Located in Argyle, Texas, this comprehensive whole-home renovation was conceived by USI Design & Remodeling who reimagined the home's interior architecture, transforming a collection of compartmentalized rooms into a cohesive environment designed for modern living, entertaining, and daily comfort. The project encompassed the kitchen, family room, dining room, lounge, office, primary bathroom, and supporting circulation spaces, creating a unified experience that feels both expansive and intentional. Throughout the home, refined materials, custom millwork, and carefully curated finishes establish a sense of understated luxury while maintaining warmth and livability. At the heart of the renovation is a completely reconfigured kitchen and gathering space designed around functionality, hospitality, and visual connection. Architectural barriers were removed to improve sightlines and circulation, allowing the kitchen, dining, and family spaces to function as a single integrated living environment. A dramatic five-foot workstation sink anchors the kitchen, while custom cabinetry and furniture-inspired details elevate the space beyond conventional residential design. Adjacent to the kitchen, the former pantry, laundry, and service corridor were reimagined as a hybrid scullery and utility suite, creating a highly functional support space that discreetly accommodates food preparation, storage, organization, and household operations without compromising the elegance of the primary living areas. The renovation extends beyond aesthetics to create a home tailored to the family's evolving needs. The primary bathroom was transformed into a spa-inspired retreat, while the lounge, office, and dining spaces were redesigned to support both everyday living and entertaining. Consistent architectural detailing, layered textures, and thoughtful proportions establish continuity throughout the residence, allowing each room to feel connected to the larger design narrative. The result is a sophisticated yet approachable home that balances practical performance with timeless design, delivering a renewed living experience that is both highly functional and distinctly luxurious.

Exterior view of a custom luxury residence in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California, Mexico, designed by Hyde Evans Design, Seattle. This shows the stairway that leads to the roof top deck.The home was conceived as a spa-inspired getaway for long-standing clients — a seamless retreat that draws from the landscape, climate, and craft traditions of Mexico while delivering the full comfort of a custom luxury residence. Hyde Evans Design collaborated with local architect Arturo Ponce De Leon on the project. Interior Design: Hyde Evans Design, Seattle, WA. Architecture: Arturo Ponce De Leon.

SDH Studio - Architecture and Design Location: Pinecrest, Florida, USA Taking advantage of the site’s oversized width, this home’s Architecture was conceived as a series of volumes strategically placed to generate interior and exterior courtyards that become focal points within the home.

Conceived of as a C-shaped house with a small private courtyard and a large private rear yard, this new house maximizes the floor area available to build on this smaller Palo Alto lot. An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) integrated into the main structure gave a floor area bonus. For now, it will be used for visiting relatives. One challenge of this design was keeping a low profile and proportional design while still meeting the FEMA flood plain requirement that the finished floor start about 3′ above grade. The new house has four bedrooms (including the attached ADU), a separate family room with a window seat, a music room, a prayer room, and a large living space that opens to the private small courtyard as well as a large covered patio at the rear. Mature trees around the perimeter of the lot were preserved, and new ones planted, for private indoor-outdoor living. C-shaped house, New home, ADU, Palo Alto, CA, courtyard, KA Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Lucie Danigo
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Landscape Architect: Outer Space Landscape Architects
Contractor: Coast to Coast Development
Photography: ©2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2022 Location: Palo Alto, CA

Conceived of as a C-shaped house with a small private courtyard and a large private rear yard, this new house maximizes the floor area available to build on this smaller Palo Alto lot. An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) integrated into the main structure gave a floor area bonus. For now, it will be used for visiting relatives. One challenge of this design was keeping a low profile and proportional design while still meeting the FEMA flood plain requirement that the finished floor start about 3′ above grade. The new house has four bedrooms (including the attached ADU), a separate family room with a window seat, a music room, a prayer room, and a large living space that opens to the private small courtyard as well as a large covered patio at the rear. Mature trees around the perimeter of the lot were preserved, and new ones planted, for private indoor-outdoor living. C-shaped house, New home, ADU, Palo Alto, CA, courtyard, KA Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Lucie Danigo
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Landscape Architect: Outer Space Landscape Architects
Contractor: Coast to Coast Development
Photography: ©2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2022 Location: Palo Alto, CA

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.

