Large cottage white two-story concrete fiberboard gable roof photo in San Francisco

Photos: Jeff Zaruba. Renovation in Mill Valley, Marin. Firepit.
Example of a cottage courtyard gravel patio design in San Francisco with a fire pit and no cover

For this contemporary, Japanese-style residence sitting high on a hill in southern Vermont, JMMDS created a simple, clean-lined design using stone pavers, retaining walls, and geometric beds to define the area around the house. The house is composed of two long offset barn buildings with eaves that are joined in the middle around an exterior stone courtyard. JMMDS’s design holds up the steep surrounding slopes with a long stone retaining wall bordering a rectangular quartzite terrace with a beautiful view out to the surrounding landscape. The wall encloses a level grass shelf around the house; outside the wall, less manicured turf drops away quickly down the slope. Ledges on the hillside that parallels the house are exposed as an asset. On the entry side of the house, JMMDS designed a wall that retains the slope between garage and house, accessed by a set of broad stone steps and linear pavers that take a visitor straight to the front door. Plantings in geometric beds surround more quartzite pavers that form a terrace for the guest wing of the house. The drip space under the eaves is filled with black washed river stone. Photo: Seamus Flynn Photography

View of the patio, bocce ball court and guest house. Adaptive reuse of a former horse barn into a modern glass and steel guest suite. photograph: bill timmerman

Bathroom - large transitional master multicolored tile, beige tile, black tile, black and white tile, brown tile, gray tile, white tile and porcelain tile ceramic tile bathroom idea in New York with beaded inset cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray walls, granite countertops, a one-piece toilet and an undermount sink

Tony Giammarino
Large mountain style green two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in Richmond with a mixed material roof

Photo of a farmhouse landscaping in New York.

This old tobacco barn found new life by being repurposed as a residence next to this lake. The large walls of windows allow for amazing views. Timber Framer: Lancaster County Timber Frames / General Contractor: Historic Retorations

The family purchased the 1950s ranch on Mullet Lake because their daughter dreamed of being married on its shores. The home would be used for the wedding venue and then as a wedding gift to the young couple. We were originally hired in August 2014 to help with a simple renovation of the home that was to be completed well in advance of the August 2015 wedding date. However, thorough investigation revealed significant issues with the original foundation, floor framing and other critical elements of the home’s structure that made that impossible. Based on this information, the family decided to tear down and build again. So now we were tasked with designing a new home that would embody their daughter’s vision of a storybook home – a vision inspired by another one of our projects that she had toured. To capture this aesthetic, traditional cottage materials such as stone and cedar shakes are accentuated by more materials such as reclaimed barn wood siding and corrugated CORTEN steel accent roofs. Inside, interior finishes include hand-hewn timber accents that frame openings and highlight features like the entrance reading nook. Natural materials shine against white walls and simply furnished rooms. While the house has nods to vintage style throughout, the open-plan kitchen and living area allows for both contemporary living and entertaining. We were able to capture their daughter’s vision and the home was completed on time for her big day. - Jacqueline Southby Photography

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.