For this couple, planning to move back to their rambler home in Arlington after living overseas for few years, they were ready to get rid of clutter, clean up their grown-up kids’ boxes, and transform their home into their dream home for their golden years. The old home included a box-like 8 feet x 10 feet kitchen, no family room, three small bedrooms and two back to back small bathrooms. The laundry room was located in a small dark space of the unfinished basement. This home is located in a cul-de-sac, on an uphill lot, of a very secluded neighborhood with lots of new homes just being built around them. The couple consulted an architectural firm in past but never were satisfied with the final plans. They approached Michael Nash Custom Kitchens hoping for fresh ideas. The backyard and side yard are wooded and the existing structure was too close to building restriction lines. We developed design plans and applied for special permits to achieve our client’s goals. The remodel includes a family room, sunroom, breakfast area, home office, large master bedroom suite, large walk-in closet, main level laundry room, lots of windows, front porch, back deck, and most important than all an elevator from lower to upper level given them and their close relative a necessary easier access. The new plan added extra dimensions to this rambler on all four sides. Starting from the front, we excavated to allow a first level entrance, storage, and elevator room. Building just above it, is a 12 feet x 30 feet covered porch with a leading brick staircase. A contemporary cedar rail with horizontal stainless steel cable rail system on both the front porch and the back deck sets off this project from any others in area. A new foyer with double frosted stainless-steel door was added which contains the elevator. The garage door was widened and a solid cedar door was installed to compliment the cedar siding. The left side of this rambler was excavated to allow a storage off the garage and extension of one of the old bedrooms to be converted to a large master bedroom suite, master bathroom suite and walk-in closet. We installed matching brick for a seam-less exterior look. The entire house was furnished with new Italian imported highly custom stainless-steel windows and doors. We removed several brick and block structure walls to put doors and floor to ceiling windows. A full walk in shower with barn style frameless glass doors, double vanities covered with selective stone, floor to ceiling porcelain tile make the master bathroom highly accessible. The other two bedrooms were reconfigured with new closets, wider doorways, new wood floors and wider windows. Just outside of the bedroom, a new laundry room closet was a major upgrade. A second HVAC system was added in the attic for all new areas. The back side of the master bedroom was covered with floor to ceiling windows and a door to step into a new deck covered in trex and cable railing. This addition provides a view to wooded area of the home. By excavating and leveling the backyard, we constructed a two story 15’x 40’ addition that provided the tall ceiling for the family room just adjacent to new deck, a breakfast area a few steps away from the remodeled kitchen. Upscale stainless-steel appliances, floor to ceiling white custom cabinetry and quartz counter top, and fun lighting improved this back section of the house with its increased lighting and available work space. Just below this addition, there is extra space for exercise and storage room. This room has a pair of sliding doors allowing more light inside. The right elevation has a trapezoid shape addition with floor to ceiling windows and space used as a sunroom/in-home office. Wide plank wood floors were installed throughout the main level for continuity. The hall bathroom was gutted and expanded to allow a new soaking tub and large vanity. The basement half bathroom was converted to a full bathroom, new flooring and lighting in the entire basement changed the purpose of the basement for entertainment and spending time with grandkids. Off white and soft tone were used inside and out as the color schemes to make this rambler spacious and illuminated. Final grade and landscaping, by adding a few trees, trimming the old cherry and walnut trees in backyard, saddling the yard, and a new concrete driveway and walkway made this home a unique and charming gem in the neighborhood.

Grand kitchen layout with adjacent dining & patio access, this kitchen has it all! Mandi B Photography

