Formerly the site of a medical laboratory, Rosenberg Kolb redesigned this townhouse to accommodate a single family residence and home office. The original building had been very badly neglected for many years. The structure dates to the late 19th Century. Rosenberg Kolb restored and opened up the space considerably. The upper three floors were combined into a single residence, while the ground floor and basement were converted into office space. Working with a strict budget, Rosenberg Kolb employed a mixed of high-end and more economical finishes to keep costs down while still maintaining a high standard for design and beauty.

This Dutch Renaissance Revival style Brownstone located in a historic district of the Crown heights neighborhood of Brooklyn was built in 1899. The brownstone was converted to a boarding house in the 1950’s and experienced many years of neglect which made much of the interior detailing unsalvageable with the exception of the stairwell. Therefore the new owners decided to gut renovate the majority of the home, converting it into a four family home. The bottom two units are owner occupied, the design of each includes common elements yet also reflects the style of each owner. Both units have modern kitchens with new high end appliances and stone countertops. They both have had the original wood paneling restored or repaired and both feature large open bathrooms with freestanding tubs, marble slab walls and radiant heated concrete floors. The garden apartment features an open living/dining area that flows through the kitchen to get to the outdoor space. In the kitchen and living room feature large steel French doors which serve to bring the outdoors in. The garden was fully renovated and features a deck with a pergola. Other unique features of this apartment include a modern custom crown molding, a bright geometric tiled fireplace and the labyrinth wallpaper in the powder room. The upper two floors were designed as rental units and feature open kitchens/living areas, exposed brick walls and white subway tiled bathrooms.

Built in 1853, this landmark townhouse suffered from decades of neglect. The new residence combines original materials such as the wide plank subfloors discovered beneath warped and rotted parquet with new insertions like the parlor floor steel structure and barn door. Energy conservation modifications including a fluid applied air barrier, continuous exterior wall insulation and a pair of compact boilers are hidden behind new interior finishes. Sprinkled throughout the house are rescued elements ranging from door knobs to a claw foot tub with a fresh coat of bright green paint. Photos by Archphoto | Ines Leong.

A family of passionate athletes and sports aficionados embarked on a remarkable endeavor alongside our team and Studio M Merge. Their vision? To breathe new life into their outdated mid-century modern home and neglected pool, resulting in the dramatic “Sports Enthusiasts’ Hideaway.” The transformative journey focused on opening the interior spaces out toward the beautiful gardens and amenities. The renewed house features expanded open-plan living areas, a new bedroom, and a reimagined primary bath. An attached ADU added a sports bar and a flexible office space that can double as a private guest bedroom. The outdoor spaces were brought to life with the addition of expansive decks, inviting patios, a horseshoe pit, a basketball half-court, refreshing plunge pools, and a lush sports lawn. A pool house artfully frames the view from the pool to the neighboring golf course. This family of five finds themselves immersed in their expanded home and experiential outdoor hideaway. Every element has been thoughtfully designed to cater to their favorite activities, providing a peaceful haven where they can fully indulge their shared passion for sports. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Geoff Campen
Interior Architectural Design: Klopf Architecture
Landscape Architect: Studio M Merge
Contractor: Flegels Construction
Landscape Contractor: Frank & Grossman (phase 1), Garden Group (phase 2)
Photography: ©2013-2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2012 through 2020 Location: Los Gatos, CA

The Randolph flip is another successful project by an energetic client always looking to fix up a very uncared home and flip it to a lucky buyer. The end result is a very open clean house with many beautiful features. THis home had been neglected for years starting on the outside with very overgrown landscaping making it a very unfriendly looking home nobody would want to approach. We cleaned up the yard gave it some new bright siding. But the real magic happened on the inside by opening up the living room, kitchen and dining area creating a welcome and entertaining amenable space. We relocated the kitchen to give it a better flow and allowing for the kitchen to enlarge in size. Created a more friendly family room by refacing the fireplace in stone and giving everything a fresh look. Upstairs we expanded the master bedroom and gave it a beautiful master bathroom. Take a look and see the transformation! Front door photography, llc

Two empty nesters based in Oakland Township wanted to reimagine their living room to create a more welcoming, cozy space for themselves and their dog. Their key problem was that they barely ever used their formal dining room, as the furniture was dated, and a worn-out design made the space uninviting. The clients wanted to create a beautiful, well-designed formal living room space where they could host get-togethers for their friends. They also wanted to ensure we incorporated their piano as a core feature in their new soft pastel aesthetic. We transformed their formal living room into a pretty haven just perfect for hosting by adding a soft elegance with sconces, floor and table lamps, new sofa and accent chairs in calming white and blues, and a contemporary area rug to ground the conversation area and add some interesting texture. No longer a neglected space in their home, this new formal living room created a welcoming, cozy environment the clients couldn’t wait to show off to their friends and family at social gatherings. With a mirrored glass cocktail table complete with a pewter frame for a touch of bling, exciting artwork that beautifully matched their taste, and luxurious custom pillows and window treatments to tie it all together, this formal living room finally felt like one.

