This proposal is for a new two-story home on the vacant heavily wooded lot with an existing 150-foot-long driveway lined by several beautiful oak trees culminating in a behemoth 43-inch oak tree where the driveway meets the main lot. The far end of the driveway terminates in a grove of three 43/40/43-inch redwoods and at the very center of the vacant lot stands a gargantuan V-twin 59-inch redwood tree paired with a “small” 29-inch redwood tree. The owners want to build a beautiful contemporary-styled home for their family that fully enjoys and embraces the mature trees on their cozy 65-foot by 100-foot lot. As with all small, constrained lots, this project’s site design started first with meeting the relatively large parking and car maneuvering requirements. Menlo Park’s Department of Transportation typically requires side-facing garages to have 24-feet of backup space. So that they could give the largest feature redwood tree on site an added four feet (50%) of clearance outside of its critical root zone, the owners agreed to install a vehicle turntable at the end of their driveway to eliminate the extra four feet of space needed to back up and turnaround. This allowed them to pull their garage forward an additional four feet towards the front property line on the panhandle side, drastically reducing the rest of the home’s impact on the gargantuan V-Twin paired redwood tree at the center of the lot. One of the owners has mobility issues, and accordingly, they first sought to design a one-story floor plan that incorporated all their family’s needs including plenty of covered patio and deck space to enjoy our fantastic California weather. But that single-story footprint spread too far into the critical root zones of several of the redwood trees on site, even despite the use of the vehicle turntable. During my interview process with the owners, they made it clear to me that one of their primary concerns is ensuring that the largest trees on site would thrive and become features of their new home after construction is complete. The single-story designs that removed the grove of three huge redwood trees were non-starters, as was the skimpy 5x10 master bath I designed when trying to squeeze the whole house program into an overly compromised single-story design. It was therefore deemed necessary to go with a two-story design despite the owner’s mobility issues. This two-story design has a much more compact ground floor footprint and has no bedrooms downstairs, other than the detached ADU. The owners must give up the floor area and incur the costs to install a residential elevator to access their upstairs master suite. Our ground floor footprint is smaller due to the two-story design decision, and our foundation is pulled away from the trees thanks to the vehicle turntable. Yet, a tiny portion of the home’s ground floor footprint still encroaches into the critical root zones of the largest 59” redwood tree. Therefore, as outlined in the Arborist Report prepared by Aesculus Arboricultural Consulting, the structural engineers are incorporating an array of drilled piers and shallow-grade beams for the main home’s foundation and deck area nearest the redwood’s critical root zone. This drilled piers and grade beam foundation is a type of “bridging” foundation as outlined in Aesculus’ report to preserve the health of these trees that the property was designed around. The rest of the foundation will be constructed as an insulated slab-on-grade foundation to minimize the number of steps and ramps needed for the owners to enjoy their home and patio areas. Despite the owner’s desire to keep as many trees as possible on site, and despite the smaller ground floor footprint and the advantage of the vehicle turntable, the need for a 20x20-foot garage and 20x20/25-foot guest parking space on our panhandle lot requires the removal of two heritage trees in the required driveway, a 16” coast redwood, and a 17” coast redwood. An alternate design, such as swapping the garage and guest parking locations north-to-south, still requires the removal of these two trees for vehicle maneuvering but has the added disadvantage of cutting off the home’s sightlines to the behemoth 43” oak tree just outside the currently proposed front patio space and living room. Jim Redman of Elements Landscape is proposing 13 new trees be planted on site to replace the lost value of these two heritage coast redwood trees. This contemporary architectural design features clean lines, and an abundance of full-height windows and large skylights to best take in the immense trees on site. To blend in with the forest-like setting, the home boasts a mix of rich textures and features a color palette of natural wood tones contrasted with dark blue and black. Once through the new steel gate at the street and down the 150-foot tree-lined driveway, a large covered front patio becomes visible past the neighbor’s detached accessory structure. The covered patio is just across the driveway from the beautiful 43” behemoth coast live oak. The single plane of the covered patio roof is delicately supported by a pair of steel posts in a “V-twin” configuration much like the largest redwood trees that tower over the center of the lot and will still be visible above the new two-story home, even from the front yard. The patio is covered in a dark-colored standing seam roof, with steel C-channel fascias, and tongue-and-groove wood ceiling planks on the underside. Generously sized skylights on the patio roof and inside the living area allow for impressive views of the amazing oak canopy as well as precious natural light. Supporting the sloped covered patio on the other side is the two-car garage with a secondary bedroom suite stacked above the garage. This two-story volume is to be clad in vertical clear-coated redwood siding, to tie in with the grove of three 43-inch redwood trees just beyond. The garage door, and the bank of windows for Bedroom#2 above feature a steel fascia eyebrow header feature to provide shade and overhang protection, as we are not proposing a large overhang at this “redwood trunk”. The garage and bedroom volume are pulled 16 feet away from the side property line, instead of the minimum required setback of 6’-6”, thus leaving plenty of room for the redwood grove and existing mature pear tree to continue to thrive. This existing mature green screen in this 16-foot-wide side yard is a feature worth soaking in, which is why tall windows with low sill heights are proposed for both the stairs and the upstairs hallway. Though it may be infrequent to approve side-facing 2nd floor windows with sill heights as low as what we’re proposing, we are confident that the mature green screen and the over 16-foot-wide side yard are sufficient to provide for the continued privacy of our neighbor’s rear yard space, especially considering theses windows are in walkway zones. The covered patio at the front entry is also bound by the 10-foot-tall living room. The great room is clad in a dark blue brick veneer, which wraps around all three sides of the living room. Upon entering the home from the covered patio, you are immediately greeted with one of the most impressive features of the home’s design: a 10-foot-tall by 24-foot-wide set of sliding glass doors. From the entry, this huge opening gives merely an initial glimpse of the massive trunks of the gargantuan V-twin redwoods sitting at the center of the lot. All three sliding glass panels open directly out into the smaller partially covered deck in the rear. This roof overhang element matches the design of the front patio with a steel C-channel fascia and a large skylight. But the rear deck’s roof element is set flat at a ten-foot ceiling height so that the living room’s ceiling seems to float above and out beyond the expanse of full-height sliding doors, thus creating an indoor-outdoor living space that will feel much larger than the home’s actual footprint. This rear covered deck is smaller than the patio in the front and also has a mix of solid and open-slatted roofing to allow for more solar access for the relatively small amount of open sky available. The downstairs living room is open to the dining and kitchen areas, as well as the stair-and-elevator tower beyond. The stair tower is very open and glassy, and the stairs wind up and around the redwood-clad elevator tower. From certain perspectives in the 16-foot-wide side yard, it will almost seem as if the grove of three redwoods has a fourth tree that the house and the stairs were carefully built around. Other than the 3-foot-wide windows, the exterior walls of the stair tower, downstairs utility spaces, and Bedroom#3 above are finished in cement plaster, painted dark blue and black. The sloped roof over the stair-and-elevator tower continues cleanly over the area of upstairs Bedroom#3. This roof level is set by the side daylight plane and only yields an inside wall height of just under 6 feet in height. The owners are satisfied that the rest of this upstairs room has a nice vaulted ceiling to make up for the one short wall under the daylight plane. The rest of the ground floor adjacent to the stair tower consists of a small utility wing containing a half-bath, laundry, storage area, and an exterior alcove for the electric heat pump HVAC unit. This short wing also gives more accessible access to the rear yard deck, as well as a backdrop for an outdoor kitchen. The bright white stone backsplash for the outdoor kitchen provides contrast to the otherwise consistent use of cement plaster painted dark blue and black for the two-story wing closest to the detached ADU. Though Bedroom#3 is stacked directly above this small wing, it is relatively short to comply with the side daylight plane of this narrow lot. Still, to further help break up the scale of this wall, another steel fascia eyebrow element is set about 8 feet above the rear deck. The master suite sits centered above the ten-foot-tall great room. The master bedroom and its balcony, as well as the master bathtub area, have a commanding view of the central redwood trees and their impressive canopy, though the balcony is mostly recessed and should pose no privacy concerns to the neighbor’s rear yards. The master balcony parapet is clad in the same brick veneer continuing up from the living room below. A dark-painted metal rail makes up the rest of the open guardrail height. The entire length of the master balcony is comprised of 9-foot-tall sliding glass doors, but the area above the doors, as well as the area below the master bathroom windows, is accented with more redwood siding. The remainder of the master suite bathroom and walk-in closet is finished in cement plaster painted dark blue. The master bathroom has one side yard-facing window but will be frosted glass for both the owner’s and the neighbor’s privacy. The 2nd floor is capped under a simple gable roof design with one roof ridge and varying eave and rake overhangs depending on the 2nd-floor layout and solar orientation. Since these roof planes are quite difficult to see in the middle of the heavily wooded panhandle lot, we are proposing a white TPO roofing for these two upper roof planes as a more sustainable choice compared to more dark-colored roofing like the covered patios and detached ADU. The owners also wish to build a detached 292-square-foot Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) as an office and guest suite. For the ADU foundation to be situated outside the central redwood tree’s critical root zone, this relatively tiny structure takes advantage of the narrower 4-foot side and rear setbacks allowed for ADUs smaller than 800 square feet. The small L-shaped detached ADU frames a wonderful quasi-courtyard around the gargantuan V-twin redwoods at the center of the lot. The ADU shares a matching material palette consisting of cement plaster painted blue and black, vertical redwood siding and soffits, and thin brick veneer. The ADU also features large full-height windows. The only difference between the main home and the ADU material palette is that the roofing will be a dark composition shingle roofing since it will be quite visible from the master balcony.

