Dry bar and beverage center.
Example of a trendy l-shaped eat-in kitchen design in Phoenix with an undermount sink, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances

The front elevation of this house consists of the original 1910 farmhouse. The rest of the house had been augmented incrementally over time and the roofline beyond the original structure had become convoluted and the flanking elevations nonsensical. The current owners preserved the original 1910 farmhouse portion of the home and took the rest of the structure down to the foundation. A simple modern black barn was designed to run perpendicular with the old farmhouse structure and painted black in stark contrast to its old, white counterpart. Siding runs vertically on the new section as opposed to the horizontal shiplapped siding on the old. The new structure houses the kitchen with 12’ cathedral ceilings, a pantry / mudroom and a study. The kitchen boasts a 1930’s island reclaimed from a commercial bakery and pendant lights from an old schoolhouse in Ohio as its nucleus, against a quiet backdrop of black stained oak cabinetry. Gently veined quartzite slabs serve as countertop, backsplash and wrap the stove hood to accentuate the ceiling height. The interior design of this home is a carefully balanced alchemy of antiquity and modernity. It has an overriding monochromatic theme with layers of pattern and texture for depth. The color interest is derived from the lush outside landscape, with the exception of their daughter’s bedroom which is a tasteful symphony of pink, landed by a hand painted mural. The theme of the home is framed around comfortable family living against curated backdrops of beloved collected items. The living room boasts no less than nineteen vintage crystal

The magnificent Casey Flat Ranch Guinda CA consists of 5,284.43 acres in the Capay Valley and abuts the eastern border of Napa Valley, 90 minutes from San Francisco. There are 24 acres of vineyard, a grass-fed Longhorn cattle herd (with 95 pairs), significant 6-mile private road and access infrastructure, a beautiful ~5,000 square foot main house, a pool, a guest house, a manager's house, a bunkhouse and a "honeymoon cottage" with total accommodation for up to 30 people. Agriculture improvements include barn, corral, hay barn, 2 vineyard buildings, self-sustaining solar grid and 6 water wells, all managed by full time Ranch Manager and Vineyard Manager.The climate at the ranch is similar to northern St. Helena with diurnal temperature fluctuations up to 40 degrees of warm days, mild nights and plenty of sunshine - perfect weather for both Bordeaux and Rhone varieties. The vineyard produces grapes for wines under 2 brands: "Casey Flat Ranch" and "Open Range" varietals produced include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. There is expansion opportunity of additional vineyards to more than 80 incremental acres and an additional 50-100 acres for potential agricultural business of walnuts, olives and other products. Casey Flat Ranch brand longhorns offer a differentiated beef delight to families with ranch-to-table program of lean, superior-taste "Coddled Cattle". Other income opportunities include resort-retreat usage for Bay Area individuals and corporations as a hunting lodge, horse-riding ranch, or elite conference-retreat.

The magnificent Casey Flat Ranch Guinda CA consists of 5,284.43 acres in the Capay Valley and abuts the eastern border of Napa Valley, 90 minutes from San Francisco. There are 24 acres of vineyard, a grass-fed Longhorn cattle herd (with 95 pairs), significant 6-mile private road and access infrastructure, a beautiful ~5,000 square foot main house, a pool, a guest house, a manager's house, a bunkhouse and a "honeymoon cottage" with total accommodation for up to 30 people. Agriculture improvements include barn, corral, hay barn, 2 vineyard buildings, self-sustaining solar grid and 6 water wells, all managed by full time Ranch Manager and Vineyard Manager.The climate at the ranch is similar to northern St. Helena with diurnal temperature fluctuations up to 40 degrees of warm days, mild nights and plenty of sunshine - perfect weather for both Bordeaux and Rhone varieties. The vineyard produces grapes for wines under 2 brands: "Casey Flat Ranch" and "Open Range" varietals produced include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. There is expansion opportunity of additional vineyards to more than 80 incremental acres and an additional 50-100 acres for potential agricultural business of walnuts, olives and other products. Casey Flat Ranch brand longhorns offer a differentiated beef delight to families with ranch-to-table program of lean, superior-taste "Coddled Cattle". Other income opportunities include resort-retreat usage for Bay Area individuals and corporations as a hunting lodge, horse-riding ranch, or elite conference-retreat.

