Old world detailing gets a bold new look with this modern patterned imported wool runner. Photography by Craig Claeys
Elegant staircase photo in Minneapolis

Kitchen photo in Minneapolis

Arcadia is home to many great ranch homes. Many of these homes were built with many small rooms and areas divided by walls, doors and hallways. In this project we took it upon ourselves to eliminate all these small compartments to create a great room in the center of the home. In addition, we constructed a room-addition to include a parent’s suite on the opposite side of the great room so it will have the privacy our clients wished to have. As part of the structural changes, we found that we need to completely redesign the back portion of the roof line to be higher and more unformal. This gave us an opportunity to create a 10' ceiling for the proposed kitchen. The extra space allowed us to build a second row of upper cabinets with some glass doors for showcasing our clients china collection. The design is very traditional / traditional in nature. Lots of neutral colors with white tones dominating the space. The main contrast and addition of warmth were the hickory floors that added the much-needed contrast to the quick and cooler white tones.

Example of a dining room design in Minneapolis

Today’s investment landscape in California features a surge in transforming single-family lots into vibrant multi-family residences, facilitated by recent SB9 and ADU laws. This project exemplifies how a modest 6,750-square-foot lot can accommodate a 1,500-square-foot primary home alongside a 2,500-square-foot duplex, seamlessly integrating design, functionality, and neighborhood aesthetics. The primary residence underwent a meticulous interior transformation, evolving from a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath layout into a spacious 4-bedroom, 2-bath home. Strategic reconfigurations centered around creating an expansive great room—an open-concept space adorned with vaulted ceilings—where the kitchen, dining, and living areas converge into a magnificent communal zone. Exterior updates further distinguish the property. The front and side yards are enclosed with fencing and privacy hedges, linked by concrete pathways that enhance outdoor functionality while compensating for backyard space lost during renovations. The exterior façade was refreshed with darker tones, deliberately contrasting with the duplex to emphasize architectural separation. Designed to preserve the suburban charm, the duplex visually mimics a single-family home from the street. Its facade creates an illusion of a two-story residence, maintaining harmony within the neighborhood fabric. The main unit, developed under SB9 guidelines, features three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a luxurious parents’ suite situated upstairs. Downstairs, two bedrooms share a full bath, creating a balanced family-oriented layout. The duplex’s interior boasts 9-foot ceilings throughout, elevating the sense of space and openness. The design thoughtfully places the kitchen at the front, inviting guests into the home, while stairs on the right lead to the private upstairs bedroom suite. The ADU offers a two bedroom and two & half baths. the unit is accessible via a private side entrance with a dedicated walkway. Its layout includes a ground-floor living room, a galley kitchen, and a discreet powder room beneath the stairs, designed to contain guest traffic and maintain privacy upstairs. The upstairs bedrooms each feature luxurious bathrooms with expansive showers, adding an element of modern elegance. Both units enjoy thoughtfully landscaped outdoor spaces—private patios, backyard areas, and gated front yards—creating welcoming environments for residents and visitors alike. This project exemplifies innovative urban infill solutions, blending architectural elegance with legal compliance and community harmony—an inspiring blueprint for the future of residential development in California.

A contemporary white shaker kitchen with a contrasting Dark colored quartz counter top and an unique Slate back-splash. The stainless steel appliances and a stainless steel farmhouse sink and an industrial goose neck faucet tie all the colors together into a great dramatic white kitchen. Instead of a Range unit we have installed a cook-top and a separate built-in oven underneath, this allows the continuation of the counter-top and cabinets line. Clear glass pendant lights above the island and the Scandinavian wood/iron bar stools give the additional clean and contemporary touch to the kitchen. And as a final unique detail the hardwood floor is placed in a 45 degrees angle. Photography: Shimrit Shalev

This modern tropical backyard remodel is a vibrant and stylish retreat, perfectly designed for both relaxation and entertainment. The sleek polished concrete floors of the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, offering a sophisticated yet laid-back vibe. Lush green planters made from formed concrete and wrapped in artificial wood planks are thoughtfully placed throughout the space, infusing the design with nature and enhancing the tropical atmosphere. The pool, framed with elegant white stone coping, is the centerpiece of the backyard, surrounded by bold accents of orange, green, and deep blue. It offers a refreshing escape, perfect for unwinding or cooling off. Just beside the pool, a tiki bar room addition invites guests to indulge in drinks and conversation, blending playful charm with refined design. The warm orange tones of the bar complement the surrounding deep blue and green hues, creating an inviting and vibrant ambiance. The design flows effortlessly from the outdoor space into the newly constructed ADU, an architectural gem that stands on its own. Inside, polished concrete floors continue the modern aesthetic, while the striking orange kitchen cabinets serve as an eye-catching focal point in the open-concept space. Light blue doors bring a refreshing touch, adding to the laid-back, tropical vibe throughout. This remodel combines practicality with playful luxury, making it the perfect sanctuary for both everyday living and entertaining guests.

The Granada Hills ADU project was designed from the beginning to be a replacement home for the aging mother and father of this wonderful client. The goal was to reach the max. allowed ADU size but at the same time to not affect the backyard with a pricey addition and not to build up and block the hillside view of the property. The final trick was a combination of all 3 options! We converted an extra-large 3 car garage, added about 300sq. half on the front and half on the back and the biggest trick was incorporating the existing main house guest bedroom and bath into the mix. Final result was an amazingly large and open 1100+sq 2Br+2Ba with a dedicated laundry/utility room and huge vaulted ceiling open space for the kitchen, living room and dining area. Since the parents were reaching an age where assistance will be required the entire home was done with ADA requirements in mind, both bathrooms are fully equipped with many helpful grab bars and both showers are curb less so no need to worry about a step. It’s hard to notice by the photos by the roof is a hip roof, this means exposed beams, king post and huge rafter beams that were covered with real oak wood and stained to create a contrasting effect to the lighter and brighter wood floor and color scheme. Systems wise we have a brand new electrical 3.5-ton AC unit, a 400 AMP new main panel with 2 new sub panels and of course my favorite an 80amp electrical tankless water heater and recirculation pump.

