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Example of a small trendy single-wall laundry closet design in Austin with beige walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

Joseph Schell Photography
Bathroom - contemporary bathroom idea in San Francisco
Bathroom - contemporary bathroom idea in San Francisco

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment.
The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home.
Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition.
The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions.
The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns.
Overview
Elm Grove
Size
2,800 sf
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Completion Date
September 2014
Services
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design
Steve Gotter

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment.
The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home.
Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition.
The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions.
The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns.
Overview:
Elm Grove
Size:
2,800 sf,
3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Completion Date:
September 2014
Services:
Architecture, Landscape Architecture
Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

Custom Home Built for Real Life
Our clients came to us with a clear vision: a home that could adapt to their lifestyle and growing family. They needed a home built with intention, designed with the future in mind, and built around the routines they loved and the people they loved more.
Open-Concept Living With Hosting in Mind
Our clients hosted often and lived actively, so the main level had to be flexible for all of life’s moments. The goal was a space that felt grand without losing its warmth.
Cooking together as a family mattered to our clients – the Wolf range, farmhouse sink, integrated appliances, and large island gave them a kitchen that flowed effortlessly while looking beautiful. This space also served as the bridge between other parts of the main level so that they would stay in view of the next. This created the perfect environment for gathering where everyone had their own spot without ever feeling apart from the whole group.
For the living room, our clients wanted space that felt open without losing its warmth. Soaring ceilings created that sense of scale, while warm tones and materials, like the wood coffered ceiling and fireplace wall, kept it grounded. That same warmth carried outside, where an outdoor lounge with a fireplace and dining area made sure guests felt welcomed the moment they stepped out.
A Backyard Built for Real Rest
Every corner of the backyard was designed with one goal: to be the ultimate outdoor retreat. The elevated, white-brick-framed pool and integrated spa hot tub gave them a place to truly exhale. As the sun set, the fire pit lounge next to the pool became the hangout spot when they hosted their youth groups and family gatherings.
Room to Grow
With kids in the house, “custom” had to also mean flexible. Our clients had 2 young sons and needed their rooms to grow with them through the years. The two bedrooms and a full bath sat beside a loft that served as both their hangout-and-homework spot. The guest suite sat on the same level where a four-poster bed, floor-to-ceiling wood-look tile, and a frameless glass shower welcomed their guests from day one.
A Retreat That’s Actually Theirs
Between hosting and raising kids, this couple needed a suite that felt like a true escape. The wood-planked tray ceiling and French doors grounded the room in warmth the moment you walked in, while the ensuite bathroom carried a spa-like feeling with a freestanding soaking tub, custom double vanity, and a glass-enclosed shower.
This Is What Approachable Luxury Looks Like
The approachable luxury experience meant starting with conversations about how they wanted their space to live with them – how they hosted, how their kids played, how they wanted to feel walking through their own front door, and how we took their goals and experience and used it as the foundation of every decision that was made from start to finish. We wanted our clients to feel taken care of through the process and, most importantly, feel heard.

