This stunning modern home has been meticulously crafted to cater to the dynamic lifestyle of a young, vibrant family. Nestled in the picturesque heart of wine country, this residence was conceived with a deep appreciation for indoor-outdoor living. Embracing its natural surroundings, the house is strategically positioned to capture breathtaking panoramic views while providing ample space for outdoor gatherings and entertainment. Inside, the interior space is intelligently divided into three distinct zones. The public living area welcomes guests with open arms, offering a harmonious blend of comfort and sophistication. The two-bedroom suite provides cozy retreats for family members or guests, ensuring privacy and relaxation. Finally, the separate master suite stands as a sanctuary of luxury, complete with an artfully designed interior that fosters serenity and creativity. This home represents a seamless fusion of modern design and the beauty of its wine country locale, making it the perfect haven for a family seeking both elegance and functionality.

Beverly Hills based clients commissioned a vacation home for their family in Malibu, CA. Together with world renowned interior designer John Cottrell, we conceived a 10,000 sq. ft. Pennsylvania Stone Farm House. The stone was quarried from the Midwest and is complemented by a steep French slate roof. The site is situated on a 2 1/2 acre bluff with a panoramic view stretching from Paradise Cove to Catalina Island. This resplendent retreat immediately relaxes the mind and body as one is lead from the circular drive court through an arched portico with paneled wood gates into a quiet lawned courtyard. The garden and reflective lap pool and spa are sheltered from harsh elements by the two wings of the house. A glass French lite Dutch entrance door is discretely located at the end of an outdoor colonnade. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Designer: John Cottrell Landscape Designer: Doug Levy Construction: David Moline Builders

Nestled in the hills of Orinda, California, this 1951 residence is one of only seven extant homes, now known as “The Magnificent Seven”, designed by architect Olof Dahlstrand, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. With its low-slung rooflines, natural materials, and deep integration with the sloping landscape, the home is a pristine example of mid-century modern design inspired by Wright’s organic principles. Over the years, prior homeowners have emphasized preservation, ensuring that the house remained relatively untouched. Each owner has respected the original architecture and stayed true to Dahlstrand’s intent. When a family of five—two college-aged sons and a middle school-aged daughter—acquired the property, they were captivated by its history, legacy of care, and architectural significance. While they appreciated Dahlstrand’s original vision, they also recognized the need to adapt the home for contemporary living while preserving its design integrity. The remodel was conceived as a thoughtful response to the past—an effort to bring the house into the 21st century without compromising its soul. The primary mandate was to maintain architectural continuity while improving the functionality, comfort, and livability for a modern family. The design team—architects and contractor alike—worked with a shared reverence for the original architecture, allowing that mindset to guide even the most technical or pragmatic decisions. A key objective was to increase natural light in the kitchen—a departure from Wrightian principles of enclosed, intimate cooking spaces—while maintaining the home’s architectural language. The kitchen was reconfigured to foster a stronger connection to adjacent living spaces while retaining the underlying concept of spatial separation. One of the most transformative architectural changes was the removal of a ridge beam that was originally planned to remain visible through the kitchen. During construction, the team collaborated on a better solution: a wide-flanged steel beam concealed within the roof envelope. This subtle move preserved the clean lines and ceiling continuity, a modern update carried out with utmost respect for the existing framework. The home’s original powder room, previously accessible only through the kitchen, was relocated for better flow and privacy. A new powder room was carved out of former kitchen cabinetry—a narrow, interior space that could have felt dark and enclosed. To avoid this, the design extended the line of original transom windows into the new powder room and added a skylight above the vanity. The result is a bright and airy space that feels consistent with the rest of the home. Other updates included the installation of new solid-core interior doors with veneers carefully matched to the original mahogany, enhancing the continuity of the interiors. Even smaller decisions, such as placing the door knobs at 42 inches high, mirrored the original proportions. Every choice reflected a shared belief between the architect, contractor, and client: that new work should serve the integrity of the old. The home’s extensive interior redwood millwork and paneling was meticulously restored. Where new materials were introduced—such as the replacement redwood soffit paneling—the contractor took pains to find finish nails that matched the original, rather than using modern equivalents. This level of craftsmanship and collaboration defined the project. It extended even to the detailing of a blind door to the new powder room, which had to disappear into the existing redwood board-and-batten wall. It was a team effort: the owner found a suitable handle, the architects devised the custom in-swing mechanism, and the contractor executed it so the door aligned precisely with the battens. Throughout, the homeowners were deeply engaged in the design process. One, a meticulous design enthusiast, focused on aesthetic integrity and historic detail. The other brought a practical and function-driven perspective, ensuring that new fixtures and materials would be durable and require minimal maintenance. While the home’s location posed no major site challenges, sustainability was a key concern. The team upgraded the roof insulation, installed solar panels with battery storage, and added ductless mini-split cooling systems. Lighting was another area where modern technology was woven into a historic framework: new square LED fixtures echo the original custom perimeter soffit lights, maintaining the design language while offering advanced performance. A planned expansion of a bedroom into suite with a bathroom had to be shelved due to budget constraints and the high cost of below-grade foundation work. Still, the team focused their efforts on making the most of the existing footprint, resolving constraints through design ingenuity rather than adding square footage. This renovation represents a collaborative achievement in preserving and evolving a historically significant home. Every decision was shaped by a shared ethos among clients, architects, and contractor: to maintain the home’s architectural soul while updating it for contemporary life. The result is a timeless modernist residence that continues Olof Dahlstrand’s legacy, remaining grounded in nature, craftsmanship, and human-scale design. Klopf Architecture Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane, Fernanda Bernardes
Interior Architectural Design: Klopf Architecture
Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao
Contractor: Don Larwood, Larwood Construction Photography: Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022

