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 To breathe new life into their outdated mid-century modern home and neglected pool, resulting in the dramatic “Sports Enthusiasts’ Hideaway.”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

A historic Spanish colonial residence (circa 1929) in Kessler Park’s conservation district was completely revitalized with design that honored its original era as well as embraced modern conveniences. The small kitchen was extended into the built-in banquette in the living area to give these amateur chefs plenty of countertop workspace in the kitchen as well as a casual dining experience while they enjoy the amazing backyard view. The quartzite countertops adorn the kitchen and living room built-ins and are inspired by the beautiful tree line seen out the back windows of the home in a blooming spring & summer in Dallas. Each season truly takes on its own personality in this yard. The primary bath features a modern take on a timeless “plaid” pattern with mosaic glass and gold trim. The reeded front cabinets and slimline hardware maintain a minimalist presentation that allows the shower tile to remain the focal point. The guest bath’s jewel toned marble accent tile in a fun geometric pattern pops off the black marble background and adds lighthearted sophistication to this space. Original wood beams, cement walls and terracotta tile flooring and fireplace tile remain in the great room to pay homage to stay true to its original state. This project proves new materials can be masterfully incorporated into existing architecture and yield a timeless result!

The 722 Ash Street residence consists of a 1500 sf primary house with a contiguous 500 sf accessory dwelling. The project is set in the rich culture of North Lawrence, its rear property line abuts the Lawrence levee trail which runs for nine miles along the north bank of the Kansas River. North Lawrence is known for its quality soil, large trees, curbless streets and random size parcels before it breaks into larger farms further from the urban center. It is built on the typical orthogonal grid of American development, but it represents the older growth of the city prior to urban planners and zoning regulations. The rumble of freight trains and farm trucks in the shadows of the towering grain elevators are only blocks away. It is home to many who enjoy being only a bridge crossing away from Lawrence’s vibrant downtown but are far enough away to maintain their independence from many of the restrictions on living near the historic district. They can work in their large gardens and toiling in their garages and shops in a manner more rural than urban. The house on 722 Ash St. is imbued with the character of North Lawrence and the Levee Trail area. The design was inspired by the Midwestern farmstead vernacular of the region. These timeless vernacular qualities house all the accommodations necessary for modern, sustainable living. A unique feature of this house is the Accessory Dwelling Unit permitted in the zoning district. It is a small separate residence on the same lot that can be used for income property or for extended family members. It also supports the city of Lawrence’s goals of increased density close to downtown rather than continued sprawl into the countryside. The buildings use technology and common-sense design to reduce the building’s footprint and assure the owners low energy use and costs. A 4.9 Kw solar collection system is located on the only south facing gable and the super insulated envelopes (r-62 roof and r-35 walls) of all three forms easily exceeds the standards. Studio 804 continues their long standing pattern of maintaining the highest level of sustainable design while remaining contextually sensitive to the surrounding community. This house, like every Studio 804 project since 2008, is USGBC LEED Platinum Certified.

The Gun Lake Residence replaces a small, aging, existing house located on a narrow peninsula on Gun Lake, in west Michigan. The peninsula is neatly populated with century-old homes that quietly occupy this uncommon setting. The project site offers extraordinary views of the water in multiple directions and extends to the east with open space, bordering on an historic, 19th-century community ice house. A primary project goal was to reimagine the relationship of the house to its surroundings while remaining sensitive to the communal context of the neighboring properties. The design seed of the new project included rotating the footprint of the existing house 90 degrees to open the long side of the home toward the lake, maximizing views and gaining optimal benefit of the linear site. Drawing inspiration from the traditional lake vernacular of the neighboring houses, the two principal roof forms of the new house reciprocate the setting -- the modern, clean lines of the upper gable roof upholds the clarity and tradition of the neighborhood, while the lower roof mimics the extension of the landscape and invites improvisational use. The horizontal flat roof allows use of the deck in all weather and cantilevers the most used public spaces into the landscape in a band of captured horizontal space. A wood-clad retaining wall refines a cut into the earth and harbors a transitional, outdoor room between the water and the basement. At 2200 finished square feet, the conditioned building envelope is compact. And like the exterior, the interior form responds directly to its use. The upper floor is a monastic repetition of modest sleeping cells and bathrooms with unique directional views, combined with a grand central stair and master bedroom at each corner that captures myriad views of the water, over the trees, in all directions. The main floor utilizes a core of small, functional spaces to shield the adjacent road, and forms a backdrop to the open interior spaces. Aided by the reaching, cedar-bellied roof, the living, dining, and kitchen spaces spill to the outdoors through an unusually porous exterior wall. Three sliding glass doors–including one at 20 feet wide–and a finished, surrounding ground plane cohere the landscape to the main living level. Super-insulated wood-framed walls, triple-paned aluminum-clad wood windows, and a structurally insulated roof panels make-up the core of the building envelope, and additional exterior high-performance design features include geothermal heating/cooling and a green roof. Cementitious lap siding, concrete panels, hardwood decking, cedar soffits, and river rock comprise the exterior finish. In addition to cedar ceilings, interior finishes include porcelain ceramic tile, cork flooring, tight pile wool carpet, and neutral painted walls -- designed in quiet tones to highlight the most important interior ingredient: views outside.

