Fireplace Surround and Built-In Storage - Glenbrook Cabinetry
Inspiration for a large traditional open concept family room in Philadelphia with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen in Columbus with grey cabinets and shaker cabinets.

Builder: Pillar Homes
Photo of a mid-sized traditional master bedroom in Minneapolis with grey walls, carpet and beige floor.

A column of recessed niches are aligned next to the shower fixtures and tucked out of sight from the entrance. These niches offer maximum storage for a bathroom shared by 3 boys. Beveled subway tiles mingle with chrome fittings to create an updated clean and classic feeling.

Firepit patio with pondless waterfall.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional backyard garden in Minneapolis with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

The vanity is detailed beautifully from the glass hardware knobs to the frame-less oval mirror.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional master bathroom in Portland with beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, an open shower, a one-piece toilet, white tile, marble, grey walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, engineered quartz benchtops, grey floor, a hinged shower door and white benchtops.

Natural Element Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional backyard patio in Columbus with a fire feature, natural stone pavers and a pergola.

Original to the home was a beautiful stained glass window. The homeowner’s wanted to reuse it and since the laundry room had no exterior window, it was perfect. Natural light from the skylight above the back stairway filters through it and illuminates the laundry room. What was an otherwise mundane space now showcases a beautiful art piece. The room also features one of Cambria’s newest counter top colors, Parys. The rich blue and gray tones are seen again in the blue wall paint and the stainless steel sink and faucet finish. Twin Cities Closet Company provided for this small space making the most of every square inch.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun driveway for spring in Denver with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Mid-sized traditional 3/4 bathroom in Philadelphia with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a corner shower, a two-piece toilet, white tile, porcelain tile, grey walls, porcelain floors, an undermount sink and solid surface benchtops.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard patio in Richmond with a fire feature, concrete pavers and no cover.

Photo of a traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and shaker cabinets.

Southern Living Showhouse by: Castle Homes
Mid-sized traditional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Nashville with white cabinets, panelled appliances, recessed-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, with island, a farmhouse sink, white splashback, stone tile splashback and dark hardwood floors.

Large walk-in kitchen pantry with rounded corner shelves in 2 far corners. Installed to replace existing builder-grade wire shelving. Custom baking rack for pans. Wall-mounted system with extended height panels and custom trim work for floor-mount look. Open shelving with spacing designed around accommodating client's clear labeled storage bins and other serving items and cookware.

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun driveway in Other with with flowerbed, brick pavers and a metal fence.

An Arts & Crafts Bungalow is one of my favorite styles of homes. We have quite a few of them in our Stockton Mid-Town area. And when C&L called us to help them remodel their 1923 American Bungalow, I was beyond thrilled. As per usual, when we get a new inquiry, we quickly Google the project location while we are talking to you on the phone. My excitement escalated when I saw the Google Earth Image of the sweet Sage Green bungalow in Mid-Town Stockton. "Yes, we would be interested in working with you," I said trying to keep my cool. But what made it even better was meeting C&L and touring their home, because they are the nicest young couple, eager to make their home period perfect. Unfortunately, it had been slightly molested by some bad house-flippers, and we needed to bring the bathroom back to it "roots." We knew we had to banish the hideous brown tile and cheap vanity quickly. But C&L complained about the condensation problems and the constant fight with mold. This immediately told me that improper remodeling had occurred and we needed to remedy that right away. The Before: Frustrations with a Botched Remodel The bathroom needed to be brought back to period appropriate design with all the functionality of a modern bathroom. We thought of things like marble countertop, white mosaic floor tiles, white subway tile, board and batten molding, and of course a fabulous wallpaper. This small (and only) bathroom on a tight budget required a little bit of design sleuthing to figure out how we could get the proper look and feel. Our goal was to determine where to splurge and where to economize and how to complete the remodel as quickly as possible because C&L would have to move out while construction was going on. The Process: Hard Work to Remedy Design and Function During our initial design study, (which included 2 hours in the owners’ home), we noticed framed images of William Morris Arts and Crafts textile patterns and knew this would be our design inspiration. We presented C&L with three options and they quickly selected the Pimpernel Design Concept. We had originally selected the Black and Olive colors with a black vanity, mirror, and black and white floor tile. C&L liked it but weren’t quite sure about the black, We went back to the drawing board and decided the William & Co Pimpernel Wallpaper in Bayleaf and Manilla color with a softer gray painted vanity and mirror and white floor tile was more to their liking. After the Design Concept was approved, we went to work securing the building permit, procuring all the elements, and scheduling our trusted tradesmen to perform the work. We did uncover some shoddy work by the flippers such as live electrical wires hidden behind the wall, plumbing venting cut-off and buried in the walls (hence the constant dampness), the tub barely balancing on two fence boards across the floor joist, and no insulation on the exterior wall. All of the previous blunders were fixed and the bathroom put back to its previous glory. We could feel the house thanking us for making it pretty again. The After Reveal: Cohesive Design Decisions We selected a simple white subway tile for the tub/shower. This is always classic and in keeping with the style of the house. We selected a pre-fab vanity and mirror, but they look rich with the quartz countertop. There is much more storage in this small vanity than you would think. The Transformation: A Period Perfect Refresh We began the remodel just as the pandemic reared and stay-in-place orders went into effect. As C&L were already moved out and living with relatives, we got the go-ahead from city officials to get the work done (after all, how can you shelter in place without a bathroom?). All our tradesmen were scheduled to work so that only one crew was on the job site at a time. We stayed on the original schedule with only a one week delay. The end result is the sweetest little bathroom I've ever seen (and I can't wait to start work on C&L's kitchen next). Thank you for joining me in this project transformation. I hope this inspired you to think about being creative with your design projects, determining what works best in keeping with the architecture of your space, and carefully assessing how you can have the best life in your home.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional powder room in Boston with ceramic floors, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, white benchtops, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, pink walls, black floor, a floating vanity and wallpaper.

Kitchen Cabinetry by Glenbrook Cabinetry -Snowcap with Mocha Glaze Kitchen Cabinetry Countertop by Renaissance Marble & Granite Inc. - Pietra Del Cordosa Tile Backsplash by Quemere Designs - Ice Cream Crackle Island by Glenbrook Cabinetry - Cherry Stained Acorn Hutch by Glenbrook Cabinetry - Snowcap with Mocha Glaze Island Countertop by Renaissance Marble & Granite, Inc - Cararra Marble Range - Wolf

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen in Columbus with grey cabinets and shaker cabinets.