Where do we even start. We renovated just about this whole home. So much so that we decided to split the video into two parts so you can see each area in a bit more detail. Starting with the Kitchen and living areas, because let’s face it, that is the heart of the home. Taking three very separated spaces, removing, and opening the existing dividing walls, then adding back in the supports for them, created a unified living space that flows so openly it is hard to imagine it any other way. Walking in the front door there was a small entry from the formal living room to the family room, with a protruding wall, we removed the peninsula wall, and widened he entry so you can see right into the family room as soon as you stem into the home. On the far left of that same wall we opened up a large space so that you can access each room easily without walking around an ominous divider. Both openings lead to what once was a small closed off kitchen. Removing the peninsula wall off the kitchen space, and closing off a doorway in the far end of the kitchen allowed for one expansive, beautiful space. Now entertaining the whole family is a very welcoming time for all. The island is an entirely new design for all of us. We designed an L shaped island that offered seating to place the dining table next to. This is such a creative way to offer an island and a formal dinette space for the family. Stacked with drawers and cabinets for storage abound. Both the cabinets and drawers lining the kitchen walls, and inside the island are all shaker style. A simple design with a lot of impact on the space. Doubling up on the drawer pulls when needed gives the area an old world feel inside a now modern space. White painted cabinets and drawers on the outer walls, and espresso stained ones in the island create a dramatic distinction for the accent island. Topping them all with a honed granite in Fantasy Brown, bringing all of the colors and style together. If you are not familiar with honed granite, it has a softer, more matte finish, rather than the glossy finish of polished granite. Yet another way of creating an old world charm to this space. Inside the cabinets we were able to provide so many wonderful storage options. Lower and upper Super Susan’s in the corner cabinets, slide outs in the pantry, a spice roll out next to the cooktop, and a utensil roll out on the other side of the cook top. Accessibility and functionality all in one kitchen. An added bonus was the area we created for upper and lower roll outs next to the oven. A place to neatly store all of the taller bottles and such for your cooking needs. A wonderful, yet small addition to the kitchen. A double, unequal bowl sink in grey with a finish complimenting the honed granite, and color to match the boisterous backsplash. Using the simple colors in the space allowed for a beautiful backsplash full of pattern and intrigue. A true eye catcher in this beautiful home. Moving from the kitchen to the formal living room, and throughout the home, we used a beautiful waterproof laminate that offers the look and feel of real wood, but the functionality of a newer, more durable material. In the formal living room was a fireplace box in place. It blended into the space, but we wanted to create more of the wow factor you have come to expect from us. Building out the shroud around it so that we could wrap the tile around gave a once flat wall, the three dimensional look of a large slab of marble. Now the fireplace, instead of the small, insignificant accent on a large, room blocking wall, sits high and proud in the center of the whole home.

Dreaming of a farmhouse life in the middle of the city, this custom new build on private acreage was interior designed from the blueprint stages with intentional details, durability, high-fashion style and chic liveable luxe materials that support this busy family's active and minimalistic lifestyle. | Photography Joshua Caldwell

Shaker Grey Kitchen Cabinets

This gorgeous Turramurra kitchen displays the best of both modern and traditional features. It exhibits the warmth, character and grandeur of a traditional kitchen whilst maintaining all the trappings of modern kitchens. When Art of Kitchens were commissioned to design and build this kitchen, the home was yet unbuilt making it important that our kitchen design closely adhered to the Traditional/Modern style of the proposed home. “We needed to work with the idea of what the complete project would look like rather than using the existing frame for inspiration,” said Kitchen Designer David Bartlett. Keen entertainers, the homeowners wanted a kitchen that could be filled with family and friends without the space feeling overcrowded. Featuring multiple working zones, a large scullery for preparation and cleanup, high ceilings and overlooking a tranquil alfresco area, this large kitchen works perfectly for large groups. The high ceilings created a sense of airiness and allowed for ample storage space with tall cabinets. The addition of open shelving and breakfast bar resulted in a stunning open plan, functional kitchen that is perfect for entertaining that ties well into the overall aesthetic for the home. The end result was a runner up in the 2017 HIA CSR NSW Kitchen awards.

Contemporary shaker Kitchen featuring hand painted cabinets, granite work surfaces

The beautiful home on Lake Wisconsin has been updated totally. The Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Wood in the Cambria fabric in Pebble White was used throughout the main floor of the home.

Designer: Kitchens on Highbrook, Photography: Mark Scowen

Richard Silver Photo

Josie Withers

The expansive kitchen features top-of-the-line Wolf appliances, a separate pantry, and a window open to the breakfast area.

Applied molding Door and drawer cabinets, Mullion glass door, Cream with a black glaze cabinets, Black island, Beaded inset cabinets