The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home. Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials. The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond. The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival. Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces. This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”. Overview Ranch Creek Ranch Winter Park, Colorado Completion Date October, 2007 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Lower level cabana. Photography by Lucas Henning.
Small trendy open concept concrete floor and beige floor family room photo in Seattle with beige walls and a media wall

A simple wooden boardwalk passes through the forest. The stone sculpture is by Aaron G. Edwards
This is an example of an eclectic landscaping in Seattle.

This 6,000 SF custom New England colonial style home was built by Advantage Contracting in South Glastonbury, CT. It features low maintenance fiber cement siding, natural fieldstone veneer siding, standing seam copper roofing, and Pella windows. There is a three car attached garage as well as a two car carriage garage on the property. The home is extremely energy efficient with spray foam insulation, advanced air sealing, and high efficiency HVAC equipment.

This house was designed as a second home for a Bay Area couple as a summer retreat to spend the warm summer months away from the fog in San Francisco. Built on a steep slope and a narrow lot, this 4000 square foot home is spread over 3 floors, with the master, guest and kids bedroom on the ground floor, and living spaces on the upper floor to take advantage of the views. The main living level includes a large kitchen, dining, and living space, connected to two home offices by way of a bridge that extends across the double height entry. This bridge area acts as a gallery of light, allowing filtered light through the skylights above and down to the entry on the ground level. All living space takes advantage of grand views of Lake Washington and the city skyline beyond. Two large sliding glass doors open up completely, allowing the living and dining space to extend to the deck outside. On the first floor, in addition to the guest room, a “kids room” welcomes visiting nieces and nephews with bunk beds and their own bathroom. The basement level contains storage, mechanical and a 2 car garage. Photographer: Aaron Leitz

Example of a trendy kitchen design in DC Metro

Susan Teara, photographer
Entryway - large contemporary porcelain tile and beige floor entryway idea in Burlington with multicolored walls and a white front door

Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Inspiration for a mid-sized eclectic partial sun backyard stone walkway in Seattle.

Contemporary exterior.
Trendy exterior home photo in Omaha

The Squaw Valley Retreat is a rebuild of one of the original Olympic cabins from 1960. Our client is an incredibly fun person who enjoys the outdoors and wanted to take full advantage of the view and the indoor / outdoor possibilities of the property. As it happens, this property has one of the best views towards the Resort with the Master Suite taking full advantage with large picture windows in each space. The house is full of nooks to enjoy during the winter and broad vistas to enjoy while cooking a gourmet meal in the summer.

LOCATION: MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS The renovation of this midcentury home centers on a complete transformation of the kitchen, which reshaped how the house functions and connects to its surroundings. The original layout relied on low cabinetry that failed to take advantage of the room’s generous volume. Mandarina Studio reworked the plan to improve circulation and take full advantage of the home’s soaring height and natural light. The redesigned kitchen replaces a dated peninsula with a generously scaled island that supports both everyday use and entertaining. Cabinetry was reimagined vertically as well as horizontally, allowing storage and display to extend upward and reinforce the room’s proportions. A custom china cabinet with tall glass doors framed in blackened iron and finished in white oak adds presence and refinement. At one end of the kitchen, a dedicated bar introduces a more intimate moment. Art, layered lighting, and wall-mounted sconces give this area its own identity, offering contrast to the openness of the main kitchen while supporting entertaining. Clerestory windows introduce shifting daylight throughout the day, bringing depth and movement to the quartzite focal wall at the range. Pendant lights reference midcentury forms in a refined, contemporary way. The completed kitchen was featured on the cover of Modern Luxury Interiors. The renovation extended beyond the kitchen to include a new primary bath, a refreshed guest bath, and updated furnishings throughout the living and dining rooms. In the primary bath, marble with expressive veining is paired with a custom floating white oak vanity, balancing warmth and restraint. In the living room, a new picture window frames wooded views, while the furniture plan grounds the space. A turquoise Murano glass chandelier introduces color and artistry, adding a distinctive, personal note to the interior.

The Squaw Valley Retreat is a rebuild of one of the original Olympic cabins from 1960. Our client is an incredibly fun person who enjoys the outdoors and wanted to take full advantage of the view and the indoor / outdoor possibilities of the property. As it happens, this property has one of the best views towards the Resort with the Master Suite taking full advantage with large picture windows in each space. The house is full of nooks to enjoy during the winter and broad vistas to enjoy while cooking a gourmet meal in the summer.

