There were to many disjointed spaces in the existing Eichler home, and the owners didn’t like entering right into the kitchen wall. There were not enough functional spaces in the house but it was tricky to see how or where to add to the home without losing the atrium. The Klopf team re-arranged the spaces in the house to put the bedroom functions under the flat, 8-foot ceiling and the whole great room under the higher gable roof, moving the kitchen to the corner and creating a symmetrical and regular-shaped great room. A narrow band of skylights and a reduced, but still open, atrium brighten the family’s days and bring more greenery into their lives. The Klopf team turned the small front bedroom into a laundry room, powder room, and hallway to a large, added work-from-home office/family room that can double as a guest room. From the street the addition looks like it might have been there all along, but for the family members it’s a game-changer. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Lucie Danigo, and Biliana Stremska Structural Engineer: Sezen & Moon General Contractor: Keycon Inc. Kitchen Cabinetry: Henrybuilt Photography: ©2023 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2020

This exceptional hillside estate project, completed in 2017 is a dramatic, California Hills inspired home with dramatic views that are hard to find in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. Using low maintenance and drought tolerant plantings to reduce water usage, we created a very striking landscape design to embrace the house and site. The rear garden features a dramatic, infinity edge pool, fireplace and boulder waterfall, built by Gold Medal Pools, which creates a dramatic overlook affect for the views from the rear of the house. Other design details included were drought tolerant plantings, ornamental grasses, decorative gravel & rubble, corten planters, fire bowl features, textured concrete pads and LED landscape lighting.

There were to many disjointed spaces in the existing Eichler home, and the owners didn’t like entering right into the kitchen wall. There were not enough functional spaces in the house but it was tricky to see how or where to add to the home without losing the atrium. The Klopf team re-arranged the spaces in the house to put the bedroom functions under the flat, 8-foot ceiling and the whole great room under the higher gable roof, moving the kitchen to the corner and creating a symmetrical and regular-shaped great room. A narrow band of skylights and a reduced, but still open, atrium brighten the family’s days and bring more greenery into their lives. The Klopf team turned the small front bedroom into a laundry room, powder room, and hallway to a large, added work-from-home office/family room that can double as a guest room. From the street the addition looks like it might have been there all along, but for the family members it’s a game-changer. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Lucie Danigo, and Biliana Stremska Structural Engineer: Sezen & Moon General Contractor: Keycon Inc. Kitchen Cabinetry: Henrybuilt Photography: ©2023 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2020

More Projects, welcome to website: www.maxdiashop.com, or INS: maxdia_home 1. Handmade with cotton and linen blended thick fabric. The color of the base fabric is cream. 2. Easily installed in minutes with all necessary hardware included, lift cords are on the right side. 3. Lifting track is made of a robust aircraft aluminum alloy. Each shade can be adjusted to any position due to our unique speed reducer and self-locking device. 4. Standard shade is unlined, can block out 65% of light, privacy lining and blackout lining can be selected for a custom order. 5. Attached to the headrail with a velcro strip that holds tightly for daily use but is easy to pull off when you want to wash them. They are great for people with dust allergies, families with small children or homeowners with pets.

More Projects, welcome to website: www.maxdiashop.com, or INS: maxdia_home 1. Handmade with cotton and linen blended thick fabric. The color of the base fabric is cream. 2. Easily installed in minutes with all necessary hardware included, lift cords are on the right side. 3. Lifting track is made of a robust aircraft aluminum alloy. Each shade can be adjusted to any position due to our unique speed reducer and self-locking device. 4. Standard shade is unlined, can block out 65% of light, privacy lining and blackout lining can be selected for a custom order. 5. Attached to the headrail with a velcro strip that holds tightly for daily use but is easy to pull off when you want to wash them. They are great for people with dust allergies, families with small children or homeowners with pets.

