With sweeping views of the Willamette river and Mt. Hood, this Atwater Place condo was designed with a balance of minimalism and livability in mind. A complete kitchen remodel brought a dark interior kitchen to the light and a full furnishings package welcomed Los Angeles transplants home to their new modern and bright residence. Our clients, a retired camera operator for both feature films and television and a producer/production manager on numerous television series including Weeds and The Middle, relocated from their traditionally-styled LA bungalow to Portland in the Summer of 2014. The couple sought a design departure from their long-term California residence and a fresh start for their new life in the South Waterfront. With only two pieces of sentimental furniture and a handful of artwork included in the plan, we set out to create a comfortable and clean-lined furnishings package complimenting the broad southeast views. Organically shaped upholstery pieces juxtaposed with angular steel and wood tables create a soft balance in the open floor plan. Several custom pieces, including a dining table designed by our studio and a custom hand-blown glass chandelier crafted by Scott Schiesel with Lightlite compliment timeless pieces from Knoll, Herman Miller, and B&B Italia. The kitchen is designed to reflect light and create brilliance in a space that is otherwise naturally dark. A material balance of stainless steel, back painted glass, quartz composite, lacquer, and mirror all play their part in creating a vibrant cooking environment. We collectively decided to forgo the traditional island pendant for a linear commercial fixture that provides tremendous light to the prep surface and creates an unexpected architectural element. The mirrored prep island creates the illusion of open space while concealing casework and wine storage on the working side of the kitchen. It is worth noting that this project was designed and installed almost entirely while our clients were still living in LA and wrapping up professional obligations and selling their home. This afforded us the tremendous opportunity to send our clients to showrooms not available in Portland to view key pieces before final specification. Textiles and finish samples were approved via mail and communication took place over e-mail, telephone, and an occasional office visit. This unique process lead to a successful result and a beautifully balanced living environment. Josh Partee Photography

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

Matthew Niemann Photography
Example of a transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in Austin with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, gray backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, white countertops, quartz countertops, white cabinets and stone tile backsplash

Private Residence / Santa Rosa Beach, Florida Architect: Savoie Architects Builder: Davis Dunn Construction The owners of this lovely, wooded five-parcel site on Choctawhatchee Bay wanted to build a comfortable and inviting home that blended in with the natural surroundings. They also wanted the opportunity to bring the outside indoors by allowing ample natural lighting through windows and expansive folding door systems that they could open up when the seasons permitted. The windows on the home are custom made and impact-rated by our partners at Loewen in Steinbach, Canada. The natural wood exterior doors and transoms are E. F. San Juan Invincia® impact-rated products. Edward San Juan had worked with the home’s interior designer, Erika Powell of Urban Grace Interiors, showing her samples of poplar bark siding prior to the inception of this project. This product was historically used in Appalachia for the exterior siding of cabins; Powell loved the product and vowed to find a use for it on a future project. This beautiful private residence provided just the opportunity to combine this unique material with other natural wood and stone elements. The interior wood beams and other wood components were sourced by the homeowners and made a perfect match to create an unobtrusive home in a lovely natural setting. Challenges: E. F. San Juan’s main challenges on this residential project involved the large folding door systems, which opened up interior living spaces to those outdoors. The sheer size of these door systems made it necessary that all teams work together to get precise measurements and details, ensuring a seamless transition between the areas. It was also essential to make sure these massive door systems would blend well with the home’s other components, with the reflection of nature and a rustic look in mind. All elements were also impact-rated to ensure safety and security in any coastal storms. Solution: We worked closely with the teams from Savoie, Davis Dunn, and Urban Grace to source the impact-rated folding doors from Euro-Wall Systems and create the perfect transition between nature and interior for this rustic residence on the bay. The customized expansive folding doors open the great room up to the deck with outdoor living space, while the counter-height folding window opens the kitchen up to bar seating and a grilling area. --- Photos by Brittany Godbee Photographer

