Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary gender-neutral reach-in closet remodel in Houston with flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets

Stunning kitchen remodel and update by Haven Design and Construction! We painted the island, refrigerator wall, insets of the upper cabinets, and range hood in a satin lacquer tinted to Benjamin Moore's 2133-10 "Onyx, and the perimeter cabinets in Sherwin Williams' SW 7005 "Pure White". Photo by Matthew Niemann

In Southern California there are pockets of darling cottages built in the early 20th century that we like to call jewelry boxes. They are quaint, full of charm and usually a bit cramped. Our clients have a growing family and needed a modern, functional home. They opted for a renovation that directly addressed their concerns. When we first saw this 2,170 square-foot 3-bedroom beach cottage, the front door opened directly into a staircase and a dead-end hallway. The kitchen was cramped, the living room was claustrophobic and everything felt dark and dated. The big picture items included pitching the living room ceiling to create space and taking down a kitchen wall. We added a French oven and luxury range that the wife had always dreamed about, a custom vent hood, and custom-paneled appliances. We added a downstairs half-bath for guests (entirely designed around its whimsical wallpaper) and converted one of the existing bathrooms into a Jack-and-Jill, connecting the kids’ bedrooms, with double sinks and a closed-off toilet and shower for privacy. In the bathrooms, we added white marble floors and wainscoting. We created storage throughout the home with custom-cabinets, new closets and built-ins, such as bookcases, desks and shelving. White Sands Design/Build furnished the entire cottage mostly with commissioned pieces, including a custom dining table and upholstered chairs. We updated light fixtures and added brass hardware throughout, to create a vintage, bo-ho vibe. The best thing about this cottage is the charming backyard accessory dwelling unit (ADU), designed in the same style as the larger structure. In order to keep the ADU it was necessary to renovate less than 50% of the main home, which took some serious strategy, otherwise the non-conforming ADU would need to be torn out. We renovated the bathroom with white walls and pine flooring, transforming it into a get-away that will grow with the girls.

This classic Spanish home in South Pasadena was decorated to reflect the homeowners bohemian style, vintage collections, and subtle art deco features in the architecture. Highlights include a hand-painted ceiling mural, custom cat covers on sofa, and a vintage record player. Photos by Erika Bierman www.erikabiermanphotography.com Photos by Erika Bierman www.erikabiermanphotography.com

This 1850s farmhouse in the country outside NY underwent a dramatic makeover! Dark wood molding was painted white, shiplap added to the walls, wheat-colored grasscloth installed, and carpets torn out to make way for natural stone and heart pine flooring. We based the palette on quintessential American colors: red, white, and navy. Rooms that had been dark were filled with light and became the backdrop for cozy fabrics, wool rugs, and a collection of art and curios. Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg See this project featured in Home & Design Magazine here: http://www.homeanddesign.com/2016/12/21/farmhouse-fresh

Photo: Karen Melvin
Elegant kitchen photo in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets and marble countertops

Mid-sized trendy freestanding desk carpeted and brown floor study room photo in DC Metro with beige walls

Matthew Niemann Photography
Example of a transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in Austin with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, gray backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, white countertops, quartz countertops, white cabinets and stone tile backsplash

Girls Tiffany Blue Suite
Bedroom - traditional dark wood floor bedroom idea in Minneapolis with blue walls and no fireplace