Sea Arches is a stunning modern architectural masterpiece, perched atop an eleven-acre peninsular promontory rising 160 feet above the Pacific Ocean on northern California’s spectacular Mendocino coast. Surrounded by the ocean on 3 sides and presiding over unparalleled vistas of sea and surf, Sea Arches includes 2,000 feet of ocean frontage, as well as beaches that extend some 1,300 feet. This one-of-a-kind property also includes one of the famous Elk Sea Stacks, a grouping of remarkable ancient rock outcroppings that tower above the Pacific, and add a powerful and dramatic element to the coastal scenery. Integrated gracefully into its spectacular setting, Sea Arches is set back 500 feet from the Pacific Coast Hwy and is completely screened from public view by more than 400 Monterey cypress trees. Approached by a winding, tree-lined drive, the main house and guesthouse include over 4,200 square feet of modern living space with four bedrooms, two mezzanines, two mini-lofts, and five full bathrooms. All rooms are spacious and the hallways are extra-wide. A cantilevered, raised deck off the living-room mezzanine provides a stunningly close approach to the ocean. Walls of glass invite views of the enchanting scenery in every direction: north to the Elk Sea Stacks, south to Point Arena and its historic lighthouse, west beyond the property’s captive sea stack to the horizon, and east to lofty wooded mountains. All of these vistas are enjoyed from Sea Arches and from the property’s mile-long groomed trails that extend along the oceanfront bluff tops overlooking the beautiful beaches on the north and south side of the home. While completely private and secluded, Sea Arches is just a two-minute drive from the charming village of Elk offering quaint and cozy restaurants and inns. A scenic seventeen-mile coastal drive north will bring you to the picturesque and historic seaside village of Mendocino which attracts tourists from near and far. One can also find many world-class wineries in nearby Anderson Valley. All of this just a three-hour drive from San Francisco or if you choose to fly, Little River Airport, with its mile long runway, is only 16 miles north of Sea Arches. Truly a special and unique property, Sea Arches commands some of the most dramatic coastal views in the world, and offers superb design, construction, and high-end finishes throughout, along with unparalleled beauty, tranquility, and privacy. Property Highlights: • Idyllically situated on a one-of-a-kind eleven-acre oceanfront parcel • Dwelling is completely screened from public view by over 400 trees • Includes 2,000 feet of ocean frontage plus over 1,300 feet of beaches • Includes one of the famous Elk Sea Stacks connected to the property by an isthmus • Main house plus private guest house totaling over 4300 sq ft of superb living space • 4 bedrooms and 5 full bathrooms • Separate His and Hers master baths • Open floor plan featuring Single Level Living (with the exception of mezzanines and lofts) • Spacious common rooms with extra wide hallways • Ample opportunities throughout the home for displaying art • Radiant heated slate floors throughout • Soaring 18 foot high ceilings in main living room with walls of glass • Cantilevered viewing deck off the mezzanine for up close ocean views • Gourmet kitchen with top of the line stainless appliances, custom cabinetry and granite counter tops • Granite window sills throughout the home • Spacious guest house including a living room, wet bar, large bedroom, an office/second bedroom, two spacious baths, sleeping loft and two mini lofts • Spectacular ocean and sunset views from most every room in the house • Gracious winding driveway offering ample parking • Large 2 car-garage with workshop • Extensive low-maintenance landscaping offering a profusion of Spring and Summer blooms • Approx. 1 mile of groomed trails • Equipped with a generator • Copper roof • Anchored in bedrock by 42 reinforced concrete piers and framed with steel girders.
2 Fireplaces
Deck
Granite Countertops
Guest House
Patio
Security System
Storage
Gardens

The 10,000 sq. ft. Bellagio Residence was a 1939 Georgian Revival overlooking the manicured links of the Bel Air Country Club that was in need of a modern touch. Stripped down to the studs, Wearstler worked to create an additional 3,000 sq. ft. of living space, pushed up the ceiling heights, broadened windows and doors to allow more light and completely carved out a new master suite upstairs. Mixing the personalities of the clients, one slightly more conservative and focused on comfort, the other a little feistier that wanted something unique, Wearstler took a daredevil approach and created a high-chroma style that has become her new signature approach. Italian antiques, custom rugs inspired by silk scarves, hand-painted wallcoverings, bright hits of color like a tiger print Fuchsia velvet sofa against a plum colored pyramid studded wall and endless amounts of onyx and marble slab walls and floors make for an unapologetically lavish and seductive home.
Photo Credit: Grey Crawford

This beautiful two story foyer features orange grasscloth wallpaper, original vintage art and a blue console table for storage. The color scheme beautifully complements the hallway to the powder room and living room to the left.

Kitchen. Flooring: black slate tiles. Kitchen Cabinets: custom cherry.
Photo by Randy O'Rourke
Example of a cottage slate floor kitchen design in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island
Example of a cottage slate floor kitchen design in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Custom Home Built for Real Life
Our clients came to us with a clear vision: a home that could adapt to their lifestyle and growing family. They needed a home built with intention, designed with the future in mind, and built around the routines they loved and the people they loved more.
Open-Concept Living With Hosting in Mind
Our clients hosted often and lived actively, so the main level had to be flexible for all of life’s moments. The goal was a space that felt grand without losing its warmth.
Cooking together as a family mattered to our clients – the Wolf range, farmhouse sink, integrated appliances, and large island gave them a kitchen that flowed effortlessly while looking beautiful. This space also served as the bridge between other parts of the main level so that they would stay in view of the next. This created the perfect environment for gathering where everyone had their own spot without ever feeling apart from the whole group.
For the living room, our clients wanted space that felt open without losing its warmth. Soaring ceilings created that sense of scale, while warm tones and materials, like the wood coffered ceiling and fireplace wall, kept it grounded. That same warmth carried outside, where an outdoor lounge with a fireplace and dining area made sure guests felt welcomed the moment they stepped out.
A Backyard Built for Real Rest
Every corner of the backyard was designed with one goal: to be the ultimate outdoor retreat. The elevated, white-brick-framed pool and integrated spa hot tub gave them a place to truly exhale. As the sun set, the fire pit lounge next to the pool became the hangout spot when they hosted their youth groups and family gatherings.
Room to Grow
With kids in the house, “custom” had to also mean flexible. Our clients had 2 young sons and needed their rooms to grow with them through the years. The two bedrooms and a full bath sat beside a loft that served as both their hangout-and-homework spot. The guest suite sat on the same level where a four-poster bed, floor-to-ceiling wood-look tile, and a frameless glass shower welcomed their guests from day one.
A Retreat That’s Actually Theirs
Between hosting and raising kids, this couple needed a suite that felt like a true escape. The wood-planked tray ceiling and French doors grounded the room in warmth the moment you walked in, while the ensuite bathroom carried a spa-like feeling with a freestanding soaking tub, custom double vanity, and a glass-enclosed shower.
This Is What Approachable Luxury Looks Like
The approachable luxury experience meant starting with conversations about how they wanted their space to live with them – how they hosted, how their kids played, how they wanted to feel walking through their own front door, and how we took their goals and experience and used it as the foundation of every decision that was made from start to finish. We wanted our clients to feel taken care of through the process and, most importantly, feel heard.

