Casey Dunn
Contemporary exterior home idea in Austin

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern backyard concrete paver and wood fence lawn edging in San Francisco.

This project blends warm wood with industrial style concepts for a result that transcends typical modern minimalism. Created with a visionary architect and builder, the four-level structure features thick solid oak treads with extended noses that float against finished poplar stringers. Open risers preserve light flow from the adjacent wall of windows. A horizontal stainless steel rod balustrade system flows from the lower-level recreation room to the fourth-level rooftop deck, creating visual continuity across the home's entire vertical span. The geometric design echoes custom millwork throughout the residence and connects the chef's kitchen and family room while celebrating natural light at every level. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

A new covered patio was added adjacent to the pool. French pocket doors open the patio to the pool bathroom for easy back and forth. The stairs lead up to the new loft office space. Photo by Lee Manning Photography

A custom cedar closed picket fence + gate (w/ black iron latch + hinges) + pergola overhead, creates a warm + inviting entryway.
Design ideas for a small traditional drought-tolerant and full sun front yard garden path in Other with decking.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

Our clients on this project were inspired by their travels to Asia and wanted to mimic this aesthetic at their DC property. We designed a water feature that effectively masks adjacent traffic noise and maintains a small footprint.

The owners, inspired by mid-century modern architecture, hired Klopf Architecture to design an Eichler-inspired 21st-Century, energy efficient new home that would replace a dilapidated 1940s home. The home follows the gentle slope of the hillside while the overarching post-and-beam roof above provides an unchanging datum line. The changing moods of nature animate the house because of views through large glass walls at nearly every vantage point. Every square foot of the house remains close to the ground creating and adding to the sense of connection with nature. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Geoff Campen, Angela Todorova, and Jeff Prose Structural Engineer: Alex Rood, SE, Fulcrum Engineering (now Pivot Engineering) Landscape Designer (atrium): Yoshi Chiba, Chiba's Gardening Landscape Designer (rear lawn): Aldo Sepulveda, Sepulveda Landscaping Contractor: Augie Peccei, Coast to Coast Construction Photography ©2015 Mariko Reed Location: Belmont, CA Year completed: 2015

New Additions to Hoover + Hill This project is a continuation of the renovation and updating work Flavin Architects had previously completed at the 1958 Wales house, designed by architect Henry Hoover and Walter Hill. Our clients, a young family, desired more space for guests, a home office, a yoga studio, and covered car parking. The challenge was to respect the architects’ original vision and not to interfere with the perfect cruciform plan of the house. To accomplish these goals, we converted the existing garage/workshop structure into a guest house and then designed a new, separate carport/storage building. The new carport building shares the low-slope gable of the original Hoover structure. The post and beam structure characteristic of Hoover’s design is updated through the use of galvanized steel posts and I beams. The galvanized beams cantilever to support a sheltered walkway leading from the parking to a guest house terrace defined in relationship to the three structures surrounding it. The terrace is paved in slate with a central rain garden. Wood lattice clads the carport, providing good ventilation and letting the building glow like a lantern at night. Our guest house renovation celebrates the unique structural timber ceiling of the original garage. We replaced opaque plywood trusses with a slender cable truss structurally engineered by Webb Structural Services. This cable truss allows for a view of the timber ceiling. A wall of glass facing the courtyard replaced the original garage door. A murphy bed in the rear room enables quick conversion from guest quarters to weight room.

This traditional lakeside cottage combines the rustic nature of large timbers with the efficiency of an insulated concrete form wall system. Natural finishes adorn the interior and exterior surfaces. Notice the warm difference of wood soffit and fascia as compared to other man-made options.

Making extensive use of stone, reclaimed timbers, antique beams, and other natural materials, this mountain estate home also successfully blends the old with the new in finishes and amenities. Situated high on a ridge top, with stunning mountain views, the designers of MossCreek created open spaces with walls of windows throughout the home to take advantage of the home site. The extensive use of wood finishes and elements, both on the exterior and interior, all help to connect the home to it's surroundings. MossCreek worked closely with the owners to design an elegant mountain estate that is both welcoming to friends, while providing privacy to its owners, and the home is an example of custom home design at it's best. Photos: R. Wade

Designed and built by Land Art Design, Inc. In this project, we added multi-level living space with this deck and underside patio combination. The custom deck includes wrought iron railing, matching the stairway connecting the two levels. The underside patio features a bead board ceiling with recessed lighting and ceiling fans.

