Greg's Ideas
f you have the space, a vanity with a variety of drawer sizes is ideal. A mix of cabinets and various-size drawers allows for storage of small and large items. Decide whether you want any open cubbies for towels and other items. As mentioned earlier, a custom-made vanity can have the exact configuration you want.
Main kitchen features. “We used the cabinetry like pieces of furniture, defining the spaces while in reality it’s kind of all just one big, open room,” Hull says. “But the cabinetry creates privacy for the scullery kitchen.” James McNeal Architecture and Design Butler’s pantry features. “The scullery kitchen is designed to be visually hidden while also being completely open and accessible from the main kitchen,” Hull says. “You can easily work back and forth between the two kitchens and you can also hide your messy work, and dishes can easily go to the scullery kitchen and be out of sight and out of mind when having guests over. “The scullery kitchen is also good for baking. This one adheres to the open floor plan concept and has windows to bring in natural light. The range cabinetry and surrounding cabinets are kind of designed as a piece of furniture that delineates the main space from the scullery kitchen and is expressed uniquely with a stained wood finish, as opposed to the rest of the perimeter kitchen cabinetry, which has a dark blue finish to it.” “Uh-oh” moment. “The clients, when we were well down the road into the design of their home, were questioning if the ceiling ...
Main kitchen features. “We used the cabinetry like pieces of furniture, defining the spaces while in reality it’s kind of all just one big, open room,” Hull says. “But the cabinetry creates privacy for the scullery kitchen.” James McNeal Architecture and Design Butler’s pantry features. “The scullery kitchen is designed to be visually hidden while also being completely open and accessible from the main kitchen,” Hull says. “You can easily work back and forth between the two kitchens and you can also hide your messy work, and dishes can easily go to the scullery kitchen and be out of sight and out of mind when having guests over. “The scullery kitchen is also good for baking. This one adheres to the open floor plan concept and has windows to bring in natural light. The range cabinetry and surrounding cabinets are kind of designed as a piece of furniture that delineates the main space from the scullery kitchen and is expressed uniquely with a stained wood finish, as opposed to the rest of the perimeter kitchen cabinetry, which has a dark blue finish to it.” “Uh-oh” moment. “The clients, when we were well down the road into the design of their home, were questioning if the ceiling ...
Factor Design Build created a pathway of hexagonal tile flooring that extends from this Denver home’s entryway, where it’s interwoven into the wood flooring, to this powder room. The tile provides a path for guests who are looking for the bathroom. The tile continues partway up the wall, where it transitions into a bold botanical wallpaper. An origami bird light fixture completes the natural look and feel of the space.
Wom Design responded to the small proportions of this compact Parisian powder room with big and bold design elements. Color-blocked blue accents above the toilet, beneath the sink and on the ceiling play off the blue tiles in the playfully geometric floor. An eclectic green mirror frame is a fun finishing touch
Outdoor lighting elevates any container design, particularly if it features bare stems, such as dogwood or curly willow, as seen in this design by Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors. “The small stake light delivers an extra-strong emphasis for the entrance at night,” Chorvat says. You can choose plug-in or battery-powered spotlights or string lights to illuminate your design, using evergreen top-dressing to conceal the cords.
“A hanging rail installed above a countertop makes drying shirts easy and reduces the amount of ironing. “A simple solution is to install the rail underneath the overhead cabinets, or make it a feature by installing it to hang from the ceiling. Just be sure to allow for enough clearance between the rail and the counter for shirts to hang.”
“Professionals often forget to factor in space for a hamper in their laundry design, which means that dirty washing has to be stored elsewhere, creating clutter throughout the laundry or in other rooms in the client’s home.” Swanson Homes “A pull-out hamper fitted into cabinetry with dividers to separate colors, darks and whites is the ideal solution. A simpler and more inexpensive option is to include a recessed space for a basket.”
“Having a decent amount of counter space is a godsend in a laundry, giving the client room to fold and sort clothes, pop a clothes hamper down and more. “Sometimes it’s better to forego a top loader and put the machine under the countertop to create more counter space. Or even go for a two-in-one washer-dryer to free up room for more usable counter space.” Agnieszka Jakubowicz PHOTOGRAPHY “You’ll want the countertops to be at least 24 inches deep — or ideally 25½ inches deep, if you have the room — so you can include a decent-size sink as well as counter space to put baskets and folded clothes on top.”