Vistafolia's modern and flexible Artificial Green Wall design offers real customer value, providing excellent bespoke solutions for any client requirement. This roof terrace had an exceptionally long, south-facing space with parapet walls clad in metal sheeting, creating an environment too hot and inhospitable for real planting. The limited area coverage was also a big issue, as putting in living plant systems would significantly reduce the floor space and hamper mobility. Our Vistafolia Panels, which can be customized to fit any conceivable dimension, fulfilled the client’s desire to look out to beautiful greenery by creating a simple solution to the problem with our versatile system and design expertise.

This project for a builder husband and interior-designer wife involved adding onto and restoring the luster of a c. 1883 Carpenter Gothic cottage in Barrington that they had occupied for years while raising their two sons. They were ready to ditch their small tacked-on kitchen that was mostly isolated from the rest of the house, views/daylight, as well as the yard, and replace it with something more generous, brighter, and more open that would improve flow inside and out. They were also eager for a better mudroom, new first-floor 3/4 bath, new basement stair, and a new second-floor master suite above. The design challenge was to conceive of an addition and renovations that would be in balanced conversation with the original house without dwarfing or competing with it. The new cross-gable addition echoes the original house form, at a somewhat smaller scale and with a simplified more contemporary exterior treatment that is sympathetic to the old house but clearly differentiated from it. Renovations included the removal of replacement vinyl windows by others and the installation of new Pella black clad windows in the original house, a new dormer in one of the son’s bedrooms, and in the addition. At the first-floor interior intersection between the existing house and the addition, two new large openings enhance flow and access to daylight/view and are outfitted with pairs of salvaged oversized clear-finished wooden barn-slider doors that lend character and visual warmth. A new exterior deck off the kitchen addition leads to a new enlarged backyard patio that is also accessible from the new full basement directly below the addition. (Interior fit-out and interior finishes/fixtures by the Owners)

Upper Valley Estate Curb Appeal – El Paso, Texas This curb appeal transformation was conceived as a deliberate sequence—an arrival experience where architecture, landscape, and lighting work together as one. Every element was designed to honor the home’s stone construction, turreted forms, and Old World character while responding precisely to the Upper Valley climate and lifestyle. By day, the experience is grounded and composed. Brick-edged concrete drives establish order and permanence, guiding movement through the property with clarity and intention. Natural stone walls and columns anchor the architecture, while layered gravel beds, drought-tolerant plantings, and manicured turf soften transitions and connect the home to its desert setting. Mature trees were preserved and carefully integrated, providing scale, shade, and a sense of continuity. As afternoon shifts toward sunset, the materials begin to speak differently. Stone warms, textures deepen, and sightlines subtly draw the eye toward the front entry. The landscape narrows the focus, creating a moment of pause before arrival—calm, quiet, and refined. At night, the design reveals its final layer. Low-voltage lighting is integrated with precision, washing stone surfaces, tracing architectural curves, and uplighting specimen trees to create depth without glare. The drive, walkways, and entry feel safe, legible, and inviting, while the home itself glows with a restrained elegance. Coming home after dark feels intentional—protected, welcoming, and unmistakably yours. What was created is more than curb appeal. It is a cohesive design-build solution where nothing is ornamental without purpose and nothing is built without intention. A daily experience of arrival that reflects craftsmanship, care, and the enduring character of the Upper Valley.