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

My client was quite taken with this rabbit print fabric and wanted it on her windows. However, she also wanted to let in a lot of light. So we fabricated faux Roman shades that are only 11" long. Two of the shades are inside mounted, Three are outside mounted in order to accomodate existing shades however, we tried to install them at almost the same height so for consistency.

My client was quite taken with this rabbit print fabric and wanted it on her windows. However, she also wanted to let in a lot of light. So we fabricated faux Roman shades that are only 11" long. Two of the shades are inside mounted, Three are outside mounted in order to accomodate existing shades however, we tried to install them at almost the same height so for consistency.

10 Ideas for Turning Your Garage into a Modern Industrial Neighborhood Bar By Elizabeth Aldrich Host happy hours and cocktail parties worthy of a full page spread – in your own garage. Leave the brick exposed, the concrete floors as is, and the wood unfinished and it costs more? The sophisticated older brother of the shabby-chic trend, urban industrial style, is taking over. Real estate agents are able to tack on a few extra grand to a flat if they can include “exposed brick” in their advertisements, and designer chefs and master mixologists are moving into warehouses and industrial districts in urban areas across the nation. A friend recently invited me to dinner at Portland, Oregon’s newest, hippest charcuterie spot, and when we pulled up to the building it was in a warehouse where I used to go to underground raves in high school. These industrial style spaces that were once seen as unfinished or lacking in coziness are now seriously coveted. Their rawness is considered authentic, their grit a mark of character. But if you’re a homeowner, there’s a good chance you already have one of them built right into your house: your garage. I like to preach about how much people underutilize their garage spaces, piling them full of storage bins they never touch. Whether you turn it into a workspace or a playroom, there’s a lot of value in a creatively-used garage space. For the overly ambitious, the design lover, or the hostess with the mostess, here’s one idea that blows the rest out of the water. Turn your garage into a multi-purpose, urban industrial wonderland for work and play. Originally outfitted for factories and warehouses, the industrial style facilitates productivity. Now that it’s also being appreciated as a great aesthetic for bars and restaurants, these rooms can serve both form and function, doubling as work and entertaining spaces. This is great for people who have always dreamed of having that extra basement space for hosting friends, complete with a wet bar and a billiards table, but lack the square footage. Just keep in mind that your friends might love it so much, they’ll start ditching their favorite happy hour spot and showing up at your doorstep instead. Here are ten ideas forbuilding the perfect workshop by day and cocktail bar by night in your garage. 1. Clean out the space. Get rid of everything you don’t need. Part of the beauty of industrial style designs is their simplicity and abundance of open space. Excessive clutter can make people feel boxed in, and that’s not conducive to productivity or to social activity. Out of sight, out of mind. Build shelving up high for storing must-keep belongings, much like a warehouse. For bonus points, store your belongings in wooden crates for aesthetic consistency. Or consider stacking them on a pallet, wrapping them in excessive amounts of plastic wrap, and loading them onto the next cross-country freighter. You won’t miss them. 2. Install storage for frequently used objects. The brilliant thing about the urban industrial look is that your tools, tool boxes, and tool storage cabinets already fit right in. Metal storage cabinets and file cabinets are perfect additions to the space. While grey is certainly the color pallet for this style, 50 shades might be a few too many. Mix it up by spray painting one of your cabinetsto add a pop of color. Make a small pegboard to hold up your tools and hang larger items such as bicycles and recreational equipment by pegs. If you have a lot of storage bins that you have to keep, look upward instead of storing them on the floor. Insert a tracking system onto your garage ceiling and slide the bins into place. For extra credit, get an old locker to use as a coat closet when guests come over. 3. Heat the space.Since you’re not turning the garage into a