Example of a trendy exterior home design in Portland

Malibu Glass Box House by Klopf Architecture Following the devastating Woolsey Fire of 2018, the site in Malibu offered a unique opportunity to rebuild not just a home, but a new architectural composition that highlighted the property’s potential while navigating strict fire-rebuild codes in the area. Designed by Klopf Architecture, this project embraced a set of limitations and translated them into an architectural asset. The city’s fire-rebuild process required the new structure to remain close to the original footprint, size and bulk, a constraint that ultimately clarified the architectural direction. Perched near the front of a long, narrow lot, the new home frames and overlooks a private, park-like rear expanse, an uncommon luxury especially in this part of Malibu . Without a fixed program, the design process allowed for a different kind of creative focus allowing Klopf Architecture the opportunity to explore how a modernist home could best respond to this site. The team approached the project not with a list of requirements, but with a question: How might a modernist live here? What spatial qualities would inspire calm, connection, and a sense of wonder in this setting? The process became less about problem-solving and more about architectural storytelling—letting the site, the light, and the principles of modern design guide the form and flow of the home. The response emerged in the form of a glass-box pavilion, an open, Mid-Century Modern inspired living, dining, and kitchen space that floats at the edge of the property’s natural descent. Connected to the more enclosed, private areas of the home by a glass-walled hallway, the living pavilion becomes a distinct centerpiece of the design. It opens on all four sides to the landscape with decks and patios on the flanks, an internal garden and water feature to the north, and a dramatic unguarded view of the expansive backyard and ocean horizon to the south. Because of the mandated footprint, careful planning was required to ensure every space could still engage with light, landscape, or both. Strategic voids in the form of atriums and courtyards allow daylight to filter deep into the home’s core, while offering moments of surprise and retreat. These design gestures allow natural light to filter deep into the interior, creating a sense of brightness and openness throughout the day. At the same time, they expand the perceptual boundaries between inside and out, making the home feel more expansive while anchoring its connection to the surrounding landscape. The siting of the house is what gives it its unique character. Rather than receding into the backyard like the neighboring homes, the house holds a slight prominence. From the central living pavilion, stepping down into the landscape feels more like entering a secluded park where a separate existing accessory structure, trail, and recreational areas await. The home’s modest street presence gives way to this unfolding drama of space, view, and nature. Fire-resilient materials and assemblies are integrated seamlessly throughout including triple-pane glazing, under-slab and roof insulation, and locally sourced fire-rated cladding ensure the house not only meets Calfornia’s rigorous wildland-urban interface (WUI) standards, but feels effortlessly aligned with them. While technical decisions like fire-hardening and mechanical systems presented some construction challenges, particularly around the cantilevered glass box, the team found a functional compromise that preserved the integrity of the design. Inside, a restrained palette and exposed post and beam design celebrate the ethos of mid-century modernism. A central circulation spine extends from the entry to the rear glass wall, offering a continuous visual link from street to ocean. Spaces such as the library and office, though more intimate in scale, are never cut off from nature as each opens to its own unique courtyard or garden view. Though born out of a strict regulatory framework and developed without a specific client, the rebuild design unfolded with remarkable clarity. Grounded in site logic, refined by limitations and an emphasis on timeless spatial relationships – light, proportion, and a strong connection to nature, the resulting design feels both effortless and uplifting. The home lives lightly on the land, opens generously to its surroundings, and strikes a careful balance between privacy, openness, and calm. For Klopf Architecture, it stands as a compelling case study in how site, code, and circumstantial constraints can inspire enduring, modernist architecture. With years of experience reimagining mid-century modern design for how people live today, the firm took the project’s limitations as an opportunity. The result is a home shaped by open, flowing spaces, strong indoor-outdoor connections, and a calm, clear sense of structure. It’s a good reminder that even with strict constraints, there’s still room for architecture to breathe—and for modernism to keep moving forward. Klopf Architecture project team: Geoff Campen, John Klopf, AIA, and Sherry Tan Structural Engineer: ZFA Contractor: Maison D’Artiste Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2023