Saturday, May 30, 2:30pm to 4:00pm | Atlanta Rivermeade Residence by Bill Caldwell of Harrison Design Envisioned by the owner as a seamless assimilation of house and garden, Rivermeade was conceived as a collaborative effort between owner, architect, and landscape architect. The 2.5 acre site lies in the shadow of historic Standing Peachtree Fort at the Chattahoochee River and abuts a conservation easement, providing delightful views to a natural meadow and wildlife. The owner’s decree was to have a view to a garden from every window in the house, so the landscape was designed as seven garden rooms oriented in relation to the house. Each garden space accents the home’s design through the use of complementary building materials and features garden pieces collected by the owner over the years. Since its construction, Rivermeade has been featured on the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Connoisseur’s Tour and provided a backdrop for Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse television sitcom. Photo by Lee Ann White

Western Massachusetts American Institute of Architects, Honor Award, 2010. With Kuhn Riddle Architects. Inspired by the tobacco barns and farmhouses of the surrounding area, this project was designed as a sustainable spec house for Tomlinson Builders. A single-story, 2,000 sqft home with 3 bedrooms, its open floor plan and flexible layout appeal to a variety of homeowners, from new families to recent retirees. The simple geometric forms of the home are both modern and traditional, crisp and inviting. To maintain the natural qualities of the site, outdoor spaces were conceived as small jewels of manicured space set into an otherwise uncultivated landscape.

Focus was placed on the aesthetic, as well as on the function. One important characteristic of the project was conceiving the house as a refuge, a cozy place after a tiring day of work and an oasis of silence in the urban chaos. Personality and individuality were infused by custom made furniture (adjusted to the dimensions of the rooms for rational use of space), well-chosen statement furniture pieces (dining table, wall clock, lighting, nightstands, vanity desk chair, etc.) and attention to details. Breaking the monotony was accomplished by unexpected combinations of textures and materials: slate on the furniture fronts, wood, painted MDF, cow leather carpet. The main stylistic direction is given by elegant lines that evoke Classicism but strongly anchored into the present day, while at the same time maintaining simple and clean graphics. Good communication with the beneficiaries led to an interior design concept that emphasizes the qualities of their home.

A Whole House Transformation – conceived as a remodel and addition, the final design iteration for this home is uniquely multifaceted. There were structural considerations and the overall floor plan design centered on maximizing the views. Additions to this home totaled over 1,200 square feet. What was once the master suite, on the second floor, is now a teenagers bedroom. The master suite was relocated to the first floor and is now overlooking the pool, pool house and patio with panoramic views of the backyard. The front entrance closet became the new entrance for the master suite, which includes a sprawling bathroom and boutique closet. Underneath this area is the new theater and billiard room located in the lower level. A new front entrance and roof gables were added for a seamless new exterior look on the right side of the house. The new functional home office, gourmet kitchen, wainscot dining room, and laundry on the main level were taken down to the studs. A new traditional style for the home was created with new cabinetry, trim and millwork, space planning and detail. The lower level was gutted and turned into an award winning showpiece with gym, full wet bar and kitchen, wine nook, family room and game room marrying the new addition with theater and billiard area. The entire exterior stucco was taken off the home and pool house replacing it with stone, stone pillars, shakes and board and batten. The small screen deck was torn off making for expansive 3 season living with a new covered stone grill area. The patio was expanded with a stone fireplace overlooking the entire backyard and pool area. Adding to the new design were landscape features with a new concrete driveway, stone address pier light, stamped concrete walkway to the newly created front covered porch and bead board ceiling, creating an amazing first impression.

In the late 1950s, the Alcoa aluminum company embarked on an effort to develop and mass-produce mid-century aluminum ranch-style houses designed by Charles Goodman. This home in Alexandria is one of only a handful remaining of the original 24 built nationwide. Our client tasked us with conceiving a solution that was as much a restoration as a renovation. In addition to a complete renovation of the original 2,100 sq ft home, we added a 150 sq ft primary bathroom within the existing footprint and a 1,000 sq ft open porch to double the open living space. This project was a finalist for the 2023 NAHB Remodelers Awards in the Entire Home Renovation under $500,000 category.

