The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment. The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home. Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition. The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions. The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns. Overview: Elm Grove Size: 2,800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completion Date: September 2014 Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

Stacy Bass Photography
Large beach style white three-story wood exterior home photo in New York with a mixed material roof

An original turn-of-the-century Craftsman home had lost it original charm in the kitchen and bathroom, both renovated in the 1980s. The clients desired to restore the original look, while still giving the spaces an updated feel. Both rooms were gutted and new materials, fittings and appliances were installed, creating a strong reference to the history of the home, while still moving the house into the 21st century. Photos by Melissa McCafferty

Paige Rumore Photography
Inspiration for an eclectic dining room remodel in Nashville with white walls

Organized Living freedomRail kids closet. This system grows with your child's needs - from infant to teen. Shelves and brackets adjust instantly without tools. Start with triple hang space for infants and toddlers then change to double hang and long hang later as they grow. See more kid's closet designs at http://organizedliving.com/home/get-inspired/areas-of-the-home/kid-closet

Christian Garibaldi
Kids' room - mid-sized transitional girl dark wood floor and brown floor kids' room idea in New York with purple walls

Mid-sized transitional enclosed medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room photo in New York with gray walls, a wall-mounted tv, no fireplace and a plaster fireplace

David O. Marlow
Home gym - huge contemporary vinyl floor and gray floor home gym idea in Denver

Transitional light wood floor kitchen photo in Miami with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, beige backsplash and matchstick tile backsplash

3Di FOCUS
Example of a classic boy dark wood floor kids' room design in Chicago with multicolored walls

Inspiration for a large coastal formal and enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and no tv

This warm and rustic home, set in the spacious Lakeview neighborhood, features incredible reclaimed wood accents from the vaulted ceiling beams connecting the great room and dining room to the wood mantel and other accents throughout.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2016 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in New York

Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped brown floor and dark wood floor kitchen remodel in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and white countertops

Example of a beach style white tile gray floor freestanding bathtub design in Seattle with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, gray walls, a vessel sink and white countertops

Marcie Fry
Example of an ornate kitchen design in Orlando with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and shaker cabinets

Example of an urban medium tone wood floor bedroom design in Atlanta

Photo credit: Nolan Painting Interior Design: Raindrum Design
Large trendy eat-in kitchen photo in Philadelphia with white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, glass tile backsplash, an island, an undermount sink, soapstone countertops, black countertops and shaker cabinets

Example of a mountain style bedroom design in Other