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.

The owners of this magnificent fly-in/ fly-out lodge had a vision for a home that would showcase their love of nature, animals, flying and big game hunting. Featured in the 2011 Design New York Magazine, we are proud to bring this vision to life. Chuck Smith, AIA, created the architectural design for the timber frame lodge which is situated next to a regional airport. Heather DeMoras Design Consultants was chosen to continue the owners vision through careful interior design and selection of finishes, furniture and lighting, built-ins, and accessories. HDDC's involvement touched every aspect of the home, from Kitchen and Trophy Room design to each of the guest baths and every room in between. Drawings and 3D visualization were produced for built in details such as massive fireplaces and their surrounding mill work, the trophy room and its world map ceiling and floor with inlaid compass rose, custom molding, trim & paneling throughout the house, and a master bath suite inspired by and Oak Forest. A home of this caliber requires and attention to detail beyond simple finishes. Extensive tile designs highlight natural scenes and animals. Many portions of the home received artisan paint effects to soften the scale and highlight architectural features. Artistic balustrades depict woodland creatures in forest settings. To insure the continuity of the Owner's vision, we assisted in the selection of furniture and accessories, and even assisted with the selection of windows and doors, exterior finishes and custom exterior lighting fixtures. Interior details include ceiling fans with finishes and custom detailing to coordinate with the other custom lighting fixtures of the home. The Dining Room boasts of a bronze moose chandelier above the dining room table. Along with custom furniture, other touches include a hand stitched Mennonite quilt in the Master Bedroom and murals by our decorative artist.

Mid-sized traditional single-wall wet bar in Atlanta with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, black cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

A dual wine and coffee bar was a must for this customer as part of their kitchen remodel. Their mini wine and beer refrigerator fits comfortably under the counter, but offers ample storage and dual temperature controls to chill different beverages simultaneously.

Wet bar with black shaker cabinets, marble countertop beverage fridge, wine cooler, wine storage, black faucet and round sink with brushed gold hardware.

Photo of a small transitional galley wet bar in New York with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, yellow splashback, mirror splashback, vinyl floors, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

This is a custom bar design for the client, they like to entertain and watch movies in this space, so we wanted a place where it created depth, and a bit of sparkle all while paying an homage to their yacht lifestyle.

Wood Species: Walnut with natural finish, wood top Wormy Maple with natural finish. Brushed Stainless Steel doors from Stoll Industries. Customer supplied the shelves & lights to display whisky bottle. Peg board inserts in drawers, utensil dividers in top drawers. 1” Cabinet frame with inset Solid Wood Slab doors & drawers Hardware Jefferey Alexander Knox 645-320SN & 645-128SN

Deep hues, varied patterns, and unique works of art have been merged to create a room perfect for entertaining in this Boca Raton home. Project completed by Lighthouse Point interior design firm Barbara Brickell Designs, Serving Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Pompano Beach, Highland Beach, and Delray Beach. For more about Barbara Brickell Designs, click here: http://www.barbarabrickelldesigns.com

Custom designed bar in private residence including fiber optic star ceiling, glass countertop with multi-color edge lighting, art glass knee wall and backsplash with back-lighting, lots of storage space behind. more at www.ksalowe.com

This project was an especially fun one for me and was the first of many with these amazing clients. The original space did not make sense with the homes style and definitely not with the homeowners personalities. So the goal was to brighten it up, make it into an entertaining kitchen as the main kitchen is in another of the house and make it feel like it was always supposed to be there. The space was slightly expanded giving a little more working space and allowing some room for the gorgeous Walnut bar top by Grothouse Lumber, which if you look closely resembles a shark,t he homeowner is an avid diver so this was fate. We continued with water tones in the wavy glass subway tile backsplash and fusion granite countertops, kept the custom WoodMode cabinet white with a slight distressing for some character and grounded the space a little with some darker elements found in the floating shelving and slate farmhouse sink. We also remodeled a pantry in the same style cabinetry and created a whole different feel by switching up the backsplash to a deeper blue. Being just off the main kitchen and close to outdoor entertaining it also needed to be functional and beautiful, wine storage and an ice maker were added to make entertaining a dream. Along with tons of storage to keep everything in its place. The before and afters are amazing and the new spaces fit perfectly within the home and with the homeowners.

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This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped seated home bar in Turin with beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, porcelain floors, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

U-shape bar
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped wet bar in Baltimore with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, brown cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, vinyl floors, multi-coloured floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

This is an example of a small mediterranean single-wall home bar in Orange County with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, black splashback, mosaic tile splashback and multi-coloured benchtop.

In terms of functionality, the dry bar includes an under-cabinet wine refrigerator and unique drawers for bottle storage.
Photo of a small single-wall home bar in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback and multi-coloured benchtop.

An small adult beverage area equipped with a beverage refrigerator and wine rack.
Photo of a small transitional single-wall bar cart in Cincinnati with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Basement space transformed into a cosy theatre room including a bar space fitted into the under-stair cavity. The colour scheme inspired by the fabulous natural 'lava like' stone used on the bar bench-top and splash-back. Luxury furnishings were all custom made to fit the space exactly.

Away from the main circulation of the kitchen, the drink and meal prep station allows for easy access to common amenities without crowding up the main kitchen area. With plenty of cabinets for snack and a cooler for drinks, it has you covered!

Benjamin Moore Black shaker style cabinets Belvedere granite countertops Black leather, brass and acrylic barstools Feiss pendants Metallic black subway tile Emtek satin brass hardware white oak flooring with custom stain Photo by @Spacecrafting