Conceived of as a C-shaped house with a small private courtyard and a large private rear yard, this new house maximizes the floor area available to build on this smaller Palo Alto lot. An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) integrated into the main structure gave a floor area bonus. For now, it will be used for visiting relatives. One challenge of this design was keeping a low profile and proportional design while still meeting the FEMA flood plain requirement that the finished floor start about 3′ above grade. The new house has four bedrooms (including the attached ADU), a separate family room with a window seat, a music room, a prayer room, and a large living space that opens to the private small courtyard as well as a large covered patio at the rear. Mature trees around the perimeter of the lot were preserved, and new ones planted, for private indoor-outdoor living. C-shaped house, New home, ADU, Palo Alto, CA, courtyard, KA Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Lucie Danigo
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Landscape Architect: Outer Space Landscape Architects
Contractor: Coast to Coast Development
Photography: ©2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2022 Location: Palo Alto, CA

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

Photography by Peter Vanderwarker This Second Empire house is a narrative woven about its circulation. At the street, a quietly fanciful stoop reaches to greet one's arrival. Inside and out, Victorian details are playfully reinterpreted and celebrated in fabulous and whimsical spaces for a growing family - Double story kitchen with open cylindrical breakfast room Parents' and Children's libraries Secret playspaces Top floor sky-lit courtyard Writing room and hidden library Basement parking Media Room Landscape of exterior rooms: The site is conceived as a string of rooms: a landscaped drive-way court, a lawn for play, a sunken court, a serene shade garden, a New England flower garden. The stair grows out of the garden level ordering the surrounding rooms as it rises to a light filled courtyard at the Master suite on the top floor. On each level the rooms are arranged in a circuit around the stair core, making a series of distinct suites for the children, for the parents, and for their common activities.

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.

The new construction luxury home was designed by our Carmel design-build studio with the concept of 'hygge' in mind – crafting a soothing environment that exudes warmth, contentment, and coziness without being overly ornate or cluttered. Inspired by Scandinavian style, the design incorporates clean lines and minimal decoration, set against soaring ceilings and walls of windows. These features are all enhanced by warm finishes, tactile textures, statement light fixtures, and carefully selected art pieces. In the living room, a bold statement wall was incorporated, making use of the 4-sided, 2-story fireplace chase, which was enveloped in large format marble tile. Each bedroom was crafted to reflect a unique character, featuring elegant wallpapers, decor, and luxurious furnishings. The primary bathroom was characterized by dark enveloping walls and floors, accentuated by teak, and included a walk-through dual shower, overhead rain showers, and a natural stone soaking tub. An open-concept kitchen was fitted, boasting state-of-the-art features and statement-making lighting. Adding an extra touch of sophistication, a beautiful basement space was conceived, housing an exquisite home bar and a comfortable lounge area. ---Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/modern-scandinavian-luxury-home-westfield/

Located in the Barton Creek Country Club Neighborhood. Arrowhead (affectionately named at one found at the site) sits high on a cliff giving a stunning birds eye view of the beautiful Barton Creek and hill country at only 20 min from downtown. Meticulously Designed and Built by NY/Austin Architect principal of Collaborated Works, this ludder stone house was conceived as a retreat to blend with the natural vernacular, yet was carve out a spectacular interior filled with light.

Located in the Barton Creek Country Club Neighborhood. Arrowhead (affectionately named at one found at the site) sits high on a cliff giving a stunning birds eye view of the beautiful Barton Creek and hill country at only 20 min from downtown. Meticulously Designed and Built by NY/Austin Architect principal of Collaborated Works, this ludder stone house was conceived as a retreat to blend with the natural vernacular, yet was carve out a spectacular interior filled with light.

