Casabrava - Entry Courtyard. All photos courtesy of Brady Architectural Photography
Example of a trendy exterior home design in San Diego

Example of a tuscan exterior home design in San Francisco

We were excited when the homeowners of this project approached us to help them with their whole house remodel as this is a historic preservation project. The historical society has approved this remodel. As part of that distinction we had to honor the original look of the home; keeping the façade updated but intact. For example the doors and windows are new but they were made as replicas to the originals. The homeowners were relocating from the Inland Empire to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren. One of their requests was additional living space. In order to achieve this we added a second story to the home while ensuring that it was in character with the original structure. The interior of the home is all new. It features all new plumbing, electrical and HVAC. Although the home is a Spanish Revival the homeowners style on the interior of the home is very traditional. The project features a home gym as it is important to the homeowners to stay healthy and fit. The kitchen / great room was designed so that the homewoners could spend time with their daughter and her children. The home features two master bedroom suites. One is upstairs and the other one is down stairs. The homeowners prefer to use the downstairs version as they are not forced to use the stairs. They have left the upstairs master suite as a guest suite. Enjoy some of the before and after images of this project: http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3549200/old-garage-office-turned-gym-in-los-angeles http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3558821/la-face-lift-for-the-patio http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3569717/la-kitchen-remodel http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3579013/los-angeles-entry-hall http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3592549/exterior-shots-of-a-whole-house-remodel-in-la http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3607481/living-dining-rooms-become-a-library-and-formal-dining-room-in-la http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3628842/bathroom-makeover-in-los-angeles-ca http://www.houzz.com/discussions/3640770/sweet-dreams-la-bedroom-remodels Exterior: Approved by the historical society as a Spanish Revival, the second story of this home was an addition. All of the windows and doors were replicated to match the original styling of the house. The roof is a combination of Gable and Hip and is made of red clay tile. The arched door and windows are typical of Spanish Revival. The home also features a Juliette Balcony and window. Library / Living Room: The library offers Pocket Doors and custom bookcases. Powder Room: This powder room has a black toilet and Herringbone travertine. Kitchen: This kitchen was designed for someone who likes to cook! It features a Pot Filler, a peninsula and an island, a prep sink in the island, and cookbook storage on the end of the peninsula. The homeowners opted for a mix of stainless and paneled appliances. Although they have a formal dining room they wanted a casual breakfast area to enjoy informal meals with their grandchildren. The kitchen also utilizes a mix of recessed lighting and pendant lights. A wine refrigerator and outlets conveniently located on the island and around the backsplash are the modern updates that were important to the homeowners. Master bath: The master bath enjoys both a soaking tub and a large shower with body sprayers and hand held. For privacy, the bidet was placed in a water closet next to the shower. There is plenty of counter space in this bathroom which even includes a makeup table. Staircase: The staircase features a decorative niche Upstairs master suite: The upstairs master suite features the Juliette balcony Outside: Wanting to take advantage of southern California living the homeowners requested an outdoor kitchen complete with retractable awning. The fountain and lounging furniture keep it light. Home gym: This gym comes completed with rubberized floor covering and dedicated bathroom. It also features its own HVAC system and wall mounted TV.

