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After living in their historic 1835 house for a few years, this Milton, Massachusetts, couple with three kids wanted the basic kitchen to better match the traditional charm of their home. Their existing space felt cramped and dated with aging white cabinets and black countertops. A wood-topped island and disruptive range hood above a peninsula crowded the limited space. They hired architect and interior designer Keri Murray to rethink the floor plan and create a larger kitchen with an elevated classic look, modern functionality and an improved connection with surrounding areas.
Murray pushed the kitchen into the adjacent den, which she relocated to another area. The former kitchen became a breakfast area that sits open to the new kitchen. The expanded footprint allowed for a breezy feel with a large walnut island that seats three people. Channeling English country style, Murray created custom cabinets painted a soft blue-gray, inspired by the color of common pigeons seen around London. Unlacquered brass hardware, exposed original wood ceiling beams and soapstone for the countertops, custom sink and backsplash add to the across-the-pond look.
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2. Curve Control
Designer: Maritza Capiro
Location: Coral Gables, Florida
Size: 189 square feet (18 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners wanted a functional yet stylish home office that could seamlessly blend into the overall design aesthetic of their home,” designer Maritza Capiro says. “The previous space lacked warmth, cohesion and efficient storage, which made it feel more utilitarian than inviting. They wanted a workspace that felt luxurious, inspiring and uncluttered — a place where they could focus while also enjoying the beauty of their surroundings. To address these needs, we focused on creating a layout that balanced functionality with visual interest. By adding custom built-ins, intentional lighting and an eye-catching desk, we transformed the space into a statement-making office that supports productivity and relaxation.”
Special features. “The sculptural, curved desk serves as a centerpiece, combining artistry with practicality,” Capiro says. “Its soft, neutral finish complements the room’s light, airy palette while standing out as a design focal point. The black built-in shelves provide ample storage for books and decorative objects, while the arched detail adds architectural interest. The matte black finish contrasts beautifully with the lighter elements in the room. The statement chandelier adds texture and sophistication to the space, while a picture light over the shelves enhances the display. The light wood flooring grounds the space and adds warmth, while layered textures such as the area rug, upholstered chair and patterned accent chair create a welcoming and polished look. The walls are painted in a soft, neutral tone (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) that enhances the natural light and makes the room feel spacious.”
Cord and document control. “To keep the space visually clean and organized, we included hidden storage within the built-ins and desk,” Capiro says. “Cords are discreetly routed behind the furniture, while the desk drawers store necessary office supplies and documents. This strategy keeps everything functional but out of sight, maintaining the overall polished look.”
Designer tip. “Invest in a statement desk that doubles as both a functional piece and a design focal point,” Capiro says. “Pair it with custom built-ins to ensure all storage needs are met without cluttering the room. Additionally, layering textures through rugs, upholstery and accents can make any space feel more inviting and cohesive.”
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Perched in a tree canopy overlooking South Carolina’s Lake Keowee, this expansive porch offers year-round enjoyment. Design-build firm Ridgeline Construction Group created the custom home, which has a refined rugged look that fits right in with the trees along the lakeside. Designed for indoor-outdoor entertaining, the porch provides ample space for the homeowners to host their friends and family, including their adult children and numerous grandchildren.
The homeowners, empty nesters from Chicago, originally planned for the house to serve as a second home and as a hub for themselves and their family. However, they wound up relocating permanently. “The house works really well for them. When they decided to move here full time, we didn’t have to tweak a thing,” interior designer Maggie Madarasz says.
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Heavy elements like a built-in jetted tub, a water closet and a pony-walled corner shower ate up much of this couple’s 166-square-foot bathroom. Looking to loosen up the layout and add stylish aging-in-place features, they reached out to designer and project manager Amanda Davis.
Davis removed the bathtub, walls around the water closet and pony walls around a portion of the shower to create an airier footprint with more room for maneuvering. A curbless shower with a wide ADA-compliant entry and grab bars inside (and beside the toilet) add future-proof features. Noticing that much of the home’s art was inspired by the ocean, Davis added a custom mural made from mosaic marble pieces that gives the impression of coastal fog wrapping the shower walls. A similar mosaic adorns an arched niche area that contains a walnut bench and storage cabinet. Soothing sea green granite slabs form the countertops and wrap the lower portion of the shower and pony walls. Walnut vanities add warmth visually, while heated flooring does it literally.
