cindy_klein75's ideas
Besides adding warmth, the knotty alder brings the bathroom in line with the rest of the house. “They already remodeled a lot of their home, and the wood vanity, doors and trim here is a continuation of what they have already done,” Hide says. The marble-look quartz countertop has a soft white background with dramatic gray veining. Two white rectangular undermount sinks have matte black widespread faucets with curved spouts and lever handles. More bold black touches come in through the matte black towel ring, vanity mirrors and light fixtures. A coordinating matte black towel bar above the vanity does double duty as a plant holder. “We had the flanking sconces and decided it was a nice idea to add a bit of color and greenery into the bathroom,” Hide says.
Crisp whites were worked into the room through the white nickel-gap wood paneling on the vanity wall, marble-look quartz countertops and an elegant white freestanding soaking tub that sits under a window offering views of the wooded backyard. To bring wood tones into the mix, Hide used knotty alder for the ceiling and window trim — a warm, rustic touch. The new double vanity cabinet is also knotty alder and has flat black square bar pulls. The wall behind the tub and the now-heated bathroom floor have large-format matte black porcelain tiles with rectified edges and medium gray grout. “What the black wall tile does there is add a sense of depth, and it really helps frame those windows,” Hide says.
Each stair tread is a functioning drawer with a push-to-open feature for hidden storage.” To achieve a clean and airy feel, Fischer minimized color and contrast, focusing instead on balancing the warmer wood tones with a cool paint color (Coventry Gray by Benjamin Moore). He used simple woven window shades to add texture and soften the woodwork. Other special features. To counteract the shadows cast by overhead lighting on the lower bunks, Fischer installed reading scones with decorative brass switches. He says the ship portholes along the stairs also help the lower bunks feel a little more open and add a fun nautical element. Designer tip. “Be sure to leave extra space around your mattress to tuck your bedding in,” Fischer says. “One and a half to 2 inches on each side of the mattress should be sufficient.”
Herbert stripped the bathroom to the studs and removed the shower-tub combo. The new glass-enclosed curbless shower is covered in textured blue tiles and has black matte fixtures. The shower has a fixed frameless glass partition. “Anything we could do to make the bathroom feel larger was what we wanted to do,” Herbert says. A new bamboo storage tower to the right of the shower replaced the built-in cubbies, allowing the owners to discreetly store linens and other bath products.
Designer: Richard C. Lundin II of Lundin Architects Location: Red Cedar Lake, Wisconsin Size: 320 square feet (30 square meters); 16 by 20 feet Homeowners’ request. “They wanted open dining and living areas with a large island for entertaining [during] family gatherings, connected to a screened porch, and lake views,” says architect Richard C. Lundin II, who used Houzz ideabooks to coordinate the design direction with his clients. “Also lots of storage and an appliance garage to conceal counter appliances.” Backsplash. “A porcelain Deco tile with random turns to add interest,” Lundin says. “The color draws from the stone cladding in the room, and the underlying wood texture pulls the wood finishes together.” Other special features. “The bold veining of the quartz island top draws attention to it as a feature of the room, while the counters and cabinets take a more neutral look,” Lundin says. “The glulam-beamed ceiling and tongue-and-groove ceiling sweep up to the lake views, focusing the kitchen out. Large pendant lights over the island with an interior accent of gold mark the gathering center of the space.” Designer tip. “Don’t forget visual and physical texture as a design to...
Ocean Floor by Benjamin Moore This cool shade of gray showcases the sleek midcentury lines of a classic Eichler home in Palo Alto, California. “It contrasts nicely with the yellow used for the front door and the beam over the garage door,” says Klara Kevane of Klopf Architecture. Door and garage beam color: Luminous Days, Benjamin Moore
Cabinet paint color. Billiard Green by Sherwin-Williams. “I love it when a client is daring enough to go bold for a rich hue such as green,” Olivarez says. “This color is part of the Historic Colors collection of Sherwin-Williams, which is one of the main reasons I started with this as an option. I felt that with such bold color directions it may be best to stick to something that was timeless, rich and elegant. This hue is true to hunter green foliage with a bit of brightness to it — the slightly yellow or golden undertone.” Other special features. “I feel the dolomite stone countertop and backslash are what makes this combination of the lush green and cool gray with the white and brass accents pop,” Olivarez says.
