottom-up;

LIVING ROOM This week’s post features our Lake Forest Freshen Up: Living Room + Dining Room for the homeowners who relocated from California. The first thing we did was remove a large built-in along the longest wall and re-orient the television to a shorter wall. This allowed us to place the sofa which is the largest piece of furniture along the long wall and made the traffic flow from the Foyer to the Kitchen much easier. Now the beautiful stone fireplace is the focal point and the seating arrangement is cozy. We painted the walls Sherwin Williams’ Tony Taupe (SW7039). The mantle was originally white so we warmed it up with Sherwin Williams’ Gauntlet Gray (SW7019). We kept the upholstery neutral with warm gray tones and added pops of turquoise and silver. We tackled the large angled wall with an oversized print in vivid blues and greens. The extra tall contemporary lamps balance out the artwork. I love the end tables with the mixture of metal and wood, but my favorite piece is the leather ottoman with slide tray – it’s gorgeous and functional! The homeowner’s curio cabinet was the perfect scale for this wall and her art glass collection bring more color into the space. The large octagonal mirror was perfect for above the mantle. The homeowner wanted something unique to accessorize the mantle, and these “oil cans” fit the bill. A geometric fireplace screen completes the look. The hand hooked rug with its subtle pattern and touches of gray and turquoise ground the seating area and brings lots of warmth to the room. DINING ROOM There are only 2 walls in this Dining Room so we wanted to add a strong color with Sherwin Williams’ Cadet (SW9143). Utilizing the homeowners’ existing furniture, we added artwork that pops off the wall, a modern rug which adds interest and softness, and this stunning chandelier which adds a focal point and lots of bling! The Lake Forest Freshen Up: Living Room + Dining Room really reflects the homeowners’ transitional style, and the color palette is sophisticated and inviting. Enjoy!

Example of a mid-sized trendy single-wall brown floor seated home bar design in New York with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, marble backsplash and white countertops

There’s no rude awakening in the Bluegrass Smart Home. Instead of the usual annoying blare of the alarm clock, the house gradually wakes up by turning on lights and soothing music in the bedroom, and shutting off the night alarm. The moment you walk into the bathroom, the presence detector triggers the heating circuit pump, so you don’t even have to wait for your shower to warm up! Our modern day lives can be demanding and stressful. So at the end of a busy day, you just want to flop into bed without worrying about whether or not you remembered to lock the back door. In the Bluegrass Smart Home, a push button next to the bed activates the ‘goodnight function’ and turns off all the lights and appliances on standby within the house. It also sets the night alarm so that only the door/window contacts are actively used for the alarm...which means no more false alarms triggered by the midnight munchies! In addition, the presence detectors throughout the house will turn on lights at a reduced level should you get up during the night.

"Build UP // West Beech" is a sustainable, single-family home in the West End of Long Beach, NY. It is the first self-initiated project by the UP studio which aims to develop concept-driven architecture within Long Island's most vibrant, walkable downtowns. Photography : Harriet Andronikides / Jani Zubkovs

The simple and uncluttered design of the Currant Writing Desk showcases the eye-catching vibrant colors found in Greenington’s Amber bamboo. Quality crafted in solid bamboo, and beautifully finished on all four sides, the Currant writing desk is built to last. Accentuating Currant’s modern profile, the desk’s design details include softly rounded corners, and dramatic splayed legs which elegantly taper towards the floor. The Currant’s clean and functional design provides a wide workspace with three generous storage drawers which span the width of the desk. Sustainable and environmentally safe, the Amber color is not a stain finish, simply an innovation created using earth friendly heat, steam, and pressure to transform the bamboo into Amber’s deep color. The finished product displays a beautiful grain pattern with continuous color throughout the entire material. Variation in grain and color enrich the natural beauty of bamboo furniture and make each piece unique. Slight differences in bamboo shade colors are signs that the furniture has been crafted from solid bamboo and is considered a benchmark of quality. Discover the expert craftsmanship packed into each piece of Greenington bamboo furniture. Made using an earth friendly, renewable resource harvested from fully sustainable and rapidly growing forests.

Example of a trendy kids' room design in Los Angeles

This stunning Baxter Couch is made in durable Break-Up Infinity® camouflage fabric and is perfect for the year-round sporting dog. Heavy cotton fabric is constructed to stand up to large breeds. The seat has anti-pill polar fleece to provide warmth and comfort and offers thick convoluted foam for superior support and relaxation. The cover is removable and washable. Available Colors: Shadow Grass Blades® Camo, Break-Up Infinity® Camo, & Muddy Girl® Camo Sizes Available: Small 20" x 25" Medium 25" x 35" Large 30" x 40" X-Large 34" x 54" XX-Large 40" x 60"

Contemporary Make-up table in Morning Dew color.
Trendy home design photo in Chicago

LED outdoor lighting supplier, TraaLite, offers this Flush Mount Up-Down Accent Light to be utilized in architectural lighting applications. The 12V or 120V fixture features 2 size options, A 5 x 8 x 3.25 inches, and B: 7.75 x 13.25 x 4 inches, and has a medium base up-down socket. Finish shown in Matte Bronze Honey Swirl (MBR-HS). Specify lamp.

Inspiration for a contemporary living room remodel in Los Angeles

“Big Daddy Construction & Design" is a full service construction company with seasoned leadership and over 20 years of contracting experience in the Phoenix area. “Big Daddy” offers it's services as a viable alternative to business as usual in Arizona’s construction industry.

Example of a large single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor seated home bar design in New York with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, mirror backsplash and brown countertops

Gorgeous pavilion with ceiling fan and can lights. Outdoor kitchen and gas fireplace. Pergola attached to house and pavilion. Check out the swim up bar!

The funny thing about designing and then building your own house, as this couple did, is the assumption that it will outlive you. And it will, to a degree. But a home is more than its structural bones. You love it on day one because it’s fresh and new. It serves all your purposes. But how will you like it in 7,304 days or 20 years when it no longer works? So what do you do when the honeymoon is over? Move? Or stay and improve? More and more people are making their home into their last home. Let's face it. Design is only as timeless as the people who live in it. When our families grow or shrink, or our knees give out, the design of our home needs to catch up to us—to accommodate the current us as well as the future us. In the case of these homeowners, it became clear that nothing really worked anymore or looked aesthetically pleasing. Their lives at home had changed in many ways and their home needed to catch up. So, we redesigned the entire layout with longevity in mind. We upgraded all the surfaces, solved the unsightly aspects, and gave them functionality balanced properly with a modern, uplifting aesthetic. More and more homeowners are considering the possibility of a “forever home” instead of the move-up approach, which usually includes elements of universal design and/or aging-in-place remodeling.

Example of a country kitchen design in Nashville

Contemporary Make-up table in Morning Dew color.
Inspiration for a contemporary home design remodel in Chicago

Removing the cook top from the island provide more prep area on the island. Wood hood, window trim and island warms up the white kitchen. We removed the soffits and built up 12" of crown to the ceiling instead of spending money on taller wall cabinets. The 12" tall crown build up matched the height of the existing soffit over the window that we had to keep so that the client did not have to buy new curtains.

Hooker Furniture 48-1/4" Mirrored Writing Desk in Gold Crafted using hardwood solids, birch veneers with antique mirror this fashionable desk features a center drawer with drop-front for keyboard use and two utility drawers with one removable writing insert for use in either drawer. Hooker Furniture Mirrored File Chest in Gold This graceful mirrored file chest features one locking file drawer with pendaflex letter/legal filing system and one shelf.