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

Green and pink guest bathroom with green metro tiles. brass hardware and pink sink.
This is an example of a large eclectic master bathroom in London with dark wood cabinets, a freestanding tub, an open shower, green tile, ceramic tile, pink walls, marble floors, a vessel sink, marble benchtops, grey floor, an open shower and white benchtops.

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.

Showcasing our muted pink glass tile this eclectic bathroom is soaked in style. DESIGN Project M plus, Oh Joy PHOTOS Bethany Nauert LOCATION Los Angeles, CA Tile Shown: 4x12 in Rosy Finch Gloss; 4x4 & 4x12 in Carolina Wren Gloss

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.

Small midcentury master bathroom in Kansas City with brown cabinets, multi-coloured tile, mosaic tile, black walls, slate floors, a drop-in sink, engineered quartz benchtops, black floor, white benchtops, a single vanity and a built-in vanity.

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.

Luke Hayes
Inspiration for a scandinavian 3/4 bathroom in London with pink tile, mosaic tile, white walls, mosaic tile floors, a vessel sink, multi-coloured floor, an open shower and white benchtops.

Inspiration for a large transitional master bathroom in Minneapolis with a freestanding tub, gray tile, subway tile, white walls, porcelain floors, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor, white cabinets, white benchtops and recessed-panel cabinets.

Architectural advisement, Interior Design, Custom Furniture Design & Art Curation by Chango & Co Photography by Sarah Elliott See the feature in Rue Magazine

Small contemporary bathroom in Other with a vessel sink, a one-piece toilet, red tile, ceramic tile, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, red walls, ceramic floors, brown floor and white benchtops.

After reviving their kitchen, this couple was ready to tackle the master bathroom by getting rid of some Venetian plaster and a built in tub, removing fur downs and a bulky shower surround, and just making the entire space feel lighter, brighter, and bringing into a more mid-century style space. The cabinet is a freestanding furniture piece that we allowed the homeowner to purchase themselves to save a little bit on cost, and it came with prefabricated with a counter and undermount sinks. We installed 2 floating shelves in walnut above the commode to match the vanity piece. The faucets are Hansgrohe Talis S widespread in chrome, and the tub filler is from the same collection. The shower control, also from Hansgrohe, is the Ecostat S Pressure Balance with a Croma SAM Set Plus shower head set. The gorgeous freestanding soaking tub if from Jason - the Forma collection. The commode is a Toto Drake II two-piece, elongated. Tile was really fun to play with in this space so there is a pretty good mix. The floor tile is from Daltile in their Fabric Art Modern Textile in white. We kept is fairly simple on the vanity back wall, shower walls and tub surround walls with an Interceramic IC Brites White in their wall tile collection. A 1" hex on the shower floor is from Daltile - the Keystones collection. The accent tiles were very fun to choose and we settled on Daltile Natural Hues - Paprika in the shower, and Jade by the tub. The wall color was updated to a neutral Gray Screen from Sherwin Williams, with Extra White as the ceiling color.

Baño de 2 piezas y plato de ducha, ubicado en la planta baja del ático al lado del comedor - salón lo que lo hace muy cómodo para los invitados.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 bathroom in Barcelona with white cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, beige tile, ceramic tile, beige walls, ceramic floors, an integrated sink, soapstone benchtops, grey floor, a sliding shower screen, white benchtops, a single vanity, a built-in vanity and flat-panel cabinets.

Design ideas for a beach style master bathroom in Boston with white cabinets, white benchtops, a claw-foot tub, beige walls, marble floors, an undermount sink and recessed-panel cabinets.

Decorated shared bath includes kids theme and girls pink accessories. This kids bath has a shared entry between hallway and her bedroom. A small marbled octagon tile was selected for the flooring and subway tile for a new shower. The more permanent features like the tile will grown with her while wall color and decor can easily change over the years.

Distribución y proyecto de interiorismo en baño principal. Azulejo rosa en el frente de lavabo junto con espejo de Maisons du Monde. Apliques diseñados a medida para el cliente. Estantes bañados en oro para la pared diseñados a medida. Lavabo de krion de Porcelanosa Fotografía: Laura Casas Amor

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional bathroom in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, orange tile, ceramic tile, grey walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, multi-coloured floor, an open shower, white benchtops, a single vanity and a freestanding vanity.

photo by Bruce Damonte
Photo of a modern bathroom in San Francisco with green tile and white benchtops.

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional master bathroom in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, red cabinets, an alcove shower, a two-piece toilet, black and white tile, ceramic tile, yellow walls, ceramic floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, white floor, a hinged shower door, white benchtops, a shower seat, a built-in vanity and a single vanity.