A neutral sofa works well in this space, and makes it easy to swap out pillows for a splash of color.

Nathan Kirkman | www.nathankirkman.com

Owned by a Torontonian couple in Vero Beach, Florida, this 7,200 square-foot vacation retreat is located on the waterfront near John's Island. The interior derives from the home's strong architectural elements and sports a vibrant blend of colours - fuchsias, turquoises, and kiwis to reflect the bright, natural beauty of that part of the state. Photos: Kim Sargent, Sargent Architectural Photography

kenhaden.com Photography

This picture illustrates the 9' ceilings in this space, a wonderful feature of old Portland homes. We took advantage of this by installing new windows and a back door with a large transom window above to let in as much natural light as possible. A new corner breakfast nook with beadboard backing was designed to give this family a place to relax and converse. Check out the new period-style button light switches - a classic look updated to meet modern electrical code. Photo By Nicks Photo Design

Reclaimed barn wood wine room with custom glass doors and stamped concrete floor.

Emily Minton Redfield

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

Complete Custom Kitchen Renovation. Photography by: Ben Gebo For Before and After Photos please see our Facebook Account. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinney-Designs/156913921096192

These young clients wanted a modern kitchen. Since their home is located in a heavily wooded area, our concept was to take cues from nature. We started with the simple slab door front cabinets, and then brought in organic, “barky” looking glass back splash and rice paper laminated in glass for the upper cabinet fronts. The granite has very bold crystals which we thought resembled sliced tree trunks. The sheers in the adjoining room soften the wall of windows, and give a hint to the tree shapes beyond. To add some visual excitement, we played off the angle of the opposite wall for this Franklin kitchen’s island. We elevated the glass to bar height, and it appears to float in the space. Our clients report that it’s not only used to sit at, but works wonderfully for entertaining. Since it’s raised, it works well for a buffet surface, but doesn’t interfere with the cook. Photo by Chani Devers

•Designed by Liz Schupanitz while at Casa Verde Design. •2011 NKBA Awards: 1st Place Medium Kitchens •2011 NKBA Awards: MSP magazine Editor's Choice Award for Best Kitchen •2011 NKBA Awards: NKBA Student's Choice Award for Best Kitchen Photography by Andrea Rugg

Designed by: Studio Revolution Photography by: Thomas Kuoh

Christopher Davison, AIA

Sliding glass doors fill this hallway workspace with light while still providing privacy. A built in desk and cabinets maximize the space within the room. www.marikoreed.com

Our client requested a clean, sophisticated style with a modern flare. We took a classic shaker door in a dark wood tone added fluted glass doors, quartz counters that mimic concrete counters and lots of stainless steel accents that touch on the grey tones in the mosaic tile to create the look they wanted.

Arnal Photography