full-time living space, such as a spare bedroom, you really don’t need to go through the work and additional cost of installing full-blown heating and insulation systems. If you don’t need to use the space when the temperature drops, or if you live in a consistently temperate climate, you might not need to do anything. But if you do want to be able to host people through the winter, a simple garage heater will suffice. Here are some good options for installing garage heating. Take it one step further, and get a couple patio heaters to help with the next step. 4. Turn your driveway into a patio space. Even the best restaurants and cocktail bars are nothing in the summertime without a solid patio space. Leave the garage door open on warmer nights and invite your guests to go outdoors. Place some stylish folding chairs and a patio table out for comfort. Place a few potted plants here and there to make the space feel more inviting. For a really lively patio scene, put a portable fire pit out on the driveway or front lawn and surround it with workbenches from your garage. 5. Build your bar. Pick a corner in your garage for the bar, and get started. You can build a bar pretty cheaply and easily with reclaimed pallets, and get some industrial-style barstools. Behind the bar, you’ll have both your tools and your liquor, and there’s no need to build expensive cabinetry. If you’re serving quality, why cover it up? Build shelving or open cubicles to house your liquor. Put out metal buckets filled with ice to chill beers.Be sure to serve up cocktails worthy of the space. The Hemingway Daiquiri served straight up is a unique way to dress down, or industrialize, a traditionally frou-frou cocktail. To go the extra mile, build a bar with laid brick.Install an extra fridge in the garage so you can avoid having to trek into the kitchen to refill chilled drinks, and you can store dips, vegetables, and other hors d'oeuvres right at your fingertips. 6. Bring on the games. To really turn your hosting space into a fun time, be sure to offer ample play options. For the low on space, a dart board will suffice, whereas if you’ve got a five-car garage and can’t manage to fill the space, put in a couple billiard tables. Ping pong tables are ideal for most because they’re great fun and can easily be folded up and stored. If you want to keep your guests playing until the wee hours of the morning, get an old pinball machine, a vintage arcade game, or a small Skee-Ball alley. 7. The heart of your space.Build along worktable that doubles as a table for your guests right in the center of your garage. It should be tall enough to be used while standing, although you can place a few barstools along with it. Having a table space for drinks but limited seating will encourage guests to walk around and mingle. Build it out of wood and make sure to maintain a natural finish. Don’t be afraid to rough up the work table by day. The dings and marks created while you build will only lend authenticity to the piece. 8. Install lighting. Remember, the urban industrial style is all about function and showcasing materials in their raw form. There’s no need to buy expensive floor lamps or install a fancy lighting system. The most popular lighting in these types of spaces is exposed bulb lighting. Just open up the wiring on your current lighting system and drop down some bulbs. For additional lighting, string up exposed bulb patio lights and place some vintage metal desk lamps on the tables and bar area. 9. Brand your space. Use the designs for the stuff you build by day as wall art. Blow up sketches, blueprints, schematics, and architectural drawings to hang up for decoration. Choose one wall that could use a splash of color, perhaps the wall behind your bar, and get a friend to paint a mural, or whip out the spray paint for a real urban feel. Splurge a little and get a custom neon sign made of your last name or the word “bar” to hang behind the bar. 10. The garage door. For the finishing touch, and to really wow your guests, get a brand new modern, industrial style garage door installed. Look for the window-paneled types that restaurants use, like this contemporary aluminum and glass beauty. You can leave it half open when you want to utilize your driveway-patio space. On nights when you have to close it all the way, the glass panels let your guests still look out onto the stars, making it feel like a patio space even when it’s too cold for one. Once your garage bar is up and running, put on your denim suit and get ready to call yourself the Joneses. No one will be able to keep up with you.

