Photography by Bernard Russo
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This Eichler home was strategically expanded and reconfigured to strengthen the connection between interior and exterior spaces while also adding a more spacious primary suite, formalized entry space, and an expanded bedroom and hallway bathroom. The entry sequence is now defined by custom storage, a large glass wall at the light-filled atrium, and a mid-century-inspired geometric screen. The sense of connection between indoor and outdoor spaces is heightened by a large, multi-panel sliding door system spanning the full width of the main living spaces. The outdated kitchen was relocated adjacent to the new door system, flowing into a spacious great room overlooking new landscaping. Indoor/outdoor floor tile extends the living spaces out onto patios at the atrium and rear yard to further fade the boundary between this Eichler’s interior and exterior. Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, Ethan Taylor, and Fernanda Bernardes Structural engineer: BASE Design Interior Designer: Lucile Glessner Landscape Designer: Bonnie Brock Landscape Design General Contrator: Starburst Construction Photography: © 2022 by Mariko Reed Completion year: 2021

This custom bar provides the perfect setting to greet guests with a glass of wine, beer, or a mixed drink. The shelving was engineered by the client's son to accommodate all the glassware needed for the perfect entertainment. The Artwork over the mirrored buffet had been installed on a brick fireplace in the former home, and reapplied beautifully by the artist's son as framed art to the new condominium. The elecric fireplace and large-screen tv were installed in a custom millwork element designed by A. Maris Bernard, and incorporated an ochre custom-colored concrete mantle. The wall is covered with a wave-formed acoustical material ordered from Inhabitat Design.

Bernard Andre
Living room - eclectic open concept slate floor and green floor living room idea in San Francisco with beige walls

Bernard Russo
Inspiration for a large rustic backyard deck remodel in Charlotte with a fire pit and no cover

A new modern home, for a modern way of life. Project completed for Saint Bernard Properties.
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Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA

Photography by Bernard Russo
Home design - large rustic home design idea in Charlotte

Photography by Bernard Russo
Inspiration for a small master medium tone wood floor bedroom remodel in Charlotte with beige walls and no fireplace

“Recline to dine by design” Based on a book by Bernard Rudolfsky: "The name derives from the ancient custom of reclining to dine, something very familiar to biblical scholars and ancient artists, but completely lost in Medieval and Renaissance depictions of the Last Supper.”he “sofa” is a modern day interpretation of the triclinium sofas, which during roman times were commonly used for dining. Often men were reclining on their left sides while women were seated.The “tree branch” fixture refers to the grape vines.

Photo credit: Phil Bernard Photographe
Inspiration for a large contemporary galley medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in Montreal with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

Photography by Bernard Russo
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Photography by Bernard Russo
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Bernard André Photography
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Bernard Andre, Photographer.
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Photography by Bernard Russo
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Photography by Bernard Russo
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Bernard Andre
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Walk-in closet adjacent to Master Bath Bernard Andre
Example of a closet design in San Francisco