The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home. Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials. The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond. The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival. Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces. This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”. Overview Ranch Creek Ranch Winter Park, Colorado Completion Date October, 2007 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Ronda Batchelor's laundry room is supper efficent now. She took used cabinets and spray painted them gray, faux painted a second hand countertop to create a folding table. Dirty clothes bins tuck neatly underneath.

We painted these cabinets in a satin lacquer tinted to Benjamin Moore's "River Reflections". What a difference! Photo by Matthew Niemann
Inspiration for a huge timeless single-wall dedicated laundry room remodel in Austin with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer, white countertops and beige cabinets

Jimmy White
Large trendy open concept dark wood floor family room photo in Tampa with beige walls, no fireplace and a concealed tv

Elegant l-shaped black floor and wallpaper laundry room photo in Atlanta with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and black countertops

This light and airy laundry room/mudroom beckons you with two beautiful white capiz seashell pendant lights, custom floor to ceiling cabinetry with crown molding, raised washer and dryer with storage underneath, wooden folding counter, and wall paper accent wall

Design by Abby Wolf Weiss Interiors | photo by Jessica Claire | www.jessicaclaire.net
Transitional kitchen photo in Los Angeles with raised-panel cabinets, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white backsplash

Mid-sized farmhouse white two-story wood exterior home idea in Other with a shingle roof

Kitchen - large industrial medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen idea in Philadelphia with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, ceramic backsplash and a single-bowl sink

Inspiration for a coastal single-wall brown floor laundry room remodel in Minneapolis with green walls, a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Laundry room - coastal laundry room idea in Los Angeles

Example of a cottage l-shaped kitchen design in Sacramento with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Dedicated laundry room - coastal single-wall white floor dedicated laundry room idea in Other with an undermount sink, blue cabinets, multicolored walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Architect: Tim Brown Architecture. Photographer: Casey Fry
Dedicated laundry room - large country single-wall concrete floor and gray floor dedicated laundry room idea in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, a side-by-side washer/dryer, blue cabinets, marble countertops, blue walls and white countertops

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.

Photography by Matt Sartain
Small transitional single-wall dark wood floor and brown floor laundry closet photo in San Francisco with white cabinets, marble countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer, shaker cabinets, white countertops and white walls

Photography by Picture Perfect House
Dedicated laundry room - mid-sized transitional single-wall porcelain tile and gray floor dedicated laundry room idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards Sara and Paul Matthews call their head-turning home, located in a sweet neighborhood just up the hill from downtown Petoskey, “a very human story.” Indeed it is. Sara and her husband, Paul, have a special-needs son as well as an energetic middle-school daughter. This home has an answer for everyone. Located down the street from the school, it is ideally situated for their daughter and a self-contained apartment off the great room accommodates all their son’s needs while giving his caretakers privacy—and the family theirs. The Matthews began the building process by taking their thoughts and needs to Stephanie Baldwin and her team at Edgewater Design Group. Beyond the above considerations, they wanted their new home to be low maintenance and to stand out architecturally, “But not so much that anyone would complain that it didn’t work in our neighborhood,” says Sara. “We were thrilled that Edgewater listened to us and were able to give us a unique-looking house that is meeting all our needs.” Lombardy LLC built this handsome home with Paul working alongside the construction crew throughout the project. The low maintenance exterior is a cutting-edge blend of stacked stone, black corrugated steel, black framed windows and Douglas fir soffits—elements that add up to an organic contemporary look. The use of black steel, including interior beams and the staircase system, lend an industrial vibe that is courtesy of the Matthews’ friend Dan Mello of Trimet Industries in Traverse City. The couple first met Dan, a metal fabricator, a number of years ago, right around the time they found out that their then two-year-old son would never be able to walk. After the couple explained to Dan that they couldn’t find a solution for a child who wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair, he designed a comfortable, rolling chair that was just perfect. They still use it. The couple’s gratitude for the chair resulted in a trusting relationship with Dan, so it was natural for them to welcome his talents into their home-building process. A maple floor finished to bring out all of its color-tones envelops the room in warmth. Alder doors and trim and a Doug fir ceiling reflect that warmth. Clearstory windows and floor-to-ceiling window banks fill the space with light—and with views of the spacious grounds that will become a canvas for Paul, a retired landscaper. The couple’s vibrant art pieces play off against modernist furniture and lighting that is due to an inspired collaboration between Sara and interior designer Kelly Paulsen. “She was absolutely instrumental to the project,” Sara says. “I went through two designers before I finally found Kelly.” The open clean-lined kitchen, butler’s pantry outfitted with a beverage center and Miele coffee machine (that allows guests to wait on themselves when Sara is cooking), and an outdoor room that centers around a wood-burning fireplace, all make for easy, fabulous entertaining. A den just off the great room houses the big-screen television and Sara’s loom— making for relaxing evenings of weaving, game watching and togetherness. Tourgoers will leave understanding that this house is everything great design should be. Form following function—and solving very human issues with soul-soothing style.

Landmark
Inspiration for a huge transitional white two-story stucco exterior home remodel in Minneapolis with a shingle roof