Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in San Diego with stainless steel appliances

The 'Lausanne' single-family home: Front Exterior done in Painted Brick with wood-clad aluminum windows and copper gutters/downspouts to complete the French Farmhouse Transitional style; Lindsay Salazar Photography

Jerome DeMarco Art.chitecture May be subject to copyright
Example of a classic porte cochere design in Portland

Shue Photography
Eat-in kitchen - large contemporary medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Boise with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and two islands

Home design - traditional home design idea in Minneapolis

Photo by Karen Melvin
Elegant gray floor entryway photo in Minneapolis with white walls and a black front door

Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical backyard tile patio remodel in Orange County with a roof extension

Large trendy backyard deck photo in New York with a roof extension

After photo - front loading washer/dryer with continuous counter. "Fresh as soap" look, requested by client. Hanging rod suspended from ceiling.
Large elegant single-wall linoleum floor and multicolored floor dedicated laundry room photo in Portland with laminate countertops, a drop-in sink, white cabinets, shaker cabinets, blue walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Inspiration for a timeless u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, glass tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Jay Goodrich
Small contemporary gray one-story metal flat roof idea in Seattle

Mid-sized transitional master green tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile and white floor bathroom photo in San Francisco with a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Kibo Group of Missoula provided architectural services. Shannon Callaghan Interior Design of Missoula provided extensive consultative services during the project.

Home bar - contemporary beige floor home bar idea in Houston with white countertops

Inspiration for a modern landscaping in Los Angeles.

When I came to this property not only was the landscape a scrappy mess the property also had some very real grading and drainage issues that were jeopardizing the safety of this house. As recent transplants from New Jerseys to Southern California these clients were in awe of all the plants they were seeing in their neighborhood. Living on the water at the Ventura harbor they wanted to be able to take full advantage or the outdoor lifestyle and cool ocean breeze. Being environmentally conscious citizens, these clients were very concerned that their garden was designed with sustainability as a leading factor. As they said in our initial consultation, “Would want or garden be part of the solution not part of the problem.” This property is the last house on the bottom of a gently sloping street. All the water from the neighbor’s houses drain onto this property. When I came into this project the back yard sloped into the house. When it would rain the water would pool up against the house causing water damage. To address the drainage we employed several tactics. Firstly, we had to invert the slope in the back yard so that water would not pool against the house. We created a very minor slope going away from the house so that water drains away but so the patio area feels flat. The back of the back yard had an existing retaining wall made out of shabby looking slump stone. In front of that retaining wall we created a beautiful natural stone retaining wall. This retain wall severs many purposes. One it works as a place to put some of the soil removed from the grading giving this project a smaller carbon foot print (moving soil of a site burns a lot of fossil fuel). The retaining wall also helps obscure the shabby existing retaining wall and allows for planting space above the footing from the existing retaining wall. The soil behind the ne retaining wall is slightly lower than the top of the wall so that when the run on water on from the neighbor’s property flows it is slowed down and absorbed before it has a chance to get near the house. Finally, the wall is at a height designed to serve as overflow seating as these clients intend to have occasional large parties and gatherings. Other efforts made to help keep the house safe and dry are that we used permeable paving. With the hardscape being comprised of flag stone with gravel in-between water has a chance to soak into the ground so it does not flow into spots where it will pool up. The final element to help keep the house dry is the addition of infiltration swales. Infiltration swales are depressions in the landscape that capture rain water. The down spouts on the sides of the houses are connected to pipe that goes under the ground and conveys the water to the swales. In this project it helps move rain water away from the house. In general, these Infiltration swales are a powerful element in creating sustainable landscapes. These swales capture pollutants that accumulate on the roof and in the landscape. Biology in the soil in the swales can break down these pollutants. When run of watered is not captured by soil on a property the dirty water flows into water ways and then the ocean were the biology that breaks down the pollutants is not as prolific. This is particularly important in this project as it drains directly into the harbor. The water that is absorbed in to the swales can replenish aquafers as well as increasing the water available to the plants planted in that area recusing the amount of water that is needed from irrigation. When it came to the planting we went with a California friendly tropical theme. Using lots of succulents and plants with colorful foliage we created vibrant lush landscape that will have year around color. We planted densely (the images in the picture were taken only a month after installation). Taller drought tolerant plants to help regulate the temperature and loss of water from the plants below them. The dense plantings will help keep the garden, the house and even the neighborhood cooler on hot days, will provide spaces for birds to enjoy and will create an illusion of depth in a somewhat narrow space. Today this garden is a space these homeowners can fully enjoy while having the peace of mind that their house is protected from flooding and they are helping the environment.

The architectural massing of the house has been wrapped around a south-facing courtyard containing a large reflecting pool with two “floating” basalt boulders. The reflecting pool gathers all the roof drainage from the house, with the downspout from the living room roof providing a 10-ft waterfall. The main living space has sweeping westerly views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The east side of the living space is the courtyard with reflecting pool, providing a sense of intimacy and quiet in contrast to the dramatic views on the west side. Photos by Benjamin Benschneider

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Example of a mid-century modern home design design in Houston