The knock down & rebuild revolution is here to stay. This new modern family home replaces a tired old house that was not designed to capitalise on its location, whereas this new contemporary modern building has been designed to capitalise on the natural environment – natural sunlight, sea breezes & sea views, to create a very liveable coastal family home. This new residence with its contemporary coastal styling utilises the natural finishes of modern materials to ground this family home’s context into this locations evolving executive seaside neighbourhood. This buildings design is a balance of form & function with a deliberate consideration of passive solar liveable design techniques, designed to capture the natural sunlight, sea breezes & sea views that this property offers. This new residence has been designed with a variety of indoor & outdoor living areas to capitalise on the natural environment & climate of this property’s location. This house incorporates design elements to allow the house to be comfortable all year round, providing a variety of areas for occupants to utilise, whether it be capturing natural sunlight & warmth in winter, creating cooling cross ventilation from sea breezes in summer & then there is the direct access to a beautifully natural landscaped garden, this new house will provide the occupants with a low maintenance, healthy living environment for years to come.

For years we lived with an ugly, too small and wimpy builders grade mantel that I couldn't wait to tear out. Turns out it made the perfect support for my new custom, one of a kind mantel. I conceived, designed and had this piece built onsite by my favorite carpenter. I wanted it to look like a continuous piece of wood that wrapped around on the edges, like I had seen done on benches, but with a live edge on the bottom not the top. This is a hand chosen, stunning Bubinga plank and it's feature is the variegated wood tones - it "goes with" everything! I also had the floating picture frame custom made to make my favorite tree canvas art more in scale with the fireplace and wall. This tree stands next to our fire pit in Door County, WI and is a favorite view we wanted to bring home. The small chrome lamps are a deliberate play on scale for a touch of the unexpected. The two trunks are antique indonesian pieces. The one on the left holds my firewood in the winter and the one on the right is the perfect place to store all of the media components. Cathy Zaeske

Large transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, porcelain backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

This contemporary bath is accentuated with cool tones of natural materials and unified by repetition of simple geometry. The recurrence of clean lines deliberately elongates the bathroom, which leads the eye through the space with ease. Updated LED lights and fixtures brighten the room and fill the space with a light and airy ambiance. Among the cool tones, a modernized vanity cabinet not only provides privacy behind the partition wall but also demands attention by breaking up the cool tones with a splash of warm pommele sapele wood texture. Within the shower, the grid of interesting lines is once again intentionally interrupted by a dynamic asymmetrical curved step sweeping along the shower wall.

The visual physical connection of our home continues between the living room and the back deck. Modern double doors lead you to an elevated, screened-in porch perfect for Outer Banks outdoor living, plus the view outside makes you feel as though you’re in a tree house! Notice the deliberate placement of abundant windows throughout the living room. They transform the space into a serene perch amidst the treetops. In the tradition of classical craftsman home interiors, the living room stands as the dedicated space for socialization and relaxation. The room often boasts grand hearths and chimneys that dominate the space, contributing to its timeless charm. The built-in, electric heater is our modern take on a fireplace and is still a key feature point of the living room. The stone facade and wooden mantel are signatures from the past that are ultimately the centerpieces of the room. A modern touch is evident in our built-in gas heater, a contemporary interpretation of the traditional fireplace that remains a focal point in the living room. Another feature of today’s contemporary craftsman rendition of living areas and dens, you will often find a television strategically mounted as a focal point of the room, reflecting the evolving needs of modern living, seamlessly blending tradition with convenience.

This contemporary bath is accentuated with cool tones of natural materials and unified by repetition of simple geometry. The recurrence of clean lines deliberately elongates the bathroom, which leads the eye through the space with ease. Updated LED lights and fixtures brighten the room and fill the space with a light and airy ambiance. Among the cool tones, a modernized vanity cabinet not only provides privacy behind the partition wall but also demands attention by breaking up the cool tones with a splash of warm pommele sapele wood texture. Within the shower, the grid of interesting lines is once again intentionally interrupted by a dynamic asymmetrical curved step sweeping along the shower wall.