Designed for the lifestyle and budget of a young married couple and growing family, this home offers a viable alternative to the generic speculative home. Occupying a small leftover developer site, just under four tenths of an acre at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac, the Lanning Residence site is anchored by a one hundred year old oak tree. The parcel, once undesirable to developers and their speculative plans, became the inspiration for the project form. Acting as both designers and builders, the decision was made early to utilize a strategy typical to most suburban construction; maximizing square footage while minimizing the building perimeter. An analysis of the surrounding suburban fabric revealed that the adjoining property lines were heavily planted. Views and window placement were organized to take advantage of the adjacent landscape while maximizing natural light. The house program is distributed within two main volumes that are connected by a translucent circulation volume. The spacious interior volumes, large windows, plywood shear walls, sheetrock, and simple details allowed for a light construction budget. Spray foam insulation and well designed mechanical systems allowed the family to reduce their monthly utility bills by over half, creating a far more energy efficient lifestyle.

Kittery Junction was originally constructed by the York Harbor & Beach Railroad Co. between 1886 and 1887. In the days when the locomotive was the preferred method of transportation for much of America’s population, this project site provided both passenger and freight service between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and York Beach, Maine. It was usually the case that a train station constructed during this period would have its own unique architecture, and this site was no exception. Now privately owned, this structure proudly stands overlooking Barrell’s Pond. To capture this view, the new owner approached our design team with a vision of a master bedroom Victorian conservatory facing the serene body of water. Respectful of the existing architectural details, Sunspace Design worked to bring this vision to reality using our solid conventional walls, custom Marvin windows, and a custom shop-built octagonal conservatory glass roof system. This combination enabled us to meet strong energy efficiency requirements while creating a classic Victorian conservatory that met the client’s hopes. The glass roof system was constructed in the shop, transported to site, and raised in place to reduce on site construction time. With windows and doors provided by a top window manufacturer, the 2’ x 6’ wall construction with gave us complete design control. With solid wood framing, fiberglass R-21 insulation in the walls, and sputter coated low-E sun control properties in the custom glass roof system, the construction is both structurally and thermally sound. The end result is a comfortable Victorian conservatory addition that can easily withstand the harsh elements of a Maine winter. We’ve been designing and building conservatories in New England since 1981. This project stands as a model of our commitment to quality. We utilize this construction process for all of our sunrooms, skylights, conservatories, and orangeries to ensure a final product that is unsurpassed in quality and performance.

More Projects, welcome to website: www.maxdiashop.com, or INS: @maxdia_home 1. Handmade with cotton and linen blended thick fabric. The color of the base fabric is cream. 2. Easily installed in minutes with all necessary hardware included, lift cords are on the right side. 3. Lifting track is made of a robust aircraft aluminum alloy. Each shade can be adjusted to any position due to our unique speed reducer and self-locking device. 4. Standard shade is unlined, can block out 65% of light, privacy lining and blackout lining can be selected for a custom order. 5. Attached to the headrail with a velcro strip that holds tightly for daily use but is easy to pull off when you want to wash them. They are great for people with dust allergies, families with small children or homeowners with pets.

More Projects, welcome to website: www.maxdiashop.com, or INS: @maxdia_home 1. Handmade with cotton and linen blended thick fabric. The color of the base fabric is cream. 2. Easily installed in minutes with all necessary hardware included, lift cords are on the right side. 3. Lifting track is made of a robust aircraft aluminum alloy. Each shade can be adjusted to any position due to our unique speed reducer and self-locking device. 4. Standard shade is unlined, can block out 65% of light, privacy lining and blackout lining can be selected for a custom order. 5. Attached to the headrail with a velcro strip that holds tightly for daily use but is easy to pull off when you want to wash them. They are great for people with dust allergies, families with small children or homeowners with pets.

This exceptional hillside estate project, completed in 2017 is a dramatic, California Hills inspired home with dramatic views that are hard to find in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. Using low maintenance and drought tolerant plantings to reduce water usage, we created a very striking landscape design to embrace the house and site. The rear garden features a dramatic, infinity edge pool, fireplace and boulder waterfall, built by Gold Medal Pools, which creates a dramatic overlook affect for the views from the rear of the house. Other design details included were drought tolerant plantings, ornamental grasses, decorative gravel & rubble, corten planters, fire bowl features, textured concrete pads and LED landscape lighting.

