The Glenhill house settles gracefully into a mature pine forest, its form composed as a quiet study of light, proportion, and crafted detail. A two-story residence lifted above a drive-through garage, it is designed as a sequence of framed views — each room capturing the vertical rhythm of pines, shifting daylight, and the subtle movement of the landscape. Boundaries dissolve as floor-to-ceiling glass opens living spaces to broad terraces and cantilevered balconies, allowing the forest to inhabit the interior as much as the residents inhabit the site. A finely tuned steel frame enables deep overhangs and slender structural lines, giving the house its floating clarity. These long spans soften the transition between indoors and out, casting calibrated shadows across stone floors and hand-finished wood surfaces. Every junction, from the precision-cut steel connections to the custom millwork, reflects an elevated commitment to craft. Materials are chosen not only for their beauty but for the way they register light—the warmth of timber, the quiet solidity of stone, the reflective sheen of metal. The owner’s collection of art integrates seamlessly into the architectural language. Display walls and open sightlines turn circulation paths into gallery promenades, while the garage level becomes both threshold and exhibition space for the automobile collection. At dusk, the home glows lantern-like within the pines, revealing a composition where structure, material, and nature are held in delicate balance. It is a dwelling shaped less as an object in the woods and more as a crafted extension of the forest itself. The project began with an unexpected challenge: the original lot, once selected for its beauty, became untenable when neighboring homeowners objected to the presence of a modern house. Rather than compromise the vision, the team embraced a new site, one even more deeply woven into the pine forest, and treated the change as an opportunity to refine the project’s relationship to nature and craft. Working within a densely wooded parcel required choreography as much as construction. Limited access routes, the need to preserve mature trees, and the precision demands of steel erection shaped a carefully phased process. Contractors navigated the site with restraint, placing each piece of steel like a line of poetry between trunks. The resulting frame, powerful yet minimal, was later infilled with lumber to create a hybrid system — efficient, warm, and capable of carrying cantilevers far beyond what wood alone could achieve. These extended overhangs became the project’s quiet gesture of shelter and shadow. Collaboration with the interior designer was integral to the home’s harmony. Together, the team refined material transitions so stone, wood, and metal could pass from exterior to interior with a single visual glance. Craftsmanship elevated everyday moments: concealed hardware, sculpted millwork, and the sourcing of a solid limestone soaking tub, carved from a single block, all contribute to the home’s sense of intentional calm. What emerged is a house shaped by constraint, strengthened by collaboration, and refined through an unwavering commitment to detail — an architectural refuge where complexity was transformed into clarity, and obstacles into opportunities for deeper expression. Material selection became an essential extension of the home’s design philosophy, reinforcing the crafted clarity of each space. Hand-selected stone slabs were book-matched for the fireplace and bath walls, creating veined compositions that read like natural murals. Custom- built windows, engineered with specialty-coated glazing and rigorously pressure-tested, provide both protection and extraordinary visual transparency. Above, concealed truss framing houses recessed air diffusers and hidden shades, allowing ceilings to remain quiet and uninterrupted. The horizontal planes of the flat roof are achieved with a commercial-grade membrane system, delivering the crisp, modern silhouette the design demands. At the exterior, natural stone grounds the home to its site, stitching the architecture to the forest floor and rooting the dwelling in the land from which its materials are drawn.

Open-concept kitchen with oversized island by our Design-Build Contractor for this San Mateo Addition & Full Home Remodel.
Example of a transitional l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This stunning luxury kitchen by Crespo Design Group blends timeless elegance with modern functionality, creating the perfect gathering space for family and entertaining. Crisp custom white cabinetry is paired with a dramatic navy blue island, while expansive marble countertops and a full-height marble backsplash add sophistication and natural beauty. Oversized designer pendant lights in brass and matte black create a striking focal point above the spacious island, which offers generous seating for casual dining and conversation. Thoughtfully curated finishes, including warm wood flooring, custom upholstered counter stools, and polished brass hardware, bring warmth and texture to the clean architectural lines. Professional-grade appliances, abundant storage, and a custom range hood combine luxury with everyday practicality, making this bespoke kitchen as functional as it is beautiful. Designed to flow seamlessly into the adjacent dining and living spaces, this open-concept kitchen reflects Crespo Design Group's signature approach to creating timeless interiors tailored to each client's lifestyle. As a premier luxury interior design firm in Tampa, Florida, Crespo Design Group specializes in designing custom kitchens, luxury residences, and high-end interiors throughout Florida, the Bahamas, and across the United States.