These homeowners who were downsizing to a patio home in Floyds Fork area came to us after they had made all of their selections in paint colors, fixtures and finishes and asked us to put together a comprehensive plan for their new home including space planning, furniture selections, and finishing touches in window treatments, rugs, accent lighting and accessories. Although this is a well laid out floor plan, we asked a lot of questions to make sure each area functioned for the homeowners as well as looked good. For instance, the floor plan included a Dining Area and small Breakfast Nook. The homeowners knew they would spend most of their time at the island, so we invested in quality custom bar stools, we selected fully upholstered chairs for the dining area which will be used, and turned the Breakfast Nook into a seating area for morning coffee or afternoon reading. That took care of the functional, now for the fun. Our color palette comprised of creams, grays, tans and mustard yellow is so pleasing. We kept our furnishings neutral while popping our color with window treatments and accessories. Please note we used 3 different fabrics on the 3 different windows in the Living Area. As long as the fabrics coordinate and support your color palette, you can use multiple fabrics in the same space. Since our palette was neutral, we made sure our finishing touches had a lot of texture and interest. There is so much to look at and love in the large open space, and this is definitely one of my favorite color palettes. And as striking as this home looks, it is laid out so well. Every piece of furniture fits and functions perfectly. This is visual proof of the importance of a comprehensive plan. Enjoy!

