A custom black walnut island, is the focal point in this remodel. Three rooms were combined into one with a bonus walk-in pantry.
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Kitchen - modern concrete floor and gray floor kitchen idea in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, window backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Example of a large mountain style sunroom design in Denver with a standard ceiling

Rising amidst the grand homes of North Howe Street, this stately house has more than 6,600 SF. In total, the home has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and three powder rooms. Designed with an extra-wide floor plan (21'-2"), achieved through side-yard relief, and an attached garage achieved through rear-yard relief, it is a truly unique home in a truly stunning environment. The centerpiece of the home is its dramatic, 11-foot-diameter circular stair that ascends four floors from the lower level to the roof decks where panoramic windows (and views) infuse the staircase and lower levels with natural light. Public areas include classically-proportioned living and dining rooms, designed in an open-plan concept with architectural distinction enabling them to function individually. A gourmet, eat-in kitchen opens to the home's great room and rear gardens and is connected via its own staircase to the lower level family room, mud room and attached 2-1/2 car, heated garage. The second floor is a dedicated master floor, accessed by the main stair or the home's elevator. Features include a groin-vaulted ceiling; attached sun-room; private balcony; lavishly appointed master bath; tremendous closet space, including a 120 SF walk-in closet, and; an en-suite office. Four family bedrooms and three bathrooms are located on the third floor. This home was sold early in its construction process. Nathan Kirkman

Photo by David Wakely
Inspiration for a rustic light wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco

Beautiful French inspired home in the heart of Lincoln Park Chicago. Rising amidst the grand homes of North Howe Street, this stately house has more than 6,600 SF. In total, the home has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and three powder rooms. Designed with an extra-wide floor plan (21'-2"), achieved through side-yard relief, and an attached garage achieved through rear-yard relief, it is a truly unique home in a truly stunning environment. The centerpiece of the home is its dramatic, 11-foot-diameter circular stair that ascends four floors from the lower level to the roof decks where panoramic windows (and views) infuse the staircase and lower levels with natural light. Public areas include classically-proportioned living and dining rooms, designed in an open-plan concept with architectural distinction enabling them to function individually. A gourmet, eat-in kitchen opens to the home's great room and rear gardens and is connected via its own staircase to the lower level family room, mud room and attached 2-1/2 car, heated garage. The second floor is a dedicated master floor, accessed by the main stair or the home's elevator. Features include a groin-vaulted ceiling; attached sun-room; private balcony; lavishly appointed master bath; tremendous closet space, including a 120 SF walk-in closet, and; an en-suite office. Four family bedrooms and three bathrooms are located on the third floor. This home was sold early in its construction process. Nathan Kirkman

Convert your living room into your blissful place. Pella® Architect Series® multi-slide door panels are designed to be installed on a floor sill track for smooth operation.

Rising amidst the grand homes of North Howe Street, this stately house has more than 6,600 SF. In total, the home has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and three powder rooms. Designed with an extra-wide floor plan (21'-2"), achieved through side-yard relief, and an attached garage achieved through rear-yard relief, it is a truly unique home in a truly stunning environment. The centerpiece of the home is its dramatic, 11-foot-diameter circular stair that ascends four floors from the lower level to the roof decks where panoramic windows (and views) infuse the staircase and lower levels with natural light. Public areas include classically-proportioned living and dining rooms, designed in an open-plan concept with architectural distinction enabling them to function individually. A gourmet, eat-in kitchen opens to the home's great room and rear gardens and is connected via its own staircase to the lower level family room, mud room and attached 2-1/2 car, heated garage. The second floor is a dedicated master floor, accessed by the main stair or the home's elevator. Features include a groin-vaulted ceiling; attached sun-room; private balcony; lavishly appointed master bath; tremendous closet space, including a 120 SF walk-in closet, and; an en-suite office. Four family bedrooms and three bathrooms are located on the third floor. This home was sold early in its construction process. Nathan Kirkman

A private country compound on 5.7 lakefront acres, set in the estate section of Round Hill Rd. Exacting attention to detail is evidenced throughout this 9 bedroom Georgian Colonial. The stately facade gives way to gallery-like interior spaces. Dramatic Great Room with wood-beam cathedral ceiling and stone fireplace, professionally equipped kitchen, breakfast room and bi-level family room with floor-to-ceiling windows displaying panoramic pastoral and lake views. Extraordinary master suite, all bedrooms with en suite baths, gym, massage room, and guest house with recording studio and living quarters. Exquisite gardens, terraces, lush lawns, and sparkling pool with cabana and pavilion, all overlook lake with private island and footbridge.