The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Pool and deck are cantilevered over heritage tree roots. New addition features floor to ceiling windows to family room and primary bedroom suite overlooking pool.

A historic Spanish colonial residence (circa 1929) in Kessler Park’s conservation district was completely revitalized with design that honored its original era as well as embraced modern conveniences. The small kitchen was extended into the built-in banquette in the living area to give these amateur chefs plenty of countertop workspace in the kitchen as well as a casual dining experience while they enjoy the amazing backyard view. The quartzite countertops adorn the kitchen and living room built-ins and are inspired by the beautiful tree line seen out the back windows of the home in a blooming spring & summer in Dallas. Each season truly takes on its own personality in this yard. The primary bath features a modern take on a timeless “plaid” pattern with mosaic glass and gold trim. The reeded front cabinets and slimline hardware maintain a minimalist presentation that allows the shower tile to remain the focal point. The guest bath’s jewel toned marble accent tile in a fun geometric pattern pops off the black marble background and adds lighthearted sophistication to this space. Original wood beams, cement walls and terracotta tile flooring and fireplace tile remain in the great room to pay homage to stay true to its original state. This project proves new materials can be masterfully incorporated into existing architecture and yield a timeless result!

After: The primary cabinetry, painted in Wind’s Breath, features gentle cream undertones, which lend a soft, inviting feel to the kitchen, harmonizing beautifully with the accents of Cambridge Green. This lush, earthy green brings in a grounded, natural elegance and the glass accents make the kitchen feel like an organic extension of the home’s serene, tree-lined surroundings.

Perched on a ridge at the edge of a wooded expanse, this mid-century modern home was designed to embrace both the intimate connection to the forest and the expansive valley views beyond. The site—carefully chosen from the family’s 52-acre homestead in western Wisconsin—balances privacy and openness, placing the home at the meeting point of dense trees and rolling fields. The approach winds through the forest, offering only glimpses of the structure. Upon arrival, the parking area is subtly positioned below the main level, reinforcing the sense of discovery. As one ascends the entry walk, the house unfolds, revealing a dramatic view through the two-story living space, anchored by a brick fireplace that extends from floor to ceiling. The asymmetrical roofline lifts upward, accentuating the openness and maximizing natural light. Inside, warm materials define the interiors. Wood ceilings and floors, complemented by concrete-look tile, establish a natural, grounded aesthetic. Black wood-clad beams provide scale and structure, subtly delineating spaces within the open-plan layout. A wood lattice screen partially conceals the dining area from the foyer, offering both openness and privacy. The kitchen—designed for gathering—features a large island, a dedicated baking station, and a breakfast counter that catches morning light while serving as a pass-through to the adjacent patio. Two textured glass sliding panels allow the kitchen to be closed off when needed. Just beyond, a hidden gem: the home’s personal Tiki room, complete with a vintage mug collection and a full bar. To the east, the central fireplace marks the transition to more intimate spaces. A wide stair, integrated with the hearth, leads to the lower level, while a library with a corner window creates a quiet retreat, perfect for reading and taking in the valley beyond. The primary suite extends off this wing, featuring a spa-like bath with a textured tile walk-in shower, a soaking tub positioned for dramatic views, and a private balcony overlooking the landscape. The lower level is designed for family gatherings and extended stays. A secondary fireplace, echoing the materials of the main level, anchors a cozy living area with an adjacent kitchenette. Additional bedrooms and baths provide ample accommodations, while a hidden playhouse under the stair and a dedicated bunk room add playful touches for visiting grandchildren. The home is a balance of openness and enclosure, modernity and warmth—designed not only as a retreat but as a multigenerational gathering place, deeply connected to the land.

