While cleaning out the attic of this recently purchased Arlington farmhouse, an amazing view was discovered: the Washington Monument was visible on the horizon. The architect and owner agreed that this was a serendipitous opportunity. A badly needed renovation and addition of this residence was organized around a grand gesture reinforcing this view shed. A glassy “look out room” caps a new tower element added to the left side of the house and reveals distant views east over the Rosslyn business district and beyond to the National Mall. A two-story addition, containing a new kitchen and master suite, was placed in the rear yard, where a crumbling former porch and oddly shaped closet addition was removed. The new work defers to the original structure, stepping back to maintain a reading of the historic house. The dwelling was completely restored and repaired, maintaining existing room proportions as much as possible, while opening up views and adding larger windows. A small mudroom appendage engages the landscape and helps to create an outdoor room at the rear of the property. It also provides a secondary entrance to the house from the detached garage. Internally, there is a seamless transition between old and new. Photos: Hoachlander Davis Photography

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room remodel in Boston with blue walls

This project was for clients who we had worked with previously. A couple of years after we finished our first project with them - a remodel of their kitchen – these clients approached us again and asked us to design a weekend cabin for them in Eastern Washington. Located in the Wilson Ranch community of the Methow Valley, the area is a winter ski hub in Washington and a training ground for the US Nordic ski team. Our client skied collegiately for the University of Wisconsin and was attracted to this area for its miles of groomed trails and business networking opportunities. A lot of of Seattle’s newly minted wealth has weekend retreats in this valley and these folks dine at the same establishments on Friday and Saturday evenings. Our solution for this cabin relies upon our favorite scheme – the Great Room concept. In this instance, the entire structure is anchored by a massive masonry fireplace and each room is strategically located to maximize the plan’s efficiency. Drawing upon the homestead history of this valley, we employed a rugged aesthetic that is reflective of the old west. In the Great Room itself, heavy timber trusses are utilized to great structural and aesthetic effect and contribute to the masculine theme. On a more contemporary note, the open floor plan flows seamlessly from space to space and the use of a window wall and high dormers introduce ample daylight throughout the interior. Typical of many of our structures, the exterior envelope is highly detailed while covered walkways provide shelter from the harsh winters in this region.

Example of a trendy dark wood floor and brown floor home bar design in Chicago

Uplighting adds a spectacular effect to a unique Japanese Maple. Rye, New York
Inspiration for an exterior home remodel in Bridgeport

This Mill Valley residence under the redwoods was conceived and designed for a young and growing family. Though technically a remodel, the project was in essence new construction from the ground up, and its clean, traditional detailing and lay-out by Chambers & Chambers offered great opportunities for our talented carpenters to show their stuff. This home features the efficiency and comfort of hydronic floor heating throughout, solid-paneled walls and ceilings, open spaces and cozy reading nooks, expansive bi-folding doors for indoor/ outdoor living, and an attention to detail and durability that is a hallmark of how we build. See our work in progress at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/D.V.RasmussenConstruction Like us on Facebook to keep up on our newest projects. Photographer: John Merkyl Architect: Barbara Chambers of Chambers + Chambers in Mill Valley

Modern pool and cabana where the granite ledge of Gloucester Harbor meet the manicured grounds of this private residence. The modest-sized building is an overachiever, with its soaring roof and glass walls striking a modern counterpoint to the property’s century-old shingle style home. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

This modern lake house is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The residence overlooks a mountain lake with expansive mountain views beyond. The design ties the home to its surroundings and enhances the ability to experience both home and nature together. The entry level serves as the primary living space and is situated into three groupings; the Great Room, the Guest Suite and the Master Suite. A glass connector links the Master Suite, providing privacy and the opportunity for terrace and garden areas. Won a 2013 AIANC Design Award. Featured in the Austrian magazine, More Than Design. Featured in Carolina Home and Garden, Summer 2015.