Blau-Thompson Residence This Civil War era, 1680-square-foot three-story row house is located in the Italian Market section of Philadelphia. The BluPath Design principals and their young child were the clients. The project goal was to upgrade a traditional housing type to meet a contemporary lifestyle, applying both sustainable criteria and clean, modern yet sensual aesthetics. The challenge of the property (only 830 square feet in lot size) was to create a design that was small, but smart. The structure formerly housed a luncheonette with two apartments above. The interior was gutted and renovated into a single family home. The construction of a small rear addition added a new kitchen on the first floor and new bathrooms on the second and third levels. The east-west orientation of the home was ideal for the roof-mounted solar collectors, which were installed to provide domestic hot water and supplement the new radiant floor heating system. Exterior sensors improve the efficiency of the heating system's response to fluctuations in outside temperature. A new white-coated, rubber membrane roof reduced the structure's heat gain by 20 percent. A water catch system collects rainwater and air conditioner condensation to water the home's small rear garden. Large windows and skylights bring light deep into the row house and reduce the use of light fixtures. The rear yard garden features ipe decking (a dense, water-repellent hardwood) on permeable compacted gravel to minimize storm water runoff. BluPath Design’s principals used the project to demonstrate how sustainability can be integrated with beauty and function, with sensual materials and colors, well-proportioned and light-filled rooms, economic use of space, and thoughtful details. Cherry flooring and custom stairs complement the Indian slate tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. The kitchen features custom walnut cabinets with blue granite counters and backsplashes. The first floor dining area is illuminated by a BluPath-designed fiber-optic chandelier. Ipe hardwood is also used for the master bath tub-surround and shower floor. Sliding frosted glass panels separating the master bath from other living areas allows light from the corner windows to naturally illuminate the adjacent room. Awards Honorable Mention for Sustainability and Energy Efficiency IIDA Philadelphia City Center Chapter 3rd Annual Interior Design Awards, June 2007 Bronze 2006 Commonwealth Design Award 10,000 Friends of PA, May 2006 Media HGTV ‘What You Get for the Money’ February 2007 Philadelphia Style Magazine March/April 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer June 11, 2006 Philadelphia CityPaper September 25-October 2, 2003 Photography by Barry Halkin

This exceptional hillside estate project, completed in 2017 is a dramatic, California Hills inspired home with dramatic views that are hard to find in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. Using low maintenance and drought tolerant plantings to reduce water usage, we created a very striking landscape design to embrace the house and site. The rear garden features a dramatic, infinity edge pool, fireplace and boulder waterfall, built by Gold Medal Pools, which creates a dramatic overlook affect for the views from the rear of the house. Other design details included were drought tolerant plantings, ornamental grasses, decorative gravel & rubble, corten planters, fire bowl features, textured concrete pads and LED landscape lighting.

This is a lovely old home that experienced major renovations last year. We were very fortunate to be requested by the owners to update their landscaping upon completion of the renovations. The project relied heavily on collaboration with the owners who made the key decisions in choosing the plants that I suggested and deciding upon concepts. We decided to re-create the formal garden by using informal plants. We also decided that the flower color should be white throughout the formal garden. We spent time deciding upon color preferences, plants they like (such as lilac), and the "look" of the plants. We wanted them to fit the architecture of the house. The goal was to come up with interesting and unusual plants that provided lots of year round color and did not require lots of maintenance. The landscape will require periodic maintenance to monitor the plants and keep everything looking good. We used lots of Native plants where appropriate and re-used many of the plants on site. For example, we removed the cranesbill geranium from the old formal garden but discarded the dead and dying boxwood. We used the cranesbill geranium in beds against the back of the house. The plants will form a low carpet that flowers and reduces weed growth. We moved a very large pink flowering crape myrtle that was blocking the view to a corner of the house where it brackets the corner with another large pink crape myrtle on the other side of the corner.

