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

5 Compo Beach Road | Exceptional Westport Waterfront Property Welcome to the Ultimate Westport Lifestyle….. Exclusive & highly sought after Compo Beach location, just up from the Compo Beach Yacht Basin & across from Longshore Golf Club. This impressive 6BD, 6.5BA, 5000SF+ Hamptons designed beach home presents fabulous curb appeal & stunning sunset & waterviews. Architectural significance augments the tasteful interior & highlights the exquisite craftsmanship & detailed millwork. Gorgeous high ceiling & abundant over-sized windows compliment the appealing open floor design & impeccable style. The inviting Mahogany front porch provides the ideal spot to enjoy the magnificent sunsets over the water. A rare treasure in the Beach area, this home offers a square level lot that perfectly accommodates a pool. (Proposed Design Plan provided.) FEMA compliant. This pristine & sophisticated, yet, welcoming home extends unrestricted comfort & luxury in a superb beach location…..Absolute perfection at the shore.

Living room opens out to front deck. Scott Hargis Photography. building Lab is a design build firm specialized in modern architecture.
Living room - large 1960s open concept light wood floor and vaulted ceiling living room idea in San Francisco with white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Large white vinyl-clad Sierra Pacific window installed on a Southlake, TX home.
Example of a large classic red one-story brick house exterior design in Dallas with a tile roof

Tuscan Stone Mantels uses a centuries old process to produce fine architectural stonework. By using this process, our stone is completely formed and finished by hand reflecting the beauty of natural quarried stone. By employing modern gypsums and techniques, we are able to offer products of strength and durability for numerous architectural applications such as mantels & over-mantels, entertainment centers, cladding, niches, shelving, corbels/brackets, molding, kitchen hoods, columns, pediments, and more. Tuscan Stone Mantels provides architects, builders, designers and homeowners with hand crafted stone products of exceptional beauty and durability.

This home features many timeless designs and was catered to our clients and their five growing children
Large cottage open concept light wood floor and beige floor family room photo in Phoenix with white walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Reclaimed wood provided by Appalachian Antique Hardwoods. Architect Platt Architecture, PA, Builder Morgan-Keefe, Photographer J. Weiland
Example of a mountain style one-story wood exterior home design

Roger Wade Studio
Example of a mountain style brick floor wine cellar design

Living room featuring modern steel and wood fireplace wall with upper-level loft and horizontal round bar railings. Floating Stairs and Railings by Keuka Studios www.Keuka-Studios.com

Once a chicken coop now a cottage. The little out building was scrubbed and white washed on the interior. The internal structure was left exposed for rustic charm. An outside bathroom provides an invigorating environment for morning or midnight ablutions. Photo by Brea McDonald http://www.breamcdonald.com/

Hallway - eclectic hallway idea in Brussels

This stone fireplace surround is he focal point to this room. With storage shelves on either side this fireplace design is the perfect combination of form and function. The stone used in this fireplace façade is Canyon Ledgestone. Stacked stone faux stone fireplaces give the illusion that the fireplace is larger.

mid-modern urban home. Steel Catwalk
Example of a large 1950s black two-story mixed siding gable roof design in Seattle

Mid-sized danish open concept light wood floor living room photo in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace and no tv

The historic restoration of this First Period Ipswich, Massachusetts home (c. 1686) was an eighteen-month project that combined exterior and interior architectural work to preserve and revitalize this beautiful home. Structurally, work included restoring the summer beam, straightening the timber frame, and adding a lean-to section. The living space was expanded with the addition of a spacious gourmet kitchen featuring countertops made of reclaimed barn wood. As is always the case with our historic renovations, we took special care to maintain the beauty and integrity of the historic elements while bringing in the comfort and convenience of modern amenities. We were even able to uncover and restore much of the original fabric of the house (the chimney, fireplaces, paneling, trim, doors, hinges, etc.), which had been hidden for years under a renovation dating back to 1746. Winner, 2012 Mary P. Conley Award for historic home restoration and preservation You can read more about this restoration in the Boston Globe article by Regina Cole, “A First Period home gets a second life.” http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2013/10/26/couple-rebuild-their-century-home-ipswich/r2yXE5yiKWYcamoFGmKVyL/story.html Photo Credit: Eric Roth

Madeline Harper Photography
Inspiration for a large country master porcelain tile and gray floor freestanding bathtub remodel in Austin with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, a drop-in sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Traditional beige three-story flat roof idea in Chicago

Nestled in the hill country along Redbud Trail, this home sits on top of a ridge and is defined by its views. The drop-off in the sloping terrain is enhanced by a low-slung building form, creating its own drama through expressive angles in the living room and each bedroom as they turn to face the landscape. Deep overhangs follow the perimeter of the house to create shade and shelter along the outdoor spaces. Photography by Paul Bardagjy