This modern farmhouse kitchen features a beautiful combination of Navy Blue painted and gray stained Hickory cabinets that’s sure to be an eye-catcher. The elegant “Morel” stain blends and harmonizes the natural Hickory wood grain while emphasizing the grain with a subtle gray tone that beautifully coordinated with the cool, deep blue paint. The “Gale Force” SW 7605 blue paint from Sherwin-Williams is a stunning deep blue paint color that is sophisticated, fun, and creative. It’s a stunning statement-making color that’s sure to be a classic for years to come and represents the latest in color trends. It’s no surprise this beautiful navy blue has been a part of Dura Supreme’s Curated Color Collection for several years, making the top 6 colors for 2017 through 2020. Beyond the beautiful exterior, there is so much well-thought-out storage and function behind each and every cabinet door. The two beautiful blue countertop towers that frame the modern wood hood and cooktop are two intricately designed larder cabinets built to meet the homeowner’s exact needs. The larder cabinet on the left is designed as a beverage center with apothecary drawers designed for housing beverage stir sticks, sugar packets, creamers, and other misc. coffee and home bar supplies. A wine glass rack and shelves provides optimal storage for a full collection of glassware while a power supply in the back helps power coffee & espresso (machines, blenders, grinders and other small appliances that could be used for daily beverage creations. The roll-out shelf makes it easier to fill clean and operate each appliance while also making it easy to put away. Pocket doors tuck out of the way and into the cabinet so you can easily leave open for your household or guests to access, but easily shut the cabinet doors and conceal when you’re ready to tidy up. Beneath the beverage center larder is a drawer designed with 2 layers of multi-tasking storage for utensils and additional beverage supplies storage with space for tea packets, and a full drawer of K-Cup storage. The cabinet below uses powered roll-out shelves to create the perfect breakfast center with power for a toaster and divided storage to organize all the daily fixings and pantry items the household needs for their morning routine. On the right, the second larder is the ultimate hub and center for the homeowner’s baking tasks. A wide roll-out shelf helps store heavy small appliances like a KitchenAid Mixer while making them easy to use, clean, and put away. Shelves and a set of apothecary drawers help house an assortment of baking tools, ingredients, mixing bowls and cookbooks. Beneath the counter a drawer and a set of roll-out shelves in various heights provides more easy access storage for pantry items, misc. baking accessories, rolling pins, mixing bowls, and more. The kitchen island provides a large worktop, seating for 3-4 guests, and even more storage! The back of the island includes an appliance lift cabinet used for a sewing machine for the homeowner’s beloved hobby, a deep drawer built for organizing a full collection of dishware, a waste recycling bin, and more! All and all this kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful! Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure Packet: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure

Like many California ranch homes built in the 1950s, this original master bathroom was not really a "master bath." My clients, who only three years ago purchased the home from the family of the original owner, were saddled with a small, dysfunctional space. Chief among the dysfunctions: a vanity only 30" high, and an inconveniently placed window that forced the too-low vanity mirror to reflect only the waist and partial torso--not the face--of anyone standing in front of it. They wanted not only a more spacious bathroom but a bedroom as well, so we worked in tandem with an architect and contractor to come up with a fantastic new space: a true Master Suite. In order to refine a design concept for the soon-to-be larger space, and thereby narrow down material choices, my clients and I had a brainstorming session: we spoke of an elegant Old World/ European bedroom and bathroom, a luxurious bath that would reference a Roman spa, and finally the idea of a Hammam was brought into the mix. We blended these ideas together in oil-rubbed bronze fixtures, and a tiny tile mosaic in beautiful Bursa Beige marble from Turkey and white Thassos marble from Greece. The new generously sized bathroom boasts a jetted soaking tub, a very large walk-in shower, a double-sided fireplace (facing the tub on the bath side), and a luxurious 8' long vanity with double sinks and a storage tower. The vanity wall is covered with a mosaic vine pattern in a beautiful Bursa Beige marble from Turkey and white Thassos marble from Greece,. The custom Larson Juhl framed mirrors are flanked by gorgeous hand-wrought scones from Hubbardton Forge which echo the vine and leaf pattern in the mosaic. And the vanity itself features an LED strip in the toe-kick which allows one to see in the middle of the night without having to turn on a shockingly bright overhead fixture. At the other end of the master bath, a luxurious jetted tub nestles by a fireplace in the bay window area. Views of my clients' garden can be seen while soaking in bubbles. The over-sized walk-in shower features a paneled wainscoting effect which I designed in Crema Marfil marble. The vine mosaic continues in the shower, topped by green onyx squares. A rainshower head and a hand-held spray on a bar provides showering options. The shower floor slopes gently in one direction toward a hidden linear drain; this allows the floor to be read as a continuation of the main space, without being interrupted by a center drain. Photo by Bernardo Grijalva

