Notting Hill is one of the most charming and stylish districts in London. This apartment is situated at Hereford Road, on a 19th century building, where Guglielmo Marconi (the pioneer of wireless communication) lived for a year; now the home of my clients, a french couple. The owners desire was to celebrate the building's past while also reflecting their own french aesthetic, so we recreated victorian moldings, cornices and rosettes. We also found an iron fireplace, inspired by the 19th century era, which we placed in the living room, to bring that cozy feeling without loosing the minimalistic vibe. We installed customized cement tiles in the bathroom and the Burlington London sanitaires, combining both french and british aesthetic. We decided to mix the traditional style with modern white bespoke furniture. All the apartment is in bright colors, with the exception of a few details, such as the fireplace and the kitchen splash back: bold accents to compose together with the neutral colors of the space. We have found the best layout for this small space by creating light transition between the pieces. First axis runs from the entrance door to the kitchen window, while the second leads from the window in the living area to the window in the bedroom. Thanks to this alignment, the spatial arrangement is much brighter and vaster, while natural light comes to every room in the apartment at any time of the day. Ola Jachymiak Studio

This modern farmhouse living room features a custom shiplap fireplace by Stonegate Builders, with custom-painted cabinetry by Carver Junk Company. The large rug pattern is mirrored in the handcrafted coffee and end tables, made just for this space.

photo by Deborah Degraffenreid

Dylan Lark

Photography by Richard Waite

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Working with this Glen Ellyn client was so much fun the first time around, we were thrilled when they called to say they were considering moving across town and might need some help with a bit of design work at the new house. The kitchen in the new house had been recently renovated, but it was not exactly what they wanted. What started out as a few tweaks led to a pretty big overhaul of the kitchen, mudroom and laundry room. Luckily, we were able to use re-purpose the old kitchen cabinetry and custom island in the remodeling of the new laundry room — win-win! As parents of two young girls, it was important for the homeowners to have a spot to store equipment, coats and all the “behind the scenes” necessities away from the main part of the house which is a large open floor plan. The existing basement mudroom and laundry room had great bones and both rooms were very large. To make the space more livable and comfortable, we laid slate tile on the floor and added a built-in desk area, coat/boot area and some additional tall storage. We also reworked the staircase, added a new stair runner, gave a facelift to the walk-in closet at the foot of the stairs, and built a coat closet. The end result is a multi-functional, large comfortable room to come home to! Just beyond the mudroom is the new laundry room where we re-used the cabinets and island from the original kitchen. The new laundry room also features a small powder room that used to be just a toilet in the middle of the room. You can see the island from the old kitchen that has been repurposed for a laundry folding table. The other countertops are maple butcherblock, and the gold accents from the other rooms are carried through into this room. We were also excited to unearth an existing window and bring some light into the room. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Construction by: SoCal Contractor Interior Design by: Lori Dennis Inc Photography by: Roy Yerushalmi

The Louis medium sofa commands the attention of any room. An updated version of a nineteenth-century classic, our take has squared-off, ‘p’ arms, giving the sofa a more contemporary feel, allowing it to fit into homes of any style. Two plump, full-feather seat cushions encourage you to sink into its supportive backrest. What’s more, the sturdy base can split into two on the Large and Grande sizes making it easy to manoeuvre when space is tight. Finished with traditional studwork, the low-level arms allow for uninterrupted, lengthy lounging. Standing to attention on castor legs, Louis’s versatility makes it a hero in any home.

A mixture of classic construction and modern European furnishings redefines mountain living in this second home in charming Lahontan in Truckee, California. Designed for an active Bay Area family, this home is relaxed, comfortable and fun.

Der Treppenaufgang wird duch eine weiße Glasschiebetür geschlossen. Interior Design: freudenspiel by Elisabeth Zola. Fotos: Zolaproduction