Hillside Modernism In Context. The owners of this modern hillside home sought to have a home in a nice Los Angeles neighborhood wherein they could raise their burgeoning family. The owners purchased a 1948 2000sf, single story, 2 bedroom English Cottage styled home (believed to have been originally owned by Yul Brynner) on a ½ acre hillside site in the exclusive Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The property slopes downward away from the street and overlooks a mini eucalyptus arroyo. The owners love their new location but are now faced-with having to raise their new and growing family on a hillside with extremely limited yard spaces for children to play and in a location where nature is very close – deer as well as coyotes wander the arroyo. In 2000 the owners commissioned architect Richard Best to add 2500sf to the cottage and transform it into a home more fitting to their growing family’s needs. Subsequently, in 2014/15, the owners again commissioned Richard to create a 2-story master suite addition. Living in or visiting the completed project - the original 1948 home remodeled + the 2000 addition + the 2014/15 addition, one goes through an unexpected and delightful experience as the spaces of the home “unfold” to reveal intimacy and environmental immersion. It was important to Richard and to the owners that their remodels and additions be appropriately designed to fit into the neighborhood and have the feel, scale, and soul of the original cottage. With this in-mind, Richard has interpreted the design intentions of the original cottage - “modernizing” the architectural vocabulary and creating open-plan, 2-story additions which promote site “engagement” at various floor levels and openness to the outdoors in a manner clearly inspired by the original cottage, yet modern. At the front door of the original (still remains as it was) 1948 structure, one is presented with a quaint a low-slung entry which establishes a very comfortable sense of scale. Inside, the remodeled spaces of the original cottage exude comfort and a cozy sensibility evoked by the reuse of the original home’s exposed timber framing structure, open-plan circulation, and an inventive two-sided steel fireplace which acts as a room divider between the living room and a home office. Accordion wood doors connect these rooms to a newly formed outdoor rear patio. At this point one also gets ones first hint that something very interesting is happening just beyond – a glimpse of the 2000 & 2014/15 additions. Moving from the original 1948 structure into the 2-story 2000 addition, one is greeted by a modern and open linear floor plan arrangement – a kitchen, casual dining and family room extend perpendicularly from the 1948 structure into the rear yard and down the hillside. The open framed cathedral ceiling and wood roof trusses establish a lofty feeling and a rhythm discretely separating the open rooms one from the other. Extensive use of windows and French doors connect the indoors to the outdoors and provide abundant natural lighting. This new appendage ends with a symmetrical family room which has no corners – it is a geometry composed of two overlapped squares - one rotated 45 degrees atop the other to create double opportunities for bay windows. The design not only connects the home to the desired exterior flat yards spaces, but it also takes full advantage of the sloping terrain by adding a floor below the original level so as to maintain a scale appropriate to the neighborhood. The exterior materials were chosen taking “hints” from the original 1948 structure – natural redwood siding, reused brick veneer and wood doors/windows all serving to aesthetically connect the addition back-to the spirit of the original structure. By 2014/15 the owners’ family has fully blossomed - the children are now teenagers and there is a need for additional space. However, the owners are very content with their remodeled cottage and Richard’s 2000 addition – unsure how to add to a home which they feel is quite perfect as it is … wanting whatever changes are to be made to be sympathetic to it. They are also concerned about potential additions blocking-out their views of the eucalyptus arroyo. The owners approached Richard with trepidation – we love our perfect house but we need it to be a bit bigger and we don’t want to block-out the arroyo views or create a hemmed-in feeling – how can we add but still see the arroyo. In response Richard created a private yet connected 2-story master suite, which by its positioning, dynamic geometries and extensive glazing create the fourth side of the former rear patio, making it into exterior courtyard with views around and through the new addition into the arroyo. A dynamic angularity in the new master addition (inspired by the 2000 addition) simultaneously reduces the apparent size/presence of the master suite addition on the edge of the eucalyptus arroyo while creating framed views into the arroyo from the newly formed courtyard. The new master suite - a master bathroom, master closet and a master sleeping loft each having exterior decks and/or patios, is connected back to the 2000 addition via a glazed hallway which provides a sense of connectedness and privacy. A modern rustic aesthetic of exposed board-formed concrete, natural finished Corten steel exterior cladding, frameless metal windows, and clear finished Douglas Fir planks serve to “extend” the soul of the original cottage into the master suite. The project is a highly sustainable design as well. Energy use is reduced by employing a high efficiency heat pump heating and cooling system, dual paned/gasketed metal window/door systems, natural lighting through a Kalwall skylight and generous exterior glazing with extensive eaves for shading, rigid roof insulation, and earthen backing – the lower floor is up-against the hillside which tends to even-out the day/night temperature differential. Credits: Architecture & Interior Design: Richard Best Architect Inc. Structural Engineering: Dan Echeto & David Choi Associates Interior Decor: Noelle Schoop Landscape: Connie Heitzman Photos: Carmel McFayden and Adriano Sarmento / James Porschen