Location: Port Townsend, Washington. Photography by Dale Lang
Mid-sized trendy master white tile and subway tile ceramic tile walk-in shower photo in Seattle with a two-piece toilet, white walls and an undermount sink

The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Built on a dune overlooking Lake Michigan, this residence appears to emerge from the landscape. The project brief called for an artful house that promotes wellness and outdoor living. Rugged beauty and four-season adventure drew the owners to the area but presented challenges, including wildfire risk. The site needed a durable shelter that responsibly integrates with the environment. Clad in sand-colored stucco, the house will intentionally be obscured by grasses and junipers over time. Outdoor spaces are layered to match the undulating topography. A steel superstructure enables an ultra-thin roof with overhangs for passive solar design that withstand gale-force winds and heavy snow loads. A crushed-granite courtyard offers refuge on windy days. This space is enclosed by operable Cor-Ten panels that rotate open to reveal dune views or close for a cloistered experience. The courtyard is further defined by a deconstructed roof with an aperture that frames sky views. Expansive glazing and porcelain flooring unites interior and exterior, evoking a sense of inhabiting an infinity house. A screen porch, concealed by louvers, is a contemporary interpretation of a time-honored lake house vernacular. ​Layers of light and an edited palette of materials unify the interior and evoke a laid-back feeling of beach towns. On both levels, bronze glass walls artfully define rooms while preserving views.

