At this year's Architectural Design Home Show, we saw a departure from some of the trends we saw in 2012. Instead of the focus on pops of bright color, monochromatic color schemes and beautiful woods were prevalent throughout the show; we couldn't help but admire the industrial lighting, too.

It's hard to imagine the words "laundry" and "inspiration" together in the same sentence. It's not usually a room in which most people want to spend more time. Yet this was the request from my client: makeover her ho-hum laundry room. Here are some easy ways to give the space a face lift.

Steven and his partner, Alan, longing for a backyard and some much needed elbow space, made the big move from a small city condo to a suburban bungalow. But the house needed much more work than they first thought. By opening up the space and filling it with contemporary fixtures and finishes, comfortable furniture and hip accessories, this house went from "suburban sad" to "urban pad" and is now ready for the stylish duo and their city-dwelling friends.

Harmeen is a fantastic cook, and she was thrilled when her daughter Niki expressed an interest in the culinary arts and offered to take over some of the cooking duties. The problem was the family's outdated kitchen, which was cramped, awkward and completely inefficient in its use of space. While it was barely functional enough for one chef, it was positively crowded with two. My secret ingredient for this kitchen? Demolition!

Christina and Gavin moved from a small downtown condo to a sprawling 1960s ranch style house just outside the city. But, moving from a small condo to a large house has left them shy on furniture -- especially in the dining room. They have a great space for big family dinners, and nowhere for everyone to sit and eat! With a big family feast in mind, I assembled the trades to create the perfect dining room!

Franca and Pat both come from big Italian families that love to cook -- and eat! But the couple rarely entertained at home -- it just didn't cut it in a family where everyone takes turns hosting dinners, and where get-togethers of 25 are the norm. I had to start from scratch in this room, so I got set to cook up one big "gastro lounge" for Franca, Pat and all of their relatives.

Ken and Annette were long-time suburban dwellers, but their downtown jobs and long commutes left them longing to live in the heart of the city. They found the house of their dreams and they bought it with an eye to moving in slowly and retiring there for good. While they wound up their life in the suburbs they let their three grown children become tenants in their new digs. But a whole year passed and the kids were making themselves very comfy -- that's where I came in, to reclaim the space and make it adult-friendly once again!

In order to shorten their extremely long commute to and from work, Barb and Evan moved out of the suburbs and into the city. To save money, the intrepid couple decided to don their safety glasses and sledgehammers and renovate the new, smaller, older place themselves. But after a year had gone by, they realized they had bitten off more than they could chew. Their house was still in shambles and they had run out of money, ideas and patience. That's where I came in.

Barnaby had a tough time purchasing his first home. But after discovering one and having it gutted, he found himself in renovation limbo. He hoped that finishing just one of his 10 rooms would give him the necessary energy to undertake the rest. So I gathered up my crew and got set to create a modern bathroom that would jumpstart the rest of Barnaby's reno.

Cal is an animation artist, director and teacher -- and a first time homeowner. Cal wanted his live/work space to function on a variety of levels -- as a modern kitchen, as a professional office and as a cozy lounge area. And he wanted it all to be hip, creative and modern. So I got set to transform his home's main floor and give him a fashionable and functional space that fits his lifestyle.

Carl and Tony have lived in their charming semi-detached house for years but the duo recently decided they had outgrown their small home -- especially their dark, cramped living and dining rooms -- and started contemplating a move into bigger and brighter digs. But their neighbours wouldn't hear of it! They all banded together in protest and convinced them to stay -- and renovate! So I called in my crew and we geared up to turn the antique-stuffed space into a room worthy of two splendid hosts.

For many college kids, the dorms are home for all four years, and they're happy campers. But for many others, the opportunity to move off-campus, into...

With a decorative stencil and some paint, you can decorate not just walls but just about any surface of your home.Wall decals and stencils have become...

STOCKHOLM - Already the one-stop shop for smart and compact home furnishing, IKEA has launched yet another product for your living room: the IKEA TV.T...