This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath. Joe Nowak

Photo of a mid-sized transitional look-out basement in Ottawa with grey walls, cork floors and no fireplace.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional look-out basement in Minneapolis with grey walls, cork floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and grey floor.

Karen Jackson Photography
This is an example of a large contemporary walk-out basement in Seattle with grey walls, cork floors and no fireplace.

Exposed ceiling painted for industrial feel and allow for full head height in a basement with a low ceiling.
Design ideas for a small traditional fully buried basement in Milwaukee with cork floors.

Josh Ladouceur Photograhphy Tungsten Renovations
Design ideas for a mid-sized country fully buried basement in Ottawa with grey walls and cork floors.

www.natkay.com
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional fully buried basement in Toronto with grey walls and cork floors.

Who says Utility rooms need to be boring? These homeowners needed several storage solutions and had an unfinished basement just waiting for their personal touches. First off - they needed a utility sink located near their laundry appliances. Second they needed wine storage, general storage and file storage. They found just what they were looking for with custom cabinetry by Dewils in their Fenix slab door featuring nanotechnology! A soft touch, self-healing and anti-fingerprint finish (Thermal healing of microscratches - cool!) Interior drawers keep their wine organized and easy to access. They jazzed up the white finish with Wilsonart Quartz in "Key West", colorful backsplash tile in ocean hues and knobs featuring starfish and wine grapes.

The home’s front exterior is unassuming yet modern. Horizontal narrow windows, seemingly single story with a modest shed roof. The exterior materials bring warmth to the clean angles with barn wood shiplap siding, each a different width for texture and depth. The standing seam roof anchors the home in a rich black metal, a nod to its contemporary aesthetic. The front portico is clad with rusted core ten metal bringing another dimension to the front. The rear of the home quickly unfolds, revealing it to be a two-story home, with a walk-out basement, furnished in glass from head to toe. A stark contrast to the understated front façade.

Rosen Kelly Conway Architecture & Design, Photographer: Peter Rymwid Architectural Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary fully buried basement in New York with beige walls, cork floors and no fireplace.

JALIN Desig, LLC
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional basement in Minneapolis with no fireplace and cork floors.

Fowler Interior Design
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary walk-out basement in Other with grey walls, cork floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Ahmed Rizvi - Photo Credit
Photo of a traditional walk-out basement in DC Metro with white walls, cork floors and no fireplace.

Mike Chajecki www.mikechajecki.com
Photo of a large contemporary fully buried basement in Toronto with grey walls and cork floors.

Design ideas for a small traditional fully buried basement in Other with beige walls, cork floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

JVL Photography
Photo of a mid-sized transitional basement in Ottawa with grey walls and cork floors.

Our clients owned a Greek Revival home in Cambridge that was becoming too small for their growing family. Instead of moving, they decided to make use of their entire basement and create a Family Room and an adjacent Projects Room/Spare Bedroom. Finishing old basements pose several problems, chief of which is keeping the water out. So our first step was installing a waterproofing system consisting of a French drain beneath the slab and a membrane that we applied to the inside of the foundation walls. With water taken care of, their goal of making full use of this space was a success. A cork floor, plastered walls and ceilings, some nice lighting and the space feels great.

Design ideas for a small traditional look-out basement in Denver with blue walls, cork floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

The strength of hardwood, the comfort of carpet. The best flooring for your home gym - Cork. Need a flooring that’s not only strong but versatile for your home gym. Cork is your answer. Cork is strong enough to support exercise machines and give them a level surface to work off—unlike carpet, on which the machines can sink—and is soft and flexible enough underfoot to give a comfortable surface for high-impact exercises. Neither carpet or hardwood floors can give you both. For a gym, cork tiles are a better option. Look into cork today. https://www.cancork.com/store/golden-beach-cork-tiles-8mm/