This home had a kitchen that wasn’t meeting the family’s needs, nor did it fit with the coastal Mediterranean theme throughout the rest of the house. The goals for this remodel were to create more storage space and add natural light. The biggest item on the wish list was a larger kitchen island that could fit a family of four. They also wished for the backyard to transform from an unsightly mess that the clients rarely used to a beautiful oasis with function and style. One design challenge was incorporating the client’s desire for a white kitchen with the warm tones of the travertine flooring. The rich walnut tone in the island cabinetry helped to tie in the tile flooring. This added contrast, warmth, and cohesiveness to the overall design and complemented the transitional coastal theme in the adjacent spaces. Rooms alight with sunshine, sheathed in soft, watery hues are indicative of coastal decorating. A few essential style elements will conjure the coastal look with its casual beach attitude and renewing seaside energy, even if the shoreline is only in your mind's eye. By adding two new windows, all-white cabinets, and light quartzite countertops, the kitchen is now open and bright. Brass accents on the hood, cabinet hardware and pendant lighting added warmth to the design. Blue accent rugs and chairs complete the vision, complementing the subtle grey ceramic backsplash and coastal blues in the living and dining rooms. Finally, the added sliding doors lead to the best part of the home: the dreamy outdoor oasis! Every day is a vacation in this Mediterranean-style backyard paradise. The outdoor living space emphasizes the natural beauty of the surrounding area while offering all of the advantages and comfort of indoor amenities. The swimming pool received a significant makeover that turned this backyard space into one that the whole family will enjoy. JRP changed out the stones and tiles, bringing a new life to it. The overall look of the backyard went from hazardous to harmonious. After finishing the pool, a custom gazebo was built for the perfect spot to relax day or night. It’s an entertainer’s dream to have a gorgeous pool and an outdoor kitchen. This kitchen includes stainless-steel appliances, a custom beverage fridge, and a wood-burning fireplace. Whether you want to entertain or relax with a good book, this coastal Mediterranean-style outdoor living remodel has you covered. Photographer: Andrew - OpenHouse VC

This open concept remodel is the home to new Rustic Hickory kitchen cabinets from Dura Supreme Cabinetry shown in the Morel stained finish. A bar area is tucked behind a stunning weathered bar door, opening up to reveal beautiful Classic White cabinets with open shelves for decoratively displaying a collection of dishware. The seating at the peninsula of this rustic hickory kitchen gives a graceful nod towards nature. The branches in the seat mirror the other organic elements in this design and the landscape that surround this home. Dura Supreme Cabinetry recently introduced a new wood species to their product offerings, Rustic Hickory. Rustic Hickory wood is known for its dramatic rustic appearance and color variation as well as knots, burls, mineral streaks, and pitch pockets. The color will vary from creamy white to dark brown. Knots and character marks will be random and prevalent in all shapes and sizes. This beautiful wood species offers versatility with rustic appeal. Rustic Hickory works well with transitional and even contemporary designs where grain texture and knots create an intriguing look. Hickory with a “Morel” finish creates a soft, gray hue that works so advantageously with neutral and gray environments as you see in this kitchen design. Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure Find a Dura Supreme Showroom near you today: http://www.durasupreme.com/dealer-locator This open concept remodel is the home to new Rustic Hickory kitchen cabinets from Dura Supreme Cabinetry shown in the Morel stained finish. A bar area is tucked behind a stunning weathered bar door, opening up to reveal beautiful Classic White cabinets with open shelves for decoratively displaying a collection of dishware. The seating at the peninsula of this rustic hickory kitchen gives a graceful nod towards nature. The branches in the seat mirror the other organic elements in this design and the landscape that surround this home. Dura Supreme Cabinetry recently introduced a new wood species to their product offerings, Rustic Hickory. Rustic Hickory wood is known for its dramatic rustic appearance and color variation as well as knots, burls, mineral streaks, and pitch pockets. The color will vary from creamy white to dark brown. Knots and character marks will be random and prevalent in all shapes and sizes. This beautiful wood species offers versatility with rustic appeal. Rustic Hickory works well with transitional and even contemporary designs where grain texture and knots create an intriguing look. Hickory with a “Morel” finish creates a soft, gray hue that works so advantageously with neutral and gray environments as you see in this kitchen design. Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure Find a Dura Supreme Showroom near you today: http://www.durasupreme.com/dealer-locator

My clients purchased a grand home on a spectacular waterfront setting, but the interior felt dark and drab. Our challenge was to turn the existing home into a high end Hampton-style residence without major construction. We choose to focus on color, contrast and texture, changing almost every surface in the home and reversing the contrast to make the home light and airy. We invested the construction expense on elements crucial to style and function. Removing a row of out of scale upper cabinetry in the kitchen and replacing it with 3 double hung windows expands the view to 180 degrees and floods the room with light. To create symmetry and balance in the kitchen, we moved the cooktop and centered the sink. The wine cellar entry opened awkwardly into the kitchen and there was no pantry, so we modified the wine cellar and moved the door for better flow, allowing for a large pantry. On the opposite end of the great room, we balanced the fireplace with cabinetry and tall wainscoting. The floors were stained dark espresso while all other trim and cabinetry went a bright white. It took 14 tries to get the perfect wall color – a pale beige/color reminiscent of sand. The blue and white furniture and details pull the entire space together and creates a sophisticated yet casual feel. Photos by Steve Armstrong www.cascadepromedia.com