Transitional blue floor and wallpaper powder room photo in Austin with multicolored walls, a vessel sink, white countertops and a floating vanity

Living Room in The Gathering House | Room Type: Whole Home (Full Renovation + Furnishings) | Project Name: The Gathering House | Key Feature: A reimagined open-concept home centered around an oversized kitchen island that functions as the heart of the home, designed to support connection, entertaining, and everyday living. Challenge: The existing home had a dated, closed-off layout with poor flow, limited pantry space, and structural constraints that made the kitchen feel cramped and disconnected from the main living areas. Solution: The design team reworked the floor plan to open up the main living spaces, expanded the kitchen footprint, and introduced an oversized island to anchor the home. Thoughtful material selections, improved storage solutions, and layered lighting created a cohesive, modern environment that balances functionality with warmth and livability. Materials: Iron Adobe, Cactus Doors, Ferguson, My Knobs, Spellman hardware | Budget: $100K- $150K | Timeline: Approximately 6 months, completed January 2026.

This North Shore residence captures commanding views of the ocean, while maintaining a sense of privacy for the homeowners. Their priorities focused on thoughtful design, evolving from a restoration of a small summer cottage into a new home, well sited on a narrow lot. SV Design worked within the constraints of conservation and a flood zone to create a masterpiece of charm and appeal. The home reflects the tastes of the owners, who remained involved through every step of the process. Natural light is well utilized, the open layout provides ease in entertaining and in day to day living, and the views are captured from assorted vantage points. Personalized accents abound throughout the property--- warm wood flooring, stone accents--- both inside and outside of the home, a kitchen with clean lines and efficient storage space, and a butler’s pantry. The design of the property is aesthetically pleasing, creative, and functional; most of all, it fulfilled the visions of the clients.

Living room - huge modern open concept living room idea in DC Metro

Watermark Residence was conceived as a “downsizing” project for Owners looking to transition from the home where they raised their family to a simpler lifestyle. The footprint and exterior massing of the single family condo was prescribed, but MMA wove new details into these constraints and was urged by the Owner to completely reinvent the interior experience. From the exterior, the home sits subtly on a corner lot, referencing the neighborhood in its style, but with a warmth and crispness that speaks also to the interiors. The primary goal of the project was to provide an open, inviting atmosphere of connected spaces that allowed natural light into all areas of the home. Upon entry, there is an immediate involvement in the daily activities with the living and dining rooms being the focal point, and a more intimate kitchen slightly out of view. Throughout the home, the idea of privacy and transparency plays an important role in the organization of spaces and materials chosen. More private corridors lead to intimate bedroom spaces and functional laundry and mudrooms. A two-floor, semi-transparent slat wall shields direct visibility from the street, while also providing connection between the entertaining spaces of the home. Combined with the white oak, open staircase, the movement between levels feels intuitive and inviting. A simple palette of materials, understated in their appearance but detailed in their execution, are threaded throughout the home. Gathering spaces are represented with open slats, grounding brick, white oak, and bright walls. Movement deeper into the house brings refined slat panels with integrated hardware at kitchen millwork, softly painted cabinetry, and warm tones of walnut in furniture elements. The most private spaces of the home further extrude the slat element into fluted panels, painted in deeper colors.

Bathroom in The Gathering House | Room Type: Whole Home (Full Renovation + Furnishings) | Project Name: The Gathering House | Key Feature: A reimagined open-concept home centered around an oversized kitchen island that functions as the heart of the home, designed to support connection, entertaining, and everyday living. Challenge: The existing home had a dated, closed-off layout with poor flow, limited pantry space, and structural constraints that made the kitchen feel cramped and disconnected from the main living areas. Solution: The design team reworked the floor plan to open up the main living spaces, expanded the kitchen footprint, and introduced an oversized island to anchor the home. Thoughtful material selections, improved storage solutions, and layered lighting created a cohesive, modern environment that balances functionality with warmth and livability. Materials: Iron Adobe, Cactus Doors, Ferguson, My Knobs, Spellman hardware | Budget: $100K- $150K | Timeline: Approximately 6 months, completed January 2026.