By the architectural standards of Southampton, New York—where magnificent old piles built by Yankee blue bloods and extravagant contemporary mansions constructed by moguls of finance and industry are perched along one of Long Island’s toniest beaches—entrepreneur J. Christopher Burch’s house is a modest affair. Most buyers in this community would likely have torn down the ranch-style structure, which clocks in at 6,000 square feet, and replaced it with an imposing Georgian Revival or Shingle Style residence, replete with pomp and pergolas. But its unassuming character suited Burch, the founder and CEO of Burch Creative Capital and the man behind the retro-preppy lifestyle retailer C. Wonder. “I didn’t want anything too grand,” he says. “I wanted it to feel more like a cottage than an estate.” Modifications, however, were necessary to bring the place up to snuff—namely streamlining the awkward floor plan and upgrading the surfaces. New Jersey architectural designer Marina Lanina stripped the building down to its wood frame and reconfigured the interior, more or less hewing to the original footprint save for an expanded kitchen at the rear. Lanina, who honed her skills in the office of interior designer David Kleinberg, also added guest quarters above the attached garage and, at the opposite end of the home, constructed a second-floor master suite. Bridgehampton-based landscape designer Joseph Tyree recast the 2.75-acre grounds with, among other touches, a charming parterre garden that is visible from the master bedroom’s small balcony. The getaway exhibits the spirited, all-American styling of C. Wonder, but the brand’s candied hues are toned down. “I didn’t really want to do my stuff in the house,” Burch says, adding that he began the renovation before launching C. Wonder in 2011 with a flagship store in Manhattan. The residence is instead New York interior designer Christopher Maya’s interpretation of his client’s somewhat eccentric taste, which Burch himself describes as “a very quirky sense of classicism.” The decorator’s first meeting with the entrepreneur was inspiration enough. “Chris was sitting in the conference room with colleagues, a pink Hermès scarf wrapped around his head. I thought, This is going to be fun,” Maya recalls. The designer soon set about conjuring schemes for each room of the dwelling, aiming for an inviting, energetic atmosphere reflective of Burch’s playful personality. Every inch of molding and trim gleams with pristine lacquerlike finishes. To offset that snappy sheen, some walls are papered in grass cloth, while others are meticulously upholstered with boldly patterned fabrics. The colors are lively—Carolina-blue in the master bedroom, buttery yellow in a guest room—and the overall ambience is light and relaxed. “A lot of houses in the Hamptons are so formal, it’s like being in a Park Avenue apartment,” Maya says. “I thought the house should be fun—when guests walk in, they should feel right away like they’re about to have a fantastic weekend.” Cerused-oak floors, sisal carpets, and the occasional rattan armchair further the casual vibe. The oak-paneled library is as sober as it gets, but an apple-green sofa and a Billy Baldwin slipper chair clad in a peridot-green leopard print leaven the mood. Accenting the room is a striking etching of an owl with its wings spread wide; it is one of several artworks by Walton Ford that Burch had purchased before the project started and which turned out to fit right in with the palette Maya conceived. Burch also asked the designer to incorporate some furniture from a line the investor has developed for No. 9 Christopher, a lifestyle concept store he plans to open in Manhattan next year. Maya customized the pieces, including painting a Jansen-inspired desk in brilliant royal blue and an Asian-style cocktail table in a brash Dick Tracy–yellow. “The house is a little electric in spots, but I’m not scared of color,” says Burch, who sums up the place in his typically punchy style: “It’s cool. It’s small. It’s very happy.”

A 1927 colonial home in Shaker Heights, Ohio, received a breathtaking renovation that required extensive work, transforming it from a tucked away, utilitarian space, to an all-purpose gathering room, a role that most kitchens embrace in a home today. The scope of work changed over the course of the project, starting more minimalistically and then quickly becoming the main focus of the house's remodeling, resulting in a staircase being relocated and walls being torn down to create an inviting focal point to the home where family and friends could connect. The focus of the functionality was to allow for multiple prep areas with the inclusion of two islands and sinks, two eating areas (one for impromptu snacking and small meals of younger family members and friends on island no. two and a built-in bench seat for everyday meals in the immediate family). The kitchen was equipped with all Subzero and Wolf appliances, including a 48" range top with a 12" griddle, two double ovens, a 42" built-in side by side refrigerator and freezer, a microwave drawer on island no. one and a beverage center and icemaker in island no. two. The aesthetic feeling embraces the architectural feel of the home while adding a modern sensibility with the revamped layout and graphic elements that tie the color palette of whites, chocolate and charcoal. The cabinets were custom made and outfitted with beaded inset doors with a Shaker panel frame and finished in Benjamin Moore's OC-17 White Dove, a soft white that allowed for the kitchen to feel warm while still maintaining its brightness. Accents of walnut were added to create a sense of warmth, including a custom premium grade walnut countertop on island no. one from Brooks Custom and a TV cabinet with a doggie feeding station beneath. Bringing the cabinet line to the 8'6" ceiling height helps the room feel taller and bold light fixtures at the islands and eating area add detail to an otherwise simpler ceiling detail. The 1 1/4" countertops feature Calacatta Gold Marble with an ogee edge detail. Special touches on the interiors include secret storage panels, an appliance garage, breadbox, pull-out drawers behind the cabinet doors and all soft-close hinges and drawer glides. A kneading area was made as a part of island no. one for the homeowners' love of baking, complete with a stone top allowing for dough to stay cool. Baskets beneath store kitchen essentials that need air circulation. The room adjacent to the kitchen was converted to a hearth room (from a formal dining room) to extend the kitchen's living space and allow for a natural spillover for family and guests to spill into. Jason Miller, Pixelate

The powder room carries the natural theme with the seagrass mirror, wood shelf, tiles and hand torn wallpaper. The wood for the shelf and the vanity top are douglas fir...sanded and planed from the packing material shipped with the beams. The small upper shelf was a necessary workaround design since I could not penetrate structural framing in the timber wall to run my plumbing pipes for the vanity. Joi S Tannert, ASID