DAVID CANNON
Country porch photo in Atlanta

The Hive This remodel transforms three small, crowded rooms into an expansive, open kitchen connecting directly onto a new backyard deck. The coziness of a former breakfast nook is re-created with a built-in bench with discreet storage, and a pre-existing island is re-imagined with a new marble surface and complementary marble slab installed above the counters. The new modern kitchen, combines bamboo, white, and glass cabinet materials and integrates an original Wedgewood range stove providing a spacious, open environment. Outside, the new deck design addresses a previous basement flooding problem and brings together the upper and lower floors with a floating “crow’s nest” balcony, maximizing available outdoor space for use by both couples. To avoid the need for a support post, the balcony is supported by steel beams cantilevered into the house itself. Its custom rail system is galvanized steel and stainless steel cable, leaving as much space open as possible, and a steel awning overhead protects the new door from potential rain damage. The deck itself, as well as its railings and trellis structure, are built in durable ipe, a smooth barefoot-friendly hardwood. Stairs and seating create a smooth transition from the elevated deck down into the yard, where the new owners installed flagstones and setup their own bee hives.

This striking straight-run open-riser staircase features a unique design element: a glass panel between the stringer and the floor, allowing for visual connection between the floors. Thick pale-stained red oak treads, posts, and handrail provide natural warmth, while horizontal black metal rods form a sleek balustrade. Metal boots on the red oak posts add a subtle industrial detail, and the crisp white stringer keeps the design light. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Set among mature pine and willow trees, the Bow Bog Road Residence transforms a once-neglected property into a refined modern home that feels inseparable from its natural setting. The original structure was removed while the existing foundation was preserved, presenting a unique design challenge: how to create a contemporary residence that respected the site’s constraints while maximizing light, views, and connection to the surrounding landscape. RWH Architects designed a modern post-and-beam home with a carefully integrated addition that expands the livable footprint while maintaining a modest, single-story profile. The home’s form follows the contours of the land, appearing grounded and intentional—almost as if it has always existed within the wooded setting. Inside, exposed timber beams and tongue-and-groove ceilings bring warmth and craftsmanship to the open living spaces. Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and clerestory glazing flood the interior with natural light while framing views of the ever-changing New England foliage. A dramatic stone fireplace anchors the great room, creating a sense of permanence and balance between natural materials and modern design. The home is thoughtfully arranged for both comfort and flexibility, featuring a primary suite, guest suite, and two additional bedrooms. A sunroom serves as a transitional space between indoors and out, seamlessly connecting the living areas to the surrounding landscape. The custom kitchen introduces a darker wood palette, offering a rich contrast to the lighter finishes used throughout the home. Sustainability was a core consideration in the design. The residence operates fully off-grid, utilizing geothermal heating and cooling, solar power, a private septic system, and a 1,000-foot well—delivering modern amenities while minimizing environmental impact. The Bow Bog Road Residence reflects RWH Architects’ commitment to site-responsive design, craftsmanship, and sustainable living, resulting in a home that balances contemporary comfort with a deep connection to nature. “Robert was excellent to work with and very receptive to our desires with our new home build, working with us across several significant revisions on a beautiful custom home. Truly a pleasure to work with.” — Jeff Craig, Homeowner

