This 1,000ft² recording and production studio, built in 2021 for producer couple Latifah Alattas and Lucas Morton, was designed as a fully custom creative environment that supports writing, mixing, and collaboration at the highest level. Both Latifah and Lucas are multi-instrumentalists, engineers, and mixers, and the studio reflects the full range of their workflows—visually inspiring, technically precise, and intuitive in every room. The facility was built from the ground up with a strong emphasis on architectural acoustics and plug-and-play connectivity. The layout includes two Control Rooms, multiple isolation booths, and shared common spaces, all tied together with seamless audio integration. No matter where you are in the studio, routing, monitoring, and communication remain effortless and consistent. Behind the aesthetic, the acoustic design is exceptionally robust. Six independent floating-floor systems support the suites, ensuring each room operates with minimal sound transmission. Tailored sound-reducing wall assemblies, full-lite doors, engineered window systems, and intentional treatment plans deliver clarity, isolation, and precision for tracking and mixing. Each space is mechanically decoupled, allowing multiple rooms to run simultaneously without compromise. For monitoring, both Latifah and Lucas chose Genelec “The Ones” series monitors with GLM calibration to ensure accurate translation and consistency across the entire facility. Natural light and a warm, welcoming aesthetic anchor the visual identity of the studio, reflecting the creative energy and personality of its owners. The result is a highly functional, beautifully crafted space where ideas can move freely and production can happen without limitations.

This ground-up remodel is organized as two masses enclosing bedroom wings clad in soft hued stucco entwined with and bound by common spaces expressed in smooth black stucco with clear anodized aluminum detailing. The massing and facade articulation reveals spaces beyond like the master balcony while warm Cumaru wood finishes and grass roof give the suggestion of vibrant life within the protective outer shells.

This house was built as a testing ground for refining assembly, trying new details, and simplifying mechanical tweaks. It was designed as a stock plan, taking into account the wedge-shaped lot common to new suburbs. A large, south-facing great room brings bright south light into the home, uncommon in a neighborhood where the same design is reused over and over regardless of orientation. The exterior styling references the classic suburban architecture of the 20th century, while keeping the finishes maintenance-free. As a spec house and also a fully certified Passive House, this home demonstrates the perfect balance between cost-effectiveness and cutting edge energy performance. Photo Credit: Jarrell Whisken

This southern traditional styled home is a one and a half story home with 4 bedrooms and 3 ½ baths. The square footage for the conditioned spaces is 4,467 sq ft and the total under roof square footage is 6,530 sq ft. The exterior has a natural brick veneer base that anchors it to the ground with a painted lap siding finish material on top that makes up most of the exterior surface. It blends nicely with the wooded surroundings that slope down to a boat house on a waterway. As one enters the site, they approach down a gravel road arriving at a cottage home nestled in its natural surroundings with a welcoming raised front porch. As you enter the foyer, there is an office to the right and a guest bedroom on the left, both of which have views to the front yard. Walking through the foyer, you enter a family room that opens to the kitchen and dining areas. Natural brick columns continue from the exterior into the house, adding warmth as they support a network of antique wood beams that help define the spaces below them. From the family room one can enter a screened porch that provides a comfortable transition from indoors to the natural surroundings of the back yard property. The outdoor cooking and living spaces are conveniently located thru French doors right off the kitchen area extending outward with beautiful views into the heavily wooded rear property. An outdoor fireplace adds a cozy touch in the winter months with operable shutters on each side that block the colder winter wind but let in cool summer breezes. The master bedroom suite, also accessible from the family room, is positioned to take advantage of views to the back property and has access to the screened porch as well. Upstairs there are 2 more bedrooms, one of which has its own ensuite bathroom. All have views looking down over the front and side yards. A common area that is located between the two bedrooms provides beautiful views to the rear property. Up here you will also find a stacked washer and dryer and extra storage with easy access to attic spaces.

