New addition is connected to historic structure by a tansparent "gallery" space.
Transitional exterior home idea in Austin

Built for the Bluff, A Sea Ranch Home is Remade from the Inside Out The house had always been grounded, on an ocean bluff at The Sea Ranch. It sits unencumbered, adjacent to one of the most dramatic stretches of the Sonoma coast with protected commons meadow to the east, uninterrupted Pacific views to the west, and a bluff trail running alongside. What it lacked was the feeling of home, one that could hold up its own against the natural landscape. The owners are entrepreneurs with deep involvement across tech, real estate, and development and they know how things are built. The Sea Ranch house had been in their lives for years, a second residence and a place for family to gather. Built for a different time, it felt more compromising than comfortable. Sitting in a closed off nook, the kitchen fit one cook at a time and turned its back on the rest of the house. The entry was dim and compressed, divided by a structural column that presented itself at exactly the wrong moment. The primary suite was small relative to the view outside it. A large rear bedroom sat behind a lowered ceiling with a bathroom that had never been added. The house was certainly worth the trouble of doing it right. What followed was not one project but four, each with its own design challenge, each addressed over a period of time. Where the House Meets the Ocean The most complex piece of the project, in both structural and spatial terms, was the kitchen expansion. The existing room was a single-person galley squeezed in as an afterthought with no meaningful connection to the dining room, the living space, or the deck outside. To make it useful for a family that cooks and gathers, it needed to grow outward into an existing patio and flow into the rooms around it. A big challenge was the roofline. Several planes at different pitches and angles converged directly where additional volume was needed. A new form had to join that geometry without reading as a correction. The solution found the simplest possible connection between the existing angles, a roofline that from outside the structure, appears entirely original. From the bluff trail where the addition is visible, there is no discernible seam. Inside, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining rooms without interruption. A large sliding glass door connects the space onto the rear deck. The deck itself was expanded and oriented so that the body of the house shields it from the coastal wind which is a common consideration that determines whether outdoor space at The Sea Ranch actually gets used. The result is a room that works for large family gatherings where no one feels cutoff, and one that makes the boundary between being inside and outside easy to ignore. Welcoming Light A structural column stood at the convergence of eight distinct roof planes in the entry. It was load-bearing, but it was also the reason the entry had always felt like a hallway rather than a welcoming arrival. With the structural engineer, a custom steel connector was designed to receive beams from six separate directions, redistributing the load through a single new continuous beam. The column was surgically removed. Three triangular skylights were then cut into the roof above, their shapes drawn from the existing geometry of the planes around them. The entry is now bright and open. The skylights feel native to the structure because they follow the logic already present in the roof. Two Suites, Two Views At opposite ends of the house, the two bedroom suites were each reconfigured, and each found a different way to introduce more of the landscape into the room. An addition to the primary suite extended the structure outward to create a wraparound plan with a loop from the bedroom through bath and closet that had not been possible before. The expansion opened a slot view from the tub and shower toward the ocean. The view is precise and private. The ocean view is present and deliberate. The rear bedroom absorbed an adjacent storage room to transform it into a full second suite with a vaulted ceiling, a large bathroom with a tub, a shower, and a sauna. A private fenced garden courtyard sits just beyond the glass bringing the outdoors inside. The tub was placed so that, looking past the courtyard and through the bedroom beyond, the ocean is visible at the far end. It is a long view and it makes the room feel larger and more settled than its footprint would suggest. Glass on Four Sides, Fire at the Center The main living and gathering room had always been caught between two competing facts: glass on four sides meant exceptional views but at The Sea Ranch, it also meant a cold room. A 360-degree cylindrical fireplace was added at the center on a raised stone base, providing radiant heat in every direction and giving the room a focal point around which a group naturally orients itself, whether that means two people at the end of the day or the whole family after dinner. Owners Who Picked Up the Tools The owner was not a passive client. they came with construction knowledge, specific ideas, and the desire to be an active part of the process, a dynamic that other architects may had found difficult, which Klopf Architecture accepted as an asset. They took it upon themselves to complete some of the work during construction, including the installation of a new radiant heating system beneath the floors. The radiant system added to the older and less-desirable forced-air setup. At The Sea Ranch, that change matters as the house sits close enough to the ocean and moving air competes with the sound of it, where radiant heat does not. Solar panels were added to the roof as part of the new system. Insulation was upgraded throughout the walls, roof, and crawl space. The house that had always had the right setting now holds warmth the way a house on the bluff should. They were also deeply involved in the design and selections throughout, and the finished house reflects both of them in ways that are specific rather than generic. The process took longer and moved through more iterations than a more arms-length relationship might have allowed. The result is more defined and personal because of it. The Landscape Holds Priority Every exterior decision was shaped by The Sea Ranch Design Standards, which require that buildings defer to the landscape around them rather than compete with it. Because this house sits on the bluff and is visible from the public trail, the additions faced a close review. Existing materials were matched. Geometries were resolved. The additions had to become indistinguishable from the original building. From the trail, the house reads exactly as it always has — low, cedar-clad, secondary to the meadow and the water. The setting holds priority. Inside, the house has been remade. Klopf Architecture Project Team: Geoff Campen and Trenton Jewett
Contractor: Shawn Bettega Construction
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2023
Location: The Sea Ranch, CA

