This house is set on a sunny natural plateau, sheltered from the wind and enjoys magnificent views of Sutton Mounts and Echo. The layout of the house integrates harmoniously with the surrounding forest, opening to nature through large expanses of glass and terraces that connect the living spaces to the forest. A long roof shelters the house, its deep eaves acting as a sunshade and defining protected outside spaces. The wide south and east terraces, close to ground level, bring the house into contact with its site and enjoy lots of sunshine. A screen porch is strategically located to avoid blocking the primary views and provides access to the forest. The living living spaces are arranged in an open layout under a ceiling ceiling that reaches 12 feet in height, yet more intimate spaces such as the fireplace alcove modulate the spaces between the higher volumes. The construction will achieve Novoclimat certification and integrates among other things a radiant floor fed by a geothermal heating system. This project was completed in collaboration with engineers and Construction Boivin.

Our clients had just recently closed on their new house in Stapleton and were excited to transform it into their perfect forever home. They wanted to remodel the entire first floor to create a more open floor plan and develop a smoother flow through the house that better fit the needs of their family. The original layout consisted of several small rooms that just weren’t very functional, so we decided to remove the walls that were breaking up the space and restructure the first floor to create a wonderfully open feel. After removing the existing walls, we rearranged their spaces to give them an office at the front of the house, a large living room, and a large dining room that connects seamlessly with the kitchen. We also wanted to center the foyer in the home and allow more light to travel through the first floor, so we replaced their existing doors with beautiful custom sliding doors to the back yard and a gorgeous walnut door with side lights to greet guests at the front of their home. Living Room Our clients wanted a living room that could accommodate an inviting sectional, a baby grand piano, and plenty of space for family game nights. So, we transformed what had been a small office and sitting room into a large open living room with custom wood columns. We wanted to avoid making the home feel too vast and monumental, so we designed custom beams and columns to define spaces and to make the house feel like a home. Aesthetically we wanted their home to be soft and inviting, so we utilized a neutral color palette with occasional accents of muted blues and greens. Dining Room Our clients were also looking for a large dining room that was open to the rest of the home and perfect for big family gatherings. So, we removed what had been a small family room and eat-in dining area to create a spacious dining room with a fireplace and bar. We added custom cabinetry to the bar area with open shelving for displaying and designed a custom surround for their fireplace that ties in with the wood work we designed for their living room. We brought in the tones and materiality from the kitchen to unite the spaces and added a mixed metal light fixture to bring the space together Kitchen We wanted the kitchen to be a real show stopper and carry through the calm muted tones we were utilizing throughout their home. We reoriented the kitchen to allow for a big beautiful custom island and to give us the opportunity for a focal wall with cooktop and range hood. Their custom island was perfectly complimented with a dramatic quartz counter top and oversized pendants making it the real center of their home. Since they enter the kitchen first when coming from their detached garage, we included a small mud-room area right by the back door to catch everyone’s coats and shoes as they come in. We also created a new walk-in pantry with plenty of open storage and a fun chalkboard door for writing notes, recipes, and grocery lists. Office We transformed the original dining room into a handsome office at the front of the house. We designed custom walnut built-ins to house all of their books, and added glass french doors to give them a bit of privacy without making the space too closed off. We painted the room a deep muted blue to create a glimpse of rich color through the french doors Powder Room The powder room is a wonderful play on textures. We used a neutral palette with contrasting tones to create dramatic moments in this little space with accents of brushed gold. Master Bathroom The existing master bathroom had an awkward layout and outdated finishes, so we redesigned the space to create a clean layout with a dream worthy shower. We continued to use neutral tones that tie in with the rest of the home, but had fun playing with tile textures and patterns to create an eye-catching vanity. The wood-look tile planks along the floor provide a soft backdrop for their new free-standing bathtub and contrast beautifully with the deep ash finish on the cabinetry.

This house is set on a sunny natural plateau, sheltered from the wind and enjoys magnificent views of Sutton Mounts and Echo. The layout of the house integrates harmoniously with the surrounding forest, opening to nature through large expanses of glass and terraces that connect the living spaces to the forest. A long roof shelters the house, its deep eaves acting as a sunshade and defining protected outside spaces. The wide south and east terraces, close to ground level, bring the house into contact with its site and enjoy lots of sunshine. A screen porch is strategically located to avoid blocking the primary views and provides access to the forest. The living living spaces are arranged in an open layout under a ceiling ceiling that reaches 12 feet in height, yet more intimate spaces such as the fireplace alcove modulate the spaces between the higher volumes. The construction will achieve Novoclimat certification and integrates among other things a radiant floor fed by a geothermal heating system. This project was completed in collaboration with engineers and Construction Boivin.