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Organized and thoughtful:
You’re a careful planner and thoughtful host and you understand the importance of preparation. Not for you the impulse buying or last-minute panic of hosting guests. You’ve had this planned for weeks.
Tables are set in advance, presents are wrapped, and you’ve done as much as possible to alleviate any last-minute stress. As a result, guests love to visit your home over the holidays. In fact, you’re so efficient that others sometimes feel they can take a back seat, so make sure to ask for help when needed. You deserve to relax and enjoy the festivities too.
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Mosquitoes, biting yellow flies and countless other insects and critters make screened-in porches a must for comfort on the Florida panhandle. A couple living in Atlanta hired architect Danny Martin to design a home for their retirement in a new panhandle community called Draper Lake, and a screened-in porch plays a key role in the home’s design and in their lifestyle.
The couple uses the screened-in porch for dining, grilling, lounging and enjoying a favorite hobby — making pizza in a wood-fired oven. Working within a tight lot overlooking a dune lake, Martin also used the porch as a key connector between the carriage house, the main house and the yard.
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With a 2-year-old daughter and a baby on the way, this young couple were looking to give their daughter a bathroom she could grow into. They hired designer Kirby Foster Hurd, who used Houzz Pro software to convert a former garage area into a bedroom and a comfortable, accessible bathroom with materials and features that won’t go out of style. In the bathroom, a low-profile tub gives the couple an easy way to bathe their toddler and will provide a stylish spot to soak as their daughter grows. A curbless shower features a handheld sprayer for quick rinses. Meanwhile, a warm wood vanity with reeded front, along with textured wallpaper, creamy white tile in the shower and glamorous light fixtures, creates a style even a future teenager could love.
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The kitchen in this Minneapolis-area rambling ranch wasn’t cutting it for a home cook who loves to prepare meals for her family. Armed with inspiration images from designer Emily Pueringer’s portfolio as well as a favorite blogger’s kitchen with a very long island, she hired Pueringer herself to design the kitchen.
By combining the existing kitchen and adjacent dining room, the designer gave her clients a large kitchen with plenty of space for cooking, baking and gathering. The layout includes a long island down the center, a significant range alcove, a desk area for writing letters and separate fridge and freezer units. The new kitchen’s style evokes old-world European charm with ceiling beams, marble, hand-painted terra-cotta tiles and brass accents.
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After: Reedy stripped the kitchen back and stretched the footprint into the breakfast area, adding 120 square feet. An extra-long island features seating for six on one end and storage on the other. “The peninsula sort of boxed in whoever was entertaining,” Reedy says. “It also didn’t allow for gathering where everyone felt connected. The new island gives them seating all together and creates a walkway that didn’t exist before. They have a pool and grill just steps away outside, so now they also have a more direct path from the outdoors.”
The kitchen’s new palette allowed Reedy to combine the husband’s love of wood tones and limestone with the wife’s affection for bright and light finishes. “We found all of the ivory tones and midtone wood grain and pops of blue checked all the right boxes for both of them,” Reedy says. The island anchors the space in navy blue. The perimeter cabinets are maple in a semitransparent stain. The flooring is 15-by-30-inch limestone-look porcelain tiles in a matte finish. A white ceramic subway tile backsplash and polished marble-look quartz countertops brighten the room.
Backsplash: Cloe in white, 2½ by 8 inches, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; cabinetry: Artisan Maple Bellefonte five-piece in Mariner (island) and Sandbar with a semitransparent stain (perimeter), Wolf Home Products; floor tile: Riverstone in ivory, 15-by-30-inches, Castille, Floor & Decor; paint colors: Whitetail (walls and ceiling) and Navajo White (trim), Sherwin-Williams
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The homeowners loved the look of a slightly rugged natural stone floor. Because they also wanted low maintenance, the designer steered them toward porcelain. “As someone with a trained eye, I can usually tell the difference between natural stone and porcelain, but in this case I really can’t,” she says. “We used a wide range of color in the tiles, and they have a texture to them. There are even little faux chips in them. Also, the texture makes it slip-resistant.” Bula had the tiles laid in a classic herringbone pattern.
The wall paint, Etiquette by Benjamin Moore, is a shade Bula tested in her own home. “Before I used it, I did a bunch of blind paint color tests and I chose this color every time,” she says. “It’s a really nice warm neutral that does not lean too beige. And it looks so nice next to white trim.” The white paint is Benjamin Moore’s Simply White.