Hillside Modernism In Context. The owners of this modern hillside home sought to have a home in a nice Los Angeles neighborhood wherein they could raise their burgeoning family. The owners purchased a 1948 2000sf, single story, 2 bedroom English Cottage styled home (believed to have been originally owned by Yul Brynner) on a ½ acre hillside site in the exclusive Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The property slopes downward away from the street and overlooks a mini eucalyptus arroyo. The owners love their new location but are now faced-with having to raise their new and growing family on a hillside with extremely limited yard spaces for children to play and in a location where nature is very close – deer as well as coyotes wander the arroyo. In 2000 the owners commissioned architect Richard Best to add 2500sf to the cottage and transform it into a home more fitting to their growing family’s needs. Subsequently, in 2014/15, the owners again commissioned Richard to create a 2-story master suite addition. Living in or visiting the completed project - the original 1948 home remodeled + the 2000 addition + the 2014/15 addition, one goes through an unexpected and delightful experience as the spaces of the home “unfold” to reveal intimacy and environmental immersion. It was important to Richard and to the owners that their remodels and additions be appropriately designed to fit into the neighborhood and have the feel, scale, and soul of the original cottage. With this in-mind, Richard has interpreted the design intentions of the original cottage - “modernizing” the architectural vocabulary and creating open-plan, 2-story additions which promote site “engagement” at various floor levels and openness to the outdoors in a manner clearly inspired by the original cottage, yet modern. At the front door of the original (still remains as it was) 1948 structure, one is presented with a quaint a low-slung entry which establishes a very comfortable sense of scale. Inside, the remodeled spaces of the original cottage exude comfort and a cozy sensibility evoked by the reuse of the original home’s exposed timber framing structure, open-plan circulation, and an inventive two-sided steel fireplace which acts as a room divider between the living room and a home office. Accordion wood doors connect these rooms to a newly formed outdoor rear patio. At this point one also gets ones first hint that something very interesting is happening just beyond – a glimpse of the 2000 & 2014/15 additions. Moving from the original 1948 structure into the 2-story 2000 addition, one is greeted by a modern and open linear floor plan arrangement – a kitchen, casual dining and family room extend perpendicularly from the 1948 structure into the rear yard and down the hillside. The open framed cathedral ceiling and wood roof trusses establish a lofty feeling and a rhythm discretely separating the open rooms one from the other. Extensive use of windows and French doors connect the indoors to the outdoors and provide abundant natural lighting. This new appendage ends with a symmetrical family room which has no corners – it is a geometry composed of two overlapped squares - one rotated 45 degrees atop the other to create double opportunities for bay windows. The design not only connects the home to the desired exterior flat yards spaces, but it also takes full advantage of the sloping terrain by adding a floor below the original level so as to maintain a scale appropriate to the neighborhood. The exterior materials were chosen taking “hints” from the original 1948 structure – natural redwood siding, reused brick veneer and wood doors/windows all serving to aesthetically connect the addition back-to the spirit of the original structure. By 2014/15 the owners’ family has fully blossomed - the children are now teenagers and there is a need for additional space. However, the owners are very content with their remodeled cottage and Richard’s 2000 addition – unsure how to add to a home which they feel is quite perfect as it is … wanting whatever changes are to be made to be sympathetic to it. They are also concerned about potential additions blocking-out their views of the eucalyptus arroyo. The owners approached Richard with trepidation – we love our perfect house but we need it to be a bit bigger and we don’t want to block-out the arroyo views or create a hemmed-in feeling – how can we add but still see the arroyo. In response Richard created a private yet connected 2-story master suite, which by its positioning, dynamic geometries and extensive glazing create the fourth side of the former rear patio, making it into exterior courtyard with views around and through the new addition into the arroyo. A dynamic angularity in the new master addition (inspired by the 2000 addition) simultaneously reduces the apparent size/presence of the master suite addition on the edge of the eucalyptus arroyo while creating framed views into the arroyo from the newly formed courtyard. The new master suite - a master bathroom, master closet and a master sleeping loft each having exterior decks and/or patios, is connected back to the 2000 addition via a glazed hallway which provides a sense of connectedness and privacy. A modern rustic aesthetic of exposed board-formed concrete, natural finished Corten steel exterior cladding, frameless metal windows, and clear finished Douglas Fir planks serve to “extend” the soul of the original cottage into the master suite. The project is a highly sustainable design as well. Energy use is reduced by employing a high efficiency heat pump heating and cooling system, dual paned/gasketed metal window/door systems, natural lighting through a Kalwall skylight and generous exterior glazing with extensive eaves for shading, rigid roof insulation, and earthen backing – the lower floor is up-against the hillside which tends to even-out the day/night temperature differential. Credits: Architecture & Interior Design: Richard Best Architect Inc. Structural Engineering: Dan Echeto & David Choi Associates Interior Decor: Noelle Schoop Landscape: Connie Heitzman Photos: Carmel McFayden and Adriano Sarmento / James Porschen

log cabin mantel wall design Integrated Wall 2255.1 The skilled custom design cabinetmaker can help a small room with a fireplace to feel larger by simplifying details, and by limiting the number of disparate elements employed in the design. A wood storage room, and a general storage area are incorporated on either side of this fireplace, in a manner that expands, rather than interrupts, the limited wall surface. Restrained design makes the most of two storage opportunities, without disrupting the focal area of the room. The mantel is clean and a strong horizontal line helping to expand the visual width of the room. The renovation of this small log cabin was accomplished in collaboration with architect, Bethany Puopolo. A log cabin’s aesthetic requirements are best addressed through simple design motifs. Different styles of log structures suggest different possibilities. The eastern seaboard tradition of dovetailed, square log construction, offers us cabin interiors with a different feel than typically western, round log structures.