Transitional entryway photo in Dallas

The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Built for the Bluff, A Sea Ranch Home is Remade from the Inside Out The house had always been grounded, on an ocean bluff at The Sea Ranch. It sits unencumbered, adjacent to one of the most dramatic stretches of the Sonoma coast with protected commons meadow to the east, uninterrupted Pacific views to the west, and a bluff trail running alongside. What it lacked was the feeling of home, one that could hold up its own against the natural landscape. The owners are entrepreneurs with deep involvement across tech, real estate, and development and they know how things are built. The Sea Ranch house had been in their lives for years, a second residence and a place for family to gather. Built for a different time, it felt more compromising than comfortable. Sitting in a closed off nook, the kitchen fit one cook at a time and turned its back on the rest of the house. The entry was dim and compressed, divided by a structural column that presented itself at exactly the wrong moment. The primary suite was small relative to the view outside it. A large rear bedroom sat behind a lowered ceiling with a bathroom that had never been added. The house was certainly worth the trouble of doing it right. What followed was not one project but four, each with its own design challenge, each addressed over a period of time. Where the House Meets the Ocean The most complex piece of the project, in both structural and spatial terms, was the kitchen expansion. The existing room was a single-person galley squeezed in as an afterthought with no meaningful connection to the dining room, the living space, or the deck outside. To make it useful for a family that cooks and gathers, it needed to grow outward into an existing patio and flow into the rooms around it. A big challenge was the roofline. Several planes at different pitches and angles converged directly where additional volume was needed. A new form had to join that geometry without reading as a correction. The solution found the simplest possible connection between the existing angles, a roofline that from outside the structure, appears entirely original. From the bluff trail where the addition is visible, there is no discernible seam. Inside, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining rooms without interruption. A large sliding glass door connects the space onto the rear deck. The deck itself was expanded and oriented so that the body of the house shields it from the coastal wind which is a common consideration that determines whether outdoor space at The Sea Ranch actually gets used. The result is a room that works for large family gatherings where no one feels cutoff, and one that makes the boundary between being inside and outside easy to ignore. Welcoming Light A structural column stood at the convergence of eight distinct roof planes in the entry. It was load-bearing, but it was also the reason the entry had always felt like a hallway rather than a welcoming arrival. With the structural engineer, a custom steel connector was designed to receive beams from six separate directions, redistributing the load through a single new continuous beam. The column was surgically removed. Three triangular skylights were then cut into the roof above, their shapes drawn from the existing geometry of the planes around them. The entry is now bright and open. The skylights feel native to the structure because they follow the logic already present in the roof. Two Suites, Two Views At opposite ends of the house, the two bedroom suites were each reconfigured, and each found a different way to introduce more of the landscape into the room. An addition to the primary suite extended the structure outward to create a wraparound plan with a loop from the bedroom through bath and closet that had not been possible before. The expansion opened a slot view from the tub and shower toward the ocean. The view is precise and private. The ocean view is present and deliberate. The rear bedroom absorbed an adjacent storage room to transform it into a full second suite with a vaulted ceiling, a large bathroom with a tub, a shower, and a sauna. A private fenced garden courtyard sits just beyond the glass bringing the outdoors inside. The tub was placed so that, looking past the courtyard and through the bedroom beyond, the ocean is visible at the far end. It is a long view and it makes the room feel larger and more settled than its footprint would suggest. Glass on Four Sides, Fire at the Center The main living and gathering room had always been caught between two competing facts: glass on four sides meant exceptional views but at The Sea Ranch, it also meant a cold room. A 360-degree cylindrical fireplace was added at the center on a raised stone base, providing radiant heat in every direction and giving the room a focal point around which a group naturally orients itself, whether that means two people at the end of the day or the whole family after dinner. Owners Who Picked Up the Tools The owner was not a passive client. they came with construction knowledge, specific ideas, and the desire to be an active part of the process, a dynamic that other architects may had found difficult, which Klopf Architecture accepted as an asset. They took it upon themselves to complete some of the work during construction, including the installation of a new radiant heating system beneath the floors. The radiant system added to the older and less-desirable forced-air setup. At The Sea Ranch, that change matters as the house sits close enough to the ocean and moving air competes with the sound of it, where radiant heat does not. Solar panels were added to the roof as part of the new system. Insulation was upgraded throughout the walls, roof, and crawl space. The house that had always had the right setting now holds warmth the way a house on the bluff should. They were also deeply involved in the design and selections throughout, and the finished house reflects both of them in ways that are specific rather than generic. The process took longer and moved through more iterations than a more arms-length relationship might have allowed. The result is more defined and personal because of it. The Landscape Holds Priority Every exterior decision was shaped by The Sea Ranch Design Standards, which require that buildings defer to the landscape around them rather than compete with it. Because this house sits on the bluff and is visible from the public trail, the additions faced a close review. Existing materials were matched. Geometries were resolved. The additions had to become indistinguishable from the original building. From the trail, the house reads exactly as it always has — low, cedar-clad, secondary to the meadow and the water. The setting holds priority. Inside, the house has been remade. Klopf Architecture Project Team: Geoff Campen and Trenton Jewett
Contractor: Shawn Bettega Construction
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2023
Location: The Sea Ranch, CA