Like many West Coast cities, Seattle is facing a severe housing shortage at a time when labor and material costs have skyrocketed. Combined with a lack of available dirt, housing vacancy rates stubbornly hover under 5%. A response to this housing perfect storm has been the evolution of a new housing prototype called a detached Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (DADU). This is commonly referred to as a Mother-in-Law (MIL) unit. As the name implies, this is a small, self-contained housing type that allows for additional housing to be built on an existing lot, creating greater density within our urban fabric. Generally thought of as either starter housing or aging-in-place concepts, these are extremely efficient floor plans that squeeze all the basic living functions into a compact space while envisioning the urban fabric as one's living room. In the case of our little DADU, our footprint is 20' x 20' and provides a ground level garage/music studio and an upper level apartment. The misconception of these structure - thanks in large part to the misinformation campaign of the Not-So-Big-House movement - is the smaller translates into cheaper. Since these are essentially small houses, the truth is these are very expensive structures on a cost/sf basis. We conceptualized this structure as inexpensively as we could think of and it still ended up costing more than $400,000 or around $500/sf.

Phil and Rocio, little did you know how perfect your timing was when you came to us and asked for a “small but perfect home”. Fertile ground indeed as we thought about working on something like a precious gem, or what we’re calling a NEW Jewel. So many of our clients now are building smaller homes because they simply don’t need a bigger one. Seems smart for many reasons: less vacuuming, less heating and cooling, less taxes. And for many, less strain on the finances as we get to the point where retirement shines bright and hopeful. For the jewel of a home we wanted to start with 1,000 square feet. Enough room for a pleasant common area, a couple of away rooms for bed and work, a couple of bathrooms and yes to a mudroom and pantry. (For Phil and Rocio’s, we ended up with 1,140 square feet.) The Jewel would not compromise on design intent, envelope or craft intensity. This is the big benefit of the smaller footprint, of course. By using a pure and simple form for the house volume, a true jewel would have enough money in the budget for the highest quality materials, net-zero levels of insulation, triple pane windows, and a high-efficiency heat pump. Additionally, the doors would be handcrafted, the cabinets solid wood, the finishes exquisite, and craftsmanship shudderingly excellent. Our many thanks to Phil and Rocio for including us in their dream home project. It is truly a Jewel! From the homeowners (read their full note here): “It is quite difficult to express the deep sense of gratitude we feel towards everyone that contributed to the Jewel…many of which I don’t have the ability to send this to, or even be able to name. The artistic, creative flair combined with real-life practicality is a major component of our place we will love for many years to come. Please pass on our thanks to everyone that was involved. We look forward to visits from any and all as time goes by." –Phil and Rocio Read more about the first steps for this Jewel on our blog. Reclaimed Wood, Kitchen Cabinetry, Bedroom Door: Pioneer Millworks Entry door: NEWwoodworks Professional Photos: Loren Nelson Photography

Like many West Coast cities, Seattle is facing a severe housing shortage at a time when labor and material costs have skyrocketed. Combined with a lack of available dirt, housing vacancy rates stubbornly hover under 5%. A response to this housing perfect storm has been the evolution of a new housing prototype called a detached Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (DADU). This is commonly referred to as a Mother-in-Law (MIL) unit. As the name implies, this is a small, self-contained housing type that allows for additional housing to be built on an existing lot, creating greater density within our urban fabric. Generally thought of as either starter housing or aging-in-place concepts, these are extremely efficient floor plans that squeeze all the basic living functions into a compact space while envisioning the urban fabric as one's living room. In the case of our little DADU, our footprint is 20' x 20' and provides a ground level garage/music studio and an upper level apartment. The misconception of these structure - thanks in large part to the misinformation campaign of the Not-So-Big-House movement - is the smaller translates into cheaper. Since these are essentially small houses, the truth is these are very expensive structures on a cost/sf basis. We conceptualized this structure as inexpensively as we could think of and it still ended up costing more than $400,000 or around $500/sf.

This Home was built New Construction with a Second Story Patio Door Leading out to nothing (No deck) as is way too common with new construction builders. The Homeowners wanted to add a Gorgeous Deck to Their Beautiful Home so we built them a 20 ft x 15 foot TimberTech Tropical Carribean Redwood Composite Deck with Azek/TimberTech Radiance Railings. Now They Have a Beautiful Deck and no longer have to worry about their little one wandering out a second story patio door that leads to the ground 10 feet below!