An inviting open-concept kitchen and dining space featuring a large island, warm white oak cabinetry, and brass fixtures, enhanced by natural light and seamless indoor-outdoor flow for a timeless transitional design.

This gorgeous, nature-inspired Great Room—comprised of the kitchen, dining area, and sitting room—was reimagined for some wonderful repeat clients, beginning with a small, treasured piece of art. Their large 1950s ranch house nestled into a gentle hill surrounded by orchards of fragrant orange, lemon, and cherry trees initially featured a too-small kitchen adjacent to a warren of small spaces with low ceilings serving as a dining and sitting area. They dreamed of a more spacious, light-filled layout. A complete redesign of the home not only resolved spatial constraints but also embraced the beauty of the home’s natural surroundings. By removing walls and creating an open-plan layout, we enhanced the flow and connectivity between the kitchen, dining, and sitting areas, seamlessly integrating the outdoors with the indoors. The relocated kitchen now faces the backyard, to facilitate outdoor entertaining and features a large island, serving as a welcoming focal point for both cooking and socializing. I designed a distinctive ceiling feature above the island, crafted from planks of the adjacent vaulted ceiling, mirroring the shape of the island below. This feature adds architectural interest and visually connects the flat kitchen plane with the vaulted plank ceiling of the sitting area, creating a harmonious sense of continuity and warmth. A beautiful, prized painting of a bird on a branch created the direction for the color and texture palette. An intriguing yellow-green-tan background in the art guided my choices for the backsplash tile (an iridescent version mimics light glinting on water) and countertops. The kitchen's soothing color palette features various shades of natural green, while the dining area introduces feather-blue tones through chair upholstery and rug. Just steps away, the inviting sitting area features a rebuilt fireplace clad in cut, polished Haisa marble tiles in a vertical pattern. The soft, generous seating creates a comfortable spot for movie nights or cozying up by the fire on a cold winter evening. The elegant, simple silhouettes of the furniture enhance the serene and calming atmosphere of the space. After photos: Bernardo Grijalva and Fiorito Interior Design Cabinetry: custom by Schmitz Woodwork Countertops: Primordia and Calcatta Maximus by Caesarstone Backsplash: Elements in Miami Sand Pearl by Lunada Bay Island pendants: Simple Sanders by Shades of Light Stools: Essex by Lazar in Brisa fabric by Ultrafabrics Dining table: Emerson Wave by Saloom Dining chairs: Essex by Lazar Dining lighting: Triad chandelier by Kichler Dining rug: Soho Smoke by Jaunty Inc. Sitting area sofa and ottoman: Corvo by Lazar Sitting area swivel chair: Noah by Lazar Sitting area rug: Soho Stone by Jaunty Inc. Motorized shades: Hunter Douglas Entry console: Reed by Uttermost Entry light: Re by Visual Comfort Fireplace: Haisa cut and polished marble by Icontile Wall paint: Mascarpone by Benjamin Moore

Bedroom - contemporary bedroom idea in Vancouver

Built on a steep lakeside terrain, the Tsuga residence by Appareil Architecture is an ambitious project that required meticulous planning and flawless execution. Nestled within the rugged landscapes of Brownsburg-Chatham, Tsuga elevates a complex site to offer a seamless immersion in nature. Balancing the site’s constraints with a high level of finish, every phase of the project was designed to reconcile technical challenges with precision. Modulor expertly managed all collaborators, ensuring a level of detail that defines a project of this scale. On the exterior, the building envelope combines durability with refinement. Carefully selected natural wood cladding interacts with a perforated screen that filters light and adds depth to the façade. The integration of openings was strategically planned to maximize views while maintaining a cohesive architectural expression. Inside, the materials and finishes reflect the same commitment to quality. Wooden paneling wraps the spaces, creating visual continuity and a warm atmosphere. The stainless steel kitchen, with its clean lines and custom design, introduces a striking contrast between modernity and natural textures. Every junction, every material transition was meticulously crafted to ensure a flawless result, with no compromises on durability or functionality. Designed for an architectural historian and a musician and opera singer, Tsuga is the result of meticulous craftsmanship. A home built to stand the test of time, with an unwavering attention to detail.