Neglected Garden bed and pool area resurfaced, cleaned and painted.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard raised garden bed in Los Angeles for summer.

some simple structural changes made for a much more satisfying family living space, plus a new bank of functional glass panels added a whole new dimension of connection to the previously neglected side yard.

Before- The old deck was neglected for many years before our client's bought the house. The two story deck on the back of the home did not connect to the pool area in the side yard. The client's would have to go through the house from the deck to access the pool area. The clients hired us to repair and refinish the existing decks and build an extension to connect to the pool area.

Extensive or compact, no details will be neglected
Example of a minimalist l-shaped white floor enclosed kitchen design in Los Angeles with a single-bowl sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, green backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and green countertops

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard mulch vegetable garden landscape in Denver for spring.

A family of passionate athletes and sports aficionados embarked on a remarkable endeavor alongside our team and Studio M Merge. Their vision? To breathe new life into their outdated mid-century modern home and neglected pool, resulting in the dramatic “Sports Enthusiasts’ Hideaway.” The transformative journey focused on opening the interior spaces out toward the beautiful gardens and amenities. The renewed house features expanded open-plan living areas, a new bedroom, and a reimagined primary bath. An attached ADU added a sports bar and a flexible office space that can double as a private guest bedroom. The outdoor spaces were brought to life with the addition of expansive decks, inviting patios, a horseshoe pit, a basketball half-court, refreshing plunge pools, and a lush sports lawn. A pool house artfully frames the view from the pool to the neighboring golf course. This family of five finds themselves immersed in their expanded home and experiential outdoor hideaway. Every element has been thoughtfully designed to cater to their favorite activities, providing a peaceful haven where they can fully indulge their shared passion for sports. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Geoff Campen
Interior Architectural Design: Klopf Architecture
Landscape Architect: Studio M Merge
Contractor: Flegels Construction
Landscape Contractor: Frank & Grossman (phase 1), Garden Group (phase 2)
Photography: ©2013-2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2012 through 2020 Location: Los Gatos, CA

Neglected Garden bed and pool area resurfaced, cleaned and painted.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard raised garden bed in Los Angeles for summer.

Neglected Garden bed and pool area resurfaced, cleaned and painted.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard raised garden bed in Los Angeles for summer.

Richard Morris Hunt, the Dean of American Architecture, designed Le Chalet on Bellevue Avenue in Newport in 1870. Hunt chose the Stick Style for the 9,700 square-foot summer cottage after garnering significant attention for his Stick Style design of the Griswold House, now the NewportArt Museum. Hunt’s original plans for Le Chalet called for an ornate Stick Style edifice, extensive porches, cast iron roof cresting, and a large two-story carriage house. However, these plans, especially the interiors, were believed to be scaled back at the time of construction. Le Chalet had a succession of owners, each of whom made minor alterations to the home. When the clients purchased the property the house had lost significant detail on its east elevation, was in a neglected state and warranted a full renovation.

Planned for a succession of bloom, this previously neglected side yard space now delights the homeowner, and will look even fuller and more colorful as the years pass. The desert willow, Chilopsis linearis 'Bubba' is a big draw for bees and pollinators.

Location: Cohasset, MA, USA When my clients purchased this historic house, they saw that this garden held great potential, even though the property had been somewhat neglected. They wanted the new landscape to evoke the feeling of an Olde Maine house that time had forgotten. Sitting on the front veranda in the shade of the treasured Horse Chestnut and Maple trees that flank each side of the house, we explored the possibilities together. The front yard sloped a bit too much for comfort, so we determined that building a stone wall in the middle would create a terrace, making both parts of the lawn more usable. Visions of parties and children's weddings came to mind. We put a set of elegant arching steps in the middle, leading down to the sunken garden. Large, mature Rhododendrons were planted at the base of the Horse Chestnut and Maple trees just off the front veranda. Boxwoods undulate beneath the trees with Vinca as a ground cover. Ticonderoga stone was used for the walls and steps, which was the closest match to the existing stone foundation. The exquisite masonry by Doug Brooks Masonry makes this staircase as elegant as a tiered wedding cake. The front veranda is furnished with comfortable pieces and simple ferns, where they sit in the shade, watching sunsets on the harbor.

The owners of this DC row house needed to convert the once neglected catch all space into a functioning guest room and home office. The result, a cool gray pallet with pops of red. The minimalist approach to this tiny space makes a bold striking statement while leaving just enough room for guest to feel at home.

Upon acquiring the property, the homeowner faced a compact backyard dominated by a neglected lawn that offered little usability. The ambition was not only to enhance the outdoor space's utility but to inject it with vibrant aesthetics and dynamism through the hardscape. To bring this vision to life, we embraced a palette of colorful materials, choosing multicolored concrete, pavers, and tiles that introduce a playful yet sophisticated charm. Further creativity was applied in the design through the use of curvy lines that flow organically throughout the space, leading the eye and inviting movement. Beach rocks were thoughtfully embedded into decorative bands, adding a tactile and visual texture that complements the curvilinear approach. This strategic combination of color, texture, and form transformed the backyard into a visually stimulating and highly functional outdoor living area.