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January 2015 ForResidentialPros.com | 45 place in the living room. Brass wire in several upper cabinet doors adds interest and gives visibility to cabi- net contents. Open shelves along the cooktop/range wall and above the prep sink give the homeowners ad- ditional places to showcase art. FOCAL POINT FIREPLACE Because the kitchen opens up into the living room, both spaces needed to work together. "When you stand in the kitchen, you look at the freplace," he says. "And when you stand at the freplace, you look at the kitchen. It's very open and basically one space." The previous fireplace featured bookcases to each side, which became obstacles that partially jutted into the space allotted for going up and down the stairs. "Everything looked clut- tered," he says. "Our goal was to design a sleek freplace that also allowed the stairs to be a design feature." The solution was to add cable railing to the stairs, giving them a more architectural feel. As for the freplace, it features large-format Porcelanosa tile and tapers on each end, in part to give more room for the stairs. "To achieve the curvature, we had to cut down each tile to 3", then back-miter it to make it appear like one piece of tile," says Busta- mante. "The freplace is now a focal point. You see it when you come in the front door, and you see it when you walk down the stairs or are standing in the kitchen. "But rea l ly, ever y where you look, there's something special," he continues. "However, more than anything, what makes the project special is the clients. They let us do what we're good at. When a cli- ent gives us artistic license, a lot of magic happens." CLASSIC WHITE CABINETRY Serves as the foundation for the design CONTEMPORARY ACCENTS Large-format tile with back-painted backsplash add unexpected twists LARGE ISLAND Provides a place for kids to eat and do homework ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL Because the space is so open, the stairs needed a design upgrade as well. The solution was to add cable railing, giving them a more architectural feel. FEEL SPECIAL The last aspect of the design project was to tackle the downstairs bath. "The challenge was to make it usable for the family on a daily basis, while making guests feel special… like they aren't using the kids' hallway bath," says Bustamante. "Typically, we don't include showers in guest baths, but since there is a bedroom nearby we needed to keep it." Large-format tiles sheath the walls, encasing the mirror so it lies fush. A foating vanity, glass countertop and built-in sink evoke a contemporary feel, while exposed ball-bearing hardware on the glass shower door adds an industrial touch. "Overall, everything is very clean and open," he adds.