This striking straight-run open-riser staircase features a unique design element: a glass panel between the stringer and the floor, allowing for visual connection between the floors. Thick pale-stained red oak treads, posts, and handrail provide natural warmth, while horizontal black metal rods form a sleek balustrade. Metal boots on the red oak posts add a subtle industrial detail, and the crisp white stringer keeps the design light. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Malibu Glass Box House by Klopf Architecture Following the devastating Woolsey Fire of 2018, the site in Malibu offered a unique opportunity to rebuild not just a home, but a new architectural composition that highlighted the property’s potential while navigating strict fire-rebuild codes in the area. Designed by Klopf Architecture, this project embraced a set of limitations and translated them into an architectural asset. The city’s fire-rebuild process required the new structure to remain close to the original footprint, size and bulk, a constraint that ultimately clarified the architectural direction. Perched near the front of a long, narrow lot, the new home frames and overlooks a private, park-like rear expanse, an uncommon luxury especially in this part of Malibu . Without a fixed program, the design process allowed for a different kind of creative focus allowing Klopf Architecture the opportunity to explore how a modernist home could best respond to this site. The team approached the project not with a list of requirements, but with a question: How might a modernist live here? What spatial qualities would inspire calm, connection, and a sense of wonder in this setting? The process became less about problem-solving and more about architectural storytelling—letting the site, the light, and the principles of modern design guide the form and flow of the home. The response emerged in the form of a glass-box pavilion, an open, Mid-Century Modern inspired living, dining, and kitchen space that floats at the edge of the property’s natural descent. Connected to the more enclosed, private areas of the home by a glass-walled hallway, the living pavilion becomes a distinct centerpiece of the design. It opens on all four sides to the landscape with decks and patios on the flanks, an internal garden and water feature to the north, and a dramatic unguarded view of the expansive backyard and ocean horizon to the south. Because of the mandated footprint, careful planning was required to ensure every space could still engage with light, landscape, or both. Strategic voids in the form of atriums and courtyards allow daylight to filter deep into the home’s core, while offering moments of surprise and retreat. These design gestures allow natural light to filter deep into the interior, creating a sense of brightness and openness throughout the day. At the same time, they expand the perceptual boundaries between inside and out, making the home feel more expansive while anchoring its connection to the surrounding landscape. The siting of the house is what gives it its unique character. Rather than receding into the backyard like the neighboring homes, the house holds a slight prominence. From the central living pavilion, stepping down into the landscape feels more like entering a secluded park where a separate existing accessory structure, trail, and recreational areas await. The home’s modest street presence gives way to this unfolding drama of space, view, and nature. Fire-resilient materials and assemblies are integrated seamlessly throughout including triple-pane glazing, under-slab and roof insulation, and locally sourced fire-rated cladding ensure the house not only meets Calfornia’s rigorous wildland-urban interface (WUI) standards, but feels effortlessly aligned with them. While technical decisions like fire-hardening and mechanical systems presented some construction challenges, particularly around the cantilevered glass box, the team found a functional compromise that preserved the integrity of the design. Inside, a restrained palette and exposed post and beam design celebrate the ethos of mid-century modernism. A central circulation spine extends from the entry to the rear glass wall, offering a continuous visual link from street to ocean. Spaces such as the library and office, though more intimate in scale, are never cut off from nature as each opens to its own unique courtyard or garden view. Though born out of a strict regulatory framework and developed without a specific client, the rebuild design unfolded with remarkable clarity. Grounded in site logic, refined by limitations and an emphasis on timeless spatial relationships – light, proportion, and a strong connection to nature, the resulting design feels both effortless and uplifting. The home lives lightly on the land, opens generously to its surroundings, and strikes a careful balance between privacy, openness, and calm. For Klopf Architecture, it stands as a compelling case study in how site, code, and circumstantial constraints can inspire enduring, modernist architecture. With years of experience reimagining mid-century modern design for how people live today, the firm took the project’s limitations as an opportunity. The result is a home shaped by open, flowing spaces, strong indoor-outdoor connections, and a calm, clear sense of structure. It’s a good reminder that even with strict constraints, there’s still room for architecture to breathe—and for modernism to keep moving forward. Klopf Architecture project team: Geoff Campen, John Klopf, AIA, and Sherry Tan Structural Engineer: ZFA Contractor: Maison D’Artiste Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2023

This striking straight-run open-riser staircase features a unique design element: a glass panel between the stringer and the floor, allowing for visual connection between the floors. Thick pale-stained red oak treads, posts, and handrail provide natural warmth, while horizontal black metal rods form a sleek balustrade. Metal boots on the red oak posts add a subtle industrial detail, and the crisp white stringer keeps the design light. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company