One would think that having Christmas in the North East would be different than celebrating it in Florida but as it turned out, the differences weren’t so great after all. In the North we surround ourselves in green and reds at Christmas and homes are filled with trees, garlands, ribbons and decorations that warm up homes that are experiencing cold weather. Homes also veer towards traditional design. People moving to South West Florida generally want something different; the sub-tropical climate and burning sun move clients to modernize and try out new styles. Being new to Florida the color scheme in this recently built home tends towards coastal colors that reflect the sea, sand and sky. The home owners didn’t want the floor tile so typical in Florida and opted for a warm engineered wood floor that is proving to be popular here. Open plan homes are the norm which can sometimes be problematical because there is less wall space and people ask “where do we put our art” so one has to take advantage of every available wall. This photograph came about because of Christmas. It is not a photograph of a complete room but rather a look at how we blended the season into a contemporary home in a hot climate. Above the warm wood floors, the walls are a stark white giving a sense of coolness regardless of the temperature outside but the alcove pops with the color from the hand-torn custom wallpaper. White was used again with modern floating cabinetry that boasts shiny white lacquer doors. With this palette we now wanted to add some Christmas touches. Fortunately, red and turquoise are complementary colors and we used this to advantage by using the Christmas tree collection in golds and silver to align with the picture frame, and one small green tree with red baubles and the red sleigh (it’s a candle) to complement the turquoise wall. We then decorated the Christmas tree with family ornaments including many reds and greens and then purchased a set of turquoise glass balls and interspersed them amongst the branches. The turquoise ornaments were immediately noticeable because of the close proximity of the wallpaper. No, we didn’t use as many decorations in this home but the simplicity of design made everyone feel the warmth of the season. Photographer: Rolando Diaz

A broad mix of chairs lends a playful note to the dining table, which Kiel designed and built out of reclaimed barn wood. Its straightforward construction with exposed fasteners bespeaks of the material's rustic origins. A bench under the window provides flexible seating for entertaining guests. A simplified floral arrangement and some bunting give the room a kick of color proving that spare, yet selective treatments can still add a welcoming touch to a space. Photo: Adrienne DeRosa Photography © 2014 Houzz

Faux finished ceiling with handpainted torn papers. An over glaze was added to give additional depth and dimension. Walls are hand plastered with a trowel and glazed twice.

Tahvory Bunting, Denver Image Photography
Enclosed dining room - large traditional dark wood floor enclosed dining room idea in Denver with brown walls and no fireplace

Celestial Dragon in Torn Plaid Marshmallow is looking right at home in this MHM Interiors designed foyer. Created by Karen Hsu of Omnivore, Celestial Dragon can be printed in three ways to create totally different looks. The base pattern for Celestial Dragon is intricate and asian-inspired (see Scarlet and Super Green colorways). In Torn Gold, the secondary screen creates the illusion of peeling paper. Torn Plaid Marshmallow shows the third option of an additional screen that makes it appear as if you’‘ve torn off wallpaper to discover this dragon from outer space pattern. The torn options really add a nice trompe l‘’oeil effect.

A 1927 colonial home in Shaker Heights, Ohio, received a breathtaking renovation that required extensive work, transforming it from a tucked away, utilitarian space, to an all-purpose gathering room, a role that most kitchens embrace in a home today. The scope of work changed over the course of the project, starting more minimalistically and then quickly becoming the main focus of the house's remodeling, resulting in a staircase being relocated and walls being torn down to create an inviting focal point to the home where family and friends could connect. The focus of the functionality was to allow for multiple prep areas with the inclusion of two islands and sinks, two eating areas (one for impromptu snacking and small meals of younger family members and friends on island no. two and a built-in bench seat for everyday meals in the immediate family). The kitchen was equipped with all Subzero and Wolf appliances, including a 48" range top with a 12" griddle, two double ovens, a 42" built-in side by side refrigerator and freezer, a microwave drawer on island no. one and a beverage center and icemaker in island no. two. The aesthetic feeling embraces the architectural feel of the home while adding a modern sensibility with the revamped layout and graphic elements that tie the color palette of whites, chocolate and charcoal. The cabinets were custom made and outfitted with beaded inset doors with a Shaker panel frame and finished in Benjamin Moore's OC-17 White Dove, a soft white that allowed for the kitchen to feel warm while still maintaining its brightness. Accents of walnut were added to create a sense of warmth, including a custom premium grade walnut countertop on island no. one from Brooks Custom and a TV cabinet with a doggie feeding station beneath. Bringing the cabinet line to the 8'6" ceiling height helps the room feel taller and bold light fixtures at the islands and eating area add detail to an otherwise simpler ceiling detail. The 1 1/4" countertops feature Calacatta Gold Marble with an ogee edge detail. Special touches on the interiors include secret storage panels, an appliance garage, breadbox, pull-out drawers behind the cabinet doors and all soft-close hinges and drawer glides. A kneading area was made as a part of island no. one for the homeowners' love of baking, complete with a stone top allowing for dough to stay cool. Baskets beneath store kitchen essentials that need air circulation. The room adjacent to the kitchen was converted to a hearth room (from a formal dining room) to extend the kitchen's living space and allow for a natural spillover for family and guests to spill into. Jason Miller, Pixelate

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