Daniel Shea
Example of a large trendy l-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen design in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, black backsplash, an island, an undermount sink and solid surface countertops

Example of a minimalist master carpeted bedroom design in Dallas with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Rachael Stollar
Example of a trendy dark wood floor living room design in New York with beige walls

Rising amidst the grand homes of North Howe Street, this stately house has more than 6,600 SF. In total, the home has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and three powder rooms. Designed with an extra-wide floor plan (21'-2"), achieved through side-yard relief, and an attached garage achieved through rear-yard relief, it is a truly unique home in a truly stunning environment. The centerpiece of the home is its dramatic, 11-foot-diameter circular stair that ascends four floors from the lower level to the roof decks where panoramic windows (and views) infuse the staircase and lower levels with natural light. Public areas include classically-proportioned living and dining rooms, designed in an open-plan concept with architectural distinction enabling them to function individually. A gourmet, eat-in kitchen opens to the home's great room and rear gardens and is connected via its own staircase to the lower level family room, mud room and attached 2-1/2 car, heated garage. The second floor is a dedicated master floor, accessed by the main stair or the home's elevator. Features include a groin-vaulted ceiling; attached sun-room; private balcony; lavishly appointed master bath; tremendous closet space, including a 120 SF walk-in closet, and; an en-suite office. Four family bedrooms and three bathrooms are located on the third floor. This home was sold early in its construction process. Nathan Kirkman

A private country compound on 5.7 lakefront acres, set in the estate section of Round Hill Rd. Exacting attention to detail is evidenced throughout this 9 bedroom Georgian Colonial. The stately facade gives way to gallery-like interior spaces. Dramatic Great Room with wood-beam cathedral ceiling and stone fireplace, professionally equipped kitchen, breakfast room and bi-level family room with floor-to-ceiling windows displaying panoramic pastoral and lake views. Extraordinary master suite, all bedrooms with en suite baths, gym, massage room, and guest house with recording studio and living quarters. Exquisite gardens, terraces, lush lawns, and sparkling pool with cabana and pavilion, all overlook lake with private island and footbridge.

