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

Patio - farmhouse patio idea in Los Angeles

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Kitchen/dining room combo - large eclectic medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Other with gray walls

Example of a transitional u-shaped open concept kitchen design in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets and a peninsula

red area rug, concrete slab, red armchair, platform bed, floor to ceiling windows, sliding glass door, built in shelves
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary master concrete floor bedroom remodel in Denver with gray walls and a standard fireplace

Faced with extensive water damage to their home, the Patel’s turned to Cantoni designer Andrea Petor to infuse new life into their family’s beloved weekend retreat in Montgomery, Texas. Balancing the client’s minimalist wants with their love of hosting, Andrea created a cohesive design to accommodate their frequent guests and large extended family. Beginning with the kitchen remodel, Andrea worked with the Patel’s to identify the best layout for the space, understanding it would be used regularly for entertaining. To maximize storage space, Andrea designed custom floor to ceiling cabinetry finished in high gloss white lacquer. She selected Miele optic white appliances to enhance the sleek design. Andrea had a custom dining table built into the island to provide ample seating and ensure the entire family could enjoy meals together. The kitchen’s monochromatic color palette was carried throughout the interiors allowing the home’s beautiful waterfront views to take center stage. Adding richness and texture to each room, Andrea selected sculptural, modern furnishings to complete the space and bring the Patel’s vision to life.

Inspiration for a timeless two-story wood exterior home remodel in Minneapolis with a hip roof

Once a galley kitchen with a garage door at the end of it, MOTIF reconfigured the layout and moved the garage door, removed a wall and opened the kitchen to the adjacent living space, The couple who lives in this cottage-like home has a great place to cook and entertain friends. These very social homeowners can now host parties and entertain their friends and family well with the newly designed layout. A love for cooking inspired the design of the wall above the range. The cabinets were built by hand by the previous owner who was a professional carpenter. In the interest of honoring his life, we kept the boxes and reconfigured the layout while adding some new custom touches that look like they were always there.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary limestone floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen remodel in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This Cobble Hill Brownstone for a family of five is a fun and captivating design, the perfect blend of the wife’s love of English country style and the husband’s preference for modern. The young power couple, her the co-founder of Maisonette and him an investor, have three children and a dog, requiring that all the surfaces, finishes and, materials used throughout the home are both beautiful and durable to make every room a carefree space the whole family can enjoy. The primary design challenge for this project was creating both distinct places for the family to live their day to day lives and also a whole floor dedicated to formal entertainment. The clients entertain large dinners on a monthly basis as part of their profession. We solved this by adding an extension on the Garden and Parlor levels. This allowed the Garden level to function as the daily family operations center and the Parlor level to be party central. The kitchen on the garden level is large enough to dine in and accommodate a large catering crew. On the parlor level, we created a large double parlor in the front of the house; this space is dedicated to cocktail hour and after-dinner drinks. The rear of the parlor is a spacious formal dining room that can seat up to 14 guests. The middle "library" space contains a bar and facilitates access to both the front and rear rooms; in this way, it can double as a staging area for the parties. The remaining three floors are sleeping quarters for the family and frequent out of town guests. Designing a row house for private and public functions programmatically returns the building to a configuration in line with its original design. This project was published in Architectural Digest. Photography by Sam Frost

CJ South
Trendy built-in desk study room photo in Detroit with blue walls

Mid-sized urban galley concrete floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, black backsplash, stone slab backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, wood countertops and brown countertops

The homeowners sought to create a modest, modern, lakeside cottage, nestled into a narrow lot in Tonka Bay. The site inspired a modified shotgun-style floor plan, with rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials provide a soft and inviting palette for this modern home. Wood finishes in both warm and soft grey tones complement a combination of clean white walls, blue glass tiles, steel frames, and concrete surfaces. Sustainable strategies were incorporated to provide healthy living and a net-positive-energy-use home. Onsite geothermal, solar panels, battery storage, insulation systems, and triple-pane windows combine to provide independence from frequent power outages and supply excess power to the electrical grid. Photos by Corey Gaffer

Study room - mid-sized contemporary freestanding desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in Nashville with white walls

© Josh Partee 2013 Design by Vanillawood: http://www.houzz.com/pro/vanillawood/vanillawood

Hallway - mid-sized traditional dark wood floor hallway idea in Charlotte with blue walls

Example of a trendy master gray tile and green tile concrete floor, gray floor and double-sink bathroom design in San Diego with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door, white countertops, a niche and a floating vanity

This was the most frequently used phrase in the collaboration of 3 energies that resulted with this masterpiece "Cozy Elegance". The builder, the client, and the architect shared a common vision inspired by the spectacular lake front homesite. Elegant, refined, authentic; every space was carefully thought out to capture and exude the understated significance of blending nature with the home, while expressing the heritage of the owners’ life’s journey. It is a place that will inspire new memories for generations to come.