Amy Birrer The kitchen pictured here is in a turn of the century home that still uses the original stove from the 1930’s to heat, cook and bake. The porcelain sink with drain boards are also originals still in use from the 1950’s. The idea here was to keep the original appliances still in use while increasing the storage and work surface space. Although the kitchen is rather large it has many of the issues of an older house in that there are 4 integral entrances into the kitchen, none of which could be rerouted or closed off. It also needed to encompass in-kitchen eating and a space for a dishwasher. The fully integrated dishwasher is raised off the floor and sits on ball and claw feet giving it the look of a freestanding piece of furniture. Elevating a dishwasher is a great way to avoid the constant bending over associated with loading and unloading dishes. The cabinets were designed to resemble an antique breakfront in keeping with the style and age of the house.

Amy Birrer The kitchen pictured here is in a turn of the century home that still uses the original stove from the 1930’s to heat, cook and bake. The porcelain sink with drain boards are also originals still in use from the 1950’s. The idea here was to keep the original appliances still in use while increasing the storage and work surface space. Although the kitchen is rather large it has many of the issues of an older house in that there are 4 integral entrances into the kitchen, none of which could be rerouted or closed off. It also needed to encompass in-kitchen eating and a space for a dishwasher. The fully integrated dishwasher is raised off the floor and sits on ball and claw feet giving it the look of a freestanding piece of furniture. Elevating a dishwasher is a great way to avoid the constant bending over associated with loading and unloading dishes. The cabinets were designed to resemble an antique breakfront in keeping with the style and age of the house.

Craftsman cabinetry, maple wood with mocha stain and satin finish, full extension soft close drawer guides, soft close hinges, full overlay cabinetry, Granite counter tops

Wildlife using Seed Fountain to stay hydrated.
Inspiration for a mid-sized drought-tolerant front yard water fountain landscape in San Francisco.

NW Architectural Photography
Large arts and crafts u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Seattle with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, granite countertops and gray countertops

This house west of Boston was originally designed in 1958 by the great New England modernist, Henry Hoover. He built his own modern home in Lincoln in 1937, the year before the German émigré Walter Gropius built his own world famous house only a few miles away. By the time this 1958 house was built, Hoover had matured as an architect; sensitively adapting the house to the land and incorporating the clients wish to recreate the indoor-outdoor vibe of their previous home in Hawaii. The house is beautifully nestled into its site. The slope of the roof perfectly matches the natural slope of the land. The levels of the house delicately step down the hill avoiding the granite ledge below. The entry stairs also follow the natural grade to an entry hall that is on a mid level between the upper main public rooms and bedrooms below. The living spaces feature a south- facing shed roof that brings the sun deep in to the home. Collaborating closely with the homeowner and general contractor, we freshened up the house by adding radiant heat under the new purple/green natural cleft slate floor. The original interior and exterior Douglas fir walls were stripped and refinished. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

This house is set on a sunny natural plateau, sheltered from the wind and enjoys magnificent views of Sutton Mounts and Echo. The layout of the house integrates harmoniously with the surrounding forest, opening to nature through large expanses of glass and terraces that connect the living spaces to the forest. A long roof shelters the house, its deep eaves acting as a sunshade and defining protected outside spaces. The wide south and east terraces, close to ground level, bring the house into contact with its site and enjoy lots of sunshine. A screen porch is strategically located to avoid blocking the primary views and provides access to the forest. The living living spaces are arranged in an open layout under a ceiling ceiling that reaches 12 feet in height, yet more intimate spaces such as the fireplace alcove modulate the spaces between the higher volumes. The construction will achieve Novoclimat certification and integrates among other things a radiant floor fed by a geothermal heating system. This project was completed in collaboration with engineers and Construction Boivin.

Amy Birrer The kitchen pictured here is in a turn of the century home that still uses the original stove from the 1930’s to heat, cook and bake. The porcelain sink with drain boards are also originals still in use from the 1950’s. The idea here was to keep the original appliances still in use while increasing the storage and work surface space. Although the kitchen is rather large it has many of the issues of an older house in that there are 4 integral entrances into the kitchen, none of which could be rerouted or closed off. It also needed to encompass in-kitchen eating and a space for a dishwasher. The fully integrated dishwasher is raised off the floor and sits on ball and claw feet giving it the look of a freestanding piece of furniture. Elevating a dishwasher is a great way to avoid the constant bending over associated with loading and unloading dishes. The cabinets were designed to resemble an antique breakfront in keeping with the style and age of the house.

