My client for this project was a builder/ developer. He had purchased a flat two acre parcel with vineyards that was within easy walking distance of downtown St. Helena. He planned to “build for sale” a three bedroom home with a separate one bedroom guest house, a pool and a pool house. He wanted a modern type farmhouse design that opened up to the site and to the views of the hills beyond and to keep as much of the vineyards as possible. The house was designed with a central Great Room consisting of a kitchen area, a dining area, and a living area all under one roof with a central linear cupola to bring natural light into the middle of the room. One approaches the entrance to the home through a small garden with water features on both sides of a path that leads to a covered entry porch and the front door. The entry hall runs the length of the Great Room and serves as both a link to the bedroom wings, the garage, the laundry room and a small study. The entry hall also serves as an art gallery for the future owner. An interstitial space between the entry hall and the Great Room contains a pantry, a wine room, an entry closet, an electrical room and a powder room. A large deep porch on the pool/garden side of the house extends most of the length of the Great Room with a small breakfast Room at one end that opens both to the kitchen and to this porch. The Great Room and porch open up to a swimming pool that is on on axis with the front door. The main house has two wings. One wing contains the master bedroom suite with a walk in closet and a bathroom with soaking tub in a bay window and separate toilet room and shower. The other wing at the opposite end of the househas two children’s bedrooms each with their own bathroom a small play room serving both bedrooms. A rear hallway serves the children’s wing, a Laundry Room and a Study, the garage and a stair to an Au Pair unit above the garage. A separate small one bedroom guest house has a small living room, a kitchen, a toilet room to serve the pool and a small covered porch. The bedroom is ensuite with a full bath. This guest house faces the side of the pool and serves to provide privacy and block views ofthe neighbors to the east. A Pool house at the far end of the pool on the main axis of the house has a covered sitting area with a pizza oven, a bar area and a small bathroom. Vineyards were saved on all sides of the house to help provide a private enclave within the vines. The exterior of the house has simple gable roofs over the major rooms of the house with sloping ceilings and large wooden trusses in the Great Room and plaster sloping ceilings in the bedrooms. The exterior siding through out is painted board and batten siding similar to farmhouses of other older homes in the area. Clyde Construction: General Contractor Photographed by: Paul Rollins

In this picture, the cut back of entry level allows a vertical connection to the lower level and a feeling of space beyond. In this project, we identified the challenge of renovating a triplex as finding a way to integrate the stairs, so as to not take up the entire width of a narrow house, as well as to minimize the feeling of constantly having to run up and down to connect floors. This twelve-foot-wide townhouse consists of a cellar living room, a master bedroom suite on the upper floor, and a kitchen and dining area on the entry level. In trying to weave together these different floors, the aim of the project was to transform the stairs and steps into a fluid space that combines transition and rest. The steps were designed to be integrated with the architecture, cantilevering from the wall and almost disappearing. The living room on the ground plane folds into the garden through steps and a full-window wall, effectively extending the garden into the living room. From the garden to the entry level, the stairs were transformed into a platform and space for meditation within the open-space living room, dining room and kitchen. The introduction of a skylight midway through the length of the triplex permits natural light to flow to the back of the home, blending into the natural light coming in through the window facing the garden. The skylight also revealed a view of the trees hanging over the townhouse, framing the master bedroom suite from above and extending down with a view towards the garden. In this project, we identified the challenge of renovating a triplex as finding a way to integrate the stairs, so as to not take up the entire width of a narrow house, as well as to minimize the feeling of constantly having to run up and down to connect floors. This twelve-foot-wide townhouse consists of a cellar living room, a master bedroom suite on the upper floor, and a kitchen and dining area on the entry level. In trying to weave together these different floors, the aim of the project was to transform the stairs and steps into a fluid space that combines transition and rest. The steps were designed to be integrated with the architecture, cantilevering from the wall and almost disappearing. The living room on the ground plane folds into the garden through steps and a full-window wall, effectively extending the garden into the living room. From the garden to the entry level, the stairs were transformed into a platform and space for meditation within the open-space living room, dining room and kitchen. The introduction of a skylight midway through the length of the triplex permits natural light to flow to the back of the home, blending into the natural light coming in through the window facing the garden. The skylight also revealed a view of the trees hanging over the townhouse, framing the master bedroom suite from above and extending down with a view towards the garden. In this project, we identified the challenge of renovating a triplex as finding a way to integrate the stairs, so as to not take up the entire width of a narrow house, as well as to minimize the feeling of constantly having to run up and down to connect floors. This twelve-foot-wide townhouse consists of a cellar living room, a master bedroom suite on the upper floor, and a kitchen and dining area on the entry level. In trying to weave together these different floors, the aim of the project was to transform the stairs and steps into a fluid space that combines transition and rest. The steps were designed to be integrated with the architecture, cantilevering from the wall and almost disappearing. The living room on the ground plane folds into the garden through steps and a full-window wall, effectively extending the garden into the living room. From the garden to the entry level, the stairs were transformed into a platform and space for meditation within the open-space living room, dining room and kitchen. The introduction of a skylight midway through the length of the triplex permits natural light to flow to the back of the home, blending into the natural light coming in through the window facing the garden. The skylight also revealed a view of the trees hanging over the townhouse, framing the master bedroom suite from above and extending down with a view towards the garden