Behind the Starphire Glass shelving is our Backlit Wall Feature used in this Walnut Bar. Made in two pieces split along the shelving.
Example of a mid-sized trendy single-wall wet bar design in Phoenix with a drop-in sink, brown cabinets, wood countertops, yellow backsplash and stone slab backsplash

The knock down & rebuild revolution is here to stay. This new modern family home replaces a tired old house that was not designed to capitalise on its location, whereas this new contemporary modern building has been designed to capitalise on the natural environment – natural sunlight, sea breezes & sea views, to create a very liveable coastal family home. This new residence with its contemporary coastal styling utilises the natural finishes of modern materials to ground this family home’s context into this locations evolving executive seaside neighbourhood. This buildings design is a balance of form & function with a deliberate consideration of passive solar liveable design techniques, designed to capture the natural sunlight, sea breezes & sea views that this property offers. This new residence has been designed with a variety of indoor & outdoor living areas to capitalise on the natural environment & climate of this property’s location. This house incorporates design elements to allow the house to be comfortable all year round, providing a variety of areas for occupants to utilise, whether it be capturing natural sunlight & warmth in winter, creating cooling cross ventilation from sea breezes in summer & then there is the direct access to a beautifully natural landscaped garden, this new house will provide the occupants with a low maintenance, healthy living environment for years to come.

Grey fitted cabinetry, a stone-topped dining table, and the quiet hum of a city beyond the glass — this dining room is composed with deliberate calm. The LINKORI STELLOQ Linear chandelier holds its position across the length of the dining table, its brushed gold copper frame introducing a warm counterpoint to the room’s cool, neutral palette. Crafted from natural Spanish alabaster, each panel reveals unique veining that diffuses light into a soft, continuous glow — defining the dining zone without disrupting the openness of the surrounding space. Its rectangular form is equally suited to dining tables and kitchen islands, adapting to layouts where directional, architectural lighting is essential. Designed for modern dining rooms and open-plan interiors, it functions as both illumination and a refined structural element. Available in 39.4"L and 49.2"L. Contact us for trade pricing, customization, or project consultation.

Architect: Morningside Architects, LLP Contractor: Vick Construction & Remodeling, Inc
Example of a small transitional kitchen design in Houston

Two sections of hand hewn white oak barn beam — shaped by adze in the late 19th or early 20th century, the tool marks clearly visible on every face — support a thick oak plank top from the same material source. The adze marks are not decorative. They are the record of a specific person doing specific work at a specific moment in American agricultural history. This material exists in finite and diminishing supply as the barns that held it continue to come down. The form is deliberately restrained. Nothing competes with the material. Proportions were determined by the beams themselves — their weight, their scale, their presence — rather than imposed from outside. Functions equally as a coffee table, entry bench, or display surface. Significant as furniture and as object. Available for commission as hand hewn beam material is sourced. Each piece differs because the material differs.

Carmel Valley Retreat is a hilltop residence in Carmel Valley, California, designed to feel deeply embedded in its landscape. The home’s orientation was shaped by sun patterns, prevailing winds, existing vegetation, and carefully framed views toward the Pacific, with detailed site analysis guiding its placement on the land. Shared living spaces are organized separately from more private guest and primary suites, creating a gradual progression from communal to secluded areas. A restrained palette of board-formed concrete, natural stone, and vertical wood slats gives the home a timeless, tactile quality, while planted roofs filled with native grasses restore the hill’s natural contours and reinforce the connection between architecture and landscape. Each handrail is bent and finished by hand in patinated bronze. The profile is minimal but deliberate, with clean lines and crisp returns that echo the stair’s precision.

This bedroom demonstrates a deliberate approach to fenestration and natural light in a constrained footprint. A high horizontal awning window is positioned at the head of the room, admitting balanced north light while maintaining privacy and freeing the walls below for furniture and circulation—a strategy that keeps the volume calm and the daylight diffuse rather than glaring. The clerestory placement also captures a framed band of foliage, borrowing the adjacent landscape as a controlled view. A second light source at the side, softened by sheer textile, introduces directional light that grazes the wall plane and registers the room's proportions throughout the day. The restrained material palette—uninterrupted white wall surfaces, low-sheen flooring, simple trim profiles—is intentional, allowing the architecture to recede so that light, aperture, and spatial proportion carry the room. The result is a quiet, well-tempered space shaped primarily by where and how daylight is admitted.

The visual physical connection of our home continues between the living room and the back deck. Modern double doors lead you to an elevated, screened-in porch perfect for Outer Banks outdoor living, plus the view outside makes you feel as though you’re in a tree house! Notice the deliberate placement of abundant windows throughout the living room. They transform the space into a serene perch amidst the treetops. In the tradition of classical craftsman home interiors, the living room stands as the dedicated space for socialization and relaxation. The room often boasts grand hearths and chimneys that dominate the space, contributing to its timeless charm. The built-in, electric heater is our modern take on a fireplace and is still a key feature point of the living room. The stone facade and wooden mantel are signatures from the past that are ultimately the centerpieces of the room. A modern touch is evident in our built-in gas heater, a contemporary interpretation of the traditional fireplace that remains a focal point in the living room. Another feature of today’s contemporary craftsman rendition of living areas and dens, you will often find a television strategically mounted as a focal point of the room, reflecting the evolving needs of modern living, seamlessly blending tradition with convenience.