On a quiet street just steps from San Francisco’s beloved Dolores Park, a formerly modest urban structure has been transformed into a luminous vertical residence that quietly redefines contemporary city living. Through a comprehensive remodel and both vertical and horizontal expansion, the project turns a constrained urban footprint into a sequence of serene, art-forward living spaces that unfold upward toward expansive city views. The architecture balances restraint and warmth: crisp contemporary geometry softened by natural materials, artful lighting, and carefully curated interiors. The result is a home that feels simultaneously grounded and elevated—deeply connected to its neighborhood yet remarkably private. Reimagining the Urban Envelope The original building has been almost entirely reconceived. The facade now reads as a disciplined composition of plaster volumes and precisely detailed window openings framed by subtle projecting bands. The geometry references San Francisco’s classic rhythm of bayed facades while stripping the language down to a refined modern expression. Behind this quiet exterior lies a dramatically expanded interior volume. The redesign adds both additional floor area and new vertical circulation, transforming what was once a conventional city house into a multi-level architectural sequence organized around light, art, and views. At the roofline, planted terraces soften the building’s silhouette and create a green crown visible from surrounding hillsides. Interiors as a Sequence of Galleries Inside, the home unfolds as a series of spatial moments connected by a sculptural stair and gallery-like corridors. Wide plank oak floors run throughout, providing continuity and warmth against a palette of plaster walls, dark steel detailing, and natural stone. The hallways function almost as curated galleries, with layered artworks suspended in front of mesh panels that create depth and subtle shadow. Light filters through carefully placed windows and stair openings, transforming circulation spaces into contemplative transitions rather than mere passageways. A Living Room Anchored by Stone and Light The primary living room occupies one of the home’s central floors, where a quiet interplay of texture and geometry defines the space. A monumental fireplace wrapped in dark stone forms the room’s anchor, its mass contrasting with a recessed ceiling plane that seems to float above the seating area. Integrated perimeter lighting creates a soft architectural glow that washes the ceiling and walls. Furniture is sculptural yet understated—rounded lounge chairs in warm ochre velvet, tailored sofas, and a striking marble cocktail table whose expressive veining becomes a focal artwork in itself. Deep blue carpeting grounds the seating arrangement and subtly absorbs light, enhancing the calm atmosphere. Above the fireplace, a delicate projection artwork introduces a moment of visual poetry—an unexpected cinematic gesture that transforms the wall into a quietly animated canvas. Kitchen as Architectural Furniture The kitchen expresses a different register: crisp, tactile, and materially rich. Custom walnut cabinetry spans the wall in a continuous plane, punctuated only by the sculpted hood and integrated appliances. The wood’s depth and warmth are balanced by expanses of pale marble that flow seamlessly from countertop to backsplash. Three dome pendants hover above the island like industrial sculptures, casting pools of warm light onto the stone surface. A row of vivid red stools introduces a controlled burst of color, a small but confident departure from the otherwise restrained palette. Dining With a Living Backdrop Adjacent to the kitchen, the dining room opens toward a glass wall overlooking a vertical garden of climbing ivy. The greenery becomes a constantly changing backdrop—lush and shadowy during the day, atmospheric and cinematic after sunset. A dark wood table anchors the room, surrounded by pale oak chairs whose understated forms echo Scandinavian design traditions. The simplicity of the furniture allows the view and natural light to become the dominant experience. Intimate Spaces and Material Contrast Throughout the home, smaller rooms offer moments of intimacy and material experimentation. The powder room pairs textured wall coverings with a dramatic black marble vanity whose bold veining feels almost geological. A suspended mirror and slender pendant create a sculptural composition against the tactile backdrop. The primary bedroom, by contrast, feels serene and expansive. Floor-to-ceiling glazing frames sweeping views of the city, while soft textiles and warm wood paneling create a cocooning effect. Slender black columns subtly define a sitting area without interrupting the openness of the space. Bathing Above the City In the primary bathroom, a sculptural freestanding tub sits beside a panoramic window overlooking San Francisco’s hills and rooftops. The room’s palette—light oak, grey stone, and matte metals—reinforces the spa-like atmosphere. Floating cabinetry and integrated lighting maintain a sense of visual lightness despite the richness of the materials. Entertaining Above the Park Higher in the house, a lounge and bar area becomes the social heart of the home. Here, dark stone slabs with dramatic veining wrap the bar wall like a piece of monumental art. Open shelving displays glassware and spirits, while integrated wine storage hints at the home’s entertaining ambitions. A soft leather sectional and low glass table create a relaxed setting for conversation, framed by expansive views of the city skyline. Cinema and Retreat The lower level introduces yet another atmosphere: a dedicated media room designed for immersive viewing. Dark walls, plush seating, and soft lighting create a cinematic environment that contrasts intentionally with the airy upper floors. It’s a retreat within the home—intimate, quiet, and removed from the brightness above. Architecture That Balances Discipline and Warmth What makes the project particularly compelling is its balance between architectural discipline and lived warmth. Every element—from the carefully framed views to the restrained material palette—contributes to a cohesive spatial narrative. Yet the home never feels austere. Natural materials, curated art, and layered lighting create a sense of comfort and depth. The result is a house that feels both architecturally rigorous and deeply human. A Contemporary Interpretation of San Francisco Living In a neighborhood defined by historic homes and iconic park views, this transformation offers a contemporary interpretation of San Francisco living. It respects the city’s urban density while embracing openness, light, and vertical living. The home rises quietly above its surroundings, culminating in panoramic vistas that stretch across rooftops, hills, and sky. What began as a conventional structure has become something far more nuanced: a modern urban sanctuary—part gallery, part retreat, and wholly connected to the vibrant city just beyond its walls.

This beautiful weekend retreat is nestled into the hillside in Angel Bay, Texas. It has stunning panoramic views of Lake Travis and is the perfect getaway in the hill country. Published: Stone World, July 2014

An incredible view of the hills enjoyed by the panoramic windows, ensuring the home owners can enjoy the hills from the serenity of their bedroom, bringing the outdoors in.

Spacecrafting
Living room - coastal formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room idea in Minneapolis with beige walls and a standard fireplace

Photography by Erhard Pfeiffer © Rizzoli
Bedroom - traditional bedroom idea in San Francisco with white walls and a standard fireplace