Photo by Mike Force. Designed by Kinney & Associates. Built by Waldrop Builders. Dusty Waldrop of Waldrop Builders engaged Kinney & Associates to design a semi-modern 4000-square foot speculative reside-nce that is in the Verano neighborhood of Barton Creek. The program included three bedrooms in the main house (one doubling as an office) each with their own bathrooms, a Living Room, and a Family Room adjacent the Kitchen, as well as Dining Rooms. The developer also wanted a separate Guest Quarters located adjacent an Outdoor Living area and the pool. One design feature of the residence was the custom-cut limestone facade comprised of large 24" x 12" precisely cut stones arranged in a running bond pattern. This gives the facade a very modern yet warm feel. The other exterior materials chosen for the house were wood and stucco, which complement the stone dramatically.

A charming home with an attractive exterior comprised of Craftsman elements blended with Traditional style. An open layout with a grand kitchen at the heart, offers comfortable living and space to entertain. A Jack & Jill bathroom is shared by two of the secondary bedrooms. Another bathroom is located close to the office for function and convenience with access for the common living space. The master suite is luxurious and offers access from the laundry room to the closet adding to the already great flow and function of the home.

The Rosenberg Condo is located in the Castalia at Meadowmont, a mixed-use building. The existing shell is comprised of pre-determined windows and demising walls, limiting the possibility of natural light in each potential room. Sited on one of the highest elevations in the Triangle, the views to the horizon from the public spaces became paramount. This modern, master plan strategy is grounded by a multifunctional thickened wall. The wall is a filter, container, and threshold as it marks the separation between public and private spaces while reacting to specific conditions of interior environment and natural light. Carving and folding, the wall utilizes depth and translucency to allow filtered light through the thresholds between public and private.