Discover how premium light-filtering materials and smart-home automation can secure street-level entryway glass without losing natural daylight. Choosing the right window treatments for a home's front entrance is one of the most challenging design decisions a homeowner can face. The front door is the focal point of a home's curb appeal, often featuring expansive glass panels or side-by-side double doors designed to make a grand architectural statement. During the day, these large glass features are an asset, flooding entryways and foyers with beautiful natural daylight. However, for homes situated on busy local roads or highly trafficked street-level lots, the dynamic completely changes once the sun goes down. The moment interior lights are switched on in the evening, a stark contrast is created with the dark outdoors. This creates a severe privacy issue, leaving the entire foyer completely exposed to passing traffic and pedestrians. Finding a solution that delivers absolute evening privacy without permanently plunging the front entrance into darkness during the day requires understanding how modern window treatment materials and operating systems interact. Light-Filtering vs. Blackout Fabrics The first step in solving street-level privacy is selecting the correct fabric type. Many homeowners mistakenly assume they need heavy, opaque blackout shades to secure their home from outside eyes at night. While blackout fabrics certainly block 100% of the view, they also block 100% of the natural daylight during the day, forcing you to constantly raise and lower the shades just to see inside your own foyer. A more effective approach for entryways utilizes premium light-filtering materials. These specialized fabrics are engineered with a precise, tight weave that operates on the principles of directional light and optical density. Daytime Functionality: When the sun is shining outside, the exterior light levels are significantly higher than the interior light levels. The light-filtering fabric diffuses the intense, direct sunlight into a soft, ambient glow throughout the entryway. This keeps the home bright, eliminates harsh glares, and protects interior hardwood flooring, paint, and trim from damaging UV rays. Night-Time Functionality: At night, the lighting dynamic reverses. The interior foyer lights make the inside bright, while the outside is dark. Because of the specialized tight weave, the fabric blocks the transmission of clear shapes and details. To a person standing out on the street or driving by on a busy road, the view inside is completely obstructed, delivering total privacy when the family is home for the evening. Challenges of Front Door Installations Securing privacy for a double wide front entrance introduces unique structural hurdles that standard windows do not face. Traditional blinds with hanging cords or manual pull chains are poorly suited for front doors. They disrupt the clean architectural lines of a grand foyer, create a safety hazard, and can easily get tangled or damaged when the doors are opened and closed. The window treatments must be mounted high and wide enough above the door trim to ensure that the front doors can swing open and close freely without ever catching on the fabric or the lower hem bar. How We Applied These Principles in Sherrills Ford, NC Applying these exact educational principles to real-world homes is what Cole and I do every day at Bloomin' Blinds of North Charlotte. We recently worked with a homeowner in Sherrills Ford whose beautiful new construction property sat on a highly trafficked road. They loved their double wide front door entrance but felt entirely too exposed to the street at night. We brought our mobile showroom directly to their driveway. This allowed us to hold up premium light-filtering fabric samples directly against their entryway glass, matching the materials perfectly to their home's natural lighting, interior paint, and trim before making a single cut. To solve their street-level privacy issue, we custom-built and installed two matching light-filtering roller shades, mounting them flawlessly side-by-side above the front door frame. To keep the home’s interior design completely cohesive, we carried the exact same style to the back of the house, installing a matching single roller shade on the rear door. Smart Home Window Automation at Your Fingertips Because entryway windows can be tall and awkward to reach manually, our family team integrated advanced smart-home motorization into this Sherrills Ford project. Beyond the convenience of a handheld remote control, these automated roller shades feature seamless Wi-Fi integration. The homeowners can control their privacy through a dedicated smartphone app or link the system directly to their existing voice-activated smart home networks, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. This allows for complete hands-free window automation. The clients can program custom daily routines—such as setting the front entry shades to automatically lower exactly at sunset—or simply use a voice command to secure the foyer instantly from the comfort of the couch.