Inspiration for a transitional closet remodel in Orange County

- RIPPLES TABLE. The Ripples bench by Toyo Ito, winner of the 2004 Compasso d'Oro, has blossomed into a collection of different furniture types. Amongst them, we may highlight the Ripples table, featuring a transparent glass table top that presents its impressive structure, fabricated with a laminated composite of five different solid woods namely, walnut, mahogany, cherry, oak and ash. The fibre colors and directions are purposefully defined to produce an elegant polychromatic effect. This unique and poetic woodwork, created within a strict aesthetic framework, is reminiscent of fluid motion, not unlike the ripple-effect produced by a stone tossed in the water. 98''3/8W x 39''3/8D x 29''1/2H. 98''3/8W x 43''3/8D x 29''1/2H. 110''1/4W x 39''3/8D x 29''1/2H. 110''1/4W x 43''3/8D x 29''1/2H. http://ow.ly/3yApfZ - RIPPLES STOOL. The Ripples bench by Toyo Ito, winner of the 2004 Golden Compass, has blossomed into a collection of different furniture complements. Amongst them, we may highlight the Ripples stool, fabricated with a laminated composite of five different solid woods. The seat shape, carved with industrial technology yet entirely hand-finished, feels soft and rich due to both the ductility of wood and Horm's passion for craftsmanship. Slide your hand along the surface to feel the seamless transition between walnut, mahogany, cherry, oak and ash. 16''1/8W x 16''1/8D x 17''3/4H. 16''1/8W x 16''1/8D x 30''3/8H. http://ow.ly/3yzwu5 - ’93-’08 BOOKCASE. The '93-'08 bookcase features a solid wood structure that never breaks the MDF shelves flow nor resorts to backs. The result is a composition of great visual lightness and excellent stability. Each shelf presents a different shoulder and height to create an orthogonal, ever-present, visual rhythm. Is a versatile bookcase system that allows you to build many combinations. 80''3/4W x 13''5/8D x 85''7/8H. Other widths: 89''3/8 - 107''- 122,83. http://ow.ly/3yzTGT

David Patterson Photography
Inspiration for a modern open concept concrete floor and gray floor living room remodel in Denver with white walls, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Living room - living room idea in Toronto

Our team thoughtfully designed an addition and renovation to satisfy our client’s style and needs without compromising the history and old-world charm of the existing 150+-year-old historic home. • Addition + Renovation, 1852 Built Home Lincoln, MA

Inspiration for a dining room remodel in DC Metro

Former exterior wall is exposed rubble limestone with wood nailers for trim. This was the original back wall of the house.
Inspiration for a transitional living room remodel in Austin

Mid-sized minimalist enclosed dark wood floor family room photo in Other with gray walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

The collection ‘Valde’ by MDD Office Furniture is high functional and beautifully crafted product. The company presents a huge variety of products for all industrial office interiors. Unique industrial reception desks from this collection are customizable for any preferences. Straight, convex and concave elements are at your disposal in any of the numerous wavy, circular and upright arrangements, which perfectly create the feeling of style and integrity for the reception area. Being a superb workspace, Valde also stands out for its creative design and cogent elegance emphasized by the precision of details. Horizontal slats made of aluminum emphasize a shape and a modern character of the body. The desk top made of tempered white glass perfectly matches the glittering frontal part of the counter. LED lighting located under the upper desk top and at the basis of the counter makes the reception desk presenting perfectly in darker rooms. The variety of products presented in this collection doesn’t leave anything to be desired. The collection ‘Valde’ by MDD Office Furniture is the best decision to be installed in any interior.

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Orange County

Fron Exterior - After

`eleVate' is a unique wine display and storage system that creates a highly aesthetic presentation of wine. Bottle cradles are suspended by stainless steel rods to present wine in a stunning format. Stainless steel rods are engineered to span vertically between a soffit and base unit that provides structure and house the LED display lighting. The `eleVate' bottle cradles are engineered to secure onto the rods, creating a visually appealing, one-of-a-kind wine display. A variety of mediums can be used for the bottle cradles including acrylic, bamboo, Euro-ply (with walnut or other hardwood veneers) and more. The`eleVate' wine presentation can be neck out and/or label-forward.

Kitchen - kitchen idea in Baltimore

A console or sideboard instantly evolves from accent piece to centerpiece when you add artful accessories. With a wide range of designs and functions, our assortment will spark your imagination and provide destinations for your collections. The Jaxon sideboard stores meal essentials while staging charming displays.