Situated in Denton, Texas these clients sought a personalized home from the ground up. It was important that their eclectic style be evidenced in every facet of the home to reflect their lively personalities. The project scope encompassed the dining, kitchen, breakfast nook, living, master bedroom, and master bathroom. Color, fixtures, furnishings, materials, artwork, and accessories were carefully selected to reflect a collective atmosphere and communicate the common theme of vibrancy. One significant challenge was the husband's fear of color. While he has an outgoing personality he did not want the home to feel loud and obnoxious. Putting him at ease was accomplished by presenting a comprehensive design plan with samples laid out so that he gained a clear understanding of how the home would flow together in harmony. This family feels unashamedly comfortable in their perfectly curated oasis. Photos by Sally Sloan of Showcase Photographers

The hot tub installation design closed in the spa only on 3 sides, leaving one side open for repair work. It’s also where the hot tub cover fits onto the spa. “We recently did a service call for them,” says Bill Renter. “The unenclosed area made it easy to open the control panel and check on the problem they were having. It turned out, in this case, not to be an issue with the hot tub at all. But I was able to diagnose the problem. They had an electricity issue and I recommended a particular switch the electrician could put in. I’m glad I was able to solve the issue for their electrician.” Upshot? The homeowner adds he’s happy with the “really cool features" of Bullfrog Spas. “That’s what helped us make our decision. The JetPaks have turned out to be great. In fact, we were in it just last night.” Caption: Hot Tub Installation in Hastings-On-Hudson, NY: The stone-faced vault design the couple chose not only is in keeping with the stone walls so common to their area of Westchester, NY, but the width of the vault’s edging allows plenty of room for resting snacks and drinks carried to the spa from the outdoor kitchen — yes, including glasses of lemonade.

This southern traditional styled home is a one and a half story home with 4 bedrooms and 3 ½ baths. The square footage for the conditioned spaces is 4,467 sq ft and the total under roof square footage is 6,530 sq ft. The exterior has a natural brick veneer base that anchors it to the ground with a painted lap siding finish material on top that makes up most of the exterior surface. It blends nicely with the wooded surroundings that slope down to a boat house on a waterway. As one enters the site, they approach down a gravel road arriving at a cottage home nestled in its natural surroundings with a welcoming raised front porch. As you enter the foyer, there is an office to the right and a guest bedroom on the left, both of which have views to the front yard. Walking through the foyer, you enter a family room that opens to the kitchen and dining areas. Natural brick columns continue from the exterior into the house, adding warmth as they support a network of antique wood beams that help define the spaces below them. From the family room one can enter a screened porch that provides a comfortable transition from indoors to the natural surroundings of the back yard property. The outdoor cooking and living spaces are conveniently located thru French doors right off the kitchen area extending outward with beautiful views into the heavily wooded rear property. An outdoor fireplace adds a cozy touch in the winter months with operable shutters on each side that block the colder winter wind but let in cool summer breezes. The master bedroom suite, also accessible from the family room, is positioned to take advantage of views to the back property and has access to the screened porch as well. Upstairs there are 2 more bedrooms, one of which has its own ensuite bathroom. All have views looking down over the front and side yards. A common area that is located between the two bedrooms provides beautiful views to the rear property. Up here you will also find a stacked washer and dryer and extra storage with easy access to attic spaces.

The house, for a four-member family, is built on a sloping plot with in a terraced alignment type of layout system. The desire to achieve the greatest possible contact with the ground, is a determining factor for the organization of the levels of the building. The building is defined by a 10mx10mx6,50m two storey space. This is the “box” in which the common spaces of the house are located and acts as the outer shell.Smaller, independent volumes penetrate this shell and define the private spaces of the users.The building follows the principles of bioclimatic design: a cooling and shading strategy, natural ventilation and an appropriate heating strategy combined with solar gains.Also adequate natural light is provided according to the use of the space. Exposed concrete is used for the construction of the external shell, whereas red cedar wood and rusted steel are the materials that cover the external surfaces of the private “boxes”.