Photography by:Sophia Hronis-Arbis
Small elegant l-shaped light wood floor enclosed kitchen photo in Chicago with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash and stainless steel appliances

The primary goal for this project was to craft a modernist derivation of pueblo architecture. Set into a heavily laden boulder hillside, the design also reflects the nature of the stacked boulder formations. The site, located near local landmark Pinnacle Peak, offered breathtaking views which were largely upward, making proximity an issue. Maintaining southwest fenestration protection and maximizing views created the primary design constraint. The views are maximized with careful orientation, exacting overhangs, and wing wall locations. The overhangs intertwine and undulate with alternating materials stacking to reinforce the boulder strewn backdrop. The elegant material palette and siting allow for great harmony with the native desert. The Elegant Modern at Estancia was the collaboration of many of the Valley's finest luxury home specialists. Interiors guru David Michael Miller contributed elegance and refinement in every detail. Landscape architect Russ Greey of Greey | Pickett contributed a landscape design that not only complimented the architecture, but nestled into the surrounding desert as if always a part of it. And contractor Manship Builders -- Jim Manship and project manager Mark Laidlaw -- brought precision and skill to the construction of what architect C.P. Drewett described as "a watch." Project Details | Elegant Modern at Estancia Architecture: CP Drewett, AIA, NCARB Builder: Manship Builders, Carefree, AZ Interiors: David Michael Miller, Scottsdale, AZ Landscape: Greey | Pickett, Scottsdale, AZ Photography: Dino Tonn, Scottsdale, AZ Publications: "On the Edge: The Rugged Desert Landscape Forms the Ideal Backdrop for an Estancia Home Distinguished by its Modernist Lines" Luxe Interiors + Design, Nov/Dec 2015. Awards: 2015 PCBC Grand Award: Best Custom Home over 8,000 sq. ft. 2015 PCBC Award of Merit: Best Custom Home over 8,000 sq. ft. The Nationals 2016 Silver Award: Best Architectural Design of a One of a Kind Home - Custom or Spec 2015 Excellence in Masonry Architectural Award - Merit Award Photography: Dino Tonn

Over the years, we have created hundreds of dream homes for our clients. We make it our job to get inside the hearts and minds of our clients so we can fully understand their aesthetic preferences, project constraints, and – most importantly – lifestyles. Our portfolio includes a wide range of architectural styles including Neo-Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, and the ever-popular New England Cape (just to name a few). Our creativity and breadth of experience open up a world of design and layout possibilities to our clientele. From single-story living to grand scale homes, historical preservation to modern interpretations, the big design concepts to the smallest details, everything we do is driven by one desire: to create a home that is even more perfect that you thought possible. Photo Credit: Cynthia August

Beach style home design photo in Vancouver

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2015 Houzz
Elegant bathroom photo in Los Angeles

This partially wooded, acre and a half lot in West Dundee presented many challenges. The clients began working with a Landscape Architect in the early spring, but after not getting the innovative ideas they were seeking, the home builder and Architect suggested the client contact our landscape design/build firm. We immediately hit it off with the charismatic clients. They had a tall order for us: complete the design and implement the construction within a three month period. For many projects this would be a reasonable time frame. However construction delays and the coordination of multiple trades left a very short window to complete the work. Beyond the tight time frame the site required specific care in preserving the many mature surrounding trees, as well as addressing a vast grade change. Over fifteen feet of grade change occurs from one end of this woodland property to the other. All of these constraints proved to be an enormous challenge as we worked to include and coordinate the following elements: the drive layout, a dramatic front entry, various gardens, landscape lighting, irrigation, and a plan for a backyard pool and entertainment space that already had been started without a clear plan. Fortunately, the client loved our design ideas and attention to detail and we were able to mobilize and begin construction. With the seamless coordination between our firm and the builder we implemented all the elements of this grand project. In total eight different crews and five separate trades worked together to complete the landscape. The completed project resulted in a rewarding experience for our firm, the builder and architect, as well as the client. Together we were able to create and construct a perfect oasis for the client that suited the beautiful property and the architecture of this dream home.