The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment. The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home. Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition. The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions. The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns. Overview: Elm Grove Size: 2,800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completion Date: September 2014 Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture Interior Consultants: Amy Carman Design

Private Residence, Laurie Demetrio Interiors, Photo by Dustin Halleck, Millwork by NuHaus
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APLD 2021 Silver Award Winning Landscape Design. Galvanized troughs used for vegetables in the side yard. An expansive back yard landscape with several mature oak trees and a stunning Golden Locust tree has been transformed into a welcoming outdoor retreat. The renovations include a wraparound deck, an expansive travertine natural stone patio, stairways and pathways along with concrete retaining walls and column accents with dramatic planters. The pathways meander throughout the landscape... some with travertine stepping stones and gravel and those below the majestic oaks left natural with fallen leaves. Raised vegetable beds and fruit trees occupy some of the sunniest areas of the landscape. A variety of low-water and low-maintenance plants for both sunny and shady areas include several succulents, grasses, CA natives and other site-appropriate Mediterranean plants complimented by a variety of boulders. Dramatic white pots provide architectural accents, filled with succulents and citrus trees. Design, Photos, Drawings © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

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This scullery kitchen is located near the garage entrance to the home and the utility room. It is one of two kitchens in the home. The more formal entertaining kitchen is open to the formal living area. This kitchen provides an area for the bulk of the cooking and dish washing. It can also serve as a staging area for caterers when needed. Counters: Viatera by LG - Minuet Brick Back Splash and Floor: General Shale, Culpepper brick veneer Light Fixture/Pot Rack: Troy - Brunswick, F3798, Aged Pewter finish Cabinets, Shelves, Island Counter: Grandeur Cellars Shelf Brackets: Rejuvenation Hardware, Portland shelf bracket, 10" Cabinet Hardware: Emtek, Trinity, Flat Black finish Barn Door Hardware: Register Dixon Custom Homes Barn Door: Register Dixon Custom Homes Wall and Ceiling Paint: Sherwin Williams - 7015 Repose Gray Cabinet Paint: Sherwin Williams - 7019 Gauntlet Gray Refrigerator: Electrolux - Icon Series Dishwasher: Bosch 500 Series Bar Handle Dishwasher Sink: Proflo - PFUS308, single bowl, under mount, stainless Faucet: Kohler - Bellera, K-560, pull down spray, vibrant stainless finish Stove: Bertazzoni 36" Dual Fuel Range with 5 burners Vent Hood: Bertazzoni Heritage Series Tre Dunham with Fine Focus Photography

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