This 1,000ft² recording and production studio, built in 2021 for producer couple Latifah Alattas and Lucas Morton, was designed as a fully custom creative environment that supports writing, mixing, and collaboration at the highest level. Both Latifah and Lucas are multi-instrumentalists, engineers, and mixers, and the studio reflects the full range of their workflows—visually inspiring, technically precise, and intuitive in every room. The facility was built from the ground up with a strong emphasis on architectural acoustics and plug-and-play connectivity. The layout includes two Control Rooms, multiple isolation booths, and shared common spaces, all tied together with seamless audio integration. No matter where you are in the studio, routing, monitoring, and communication remain effortless and consistent. Behind the aesthetic, the acoustic design is exceptionally robust. Six independent floating-floor systems support the suites, ensuring each room operates with minimal sound transmission. Tailored sound-reducing wall assemblies, full-lite doors, engineered window systems, and intentional treatment plans deliver clarity, isolation, and precision for tracking and mixing. Each space is mechanically decoupled, allowing multiple rooms to run simultaneously without compromise. For monitoring, both Latifah and Lucas chose Genelec “The Ones” series monitors with GLM calibration to ensure accurate translation and consistency across the entire facility. Natural light and a warm, welcoming aesthetic anchor the visual identity of the studio, reflecting the creative energy and personality of its owners. The result is a highly functional, beautifully crafted space where ideas can move freely and production can happen without limitations.

This southern traditional styled home is a one and a half story home with 4 bedrooms and 3 ½ baths. The square footage for the conditioned spaces is 4,467 sq ft and the total under roof square footage is 6,530 sq ft. The exterior has a natural brick veneer base that anchors it to the ground with a painted lap siding finish material on top that makes up most of the exterior surface. It blends nicely with the wooded surroundings that slope down to a boat house on a waterway. As one enters the site, they approach down a gravel road arriving at a cottage home nestled in its natural surroundings with a welcoming raised front porch. As you enter the foyer, there is an office to the right and a guest bedroom on the left, both of which have views to the front yard. Walking through the foyer, you enter a family room that opens to the kitchen and dining areas. Natural brick columns continue from the exterior into the house, adding warmth as they support a network of antique wood beams that help define the spaces below them. From the family room one can enter a screened porch that provides a comfortable transition from indoors to the natural surroundings of the back yard property. The outdoor cooking and living spaces are conveniently located thru French doors right off the kitchen area extending outward with beautiful views into the heavily wooded rear property. An outdoor fireplace adds a cozy touch in the winter months with operable shutters on each side that block the colder winter wind but let in cool summer breezes. The master bedroom suite, also accessible from the family room, is positioned to take advantage of views to the back property and has access to the screened porch as well. Upstairs there are 2 more bedrooms, one of which has its own ensuite bathroom. All have views looking down over the front and side yards. A common area that is located between the two bedrooms provides beautiful views to the rear property. Up here you will also find a stacked washer and dryer and extra storage with easy access to attic spaces.

This southern traditional styled home is a one and a half story home with 4 bedrooms and 3 ½ baths. The square footage for the conditioned spaces is 4,467 sq ft and the total under roof square footage is 6,530 sq ft. The exterior has a natural brick veneer base that anchors it to the ground with a painted lap siding finish material on top that makes up most of the exterior surface. It blends nicely with the wooded surroundings that slope down to a boat house on a waterway. As one enters the site, they approach down a gravel road arriving at a cottage home nestled in its natural surroundings with a welcoming raised front porch. As you enter the foyer, there is an office to the right and a guest bedroom on the left, both of which have views to the front yard. Walking through the foyer, you enter a family room that opens to the kitchen and dining areas. Natural brick columns continue from the exterior into the house, adding warmth as they support a network of antique wood beams that help define the spaces below them. From the family room one can enter a screened porch that provides a comfortable transition from indoors to the natural surroundings of the back yard property. The outdoor cooking and living spaces are conveniently located thru French doors right off the kitchen area extending outward with beautiful views into the heavily wooded rear property. An outdoor fireplace adds a cozy touch in the winter months with operable shutters on each side that block the colder winter wind but let in cool summer breezes. The master bedroom suite, also accessible from the family room, is positioned to take advantage of views to the back property and has access to the screened porch as well. Upstairs there are 2 more bedrooms, one of which has its own ensuite bathroom. All have views looking down over the front and side yards. A common area that is located between the two bedrooms provides beautiful views to the rear property. Up here you will also find a stacked washer and dryer and extra storage with easy access to attic spaces.

