Walls were removed to open up this high rise condo on the Gulf of Mexico. Wide plank flooring throughout adds to the spacious open feeling.
Mid-sized transitional open concept and formal light wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Miami with gray walls and a tv stand

Overview Whole house refurbishment, double storey wrap around extension and large loft conversion. The Brief Create a WOW factor space, add glamour and fun and give the house a street side and garden side, both different. Our Solution This project was exciting from the start, the client wanted to entertain in a WOW factor space, have a panoramic view of the garden (which was to be landscaped), add bedrooms and a great master suite. We had some key elements to introduce such as an aquarium separating two rooms; double height spaces and a gloss kitchen, all of which manifest themselves in the completed scheme. Architecture is a process taking a schedule of areas, some key desires and needs, mixing the functionality and creating space. New spaces transform a house making it more valuable, giving it kerb appeal and making it feel like a different building. All of which happened at Ailsa Road.

Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal single-wall light wood floor and brown floor wet bar remodel in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, porcelain backsplash and white countertops

The chance to build a lakeside weekend home in rural NC provided this Chapel Hill family with an opportunity to ditch convention and think outside the box. For instance, we traded the traditional boat dock with what's become known as the "party dock"… a floating lounge of sorts, complete with wet bar, TV, swimmer's platform, and plenty of spots for watching the water fun. Inside, we turned one bedroom into a gym with climbing wall - and dropped the idea of a dining room, in favor of a deep upholstered niche and shuffleboard table. Outdoor drapery helped blur the lines between indoor spaces and exterior porches filled with upholstery, swings, and places for lazy napping. And after the sun goes down....smores, anyone? John Bessler

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects, and Flegels Construction updated a classic Eichler open, indoor-outdoor home. Expanding on the original walls of glass and connection to nature that is common in mid-century modern homes. The completely openable walls allow the homeowners to truly open up the living space of the house, transforming it into an open air pavilion, extending the living area outdoors to the private side yards, and taking maximum advantage of indoor-outdoor living opportunities. Taking the concept of borrowed landscape from traditional Japanese architecture, the fountain, concrete bench wall, and natural landscaping bound the indoor-outdoor space. The Truly Open Eichler is a remodeled single-family house in Palo Alto. This 1,712 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom is located in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Geoff Campen, and Angela Todorova Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Structural Engineer: Brian Dotson Consulting Engineers Contractor: Flegels Construction Photography ©2014 Mariko Reed Location: Palo Alto, CA Year completed: 2014

Inspiration for a mediterranean galley beige floor kitchen remodel in Orange County with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, two islands and white countertops

Small trendy freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo in New York with white walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

With sweeping views of the Willamette river and Mt. Hood, this Atwater Place condo was designed with a balance of minimalism and livability in mind. A complete kitchen remodel brought a dark interior kitchen to the light and a full furnishings package welcomed Los Angeles transplants home to their new modern and bright residence. Our clients, a retired camera operator for both feature films and television and a producer/production manager on numerous television series including Weeds and The Middle, relocated from their traditionally-styled LA bungalow to Portland in the Summer of 2014. The couple sought a design departure from their long-term California residence and a fresh start for their new life in the South Waterfront. With only two pieces of sentimental furniture and a handful of artwork included in the plan, we set out to create a comfortable and clean-lined furnishings package complimenting the broad southeast views. Organically shaped upholstery pieces juxtaposed with angular steel and wood tables create a soft balance in the open floor plan. Several custom pieces, including a dining table designed by our studio and a custom hand-blown glass chandelier crafted by Scott Schiesel with Lightlite compliment timeless pieces from Knoll, Herman Miller, and B&B Italia. The kitchen is designed to reflect light and create brilliance in a space that is otherwise naturally dark. A material balance of stainless steel, back painted glass, quartz composite, lacquer, and mirror all play their part in creating a vibrant cooking environment. We collectively decided to forgo the traditional island pendant for a linear commercial fixture that provides tremendous light to the prep surface and creates an unexpected architectural element. The mirrored prep island creates the illusion of open space while concealing casework and wine storage on the working side of the kitchen. It is worth noting that this project was designed and installed almost entirely while our clients were still living in LA and wrapping up professional obligations and selling their home. This afforded us the tremendous opportunity to send our clients to showrooms not available in Portland to view key pieces before final specification. Textiles and finish samples were approved via mail and communication took place over e-mail, telephone, and an occasional office visit. This unique process lead to a successful result and a beautifully balanced living environment. Josh Partee Photography