Blau-Thompson Residence This Civil War era, 1680-square-foot three-story row house is located in the Italian Market section of Philadelphia. The BluPath Design principals and their young child were the clients. The project goal was to upgrade a traditional housing type to meet a contemporary lifestyle, applying both sustainable criteria and clean, modern yet sensual aesthetics. The challenge of the property (only 830 square feet in lot size) was to create a design that was small, but smart. The structure formerly housed a luncheonette with two apartments above. The interior was gutted and renovated into a single family home. The construction of a small rear addition added a new kitchen on the first floor and new bathrooms on the second and third levels. The east-west orientation of the home was ideal for the roof-mounted solar collectors, which were installed to provide domestic hot water and supplement the new radiant floor heating system. Exterior sensors improve the efficiency of the heating system's response to fluctuations in outside temperature. A new white-coated, rubber membrane roof reduced the structure's heat gain by 20 percent. A water catch system collects rainwater and air conditioner condensation to water the home's small rear garden. Large windows and skylights bring light deep into the row house and reduce the use of light fixtures. The rear yard garden features ipe decking (a dense, water-repellent hardwood) on permeable compacted gravel to minimize storm water runoff. BluPath Design’s principals used the project to demonstrate how sustainability can be integrated with beauty and function, with sensual materials and colors, well-proportioned and light-filled rooms, economic use of space, and thoughtful details. Cherry flooring and custom stairs complement the Indian slate tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. The kitchen features custom walnut cabinets with blue granite counters and backsplashes. The first floor dining area is illuminated by a BluPath-designed fiber-optic chandelier. Ipe hardwood is also used for the master bath tub-surround and shower floor. Sliding frosted glass panels separating the master bath from other living areas allows light from the corner windows to naturally illuminate the adjacent room. Awards Honorable Mention for Sustainability and Energy Efficiency IIDA Philadelphia City Center Chapter 3rd Annual Interior Design Awards, June 2007 Bronze 2006 Commonwealth Design Award 10,000 Friends of PA, May 2006 Media HGTV ‘What You Get for the Money’ February 2007 Philadelphia Style Magazine March/April 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer June 11, 2006 Philadelphia CityPaper September 25-October 2, 2003 Photography by Barry Halkin

Terran Landscapes http://www.terranlandscapes.com Project Entry: Fishers Woodland Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Theme Garden $15,000-$30,000 Award Level: Bronze Photo Description: We were contracted by the client to design a calming space for their staff to relax, take a walk, and enjoy a leisurely lunch as well as to provide their grandchildren a place to run and pick flowers. The space was originally dominated by large trees and had been overgrown with ivy, sumac and aggressive vines, providing an unwelcome, dark space with little color or visual appeal. The client requested a colorful blend of shrubs and perennials that would provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as provide privacy by screening the street traffic along Carisbrooke Road. Our goal was to create the privacy screen along the road by layering plants from the ground to the tree canopy. The theme was to let nature inspire the landscape, allowing a space that was originally woodland to become an enhanced version of itself, creating a beautiful habitat for birds and butterflies to excite the senses and satisfy all who enjoy the beauty of nature. We began by clearing the brush and removing all aggressive vines and ivy that jeopardized the health of the trees. We kept and transplanted all non- invasive or native plant material in the area to various locations throughout the property. Several yards of compost were then tilled into the soil and the existing trees fertilized to provide a rich growing environment. A few challenges occurred during the design process. It was decided that a new generator was to be installed in the woodland and due to a future addition to the house, we were forced to eliminate planned additional impervious pathway surfaces. We provided screening to hide the generator and buffer the noise, and created a meandering path and sitting area out of natural woodchips instead of the proposed bluestone to solve the impervious space issue. The woodchips add a sense of informality and invite the viewer to walk slowly through the space. The reduced noise from the additional screening of the generator allows for quiet reflection as chipmunks scurry and hummingbirds dart about between the flowers. Our plant palette consists of shady understory plants that thrive and flower vigorously from spring through fall. A tall, lush, evergreen backdrop of Ilex opaca and Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ provides the screening and blends into a middle layer of ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood, hydrangeas and winterberry hollies. Beautiful perennials and groundcovers bloom along the woodland path, providing a low visual layer of color and texture. Movement throughout the garden is provided by the graceful Calamagrostis brachytricha and Hakenchloa that soften the nearby hardscaping. The woodland floor is full of shade-loving Solomon’s seal, hosta, astilbe, ferns, bleeding heart, Tiarella and Aconitum. The street side of this woodland required plants with a preference for a little more sun and drought tolerance. A palette of oakleaf hydrangea, Agastache, Liatris and Rudbeckia softens the fence line and provides the desired color. As designed and installed, the woodland garden successfully provides the client’s family and office staff a quiet space where they can take a peaceful moment and enjoy nature. Photo Credit: Lisa C. Falls

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present An iconic design updated with comfort, function, and flow for today. A Remodel That Balances Past and Present What started as a desire to update a classic Eichler soon became an exploration of how Mid-Century Modern design can successfully evolve for today. The client, a tech professional with a passion for scuba diving and underwater photography, wanted a home that would both honor its original character and feel tailored to his daily life. A lifelong technology enthusiast, he still owns the very first Mac desktop he saved up for as a teenager working at Radio Shack, a detail that underscores his appreciation for design that melds function and form. Honoring Separation While Expanding Possibility Unlike many contemporary remodels where walls are opened up to create expansive living spaces, this project took a more restrained approach. The client valued the defined rooms of the original plan and wanted to preserve as much wall space as possible for displaying his large-format underwater photography. The emphasis was not on dramatic spatial reinvention, but on thoughtful refinements. Klopf Architecture shaped a gallery-like backdrop while also expanding the primary suite, modernizing materials and fixtures throughout the home, and improving the functionality and layout of the kitchen. The finished home feels at once timeless and renewed, an Eichler that continues to inspire while fully supporting the lifestyle of its present-day owner. A major turning point came mid-design. The original project brief had not included an addition, but as the reconfiguration of the primary bedroom and bath unfolded, it became clear that an expansion was the best approach to achieve the client’s vision of a more spacious suite. Fortunately, the adjustment came at a stage when revisions were still manageable and was integrated seamlessly, showing how thoughtful course corrections can strengthen a project rather than hinder it. Navigating Challenges With Precision The design development included multiple conceptual rounds, balancing preservation with subtle expansion. During construction, an existing post previously thought to be load-bearing turned out not to be. The structural engineer was able to pivot quickly, and both the post and the cross beam that had been intended to replace it could be omitted, allowing the original rhythm of the Eichler beam bays to be preserved. Sustainability was not just a checklist item, but a way to align the home with the client’s values of simplicity, efficiency, and long-term functionality. R-38 roof insulation reduced energy usage, solar panels with battery storage provided independence and resilience, and passive comfort strategies eliminated the need forenergy-intensive air conditioning. An electric vehicle charger and an on-demand hot water recirculation system (with call buttons as opposed to having constant circulation) add to the home’s long-term efficiency factors. Together, these moves created a home that is quieter, more comfortable, and better equipped for the future, qualities that supported the client’s pragmatic approach to design and living lightly. Details That Respect the Eichler DNA The remodel carries forward the Eichler’s original spirit while introducing new layers of modern livability. Originally, the house was approached along a deep, narrow walk, with the garage on one side and the house on the other, leaving the front door tucked far back within this chasm-like space. By pulling the entry forward, the design reshaped the arrival experience, creating a clearer threshold and a natural drop-off zone for bags, shoes, and keys. This shift also made room for a custom bench at the entry that extends seamlessly through the glass sidelight. The bench and drop-off zone now work together as a single, integrated sequence that supports everyday living while offering a tactile reminder of Eichler’s philosophy of connectedness. At the client’s request, Klopf reintroduced a classic Eichler gesture by extending the exterior siding into the entry and living room. The detail reinforces a sense of indoor/outdoor continuity while providing a subtle architectural surface that allows the client’s photography to take visual precedence. The signature concrete masonry wall at the front was reconstructed using blocks sourced to match the originals, now strengthened with rebar for seismic resilience while maintaining a private outdoor courtyard, visually extending the kitchen outward. A decorative trellis element, a detail borrowed from a neighboring Eichler, restores a familiar mid-century modern architectural motif. At the courtyard entry door, a custom etched glass sidelight with an ocean-themed design featuring kelp and jellyfish serves as a subtle homage to the client’s passion for deep-sea diving. Landscaping became an integral part of the overall transformation. The homeowner engaged landscape architect Randi Johnsen of Third Nature Studio to shape a series of calm, inviting outdoor rooms that read as a natural extension of the interiors. While technically outside of the core construction scope, the landscape design proved central to achieving a sense of completeness and connectedness across the property. Such whole-property considerations often emerge as design ideas take shape, underscoring the importance of flexibility in planning and budgeting, as well as close collaboration among the design team starting early in the process. The Value of Evolving Scope As with many custom residential projects, the scope evolved during the design process. What began as a targeted remodel grew to include a new/expanded primary suite, a rebuilt CMU patio wall for strength and longevity, and a solar panel array and battery storage for energy resilience and carbon-reduction. Each thoughtful decision represented a conscious investment in the home’s performance and character, rather than a cost overrun. The result was a project delivered on schedule, tailored precisely to the client’s lifestyle, and positioned to add long-term value both functionally and aesthetically. By embracing scope evolution as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and relying on good design paired with transparent communication, this remodel demonstrates how Eichler homes can be adapted for contemporary living without erasing their DNA. Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, AIA, and Klara Kevane, Elise Webb and Nicholas LaNasa. Contractor: Golden Cove Construction Landscape Design: Third Nature Studio Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao Design Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2024 Location: Sunnyvale, CA

More Projects, welcome to website: www.maxdiashop.com, or INS: maxdia_home 1. Handmade with cotton and linen blended thick fabric. The color of the base fabric is cream. 2. Easily installed in minutes with all necessary hardware included, lift cords are on the right side. 3. Lifting track is made of a robust aircraft aluminum alloy. Each shade can be adjusted to any position due to our unique speed reducer and self-locking device. 4. Standard shade is unlined, can block out 65% of light, privacy lining and blackout lining can be selected for a custom order. 5. Attached to the headrail with a velcro strip that holds tightly for daily use but is easy to pull off when you want to wash them. They are great for people with dust allergies, families with small children or homeowners with pets.

This closet project cleaned up a tight (but lengthy) closet space with gorgeous new cabinetry and maximized organization. The original space is housed inside of a true log home (same house as the gorgeous Evergreen Kitchen remodel we completed last year) and so the same challenges were present. Moreso than the kitchen, dealing with the logs was very difficult. The original closet had shelves and storage pieces attached to the logs, but over time the logs shifted and expanded, causing these shelving units to detach and break. Our plan for the new closet was to construct an independent framing structure to which the new cabinetry could be attached, preventing shifting and breaking over time. This reduced the overall depth of the clear closet space, but allowed for a multitude of gorgeous cabinet boxes to be integrated into the space where there was never true storage before. We shifted the depths of each cabinet moving down through the space to allow for as much walkable space as possible while still providing storage. With a mix of drawers, hanging bars, roll out trays, and open shelving, this closet is a true beauty with lots of storage opportunity!

This zero lot line patio home was in serious need of attention—the original siding was literally falling off, leaving the structure exposed to Houston’s heat, humidity, and heavy rain. The homeowner needed a durable, long-term solution that would restore protection, efficiency, and curb appeal. We removed the failing materials and installed new HardiePlank® siding and HardieTrim®, giving the home a clean, modern, and structurally sound exterior built specifically to withstand Houston’s Gulf Coast climate. To further improve comfort and energy performance, we upgraded the home with Simonton high‑efficiency windows, dramatically enhancing insulation and reducing air loss. Once the new siding and windows were in place, we completed the transformation with a full exterior repaint using premium Sherwin‑Williams exterior paint, delivering a crisp, long-lasting finish that will hold up beautifully for years to come. This project is a perfect example of how the right materials—and the right contractor—can completely revive a home’s exterior, boost efficiency, and add long-term value in the Houston market. Ready to restore or upgrade your home’s exterior? Contact Deskins Siding & Exteriors today for a free consultation and let’s bring your home back to life.