LOCATION: MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS The renovation of this midcentury home centers on a complete transformation of the kitchen, which reshaped how the house functions and connects to its surroundings. The original layout relied on low cabinetry that failed to take advantage of the room’s generous volume. Mandarina Studio reworked the plan to improve circulation and take full advantage of the home’s soaring height and natural light. The redesigned kitchen replaces a dated peninsula with a generously scaled island that supports both everyday use and entertaining. Cabinetry was reimagined vertically as well as horizontally, allowing storage and display to extend upward and reinforce the room’s proportions. A custom china cabinet with tall glass doors framed in blackened iron and finished in white oak adds presence and refinement. At one end of the kitchen, a dedicated bar introduces a more intimate moment. Art, layered lighting, and wall-mounted sconces give this area its own identity, offering contrast to the openness of the main kitchen while supporting entertaining. Clerestory windows introduce shifting daylight throughout the day, bringing depth and movement to the quartzite focal wall at the range. Pendant lights reference midcentury forms in a refined, contemporary way. The completed kitchen was featured on the cover of Modern Luxury Interiors. The renovation extended beyond the kitchen to include a new primary bath, a refreshed guest bath, and updated furnishings throughout the living and dining rooms. In the primary bath, marble with expressive veining is paired with a custom floating white oak vanity, balancing warmth and restraint. In the living room, a new picture window frames wooded views, while the furniture plan grounds the space. A turquoise Murano glass chandelier introduces color and artistry, adding a distinctive, personal note to the interior.

The Squaw Valley Retreat is a rebuild of one of the original Olympic cabins from 1960. Our client is an incredibly fun person who enjoys the outdoors and wanted to take full advantage of the view and the indoor / outdoor possibilities of the property. As it happens, this property has one of the best views towards the Resort with the Master Suite taking full advantage with large picture windows in each space. The house is full of nooks to enjoy during the winter and broad vistas to enjoy while cooking a gourmet meal in the summer.

This mid-century river walkout was an absolute joy to transform for a young dynamic professional couple. They acquired a Rideau River property with a million dollar view and wanted to take advantage of this extraordinary feature. The existing older galley kitchen had seen better days and was an interior space with no view or natural light. Our recommendation? Take advantage of the cathedral ceiling sunroom and open up the kitchen to create a large, open-concept entertaining zone, with a chef’s kitchen. This new, ready-for-anything space would act as the heart of the home with an impactful sense of arrival. Working with an economical budget we provided guidance on space planning, kitchen functionality and total aesthetic. Knowing our clients worked from home a generous amount of time we integrated storage and power solutions dedicated to keeping technology accessible yet out of sight, which resulted in a dramatic floating walnut island as a grounding element. The overall result with a budget-minded approach was a fully customized high-end transitional kitchen that was youthful, bright and cheerful with touches of industrial chic and a good dose of drama to achieve that ‘wow’ factor. The statement that this view deserved. Also find this project featured in the Ottawa Citizen!

The Squaw Valley Retreat is a rebuild of one of the original Olympic cabins from 1960. Our client is an incredibly fun person who enjoys the outdoors and wanted to take full advantage of the view and the indoor / outdoor possibilities of the property. As it happens, this property has one of the best views towards the Resort with the Master Suite taking full advantage with large picture windows in each space. The house is full of nooks to enjoy during the winter and broad vistas to enjoy while cooking a gourmet meal in the summer.

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW Alice and Dave are on their 2nd home with TKS Design Group, having completed the remodel of a kitchen, primary bath and laundry/mudroom in their previous home. This new home is a bit different in that it is new construction. The house has beautiful space and light but they needed help making it feel like a home. In the living room, Alice and Dave plan to host family at their home often and wanted a space that had plenty of comfy seating for conversation, but also an area to play games. So, our vision started with a search for luxurious but durable fabric along with multiple types of seating to bring the entire space together. Our light-filled living room is now warm and inviting to accommodate Alice and Dave’s weekend visitors. The multiple types of seating chosen include a large sofa, two chairs, along with two occasional ottomans in both solids and patterns and all in easy to care for performance fabrics. Underneath, we layered a soft wool rug with cool tones that complimented both the warm tones of the wood floor and the cool tones of the fabric seating. A beautiful occasional table and a large cocktail table round out the space. We took advantage of this room’s height by placing oversized artwork on the largest wall to create a place for your eyes to rest and to take advantage of the room’s scale. The TV was relocated to its current location over the fireplace, and a new light fixture scaled appropriately to the room’s ceiling height gives the space a more comfortable, approachable feel. Lastly, carefully chosen accessories including books, plants, and bowls complete this family’s new living space. Photography by @MargaretRajic Do you have a new home that has great bones but just doesn’t feel comfortable and you can’t quite figure out why? Contact us here to see how we can help!

The Squaw Valley Retreat is a rebuild of one of the original Olympic cabins from 1960. Our client is an incredibly fun person who enjoys the outdoors and wanted to take full advantage of the view and the indoor / outdoor possibilities of the property. As it happens, this property has one of the best views towards the Resort with the Master Suite taking full advantage with large picture windows in each space. The house is full of nooks to enjoy during the winter and broad vistas to enjoy while cooking a gourmet meal in the summer.

The Squaw Valley Retreat is a rebuild of one of the original Olympic cabins from 1960. Our client is an incredibly fun person who enjoys the outdoors and wanted to take full advantage of the view and the indoor / outdoor possibilities of the property. As it happens, this property has one of the best views towards the Resort with the Master Suite taking full advantage with large picture windows in each space. The house is full of nooks to enjoy during the winter and broad vistas to enjoy while cooking a gourmet meal in the summer.