Color pop

Find a color to carry throughout a home. While many people typically paint doors and trim white, consider being creative. “For my home, which has an open concept floor plan, I knew that I wanted to use a dark color for trim and doors to enhance other design elements, such as my kitchen island and hood,” John says.

Something old, something new

Mixing these elements can add warmth and texture. John installed reclaimed natural wood and industrial-style light fixtures.

Letting the outdoors in

To make his space feel larger, John replaced the old windows with those that brought in more natural light. He chose black window trim for a contemporary look, but went with a farmhouse-style grille for a traditional feel. John worked with Renewal by Andersen, which is among window companies that offer handling of all project aspects. For information about energy efficient windows, visit energy.gov and search “replacement windows.”