A one-wall kitchen is basic in design, but that doesn’t mean it has to be one-dimensional. This contemporary kitchen makes a dramatic statement with a distinct stratum of texture and color that lends depth and visual interest to the space. Ann Sacks® tiles in two similar tones form the backsplash. A few of the tiles extend from wall-mounted shelves, making it hard to tell at a glance where the shelves begin and end. Other tiles form a perfect row with the 1-1/2-inch-thick horizontal canopy of the Monogram® stainless steel chimney hood. Intriguing linear effects can also be seen on the Bentwood® custom cabinets, which have been painted and sanded multiple times to achieve a weathered effect. Fabrique™ floor tiles from Daltile® have a textured appearance that’s in striking contrast with the cabinets, which are punctuated by simple chrome knobs. A 3form® light fixture, a large yet airy and light piece comprised of overlapping ribbons of resin, provides an artful focal point in the one-wall kitchen. The light installation, along with the flooring and white ceiling, brings softness to the kitchen’s overall linearity.

ASID DESIGN OVATION AWARD. Comprised aquarium re-invented into serving buffet. Resin countertops accented by crystal bubble lights. Photos by Jose Treminio

This garden is comprised of drought (native) plants, and energy efficient irrigation system and kurapia groundcover to mimic the look of lawn. This ground cover acts as a perfect lawn alternative.

Why buy new when you can expand? This family home project comprised of a 2-apartment combination on the 30th floor in a luxury high rise in Manhattan's Upper East side. A real charmer offering it's occupants a total of 2475 Square feet, 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. and 2 balconies. Custom details such as cold rolled steel sliding doors, beautiful bespoke hardwood floors, plenty of custom mill work cabinetry and built-ins, private master bedroom suite, which includes a large windowed bath including a walk-in shower and free-standing tub. Take in the view and relax!

The Sonoma Farmhaus project was designed for a cycling enthusiast with a globally demanding professional career, who wanted to create a place that could serve as both a retreat of solitude and a hub for gathering with friends and family. Located within the town of Graton, California, the site was chosen not only to be close to a small town and its community, but also to be within cycling distance to the picturesque, coastal Sonoma County landscape. Taking the traditional forms of farmhouse, and their notions of sustenance and community, as inspiration, the project comprises an assemblage of two forms - a Main House and a Guest House with Bike Barn - joined in the middle by a central outdoor gathering space anchored by a fireplace. The vision was to create something consciously restrained and one with the ground on which it stands. Simplicity, clear detailing, and an innate understanding of how things go together were all central themes behind the design. Solid walls of rammed earth blocks, fabricated from soils excavated from the site, bookend each of the structures. According to the owner, the use of simple, yet rich materials and textures...“provides a humanness I’ve not known or felt in any living venue I’ve stayed, Farmhaus is an icon of sustenance for me".

My clients had always been inspired by the grand Tudor Revival homes of the early 20th century and commissioned Hull Historical to recreate the authentic custom millwork, paneling and doors for their new Tudor Revival home. Our inspiration came from 2 great English homes, Stan Hywett, a great Tudor Revival home in Ohio, built for the founder of Goodyear Tires. Also, the Woodbine Mansion, built in 1911 for the son of the Pabst Brewing Company. We were fortunate to purchase three rooms of architectural millwork from the woodbine home, which was originally fabricated by the Huber Company of New York. Upon completion of this project, the architectural salvage comprised 15% of the final quantity of paneling installed. The remainder was custom fabricated by Hull Historical at our shop in Fort Worth, TX and installed at the clients home. The commission, based on historic precedent, constituted antique paneling on the main floor, beamed ceilings and all the doors in the home. The new paneling, including the kitchen cabinetry is made from a combination of new quarter-sawn white oak and antique white oak salvaged from old barns and buildings. All the oak was fumed in an ammonia-filled chamber to produce a cocoa color and deep feel giving the millwork rough character and a timeless look that my client loved. The millwork also served to give the home a hierarchy, with simple paneling combined with board and batten doors downstairs, then more ornate paneling, with carvings on the main floor. Additionally, the main floor features mostly 8 and 10 panel doors. All woodwork was hand-pegged with oak pegs. Some of the paneling features a unique Mason’s Miter, a historic joinery technique inspired from stone work. For more information on residential renovation and new construction projects by Hull Historical, visit http://brenthullcompanies.com/residential.html

Magnolia takes the idea of indoor and outdoor living to a new level. The entire first floor of the residence is built on two sides of an outdoor entertainment lanai which features a summer kitchen for grilling and loads of space. An open plan kitchen, dining, and family room are on one side of the lanai and a large detached game/play room with separate bath is on the other side of the lanai. The game/play room has 90 degree, floor to ceiling stacking doors which pocket into the wall cavity making the game/pay room completely open to the lanai. The master bedroom and master bathroom, 100 square foot loft, and two additional bedrooms with a hall bath and laundry room comprise the entire second floor. A side entry, three car garage is attached to the front of the house which helps to define the courtyard entry. The home has 2,854 square feet of air conditioned space with a total under roof square footage of 4,315.