Open concept kitchen - huge contemporary galley porcelain tile and black floor open concept kitchen idea in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white appliances, an island, a single-bowl sink, quartz countertops, white backsplash and white countertops

This is an example of a large coastal front porch design in Atlanta with decking and a roof extension.

Inspiration for a transitional galley dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Photo: Faith Towers © 2015 Houzz
Beach style bedroom photo in Boston

Inspiration for a huge transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Houston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, two islands and gray countertops

House on the Hill in Redwood City, United States contains Hakwood Flourish flooring. Photo credits: R. Bradley Knipstein
Inspiration for a large transitional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and beige floor study room remodel in Chicago with white walls

Photography by Stacey Van Berkel
Trendy l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Raleigh with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Mud Room/Home Central Builder: Structural Image Photography: Spacecrafting Custom Cabinetry: Engstrom Wood Products
Elegant built-in desk study room photo in Minneapolis

Photo: Kayla Stark © 2018 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic exterior home remodel in New Orleans

The Council Crest Residence is a renovation and addition to an early 1950s house built for inventor Karl Kurz, whose work included stereoscopic cameras and projectors. Designed by prominent local architect Roscoe Hemenway, the house was built with a traditional ranch exterior and a mid-century modern interior. It became known as “The View-Master House,” alluding to both the inventions of its owner and the dramatic view through the glass entry. Approached from a small neighborhood park, the home was re-clad maintaining its welcoming scale, with privacy obtained through thoughtful placement of translucent glass, clerestory windows, and a stone screen wall. The original entry was maintained as a glass aperture, a threshold between the quiet residential neighborhood and the dramatic view over the city of Portland and landscape beyond. At the south terrace, an outdoor fireplace is integrated into the stone wall providing a comfortable space for the family and their guests. Within the existing footprint, the main floor living spaces were completely remodeled. Raised ceilings and new windows create open, light filled spaces. An upper floor was added within the original profile creating a master suite, study, and south facing deck. Space flows freely around a central core while continuous clerestory windows reinforce the sense of openness and expansion as the roof and wall planes extend to the exterior. Images By: Jeremy Bitterman, Photoraphy Portland OR

This residence sits atop a precipice with views to the metropolitan Denver valley to the east and the iconic Flatiron peaks to the west. The two sides of this linear scheme respond independently to the site conditions. The east has a high band of glass for morning light infiltration, with a thick zone of storage below. Dividing the storage areas, a rhythm of intermittent windows provide views to the entry court and distant city. On the opposite side, full height sliding glass panels extend the length of the house embracing the best views. After entering through the solid east wall, the amazing mountain peaks are revealed. For this residence, simplicity and restraint are the innovation. Materials are limited to wood structure and ceilings, concrete floors, and oxidized steel cladding. The roof extension provides sun shading for the west facing glass and shelter for the end terrace. The house’s modest form and palate of materials place it unpretentiously within its surroundings, allowing the natural environment to carry the day. A.I.A. Wyoming Chapter Design Award of Merit 2011 Project Year: 2009

Transitional living room photo in Boston

Wade Weissmann Architecture, Photo: © David Bader
Country pool photo in Milwaukee

Living room - large contemporary open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room idea in Miami with gray walls and a wall-mounted tv

This attractive paler toned bathroom furniture composition shows forward-thinking perspectives on bathroom form and function. The practical but oh so stylish, extended cabinet, console and basin demonstrates a real understanding of the multiple needs in a bathroom, whilst also acknowledging the desire for flair and artistry in design. The extended length of the completed unit and the addition of the long mirror with its built-in LED strip light are what delivers its ultimate versatility. Shaving, make-up, washing…. a number of bathroom functions -and people - can be accommodated here at the same time.

Completed in 2013, this this property located in University Park, Texas, features a modern pool pavilion with a green roof that opens to a new swimming pool and garden.