Carmel Valley Retreat is a hilltop residence in Carmel Valley, California, designed to feel deeply embedded in its landscape. The home’s orientation was shaped by sun patterns, prevailing winds, existing vegetation, and carefully framed views toward the Pacific, with detailed site analysis guiding its placement on the land. Shared living spaces are organized separately from more private guest and primary suites, creating a gradual progression from communal to secluded areas. A restrained palette of board-formed concrete, natural stone, and vertical wood slats gives the home a timeless, tactile quality, while planted roofs filled with native grasses restore the hill’s natural contours and reinforce the connection between architecture and landscape. Each handrail is bent and finished by hand in patinated bronze. The profile is minimal but deliberate, with clean lines and crisp returns that echo the stair’s precision.

Two sections of hand hewn white oak barn beam — shaped by adze in the late 19th or early 20th century, the tool marks clearly visible on every face — support a thick oak plank top from the same material source. The adze marks are not decorative. They are the record of a specific person doing specific work at a specific moment in American agricultural history. This material exists in finite and diminishing supply as the barns that held it continue to come down. The form is deliberately restrained. Nothing competes with the material. Proportions were determined by the beams themselves — their weight, their scale, their presence — rather than imposed from outside. Functions equally as a coffee table, entry bench, or display surface. Significant as furniture and as object. Available for commission as hand hewn beam material is sourced. Each piece differs because the material differs.

Photos images: Courtesy of the Homeowners At the end of a dirt road in southern Vermont is a stunning timber and stone residence designed to resemble a small medieval Anglo-Norman manor house originally constructed in the 16th century. According to the owners, a husband and wife with a keen interest in both ancient and modern architecture, the 5,000 sq. ft. home was built slowly over eleven years by highly skilled craftsmen in order to complete all of the authentic hand-planed interior details. The craftsmen then spent an additional two years building the adjacent “ancient“ barn. “We always knew we wanted to take down a delapidated 19th-century hay barn and replace it with something of the period of the house,“ the husband said. The owners designed the barn and began to consider zinc for the roof after looking at northern European architecture and discovering that zinc has been used extensively in Europe for 300 years. Approximately 4,200 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK prePATINA bright rolled Double Lock Standing Seam Roof Panels were utilized to roof the white oak structure. The bright rolled material was selected deliberately in order to achieve the “naturally aged look“ that the owners were seeking. “It’s gone almost immediately to a soft grey which is what we hoped would happen. As the years go by, the color of the weathering white oak and the aging zinc will come together in a dusty grey. Seeing this building in the fog five years from now will feel like seeing a 500-year-old ghost barn floating in the hills of Vermont.“ Installation of the RHEINZINK panels was done by Cold Hollow Contracting, Burlington, VT. “These folks had serious zinc-roofing experience and were clearly the most craft-oriented of all the roofers we met with,“ according to the husband. The main focus was getting an “old look“ as quickly as possible, said Tim Heaghney, co-owner of Cold Hollow Contracting. “That’s really what makes the bright rolled so special—it ages quickly. We fabricated the 28 ft. panels on site and did the flashing fabrication in our shop. Many of the normal sheet metal skills apply to the zinc although we relied heavily on the RHEINZINK installation manual as well as personal support from their technical people. We used a radius cut and fold at the eve termination as opposed to the typical detail used in steel and copper where it‘s just cut at the 90 for the drip edge. The roof was steep but we do a lot of steeples and domes so we’re comfortable working at heights.“ The installers also utilized RHEINZINK’s AIR-Z structured underlayment to provide an air-gap behind the zinc. The RHEINZINK distributor on the project was Beacon Sales, Shelburne, VT

We reconfigured this kitchen - removing a wall - to allow for a large island for entertaining. With two young children, durability was key. We chose Brownstone stools customized with performance fabric on the back to introduce a bit of pattern and wipeable faux leather seats. The backsplash over range is a single slab of Eureka Danby from Vermont's Dorsett Mountain, which wipes down easily. The Lostine pendants and sconces introduce a smidge of midcentury vibes. The tongue and groove backsplash and soapstone counters provide a quaint farmhouse feel; and we chose the fabric for the roman shade from a Parisian fabric house, Antoinette Poisson, which specializes in 18th century pattern designs, to add a bit of history.

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info. Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.