Vistafolia's modern and flexible Artificial Green Wall design offers real customer value, providing excellent bespoke solutions for any client requirement. This roof terrace had an exceptionally long, south-facing space with parapet walls clad in metal sheeting, creating an environment too hot and inhospitable for real planting. The limited area coverage was also a big issue, as putting in living plant systems would significantly reduce the floor space and hamper mobility. Our Vistafolia Panels, which can be customized to fit any conceivable dimension, fulfilled the client’s desire to look out to beautiful greenery by creating a simple solution to the problem with our versatile system and design expertise.

This chimneypiece exemplifies Soane's unique ability to reinterpret classical form and produce a design of stunning modernity. The inverted bow to the pilasters and stylised Greek Key motif could only have been conceived by Soane. The chimneypiece was originally commissioned for a property in Grosvenor Square, London in 1803. It is shown here in white marble with the 22" Byron forged steel fire basket and black slate hearth and slips.

The project consisted of the design, detailing and construction of a new residence for a private client in the historic district of Ridgefield, Connecticut, on a street of early 20th century 'Summer Homes'. The residence was conceived of as a Shingle Style Revival structure with a prominent entry porch in keeping with both our and the client’s desire for a home that would feel immediately at one with it’s neighbors both in scale and character. AIA Connecticut Alice Washburn Awards Finalist. Barry A. Hyman

Beverly Hills based clients commissioned a vacation home for their family in Malibu, CA. Together with world renowned interior designer John Cottrell, we conceived a 10,000 sq. ft. Pennsylvania Stone Farm House. The stone was quarried from the Midwest and is complemented by a steep French slate roof. The site is situated on a 2 1/2 acre bluff with a panoramic view stretching from Paradise Cove to Catalina Island. This resplendent retreat immediately relaxes the mind and body as one is lead from the circular drive court through an arched portico with paneled wood gates into a quiet lawned courtyard. The garden and reflective lap pool and spa are sheltered from harsh elements by the two wings of the house. A glass French lite Dutch entrance door is discretely located at the end of an outdoor colonnade. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Designer: John Cottrell Landscape Designer: Doug Levy Construction: David Moline Builders

The addition was conceived as a compliment to the existing structure. Fitting in with the neighborhood aesthetic was a high priority.
Mid-sized eclectic blue two-story wood exterior home idea

This waterfront home was conceived by the architects as a series of identically scaled, simply articulated gable-roofed elements linked by flat-roofed connectors. From the entrance driveway, the house appears almost as a village of individual granite residences. These two elements – gables and flat roofs – complement each other, establishing a dynamic of light and dark, smooth and rough, grounded and floating. It was critical to the ultimate success of this building that it be well suited and connected to tits content so that it seems like it could not be anywhere else. The home was positioned to capture this view and, in a way, imbue it with power. We responded to this directive by incorporating large expanses of windows that allow one to literally look through the house from the front yard to the sailboats bobbing on the water at the rear.

Located on a steep hillside in a lodgepole pine forest, these cabins were designed as micro dormitories for the Colorado Outward Bound School. The cabins sit lightly on the landscape, directing views from private spaces towards trees, rock outcroppings and distant mountain views of the Mosquito Range. More public “community” views are directed into social spaces that develop from the organization of the cabins in relationship to one another. These community spaces are made up of front porches and the negative spaces between cabins. To satisfy clients’ lodging and storage requirements, and to facilitate completion in three weeks of on-site construction, the cabins were conceived as two separate elements, a “box” and a “frame”. The “frame” acts as a storage device for the educators’ large gear (bikes, skis, kayaks, etc.) while simultaneously housing the cabin “box” and covered porches. The prefabricated cabin “box” rests in the frame under the protection of a “snow roof” designed to keep the winter snow load off the waterproofed roof below. Hot rolled steel provides a low maintenance rain screen for the box. This steel cladding and the vertical columns blend with the lodgepole forest minimizing the visual impact of the cabins. Structural taped glazing on the windows eliminates mullions and connects the occupants directly with natural views. The interior of the cabin is skinned in CNC’d birch plywood bringing warmth to the interior and evoking a connection with the trees surrounding the site. The plywood is specifically milled to accommodate desks, beds and storage for each user. The walls and CNC’d plywood were prefabricated in Denver, flat packed onto trucks and shipped to Leadville to shorten the on-site construction timeline.

Steel wall mounted shelving and work table island by Slab Fab Studio with Jim Ojamaa. Conceived by Kelin Perry
Example of a minimalist home design design in Atlanta