Located on an extraordinary hillside site above the San Fernando Valley, the Sherman Residence was designed to unite indoors and outdoors. The house is made up of as a series of board-formed concrete, wood and glass pavilions connected via intersticial gallery spaces that together define a central courtyard. From each room one can see the rich and varied landscape, which includes indigenous large oaks, sycamores, “working” plants such as orange and avocado trees, palms and succulents. A singular low-slung wood roof with deep overhangs shades and unifies the overall composition. CLIENT: Jerry & Zina Sherman PROJECT TEAM: Peter Tolkin, John R. Byram, Christopher Girt, Craig Rizzo, Angela Uriu, Eric Townsend, Anthony Denzer ENGINEERS: Joseph Perazzelli (Structural), John Ott & Associates (Civil), Brian A. Robinson & Associates (Geotechnical) LANDSCAPE: Wade Graham Landscape Studio CONSULTANTS: Tree Life Concern Inc. (Arborist), E&J Engineering & Energy Designs (Title-24 Energy) GENERAL CONTRACTOR: A-1 Construction PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter Tolkin, Grant Mudford AWARDS: 2001 Excellence Award Southern California Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Built by: J.A. Long, Inc Design Builders
Mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Jacksonville with gray walls and no fireplace

Troy Theis Photography
Kitchen - rustic dark wood floor kitchen idea in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a farmhouse exterior home remodel in Austin

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

The kitchen has shades of dark grey, charcoal for its countertops, kithchen island, and cabinets. The charcoal glass backsplash completes the dark look. Equipments, devices and food products are ingeniously hidden behind the charcoal lacquered panels. All the appliances are integrated and the fridge is panel-ready. Image credits: Francis Raymond

Inspiration for a rustic brown one-story wood gable roof remodel in Seattle

Detail of Coreten steel siding on the bay window.
Mid-sized coastal brown two-story metal house exterior idea in Seattle

Drop-in bathtub - small modern green tile single-sink drop-in bathtub idea in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a vessel sink, white countertops and a floating vanity

This customer got her dream modern farmhouse kitchen in Lexington, NC. Featuring Wolf Classic cabinets, Misterio quartz, white subway tile with charcoal grout, and custom made rustic pipe shelves.

Example of a mid-sized trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room design in Indianapolis with white walls

Dedicated laundry room - mid-sized transitional u-shaped porcelain tile and brown floor dedicated laundry room idea in Vancouver with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface countertops, white walls and a stacked washer/dryer

Kitchen | A space that feels fresh, inviting and spacious, perfect for family time, entertaining, and cooking up a fabulous meal.
Example of a large minimalist l-shaped light wood floor open concept kitchen design in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

For a family who believes fitness is not only an essential part of life but also a fun opportunity for the whole family to connect, build and achieve greatness together there is nothing better than a custom designed obstacle course right in your back yard. THEME The theme of this half mile trail through the woods is evident in the fun, creative and all-inclusive obstacles hidden in the natural flow of the land around this amazing family home. The course was created with adults and children, advanced and beginner athletes, competitive and entertaining events all accounted for. Each of the 13 obstacles was designed to be challenging no matter the size, skill or ability of the athlete lucky enough to run the course. FOCUS The focus for this family was to create an outdoor adventure that could be an athletic, social and personal outlet for their entire family while maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape and without altering the sweeping views from the home. The large scale of the challenging obstacles is camouflaged within the landscape using the rolling hills and mature trees as a natural curtain in every season. The beauty of the course does not diminish the functional and demanding nature of the obstacles which are designed to focus on multiple strength, agility, and cardio fitness abilities and intensities. STORAGE The start of the trail includes a raised training area offering a dedicated space clear from the ground to place bags, mats and other equipment used during the run. A small all-terrain storage cart was provided for use with 6 yoga mats, 3 medicine balls of various weights, rings, sprinting cones, and a large digital timer to record laps. GROWTH The course was designed to provide an athletic and fun challenge for children, teens and adults no matter their experience or athletic prowess. This course offers competitive athletes a challenge and budding athletes an opportunity to experience and ignite their passion for physical activity. Initially the concept for the course was focused on the youngest of the family however as the design grew so did the obstacles and now it is a true family experience that will meet their adapting needs for years. Each obstacle is paired with an instructional sign directing the runners in proper use of the obstacle, adaptations for skill levels and tips on form. These signs are all customized for this course and are printed on metal to ensure they last for many years. SAFETY Safety is crucial for all physical activity and an obstacle course of this scale presents unique safety concerns. Children should always be supervised when participating in an adventure on the course however additional care was paid to details on the course to ensure everyone has a great time. All of the course obstacles have been created with pressure treated lumber that will withstand the seasonal poundings. All footer pilings that support obstacles have been placed into the ground between 3 to 4 feet (.9 to 1.2 meters) and each piling has 2 to 3 bags of concrete (totaling over 90 bags used throughout the course) ensuring stability of the structure and safety of the participants. Additionally, all obstacle lumber has been given rounded corners and sanded down offering less splintering and more time for everyone to enjoy the course. This athletic and charismatic family strives to incorporate a healthy active lifestyle into their daily life and this obstacle course offers their family an opportunity to strengthen themselves and host some memorable and active events at their amazing home.

Inspiration for a 1950s one-story mixed siding and two-car multicolored garage remodel in New Orleans

This is a wonderful lap pool that has a taste of modern with the clean lines and cement cabana that also has a flair of the rustic with wood beams and a hill country stone bench. It also has a simple grass lawn that has very large planters as signature statements to once again give it a modern feel. Photography by Vernon Wentz of Ad Imagery

Transitional kitchen photo in San Diego

Combining beauty with functionality, the GROHE K7® kitchen faucet was designed with cooking enthusiasts and amateur chefs in mind.
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Chicago

Chris Rollett
Example of a small transitional light wood floor dressing room design in Vancouver with shaker cabinets and gray cabinets