Each vanity features a quartz countertop, a widespread stainless steel faucet and seven operable soft-close deep drawers and a sink cabinet. “By placing the sink cabinet at counter height, we were able to add an additional drawer under the cabinet doors,” Arwine says. Brushed satin nickel pulls add a clean, contemporary detail. A custom recessed medicine cabinet sits to the side of each vanity. “We put electrical outlets inside the medicine cabinets for electric toothbrushes and electric shavers,” Arwine says. A 32-by-48-inch dimmable color-changing LED-lighted mirror offers different light levels for hair styling, makeup application and shaving. “It keeps us from having to use vanity bar lights, for a cleaner look,” Arwine says.
Tub against the back wall with wet room /shower in front
Like the tile design
“Good lighting in a living room is essential. Consider how your clients will use their living room to determine the lighting you need. Soft ambient lighting is often preferred of an evening when watching TV. Task lighting, such as a floor lamp, is necessary for reading. And don’t forget to highlight any architectural features or artworks with accent lighting to create interest and visual drama.”
“Area rugs not only define and frame the living space, they provide acoustic benefits and add coziness.
TV behind sliding panels: Where possible, look to design the living room so the television is not the main focal point of the room. Ideally, design custom cabinetry to house the television or use a dark color on the wall behind the screen to camouflage it when it’s switched off. If that’s not possible, consider a television that disguises the screen as an artwork when it’s not in use.”
Two opposing sofas: If you consider the quality and life span of custom pieces, they are not necessarily more expensive than imported retail pieces. Superior frames and fill types guarantee a long-life product. If you choose a piece with clean lines and comfortable proportions, it can last your clients for years, with the option to update the look and feel with new upholstery or filling down the track.”
Nice combination of sofa and chairs: Alison Felstead, owner and interior designer at Naibu Design, says, “When designing a living room, I’d recommend you select the sofa first as it is generally the largest piece of furniture in the room. It needs to be proportionate to the space it’s going into, and very comfortable. I will often choose an easy-to-clean fabric in a neutral color that’s simple to update with cushions.”
I like the combination of chairs with beachy theme
Flamingo tree is cute
Molding on the ceiling - cool design
Very interesting shower layout
Cabinet pantries aren’t inefficient by any means, but walk-in pantries let you get a little more creative with your organization techniques. You can sort your items by row or column, by food group and so on. Consider dedicating a column of shelves to nonrefrigerated fruits and veggies or your most-used oils and spices. You may even have room to house your baking sheets with built-in tray dividers.
Lighted snow flake lights - dazzling
Art Deco theater
Art Deco theater
Pull out shelves on either side of refridgerator
Cool floor lamps that sort of look like palm trees
If possible (and with the appropriate safety precautions), route electrical to inside a cabinet so that electric toothbrushes, hair dryers and curling irons aren’t on display.
Storage and organizer
Gracious shower niche featuring linen tile, large format porcelain wall tile and a penny round complete this guest shower.
I like that they created a border using the flat stone tile from the shower floor around the room but I think the border is too narrow
Bottle organization at the beverage station
Like the appliance garage with side doors that inset and don't block the other cabinet doors.
I think I would like these pendants if the inside shade was glass instead of fabrick
Refrigerator flanked by pull out pantries for easy access and visability
Ah, the fifth wall, what designers often call the ceiling. It’s another great opportunity to create a fun design moment. You can use paint or wallpaper. Wallpapering a ceiling can sometimes be more cost-effective than on walls because there’s often less surface area to cover, and it’s a more continuous surface. The fewer times you have to measure and cut around things like windows and built-ins, the easier it’s going to be. And the effect can be even more stunning than on walls.
Ah, the fifth wall, what designers often call the ceiling. It’s another great opportunity to create a fun design moment. You can use paint or wallpaper. Wallpapering a ceiling can sometimes be more cost-effective than on walls because there’s often less surface area to cover, and it’s a more continuous surface. The fewer times you have to measure and cut around things like windows and built-ins, the easier it’s going to be. And the effect can be even more stunning than on walls.
To infuse a bit more pizzazz, consider wallpapering the back of your bookcase in a fun color and pattern.
A common — and lovely — way to add a touch of whimsy to a room is to paint the back of a bookcase a spectacular color. This will give a dramatic background to your books and display items, creating a focal wall that’s slightly more subdued than painting a full wall a bright color.
I like the stacked picture gallery
Of course, you can’t have an adequate work surface without proper lighting. And pros recommend a layered approach. “Great overhead lighting is essential for both tasks and aesthetics,” designer Kimball Starr says. “A combination of accurately placed recessed lighting, undercabinet lighting and decorative pendants makes for a space people won’t want to leave.” H&H Custom Homes directed several light sources toward the island in this Bucyrus, Ohio, kitchen.
