Shou sugi ban, weathered mesquite wood and white walls around found throughout this modern home, including in the stairway.
Staircase - modern wooden straight metal railing staircase idea in Austin

Inspiration for a large 1950s galley dark wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Our client’s goal was to create a small, high-performance, healthy home for herself and her teenage son while providing a place for her father to age in place. An attached private accessory dwelling provides a space for him as well as flexibility in the future. The new home was designed to minimize its footprint on site, made smaller than the original 1930’s house. Embracing adaptability and efficiency, the residence includes two dwellings: a one-bedroom 795 square-foot accessory dwelling at the lower grade and a two-story 1330 square-foot primary dwelling located above. Involved in all aspects of project execution, our client oversaw the process by living in a used trailer parked in the backyard throughout the project’s construction. Family-Share focused on maximizing the footprint’s performance, access to natural light and the health of the occupants. Sustainable features include high-performance glazing, solar preheat for domestic and hot water in-floor heating and reclaimed fir car decking rainscreen siding.

Marvelous Desk
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern freestanding desk light wood floor and beige floor study room remodel in New York with white walls

Our client’s goal was to create a small, high-performance, healthy home for herself and her teenage son while providing a place for her father to age in place. An attached private accessory dwelling provides a space for him as well as flexibility in the future. The new home was designed to minimize its footprint on site, made smaller than the original 1930’s house. Embracing adaptability and efficiency, the residence includes two dwellings: a one-bedroom 795 square-foot accessory dwelling at the lower grade and a two-story 1330 square-foot primary dwelling located above. Involved in all aspects of project execution, our client oversaw the process by living in a used trailer parked in the backyard throughout the project’s construction. Family-Share focused on maximizing the footprint’s performance, access to natural light and the health of the occupants. Sustainable features include high-performance glazing, solar preheat for domestic and hot water in-floor heating and reclaimed fir car decking rainscreen siding.

Winner of the 2018 Tour of Homes Best Remodel, this whole house re-design of a 1963 Bennet & Johnson mid-century raised ranch home is a beautiful example of the magic we can weave through the application of more sustainable modern design principles to existing spaces. We worked closely with our client on extensive updates to create a modernized MCM gem. Extensive alterations include: - a completely redesigned floor plan to promote a more intuitive flow throughout - vaulted the ceilings over the great room to create an amazing entrance and feeling of inspired openness - redesigned entry and driveway to be more inviting and welcoming as well as to experientially set the mid-century modern stage - the removal of a visually disruptive load bearing central wall and chimney system that formerly partitioned the homes’ entry, dining, kitchen and living rooms from each other - added clerestory windows above the new kitchen to accentuate the new vaulted ceiling line and create a greater visual continuation of indoor to outdoor space - drastically increased the access to natural light by increasing window sizes and opening up the floor plan - placed natural wood elements throughout to provide a calming palette and cohesive Pacific Northwest feel - incorporated Universal Design principles to make the home Aging In Place ready with wide hallways and accessible spaces, including single-floor living if needed - moved and completely redesigned the stairway to work for the home’s occupants and be a part of the cohesive design aesthetic - mixed custom tile layouts with more traditional tiling to create fun and playful visual experiences - custom designed and sourced MCM specific elements such as the entry screen, cabinetry and lighting - development of the downstairs for potential future use by an assisted living caretaker - energy efficiency upgrades seamlessly woven in with much improved insulation, ductless mini splits and solar gain

Robert Benson For Charles Hilton Architects From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