Product: Authentic Thick Limestone Pool Coping elements for pool edge Ancient Surfaces Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' space design as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates in 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a contemporary swimming pool or spa into a traditional Italian Mediterranean pool can be easily achieved by selecting one of our most prized surfaces, 'The Foundation Slabs' pool coping Oolitic planks. The ease and cosines of this outdoor Mediterranean pool and spa experience will evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that on only gets while being surrounded with the pristine beauty of nature. This powerful feeling of unison with all has been known in our early recorded human history thought many primitive civilizations as a way to get people closer to the ultimate truth. A very basic but undisputed truth and that's that we are all connected to the great mother earth and to it's powerful life force that we are all a part of...

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards Sara and Paul Matthews call their head-turning home, located in a sweet neighborhood just up the hill from downtown Petoskey, “a very human story.” Indeed it is. Sara and her husband, Paul, have a special-needs son as well as an energetic middle-school daughter. This home has an answer for everyone. Located down the street from the school, it is ideally situated for their daughter and a self-contained apartment off the great room accommodates all their son’s needs while giving his caretakers privacy—and the family theirs. The Matthews began the building process by taking their thoughts and needs to Stephanie Baldwin and her team at Edgewater Design Group. Beyond the above considerations, they wanted their new home to be low maintenance and to stand out architecturally, “But not so much that anyone would complain that it didn’t work in our neighborhood,” says Sara. “We were thrilled that Edgewater listened to us and were able to give us a unique-looking house that is meeting all our needs.” Lombardy LLC built this handsome home with Paul working alongside the construction crew throughout the project. The low maintenance exterior is a cutting-edge blend of stacked stone, black corrugated steel, black framed windows and Douglas fir soffits—elements that add up to an organic contemporary look. The use of black steel, including interior beams and the staircase system, lend an industrial vibe that is courtesy of the Matthews’ friend Dan Mello of Trimet Industries in Traverse City. The couple first met Dan, a metal fabricator, a number of years ago, right around the time they found out that their then two-year-old son would never be able to walk. After the couple explained to Dan that they couldn’t find a solution for a child who wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair, he designed a comfortable, rolling chair that was just perfect. They still use it. The couple’s gratitude for the chair resulted in a trusting relationship with Dan, so it was natural for them to welcome his talents into their home-building process. A maple floor finished to bring out all of its color-tones envelops the room in warmth. Alder doors and trim and a Doug fir ceiling reflect that warmth. Clearstory windows and floor-to-ceiling window banks fill the space with light—and with views of the spacious grounds that will become a canvas for Paul, a retired landscaper. The couple’s vibrant art pieces play off against modernist furniture and lighting that is due to an inspired collaboration between Sara and interior designer Kelly Paulsen. “She was absolutely instrumental to the project,” Sara says. “I went through two designers before I finally found Kelly.” The open clean-lined kitchen, butler’s pantry outfitted with a beverage center and Miele coffee machine (that allows guests to wait on themselves when Sara is cooking), and an outdoor room that centers around a wood-burning fireplace, all make for easy, fabulous entertaining. A den just off the great room houses the big-screen television and Sara’s loom— making for relaxing evenings of weaving, game watching and togetherness. Tourgoers will leave understanding that this house is everything great design should be. Form following function—and solving very human issues with soul-soothing style.

This adorable beach cottage is in the heart of the village of La Jolla in San Diego. The goals were to brighten up the space and be the perfect beach get-away for the client whose permanent residence is in Arizona. Some of the ways we achieved the goals was to place an extra high custom board and batten in the great room and by refinishing the kitchen cabinets (which were in excellent shape) white. We created interest through extreme proportions and contrast. Though there are a lot of white elements, they are all offset by a smaller portion of very dark elements. We also played with texture and pattern through wallpaper, natural reclaimed wood elements and rugs. This was all kept in balance by using a simplified color palate minimal layering. I am so grateful for this client as they were extremely trusting and open to ideas. To see what the space looked like before the remodel you can go to the gallery page of the website www.cmnaturaldesigns.com Photography by: Chipper Hatter

