Bathroom - small transitional kids' ceramic tile mosaic tile floor and blue floor bathroom idea in San Francisco with a wall-mount sink, gray walls and a two-piece toilet

The owners of this property had been away from the Bay Area for many years, and looked forward to returning to an elegant mid-century modern house. The one they bought was anything but that. Faced with a “remuddled” kitchen from one decade, a haphazard bedroom / family room addition from another, and an otherwise disjointed and generally run-down mid-century modern house, the owners asked Klopf Architecture and Envision Landscape Studio to re-imagine this house and property as a unified, flowing, sophisticated, warm, modern indoor / outdoor living space for a family of five. Opening up the spaces internally and from inside to out was the first order of business. The formerly disjointed eat-in kitchen with 7 foot high ceilings were opened up to the living room, re-oriented, and replaced with a spacious cook's kitchen complete with a row of skylights bringing light into the space. Adjacent the living room wall was completely opened up with La Cantina folding door system, connecting the interior living space to a new wood deck that acts as a continuation of the wood floor. People can flow from kitchen to the living / dining room and the deck seamlessly, making the main entertainment space feel at once unified and complete, and at the same time open and limitless. Klopf opened up the bedroom with a large sliding panel, and turned what was once a large walk-in closet into an office area, again with a large sliding panel. The master bathroom has high windows all along one wall to bring in light, and a large wet room area for the shower and tub. The dark, solid roof structure over the patio was replaced with an open trellis that allows plenty of light, brightening the new deck area as well as the interior of the house. All the materials of the house were replaced, apart from the framing and the ceiling boards. This allowed Klopf to unify the materials from space to space, running the same wood flooring throughout, using the same paint colors, and generally creating a consistent look from room to room. Located in Lafayette, CA this remodeled single-family house is 3,363 square foot, 4 bedroom, and 3.5 bathroom. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Jackie Detamore, and Jeffrey Prose Landscape Design: Envision Landscape Studio Structural Engineer: Brian Dotson Consulting Engineers Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography ©2015 Mariko Reed Staging: The Design Shop Location: Lafayette, CA Year completed: 2014

Mid Century inspired Alexander Estates II Palm Springs, CA
Living room - mid-century modern open concept living room idea in Other

Photo by Mary Costa
Example of a trendy light wood floor living room design in Los Angeles with white walls

Modern Rustic home with Scandinavian inspired design, architecture & heritage of the home owners. This particular image shows a family room with custom furniture, floor to ceiling windows and custom art. Photo: Martin Tessler

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

Earthy, Modern Organic living room by Nashville Interior Designer Lauren DeBello Interiors
Living room - transitional living room idea in Nashville

Julie Soefer Photography
Inspiration for a timeless girl dark wood floor and gray floor nursery remodel in Houston

Kitchen with black fixtures and hardware, ceramic tile backsplash, quartz countertops, and barbell pendant light. Photography by Kyle Born.
Kitchen - small contemporary light wood floor and beige floor kitchen idea in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Large mid-century modern u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Vancouver with an undermount sink, quartz countertops, black backsplash, marble backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and black countertops

Photo: A Darling Felicity Photography © 2015 Houzz
Living room - mid-sized eclectic enclosed medium tone wood floor living room idea in Seattle with white walls

Elegant galley dark wood floor enclosed kitchen photo in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island

Blue & White Garden with rectangular lily pond; azaleas, tree peonies, assorted Spring bulbs, perennials and flowering shrubs. Display Garden, Seekonk, MA.

Studio McGee
Inspiration for a transitional living room remodel in Salt Lake City with white walls

This traditional style two-story family home is situated on the quiet outskirts of Southampton. A minimalist white contemporary kitchen with oversize white subway tiles and marble countertops allows the black walnut floors to pop. The contemporary eat-in kitchen table and antique family-heirloom chairs brings a modern feel to the space. The master suite is complete with marble-look tile flooring and industrial-style pendant lights. Upstairs is the guest bath which features a beautiful floating vanity. On the main floor the Living room features a black floor to ceiling continental gas fireplace. The overall contemporary feel of the space brings new life to this mid-century home.

Example of a farmhouse vinyl floor kitchen design in Salt Lake City with quartz countertops, white backsplash and gray countertops

Inspiration for a contemporary living room remodel in New York with white walls

Bathroom - mid-sized transitional mosaic tile floor and black floor bathroom idea in New York with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink, solid surface countertops and a two-piece toilet

Michelle Peek Photography
Large trendy galley medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula