664,873 American Home Design Photos


The 100-year old home’s kitchen was old and just didn’t function well. A peninsula in the middle of the main part of the kitchen blocked the path from the back door. This forced the homeowners to mostly use an odd, U-shaped corner of the kitchen.
Design objectives:
-Add an island
-Wow-factor design
-Incorporate arts and crafts with a touch of Mid-century modern style
-Allow for a better work triangle when cooking
-Create a seamless path coming into the home from the backdoor
-Make all the countertops in the space 36” high (the old kitchen had different base cabinet heights)
Design challenges to be solved:
-Island design
-Where to place the sink and dishwasher
-The family’s main entrance into the home is a back door located within the kitchen space. Samantha needed to find a way to make an unobstructed path through the kitchen to the outside
-A large eating area connected to the kitchen felt slightly misplaced – Samantha wanted to bring the kitchen and materials more into this area
-The client does not like appliance garages/cabinets to the counter. The more countertop space, the better!
Design solutions:
-Adding the right island made all the difference! Now the family has a couple of seats within the kitchen space. -Multiple walkways facilitate traffic flow.
-Multiple pantry cabinets (both shallow and deep) are placed throughout the space. A couple of pantry cabinets were even added to the back door wall and wrap around into the breakfast nook to give the kitchen a feel of extending into the adjoining eating area.
-Upper wall cabinets with clear glass offer extra lighting and the opportunity for the client to display her beautiful vases and plates. They add and an airy feel to the space.
-The kitchen had two large existing windows that were ideal for a sink placement. The window closest to the back door made the most sense due to the fact that the other window was in the corner. Now that the sink had a place, we needed to worry about the dishwasher. Samantha didn’t want the dishwasher to be in the way of people coming in the back door – it’s now in the island right across from the sink.
-The homeowners love Motawi Tile. Some fantastic pieces are placed within the backsplash throughout the kitchen. -Larger tiles with borders make for nice accent pieces over the rangetop and by the bar/beverage area.
-The adjacent area for eating is a gorgeous nook with massive windows. We added a built-in furniture-style banquette with additional lower storage cabinets in the same finish. It’s a great way to connect and blend the two areas into what now feels like one big space!
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8ft. Therma-Tru Classic-Craft American Style Collection fiberglass door with high-definition Douglas Fir grain and Shaker-style recessed panels. Door and sidelites include energy-efficient Low-E glass.


Originally built in the early twentieth century, this Orchard Lake cottage was purchased almost 10 years ago by a wonderful couple—empty nesters with an appreciation for stunning views, modern amenities and quality craftsmanship. They hired MainStreet Design Build to design and remodel their home to fit their needs exactly.
Upon initial inspection, it was apparent that the original home had been modified over the years, sustaining multiple room additions. Consequently, this mid-size cottage home had little character or cohesiveness. Even more concerning, after conducting a thorough inspection, it became apparent that the structure was inadequate to sustain major modifications. As a result, a plan was formulated to take the existing structure down to its original floor deck.
The clients’ needs that fueled the design plan included:
-Preserving and capitalizing on the lake view
-A large, welcoming entry from the street
-A warm, inviting space for entertaining guests and family
-A large, open kitchen with room for multiple cooks
-Built-ins for the homeowner’s book collection
-An in-law suite for the couple’s aging parents
The space was redesigned with the clients needs in mind. Building a completely new structure gave us the opportunity to create a large, welcoming main entrance. The dining and kitchen areas are now open and spacious for large family gatherings. A custom Grabill kitchen was designed with professional grade Wolf and Thermador appliances for an enjoyable cooking and dining experience. The homeowners loved the Grabill cabinetry so much that they decided to use it throughout the home in the powder room, (2) guest suite bathrooms and the laundry room, complete with dog wash. Most breathtaking; however, might be the luxury master bathroom which included extensive use of marble, a 2-person Maax whirlpool tub, an oversized walk-in-shower with steam and bench seating for two, and gorgeous custom-built inset cherry cabinetry.
The new wide plank oak flooring continues throughout the entire first and second floors with a lovely open staircase lit by a chandelier, skylights and flush in-wall step lighting. Plenty of custom built-ins were added on walls and seating areas to accommodate the client’s sizeable book collection. Fitting right in to the gorgeous lakefront lot, the home’s exterior is reminiscent of East Coast “beachy” shingle-style that includes an attached, oversized garage with Mahogany carriage style garage doors that leads directly into a mud room and first floor laundry.
These Orchard Lake property homeowners love their new home, with a combined first and second floor living space totaling 4,429 sq. ft. To further add to the amenities of this home, MainStreet Design Build is currently under design contract for another major lower-level / basement renovation in the fall of 2017.
Kate Benjamin Photography


The existing kitchen was completely remodeled to create a compact chef's kitchen. The client is a true chef, who teaches cooking classes, and we were able to get a professional grade kitchen in an 11x7 footprint!
The new island creates adequate prep space. The bookcases on the front add a ton of storage and interesting display in an otherwise useless walkway.
The South wall is the exposed brick original to the 1900's home. To compliment the brick, we chose a warm nutmeg stain in cherry cabinets.
The countertops are a durable quartz that look like marble but are sturdy enough for this work horse kitchen.
The retro pendants are oversized to add a lot of interest in this small space.
Complete Kitchen remodel to create a Chef's kitchen
Open shelving for storage and display
Gray subway tile
Pendant lights
664,873 American Home Design Photos


This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation.
The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft.
This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months.
With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of
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