Details

CABINETS

Added Punch:
A large bowl-turned-lavatory sits atop a desk-like oak vanity.
Floored:
Full-length doors allow easy access to a waste can under the kitchen sink.
Everything’s All White:
Solid surface white counter top gives furniture-like effect to painted vanity.
Step it Up:
Two antique fireplace designs meet in a modern day television cabinet.

CABINETS

Pretty Is as Pretty Does:
Cabinets color-matched to ceramic tile flowers personalize a kitchen.
Disappearing Act:
Pull-out exhaust fan blends in with cabinetry when not in use.
Don’t Judge a Book:
Solid mahogany island doesn’t let on that it’s chock-full of appliances.
One, Two, Three, Faux:
Wall cabinets fitted with new glass doors and dummy doors fixed to the wall below make a faux hutch.






Details

DOORS

Good Call:
As in a British phone booth, fixed and hinged glass doors admit light, here at the top of the stairs.
Paned Expression:
Multi-paned glass doors were passed over for a three-panel suite.
Good Point:
V-groove boards sheathe a door in an upward chevron pattern.
Game Board:
Paneled game closet doors almost disappear into the wall.

DOORS

Swing Time:
Antique nails stud hinged barn doors.
Transparent:
See-through sliding barn doors are both traditional and modern.
On the Diagonal:
V-groove boards on door-size shutters establish a theme.
Double Duty:
A split door hides trash cans while building on a theme.






Details

FIREPLACES

Resurfaced:
Redressed fireplace set off by paneling creates a feature wall in the living room.
Soldier Boy:
Added rows of brick capped by a vertical course make a fireplace stand taller.
What Lies Beneath:
A mantel with pilasters and built-in bookcases hide outdated stone face.
Forward Thinking:
Typically freestanding, a soapstone heater throws heat forward from its alcove.

FLOORS

Magic Carpet:
Granite tile with marble accents in a field of oak flooring looks like a rug.
Plugged in Precisely:
Aligned blue plugs hide screws in a natural pine floor.
Go with the Flow:
The pattern of real linoleum tile points toward the breakfast table.
Stepping Stones:
Single blue tiles punctuate beige-on-beige stripes of a cork and rubber floor.






Details

GUARDRAILS

Private:
Paneled rails and bead board gate ensure privacy on a street-facing terrace.
Room with a View:
Window sashes inspire guardrail design.
On a Slant:
Diagonal pieces make a standard vertical balustrade more interesting.
Future Growth:
Suspended trellises provide safety to a terrace in lieu of a railing.

GUARDRAILS

Inside, Outside:
A simple balustrade ends in an inside lamppost.
One-upmanship:
Horizontal members add character to an otherwise standard balustrade.
Expressive Details:
Railing pickets on twin decks depict Atlantic waves and outlines of the residents’ church and its rectory.
Sunrise, Sunset:
Sunburst railing recalls several architectural styles at the Jersey Shore.






Details

PAINT

Frond Regards:
Custom-stenciled fern adorns a bird’s eye maple food pantry.
Ring Around the Rosie:
Glued to a bordered ground, flowers cut from photocopied fabric make up a permanent “tablecloth.”
Half and Half:
Color-blocked pink paint updates fusty trestle table.
Signals Crossed:
A signal flag for the letter M inspired the paint job on an old drafting board.

PAPER

Fresh Cut:
One piece of wallpaper with seahorse cutout dresses each door of a plain wardrobe.
Precision Cut:
Wallpapers meet with no applied border, with the top layer cut like a picket fence or is it a row of houses?
Shore Style:
A lettered paper medallion rescues a castaway chair inspired by a lifeguard’s dory.
Paper Roses:
Paper “tiles” cut from photocopied chair fabric cover an inexpensive coffee table.






Details

PORCHES

Two in One:
The open porch serves both pedestrians and arrivals by car.
Layered:
A double decker porch provides shelter at ground level in front of the garage.
Bug Off:
A screened porch offers the best of inside and outside living.
To the Point:
On a flat façade, a porch with gable makes a concise improvement.

TERRACES

Brief Survey:
A balcony offers a spot from which to oversee back yard activities.
Hidden in Plain Sight:
An enclosed terrace allows a view to the street while providing privacy.
The Low Down:
A ground level terrace dispenses with railings.
Decked Out:
The roof terrace of a bedroom sits atop an addition.






Details

TILES

Free Samples:
Leftover tile samples fit together like a puzzle on a folding table’s top.
Multi-media:
Ceramic, glass and stone tiles run up backsplash and through glass cabinets.
Stone’s Throw:
Pebbles set in grout create a rusticated course between rows of ceramic tile.
Top to Bottom:
Inexpensive machine-made tiles in period colors and layout line a shower room.

TILES

Mix and Match:
Two companies’ tiles found in the very same colors are combined.
From Behind:
Bathroom walls seem visible through glass tiles by matching paint color exactly.
Rain Shower:
Freeform glass pebbles run like water droplets down the wall.
First Impressions:
Hand-pressed flower tiles punctuate band of square glass mosaic tiles.






Details

WALLS

Peachy Keen:
Pale upper walls and matching ceiling make this family room seem taller.
Forever After:
Custom designed, cut and painted stencils paint a story through symbolism.
Blue Plate Special:
Panels surrounded by darker freehand glazed borders showcase family heirlooms.
Boardroom:
Flat wood strips applied to gypsum board comprise refined board and batten paneling.

WALLS

Disappearing Act:
Instead of doors, sliding wood panels provide uniformity to a wall in a master bedroom.
Secret Passage:
Wall panels slide into pockets to provide access to closet, vanity and bathroom.
Open Sesame:
Streamlined wall folds open to reveal floor-to-ceiling closets.
Relieved:
A white-painted lincrusta frieze at the ceiling looks like plaster relief.






Details

WINDOWS

Pride of Place:
Once relegated to a bathroom, a stained glass window gains new prominence in the stair hall.
Shower with Compliments:
In situ stained glass window adds whimsy to a new shower room.
Supersize:
A grand piano tells of the size of double hung windows in a living room.
In Miniature:
The kitchen window’s cornice is a modified version of the front porch marquee.

WINDOWS

Permanent Fixtures:
Stationary panels on either side of the dormer windows evoke shutters.
Diamond Head:
Just two boards make up these shutters; cut-outs make them distinctive.
Stand-in:
An opening above the kitchen sink compensates for lack of a window.
Framed:
An opening through an outside wall offers a view from a butler’s pantry.