Brad Haines knows a thing or two about building things. The intensely creative and innovative founder of Oklahoma City-based Haines Capital is the driving force behind numerous successful companies including Bank 7 (NASDAQ BSVN), which proudly reported record year-end earnings since going public in September of last year. He has beautifully built, renovated, and personally thumb printed all of his commercial spaces and residences. “Our theory is to keep things sophisticated but comfortable,” Brad says. That’s the exact approach he took in his personal haven in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma. Painstakingly renovated over the span of two years by Candeleria Foster Design-Build of Oklahoma City, his home boasts museum-white, authentic Venetian plaster walls and ceilings; charcoal tiled flooring; imported marble in the master bath; and a pretty kitchen you’ll want to emulate. Reminiscent of an edgy luxury hotel, it is a vibe conjured by Cantoni designer Nicole George. “The new remodel plan was all about opening up the space and layering monochromatic color with lots of texture,” says Nicole, who collaborated with Brad on two previous projects. “The color palette is minimal, with charcoal, bone, amber, stone, linen and leather.” “Sophisticated“Sophisticated“Sophisticated“Sophisticated“Sophisticated Nicole helped oversee space planning and selection of interior finishes, lighting, furnishings and fine art for the entire 7,000-square-foot home. It is now decked top-to-bottom in pieces sourced from Cantoni, beginning with the custom-ordered console at entry and a pair of Glacier Suspension fixtures over the stairwell. “Every angle in the house is the result of a critical thought process,” Nicole says. “We wanted to make sure each room would be purposeful.” To that end, “we reintroduced the ‘parlor,’ and also redefined the formal dining area as a bar and drink lounge with enough space for 10 guests to comfortably dine,” Nicole says. Brad’s parlor holds the Swing sectional customized in a silky, soft-hand charcoal leather crafted by prominent Italian leather furnishings company Gamma. Nicole paired it with the Kate swivel chair customized in a light grey leather, the sleek DK writing desk, and the Black & More bar cabinet by Malerba. “Nicole has a special design talent and adapts quickly to what we expect and like,” Brad says. To create the restaurant-worthy dining space, Nicole brought in a black-satin glass and marble-topped dining table and mohair-velvet chairs, all by Italian maker Gallotti & Radice. Guests can take a post-dinner respite on the adjoining room’s Aston sectional by Gamma. In the formal living room, Nicole paired Cantoni’s Fashion Affair club chairs with the Black & More cocktail table, and sofas sourced from Désirée, an Italian furniture upholstery company that creates cutting-edge yet comfortable pieces. The color-coordinating kitchen and breakfast area, meanwhile, hold a set of Guapa counter stools in ash grey leather, and the Ray dining table with light-grey leather Cattelan Italia chairs. The expansive loggia also is ideal for entertaining and lounging with the Versa grand sectional, the Ido cocktail table in grey aged walnut and Dolly chairs customized in black nubuck leather. Nicole made most of the design decisions, but, “she took my suggestions seriously and then put me in my place,” Brad says. She had the master bedroom’s Marlon bed by Gamma customized in a remarkably soft black leather with a matching stitch and paired it with onyx gloss Black & More nightstands. “The furnishings absolutely complement the style,” Brad says. “They are high-quality and have a modern flair, but at the end of the day, are still comfortable and user-friendly.” The end result is a home Brad not only enjoys, but one that Nicole also finds exceptional. “I honestly love every part of this house,” Nicole says. “Working with Brad is always an adventure but a privilege that I take very seriously, from the beginning of the design process to installation.”

The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Built on a dune overlooking Lake Michigan, this residence appears to emerge from the landscape. The project brief called for an artful house that promotes wellness and outdoor living. Rugged beauty and four-season adventure drew the owners to the area but presented challenges, including wildfire risk. The site needed a durable shelter that responsibly integrates with the environment. Clad in sand-colored stucco, the house will intentionally be obscured by grasses and junipers over time. Outdoor spaces are layered to match the undulating topography. A steel superstructure enables an ultra-thin roof with overhangs for passive solar design that withstand gale-force winds and heavy snow loads. A crushed-granite courtyard offers refuge on windy days. This space is enclosed by operable Cor-Ten panels that rotate open to reveal dune views or close for a cloistered experience. The courtyard is further defined by a deconstructed roof with an aperture that frames sky views. Expansive glazing and porcelain flooring unites interior and exterior, evoking a sense of inhabiting an infinity house. A screen porch, concealed by louvers, is a contemporary interpretation of a time-honored lake house vernacular. ​Layers of light and an edited palette of materials unify the interior and evoke a laid-back feeling of beach towns. On both levels, bronze glass walls artfully define rooms while preserving views.