My client was quite taken with this rabbit print fabric and wanted it on her windows. However, she also wanted to let in a lot of light. So we fabricated faux Roman shades that are only 11" long. Two of the shades are inside mounted, Three are outside mounted in order to accomodate existing shades however, we tried to install them at almost the same height so for consistency.

My client was quite taken with this rabbit print fabric and wanted it on her windows. However, she also wanted to let in a lot of light. So we fabricated faux Roman shades that are only 11" long. Two of the shades are inside mounted, Three are outside mounted in order to accomodate existing shades however, we tried to install them at almost the same height so for consistency.

This contemporary home consistently takes its light shades of cream and white from the outside through the interior with matching natural stacked stone.

The room’s color scheme consists of deep red sheet flooring, various shades of green glass and tile, custom grey-stained cabinetry, polished chrome, white fixtures, and a very light violet ceiling which compliments the various shades of green. Meanwhile, a carefully constructed 5-layer lighting system enhances the room’s color palette. It consists of two skylights (one of which was original to the home), dimmable sconces on both sides of the bath, low-voltage cans which illuminate the glass sink, ceiling lights, and a dimmable shower light. We also made updates to the bath door and window. Specifically, we preserved the 5” wide original moldings around both, and restored the transom over the bath door. We then replaced the original flat panel door with frosted glass, yet used sticking which matched the sticking in the original door, which preserved some of the room’s historic detail.

For a couple of young web developers buying their first home in Redwood Shores, we were hired to do a complete interior remodel of a cookie cutter house originally built in 1996. The original finishes looked more like the 80s than the 90s, consisting of raised-panel oak cabinets, 12 x 12 yellow-beige floor tiles, tile counters and brown-beige wall to wall carpeting. The kitchen and bathrooms were utterly basic and the doors, fireplace and TV niche were also very dated. We selected all new finishes in tones of gray and silver per our clients’ tastes and created new layouts for the kitchen and bathrooms. We also designed a custom accent wall for their TV (very important for gamers) and track-mounted sliding 3-Form resin doors to separate their living room from their office. To animate the two story living space we customized a Mizu pendant light by Terzani and in the kitchen we selected an accent wall of seamless Caesarstone, Fuscia lights designed by Achille Castiglioni (one of our favorite modernist pendants) and designed a two-level island and a drop-down ceiling accent “cloud: to coordinate with the color of the accent wall. The master bath features a minimalist bathtub and floating vanity, an internally lit Electric Mirror and Porcelanosa tile.

For a couple of young web developers buying their first home in Redwood Shores, we were hired to do a complete interior remodel of a cookie cutter house originally built in 1996. The original finishes looked more like the 80s than the 90s, consisting of raised-panel oak cabinets, 12 x 12 yellow-beige floor tiles, tile counters and brown-beige wall to wall carpeting. The kitchen and bathrooms were utterly basic and the doors, fireplace and TV niche were also very dated. We selected all new finishes in tones of gray and silver per our clients’ tastes and created new layouts for the kitchen and bathrooms. We also designed a custom accent wall for their TV (very important for gamers) and track-mounted sliding 3-Form resin doors to separate their living room from their office. To animate the two story living space we customized a Mizu pendant light by Terzani and in the kitchen we selected an accent wall of seamless Caesarstone, Fuscia lights designed by Achille Castiglioni (one of our favorite modernist pendants) and designed a two-level island and a drop-down ceiling accent “cloud: to coordinate with the color of the accent wall. The master bath features a minimalist bathtub and floating vanity, an internally lit Electric Mirror and Porcelanosa tile.

Roof Deck Photo. "Business in the Front, Party in the Back" This project provided Mark with the opportunity to revisit a project from the first year of his practice. Our clients were the third owners since Mark first worked on this house in 1987. The original project had consisted of a small addition to the rear of an existing single-story (over garage) house. The new owners wanted to completely remodel the house and add two floors. In addition they wanted it to be MODERN. This was a perfect fit for where the firm had evolved to over the years, but the neighbors weren't having it. The neighbors were very organized and didn’t like the idea of a large modern structure in what was a mostly traditional block. We were able to work with the neighbors to agree to a design that was Craftsman on the front and modern on the interior and rear. Because of this dichotomy, we sometimes refer to this as the "Mullet House". We were able to minimize the apparent height of the facade by hiding the top floor behind a dormered roof. Unique features of this house include a stunning roof deck with glass guardrails, a custom stair with a zigzag edge and a guardrail composed of vertical stainless steel tubes and an asymmetrical fireplace composition. Photo by Michael David Rose