Malibu Glass Box House by Klopf Architecture Following the devastating Woolsey Fire of 2018, the site in Malibu offered a unique opportunity to rebuild not just a home, but a new architectural composition that highlighted the property’s potential while navigating strict fire-rebuild codes in the area. Designed by Klopf Architecture, this project embraced a set of limitations and translated them into an architectural asset. The city’s fire-rebuild process required the new structure to remain close to the original footprint, size and bulk, a constraint that ultimately clarified the architectural direction. Perched near the front of a long, narrow lot, the new home frames and overlooks a private, park-like rear expanse, an uncommon luxury especially in this part of Malibu . Without a fixed program, the design process allowed for a different kind of creative focus allowing Klopf Architecture the opportunity to explore how a modernist home could best respond to this site. The team approached the project not with a list of requirements, but with a question: How might a modernist live here? What spatial qualities would inspire calm, connection, and a sense of wonder in this setting? The process became less about problem-solving and more about architectural storytelling—letting the site, the light, and the principles of modern design guide the form and flow of the home. The response emerged in the form of a glass-box pavilion, an open, Mid-Century Modern inspired living, dining, and kitchen space that floats at the edge of the property’s natural descent. Connected to the more enclosed, private areas of the home by a glass-walled hallway, the living pavilion becomes a distinct centerpiece of the design. It opens on all four sides to the landscape with decks and patios on the flanks, an internal garden and water feature to the north, and a dramatic unguarded view of the expansive backyard and ocean horizon to the south. Because of the mandated footprint, careful planning was required to ensure every space could still engage with light, landscape, or both. Strategic voids in the form of atriums and courtyards allow daylight to filter deep into the home’s core, while offering moments of surprise and retreat. These design gestures allow natural light to filter deep into the interior, creating a sense of brightness and openness throughout the day. At the same time, they expand the perceptual boundaries between inside and out, making the home feel more expansive while anchoring its connection to the surrounding landscape. The siting of the house is what gives it its unique character. Rather than receding into the backyard like the neighboring homes, the house holds a slight prominence. From the central living pavilion, stepping down into the landscape feels more like entering a secluded park where a separate existing accessory structure, trail, and recreational areas await. The home’s modest street presence gives way to this unfolding drama of space, view, and nature. Fire-resilient materials and assemblies are integrated seamlessly throughout including triple-pane glazing, under-slab and roof insulation, and locally sourced fire-rated cladding ensure the house not only meets Calfornia’s rigorous wildland-urban interface (WUI) standards, but feels effortlessly aligned with them. While technical decisions like fire-hardening and mechanical systems presented some construction challenges, particularly around the cantilevered glass box, the team found a functional compromise that preserved the integrity of the design. Inside, a restrained palette and exposed post and beam design celebrate the ethos of mid-century modernism. A central circulation spine extends from the entry to the rear glass wall, offering a continuous visual link from street to ocean. Spaces such as the library and office, though more intimate in scale, are never cut off from nature as each opens to its own unique courtyard or garden view. Though born out of a strict regulatory framework and developed without a specific client, the rebuild design unfolded with remarkable clarity. Grounded in site logic, refined by limitations and an emphasis on timeless spatial relationships – light, proportion, and a strong connection to nature, the resulting design feels both effortless and uplifting. The home lives lightly on the land, opens generously to its surroundings, and strikes a careful balance between privacy, openness, and calm. For Klopf Architecture, it stands as a compelling case study in how site, code, and circumstantial constraints can inspire enduring, modernist architecture. With years of experience reimagining mid-century modern design for how people live today, the firm took the project’s limitations as an opportunity. The result is a home shaped by open, flowing spaces, strong indoor-outdoor connections, and a calm, clear sense of structure. It’s a good reminder that even with strict constraints, there’s still room for architecture to breathe—and for modernism to keep moving forward. Klopf Architecture project team: Geoff Campen, John Klopf, AIA, and Sherry Tan Structural Engineer: ZFA Contractor: Maison D’Artiste Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2023