Built for the Bluff, A Sea Ranch Home is Remade from the Inside Out The house had always been grounded, on an ocean bluff at The Sea Ranch. It sits unencumbered, adjacent to one of the most dramatic stretches of the Sonoma coast with protected commons meadow to the east, uninterrupted Pacific views to the west, and a bluff trail running alongside. What it lacked was the feeling of home, one that could hold up its own against the natural landscape. The owners are entrepreneurs with deep involvement across tech, real estate, and development and they know how things are built. The Sea Ranch house had been in their lives for years, a second residence and a place for family to gather. Built for a different time, it felt more compromising than comfortable. Sitting in a closed off nook, the kitchen fit one cook at a time and turned its back on the rest of the house. The entry was dim and compressed, divided by a structural column that presented itself at exactly the wrong moment. The primary suite was small relative to the view outside it. A large rear bedroom sat behind a lowered ceiling with a bathroom that had never been added. The house was certainly worth the trouble of doing it right. What followed was not one project but four, each with its own design challenge, each addressed over a period of time. Where the House Meets the Ocean The most complex piece of the project, in both structural and spatial terms, was the kitchen expansion. The existing room was a single-person galley squeezed in as an afterthought with no meaningful connection to the dining room, the living space, or the deck outside. To make it useful for a family that cooks and gathers, it needed to grow outward into an existing patio and flow into the rooms around it. A big challenge was the roofline. Several planes at different pitches and angles converged directly where additional volume was needed. A new form had to join that geometry without reading as a correction. The solution found the simplest possible connection between the existing angles, a roofline that from outside the structure, appears entirely original. From the bluff trail where the addition is visible, there is no discernible seam. Inside, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining rooms without interruption. A large sliding glass door connects the space onto the rear deck. The deck itself was expanded and oriented so that the body of the house shields it from the coastal wind which is a common consideration that determines whether outdoor space at The Sea Ranch actually gets used. The result is a room that works for large family gatherings where no one feels cutoff, and one that makes the boundary between being inside and outside easy to ignore. Welcoming Light A structural column stood at the convergence of eight distinct roof planes in the entry. It was load-bearing, but it was also the reason the entry had always felt like a hallway rather than a welcoming arrival. With the structural engineer, a custom steel connector was designed to receive beams from six separate directions, redistributing the load through a single new continuous beam. The column was surgically removed. Three triangular skylights were then cut into the roof above, their shapes drawn from the existing geometry of the planes around them. The entry is now bright and open. The skylights feel native to the structure because they follow the logic already present in the roof. Two Suites, Two Views At opposite ends of the house, the two bedroom suites were each reconfigured, and each found a different way to introduce more of the landscape into the room. An addition to the primary suite extended the structure outward to create a wraparound plan with a loop from the bedroom through bath and closet that had not been possible before. The expansion opened a slot view from the tub and shower toward the ocean. The view is precise and private. The ocean view is present and deliberate. The rear bedroom absorbed an adjacent storage room to transform it into a full second suite with a vaulted ceiling, a large bathroom with a tub, a shower, and a sauna. A private fenced garden courtyard sits just beyond the glass bringing the outdoors inside. The tub was placed so that, looking past the courtyard and through the bedroom beyond, the ocean is visible at the far end. It is a long view and it makes the room feel larger and more settled than its footprint would suggest. Glass on Four Sides, Fire at the Center The main living and gathering room had always been caught between two competing facts: glass on four sides meant exceptional views but at The Sea Ranch, it also meant a cold room. A 360-degree cylindrical fireplace was added at the center on a raised stone base, providing radiant heat in every direction and giving the room a focal point around which a group naturally orients itself, whether that means two people at the end of the day or the whole family after dinner. Owners Who Picked Up the Tools The owner was not a passive client. they came with construction knowledge, specific ideas, and the desire to be an active part of the process, a dynamic that other architects may had found difficult, which Klopf Architecture accepted as an asset. They took it upon themselves to complete some of the work during construction, including the installation of a new radiant heating system beneath the floors. The radiant system added to the older and less-desirable forced-air setup. At The Sea Ranch, that change matters as the house sits close enough to the ocean and moving air competes with the sound of it, where radiant heat does not. Solar panels were added to the roof as part of the new system. Insulation was upgraded throughout the walls, roof, and crawl space. The house that had always had the right setting now holds warmth the way a house on the bluff should. They were also deeply involved in the design and selections throughout, and the finished house reflects both of them in ways that are specific rather than generic. The process took longer and moved through more iterations than a more arms-length relationship might have allowed. The result is more defined and personal because of it. The Landscape Holds Priority Every exterior decision was shaped by The Sea Ranch Design Standards, which require that buildings defer to the landscape around them rather than compete with it. Because this house sits on the bluff and is visible from the public trail, the additions faced a close review. Existing materials were matched. Geometries were resolved. The additions had to become indistinguishable from the original building. From the trail, the house reads exactly as it always has — low, cedar-clad, secondary to the meadow and the water. The setting holds priority. Inside, the house has been remade. Klopf Architecture Project Team: Geoff Campen and Trenton Jewett
Contractor: Shawn Bettega Construction
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2023
Location: The Sea Ranch, CA

