Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Mid-Century Modern Bathroom
Inspiration for a midcentury master bathroom in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a corner shower, a two-piece toilet, white walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, terrazzo benchtops, black floor, a hinged shower door, multi-coloured benchtops, a niche, a double vanity, a built-in vanity and exposed beam.

Nous avons réussi à créer la salle de bain de la chambre des filles dans un ancien placard
This is an example of a small contemporary kids bathroom in Paris with beaded inset cabinets, a single vanity, a floating vanity, white cabinets, an alcove tub, pink tile, ceramic tile, pink walls, a console sink, white floor, an open shower, white benchtops and a shower seat.

Design ideas for a traditional master bathroom in Minneapolis with medium wood cabinets, a claw-foot tub, beige walls, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, beige floor, black benchtops and flat-panel cabinets.

Luke White Photography
Mid-sized contemporary master bathroom in London with a freestanding tub, blue walls, porcelain floors, marble benchtops, white benchtops, medium wood cabinets, an undermount sink, beige floor and flat-panel cabinets.

Jonathan Mitchell
Design ideas for a large arts and crafts master bathroom in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, black and white tile, white tile, an undermount sink, multi-coloured floor, black benchtops, a freestanding tub, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, subway tile, white walls, porcelain floors, marble benchtops and a hinged shower door.

3/4 bathroom in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an alcove tub, a shower/bathtub combo, a two-piece toilet, red tile, beige walls, a drop-in sink, wood benchtops and beige floor.

Mid-sized contemporary master wet room bathroom in Brisbane with medium wood cabinets, beige tile, brown tile, ceramic tile, beige walls, glass benchtops, beige floor, a hinged shower door, an alcove tub, an integrated sink and flat-panel cabinets.

Building Design, Plans, and Interior Finishes by: Fluidesign Studio I Builder: Schmidt Homes Remodeling I Photographer: Seth Benn Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized country bathroom in Minneapolis with a two-piece toilet, medium wood cabinets, black walls, a vessel sink, wood benchtops, multi-coloured floor, brown benchtops and flat-panel cabinets.

Photo by Bill Hazlegrove
Photo of a mid-sized transitional kids bathroom in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, orange tile, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, beige floor, a hinged shower door, a curbless shower and subway tile.

How cool is this? We designed a pull-out tower, in three sections, beside "her" sink, to give the homeowner handy access for her make-up and hair care routine. We even installed the mirror exactly for her height! The sides of the pull-out were done in metal, to maximize the interior width of the shelves, and we even customized it so that the widest items she wanted to store in here would fit on these shelves!

Todd Mason
Inspiration for a midcentury bathroom in New York with medium wood cabinets, green tile, mosaic tile, green walls, an undermount sink and flat-panel cabinets.

Red and Amber Contemporary Guest Bath in Modern Chelsea Pied-à-terre | Renovation & Interior Design by Brett Design.
Inspiration for a contemporary bathroom in New York with a wall-mount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, red tile, mosaic tile and red walls.

www.kern-fotografie.de
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Cologne with a wall-mount sink, open cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, an alcove shower and red walls.

Greg Premru Photography
Inspiration for a small contemporary bathroom in Boston with a vessel sink, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, multi-coloured tile, matchstick tile, multi-coloured walls and recessed-panel cabinets.

Jill Burwell Photography
Design ideas for a contemporary bathroom in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, concrete benchtops and a one-piece toilet.

Design ideas for a midcentury bathroom in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white tile, white walls, cement tiles, an undermount sink, multi-coloured floor, an open shower, white benchtops and a double vanity.

Country bathroom in DC Metro with medium wood cabinets, black walls, mosaic tile floors, a vessel sink, white floor and flat-panel cabinets.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary bathroom in Santa Barbara with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, red tile, ceramic tile, white walls, cement tiles, a vessel sink and glass benchtops.