As mentioned, your island is likely to become your main work surface. And that makes it a good spot for a pullout trash-and-recycling center, like the one designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn designed for the suburban New York kitchen seen here. This placement allows you to wipe food scraps and crumbs right off the surface into a bin.
If you choose not to put your main sink in the island, consider adding a prep sink instead. “It allows two people to prep and cook comfortably,” designer Jamie Roddy of Eden LA Furniture and Interiors says. If you use your island surface as your main prep area, it means you can rinse items right next to where you’re working, rather than rinsing items in the main sink and dripping water on the floor as you transfer them to the island. One suggestion is to position the prep sink off to one edge of the countertop, preferably near the refrigerator so you can quickly transfer vegetables and other foods right to the basin to rinse. Plus, placing it off to the side keeps a large work surface free on the island that you can use for chopping or as buffet space when entertaining. The prep sink in the Boston kitchen seen here, by Almar Building and Remodeling, is a good example of how placement at the end of the island looks.
Designer Meghan De Maria of Moss Design likes Nano Glass, which she used for the island in her own kitchen, paired with a marble backsplash. “It’s great because it is virtually indestructible, and from a design perspective, its sleek, modern finish brings a nice balance to the natural marble,” she says.
Placing a beverage fridge or fridge drawer in your island can be a great way to let people grab a drink or snack without disrupting the main work triangle in your kitchen. A good spot is at or near the island end that’s farthest away from the main action, as in this New York kitchen by Thyme & Place Design. In this Miami kitchen by Dreamstar Custom Homes, a beverage fridge on the outer side of the island lets family members and guests grab drinks without getting in the way in the main traffic area. During parties, the countertop above can serve as a drink-making station while still leaving plenty of work surface on the other side of the island for the cook.
Building code requires at least one outlet for an island, and more depending on the size of the island. So you’ll want to consider the best spot for your outlet or outlets. Be sure to talk with your design or building pro to get their advice and recommendations. That way you can plug in a blender or mixer right on your prep surface, or you can use the outlets to charge phones and other devices. An outlet on the back side of an island, as in this Cleveland kitchen by H&H Custom Homes, lets kids charge a laptop while doing homework. Vertical Interior Design An outlet on the side might be a better spot, as in this Chicago kitchen by Vertical Interior Design. Think about where you store your most-used gadgets so you can take them out of a cabinet and plug them in right on the countertop. You might also want to consider an outlet in a drawer for charging devices so they’re not left out on the countertop. Toulmin Kitchen & Bath Another thing to keep in mind is the outlet cover style. “A small detail that makes all the difference is having painted or matching wood outlet covers as opposed to a bright white plastic cover against a dark painted or wood island,” Thompson says. A good ...
“Whenever possible, we add extra cabinets under the overhang on the back side to maximize storage,” says Chelsea Forse, a design coordinator at King and Society Construction. “It can create a more finished look, and with the latest kitchens moving away from upper cabinets, it helps make up for the storage space that we are now missing.” Architecture firm Ailtire Studio integrated storage on the back side of the island in the Philadelphia kitchen shown here. See the next photo for a peek at the storage. Ailtire Studio llc To access the storage, the homeowners just move the stools out of the way. “Cabinetry on the back side of the island is a great place to stash the holiday platters and Crock-Pots when you don’t need them,” designer Judith Balis says. You might also want to consider cabinets, drawers or shelves at the ends of your island.
How you intend to use island seating will affect other elements, such as the length of the overhang. “Our minimum depth is 12 inches, but our ideal is around 16 to 18 inches of overhang on the countertop to give enough knee space with bar stools,” builder Al Kelekci of Hask Custom Homes says.
If you expect that the seating will be used mostly for doing homework or having a quick snack, you might want all the seats facing the same way. If you like being able to look at the person next to you, you might want seating on two sides of your island, as in the Providence, Rhode Island, kitchen by JKB Kitchen & Bath seen here. Keep in mind that you’ll want at least 24 inches of space between each seat for people to feel comfortable.
Very cool river stone flooring that blends into the floor tile.
A custom pegboard and cabinets made of birch plywood with a limewash finish outfit this Australian laundry room and mudroom. Zoom in and you’ll see that some of the pegs have brightly painted ends, adding little zings of color to the room — and perhaps hiding discoloration caused by frequent touching of the pegs.
made the most out of every inch of this Seattle kitchen by adding a small appliance garage to an awkwardly shaped corner. The cabinet door lifts to reveal a coffee maker on a pullout shelf.
Q