Midcentury Mood Designers: Kaila Niles and Emily Wilder of Wool Design Studio Location: Sacramento, California Homeowners’ request. “When we came onto the project, our clients had already hired many of the tradespeople and had committed to certain elements of the remodel but did not have a real defined vision for what they wanted and were very overwhelmed by the process,” designer Kaila Niles says. “They weren’t necessarily happy with where things were headed, and when we came on, our design was an entirely different direction that ended up really speaking to them, feeling more authentic to them as a family and honored the house’s unique bones.” Niles uses Houzz Pro business software for invoicing and overall project management. Wood cabinets. The custom cabinets are natural walnut. “They are used in the kitchen, the wine storage in the kitchen nook and also in the primary bathroom,” Niles says. Other special features. “Originally the clients were thinking of white quartz counters and stainless steel on the hood,” Niles says. “We wanted to really add warmth and a comfortable sophistication to the home, paying homage to the client’s family’s Berkeley roots. We instead added an ...
Fireplace surround, sofa table/desk
I always recommend using containers for a more tailored and tidier appearance
shelves the same color as the wall, allowing them to recede into the background but also give the art some structure.
Wooden counter top.
Shelving over window.
They anchored the space with a pretty floral-patterned tile on the floor. And a white oak countertop over the machines brings in a lovely natural material that provides a handy surface for folding clothes.
sliding barn doors
Drawers on one island end hold notepads and pens, as well as snacks for the Dukes’ grandkids. Drawers on the other end store baking pans, cookie sheets and cutting boards. Stacie didn’t want these items stored above her refrigerator. “I’m short and didn’t want to get a step stool every time I wanted to get a baking pan,” she says. Electrical strips are tucked under the counter on both ends of the island.
And she ditched the peninsula for a central island. Those moves created much better traffic flow into and around the kitchen for guests, and the generous island countertop can act as a hub and buffet space. “[The wall] was keeping people separated from the dining room and kitchen,” Strickler says. She also rejiggered the appliance layout, placing a paneled refrigerator to the left of the new gas range, which sits on the back wall, and a spacious sink in the island, creating an efficient work triangle. With the function in place, she turned her attention to the style. Dark black cabinets and island base (Onyx by Benjamin Moore) add a touch of drama, warmed by stained maple cabinets and solid red oak flooring. Light greige walls and ceiling (Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore) and bright white trim (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) keep things from veering too moody. “She expressed pretty early on she was thinking of stained cabinets, but also a wood floor,” Strickler says. “The black cabinets offer a contrast for the wood floor. And I love the contrast of the gold hardware with the black cabinets. It’s classic and rich, and adds warmth.”
12 x 8 kitchen cabinets, no hardware, walnut and Secret Path, Benjamin Moore
Size: 513 square feet (48 square meters); 27 by 19 feet. Sofa bed for extra sleep space.
We also added a linear drain in the back of the shower where the floor slopes for function and drainage.”
Large-scale marble-look porcelain slabs line the shower wall and ceiling.
“Although we do have some upper cabinets in this project on one side, we are big fans of having a wall of tall cabinets for pantry storage, combined with other tall appliances like the refrigerator or wall ovens. This allows for more view to the outside than if upper cabinets existed.”
Wall color: Silver Cloud, Benjamin Moore
Wall color: Dove Wing, Benjamin Moore
Paint colors: Olympic Mountains (walls) and Deep Space (door), both Benjamin Moore
Paint colors: Olympic Mountains (walls) and Deep Space (trim), both Benjamin Moore
“We had a small footprint to work with in here,” Checa says. West Virginia craftsman Joe Chasnoff of From the Woods crafted the custom mahogany headboard, which has shelves for books, glasses, water and other objects. One of Checa’s architectural tricks was adding the slim soffit above the bed. It houses reading lights and provides a comforting tucked-in feel for the bed. She used the green paint to tie everything on this wall into another pleasing block of color.
The architect had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to give the family the house of their dreams while keeping a tight budget. For example, she elevated the look of inexpensive ready-made cubbies by covering the sides and top with a thick honed black granite. This unit provides a place for everyone in the family to stash shoes, bags, mittens and scarves, while also providing a sense of separation between the hallway and living room. “This was a crafty way to create storage on a budget,” she says. Now the existing fireplace has a sleek new mantel, plus a new hearth composed of large-format honed slate tiles. The new surround is composed of onyx mosaic tiles, a material that pops up in other places on this floor. “I repeated design elements to keep harmony,” Checa says.
deep emerald green for the cabinets (Essex Green by Benjamin Moore) that pairs well with the warm wood island. The transitional look is an updated take on Craftsman style. Nods to the historic look include the handcrafted island, the cabinet hardware, the apron-front sink, the oak floors and the tumbled backsplash tile with a handmade look.
