This ridge roof (kirizuma) style tea house, which has posts partly submerged in a koi pond, is constructed with Port Orford cedar. The tearoom is 4-1/2 tatami mats or approx. 9' square. The interior includes a closet kitchen (mizuya) and an alcove for displaying art (tokonoma). The tea house is enclosed by sliding shoji doors and surrounded by a veranda (engawa).

Photo Murray Legge
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Austin.

"Alabaster and creamy eggshell make the perfect backdrop for intricate black marbling. Much like an aria in a Baroque Opera, this pattern doesn't just repeat itself, it grows more complex and rich with each swirl.

Dining room - 1960s dining room idea in San Francisco

This early 20th century Poppleton Park home was originally 2548 sq ft. with a small kitchen, nook, powder room and dining room on the first floor. The second floor included a single full bath and 3 bedrooms. The client expressed a need for about 1500 additional square feet added to the basement, first floor and second floor. In order to create a fluid addition that seamlessly attached to this home, we tore down the original one car garage, nook and powder room. The addition was added off the northern portion of the home, which allowed for a side entry garage. Plus, a small addition on the Eastern portion of the home enlarged the kitchen, nook and added an exterior covered porch. Special features of the interior first floor include a beautiful new custom kitchen with island seating, stone countertops, commercial appliances, large nook/gathering with French doors to the covered porch, mud and powder room off of the new four car garage. Most of the 2nd floor was allocated to the master suite. This beautiful new area has views of the park and includes a luxurious master bath with free standing tub and walk-in shower, along with a 2nd floor custom laundry room! Attention to detail on the exterior was essential to keeping the charm and character of the home. The brick façade from the front view was mimicked along the garage elevation. A small copper cap above the garage doors and 6” half-round copper gutters finish the look. KateBenjamin Photography

New babies have a way to raising the importance of additions and remodeling. So it was with this project. This 1920’ era DC home has lots of character, but not of space or bathrooms for this growing family. The need for a larger master suite with its own bath necessitated a 2nd floor bedroom addition. The clients wanted a large bedroom with a fresh look while still harmonizing with the traditional character of the house. Interesting water jet cut steel doors with barn door hardware and cathedral ceilings fit the bill. Contemporary lighting teamed with complex tile makes a good marriage of the new and old space. While the new mom got her new master suite, the new dad wanted an entertainment space reminiscent of his home in Argentina. The 2nd floor bedroom addition provided a covered porch below that then allowed for a very large Asada grill/fireplace. Argentinians are very serious about their barbeques and so was this client. The fireplace style barbeque has a large exotic grilling area along with a dedicated space for making his own charcoal for the grill. The addition above provides cover and also allows for a ceiling fan to cool the hardworking grillmaster.

Example of a transitional white three-story house exterior design in Philadelphia with a gambrel roof, a shingle roof and a brown roof

Tessa Neustadt http://tessaneustadt.com
Trendy gender-neutral nursery photo in Los Angeles with white walls

New babies have a way to raising the importance of additions and remodeling. So it was with this project. This 1920’ era DC home has lots of character, but not of space or bathrooms for this growing family. The need for a larger master suite with its own bath necessitated a 2nd floor bedroom addition. The clients wanted a large bedroom with a fresh look while still harmonizing with the traditional character of the house. Interesting water jet cut steel doors with barn door hardware and cathedral ceilings fit the bill. Contemporary lighting teamed with complex tile makes a good marriage of the new and old space. While the new mom got her new master suite, the new dad wanted an entertainment space reminiscent of his home in Argentina. The 2nd floor bedroom addition provided a covered porch below that then allowed for a very large Asada grill/fireplace. Argentinians are very serious about their barbeques and so was this client. The fireplace style barbeque has a large exotic grilling area along with a dedicated space for making his own charcoal for the grill. The addition above provides cover and also allows for a ceiling fan to cool the hardworking grillmaster. MARK IV Builders, Inc.

Photo of a contemporary landscaping in Other.

New babies have a way to raising the importance of additions and remodeling. So it was with this project. This 1920’ era DC home has lots of character, but not of space or bathrooms for this growing family. The need for a larger master suite with its own bath necessitated a 2nd floor bedroom addition. The clients wanted a large bedroom with a fresh look while still harmonizing with the traditional character of the house. Interesting water jet cut steel doors with barn door hardware and cathedral ceilings fit the bill. Contemporary lighting teamed with complex tile makes a good marriage of the new and old space. While the new mom got her new master suite, the new dad wanted an entertainment space reminiscent of his home in Argentina. The 2nd floor bedroom addition provided a covered porch below that then allowed for a very large Asada grill/fireplace. Argentinians are very serious about their barbeques and so was this client. The fireplace style barbeque has a large exotic grilling area along with a dedicated space for making his own charcoal for the grill. The addition above provides cover and also allows for a ceiling fan to cool the hardworking grillmaster. MARK IV Builders, Inc.

