Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architect: SKD Architects | Photography: Landmark Photography | Landscaping: TOPO LLC
Arts and crafts two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in Minneapolis with a hip roof

Patterned bluestone, board-on-board concrete and seasonal containers establish strength of line in the front landscape design. Plants are subordinate components of the design and just emerging from their winter dormancy.

Saari & Forrai Photography MSI Custom Homes, LLC
Inspiration for a large cottage white three-story stone exterior home remodel in Minneapolis with a shingle roof

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architect: SKD Architects | Photography: Landmark Photography | Landscaping: TOPO LLC
Arts and crafts two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in Minneapolis with a hip roof

This minimalistic landscape design of grasses and concrete allow the dominate form of the residence shine. Photography Credit: Wade Griffith
Mid-sized rustic brown wood gable roof idea in Dallas

This award-winning and intimate cottage was rebuilt on the site of a deteriorating outbuilding. Doubling as a custom jewelry studio and guest retreat, the cottage’s timeless design was inspired by old National Parks rough-stone shelters that the owners had fallen in love with. A single living space boasts custom built-ins for jewelry work, a Murphy bed for overnight guests, and a stone fireplace for warmth and relaxation. A cozy loft nestles behind rustic timber trusses above. Expansive sliding glass doors open to an outdoor living terrace overlooking a serene wooded meadow. Photos by: Emily Minton Redfield

Naturalistic meadow.
Design ideas for a large rustic drought-tolerant and full sun backyard gravel garden path in San Diego.

New deck built out of Oregon Juniper and stained oak bench seats. Awning made of clear plexiglass panels. Photos by Stephen Cridland
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional backyard deck container garden remodel in Portland with no cover

Chauncey Freeman :: Fifth Season LLC
Design ideas for a large asian full sun front yard landscaping in Other for summer.

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architect: SKD Architects | Photography: Landmark Photography | Landscaping: TOPO LLC
Example of an arts and crafts two-story mixed siding exterior home design in Minneapolis with a hip roof

Tim Burleson
Inspiration for a small contemporary gray two-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Other with a shed roof

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

This minimalistic landscape design of grasses and concrete allow the dominate form of the residence shine. Photography Credit: Wade Griffith
Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic brown wood gable roof remodel in Dallas

Mid-sized cottage white two-story concrete fiberboard house exterior idea in Chicago with a metal roof

Large minimalist home design photo in Minneapolis

Stone Wall and Steps
Photo of a traditional backyard landscaping in Seattle.

Richard Radford
Inspiration for a mid-sized mid-century modern drought-tolerant and full sun front yard concrete paver garden path in San Francisco.

Bliss Garden Design
Photo of a craftsman landscaping in Seattle.

Private setting at this rear yard oasis. The pool is surrounded by grass on two sides and a solid patio for sunning. Glass mosaic tiles and gray pool plaster gives the pool an inviting look, while the cement stucco home has a corrugated and galvanized roof.