Angle Eye Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless white two-story mixed siding exterior home remodel in Philadelphia with a shingle roof

The owners of this project wanted additional living + play space for their two children. The solution was to add a second story and make the transition between the spaces a key design feature. Inside the tower is a light-filled lounge + library for the children and their friends. The stair becomes a sculptural piece able to be viewed from all areas of the home. From the exterior, the wood-clad tower creates a pleasing composition that brings together the existing house and addition seamlessly. The kitchen was fully renovated to integrate this theme of an open, bright, family-friendly space. Throughout the existing house and addition, the clean, light-filled space allows the beautiful material palette + finishes to come to the forefront. Chris Nyce, Nyceone Photography

www.wrightbuild.com
Example of a large classic mixed siding exterior home design in New York

On April 22, 2013, MainStreet Design Build began a 6-month construction project that ended November 1, 2013 with a beautiful 655 square foot addition off the rear of this client's home. The addition included this gorgeous custom kitchen, a large mudroom with a locker for everyone in the house, a brand new laundry room and 3rd car garage. As part of the renovation, a 2nd floor closet was also converted into a full bathroom, attached to a child’s bedroom; the formal living room and dining room were opened up to one another with custom columns that coordinated with existing columns in the family room and kitchen; and the front entry stairwell received a complete re-design. KateBenjamin Photography

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2017 Houzz
Transitional open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room photo in Los Angeles with gray walls

A traditional Georgian home receives an incredible transformation with an addition to expand the originally compact kitchen and create a pathway into the family room and dining area, opening the flow of the spaces that allow for fluid movement from each living space for the young family of four. Taking the lead from the client's desire to have a contemporary and edgier feel to their home's very classic facade, House of L worked with the architect's addition to the existing kitchen to design a kitchen that was incredibly functional and gorgeously dramatic, beckoning people to grab a barstool and hang out. Glossy macassar ebony wood is complimented with lacquered white cabinets for an amazing study in contrast. An oversized brushed nickel hood with polished nickel banding makes a presence on the feature wall of the kitchen. Brushed and polished nickel details are peppered in the landscape of this room, including the cabinets in the second island, a storage cabinet and automated hopper doors by Hafele on the refrigeration wall and all of the cabinet hardware, supplied and custom sized by Rajack. White quartz countertops by Hanstone in the Bianco Canvas colorway float on all the perimeter cabinets and the secondary island and creates a floating frame for the Palomino Quartzite that is a highlight in the kitchen and lends an organic feel to the clean lines of the millwork. The backsplash area behind the rangetop is a brick patterned mosaic blend of stone and glass, while surrounding walls have a layered sandstone tile that lend an incredible texture to the room. The light fixture hanging above the second island is by Wells Long and features faceted metal polygons with an amber gold interior. Woven linen drapes at window winks at the warmer tones in the room with a lustrous sheen that catches the natural light filtering in. The rift and sawn cut white oak floors are 8" planks that were fitted and finished on site to match the existing floor in the family and dining rooms. The clients were very clear on the appliances they needed the kitchen to accommodate. In addition to the vast expanses of wall space that were gained with the kitchen addition the larger footprint allowed for two sizeable islands and a host of cooking amenities, including a 48" rangetop, two double ovens, a warming drawer, and a built-in coffee maker by Miele and a 36" Refrigerator and Freezer and a beverage drawer by Subzero. A fabulous stainless steel Kallista sink by Mick De Giulio's series for the company is fitted in the first island which serves as a prep area, flanked by an Asko dishwasher to the right. A Dorenbracht faucet is a strong compliment to the scale of the sink. A smaller Kallista stainless sink is centered in the second island which has a secondary burner by Miele for overflow cooking. Jason Miller, Pixelate

