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Pro Spotlight: 3 Tips for Creating a Modern, Comfortable Home
A San Francisco architect shares how to blend contemporary style with traditional warmth
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Who: Gregg De Meza of De Meza + Architecture
Where: San Francisco
In his own words: “There’s something cool about the act of building something.”
Your home should be your haven, whether it’s a rambling house in the country or a condo in the city. “It should feel warm and comfortable, not minimalistic and cold,” says Gregg De Meza, the principal of De Meza + Architecture in San Francisco. He helps clients create modern yet timeless spaces that make you want to linger.
Where: San Francisco
In his own words: “There’s something cool about the act of building something.”
Your home should be your haven, whether it’s a rambling house in the country or a condo in the city. “It should feel warm and comfortable, not minimalistic and cold,” says Gregg De Meza, the principal of De Meza + Architecture in San Francisco. He helps clients create modern yet timeless spaces that make you want to linger.
Starting young. De Meza’s love of building models as a child sparked his interest in architecture. “I was one of those kids who didn’t do well in art, but was good at rendering and had a strange patience for doing models,” he says. De Meza followed that interest and earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Florida and a master’s in architecture from UC Berkeley. After working on a number of projects for other teams, he started his own firm in 2003.
Smiles all around. Designing beautiful, welcoming spaces and watching everything come together is De Meza’s favorite part of his job. “A home is a tangible thing that makes people happy,” he says. He has worked on everything from high-rise pied-à-terres to a 50-acre executive estate in Woodside and one of the world’s largest private yachts.
Ready to make your home more inviting? De Meza shares some ideas below.
Ready to make your home more inviting? De Meza shares some ideas below.
1. Free Up the Edges
Consider leaving the perimeters of your central room free of walls and permanent fixtures. Placing your living space in the middle of your home will encourage people to gather and mingle. “It keeps it from feeling like a doughnut, with everything on the outside and a hole in the middle,” De Meza says.
When designing the kitchen of a new home near Sonoma, he realized that the sloping rooflines and large windows limited his options. He proposed taking out the kitchen walls and moving the kitchen to the center of home. It now anchors the main living areas, with L-shape cabinets and framing that define the space. Both stop short of the ceiling, allowing light from the windows on both sides to fill the space.
See more of this project
Consider leaving the perimeters of your central room free of walls and permanent fixtures. Placing your living space in the middle of your home will encourage people to gather and mingle. “It keeps it from feeling like a doughnut, with everything on the outside and a hole in the middle,” De Meza says.
When designing the kitchen of a new home near Sonoma, he realized that the sloping rooflines and large windows limited his options. He proposed taking out the kitchen walls and moving the kitchen to the center of home. It now anchors the main living areas, with L-shape cabinets and framing that define the space. Both stop short of the ceiling, allowing light from the windows on both sides to fill the space.
See more of this project
2. Go for a Mix
Add nature-inspired pieces to contemporary elements to soften the look. “Combine polished and rough finishes,” De Meza says. When the same homeowners asked De Meza to design their guest cottage, seen here, they drew inspiration from the main house, including mixing materials.
“We used what was best in that house,” De Meza says. The cottage’s sleek Honduran mahogany cabinetry, leathered-effect black countertops, tactile fieldstone, brushed finishes and minimalist furniture match the elements used in the main house. The juxtaposition of textures creates warmth and visual interest.
See more of this project
Add nature-inspired pieces to contemporary elements to soften the look. “Combine polished and rough finishes,” De Meza says. When the same homeowners asked De Meza to design their guest cottage, seen here, they drew inspiration from the main house, including mixing materials.
“We used what was best in that house,” De Meza says. The cottage’s sleek Honduran mahogany cabinetry, leathered-effect black countertops, tactile fieldstone, brushed finishes and minimalist furniture match the elements used in the main house. The juxtaposition of textures creates warmth and visual interest.
See more of this project
3. Maximize the Views
Draw attention to the views outside your home — not just inside. “I always want to bring the outside in,” De Meza says. Capitalizing on the vistas from the master bedroom was a priority in this penthouse in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood.
After expanding the master bathroom into a hall closet, De Meza needed to add closet space to the main bedroom. He designed floor-to-ceiling closets along the walls on either side of the bed. They provide ample storage without interfering with the city views. A window seat between the closets on the right creates a nice visual break and a perfect place for taking in the cityscape.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Gregg De Meza and examples of his work, visit De Meza + Architecture’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Draw attention to the views outside your home — not just inside. “I always want to bring the outside in,” De Meza says. Capitalizing on the vistas from the master bedroom was a priority in this penthouse in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood.
After expanding the master bathroom into a hall closet, De Meza needed to add closet space to the main bedroom. He designed floor-to-ceiling closets along the walls on either side of the bed. They provide ample storage without interfering with the city views. A window seat between the closets on the right creates a nice visual break and a perfect place for taking in the cityscape.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Gregg De Meza and examples of his work, visit De Meza + Architecture’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
DM+A is an award-winning full service architecture firm based in San Francisco that creates stunning, innovative... Read More
Review by Salman Malik:
We hired Gregg for a major remodel of our house in Marin. We found him on Houzz and loved what he'd done for his clients in Sonoma ("Fieldstone House" project) among others. He came up with a wonder...More