Decorative Concrete Walkways for Great Curb Appeal When navigating around a property and creating a pathway, a concrete walk will do a great job. Concrete is often used for walkways as it is the perfect solution to provide a contoured, conforming surface to the ground while blending in with it’s surroundings. Concrete walkways are a popular choice when a solid consistent surface is desired. Concrete will help to avoid weeds growth as well as offer a smooth surface without any trip hazards that are common with shifting concrete pavers or brick walkways. Concrete is also ideal if you want to include concrete steps, curves or ramps as it can be formed and poured into any shape or curvature. Decorative concrete can blend seamlessly into the surroundings as it has limitless design possibilities, options and color choices. Concrete walks can be customized to suit your needs and landscape decor. Stamped concrete is an ideal way to add a textured pattern or design to a freshly placed concrete slab walkway. Concrete can add a lot of curb appeal to your Denver home and the best part is that concrete walkways can be a cost effective solutions when compared to other hard surface materials, while providing a long lasting solution. Even though concrete is recognized as a grey boring surface, Colored Concrete will add the much needed flare that makes your concrete walkway or pathway stand out from the rest while offering a great way to get wherever it is you’re going around your property.

Shared Common Area Utility Room with Upstairs Tenants - Orlando Construction Inc.
This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Portland.

Phil and Rocio, little did you know how perfect your timing was when you came to us and asked for a “small but perfect home”. Fertile ground indeed as we thought about working on something like a precious gem, or what we’re calling a NEW Jewel. So many of our clients now are building smaller homes because they simply don’t need a bigger one. Seems smart for many reasons: less vacuuming, less heating and cooling, less taxes. And for many, less strain on the finances as we get to the point where retirement shines bright and hopeful. For the jewel of a home we wanted to start with 1,000 square feet. Enough room for a pleasant common area, a couple of away rooms for bed and work, a couple of bathrooms and yes to a mudroom and pantry. (For Phil and Rocio’s, we ended up with 1,140 square feet.) The Jewel would not compromise on design intent, envelope or craft intensity. This is the big benefit of the smaller footprint, of course. By using a pure and simple form for the house volume, a true jewel would have enough money in the budget for the highest quality materials, net-zero levels of insulation, triple pane windows, and a high-efficiency heat pump. Additionally, the doors would be handcrafted, the cabinets solid wood, the finishes exquisite, and craftsmanship shudderingly excellent. Our many thanks to Phil and Rocio for including us in their dream home project. It is truly a Jewel! From the homeowners (read their full note here): “It is quite difficult to express the deep sense of gratitude we feel towards everyone that contributed to the Jewel…many of which I don’t have the ability to send this to, or even be able to name. The artistic, creative flair combined with real-life practicality is a major component of our place we will love for many years to come. Please pass on our thanks to everyone that was involved. We look forward to visits from any and all as time goes by." –Phil and Rocio Read more about the first steps for this Jewel on our blog. Reclaimed Wood, Kitchen Cabinetry, Bedroom Door: Pioneer Millworks Entry door: NEWwoodworks Professional Photos: Loren Nelson Photography

This 1,000ft² recording and production studio, built in 2021 for producer couple Latifah Alattas and Lucas Morton, was designed as a fully custom creative environment that supports writing, mixing, and collaboration at the highest level. Both Latifah and Lucas are multi-instrumentalists, engineers, and mixers, and the studio reflects the full range of their workflows—visually inspiring, technically precise, and intuitive in every room. The facility was built from the ground up with a strong emphasis on architectural acoustics and plug-and-play connectivity. The layout includes two Control Rooms, multiple isolation booths, and shared common spaces, all tied together with seamless audio integration. No matter where you are in the studio, routing, monitoring, and communication remain effortless and consistent. Behind the aesthetic, the acoustic design is exceptionally robust. Six independent floating-floor systems support the suites, ensuring each room operates with minimal sound transmission. Tailored sound-reducing wall assemblies, full-lite doors, engineered window systems, and intentional treatment plans deliver clarity, isolation, and precision for tracking and mixing. Each space is mechanically decoupled, allowing multiple rooms to run simultaneously without compromise. For monitoring, both Latifah and Lucas chose Genelec “The Ones” series monitors with GLM calibration to ensure accurate translation and consistency across the entire facility. Natural light and a warm, welcoming aesthetic anchor the visual identity of the studio, reflecting the creative energy and personality of its owners. The result is a highly functional, beautifully crafted space where ideas can move freely and production can happen without limitations.