This butler's pantry acts as a connection point between the dining room and kitchen. Color is used to draw you into and through the different spaces while the window serves as an important source of light and connectivity point to the adjoining screen porch.

In the original residence, the kitchen occupied this space. With the addition to house the kitchen, our architects designed a butler's pantry for this space with extensive storage. The exposed beams and wide-plan wood flooring extends throughout this older portion of the structure.

This cozy lake cottage skillfully incorporates a number of features that would normally be restricted to a larger home design. A glance of the exterior reveals a simple story and a half gable running the length of the home, enveloping the majority of the interior spaces. To the rear, a pair of gables with copper roofing flanks a covered dining area and screened porch. Inside, a linear foyer reveals a generous staircase with cascading landing. Further back, a centrally placed kitchen is connected to all of the other main level entertaining spaces through expansive cased openings. A private study serves as the perfect buffer between the homes master suite and living room. Despite its small footprint, the master suite manages to incorporate several closets, built-ins, and adjacent master bath complete with a soaker tub flanked by separate enclosures for a shower and water closet. Upstairs, a generous double vanity bathroom is shared by a bunkroom, exercise space, and private bedroom. The bunkroom is configured to provide sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people. The rear-facing exercise has great views of the lake through a set of windows that overlook the copper roof of the screened porch below.

123 Remodeling redesigned the space of an unused built-in desk to create a custom coffee bar corner. Wanting some differentiation from the kitchen, we brought in some color with Ultracraft cabinets in Moon Bay finish from Studio41 and wood tone shelving above. The white princess dolomite stone was sourced from MGSI and the intention was to create a seamless look running from the counter up the wall to accentuate the height. We finished with a modern Franke sink, and a detailed Kohler faucet to match the sleekness of the Italian-made coffee machine.

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW The homeowners built their traditional Colonial style home 17 years’ ago. It was in great shape but needed some updating. Over the years, their taste had drifted into a more contemporary realm, and they wanted our help to bridge the gap between traditional and modern. We decided the layout of the kitchen worked well in the space and the cabinets were in good shape, so we opted to do a refresh with the kitchen. The original kitchen had blond maple cabinets and granite countertops. This was also a great opportunity to make some updates to the functionality that they were hoping to accomplish. After re-finishing all the first floor wood floors with a gray stain, which helped to remove some of the red tones from the red oak, we painted the cabinetry Benjamin Moore “Repose Gray” a very soft light gray. The new countertops are hardworking quartz, and the waterfall countertop to the left of the sink gives a bit of the contemporary flavor. We reworked the refrigerator wall to create more pantry storage and eliminated the double oven in favor of a single oven and a steam oven. The existing cooktop was replaced with a new range paired with a Venetian plaster hood above. The glossy finish from the hood is echoed in the pendant lights. A touch of gold in the lighting and hardware adds some contrast to the gray and white. A theme we repeated down to the smallest detail illustrated by the Jason Wu faucet by Brizo with its similar touches of white and gold (the arrival of which we eagerly awaited for months due to ripples in the supply chain – but worth it!). The original breakfast room was pleasant enough with its windows looking into the backyard. Now with its colorful window treatments, new blue chairs and sculptural light fixture, this space flows seamlessly into the kitchen and gives more of a punch to the space. The original butler’s pantry was functional but was also starting to show its age. The new space was inspired by a wallpaper selection that our client had set aside as a possibility for a future project. It worked perfectly with our pallet and gave a fun eclectic vibe to this functional space. We eliminated some upper cabinets in favor of open shelving and painted the cabinetry in a high gloss finish, added a beautiful quartzite countertop and some statement lighting. The new room is anything but cookie cutter. Next the mudroom. You can see a peek of the mudroom across the way from the butler’s pantry which got a facelift with new paint, tile floor, lighting and hardware. Simple updates but a dramatic change! The first floor powder room got the glam treatment with its own update of wainscoting, wallpaper, console sink, fixtures and artwork. A great little introduction to what’s to come in the rest of the home. The whole first floor now flows together in a cohesive pallet of green and blue, reflects the homeowner’s desire for a more modern aesthetic, and feels like a thoughtful and intentional evolution. Our clients were wonderful to work with! Their style meshed perfectly with our brand aesthetic which created the opportunity for wonderful things to happen. We know they will enjoy their remodel for many years to come! Photography by Margaret Rajic Photography

Dry bar is outfitted with reverse osmosis, a wine rack, small wine refrigerator, tea and coffee area. The recessed panel cabinets are accompanied with a rustic wooden backsplash.

KCJ Studios

House was built by Hotard General Contracting, Inc. Jefferson Door supplied: exterior doors (custom Sapele mahogany), interior doors (Masonite), windows custom Sapele mahogany windows on the front and (Integrity by Marvin Windows) on the sides and back, columns (HB&G), crown moulding, baseboard and door hardware (Emtek).

This beach-style family room and bar features hardwood paneling on the walls as well as the ceiling. We partnered with Jennifer Allison Design on this project. Her design firm contacted us to paint the entire house - inside and out. Images are used with permission. You can contact her at (310) 488-0331 for more information.

Jim Celuch

Builder: Michels Homes Architecture: Alexander Design Group Photography: Scott Amundson Photography

The scenic village of Mountain Brook Alabama, known for its hills, scenic trails and quiet tree-lined streets. The family found a charming traditional 2-story brick house that was newly built. The trick was to make it into a home. How the family would move throughout the home on a daily basis was the guiding principle in creating dedicated spots for crafting, homework, two separate offices, family time and livable outdoor space that is used year round. Out of the chaos of relocation, an oasis emerged. Leveraging a simple white color palette, layers of texture, organic materials and an occasional pop of color, a sense of polished comfort comes to life.