With sweeping views of the Willamette river and Mt. Hood, this Atwater Place condo was designed with a balance of minimalism and livability in mind. A complete kitchen remodel brought a dark interior kitchen to the light and a full furnishings package welcomed Los Angeles transplants home to their new modern and bright residence. Our clients, a retired camera operator for both feature films and television and a producer/production manager on numerous television series including Weeds and The Middle, relocated from their traditionally-styled LA bungalow to Portland in the Summer of 2014. The couple sought a design departure from their long-term California residence and a fresh start for their new life in the South Waterfront. With only two pieces of sentimental furniture and a handful of artwork included in the plan, we set out to create a comfortable and clean-lined furnishings package complimenting the broad southeast views. Organically shaped upholstery pieces juxtaposed with angular steel and wood tables create a soft balance in the open floor plan. Several custom pieces, including a dining table designed by our studio and a custom hand-blown glass chandelier crafted by Scott Schiesel with Lightlite compliment timeless pieces from Knoll, Herman Miller, and B&B Italia. The kitchen is designed to reflect light and create brilliance in a space that is otherwise naturally dark. A material balance of stainless steel, back painted glass, quartz composite, lacquer, and mirror all play their part in creating a vibrant cooking environment. We collectively decided to forgo the traditional island pendant for a linear commercial fixture that provides tremendous light to the prep surface and creates an unexpected architectural element. The mirrored prep island creates the illusion of open space while concealing casework and wine storage on the working side of the kitchen. It is worth noting that this project was designed and installed almost entirely while our clients were still living in LA and wrapping up professional obligations and selling their home. This afforded us the tremendous opportunity to send our clients to showrooms not available in Portland to view key pieces before final specification. Textiles and finish samples were approved via mail and communication took place over e-mail, telephone, and an occasional office visit. This unique process lead to a successful result and a beautifully balanced living environment. Josh Partee Photography

Boasting views of the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, the Beaux Arts and French Renaissance style building built in 1900 was once home to a luxury hotel. Over the years multiple hotel rooms were combined into the larger apartment residences that exist today. The resulting units, while large in size, lacked the continuity of a single formed space. StudioLAB was presented with the challenge of re-designing the space to fit a modern family’s lifestyle today with the flexibility to adjust as they evolve into their tomorrow. Thus, the existing configuration was completely abandoned with new programmatic elements being relocated in each and every corner of the space. For clients that are big wine connoisseurs, the focal point of entry and circulation lies in a 400 bottle, custom built, blackened steel and glass, temperature controlled wine cabinet. The once enclosed living room was demolished to create one main entertaining space that includes a new dining area and open kitchen. Hafele bi-folding pocket door slides were used in the Living room wall unit to conceal the television, bar and display shelves when not in use. Posing as kitchen cabinetry, a hidden integrated door opens to reveal a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom. Down the hallway of wide plank ebony stained walnut flooring, a compact powder room was built to house an original Paul Villinski installation of small butterflies cut from recycled aluminum cans, entitled Mistral. Continuing down the hall, and through one of the walnut veneered doors, is the shared kids bedroom where a custom-built bunk bed with integrated storage steps and desk was designed to allow for play space and a reading corner. The kids bathroom across the hall is decorated with custom Lego inspired hand cast concrete tiles and integrated pull-out footstools residing underneath the floating vanity. The master suite features a bio-ethanol fireplace wrapped in blackened steel and integrated into the Tabu veneered built-in. The spacious walk-in closet serves several purposes, which include housing the apartment’s new central HVAC system as well as a sleeping spot for the family’s dog. An integrated URC control system paired with Lutron Radio RA lighting keypads were installed to control the AV, HVAC, lighting and solar shades all by the use of smartphones.