fresh, light-filled forest feel with lots of wood and dark green Shaker-style cabinets (Studio Green by Farrow & Ball)
Foxhall Green by Sherwin-Williams) coordinates with touches of green found in the slabs of polished Calacatta Taupe quartzite used for the countertops and backsplash
The main space has a neutral natural backdrop with pops of pattern and color. To keep the tile floor from making the space feel cold, Fallon added thoughtfully placed wood finishes. She covered the ceiling in white oak to bring down the scale and add warmth overhead. “This is a low-cost engineered floor product,” she says. “Adding the wood brought a woodsy Colorado feel.” A beautiful chandelier with speckled glass shades also brings the height of the ceiling down. “This has such interesting texture to it. The orbs look like the moon at night,” she says.
Hiding the appliances in a custom cabinet makes the laundry function visually recede, giving the appearance of an entry console. “The cane doors provide necessary ventilation for the washer and dryer units but also add a decorative element,” Lind says. “The quartz counter serves as a folding zone when needed for laundry and an entry console when not.” Other special features. Shiplap. A built-out shelf hides the washer and dryer plumbing, which was previously exposed above the appliances.
To maximize use of the space, we removed the hinged entry door and installed a sliding barn door outside the room,” Lozada says. “This allowed us to add a row of utility hooks on the right side for things like brooms and mops and a custom base cabinet on the left for closed storage of less attractive items like laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc. The new base cabinet includes a drawer, which serves as the ‘junk drawer’ in the home, and we put up a wood-framed bulletin board above it for saving notes, receipts and photos.”
The material selections began with the floor. While the homeowners were drawn to poured concrete, Gething feared it wouldn’t stand up to the temperature changes and humidity of the area. Instead she found a durable resin product used for lining pools, among other applications. “It’s applied like a plaster and it looks like concrete,” she says. “But it’s softer and more textured than concrete, and it won’t crack.” With that cooler material chosen for the floor, Gething knew she’d need to warm up the room. So she used reclaimed white oak floorboards on the ceiling. “We originally planned on whitewashing it, but everyone liked the coloring and look of it exactly how it was. It was a happy accident,” she says. She used white oak on built-ins throughout the house, such as the floating ledge under the TV. This created a cohesive feel.
Storage dimension ideas.
No hardware on the cabinets.
Wood range hood cover.
his photo was taken during the installation of the shower surround. Before: Khuong was meticulous about getting the composition of these tiles just right. “I took photographs of each tile, put them in photo-editing software and rotated them around to get the right pattern. Then I labeled each tile and noted how to orient it,” she says. The result is a seamless look. This is the difference that hiring a designer can make — especially a designer who has an equally meticulous tile installer on call. Hire a local tile professional Ke Design Collective Inc. For the bathroom floor, Khuong chose a 12-by-24-inch dark gray porcelain tile. “I continued the same tile onto the shower floor because this is a smaller washroom,” she says. Using a different tile on the shower floor would have chopped up the space and made it feel smaller. The wall on the right side of the shower stall had to become the plumbing wall — there was too much going on behind the wall on the left, and the back wall is an exterior wall, where pipes might freeze in the winter. Because of these circumstances and the location of the existing toilet stack, Khuong had to install the shower controls in a way that requires en...
Kitchen remodel.
Floor to ceiling cabinets.
Microwave in island.
Witch hazels are deciduous trees, grown mainly for their late-winter to early-spring blooms. Tiny buds open on bare branches, unfurling to reveal strange, fringy flowers that feature a lovely fragrance. Some varieties bloom as early as fall in mild climates. Plant in a large container placed in full sun to partial shade along a walkway or in a small patio, where flower fragrance can be appreciated up close.
Japanese maples make lovely container plants. Their delicate foliage practically shimmers when placed in a bright spot on a terrace. Many varieties, like ‘Crimson Queen’ and ‘Orangeola’, have spectacular fall foliage. Choose a generous container for potting up a Japanese maple, and move it into a spot that receives full sun in cooler areas and afternoon shade in hotter areas. These delicate trees grow best without much exposure to wind — if you’re growing on a patio or balcony, choose a sheltered area for the tree. Keep the soil in the container consistently moist.
Evergreen conifers, such as pine, juniper, fir and cypress trees, make good container plants, offering year-round interest and structure on patios, terraces and balconies. All conifer require well-draining soil in a container, and most thrive in a spot with full sun. Look for dwarf and slow-growing conifer varieties that stay much smaller and are naturally more well-suited for growing in containers. ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma Goldcrest’), for example, only reaches 3 feet tall and 18 inches wide when grown in a container.
Bench with island.
Q