Here, Echo Custom Homes has brought to life a homeowner's meticulously crafted creative vision through a collaborative process in which the homeowner and the custom builder worked closely together. The couple’s vision has choreographed a series of unique moments and spatial experiences that offer drama and peacefulness. It's a fitting reflection of their informed and thoughtful design sensibilities. This minimalist modern dwelling demonstrates how the use of space impacts both the experience and function of a building, The home’s layout creates magnetic energy, influencing mood and perceptions through space, light, and materials used. Every area serves a purpose. A majestic oak tree serves as the focal point and was instrumental to the dwelling’s layout. The kitchen, which has unique storage and refrigerating solutions, allows function and a minimal sleek design. Airy spaces with abundant large windows, numerous sliders, and an open primary shower/bath concept create a sense of hidden paradise within the contemporary urban setting. This seamless blend of mid-century nuances with modern elements, such as the Floating European Fireplace and the Custom Artisan Metal stairs, transforms this elegant home into a timeless masterpiece.

This 3 bedroom, 3 ½ bath custom home has a great rustic in-the-woods feel, with spectacular timber frame beams, an a-frame open concept great room, and a focus on natural elements and materials throughout the home. The homeowners didn’t want to cut down any of the surrounding trees on the property and chose to orient the home so that the forest was the primary view. The end result is a true “cabin in the woods” experience. The home was designed with the master suite on the main floor, along with a dedicated exercise room, full laundry room and wrap-around sundeck. The ground floor features a spacious rec room, office, and the two additional bedrooms. The finishes throughout the home are high end but rustic, including K2 Stone, Alder cabinetry, granite countertops, oil-rubbed bronze hardware, free standing soaker tubs in the bathrooms, hickory hardwood flooring, timber framing inside and out, and Hardie plank siding with cedar shingles.

This 1967 home has been transformed. LANTERN HOUSE is located at the edge of the forest, the edge of urbanity, where the glass and metal clad entry and stair volumes glow like lanterns in the night. The sloping, trapezoidal site posed challenges, resulting in a very unique geometry with a courtyard, a bridge, and a new stair tower link old to new. A new porch and foyer create a gradual entry sequence into the existing main house. A new roof form provides vaulted ceilings in an open plan concept. The primary living spaces are connected to private outdoor spaces for entertaining and everyday living, and the main addition contains a private master retreat with secluded access from the stair tower. The connection with nature is ever present throughout the house with intentionally placed glazing framing views to the surrounding trees.

The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Award winning contemporary bathroom for the 2018 Design Awards by Westchester Home Magazine, this master bath project was a collaboration between Scott Hirshson, AIA of Hirshson ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN and Rita Garces, Senior Designer of Bilotta Kitchens of NY. The client had two primary objectives. First and foremost, they wanted a calm, serene environment, balancing clean lines with quiet stone and soft colored cabinets. The design team opted for a washed oak, wood-like laminate in a flat panel with a horizontal grain, a softer palette than plain white yet still just as bright. Secondly, since they have always used the bathtub every day, the most important selection was the soaking tub and positioning it to maximize space and view to the surrounding trees. With the windows surrounding the tub, the peacefulness of the outside really envelops you in to further the spa-like environment. For the sinks and faucetry the team opted for the Sigma Collection from Klaffs. They decided on a brushed finish to not overpower the soft, matte finish of the cabinetry. For the hardware from Du Verre, they selected a dark finish to complement the black iron window frames (which is repeated throughout the house) and then continued that color in the decorative lighting fixtures. For the countertops and flooring Rita and Scott met with Artistic Tile to control the variability of the Dolomite lot for both the cut stone and slab materials. Photography by Stefan Radtke. Bilotta Designer: Rita Garces with Scott Hirshson, AIA of Hirshson ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