The client’s brief was to create a space reminiscent of their beloved downtown Chicago industrial loft, in a rural farm setting, while incorporating their unique collection of vintage and architectural salvage. The result is a custom designed space that blends life on the farm with an industrial sensibility. The new house is located on approximately the same footprint as the original farm house on the property. Barely visible from the road due to the protection of conifer trees and a long driveway, the house sits on the edge of a field with views of the neighbouring 60 acre farm and creek that runs along the length of the property. The main level open living space is conceived as a transparent social hub for viewing the landscape. Large sliding glass doors create strong visual connections with an adjacent barn on one end and a mature black walnut tree on the other. The house is situated to optimize views, while at the same time protecting occupants from blazing summer sun and stiff winter winds. The wall to wall sliding doors on the south side of the main living space provide expansive views to the creek, and allow for breezes to flow throughout. The wrap around aluminum louvered sun shade tempers the sun. The subdued exterior material palette is defined by horizontal wood siding, standing seam metal roofing and large format polished concrete blocks. The interiors were driven by the owners’ desire to have a home that would properly feature their unique vintage collection, and yet have a modern open layout. Polished concrete floors and steel beams on the main level set the industrial tone and are paired with a stainless steel island counter top, backsplash and industrial range hood in the kitchen. An old drinking fountain is built-in to the mudroom millwork, carefully restored bi-parting doors frame the library entrance, and a vibrant antique stained glass panel is set into the foyer wall allowing diffused coloured light to spill into the hallway. Upstairs, refurbished claw foot tubs are situated to view the landscape. The double height library with mezzanine serves as a prominent feature and quiet retreat for the residents. The white oak millwork exquisitely displays the homeowners’ vast collection of books and manuscripts. The material palette is complemented by steel counter tops, stainless steel ladder hardware and matte black metal mezzanine guards. The stairs carry the same language, with white oak open risers and stainless steel woven wire mesh panels set into a matte black steel frame. The overall effect is a truly sublime blend of an industrial modern aesthetic punctuated by personal elements of the owners’ storied life. Photography: James Brittain

Six Light Plank Craftsman door with two Side Lights and an Arched Transom, made with Knotty Alder and Bevel Glass
Example of a large transitional slate floor front door design in San Francisco with gray walls and a brown front door

"There are only three walls in the house that are not white, and two of them were painted that way when we moved in," explains Bobbie. She chose a very dark blue for the wall in the dining room to set off the warmth of wooden furnishings. Whereas two other walls are essentially glass, the darkness of the paint envelops occupants and creates a sense of intimacy. The 1960's Lane dining table was an auction win. "Ninety percent of our home décor is vintage from the 1950s and 1960s, and we use everything," Bobbie says. "Other than electronics, kitchen items, towels and bed linens, I rarely buy anything that is brand new anymore!" Wall Color: Mysterious, Benjamin Moore Adrienne DeRosa Photography © 2013 Houzz

Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in Melbourne

Example of a mid-sized mid-century modern 3/4 blue tile and subway tile alcove bathtub design in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink and quartz countertops

Inspiration for a mid-sized mid-century modern master white tile and mosaic tile marble floor freestanding bathtub remodel in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink and quartz countertops

Douglas VanderHorn Architects From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

Whether crafting is a hobby or a full-time occupation, it requires space and organization. Any space in your home can be transformed into a fun and functional craft room – whether it’s a guest room, empty basement, laundry room or small niche. Replete with built-in cabinets and desks, or islands for sewing centers, you’re no longer relegated to whatever empty room is available for your creative crafting space. An ideal outlet to spark your creativity, a well-designed craft room will provide you with access to all of your tools and supplies as well as a place to spread out and work comfortably. Designed to cleverly fit into any unused space, a custom craft room is the perfect place for scrapbooking, sewing, and painting for everyone.

Benjamin Benschneider
Freestanding bathtub - mid-sized modern master glass tile porcelain tile freestanding bathtub idea in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount sink and quartz countertops

Example of a mid-sized 1950s master white tile and mosaic tile marble floor freestanding bathtub design in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink and quartz countertops

Robert Benson For Charles Hilton Architects From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

Conceived more similar to a loft type space rather than a traditional single family home, the homeowner was seeking to challenge a normal arrangement of rooms in favor of spaces that are dynamic in all 3 dimensions, interact with the yard, and capture the movement of light and air. As an artist that explores the beauty of natural objects and scenes, she tasked us with creating a building that was not precious - one that explores the essence of its raw building materials and is not afraid of expressing them as finished. We designed opportunities for kinetic fixtures, many built by the homeowner, to allow flexibility and movement. The result is a building that compliments the casual artistic lifestyle of the occupant as part home, part work space, part gallery. The spaces are interactive, contemplative, and fun. More details to come. credits: design: Matthew O. Daby - m.o.daby design construction: Cellar Ridge Construction structural engineer: Darla Wall - Willamette Building Solutions photography: Erin Riddle - KLIK Concepts