This Salem, Mass. renovation to a condominium within an historic sea-captain’s house, converted a small, ill-conceived 1980’s kitchen into an affordable, semi-custom kitchen that provides today’s conveniences in an antique context. The wall treatment, colors, and wide pine flooring used in the circa 1768 dining room, which is open to the kitchen, inspired the newly renovated space. A combination of open, upper, wood shelves and dividers topped with short cabinets instead of full-height overheads creates an intimate, furniture-like feel. Relocating the dishwasher, refrigerator, and stacked washer/dryer greatly improved flow and function as did re-purposing space. A corner window area that had housed a plant stand became a window seat; a broom closet became storage for spices, cooking oils, and vinegars. The photo collage that once cluttered the old, rusting refrigerator found a new home on a magnetic panel inside the laundry closet door. What had been a disjointed, unsightly kitchen has been reshaped into an integral extension of the home’s charm. photo by Katie Hutchison

In the center of this design, conceived as the hub of daily life, is a handleless island block with an integrated seating area, to which the successful real wood surface program BOSSA in walnut lends a special structure all around. The protruding, linear bars of the multi-award-winning BOSSA front create a warm, uniform overall appearance and give the kitchen a three-dimensional, vibrant effect - a conscious planning decision to create an elegant and lively effect.

Conceived of as a C-shaped house with a small private courtyard and a large private rear yard, this new house maximizes the floor area available to build on this smaller Palo Alto lot. An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) integrated into the main structure gave a floor area bonus. For now, it will be used for visiting relatives. One challenge of this design was keeping a low profile and proportional design while still meeting the FEMA flood plain requirement that the finished floor start about 3′ above grade. The new house has four bedrooms (including the attached ADU), a separate family room with a window seat, a music room, a prayer room, and a large living space that opens to the private small courtyard as well as a large covered patio at the rear. Mature trees around the perimeter of the lot were preserved, and new ones planted, for private indoor-outdoor living. C-shaped house, New home, ADU, Palo Alto, CA, courtyard, KA Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Lucie Danigo
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Landscape Architect: Outer Space Landscape Architects
Contractor: Coast to Coast Development
Photography: ©2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2022 Location: Palo Alto, CA

We conceived the stairs as heavy, but floating wood planks that defy gravity. Glass guardrails were used to maintain the openness of the modest sized space and further highlight the treads. MAKE Architecture | www.makearch.com | 323-669-0278

Every inch of the inside and outside living areas are re-conceived in this full house and guest-house renovation in Berkeley. In the main house the entire floor plan is flipped to re-orient public and private areas, with the formerly small, chopped up spaces opened and integrated with their surroundings. The studio, previously a deteriorating garage, is transformed into a clean and cozy space with an outdoor area of its own. A palette of screen walls, Corten steel, stucco and concrete connect the materiality and forms of the two spaces. What was a drab, dysfunctional bungalow is now an inspiring and livable home for a young family. Photo by David Duncan Livingston.

Saturday July 18, Time TBD | Boston The Macallen Building and Court Square Press Courtyard by Michael Blier, RLA, ASLA of Landworks Studio, Inc., with architect Nader Tehrani of NADAAA Located in a rapidly evolving area on the outskirts of South Boston, the Macallen Building condominium community features an award-winning landscape that evokes the neighborhood’s industrial heritage while demonstrating modern principles of sustainable development. Awarded LEED Gold certification in 2008, the project’s attention to sustainability permeates all aspects the three-tiered landscape. Paving materials, tree plantings, and lighting adorn an entry-level courtyard on the ground floor, known as “Macallen Way.” The second level landscape covers the roof of the parking garage, providing recreational space for building residents as well as a graphic garden designed to be viewed from the condominiums above. The third level—including a sloping green roof and terrace garden—is integral to the building’s achievement of LEED certification as the green space is specifically designed to improve stormwater management, ameliorate the urban heat island effect, and provide additional insulation to the building. Through use of these design elements, the landscape greatly diminishes the ecological impact of development and serves as a model for sustainable development throughout the evolving region. In addition to the Macallen Building attendees will also get to visit the adjacent Court Square Press Courtyard which won the American Society of Landscape Architect's 2006 Award of Excellence in the General Design category. The project, which was conceived as a series of fragmented views, is equally compelling both while in the space, and when viewed from above. Photo by John Horner Photography