Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it. Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy. Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy. The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors. Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house. The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood. The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu 
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects 
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers 
Staging: Da Lusso Design 
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed 
Location: Los Altos, CA
 Year completed: 2017

Modern Transitional residence blending a tall white stucco gable with a slim vertical slot window and large format two story black steel frame glazing on the left against a lower hipped roof volume with grey stone panel base, dark asphalt shingle roof, shed dormers, and black bracket corbels on the right. A dark wood two-car garage door sits flush in the stone base beside a black steel frame glass entry door under a flat canopy.

The best of past and present architectural styles combine in this welcoming, farmhouse-inspired design. Clad in low-maintenance siding, the distinctive exterior has plenty of street appeal, with its columned porch, multiple gables, shutters and interesting roof lines. Other exterior highlights included trusses over the garage doors, horizontal lap siding and brick and stone accents. The interior is equally impressive, with an open floor plan that accommodates today’s family and modern lifestyles. An eight-foot covered porch leads into a large foyer and a powder room. Beyond, the spacious first floor includes more than 2,000 square feet, with one side dominated by public spaces that include a large open living room, centrally located kitchen with a large island that seats six and a u-shaped counter plan, formal dining area that seats eight for holidays and special occasions and a convenient laundry and mud room. The left side of the floor plan contains the serene master suite, with an oversized master bath, large walk-in closet and 16 by 18-foot master bedroom that includes a large picture window that lets in maximum light and is perfect for capturing nearby views. Relax with a cup of morning coffee or an evening cocktail on the nearby covered patio, which can be accessed from both the living room and the master bedroom. Upstairs, an additional 900 square feet includes two 11 by 14-foot upper bedrooms with bath and closet and a an approximately 700 square foot guest suite over the garage that includes a relaxing sitting area, galley kitchen and bath, perfect for guests or in-laws.

Elliott Johnson Photographer
Farmhouse gray two-story gable roof idea in San Luis Obispo

Front elevation, highlighting double-gable entry at the front porch with double-column detail at the porch and garage. Exposed rafter tails and cedar brackets are shown, along with gooseneck vintage-style fixtures at the garage doors..

Originally, the front of the house was on the left (eave) side, facing the primary street. Since the Garage was on the narrower, quieter side street, we decided that when we would renovate, we would reorient the front to the quieter side street, and enter through the front Porch. So initially we built the fencing and Pergola entering from the side street into the existing Front Porch. Then in 2003, we pulled off the roof, which enclosed just one large room and a bathroom, and added a full second story. Then we added the gable overhangs to create the effect of a cottage with dormers, so as not to overwhelm the scale of the site. The shingles are stained Cabots Semi-Solid Deck and Siding Oil Stain, 7406, color: Burnt Hickory, and the trim is painted with Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior Low Luster Narraganset Green HC-157, (which is actually a dark blue). Photo by Glen Grayson, AIA

Photo by Trent Bell
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This 2-story home needed a little love on the outside, with a new front porch to provide curb appeal as well as useful seating areas at the front of the home. The traditional style of the home was maintained, with it's pale yellow siding and black shutters. The addition of the front porch with flagstone floor, white square columns, rails and balusters, and a small gable at the front door helps break up the 2-story front elevation and provides the covered seating desired. Can lights in the wood ceiling provide great light for the space, and the gorgeous ceiling fans increase the breeze for the home owners when sipping their tea on the porch. The new stamped concrete walk from the driveway and simple landscaping offer a quaint picture from the street, and the homeowners couldn't be happier.

The exterior of this modern farmhouse has incredibly clean lines. The texture of the house is created entirely by the siding changes and contrast between black and white. Truly elegant.

JS Photo FX
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JS Photo FX
This is an example of a traditional front porch design in Atlanta.

Steve Hall @ Hedrich Blessing Photographers
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The entire exterior received new board and batten wood siding, with a seamed metal roof. The center gables on each side have new cedar shingle siding and brackets to accentuate its significance. Photo by: Daniel Contelmo Jr.

Maintaining disciplined restraint, the palette of materials for each façade is limited to cedar shakes and stone, yet the variety of forms is evocative and dazzling.

Modern mountain aesthetic in this fully exposed custom designed ranch. Exterior brings together lap siding and stone veneer accents with welcoming timber columns and entry truss. Garage door covered with standing seam metal roof supported by brackets. Large timber columns and beams support a rear covered screened porch. (Ryan Hainey)

Architect Nick Noyes Builder: Eddinger Enterprises Structural Engineer: Duncan Engineering Interior Designer: C.Miniello Interiors Materials Supplied by Hudson Street Design/Healdsburg Lumber Photos by: Bruce Damonte

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Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
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