A new skylight was strategically placed above this desk nook.
Study room - mid-sized mediterranean built-in desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room idea in Los Angeles with beige walls

As readers of architect/designer Katie Hutchison’s book The New Cottage (Taunton Press 2018), these homeowners approached KHS about designing a second home in Westerly, Rhode Island. Theirs is a double-long lot with street frontage on both ends, a short walk from the water. In addition to the new house, their wish list included a new lap pool (with associated patio) and new garage. Aesthetically, they were looking to create an informally elegant, human-scaled family compound, engaged with the site and connected with the outdoors. They further requested sustainable features/systems and low-maintenance materials. In response, KHS proposed an ell-shaped house that wraps two sides of a lap pool/patio. A porch-fronted two-story gabled component faces the main street and is flanked by the one-story primary suite in one leg of the ell and the one-story kitchen and rear porches in the other leg of the ell. The house is an efficient +/- 2800 square-feet and contains four bedrooms and three and one half bathrooms. A salt-box inspired garage is detached so as not to increase the building massing. It helps shape outdoor spaces and doesn’t block daylight and direct exterior access from the house. It faces the secondary street. Driveways off both streets offer different modes of arrival. The south-facing roof of the two-story volume – which includes three bedrooms and two baths – and the south-facing one-story roof of the kitchen and rear porches, as well as the south-facing roof of the garage support 47 photovoltaic solar panels, providing the bulk of the property’s electric power. Two oversized exterior folding glass doors off the living area and kitchen blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors, welcoming abundant daylight, views of the pool and patio, as well as summer breezes. An airy living/dining area includes a long custom window seat and borders a semi-open kitchen beneath a cathedral ceiling. Living area built-in shelving frames a TV and surrounds a modern efficient pellet stove. A cheerful interior palette of soft hues features pops of color, Scandinavian wallpapers, custom textiles, and a dash of warm wood accents in the form of counters, built-in desks, and custom furnishings. On the exterior, natural shingles side the main volume and environmentally friendly and durable Boral board-and-batten side the one-story components and garage, communicating a legible hierarchy of spaces. The overall effect is a breezy, crisp New England home, pool patio, and garage for today’s living.

John Granen
Home office - modern built-in desk home office idea

Transitional patio photo in Los Angeles

Photography by Ron Blunt Photography, Hedgesville, West Virginia
Cottage white gable roof idea in DC Metro

Inspiration for a mid-sized full sun backyard landscaping in Other for spring.

A reading room that is washed in beautiful natural light. Window seats make this space a delight for a reader.
Example of a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor sunroom design in New York with a standard ceiling

Custom white grommet bunk beds model white gray bedding, a trundle feature and striped curtains. A wooden ladder offers a natural finish to the bedroom decor around shiplap bunk bed trim. Light gray walls in Benjamin Moore Classic Gray compliment the surrounding color theme while red pillows offer a pop of contrast contributing to a nautical vibe. Polished concrete floors add an industrial feature to this open bedroom space.

Photo of a mid-sized coastal full sun backyard brick and wood fence formal garden in Boston for spring.

We designed this writer's studio in tandem with an urban backyard and hardscaping renovation. Originally this building was to be a new garage, but the owner liked it so much that halfway through the process, he decided to forgo a garage in favor of an office. Photo: Anna M Campbell: annamcampbell.com

Joe Kwon Photography
Classic stone front porch idea in Chicago with a roof extension

Raw steel forms the surround of the fireplace at the Crooked Bow Tie House.
Example of a trendy open concept living room design with a metal fireplace

Designer: Antonio Martins Antonio Martins Interior Design Inc. http://www.antoniomartins.com Architect: Nick Noyes Nick Noyes Architecture http://www.nnarchitecture.com

Example of a large mountain style backyard stone and custom-shaped hot tub design in Other

Photography by Nathan Webb, AIA
This is an example of a mid-sized farmhouse stone porch design in DC Metro with a roof extension.

Easton, Maryland Traditional Kitchen Design by #JenniferGilmer with a lake view http://gilmerkitchens.com/ Photography by Bob Narod

Photo: Carolyn Reyes © 2016 Houzz Master Closet
Example of a classic closet design in Los Angeles

Mid-sized southwestern brown two-story stucco exterior home idea in Phoenix with a green roof

Photography by Nathan Webb, AIA
Eclectic freestanding desk home office library photo in DC Metro with black walls