Large transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Denver with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, paneled appliances, two islands and granite countertops

Inspiration for a country wood house exterior remodel in San Francisco with a hip roof and a metal roof

Example of a cottage galley light wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a large coastal master gray tile and cement tile slate floor corner bathtub remodel in Boston with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, gray walls and concrete countertops

Transitional light wood floor kitchen photo in Denver with an island, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, multicolored backsplash, matchstick tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Example of a classic medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Tampa with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white countertops

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.

Inspiration for a transitional kids' white tile and subway tile ceramic tile, gray floor and single-sink bathroom remodel in Austin with a one-piece toilet, white walls, a wall-mount sink, a hinged shower door and a floating vanity

GC: Ekren Construction Photography: Tiffany Ringwald
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Charlotte with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, gray backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and black countertops

Small trendy single-wall concrete floor kitchen photo in Houston with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, green backsplash, subway tile backsplash and paneled appliances

Example of a mid-century modern formal and enclosed light wood floor living room design in New York with white walls and no tv

Our clients wanted to replace an existing suburban home with a modern house at the same Lexington address where they had lived for years. The structure the clients envisioned would complement their lives and integrate the interior of the home with the natural environment of their generous property. The sleek, angular home is still a respectful neighbor, especially in the evening, when warm light emanates from the expansive transparencies used to open the house to its surroundings. The home re-envisions the suburban neighborhood in which it stands, balancing relationship to the neighborhood with an updated aesthetic. The floor plan is arranged in a “T” shape which includes a two-story wing consisting of individual studies and bedrooms and a single-story common area. The two-story section is arranged with great fluidity between interior and exterior spaces and features generous exterior balconies. A staircase beautifully encased in glass stands as the linchpin between the two areas. The spacious, single-story common area extends from the stairwell and includes a living room and kitchen. A recessed wooden ceiling defines the living room area within the open plan space. Separating common from private spaces has served our clients well. As luck would have it, construction on the house was just finishing up as we entered the Covid lockdown of 2020. Since the studies in the two-story wing were physically and acoustically separate, zoom calls for work could carry on uninterrupted while life happened in the kitchen and living room spaces. The expansive panes of glass, outdoor balconies, and a broad deck along the living room provided our clients with a structured sense of continuity in their lives without compromising their commitment to aesthetically smart and beautiful design.

Example of a mountain style dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom design in Milwaukee

In the process of renovating this house for a multi-generational family, we restored the original Shingle Style façade with a flared lower edge that covers window bays and added a brick cladding to the lower story. On the interior, we introduced a continuous stairway that runs from the first to the fourth floors. The stairs surround a steel and glass elevator that is centered below a skylight and invites natural light down to each level. The home’s traditionally proportioned formal rooms flow naturally into more contemporary adjacent spaces that are unified through consistency of materials and trim details.

In this middle size town house the kitchen is a very important, central place and it had undergone a full structural remodel. The client had requested a neutral color palette with subdued natural tones. The designer had used two level counter tops to give a hint of separation between kitchen and dining areas but consistency in material gave it a united look.

John Evans
Inspiration for a timeless white tile and marble tile bathroom remodel in Columbus with gray walls

This home is located on a one acre parcel of land near the banks of the Milwaukee River in the older established subdivision of Sleepy Hollow Estates in Mequon, Wisconsin. The inspiration for this Glen Cove Residence was to bring the desired by many, contemporary and modern lifestyle of a down town loft and establish it in a neighborhood in the suburbs amongst traditional style homes. Sleepy Hollow Estates like many older established neighborhoods throughout the North shore and Westside communities of Milwaukee had great local architects such as John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson, who built contemporary master pieces amongst very traditional style homes. This created diversity in the style of homes in these neighborhoods which for the people living in them and the people just passing by, an experience of harmony and cultural lifestyle. Unfortunately today, many new neighborhood developments lack harmony and cultural lifestyle and don’t allow for homes such as this Glen Cove Residence to be built. And for that matter many of the homes built by John Randall McDonald and Russell Barr Williamson back in the 1950’s. When driving through these new developments, one would experience beautiful traditional style homes, but all the homes tend to look the same. There is no diversity in the styles of homes thus these neighborhoods lack the harmony and a cultural life style for the people who live there or what people are looking for when buying a home that reflects their lifestyle. This Glen Cove Residence is an example that a contemporary home which offers a modern lifestyle that many desires can be established amongst traditional homes while blending in with the neighborhood. Don’t be fooled by the flat roof of this home, building technology has come a long way since Frank Lloyd Wright! The roof system on this home is more energy efficient than most roof systems builders are putting on traditional homes today and it doesn’t leak! This Glen Cove Residence was built using all traditional building materials that you would see in homes being built in new developments today. There is a misconception out there that modern homes are expensive to build. That is not true! This Glen Cove Residence was built for roughly $130 per square foot which is the same price one would pay for a similar builder’s model traditional style home with the same upgrades. This Glen Cove Residence consists of three bedrooms and three and one half baths. All bedrooms are located on second floor with laundry, guest bath and a master suite. Located between the first and second floors off of the landing is an office/den space. The first floor is open concept with the kitchen, dining and living areas located at the rear of the home with expansive windows allowing a great connection to back yard area and outdoors. On the back of the home is a covered deck area allowing for outdoor entertaining without the worry of the elements. The first floor also offers a powder room, mudroom and walk-in pantry off the kitchen area. From the mudroom there is access to an attached four car tandem garage. From the first floor to the finished basement is an open stair allowing the basement area to feel as part of the house and not just a basement? The basement consists of a main living area, game area with wet bar, exercise room, kids play room with 14’ ceilings, full bathroom and mechanical room with storage closets throughout.

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, glass countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photography by William Quarles Designed by Red Element cabinets built by Robert Paige Cabinetry
Mid-sized beach style eat-in kitchen photo in Charleston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops