Design ideas for a mid-century modern partial sun backyard stone garden path in DC Metro.

Inspiration for a small light wood floor mudroom remodel in Kansas City with a white front door

When Cummings Architects first met with the owners of this understated country farmhouse, the building’s layout and design was an incoherent jumble. The original bones of the building were almost unrecognizable. All of the original windows, doors, flooring, and trims – even the country kitchen – had been removed. Mathew and his team began a thorough design discovery process to find the design solution that would enable them to breathe life back into the old farmhouse in a way that acknowledged the building’s venerable history while also providing for a modern living by a growing family. The redesign included the addition of a new eat-in kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, wrap around porch, and stone fireplaces. To begin the transforming restoration, the team designed a generous, twenty-four square foot kitchen addition with custom, farmers-style cabinetry and timber framing. The team walked the homeowners through each detail the cabinetry layout, materials, and finishes. Salvaged materials were used and authentic craftsmanship lent a sense of place and history to the fabric of the space. The new master suite included a cathedral ceiling showcasing beautifully worn salvaged timbers. The team continued with the farm theme, using sliding barn doors to separate the custom-designed master bath and closet. The new second-floor hallway features a bold, red floor while new transoms in each bedroom let in plenty of light. A summer stair, detailed and crafted with authentic details, was added for additional access and charm. Finally, a welcoming farmer’s porch wraps around the side entry, connecting to the rear yard via a gracefully engineered grade. This large outdoor space provides seating for large groups of people to visit and dine next to the beautiful outdoor landscape and the new exterior stone fireplace. Though it had temporarily lost its identity, with the help of the team at Cummings Architects, this lovely farmhouse has regained not only its former charm but also a new life through beautifully integrated modern features designed for today’s family. Photo by Eric Roth

Elegant entryway photo in Birmingham

This bright mudroom off of a new rear entry addition features spacious cubbies and coat hooks, custom closets and a spacious home office desk overlooking the deck beyond. J&C Renovations, DRP Interiors, In House Photography

Example of a transitional entryway design in Calgary

A Modern Farmhouse set in a prairie setting exudes charm and simplicity. Wrap around porches and copious windows make outdoor/indoor living seamless while the interior finishings are extremely high on detail. In floor heating under porcelain tile in the entire lower level, Fond du Lac stone mimicking an original foundation wall and rough hewn wood finishes contrast with the sleek finishes of carrera marble in the master and top of the line appliances and soapstone counters of the kitchen. This home is a study in contrasts, while still providing a completely harmonious aura.

Eric Roth Photography
Mid-sized country brown two-story wood exterior home idea in Boston

Upstairs, the new master suite becomes a spacious adult retreat overlooking the rear yard. Calming tones of pale green are paired with light woods and soft fabrics to create a serene environment for rest and relaxation.

Rear Entry
Example of a 1960s home design design in Austin

We’ve carefully crafted every inch of this home to bring you something never before seen in this area! Modern front sidewalk and landscape design leads to the architectural stone and cedar front elevation, featuring a contemporary exterior light package, black commercial 9’ window package and 8 foot Art Deco, mahogany door. Additional features found throughout include a two-story foyer that showcases the horizontal metal railings of the oak staircase, powder room with a floating sink and wall-mounted gold faucet and great room with a 10’ ceiling, modern, linear fireplace and 18’ floating hearth, kitchen with extra-thick, double quartz island, full-overlay cabinets with 4 upper horizontal glass-front cabinets, premium Electrolux appliances with convection microwave and 6-burner gas range, a beverage center with floating upper shelves and wine fridge, first-floor owner’s suite with washer/dryer hookup, en-suite with glass, luxury shower, rain can and body sprays, LED back lit mirrors, transom windows, 16’ x 18’ loft, 2nd floor laundry, tankless water heater and uber-modern chandeliers and decorative lighting. Rear yard is fenced and has a storage shed.

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects and Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Designed and built a new warm, modern, Eichler-inspired, open, indoor-outdoor home on a deeper-than-usual San Mateo Highlands property where an original Eichler house had burned to the ground. The owners wanted multi-generational living and larger spaces than the original home offered, but all parties agreed that the house should respect the neighborhood and blend in stylistically with the other Eichlers. At first the Klopf team considered re-using what little was left of the original home and expanding on it. But after discussions with the owner and builder, all parties agreed that the last few remaining elements of the house were not practical to re-use, so Klopf Architecture designed a new home that pushes the Eichler approach in new directions. One disadvantage of Eichler production homes is that the house designs were not optimized for each specific lot. A new custom home offered the team a chance to start over. In this case, a longer house that opens up sideways to the south fit the lot better than the original square-ish house that used to open to the rear (west). Accordingly, the Klopf team designed an L-shaped “bar” house with a large glass wall with large sliding glass doors that faces sideways instead of to the rear like a typical Eichler. This glass wall opens to a pool and landscaped yard designed by Arterra Landscape Architects. Driving by the house, one might assume at first glance it is an Eichler because of the horizontality, the overhanging flat roof eaves, the dark gray vertical siding, and orange solid panel front door, but the house is designed for the 21st Century and is not meant to be a “Likeler.” You won't see any posts and beams in this home. Instead, the ceiling decking is a western red cedar that covers over all the beams. Like Eichlers, this cedar runs continuously from inside to out, enhancing the indoor / outdoor feeling of the house, but unlike Eichlers it conceals a cavity for lighting, wiring, and insulation. Ceilings are higher, rooms are larger and more open, the master bathroom is light-filled and more generous, with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet compartment, and there is plenty of storage. The garage even easily fits two of today's vehicles with room to spare. A massive 49-foot by 12-foot wall of glass and the continuity of materials from inside to outside enhance the inside-outside living concept, so the owners and their guests can flow freely from house to pool deck to BBQ to pool and back. During construction in the rough framing stage, Klopf thought the front of the house appeared too tall even though the house had looked right in the design renderings (probably because the house is uphill from the street). So Klopf Architecture paid the framer to change the roofline from how we had designed it to be lower along the front, allowing the home to blend in better with the neighborhood. One project goal was for people driving up the street to pass the home without immediately noticing there is an "imposter" on this lot, and making that change was essential to achieve that goal. This 2,606 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Eichler-inspired new house is located in San Mateo in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Contractor: Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Photography ©2016 Mariko Reed Location: San Mateo, CA Year completed: 2016

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info. Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

Rear entry mudroom - Custom cabinetry and bench by Ryan Schaad & Sons.
Mudroom - mid-sized traditional porcelain tile, brown floor and shiplap wall mudroom idea in Columbus

Example of a mid-sized trendy gray one-story stucco house exterior design in New Orleans with a hip roof and a shingle roof

Greg Premru
Large beach style beige three-story stucco gable roof photo in Boston

custom shower at bright and white secondary bafheoom
Doorless shower - mid-sized transitional 3/4 gray tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile, white floor and single-sink doorless shower idea in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, white countertops, a niche and a floating vanity

Easy rear parking provides convenient entry; in an area of limited parking, homeowners frequently use rear garage entry and this "alley side" is enhanced by the addition, designed to enhance character and presence; Hubbardton Forge lighting enhances exterior and provides illumination for rear facade

Eric Piasecki
Living room - coastal living room idea in New York