Kitchen remodeling comprised of the traditional and classical farmhouse with modern polished concrete flooring.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley concrete floor and multicolored floor kitchen pantry remodel in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, white countertops and a farmhouse sink

This charming "potting shed" area (perfect for a back hall or mudroom) was featured in the 2017 Rhode Island Home Show - Designer Show House. It is comprised of Diamond Cabinetry's Hanlon in Maple with Juniper Berry paint. Countertops are by John Boos Butcher Block in Natural Maple, and drawer and door hardware is from Hardware Resources. Designer: Lisa St. George Contractor: Maynard Construction BRC Photo credit: Elaine Fredrick Photography

The backsplash is comprised of Green River Stone Company's natural finish tiles, some of which include 50 million year old fossil fish from the Company's private quarry in Southwestern Wyoming.

Situated between the iconic peaks of Deer Valley and the Jordanelle Reservoir, this unique four-bedroom estate home combines steel, wood, stone, and glass to offer synergistic ebullience and captivating panoramic vista views. Gemini Place provides functional flow and seamless indoor/outdoor living for all four seasons, replete with the luxury inclusions of a mountain modern dream home. Gemini Place comprises 4,848 square feet of internal accommodation with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, 2 half baths, and one home office, on a 14,022 square-foot lot. Externally, the house blends harmoniously with its surroundings, but behind the discreet facade lies a playful home elevated with tailored embellishments throughout. Welcomed into the home through a steel-clad portal, the oversized steel and glass pivot door baptizes entrants with breathtaking views. The main level showcases an open floor plan with an expansive kitchen, a dining room, and a living room with panoramic glass sliding doors that open onto over 1,500 square feet of exterior living space. The master suite on the main level surprises with elevated finishes. The informal lower level features a bar, bunk room, two additional en suite bedrooms, and a charming outdoor veranda. Luxury is woven into Gemini Place throughout, including exposed steel beams, a Miele appliance package, and bespoke natural stone finishes. Just three minutes from Deer Valley's Jordanelle gondola and five minutes from the Jordanelle Reservoir, this home offers four-season resort-style living at its finest. Architecture: Van Sickle Design Interiors: TCH Design Interiors

Redwood trees grow along the California coast, and experience cool temperatures and humidity on a day-to-day basis. Thanks to this, the wood is naturally resistant to the conditions. This makes redwood custom wine racks Atlanta Georgia a great choice for any residential wine cellar, and the cool and humidity inherent within. Redwood wine racks are also known for their durability and beautiful grain patterns. They can blend well with any decor. Take a video tour of this project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlaDBV0m5P0 Wine Cellar Specialists +1 (972) 454-0480 info@winecellarspec.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/winecellarspec

In the back of this estate just outside of Omaha, Nebraska, Elite Landscaping designed a custom concrete swimming pool with a covered pool house and 360-degree, negative-edge spa. The pool house features an outdoor kitchen and bar area, which rests on posts that adjoin the raised pool wall. The pool house was built as an exact architectural match to the house, from the stucco, to the cedar decking beams, down to the paint color. This covered outdoor entertaining area provides a shady spot in the afternoons, where guests can lounge on four in-pool, swim up bar stools. The rest of the pool remains in full sun. The sunken swim-up bar is adorned with glass tile accents, and the pool wall features natural stone. Oversized, UniLock bluestone pavers comprise the pool deck and patio. The unique negative-edge spa sits above the pool, and was designed so one half of the spa flows into the pool while the other half flows back into the landscaping. The entire poolscape is automated by a Pentair IntelliTouch system that runs off of a smartphone or other device. With the touch of a button, the homeowners can adjust pool and spa temperatures, change water flow speed, program the FX color-changing LED lights, and even test the pool chemistry.

Hidden next to the fairways of The Bears Club in Jupiter Florida, this classic 8,200 square foot Mediterranean estate is complete with contemporary flare. Custom built for our client, this home is comprised of all the essentials including five bedrooms, six full baths in addition to two half baths, grand room featuring a marble fireplace, dining room adjacent to a large wine room, family room overlooking the loggia and pool as well as a master wing complete with separate his and her closets and bathrooms.