Marco Ricca

This home was built in the early 2000’s. We completely reconfigured the kitchen, updated the breakfast room, added a bar to the living room, updated a powder room, a staircase and several fireplaces. Interior Styling by Kristy Oatman. Photographs by Jordan Katz. FEATURED IN Colorado Nest

This stadium liquor cabinet keeps bottles tucked away in the butler's pantry.

The refrigerator and pantry were relocated making way for a beverage bar complete with refrigeration and a bar sink. Located out of the way of the kitchen work triangle, this dedicated space supports everything from morning coffee to cocktail prep for the adjoining dining room.

Removing the wall between the old kitchen and great room allowed room for two islands, work flow and storage. A beverage center and banquet seating was added to the breakfast nook. The laundry/mud room matches the new kitchen and includes a step in pantry.

Wet bar with floating metal shelves, tile accent wall, slab counter, blonde oak cabinetry, art lighting, and integrated beverage center.

A perfect nook for that coffee and tea station, or side bar when entertaining in the formal dining area, the simplicity of the side bar greats visitors as they enter from the front door. The clean, sleek lines, and organic textures give a glimpse of what is to come once one turns the corner and enters the kitchen.

Removed built-in cabinets on either side of wall; removed small bar area between walls; rebuilt wall between formal and informal dining areas, opening up walkway. Added wine and coffee bar, upper and lower cabinets, quartzite counter to match kitchen. Painted cabinets to match kitchen. Added hardware to match kitchen. Replace floor to match existing.

The homeowner's wide range of tastes coalesces in this lovely kitchen and mudroom. Vintage, modern, English, and mid-century styles form one eclectic and alluring space. Rift-sawn white oak cabinets in warm almond, textured white subway tile, white island top, and a custom white range hood lend lots of brightness while black perimeter countertops and a Laurel Woods deep green finish on the island and beverage bar balance the palette with a unique twist on farmhouse style.

Details make the wine bar perfect: storage for all sorts of beverages, glass front display cabinets, and great lighting. Photography: A&J Photography, Inc.

Karen and Chad of Tower Lakes, IL were tired of their unfinished basement functioning as nothing more than a storage area and depressing gym. They wanted to increase the livable square footage of their home with a cohesive finished basement design, while incorporating space for the kids and adults to hang out. “We wanted to make sure that upon renovating the basement, that we can have a place where we can spend time and watch movies, but also entertain and showcase the wine collection that we have,” Karen said. After a long search comparing many different remodeling companies, Karen and Chad found Advance Design Studio. They were drawn towards the unique “Common Sense Remodeling” process that simplifies the renovation experience into predictable steps focused on customer satisfaction. “There are so many other design/build companies, who may not have transparency, or a focused process in mind and I think that is what separated Advance Design Studio from the rest,” Karen said. Karen loved how designer Claudia Pop was able to take very high-level concepts, “non-negotiable items” and implement them in the initial 3D drawings. Claudia and Project Manager DJ Yurik kept the couple in constant communication through the project. “Claudia was very receptive to the ideas we had, but she was also very good at infusing her own points and thoughts, she was very responsive, and we had an open line of communication,” Karen said. A very important part of the basement renovation for the couple was the home gym and sauna. The “high-end hotel” look and feel of the openly blended work out area is both highly functional and beautiful to look at. The home sauna gives them a place to relax after a long day of work or a tough workout. “The gym was a very important feature for us,” Karen said. “And I think (Advance Design) did a very great job in not only making the gym a functional area, but also an aesthetic point in our basement”. An extremely unique wow-factor in this basement is the walk in glass wine cellar that elegantly displays Karen and Chad’s extensive wine collection. Immediate access to the stunning wet bar accompanies the wine cellar to make this basement a popular spot for friends and family. The custom-built wine bar brings together two natural elements; Calacatta Vicenza Quartz and thick distressed Black Walnut. Sophisticated yet warm Graphite Dura Supreme cabinetry provides contrast to the soft beige walls and the Calacatta Gold backsplash. An undermount sink across from the bar in a matching Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertop adds functionality and convenience to the bar, while identical distressed walnut floating shelves add an interesting design element and increased storage. Rich true brown Rustic Oak hardwood floors soften and warm the space drawing all the areas together. Across from the bar is a comfortable living area perfect for the family to sit down at a watch a movie. A full bath completes this finished basement with a spacious walk-in shower, Cocoa Brown Dura Supreme vanity with Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertop, a crisp white sink and a stainless-steel Voss faucet. Advance Design’s Common Sense process gives clients the opportunity to walk through the basement renovation process one step at a time, in a completely predictable and controlled environment. “Everything was designed and built exactly how we envisioned it, and we are really enjoying it to it’s full potential,” Karen said. Constantly striving for customer satisfaction, Advance Design’s success is heavily reliant upon happy clients referring their friends and family. “We definitely will and have recommended Advance Design Studio to friends who are looking to embark on a remodeling project small or large,” Karen exclaimed at the completion of her project.

A young family moving from NYC tackled a makeover of their young colonial revival home to make it feel more personal. The kitchen area was quite spacious but needed a facelift and a banquette for breakfast. Painted cabinetry matched to Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter is balanced by Benjamin Moore Ocean Floor on the island. Mixed metals on the lighting by Allied Maker, faucets and hardware and custom tile by Pratt and Larson make the space feel organic and personal. Photos Adam Macchia. For more information, you may visit our website at www.studiodearborn.com or email us at info@studiodearborn.com.

Design by Megan Oldenburger, Photos by Deborah DeGraffenreid

A home bar for a gathering or a quiet night with a sink and a mini fridge. Open shelving keep things interesting and ties in the oak flooring. We went with herringbone patterned ceramic tiles right to the ceiling for a dramatic look!

Born + Raised Photography

HOBI Award 2014 - Winner - Best Custom Home 12,000- 14,000 sf Charles Hilton Architects Woodruff/Brown Architectural Photography

Inspired by the iconic American farmhouse, this transitional home blends a modern sense of space and living with traditional form and materials. Details are streamlined and modernized, while the overall form echoes American nastolgia. Past the expansive and welcoming front patio, one enters through the element of glass tying together the two main brick masses. The airiness of the entry glass wall is carried throughout the home with vaulted ceilings, generous views to the outside and an open tread stair with a metal rail system. The modern openness is balanced by the traditional warmth of interior details, including fireplaces, wood ceiling beams and transitional light fixtures, and the restrained proportion of windows. The home takes advantage of the Colorado sun by maximizing the southern light into the family spaces and Master Bedroom, orienting the Kitchen, Great Room and informal dining around the outdoor living space through views and multi-slide doors, the formal Dining Room spills out to the front patio through a wall of French doors, and the 2nd floor is dominated by a glass wall to the front and a balcony to the rear. As a home for the modern family, it seeks to balance expansive gathering spaces throughout all three levels, both indoors and out, while also providing quiet respites such as the 5-piece Master Suite flooded with southern light, the 2nd floor Reading Nook overlooking the street, nestled between the Master and secondary bedrooms, and the Home Office projecting out into the private rear yard. This home promises to flex with the family looking to entertain or stay in for a quiet evening.