Removing the bulky peninsula made room for a sleek island with dish storage, tandem trash and recycling, a docking station, and valuable prep/buffet counter space. It also opened up the Kitchen to the property's beautiful water view and mountains in the distance. The new open floor plan made for a more ergonomic space for the owners to cook together and allowed for a more cohesive space to connect with dinner guests. SHOWN IN IMAGE: Cabinetry by Dura Supreme Cabinetry in Quarter-sawn White Oak with Butternut stain (perimeter) and Gale Force paint finish on the island, both with Carson door and drawer style.| Cambria 3cm Engineered Quartz in Haydon finish | Lunada Bay Linen 2 1/2"x9 1/2" tile in Melange | Top Knobs Torbay Pulls in Honey Bronze | Visual Comfort Parkington Double Library Wall Light in Bronze | Visual Comfort Ruhlmann 14" Factory Pendant in Bronze | Hubbardton Forge Arc Linear Pendant in Soft Gold |Bosch Counter-Depth 3-Door Refrigerator | Walls are Benjamin Moore Linen White

Kitchen - mediterranean kitchen idea in Dallas

Built on a dune overlooking Lake Michigan, this residence appears to emerge from the landscape. The project brief called for an artful house that promotes wellness and outdoor living. Rugged beauty and four-season adventure drew the owners to the area but presented challenges, including wildfire risk. The site needed a durable shelter that responsibly integrates with the environment. Clad in sand-colored stucco, the house will intentionally be obscured by grasses and junipers over time. Outdoor spaces are layered to match the undulating topography. A steel superstructure enables an ultra-thin roof with overhangs for passive solar design that withstand gale-force winds and heavy snow loads. A crushed-granite courtyard offers refuge on windy days. This space is enclosed by operable Cor-Ten panels that rotate open to reveal dune views or close for a cloistered experience. The courtyard is further defined by a deconstructed roof with an aperture that frames sky views. Expansive glazing and porcelain flooring unites interior and exterior, evoking a sense of inhabiting an infinity house. A screen porch, concealed by louvers, is a contemporary interpretation of a time-honored lake house vernacular. ​Layers of light and an edited palette of materials unify the interior and evoke a laid-back feeling of beach towns. On both levels, bronze glass walls artfully define rooms while preserving views.

Looking for revitalized perspective in their own backyard, our clients chose to stay in their neighborhood and renovate bottom to top, enlisting Moore Design Group to reimagine and transform their average home into an inspiring and restorative sanctuary. Stairs and unwanted soffits were removed, walls reconfigured, fireplaces and their surrounds re-invented, and architectural elements redefined. Beautiful hardwoods were featured in custom designed cabinetry and niches. Wide plank European oak replaced carpet, newly fabricated porcelain countertops were installed throughout, and sculptural light fixtures were hung in cavernous spaces, highlighting new outlooks. Our client’s preference for simple yet sophisticated style enabled us to set the tone by creating an elegant backdrop for a new collection of fine art and sculpture, which quietly takes center stage. More than just a surface renovation, our scope ensured that our clients’ environmental sensitivities were the driving force behind all decisions to reduce and eliminate known allergens and protect indoor air quality. Zero-VOC paints were used, a nontoxic, water-based finish was applied to natural wood cabinetry and floors, and custom upholstery was made from fire-retardant-free foams and FSC-certified woods, eliminating harmful chemicals from the home without sacrificing a trace of design.