Large farmhouse studio / workshop shed photo in Manchester

Example of a mid-sized classic medium tone wood floor sunroom design in Boston with no fireplace and a standard ceiling

Entryway - mid-sized traditional dark wood floor entryway idea in Dallas with white walls

A simple one-story white clapboard 1920s cottage bungalow sat on a narrow straight street with many older homes, all of which meeting the street with a similar dignified approach. This house was the smallest of them all, built in 1922 as a weekend cottage, near the old East Falls Church rail station which provided direct access to Washington D.C. Its diminutive scale, low-pitched roof with the ridge parallel to the street, and lack of superfluous decoration characterized this cottage bungalow. Though the owners fell in love with the charm of the original house, their growing family presented an architectural dilemma: how do you significantly expand a charming little 1920’s Craftsman style house that you love without totally losing the integrity that made it so perfect? The answer began to formulate after a review of the houses in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood; every older house was two stories tall, each built in a different style, each beautifully proportioned, each much larger than this cottage bungalow. Most of the neighborhood houses had been significantly renovated or expanded. Growing this one-story house would certainly not adversely affect the architectural character of the neighborhood. Given that, the house needed to maintain a diminutive scale in order to appear friendly and avoid a dominating presence. The simplistic, crisp, honest materials and details of the little house, all painted white, would be saved and incorporated into a new house. Across the front of the house, the three public spaces would be saved, connected along an axis anchored on the left by the living room fireplace, with the dining room and the sitting room to the right. These three rooms are punctuated by thirteen windows, which for this house age and style, really suggests a more modern aesthetic. Hoachlander Davis Photography

This 3200 square foot home features a maintenance free exterior of LP Smartside, corrugated aluminum roofing, and native prairie landscaping. The design of the structure is intended to mimic the architectural lines of classic farm buildings. The outdoor living areas are as important to this home as the interior spaces; covered and exposed porches, field stone patios and an enclosed screen porch all offer expansive views of the surrounding meadow and tree line. The home’s interior combines rustic timbers and soaring spaces which would have traditionally been reserved for the barn and outbuildings, with classic finishes customarily found in the family homestead. Walls of windows and cathedral ceilings invite the outdoors in. Locally sourced reclaimed posts and beams, wide plank white oak flooring and a Door County fieldstone fireplace juxtapose with classic white cabinetry and millwork, tongue and groove wainscoting and a color palate of softened paint hues, tiles and fabrics to create a completely unique Door County homestead. Mitch Wise Design, Inc. Richard Steinberger Photography

Casey Dunn Photography
Kitchen/dining room combo - large contemporary limestone floor and beige floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Austin with no fireplace and white walls

The unique design challenge in this early 20th century Georgian Colonial was the complete disconnect of the kitchen to the rest of the home. In order to enter the kitchen, you were required to walk through a formal space. The homeowners wanted to connect the kitchen and garage through an informal area, which resulted in building an addition off the rear of the garage. This new space integrated a laundry room, mudroom and informal entry into the re-designed kitchen. Additionally, 25” was taken out of the oversized formal dining room and added to the kitchen. This gave the extra room necessary to make significant changes to the layout and traffic pattern in the kitchen. Beth Singer Photography

Photographs provided by Ashley Sullivan, Exposurely
Example of a large mid-century modern gray one-story brick house exterior design in DC Metro with a hip roof, a shingle roof and a gray roof

Large traditional gray two-story mixed siding exterior home idea in New York with a shingle roof

Collaboration with Homeworks, www.homeworksinteriordesign.com
Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Boston with beaded inset cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink and white cabinets

Example of a mountain style beige tile and travertine tile pebble tile floor alcove shower design in Sacramento with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, beige walls and white countertops

Melonhead Photo
Example of a mid-sized classic ceramic tile sunroom design in Houston with no fireplace and a standard ceiling

Patio kitchen - mid-sized traditional backyard patio kitchen idea in Los Angeles with decking and a roof extension

Even inside city limits, the Designs by Robin team maximized yard space by designing custom pool layout. Additional accessorizing helped create a fun backyard that fits into the culture of downtown Lafayette.

Alan Blakely
Example of a large trendy light wood floor and beige floor great room design in Salt Lake City with beige walls and no fireplace

Kenneth M. Wyner Photography
Traditional one-story exterior home idea in DC Metro

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard patio kitchen design in Los Angeles with decking and a roof extension

Mid-sized elegant backyard patio kitchen photo in Los Angeles with decking and a roof extension

One of the most important things for the homeowners was to maintain the look and feel of the home. The architect felt that the addition should be about continuity, riffing on the idea of symmetry rather than asymmetry. This approach shows off exceptional craftsmanship in the framing of the hip and gable roofs. And while most of the home was going to be touched or manipulated in some way, the front porch, walls and part of the roof remained the same. The homeowners continued with the craftsman style inside, but added their own east coast flare and stylish furnishings. The mix of materials, pops of color and retro touches bring youth to the spaces. Photography by Tre Dunham