For a couple of young web developers buying their first home in Redwood Shores, we were hired to do a complete interior remodel of a cookie cutter house originally built in 1996. The original finishes looked more like the 80s than the 90s, consisting of raised-panel oak cabinets, 12 x 12 yellow-beige floor tiles, tile counters and brown-beige wall to wall carpeting. The kitchen and bathrooms were utterly basic and the doors, fireplace and TV niche were also very dated. We selected all new finishes in tones of gray and silver per our clients’ tastes and created new layouts for the kitchen and bathrooms. We also designed a custom accent wall for their TV (very important for gamers) and track-mounted sliding 3-Form resin doors to separate their living room from their office. To animate the two story living space we customized a Mizu pendant light by Terzani and in the kitchen we selected an accent wall of seamless Caesarstone, Fuscia lights designed by Achille Castiglioni (one of our favorite modernist pendants) and designed a two-level island and a drop-down ceiling accent “cloud: to coordinate with the color of the accent wall. The master bath features a minimalist bathtub and floating vanity, an internally lit Electric Mirror and Porcelanosa tile.

Our empty nester clients bought this 1989 house on the Pacific Coast with the goal of remodeling it once they found the right architect. The shed roof house was built with plain finishes, basic front steps, and a raised panel front door with leaded glass sidelights and an arched window over it, but the location was to die for. Our goal was to make the house more consistently modern, more open, and take greater advantage of the views. At the exterior, we replaced the basic wood siding and clunky trim with a palette of more refined siding, sleek minimalist trim, stucco, and stacked stone. We replaced the old windows with better-proportioned black aluminum windows. We replaced the basic front door with a cool contemporary flush door, replaced the garage door with a compatible new one, replaced the dated exterior lighting, and added new downlights in the eaves. We redesigned the exterior wood stairs with an expansive, flowing design made of concrete and stone. We replaced the solid rails at the exterior with glass rails and completely redesigned the entry with sleek tile, new contemporary wood stairs, and frameless glass rails. We designed a new open kitchen and bathrooms using transitional-style cabinets, cutting-edge appliances, and modern fixtures. The most complicated part of the project was replacing a dated curved glass solarium. We replaced it with a better-insulated sunroom with an actual roof and skylights instead of the original kit solarium. It not only better suits the architecture but it is now one of the owners’ favorite rooms.

For a couple of young web developers buying their first home in Redwood Shores, we were hired to do a complete interior remodel of a cookie cutter house originally built in 1996. The original finishes looked more like the 80s than the 90s, consisting of raised-panel oak cabinets, 12 x 12 yellow-beige floor tiles, tile counters and brown-beige wall to wall carpeting. The kitchen and bathrooms were utterly basic and the doors, fireplace and TV niche were also very dated. We selected all new finishes in tones of gray and silver per our clients’ tastes and created new layouts for the kitchen and bathrooms. We also designed a custom accent wall for their TV (very important for gamers) and track-mounted sliding 3-Form resin doors to separate their living room from their office. To animate the two story living space we customized a Mizu pendant light by Terzani and in the kitchen we selected an accent wall of seamless Caesarstone, Fuscia lights designed by Achille Castiglioni (one of our favorite modernist pendants) and designed a two-level island and a drop-down ceiling accent “cloud: to coordinate with the color of the accent wall. The master bath features a minimalist bathtub and floating vanity, an internally lit Electric Mirror and Porcelanosa tile.

For a couple of young web developers buying their first home in Redwood Shores, we were hired to do a complete interior remodel of a cookie cutter house originally built in 1996. The original finishes looked more like the 80s than the 90s, consisting of raised-panel oak cabinets, 12 x 12 yellow-beige floor tiles, tile counters and brown-beige wall to wall carpeting. The kitchen and bathrooms were utterly basic and the doors, fireplace and TV niche were also very dated. We selected all new finishes in tones of gray and silver per our clients’ tastes and created new layouts for the kitchen and bathrooms. We also designed a custom accent wall for their TV (very important for gamers) and track-mounted sliding 3-Form resin doors to separate their living room from their office. To animate the two story living space we customized a Mizu pendant light by Terzani and in the kitchen we selected an accent wall of seamless Caesarstone, Fuscia lights designed by Achille Castiglioni (one of our favorite modernist pendants) and designed a two-level island and a drop-down ceiling accent “cloud: to coordinate with the color of the accent wall. The master bath features a minimalist bathtub and floating vanity, an internally lit Electric Mirror and Porcelanosa tile.