Example of a mid-sized transitional formal and open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Miami with gray walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Amy Birrer The kitchen pictured here is in a turn of the century home that still uses the original stove from the 1930’s to heat, cook and bake. The porcelain sink with drain boards are also originals still in use from the 1950’s. The idea here was to keep the original appliances still in use while increasing the storage and work surface space. Although the kitchen is rather large it has many of the issues of an older house in that there are 4 integral entrances into the kitchen, none of which could be rerouted or closed off. It also needed to encompass in-kitchen eating and a space for a dishwasher. The fully integrated dishwasher is raised off the floor and sits on ball and claw feet giving it the look of a freestanding piece of furniture. Elevating a dishwasher is a great way to avoid the constant bending over associated with loading and unloading dishes. The cabinets were designed to resemble an antique breakfront in keeping with the style and age of the house.

Todd Hertner
Example of an arts and crafts galley eat-in kitchen design in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, custom tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Amy Birrer The kitchen pictured here is in a turn of the century home that still uses the original stove from the 1930’s to heat, cook and bake. The porcelain sink with drain boards are also originals still in use from the 1950’s. The idea here was to keep the original appliances still in use while increasing the storage and work surface space. Although the kitchen is rather large it has many of the issues of an older house in that there are 4 integral entrances into the kitchen, none of which could be rerouted or closed off. It also needed to encompass in-kitchen eating and a space for a dishwasher. The fully integrated dishwasher is raised off the floor and sits on ball and claw feet giving it the look of a freestanding piece of furniture. Elevating a dishwasher is a great way to avoid the constant bending over associated with loading and unloading dishes. The cabinets were designed to resemble an antique breakfront in keeping with the style and age of the house.

These homeowner loves to entertain friends and family. They wanted a new space that had a farmhouse look and feel. We removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Then we closed off the staircase coming from upstairs into the kitchen. We changed the dining room ceiling from a tray ceiling to a flat ceiling. These changes allowed us to incorporate the old dining room and kitchen to make a lavish area for entertaining friends and family. The perimeter cabinets are from Showplace featuring the Marquis door style in soft white with a pewter glaze and are accented by Heirloom Gray countertops. The contrasting island cabinets are from Showplace in smoky blue with the Marquis door style and are accented by Cosmos Venato countertops. The microwave is located conveniently in the island helping to avoid clutter on the countertops. The pantry is concealed behind a rustic alder barn door which when closed is located beside a magnetic chalkboard for displaying their child’s artwork The porcelain enamel farm sink has an oil rubbed bronze faucet which matches the pot filler located behind the Wolfe range on the subway glass tile. The new large kitchen window provides plenty of natural light. The focal point of this kitchen is the Wolfe range with the custom Ventahood exhaust hood with copper accents with blends perfectly with the oil rubbed bronze faucet and pot filler.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Detroit with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Surprise 2 Bedroom Makeover In A Day!! Parents wanted to surprise their kids with a remodeled room as a Christmas gift. Their parents asked for some specific: · It had to be a surprise—we just have one day to keep them out of the house, · Stay on low budget—under $1,000 for each room, · Provide enough space for their trophies, · Have a “homework” area, · Each room should not be too different from the other to avoid conflict between them, · Fix the poor illumination on the rooms, Our young clients Santiago (13 yrs.) and Matias (10 yrs.) are two vibrant and close brothers, who love red color and taekwondo. Our solution: Maximize space, making storage more efficient, while brightening the room with color, and keeping it versatile so over time our young clients could include their own taste and personality on the rooms. ‪#‎kidsroom‬ ‪#‎organikasmartdesign‬ ‪#‎roommakeover‬ ‪#‎designonabudget‬

After completing their son’s room, we decided to continue the designing in my client’s master bathroom in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Not only were the finishes completely overhauled, but the space plan was reconfigured too. They no longer wanted their soaking tub and requested a larger shower with a rain head and more counter top space and cabinetry. The couple wanted something that was not too trendy and desired a space that would look classic and stand the test of time. What better way to give them that than with marble, white cabinets and a chandelier to boot? This newly renovated master bath now features Cambria quartz counters, custom white cabinetry, marble flooring in a diamond pattern with mini-mosaic accents, a classic subway marble shower surround, frameless glass, new recessed and accent lighting, chrome fixtures, a coat of fresh grey paint on the walls and a few accessories to make the space feel complete.