The landscape design for this private residence brings together a diverse array of elements to create an ethereal, multi-sensory experience where sound, movement, colour and scent are simultaneously evoked. Shielded by a forty foot hedge, the site challenged us to create an exterior, yet interior, world where Asian and Western influences intersect. In honouring the traditions of Feng Shui, the retaining wall does not sit directly on the entrance. Meditation pathways lead to areas of retreat and socialization (including an outdoor fire, a restored pool and covered seating area). An ergonomic garden and potting station lined with fruit trees allows the client to grow her own plants and vegetables. A multi-leveled water feature is framed with lush camellias and peonies; the landscape is lined with evergreens and decorated with Chinese basalt and local granite. The multi-sensory design comes to life in the grove of Shirofugen cherry trees as it sheds its petals to the music of a custom Corten steel wind chime sculpture made by English artist David Harber. A weather station was placed on site for a month to determine the weight of the chimes—each one set to the pentatonic scale. This is a space where our clients can grow and evolve their lives with the seasons.

Custom Home Built for Real Life
Our clients came to us with a clear vision: a home that could adapt to their lifestyle and growing family. They needed a home built with intention, designed with the future in mind, and built around the routines they loved and the people they loved more.
Open-Concept Living With Hosting in Mind
Our clients hosted often and lived actively, so the main level had to be flexible for all of life’s moments. The goal was a space that felt grand without losing its warmth.
Cooking together as a family mattered to our clients – the Wolf range, farmhouse sink, integrated appliances, and large island gave them a kitchen that flowed effortlessly while looking beautiful. This space also served as the bridge between other parts of the main level so that they would stay in view of the next. This created the perfect environment for gathering where everyone had their own spot without ever feeling apart from the whole group.
For the living room, our clients wanted space that felt open without losing its warmth. Soaring ceilings created that sense of scale, while warm tones and materials, like the wood coffered ceiling and fireplace wall, kept it grounded. That same warmth carried outside, where an outdoor lounge with a fireplace and dining area made sure guests felt welcomed the moment they stepped out.
A Backyard Built for Real Rest
Every corner of the backyard was designed with one goal: to be the ultimate outdoor retreat. The elevated, white-brick-framed pool and integrated spa hot tub gave them a place to truly exhale. As the sun set, the fire pit lounge next to the pool became the hangout spot when they hosted their youth groups and family gatherings.
Room to Grow
With kids in the house, “custom” had to also mean flexible. Our clients had 2 young sons and needed their rooms to grow with them through the years. The two bedrooms and a full bath sat beside a loft that served as both their hangout-and-homework spot. The guest suite sat on the same level where a four-poster bed, floor-to-ceiling wood-look tile, and a frameless glass shower welcomed their guests from day one.
A Retreat That’s Actually Theirs
Between hosting and raising kids, this couple needed a suite that felt like a true escape. The wood-planked tray ceiling and French doors grounded the room in warmth the moment you walked in, while the ensuite bathroom carried a spa-like feeling with a freestanding soaking tub, custom double vanity, and a glass-enclosed shower.
This Is What Approachable Luxury Looks Like
The approachable luxury experience meant starting with conversations about how they wanted their space to live with them – how they hosted, how their kids played, how they wanted to feel walking through their own front door, and how we took their goals and experience and used it as the foundation of every decision that was made from start to finish. We wanted our clients to feel taken care of through the process and, most importantly, feel heard.

Dining Room. Hutch: custom built-in by builder. Flooring: white oak.
Photo by Randy O'Rourke
Country dining room photo in Other
Country dining room photo in Other

Living Room. Flooring: White Oak. Fireplace mantle and hearth: Deer Isle granite.
Photo by Randy O'Rourke
Inspiration for a cottage family room remodel in Other with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace
Inspiration for a cottage family room remodel in Other with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace
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