Family room - contemporary family room idea in Las Vegas

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

The floors are white marble and the marble is brought up to wainscot height in the water closet with a heavy chair rail in a matching white marble. Above the chair rail is a gorgeous tone on tone damask wallpaper. The freestanding tub sits in front of a custom designed floor length mirror. White marble chair rail pieces were used to craft the outer portion of the frame and mother of pearl mosaics were used for the inner frame and then completed with a small piece of chair ail. The mosaic tile is repeated behind the vanities in lieu of the standard 4” marble backsplash and topped with a pencil rail out of marble. The double cabinets on each end of the vanities allow for plentiful storage and offer the opportunity to create a valance connecting the two. The depth allows for recessed lighting to be tucked out of site and just a sliver of trim finishes off the edges of the mirror. The barrel tray is magically transformed into a soft pearlized finish with just a hint of color swirled magically, reflecting beautifully with the enhancement of rope lighting hidden by the cove molding. Architectural designer, Nicole Delaney worked her magic again as always. Schonbek crystal chandeliers and sconces adorn the bath and quality of the crystal is noted by the colors created by the prisms dancing so gloriously around the room. Behind the mirror are double entrances into a steam shower. Laser-cut listello and custom designed wall panel from Renaissance Tile adorn the walls and niches of which there are several at various heights. The silk rug is from Stark and the ottoman was brought from their previous home and is from the Baker furniture line. A beautiful inlay tray from BoJay designs holds multiple bath products. Rohl towel hooks, tissue holders and robe hooks are tipped with Swarovski crystal ends. Designed by Melodie Durham of Durham Designs & Consulting, LLC. Photo by Livengood Photographs [www.livengoodphotographs.com/design].

Example of a cottage detached three-car garage design in Boston

The client purchased this property with grand plans of renovating the entire place; from top to bottom, and from inside to outside. And while the inside canvas was very generous and even somewhat forgiving, the outside space would be anything but. We wanted to squeeze in as much seating space as possible in their limited courtyard area, without encroaching on the already compact-sized pool. The first and most obvious solution was to get rid of the trees and shrubs that separated this house from its zero-lot-line neighbor. With the addition of Lueder limestone pavers, this new area alone would free up nearly 120 additional square feet, which happened to be the perfect amount of space for a mobile gas fire pit and sectional sofa. And this would make for the perfect place to enjoy the afternoon sunset with the implementation of a custom-built metal pergola standing above it all. The next problem to overcome was the disconnected feel of the existing patio; there were too many levels of steps and stairs, which meant that it would have been difficult to have any sort of traditional furniture arrangement in their outdoor space. Randy knew that it only made sense to bring in a wood deck that could be mated to the highest level of the patio, thus creating and gaining the greatest amount of continuous, flat space that the client needed. But even so, that flat space would be limited to a very tight "L-shape" around the pool. And knowing this, the client decided that the larger space would be more valuable to them than the spa, so they opted to have a portion of the deck built over it in order to allow for a more generous amount of patio space. And with the edge of the patio/deck dropping off almost 2 feet to the waterline, it now created the perfect opportunity to have a visually compelling raised wall that could be adorned with different hues of plank-shaped tiles. From inside the pool, the varying shades of brown were a great accent to the wood deck that sat just above. However, the true visual crowning jewel of this project would end up being the raised back wall along the fence, fully encased in a large format, 24x24 slate grey tile, complete with a custom stainless steel, square-tube scupper bank, installed at just the right height to create the perfect amount of water noise. But Randy wasn't done just yet. With two entirely new entertaining areas opened up at opposite ends of the pool, the only thing left to do now was to connect them. Knowing that he nor the client wanted to eliminate any more water space, he decided to bring a new traffic pattern right into the pool by way of two "floating", Lueder limestone stepper pads. It would be a visually perfect union of both pool and walking spaces. The existing steps and walkways were then cut away and replaced with matching Lueder limestone caps and steppers. All remaining hardscape gaps were later filled with Mexican beach pebble, which helped to promote a very "zen-like" feel in this outdoor space. The interior of the pool was coated with Wet Edge Primerastone "Blue Pacific Coast" plaster, and then lit up with the incredibly versatile Pentair GloBrite LED pool lights. In the end, the client ended up gaining the additional entertaining and seating space that they needed, and the updated, modern feel that they loved.

Kirk Bianchi created this resort like setting for a couple from Mexico City. They were looking for a contemporary twist on traditional themes, and Luis Barragán was the inspiration. The outer walls were painted a darker color to recede, while floating panels of color and varying heights provided sculptural interest and opportunities for lighting and shadow.

Our Gracie Modern Arbor is used as stunning rose-covered moon gate, an entry to a cutting garden and raised herb bed. Garden design by Sarah Warto of Boxleaf Design. Photo: Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz

Anastasia Alkema Photography
Example of a mid-sized beach style single-wall light wood floor home bar design in Atlanta with no sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets and multicolored backsplash

Gane Perspective Photography
Tropical three-story gable roof idea in Orlando

Lake Front Country Estate Fire Pit, designed by Tom Markalunas and JDP Design, built by Resort Custom Homes and The Collins Group. Photography by Rachael Boling

An extraordinary opportunity taken, applying a client driven design concept into a residence surpassing all expectations. Client collaboration and pursuant work combine to satisfy requirements of modernism, respect of streetscape, family privacy, and applications of art and function. Interior Furnishings by Client. Exclusive Photography and Videography by Michael Blevins of MB Productions.