Photography by Jeff Herr
Trendy formal brown floor living room photo in Atlanta with a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Inspiration for a large transitional open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in Orange County with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

A rare, 1950s vintage Paul McCobb console table and George Nelson bench here along with traditional, original architectural Spanish features of the house. Another special element was the installation of sheet metal to the back family photo wall so it could accept magnets to not only protect the original plaster walls but allow overall flexibility for the homeowners. To know more about this makeover, please read the "Houzz Tour" feature article here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32975037/list/houzz-tour-midcentury-meets-mediterranean-in-california Bernard Andre Photography

Our remodeled 1994 Deck House was a stunning hit with our clients. All original moulding, trim, truss systems, exposed posts and beams and mahogany windows were kept in tact and refinished as requested. All wood ceilings in each room were painted white to brighten and lift the interiors. This is the view looking from the living room toward the kitchen. Our mid-century design is timeless and remains true to the modernism movement.

photography by Jennifer Hughes
Inspiration for a large country master dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel in DC Metro with white walls

Inspiration for a transitional bathroom remodel in San Francisco

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.

In 1949, one of mid-century modern’s most famous NW architects, Paul Hayden Kirk, built this early “glass house” in Hawthorne Hills. Rather than flattening the rolling hills of the Northwest to accommodate his structures, Kirk sought to make the least impact possible on the building site by making use of it natural landscape. When we started this project, our goal was to pay attention to the original architecture--as well as designing the home around the client’s eclectic art collection and African artifacts. The home was completely gutted, since most of the home is glass, hardly any exterior walls remained. We kept the basic footprint of the home the same—opening the space between the kitchen and living room. The horizontal grain matched walnut cabinets creates a natural continuous movement. The sleek lines of the Fleetwood windows surrounding the home allow for the landscape and interior to seamlessly intertwine. In our effort to preserve as much of the design as possible, the original fireplace remains in the home and we made sure to work with the natural lines originally designed by Kirk.

Example of a 1950s home design design in Philadelphia

We joined forces with JHL Design’s Holly Freres and Liz Morgan to transform a dark and dated Pearl District penthouse into an elegant and timeless home. The space was designed with European metropolitan interiors in mind, giving it the “Parisian Modern” look the clients desired. The team replaced cherry casework and red and ochre walls with clean white and neutral shades to brighten the space. The new applied wood paneling serves as an interesting architectural detail while modern fixtures and furniture keep it from feeling too traditional. The project also included new casework, new wood floors and carpet, new terrazzo countertops, new vanity and plumbing fixtures, and reworked cabinetry in the kitchen and pantry. Photos by Haris Kenjar.

A few rare vintage 1950s pieces here along with a custom bone inlay starburst table, hand silk-screened draperies, and sofas designed by Melina Copass & Preston Sharp. Due to the challenging long and narrow shape of this room, custom designed sofas, especially a Tete-a-Tete style, were needed to create combination seating for around the fireplace and the adjacent TV wall. To know more about this makeover, please read the "Houzz Tour" feature article here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32975037/list/houzz-tour-midcentury-meets-mediterranean-in-california

Tom Holdsworth Photography Our clients wanted to create a room that would bring them closer to the outdoors; a room filled with natural lighting; and a venue to spotlight a modern fireplace. Early in the design process, our clients wanted to replace their existing, outdated, and rundown screen porch, but instead decided to build an all-season sun room. The space was intended as a quiet place to read, relax, and enjoy the view. The sunroom addition extends from the existing house and is nestled into its heavily wooded surroundings. The roof of the new structure reaches toward the sky, enabling additional light and views. The floor-to-ceiling magnum double-hung windows with transoms, occupy the rear and side-walls. The original brick, on the fourth wall remains exposed; and provides a perfect complement to the French doors that open to the dining room and create an optimum configuration for cross-ventilation. To continue the design philosophy for this addition place seamlessly merged natural finishes from the interior to the exterior. The Brazilian black slate, on the sunroom floor, extends to the outdoor terrace; and the stained tongue and groove, installed on the ceiling, continues through to the exterior soffit. The room's main attraction is the suspended metal fireplace; an authentic wood-burning heat source. Its shape is a modern orb with a commanding presence. Positioned at the center of the room, toward the rear, the orb adds to the majestic interior-exterior experience. This is the client's third project with place architecture: design. Each endeavor has been a wonderful collaboration to successfully bring this 1960s ranch-house into twenty-first century living.

This indoor-outdoor living room is capped off by two automatic screen walls. This living room also provides separation from the guest suite and the main house while remaining under one roof. Photo by Paul Bardagjy

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

Photo by Christopher Carter
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional master gray tile and marble tile porcelain tile and gray floor bathroom remodel in Denver with a hinged shower door, black walls, marble countertops and gray countertops

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.

Minimalist kitchen photo in Dallas

Example of a mid-sized minimalist galley concrete floor open concept kitchen design in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, glass countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.