New babies have a way to raising the importance of additions and remodeling. So it was with this project. This 1920’ era DC home has lots of character, but not of space or bathrooms for this growing family. The need for a larger master suite with its own bath necessitated a 2nd floor bedroom addition. The clients wanted a large bedroom with a fresh look while still harmonizing with the traditional character of the house. Interesting water jet cut steel doors with barn door hardware and cathedral ceilings fit the bill. Contemporary lighting teamed with complex tile makes a good marriage of the new and old space. While the new mom got her new master suite, the new dad wanted an entertainment space reminiscent of his home in Argentina. The 2nd floor bedroom addition provided a covered porch below that then allowed for a very large Asada grill/fireplace. Argentinians are very serious about their barbeques and so was this client. The fireplace style barbeque has a large exotic grilling area along with a dedicated space for making his own charcoal for the grill. The addition above provides cover and also allows for a ceiling fan to cool the hardworking grillmaster. MARK IV Builders, Inc.

Potting mixes for container gardens need to drain freely, but still retain moisture. My base potting soil mix contains (clockwise from upper left) coarse builder's sand, high-quality organic compost or worm castings, coconut coir, and small lava rock. I supplement this with additional compost, fresh worm castings, and organic soil amendments, with the amounts varying depending on what I'm planting. Photo by Steve Masley

Example of a cottage formal living room design in Boston with white walls and a standard fireplace

New babies have a way to raising the importance of additions and remodeling. So it was with this project. This 1920’ era DC home has lots of character, but not of space or bathrooms for this growing family. The need for a larger master suite with its own bath necessitated a 2nd floor bedroom addition. The clients wanted a large bedroom with a fresh look while still harmonizing with the traditional character of the house. Interesting water jet cut steel doors with barn door hardware and cathedral ceilings fit the bill. Contemporary lighting teamed with complex tile makes a good marriage of the new and old space. While the new mom got her new master suite, the new dad wanted an entertainment space reminiscent of his home in Argentina. The 2nd floor bedroom addition provided a covered porch below that then allowed for a very large Asada grill/fireplace. Argentinians are very serious about their barbeques and so was this client. The fireplace style barbeque has a large exotic grilling area along with a dedicated space for making his own charcoal for the grill. The addition above provides cover and also allows for a ceiling fan to cool the hardworking grillmaster. MARK IV Builders, Inc.

Completed in 2019, this is a home we completed for client who initially engaged us to remodeled their 100 year old classic craftsman bungalow on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill. During our initial conversation, it became readily apparent that their program was much larger than a remodel could accomplish and the conversation quickly turned toward the design of a new structure that could accommodate a growing family, a live-in Nanny, a variety of entertainment options and an enclosed garage – all squeezed onto a compact urban corner lot. Project entitlement took almost a year as the house size dictated that we take advantage of several exceptions in Seattle’s complex zoning code. After several meetings with city planning officials, we finally prevailed in our arguments and ultimately designed a 4 story, 3800 sf house on a 2700 sf lot. The finished product is light and airy with a large, open plan and exposed beams on the main level, 5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, 2 powder rooms, 2 fireplaces, 4 climate zones, a huge basement with a home theatre, guest suite, climbing gym, and an underground tavern/wine cellar/man cave. The kitchen has a large island, a walk-in pantry, a small breakfast area and access to a large deck. All of this program is capped by a rooftop deck with expansive views of Seattle’s urban landscape and Lake Union. Unfortunately for our clients, a job relocation to Southern California forced a sale of their dream home a little more than a year after they settled in after a year project. The good news is that in Seattle’s tight housing market, in less than a week they received several full price offers with escalator clauses which allowed them to turn a nice profit on the deal.

Living room - living room idea in San Francisco

'Sweet 100' cherry tomatoes growing in a 15-gallon terra-cotta pot. Container-grown tomatoes are more susceptible to blossom end rot, but cherry tomatoes like 'Sweet 100', 'Sungold', and 'Black Cherry' rarely have this problem. Photo by Steve Masley

'Gourmet' orange bell peppers growing in a 5-gallon terra-cotta pot. Photo by Steve Masley.
Inspiration for an eclectic deck remodel in San Francisco