With adjacent neighbors within a fairly dense section of Paradise Valley, Arizona, C.P. Drewett sought to provide a tranquil retreat for a new-to-the-Valley surgeon and his family who were seeking the modernism they loved though had never lived in. With a goal of consuming all possible site lines and views while maintaining autonomy, a portion of the house — including the entry, office, and master bedroom wing — is subterranean. This subterranean nature of the home provides interior grandeur for guests but offers a welcoming and humble approach, fully satisfying the clients requests. While the lot has an east-west orientation, the home was designed to capture mainly north and south light which is more desirable and soothing. The architecture’s interior loftiness is created with overlapping, undulating planes of plaster, glass, and steel. The woven nature of horizontal planes throughout the living spaces provides an uplifting sense, inviting a symphony of light to enter the space. The more voluminous public spaces are comprised of stone-clad massing elements which convert into a desert pavilion embracing the outdoor spaces. Every room opens to exterior spaces providing a dramatic embrace of home to natural environment. Grand Award winner for Best Interior Design of a Custom Home The material palette began with a rich, tonal, large-format Quartzite stone cladding. The stone’s tones gaveforth the rest of the material palette including a champagne-colored metal fascia, a tonal stucco system, and ceilings clad with hemlock, a tight-grained but softer wood that was tonally perfect with the rest of the materials. The interior case goods and wood-wrapped openings further contribute to the tonal harmony of architecture and materials. Grand Award Winner for Best Indoor Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home This award-winning project was recognized at the 2020 Gold Nugget Awards with two Grand Awards, one for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home, and another for Best Interior Design of a One of a Kind or Custom Home. At the 2020 Design Excellence Awards and Gala presented by ASID AZ North, Ownby Design received five awards for Tonal Harmony. The project was recognized for 1st place – Bathroom; 3rd place – Furniture; 1st place – Kitchen; 1st place – Outdoor Living; and 2nd place – Residence over 6,000 square ft. Congratulations to Claire Ownby, Kalysha Manzo, and the entire Ownby Design team. Tonal Harmony was also featured on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design and received a 14-page editorial feature entitled “A Place in the Sun” within the magazine.

The accent of glass and copper mosaic backslash tiles echoes the copper hood and farmhouse sink. This kitchen stands out with state of the art Wolf and Subzero appliances which are paired with the ingenuity of intricately constructed custom frameless cabinetry.

The clients were looking for a modern, rustic ski lodge look that was chic and beautiful while being family-friendly and a great vacation home for the holidays and ski trips. Our goal was to create something family-friendly that had all the nostalgic warmth and hallmarks of a mountain house, while still being modern, sophisticated, and functional as a true ski-in and ski-out house. To achieve the look our client wanted, we focused on the great room and made sure it cleared all views into the valley. We drew attention to the hearth by installing a glass-back fireplace, which allows guests to see through to the master bedroom. The decor is rustic and nature-inspired, lots of leather, wood, bone elements, etc., but it's tied together will sleek, modern elements like the blue velvet armchair.

This adorable beach cottage is in the heart of the village of La Jolla in San Diego. The goals were to brighten up the space and be the perfect beach get-away for the client whose permanent residence is in Arizona. Some of the ways we achieved the goals was to place an extra high custom board and batten in the great room and by refinishing the kitchen cabinets (which were in excellent shape) white. We created interest through extreme proportions and contrast. Though there are a lot of white elements, they are all offset by a smaller portion of very dark elements. We also played with texture and pattern through wallpaper, natural reclaimed wood elements and rugs. This was all kept in balance by using a simplified color palate minimal layering. I am so grateful for this client as they were extremely trusting and open to ideas. To see what the space looked like before the remodel you can go to the gallery page of the website www.cmnaturaldesigns.com Photography by: Chipper Hatter

Charles Hilton Architects & Renee Byers LAPC From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

It was a mutual love of Italy, specifically the Tuscan countryside, that inspired renowned architect Mark Scheurer and his wife, Jane, to build their dream home in a simplistic, but elegant style reminiscent of a centuries old Italian farmhouse. Scheurer’s aim was to bring light, air, and an indoor/outdoor feeling into the home while preserving privacy throughout this rustic Southern California home, all of which was achieved a lot in part due to the implementation of Eldorado Stone. The use of stone was a predominant element throughout the design. Scheurer used 2,800 square feet of a custom blend of Eldorado’s Veneto Fieldledge and Hillstone profiles, both of which were applied with an overgrout technique, creating a sense of ageless authenticity and textural beauty. Another 500 square feet was used in the interior to create a dramatic focal point of exposed stone in the living room and boast large, arching windows that open up the living room and filter in light. Upstairs, the master bedroom continues the home’s rustic Italian design with exposed stone walls that reach to the beamed ceiling above. Although Scheurer is in a neighborhood that request for real products to be used in home construction, he had no problem obtaining approval to use Eldorado Stone, which speaks volumes about Eldorado’s beauty and believability. No one doubted the authenticity of the product. In fact, Scheurer believes that Eldorado is even better than natural stone in that the color palette is easily controlled as well as consistent. Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Veneto Fieldledge and Custom Hillstone with an overgrout technique Architect: Scheurer Architects, Newport Beach, CA Website: www.msa-arch.com Builder: RS Construction Company, Corona del Mar, CA