Bedroom in Fairway Retreat | Room Type: Full Home Furnishing – 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath, 3,372 Square Feet. Project Name: Fairway Retreat in Fairway Retreat| Key Feature: A modern sanctuary designed to take full advantage of sweeping city and golf course views, with a warm and inviting layout tailored for hosting family and friends. Challenge: No specific design challenges. Materials: Lighting: Visual Comfort, Hudson Valley Lighting Group, Arteriors. Rugs: Loloi, Jaipur. Mirrors: Uttermost, Four Hands. Wallpaper: Made Resource Group. Drapery: LA Fred. Furniture: Four Hands, Uttermost, Moss Home, Dovetail, TOV, Mr. Brown. Budget: $100k-$200K | Timeline: Completed December 2023.

Inspiration for a bathroom remodel in Houston

This project is a whole house remodel + modern additions to an early 50's rancher. Here is a more focused view of the primary action corner. Outside, partially blocked, grows a magnificent Japanese maple. The kitchen and additions formed around this tree. Photo by Indivar Sivanathan.

Perched on a ridge at the edge of a wooded expanse, this mid-century modern home was designed to embrace both the intimate connection to the forest and the expansive valley views beyond. The site—carefully chosen from the family’s 52-acre homestead in western Wisconsin—balances privacy and openness, placing the home at the meeting point of dense trees and rolling fields. The approach winds through the forest, offering only glimpses of the structure. Upon arrival, the parking area is subtly positioned below the main level, reinforcing the sense of discovery. As one ascends the entry walk, the house unfolds, revealing a dramatic view through the two-story living space, anchored by a brick fireplace that extends from floor to ceiling. The asymmetrical roofline lifts upward, accentuating the openness and maximizing natural light. Inside, warm materials define the interiors. Wood ceilings and floors, complemented by concrete-look tile, establish a natural, grounded aesthetic. Black wood-clad beams provide scale and structure, subtly delineating spaces within the open-plan layout. A wood lattice screen partially conceals the dining area from the foyer, offering both openness and privacy. The kitchen—designed for gathering—features a large island, a dedicated baking station, and a breakfast counter that catches morning light while serving as a pass-through to the adjacent patio. Two textured glass sliding panels allow the kitchen to be closed off when needed. Just beyond, a hidden gem: the home’s personal Tiki room, complete with a vintage mug collection and a full bar. To the east, the central fireplace marks the transition to more intimate spaces. A wide stair, integrated with the hearth, leads to the lower level, while a library with a corner window creates a quiet retreat, perfect for reading and taking in the valley beyond. The primary suite extends off this wing, featuring a spa-like bath with a textured tile walk-in shower, a soaking tub positioned for dramatic views, and a private balcony overlooking the landscape. The lower level is designed for family gatherings and extended stays. A secondary fireplace, echoing the materials of the main level, anchors a cozy living area with an adjacent kitchenette. Additional bedrooms and baths provide ample accommodations, while a hidden playhouse under the stair and a dedicated bunk room add playful touches for visiting grandchildren. The home is a balance of openness and enclosure, modernity and warmth—designed not only as a retreat but as a multigenerational gathering place, deeply connected to the land.

Our clients hired us to completely renovate and furnish their PEI home — and the results were transformative. Inspired by their natural views and love of entertaining, each space in this PEI home is distinctly original yet part of the collective whole. We used color, patterns, and texture to invite personality into every room: the fish scale tile backsplash mosaic in the kitchen, the custom lighting installation in the dining room, the unique wallpapers in the pantry, powder room and mudroom, and the gorgeous natural stone surfaces in the primary bathroom and family room. We also hand-designed several features in every room, from custom furnishings to storage benches and shelving to unique honeycomb-shaped bar shelves in the basement lounge. The result is a home designed for relaxing, gathering, and enjoying the simple life as a couple.