Jay Greene Photography
Large victorian three-story brick exterior home idea in Philadelphia

Design by Jennifer Clapp
Transitional medium tone wood floor hallway photo in Boston with white walls

This single family home in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle is a modern home with a strong emphasis on sustainability. The house includes a rainwater harvesting system that supplies the toilets and laundry with water. On-site storm water treatment, native and low maintenance plants reduce the site impact of this project. This project emphasizes the relationship between site and building by creating indoor and outdoor spaces that respond to the surrounding environment and change throughout the seasons.

The clients had built a magnificent Italianate 'villa' with spectacular views of the Santa Barbara coastline. They had assembled an impressive array of garden objects from around the world which were to be incorporated into the gardens. But the challenges were numerous. Object scale had to carefully managed in this 40 foot by 80 foot space -- The statuary, hardscape elements, and fountains were carefully separated throughout the landscape, in order to de-emphasize the disparate sizes. Objects included a six-foot high Buddha, a 12" high prayer bell, and a massive 1,500 pound stone urn. Additionally, spectacular tree specimens were chosen and carefully placed to provide a counterweight to the other objects in the garden. * Builder of the Year: Best Landscape and Hardscape, Santa Barbara Contractors Association

Situated atop a natural sand dune on Lake Michigan, the house is designed to connect strongly to its surroundings. While modern in form and detail, the design employs natural materials and colors to soften the aesthetics and mesh the house with its site. Multiple outdoor spaces provide opportunities to enjoy the transition from woods to dune to lake shore. Project done while working at Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Chicago. PHP team: David A. Haymes, Brian Kidd, Ravi Ricker, Christopher D. Lauriat.

This home office was created from an outbuilding on the property. Seagrass wall-to-wall carpet was installed for ultimate durability and a relaxed vibe. We employed a high-low aesthetic to create a space that was unique but still within budget, utilizing the owner's Stickley desk, a custom desk chair, custom blush Roman shades, a Hudson Valley Fenwater chandelier and sconces, and multiple office items from budget sources like IKEA and The Container Store. The ceiling is painted Quicksand and walls and trim in White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Photo by Sabrina Cole Quinn Photography.

Our design for the expansion and gut renovation of a small 1200 square foot house in a residential neighborhood triples is size, and reworks the living arrangement. The rear addition takes advantage of southern exposure with a "greenhouse" room that provides solar heat gain in winter, shading in summer, and a vast connection to the rear yard. Architecturally, we used an approach we call "willful practicality." The new soaring ceiling ties together first and second floors in a dramatic volumetric expansion of space, while providing increased ventilation and daylighting from greenhouse to operable windows and skylights at the peak. Exterior pockets of space are created from curved forces pushing in from outside to form cedar clad porch and stoop. Sustainable design is employed throughout all materials, energy systems and insulation. Masonry exterior walls and concrete floors provide thermal mass for the interior by insulating the exterior. An ERV system facilitates increased air changes and minimizes changes to the interior air temperature. Energy and water saving features and renewable, non-toxic materal selections are important aspects of the house design. Environmental community issues are addressed with a drywell in the side yard to mitigate rain runoff into the town sewer system. The long sloping south facing roof is in anticipation of future solar panels, with the standing seam metal roof providing anchoring opportunities for the panels. The exterior walls are clad in stucco, cedar, and cement-fiber panels defining different areas of the house. Closed cell spray insulation is applied to exterior walls and roof, giving the house an "air-tight" seal against air infiltration and a high R-value. The ERV system provides the ventilation needed with this tight envelope. The interior comfort level and economizing are the beneficial results of the building methods and systems employed in the house. Photographer: Peter Kubilus

This project was for clients who we had worked with previously. A couple of years after we finished our first project with them - a remodel of their kitchen – these clients approached us again and asked us to design a weekend cabin for them in Eastern Washington. Located in the Wilson Ranch community of the Methow Valley, the area is a winter ski hub in Washington and a training ground for the US Nordic ski team. Our client skied collegiately for the University of Wisconsin and was attracted to this area for its miles of groomed trails and business networking opportunities. A lot of of Seattle’s newly minted wealth has weekend retreats in this valley and these folks dine at the same establishments on Friday and Saturday evenings. Our solution for this cabin relies upon our favorite scheme – the Great Room concept. In this instance, the entire structure is anchored by a massive masonry fireplace and each room is strategically located to maximize the plan’s efficiency. Drawing upon the homestead history of this valley, we employed a rugged aesthetic that is reflective of the old west. In the Great Room itself, heavy timber trusses are utilized to great structural and aesthetic effect and contribute to the masculine theme. On a more contemporary note, the open floor plan flows seamlessly from space to space and the use of a window wall and high dormers introduce ample daylight throughout the interior. Typical of many of our structures, the exterior envelope is highly detailed while covered walkways provide shelter from the harsh winters in this region.

Beach style open concept living room photo in Miami