Lake Cabin Home Addition - Exterior with Addition
Large transitional brown two-story wood exterior home idea in Atlanta with a metal roof

For this project, the customer envisioned enhancing their kitchen, creating a seamless connection to the living and dining areas, which had been raised. We presented options for the addition, showcasing designs that married simplicity with elegance. The first options featured straightforward roofing solutions, while the final design embraced the home's curves, incorporating the graceful rounded windows, entryway, and chimney. We crafted the addition with a stunning barrel ceiling adorned with rich walnut wood paneling and accent lighting, creating an inviting atmosphere. After careful consideration, the clients chose the more intricate design, perfectly complementing their home's aesthetic. To elevate the space, we added a round window and an arched window in the kitchen, enhancing its character. In the living area, they selected a Nana Wall door, allowing for a harmonious flow between indoors and the outdoor entertainment space. The kitchen showcases exquisite walnut cabinets, accented with white painted cabinets in a sleek shallow shaker style. The 2cm Dekton countertops & backsplash were designed with an island height of 2 1/4 inches, creating a more dynamic space. As passionate cooks and bakers, the clients chose Wolf and SubZero appliances, panel-ready to harmonize beautifully with their kitchen design. This project turned out breathtakingly, and the clients are overjoyed to possess a kitchen that embodies beauty and functionality, exceeding their dreams and aspirations.

Lake Cabin Home Addition - Exterior with Addition
Large transitional brown two-story wood exterior home photo in Atlanta with a metal roof

Photographed by Kyle Caldwell
Eat-in kitchen - large modern l-shaped light wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Salt Lake City with white cabinets, solid surface countertops, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, white countertops, an undermount sink and flat-panel cabinets

This is an example of a small traditional screened-in front porch design in Other with decking and a roof extension.

Master Bathroom Addition with custom double vanity. White herringbone tile with white wall subway tile. white pebble shower floor tile. Walnut rounded vanity mirrors. Brizo Fixtures. Cabinet hardware by School House Electric. Vanity Tower recessed into wall for extra storage with out taking up too much counterspace. Bonus: it keeps the outlets hidden! Photo Credit: Amy Bartlam

Large elegant brick back porch photo in Portland with a roof extension

This property was transformed from an 1870s YMCA summer camp into an eclectic family home, built to last for generations. Space was made for a growing family by excavating the slope beneath and raising the ceilings above. Every new detail was made to look vintage, retaining the core essence of the site, while state of the art whole house systems ensure that it functions like 21st century home. This home was featured on the cover of ELLE Décor Magazine in April 2016. G.P. Schafer, Architect Rita Konig, Interior Designer Chambers & Chambers, Local Architect Frederika Moller, Landscape Architect Eric Piasecki, Photographer

Stephen Cridland Photography
Large traditional gray two-story wood exterior home idea in Portland

Angle Eye Photography
Large elegant u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, stone tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, gray backsplash and white countertops

Stone: Moonlight - RoughCut RoughCut mimics limestone with its embedded, fossilized artifacts and roughly cleaved, pronounced face. Shaped for bold, traditional statements with clean contemporary lines, RoughCut ranges in heights from 2″ to 11″ and lengths from 2″ to over 18″. The color palettes contain blonds, russet, and cool grays. Get a Sample of RoughCut: https://shop.eldoradostone.com/products/rough-cut-sample

Our clients wanted to add on to their 1950's ranch house, but weren't sure whether to go up or out. We convinced them to go out, adding a Primary Suite addition with bathroom, walk-in closet, and spacious Bedroom with vaulted ceiling. To connect the addition with the main house, we provided plenty of light and a built-in bookshelf with detailed pendant at the end of the hall. The clients' style was decidedly peaceful, so we created a wet-room with green glass tile, a door to a small private garden, and a large fir slider door from the bedroom to a spacious deck. We also used Yakisugi siding on the exterior, adding depth and warmth to the addition. Our clients love using the tub while looking out on their private paradise!