Designed by Norman Ward, AIA Photo by Chad Davis, AIA
Photo of a modern full sun front yard landscaping in Dallas for winter.

Living room - mid-sized traditional formal and enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Salt Lake City with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and a tv stand

Steve Lazar's newest project, a six-bedroom residence built on a hillside peak of 30th Street in Hermosa Beach for design+build by South Swell, is a study in the functional exploitation of lot size and surrounding beauty. That, and an evolution of the designer’s singular style. Modernist in its veins, the new home has the earmarks of a Lazar design inside and out. There’s a hint of lifeguard tower in its exterior, though more muted than visible in his past projects, mainly due to a ring of rusticated wood cladding swathed around its mid-section. Other signifiers are there, too, from a row of high-perched observation windows to a slightly raised metal hip roof of soft blue. Jutting out slightly over the home, its underside dressed in tidy shiplap, the roof contrasts smartly against the clean white stucco and earthy wood of the lower levels. In all, it’s still clean-cut Lazar, but more organic than sleek. “I use a lot of the same ideas,” says Lazar, standing outside the structure while craftsmen and workers buzz around, putting finishing touches on the place. “ “I have a signature vocabulary, but I adapt it with each custom home to meet a client’s needs and maximize the particulars of that space.” Thoughtfully designed by Steve Lazar design+build by South Swell. designbuildbysouthswell.com Photography by Joel Silva.

Maple cabinets. Reeded-glass. Countertops- brown rainforest. Pendant lighting. Kid's desk behind bar is observable from the adjacent home study. Photo by Tre Dunham

Study room - transitional built-in desk light wood floor study room idea in DC Metro with yellow walls and no fireplace

Mid-sized rustic gray two-story wood exterior home idea in Sacramento

Inspiration for a study space timeless gender-neutral carpeted and beige floor kids' study room remodel with blue walls

moris moreno
Example of a bedroom and mid-sized trendy girl dark wood floor kids' bedroom design in Miami with multicolored walls

Situated on the west slope of Mt. Baker Ridge, this remodel takes a contemporary view on traditional elements to maximize space, lightness and spectacular views of downtown Seattle and Puget Sound. We were approached by Vertical Construction Group to help a client bring their 1906 craftsman into the 21st century. The original home had many redeeming qualities that were unfortunately compromised by an early 2000’s renovation. This left the new homeowners with awkward and unusable spaces. After studying numerous space plans and roofline modifications, we were able to create quality interior and exterior spaces that reflected our client’s needs and design sensibilities. The resulting master suite, living space, roof deck(s) and re-invented kitchen are great examples of a successful collaboration between homeowner and design and build teams.

42" W. × 24" H. × 2" D. Private Collection — The Arts District, Downtown Los Angeles Falco Fiorentino represents an exploration of flight, structure, and the intersection between natural form and mechanical invention. The work was inspired in part by a lifelong fascination with the studies and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, particularly his curiosity surrounding flight and the relationship between observation, engineering, and imagination.

A dramatic floating stair to the Silo Observation Room is supported by two antique timbers. Robert Benson Photography
Huge farmhouse wooden floating staircase photo in New York with wooden risers

Inspiration for a small transitional dark wood floor and brown floor mudroom remodel in Boston with yellow walls and a white front door

Our Prefab Cabins are an asset to any landscape. With an array of available options, these cabins can compliment any property as a combination guest house, meditation room, nature observation area, yoga studio, or a study.

Terry Pommett Photography
Family room - coastal family room idea in Boston

Excerpt from our website ~ While originally designed as a Pond House, this beautiful Prefab Cabin has an endless array of uses. With a 10×16 floor plan, this cabin can be a potting shed for your garden, a child’s playhouse, a space to watch the sunset or just a place to sit by the pond. Here at the Jamaica Cottage Shop we feel that our Prefab Cabins are an asset to any landscape. With an array of available options, these cabins can compliment any property as a combination guest house, meditation room, nature observation area, yoga studio, and sometimes, a study.

Custom design Craftsman Style close up of trim around doors
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman master carpeted bedroom remodel in Austin with beige walls and no fireplace

This inverse cove provides a soft wash for the fireplace as it disappears into the ceiling. Architecture: Mosaic Architects, Boulder, Colorado
Example of a trendy family room design in Denver

When the owners of this Sea Ranch property approached David Moulton AIA and Empire Construction they were seeking our help to answer a couple of design challenges. The first challenge was to create a weather proof walkway between the main house, a separate building that served as a study, and an adjacent bedroom over the garage. Between these buildings there was a beautiful collection of towering Redwood trees and a glade of ferns. Over the years the owners had observed that a wonderful array of wildlife made their way across the property through these tress and ferns. It was not unusual to glance out their window and see Deer, Jackrabbits, Fox and the occasional Bobcat between the trees. Longtime lovers of the forest and native landscape, as well as avid dog and cat owners, they felt very strongly that the design include the preservation of each and every tree, the glade of ferns and the wildlife thoroughfare. From the start then, the design required something suspended above the landscape.

When the owners of this Sea Ranch property approached David Moulton AIA and Empire Construction they were seeking our help to answer a couple of design challenges. The first challenge was to create a weather proof walkway between the main house, a separate building that served as a study, and an adjacent bedroom over the garage. Between these buildings there was a beautiful collection of towering Redwood trees and a glade of ferns. Over the years the owners had observed that a wonderful array of wildlife made their way across the property through these tress and ferns. It was not unusual to glance out their window and see Deer, Jackrabbits, Fox and the occasional Bobcat between the trees. Longtime lovers of the forest and native landscape, as well as avid dog and cat owners, they felt very strongly that the design include the preservation of each and every tree, the glade of ferns and the wildlife thoroughfare. From the start then, the design required something suspended above the landscape.