Set on ten acres abutting protected conservation land, the zoning for this site allowed for a creative multi-unit residential project. The design concept created a sustainable modern farm community of three distinct structures. A sense of individuality is established between the buildings, while a comprehensive site design references historic farms with a home-like, residential scale. An existing structure was renovated to house three condo units, featuring sliding barn doors and floor-to-ceiling storefront glass in the great room, with 25’ ceilings. Across a circular cobblestone drive, a new house and barn structure houses two condo units. Connecting both units, a garage references a carriage house and barn with small square windows above and large bays at ground level to mimic barn bays. There is no parking lot for the site – instead garages and a few individual parking spaces preserve the scale of a natural farm property. Patios and yards in the rear of each unit offer private access to the lush natural surroundings and space for entertaining.

A dramatic entry with brick piers and apron opening to an asphalt driveway, ending in a drive court detailed with a cushwa brick medallion inlay. The drive is lined with the same brick curb that pulls from the brick inlay above the great window at the homes entry. The apron is also trimmed with a soldier course of brick. The hedge is boxwood, underplanted with hosta and ground cover. The gardens in the background are filled with 'Tina' crabapple, Hydrangea, boxwood, and Pachysandra ground cover. Photo Credit: Linda Oyama Bryan

Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Austin

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary front yard landscaping in San Francisco.

Laundry room - cottage laundry room idea in Charlotte

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern kids' linoleum floor bathroom remodel in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, a two-piece toilet and gray walls

LETTER FOUR worked directly with the developer to create a gorgeous property. We were instrumental executing the design and in the selection of interior and exterior finishes, fixtures, cabinetry, lighting. The target buyer for this home was a young professional individual or couple looking for a modern turn-key residence with an open floor plan and indoor-outdoor living.

Small farmhouse white two-story wood gable roof photo in Austin

Bob O'Connor
Nursery - contemporary gender-neutral white floor nursery idea in Boston with multicolored walls

Example of a transitional master white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor and multicolored floor freestanding bathtub design in Charlotte with dark wood cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door, black countertops and flat-panel cabinets

Michael Patrick Porter, AIA
Trendy freestanding desk home office photo in Santa Barbara with white walls

LETTER FOUR worked directly with the developer to create a gorgeous property. We were instrumental executing the design and in the selection of interior and exterior finishes, fixtures, cabinetry, lighting. The target buyer for this home was a young professional individual or couple looking for a modern turn-key residence with an open floor plan and indoor-outdoor living.

Example of a trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor powder room design in Los Angeles with gray walls, an integrated sink, gray countertops and a freestanding vanity

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects and Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Designed and built a new warm, modern, Eichler-inspired, open, indoor-outdoor home on a deeper-than-usual San Mateo Highlands property where an original Eichler house had burned to the ground. The owners wanted multi-generational living and larger spaces than the original home offered, but all parties agreed that the house should respect the neighborhood and blend in stylistically with the other Eichlers. At first the Klopf team considered re-using what little was left of the original home and expanding on it. But after discussions with the owner and builder, all parties agreed that the last few remaining elements of the house were not practical to re-use, so Klopf Architecture designed a new home that pushes the Eichler approach in new directions. One disadvantage of Eichler production homes is that the house designs were not optimized for each specific lot. A new custom home offered the team a chance to start over. In this case, a longer house that opens up sideways to the south fit the lot better than the original square-ish house that used to open to the rear (west). Accordingly, the Klopf team designed an L-shaped “bar” house with a large glass wall with large sliding glass doors that faces sideways instead of to the rear like a typical Eichler. This glass wall opens to a pool and landscaped yard designed by Arterra Landscape Architects. Driving by the house, one might assume at first glance it is an Eichler because of the horizontality, the overhanging flat roof eaves, the dark gray vertical siding, and orange solid panel front door, but the house is designed for the 21st Century and is not meant to be a “Likeler.” You won't see any posts and beams in this home. Instead, the ceiling decking is a western red cedar that covers over all the beams. Like Eichlers, this cedar runs continuously from inside to out, enhancing the indoor / outdoor feeling of the house, but unlike Eichlers it conceals a cavity for lighting, wiring, and insulation. Ceilings are higher, rooms are larger and more open, the master bathroom is light-filled and more generous, with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet compartment, and there is plenty of storage. The garage even easily fits two of today's vehicles with room to spare. A massive 49-foot by 12-foot wall of glass and the continuity of materials from inside to outside enhance the inside-outside living concept, so the owners and their guests can flow freely from house to pool deck to BBQ to pool and back. During construction in the rough framing stage, Klopf thought the front of the house appeared too tall even though the house had looked right in the design renderings (probably because the house is uphill from the street). So Klopf Architecture paid the framer to change the roofline from how we had designed it to be lower along the front, allowing the home to blend in better with the neighborhood. One project goal was for people driving up the street to pass the home without immediately noticing there is an "imposter" on this lot, and making that change was essential to achieve that goal. This 2,606 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Eichler-inspired new house is located in San Mateo in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Contractor: Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Photography ©2016 Mariko Reed Location: San Mateo, CA Year completed: 2016

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

Dining rooms in Parisian apartments serve as a way for the owner to express their individuality and creativity, and to make a statement about their personal style and taste. They are a reflection not just of the owner's love of good food and wine, but also of their passion for design and beauty.

We added cattle panels on top of the pergola for the vines to grow onto and provide shade below. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara
Entryway - industrial entryway idea in Austin

Example of a beach style exterior home design in Miami

Nikolas Koenig
Mudroom - huge rustic mudroom idea