Guest bathroom / kids bathroom that was modernized a bit in style but still preserved some classical items so not to stray to far away from the houses original style. The floor is matte finish marble, same marble continues also on the pony wall and the shower dam. The shower is a walk-in shower since the space is limited and a door swinging will block the space. The vanity is made out of walnut and its completely custom made.

Example of a transitional home design design in Minneapolis

An ADU that will be mostly used as a pool house. Large French doors with a good-sized awning window to act as a serving point from the interior kitchenette to the pool side. A slick modern concrete floor finish interior is ready to withstand the heavy traffic of kids playing and dragging in water from the pool. Vaulted ceilings with whitewashed cross beams provide a sensation of space. An oversized shower with a good size vanity will make sure any guest staying over will be able to enjoy a comfort of a 5-star hotel.

In a quest to gain additional living space on this Santa Monica corner lot, an ADU proved to be the most effective solution. A second-story addition above the existing garage was carefully designed to blend seamlessly with the home’s original architectural character, resulting in a natural and cohesive extension. A small portion at the rear of the garage, previously used as a laundry area, was converted into a stairway leading to the upper level. Upstairs, the bathroom also functions as a laundry area, featuring a Jack-and-Jill layout that connects the shower space to both the hallway and the vanity/laundry zone. The shower area similarly connects to the vanity and the bedroom through a Jack-and-Jill configuration. Vaulted ceilings were a must, enhancing the sense of openness. The space is well insulated and finished with drywall throughout, creating a clean, minimalistic aesthetic across the living areas.

Example of a classic home design design in Minneapolis

Like most homes that were built as part of a development project in Thousand oaks the kitchen in this home was extremely small and enclosed from all sides with only 2 small pathways leading to it. The first think on the list was to remove the largest wall and opening the space to the living area. The kitchen is comprised from an L-shape gray cabinets and a 11' long peninsula from pewter colored cabinet and a fantastic black noir countertop. The peninsula acts as a division between the living area and the kitchen. a large window brings a lot of natural light into the space and the light pastel almost colored backsplash adds a light and bright contrast to the grays and black colors of the kitchen. The large dark cabinet pulls tie together the two portions of the kitchen.

What is Americana in today's time? The classical American ranch home has withstood the test of time and saw many styles and many designs change it every decade or so. Today we present to you our take on modern time Americana. We enclosed the small front porch area to create an interior atrium/mud room with a built-in beach with shoes storage drawers and a door leading to the garage. As you walk in you will see the fireplace with its new stone facade and wooden mantel above. Notice the design is a semi-open floor plan. A floating wall (not connected to any other walls) divides the kitchen and the living room but is still open to be able to enjoy circular movement around the house when entertaining. The kitchen is a combination of sage color with Alder wood accent cabinets and island. some cool cabinets feature like hidden garage appliances with pull out bases. extra deep base cabinets and beautiful Dekton stone countertops. This stone is almost indestructible when it comes to kitchens. The 200sq addition at the back allowed us to enlarge the master bedroom and the old bathrooms where all aligned the extension allowed us to build an additional powder room as well. A good size walk-in closet was added as well with a new master bathroom service the enlarged master bedroom. The result is what we consider today’s Americana for the classical ranch homes.

Ample sized custom wood crown molding creates an elegant finishing touch
Example of a classic home design design in Minneapolis

What is Americana in today's time? The classical American ranch home has withstood the test of time and saw many styles and many designs change it every decade or so. Today we present to you our take on modern time Americana. We enclosed the small front porch area to create an interior atrium/mud room with a built-in beach with shoes storage drawers and a door leading to the garage. As you walk in you will see the fireplace with its new stone facade and wooden mantel above. Notice the design is a semi-open floor plan. A floating wall (not connected to any other walls) divides the kitchen and the living room but is still open to be able to enjoy circular movement around the house when entertaining. The kitchen is a combination of sage color with Alder wood accent cabinets and island. some cool cabinets feature like hidden garage appliances with pull out bases. extra deep base cabinets and beautiful Dekton stone countertops. This stone is almost indestructible when it comes to kitchens. The 200sq addition at the back allowed us to enlarge the master bedroom and the old bathrooms where all aligned the extension allowed us to build an additional powder room as well. A good size walk-in closet was added as well with a new master bathroom service the enlarged master bedroom. The result is what we consider today’s Americana for the classical ranch homes.

After remodeling their Kitchen last year, we were honored by a request to remodel this cute and tiny little. guest bathroom. Wood looking tile gave the natural serenity of a spa and dark floor tile finished the look with a mid-century modern / Asian touch.

In a quest to gain additional living space on this Santa Monica corner lot, an ADU proved to be the most effective solution. A second-story addition above the existing garage was carefully designed to blend seamlessly with the home’s original architectural character, resulting in a natural and cohesive extension. A small portion at the rear of the garage, previously used as a laundry area, was converted into a stairway leading to the upper level. Upstairs, the bathroom also functions as a laundry area, featuring a Jack-and-Jill layout that connects the shower space to both the hallway and the vanity/laundry zone. The shower area similarly connects to the vanity and the bedroom through a Jack-and-Jill configuration. Vaulted ceilings were a must, enhancing the sense of openness. The space is well insulated and finished with drywall throughout, creating a clean, minimalistic aesthetic across the living areas.