We worked with Galbraith & Paul in Philadelphia to create this hand block-printed pillow inspired by African Kuba cloth designs. The eye-catching graphics on a pure linen cover lend a strong statement to your home. The artist’s touch is apparent in the subtle variations of every print. The pillows have an exposed zipper and include a plush feather and down insert.

Photography by Allen Russ.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard stone landscaping in DC Metro.

This Spanish Revival takes its place among the graceful and genteel tradition of Santa Barbara architecture. Located in a secreted area of Montecito, the house is tucked amidst a wooded glen along a riparian creek bed. Carefully sited at the top of a rolling green, the building provides a strong form in the natural landscape. With its reference to historical precedent, the house is both undeniably familiar and tangibly rich. Site sensitivity and pure spatial relationships combine in new ways, showing that what’s old can be new again. An entry courtyard concealed behind a pair of wooden doors of Moorish design begins the entry sequence. The courtyard, wrapped around an existing mature oak tree, creates an outdoor room, which establishes an interplay between interior and exterior spaces, a theme that recurs throughout the house. An exercise in scale and proportion, the 5,000-square-foot residence is imbued with classic detail and richness found in the Spanish Colonial architecture characteristic of George Washington Smith and others. Interior spaces are created through pure and varied geometric volumes, and are elaborated by opened beamed ceilings, groin vaults and Moorish arches.

Clean lines and strong contrast accents a contemporary and functional kitchen. Builtin concealed refrigerator, freezer and steam oven Dark wood veneer backsplash and pull out bar table is bold against the white vertical surfaces.Bar top in island slides from island to create a full size dining table. Indirect lighting and roll down shades are concealed in perimeter valence. The blue water view is quite the bonus

Objective: The original master bedroom was tucked away down a long hallway. The architect created a new master wing, including a fireplace, large bathroom, closet and office. Solution: A mid-century bed found and refinished was the perfect fit for the space. Designed to accommodate this bed, it allowed a perfect niche for an original piece of art to hang above the bed. Wool carpet was strongly suggested for durability, as well as a new period. Combining family pieces, new walnut and leather chairs, zebra rug, and simple linens all made for the perfect retreat. Serenity was the driving force for the master. Glass and natural stone combined with a huge mirror, sleek cabinets and quartz all made this master bath feel timeless.

The big win in this project is more family time outside on the patio! Whether the family is watching an afternoon ballgame or a movie under the stars, their outdoor experience can extend well into the night, lit by the warm glow of their new fireplace. Ground One worked with the existing patio and pergola to incorporate a new wood-burning stone fireplace with TV, a visually interesting firewood storage area, LED landscape lighting, and a garden of shrubs and ornamental grasses that creates a strong sense of place.

A traditional home in the Claremont Hills of Berkeley is enlarged and fully renovated to fit the lives of a young couple and their growing family. The existing partial upper floor was fully expanded to create three additional bedrooms, a hall bath, laundry room and updated master suite, with the intention that the expanded house volume harmoniously integrates with the architectural character of the existing home. A new central staircase brings in a tremendous amount of daylight to the heart of the ground floor while also providing a strong visual connection between the floors. The new stair includes access to an expanded basement level with storage and recreation spaces for the family. Main level spaces were also extensively upgraded with the help of noted San Francisco interior designer Grant K. Gibson. Photos by Kathryn MacDonald.

Objective: The original master bedroom was tucked away down a long hallway. The architect created a new master wing, including a fireplace, large bathroom, closet and office. Solution: A mid-century bed found and refinished was the perfect fit for the space. Designed to accommodate this bed, it allowed a perfect niche for an original piece of art to hang above the bed. Wool carpet was strongly suggested for durability, as well as a new period. Combining family pieces, new walnut and leather chairs, zebra rug, and simple linens all made for the perfect retreat. Serenity was the driving force for the master. Glass and natural stone combined with a huge mirror, sleek cabinets and quartz all made this master bath feel timeless.

Rodwin Architecture & Skycastle Homes Location: Boulder, CO, United States The homeowner wanted something bold and unique for his home. He asked that it be warm in its material palette, strongly connected to its site and deep green in its performance. This 3,000 sf. modern home’s design reflects a carefully crafted balance between capturing mountain views and passive solar design. On the ground floor, interior Travertine tile radiant heated floors flow out through broad sliding doors to the white concrete patio and then dissolves into the landscape. A built-in BBQ and gas fire pit create an outdoor room. The ground floor has a sunny, simple open concept floor plan that joins all the public social spaces and creates a gracious indoor/outdoor flow. The sleek kitchen has an urban cultivator (for fresh veggies) and a quick connection to the raised bed garden and small fruit tree orchard outside. Follow the floating staircase up the board-formed concrete tile wall. At the landing your view continues out over a “live roof”. The second floor’s 14ft tall ceilings open to giant views of the Flatirons and towering trees. Clerestory windows allow in high light, and create a floating roof effect as the Doug Fir ceiling continues out to form the large eaves; we protected the house’s large windows from overheating by creating an enormous cantilevered hat. The upper floor has a bedroom on each end and is centered around the spacious family room, where music is the main activity. The family room has a nook for a mini-home office featuring a floating wood desk. Forming one wall of the family room, a custom-designed pair of laser-cut barn doors inspired by a forest of trees opens to an 18th century Chinese day-bed. The bathrooms sport hand-made glass mosaic tiles; the daughter’s shower is designed to resemble a waterfall. This near-Net-Zero Energy home achieved LEED Gold certification. It has 10kWh of solar panels discretely tucked onto the roof, a ground source heat pump & boiler, foam insulation, an ERV, Energy Star windows and appliances, all LED lights and water conserving plumbing fixtures. Built by Skycastle Construction.