Jody Finglas of Finglas painting. Exterior repair and paint Luckily, I also had the ability to convey my enthusiasm to customers, to help them understand the difference between a “paint” job and a “refine your home” job. As president of Finglas Painting, I run the day-to-day operations of the company. Yet I also feel an obligation to train and mentor the next generation of painting professionals. I believe the art of fine details in painting must be preserved, as it makes a difference that goes beyond work for individual clients. Even so, my clients inevitably become my friends, and they remain so long after we are through with their projects. I am so proud to be able to say that. Thank you to my friends for helping me add quality, preserve craftsmanship, and make a difference. Finglas Painting, Inc. brings European elegance and craftsmanship to every home. Jody Finglas, owner of Finglas Painting, is the mentor to a team of highly skilled painters that continue a tradition of artisanship. Jody honed his skills under just such an artisan and then took over the business to carry on the tradition. European painters are known for this philosophy: A “good job” isn’t enough. An “excellent job” is what we strive for in a project. We do Interior and exterior painting for the fine homes of Westchester, Fairfield & Rockland Counties. Standard paints in great trending colors to contrast walls excellently taped for perfection, along with oil based gloss crown moulding and trims really add luster to any room. We also do wall paper removal & installation with some of the finest designer’s picks. Did you know that the color of your house can raise the value when you are selling it? We know this and also do ‘selling your house’ light carpentry and painting. Learn more: Services page: http://finglaspainting.com/ About us page: http://finglaspainting.com/ Portfolio page: http://finglaspainting.com/ Home page: http://finglaspainting.com/ Contact page: http://finglaspainting.com/ Reviews: http://finglaspainting.com/ Why us: http://finglaspainting.com/greenwich-westchester-manhattan-quality-paint-professionals/ Client case studies: http://finglaspainting.com/case_studies/ Contractor Looking to hire a painter: http://finglaspainting.com/contractors/ Interior Designer looking to hire a good painter: http://finglaspainting.com/house-painting-interior-design-architects/ How owner looking for painter: http://finglaspainting.com/residential-painting-westchester-nyc-ct/ Realtors looking for painter for selling homes: http://finglaspainting.com/house-painting-realtors/ Paints and refinishing: http://finglaspainting.com/newyorks_best_painters/ Lead Paint removal: http://finglaspainting.com/newyorks_best_painters/ Repaint or Restore?: http://finglaspainting.com/repaint-or-restore-home/ Apprentice program: http://finglaspainting.com/apprentice-program/ Victorian Home painting: http://finglaspainting.com/residential-painting-westchester-nyc-ct/

This custom home in the spectacular Two Dogs Subdivision is surrounded by stunning mountain vistas. Designed by RLA Architects, the home was upgraded by Mantell-Hecathorn Builders to be an ultra-efficient, comfortable and durable home that showcases the beauty of the custom finish selections of the Owner. Built as a family retreat with a large rec room, alcove nooks and extensive custom cabinetry, this home maximizes outdoor livability with an expansive patio and fire pit that are perfect for enjoying the Colorado lifestyle. The owner specified many elegant touches including a beautifully crafted floating juniper countertop in the powder room that is inlaid with turquoise accents. This home achieved a HERS score of 33 without solar panels, making it 67% more efficient than a home built to County Code. Despite the demands of the mountain climate, this beautifully crafted family home earned the ZERO Energy Ready Certification Symbol of Excellence by meeting the rigorous standards set by the Department of Energy. It is also certified under the EPA’s Indoor AirPlus program to ensure a healthier living environment.

Architectural Designs House Plan 24355TW ("Frank Lloyd Wright Inspired House Plan") was was designed for a business executivbe in the Atlanta area who had a gorgeous sloping lot with water views. Interested in having the home as efficient as possible, it was designed and built to meet Georgia's EarthCents program. To achieve this, the home had to be on average 15% more energy efficient when compared to standard homes built to the minimum state and local codes. It passed with flying colors and saves the homeowner up to $400 annually on energy bills. What's even better, this plan is available for you to build here... http://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plan-24355TW.asp

This custom home in the spectacular Two Dogs Subdivision is surrounded by stunning mountain vistas. Designed by RLA Architects, the home was upgraded by Mantell-Hecathorn Builders to be an ultra-efficient, comfortable and durable home that showcases the beauty of the custom finish selections of the Owner. Built as a family retreat with a large rec room, alcove nooks and extensive custom cabinetry, this home maximizes outdoor livability with an expansive patio and fire pit that are perfect for enjoying the Colorado lifestyle. The owner specified many elegant touches including a beautifully crafted floating juniper countertop in the powder room that is inlaid with turquoise accents. This home achieved a HERS score of 33 without solar panels, making it 67% more efficient than a home built to County Code. Despite the demands of the mountain climate, this beautifully crafted family home earned the ZERO Energy Ready Certification Symbol of Excellence by meeting the rigorous standards set by the Department of Energy. It is also certified under the EPA’s Indoor AirPlus program to ensure a healthier living environment.

Secondary bathroom from a complete luxury home remodel in Newport Coast — proof that the project's full-slab standard ran through every bathroom in the house, not just the primary. Coastline Builders Group wrapped the walk-in shower in dramatic dark-veined natural stone slab behind frameless glass, with the same stone topping the custom vanity, matte black fixtures throughout, and new custom cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, and lighting. Each of the home's bathrooms carries a different slab selection — a fabrication program across the whole house rather than a single showcase room.