This custom-designed wood gate features horizontal boards in varying widths, creating a modern, handcrafted look. The slight openings between boards offer a subtle peek into the backyard while still providing a strong sense of privacy. Its design echoes the contemporary feel of the overall landscape and offers a welcoming, stylish entry to the outdoor space.

Two Birds Photography
Kids' room - transitional kids' room idea in Chicago

Concrete has the ability to blend with all kinds of styles. The home has a rustic/contemporary feel and Dancer Concrete Design was able to complete the look with polished natural gray concrete. Many times, clients request a highly reflective, high-shine floor. In this case, we wanted a floor that looked natural and soft so it was finished to a 200-Grit level that is still very strong, but did not have a modern shiny look. While color was not added to the concrete itself, the control joints were filled with a warm stone filler. This polished floor flows throughout the kitchen and into the pantry and dinning area. It compliments the home and creates a unified look.

The driveway experience was redesigned to create a strong sense of arrival while maintaining privacy from the street. A new approach sequence guides visitors toward the home through refined hardscape and soft landscape elements subtly revealing the residence on arrival. Clean lines thoughtful materials and controlled sightlines transform the driveway into a welcoming entry that sets the tone for the modern renovation beyond.

Boho meets Portuguese design in a stunning transformation of this Van Ness tudor in the upper northwest neighborhood of Washington, DC. Our team’s primary objectives were to fill space with natural light, period architectural details, and cohesive selections throughout the main level and primary suite. At the entry, new archways are created to maximize light and flow throughout the main level while ensuring the space feels intimate. A new kitchen layout along with a peninsula grounds the chef’s kitchen while securing its part in the everyday living space. Well-appointed dining and living rooms infuse dimension and texture into the home, and a pop of personality in the powder room round out the main level. Strong raw wood elements, rich tones, hand-formed elements, and contemporary nods make an appearance throughout the newly renovated main level and primary suite of the home.

This Spanish Revival takes its place among the graceful and genteel tradition of Santa Barbara architecture. Located in a secreted area of Montecito, the house is tucked amidst a wooded glen along a riparian creek bed. Carefully sited at the top of a rolling green, the building provides a strong form in the natural landscape. With its reference to historical precedent, the house is both undeniably familiar and tangibly rich. Site sensitivity and pure spatial relationships combine in new ways, showing that what’s old can be new again. An entry courtyard concealed behind a pair of wooden doors of Moorish design begins the entry sequence. The courtyard, wrapped around an existing mature oak tree, creates an outdoor room, which establishes an interplay between interior and exterior spaces, a theme that recurs throughout the house. An exercise in scale and proportion, the 5,000-square-foot residence is imbued with classic detail and richness found in the Spanish Colonial architecture characteristic of George Washington Smith and others. Interior spaces are created through pure and varied geometric volumes, and are elaborated by opened beamed ceilings, groin vaults and Moorish arches.

New kitchens differ from older ones in many ways including a strong sense of 3-dimensions in the cabinetry. As shown here the left wall wraps cabinets of varying heights and depths around the refrigerator to create a uniquely beautiful 3 dimensional wall that subtly grabs your eye.

Stairs from lower courtyard lead to main garden. Photo credit: Tracie McIntyre; This garden follows the architecture of the house which was completely redesigned to reflect the owner's love of Mission style architecture. Palms of various sizes are massed to provide the structure which they lack on their own. Sizeable ferns throughout the garden provide and underlying texture and dynamism. Annuals in hot colours, bananas and coleus provide seasonal thrill. The highly textured foliage of Albizzias add an exotic note and will, over time, increase the play of light and shadow in the garden. The biggest challenge was creating a relationship between the house, which sits high on the lot, and the garden. A strong sense of indoor outdoor connection was achieved from both the basement and main level of the house by creating landings and enclosed courtyards ensconced by generously filled planters that lead up to the main garden.

Objective: The original master bedroom was tucked away down a long hallway. The architect created a new master wing, including a fireplace, large bathroom, closet and office. Solution: A mid-century bed found and refinished was the perfect fit for the space. Designed to accommodate this bed, it allowed a perfect niche for an original piece of art to hang above the bed. Wool carpet was strongly suggested for durability, as well as a new period. Combining family pieces, new walnut and leather chairs, zebra rug, and simple linens all made for the perfect retreat. Serenity was the driving force for the master. Glass and natural stone combined with a huge mirror, sleek cabinets and quartz all made this master bath feel timeless.

The use of grey and white creates a subtle beauty that's not overwhelmingly traditional. It gives your home a clean and fresh appearance both inside and out! However, if you use too many shaded grays, certain sections will appear dominating and predictable. As a result, we chose to design and include cedar siding to complement the color palette with a strong and brilliant Burnished Amber tint. The front entry accentuated the wood siding, which is surrounded by a uniformly beautiful gray and white palette. The window appeared to be moving onto this light side of the home as well. The overall exterior concept is a modern gray and white home with a burnished amber tone.