Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Hampden Place Residence is a paired single-family residential design in Pacific Palisades, California, developed for a hillside site with an emphasis on privacy, views, and contemporary living. Conceived as two 3,500-square-foot homes, the project explores how modern residential architecture can respond to challenging topography through careful massing, terraced site planning, and a strong relationship between interior space and landscape. The design is defined by expansive glazing, warm material tones, broad exterior terraces, and a stepped architectural composition that follows the natural grade of the property. Large openings bring light deep into the interiors while framing long views across the site, and the overall layout balances openness with a sense of retreat appropriate to hillside living. A sequence of terraces, stairs, and retaining walls extends the homes into the landscape, creating outdoor spaces that feel integrated with the architecture rather than separate from it. The result is a contemporary Pacific Palisades residential design shaped around site sensitivity, livability, and a clear connection between house, terrain, and horizon. AKDA Architects works with homeowners on custom home design, rebuild planning, and site-responsive hillside residential projects in Pacific Palisades and throughout Los Angeles.

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Hampden Place Residence is a paired single-family residential design in Pacific Palisades, California, developed for a hillside site with an emphasis on privacy, views, and contemporary living. Conceived as two 3,500-square-foot homes, the project explores how modern residential architecture can respond to challenging topography through careful massing, terraced site planning, and a strong relationship between interior space and landscape. The design is defined by expansive glazing, warm material tones, broad exterior terraces, and a stepped architectural composition that follows the natural grade of the property. Large openings bring light deep into the interiors while framing long views across the site, and the overall layout balances openness with a sense of retreat appropriate to hillside living. A sequence of terraces, stairs, and retaining walls extends the homes into the landscape, creating outdoor spaces that feel integrated with the architecture rather than separate from it. The result is a contemporary Pacific Palisades residential design shaped around site sensitivity, livability, and a clear connection between house, terrain, and horizon. AKDA Architects works with homeowners on custom home design, rebuild planning, and site-responsive hillside residential projects in Pacific Palisades and throughout Los Angeles.

Nestled in the heart of Northern Virginia's wine and equestrian countryside, this one-of-a-kind Federal Colonial estate called for a staircase worthy of its pedigree. The result is a stunning main staircase that serves as the elegant focal point of the home's open entrance. Rich oak treads and risers rise gracefully alongside the home's curved walls, complemented by metal-forged balusters that nod to the period's craftsmanship. The design thoughtfully responds to one of the home's most distinctive original features: a semi-circular fanlight above the front door. This fanlight beautifully frames an arched opening beneath the stairs, creating an elegant passageway that provides both privacy and access to the formal great room and gourmet kitchen beyond. The staircase doesn't just connect floors. It honors the home's historic character while serving the needs of modern living. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Completed in 2011, this home is designed for a steeply sloping urban lot in Vienna, Virginia. In response to a tight zoning code that limited the building's footprint, we designed a compact plan that rises 3 stories and draws inspiration from the historic character of this small town consistently rated as one of the best places to live and work. Utilizing our favorite Great Room Scheme, the main level is planned with a classic front porch, 2-story entry hall, formal dining room, Kitchen/Breakfast area, large Mud Room with separate entrance and, finally, the Great Room itself. The lower level is the Entertainment hub of the house and contains a guest suite, shop, exercise area, family room and play area with wet bar. Upstairs, 3 kid's bedrooms, 2 full baths, laundry area, Master Suite with large sleeping area and a 5 piece master bath with large walk-in closet are all efficiently arranged to maximize room size. Our clients were interested in a very expressive exterior formalism while staying within the traditional architectural norm of Vienna. We responded with a series of gable dormers, bay windows and a hexagonal sitting room clad with complimentary siding materials and bold colors. Eventually, the back of the structure will be finished out with a large deck at the main level and elaborate staircase that descends to the rear yard.

Located on a wooded site, a single-story 1950s house with an awkward floor plan was strategically remodeled to provide living spaces that connect to the outdoors and respond to the needs of a young family. This home had undergone successive alterations over the years, resulting in a fragmented, confusing layout. With only minor changes to the footprint, the architects redesigned this midcentury home to blur the boundary between indoor living and the landscape beyond. The new design effects a dramatic change by reorganizing the space into linear zones, raising the roof in key places, and making two small additions. A concrete wall links a new music studio and detached garage to the main house, forming an entry court that welcomes visitors and screens the private bedroom spaces nearby. The entry is marked by a series of round skylights, while the living room has been opened up with taller ceilings, a new fireplace and walls of glass. A series of long colored boxes provides storage and utility spaces, while planar elements draw the eye through the house to the landscape beyond. Teak cabinets, blackened steel and Douglas fir contrast with more modest materials such as painted MDF panels, fiber-cement siding and painted gypsum wallboard. These spaces are designed to accommodate both intimate family gatherings and large parties. Select Furnishings provided by INForm Images by Nic LeHoux Photography

Small contemporary shade front yard stone exterior home idea for summer in DC Metro

Our Austin studio gave this new build home a serene feel with earthy materials, cool blues, pops of color, and textural elements. --- Project designed by Sara Barney’s Austin interior design studio BANDD DESIGN. They serve the entire Austin area and its surrounding towns, with an emphasis on Round Rock, Lake Travis, West Lake Hills, and Tarrytown. For more about BANDD DESIGN, click here: https://bandddesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://bandddesign.com/natural-modern-new-build-austin-home/

Nautical boys bedroom with blue and white wave wallcovering, lighthouse table lamp and red striped roman shades Photo: Joseph Chartier-Petrelis
Bedroom - mid-sized coastal guest dark wood floor bedroom idea in Boston with blue walls

Located on a wooded site, a single-story 1950s house with an awkward floor plan was strategically remodeled to provide living spaces that connect to the outdoors and respond to the needs of a young family. This home had undergone successive alterations over the years, resulting in a fragmented, confusing layout. With only minor changes to the footprint, the architects redesigned this midcentury home to blur the boundary between indoor living and the landscape beyond. The new design effects a dramatic change by reorganizing the space into linear zones, raising the roof in key places, and making two small additions. A concrete wall links a new music studio and detached garage to the main house, forming an entry court that welcomes visitors and screens the private bedroom spaces nearby. The entry is marked by a series of round skylights, while the living room has been opened up with taller ceilings, a new fireplace and walls of glass. A series of long colored boxes provides storage and utility spaces, while planar elements draw the eye through the house to the landscape beyond. Teak cabinets, blackened steel and Douglas fir contrast with more modest materials such as painted MDF panels, fiber-cement siding and painted gypsum wallboard. These spaces are designed to accommodate both intimate family gatherings and large parties. Select Furnishings provided by INForm Images by Nic LeHoux Photography

The 5,000 square foot private residence is located in the community of Horseshoe Bay, above the shores of Lake LBJ, and responds to the Texas Hill Country vernacular prescribed by the community: shallow metal roofs, regional materials, sensitive scale massing and water-wise landscaping. The house opens to the scenic north and north-west views and fractures and shifts in order to keep significant oak, mesquite, elm, cedar and persimmon trees, in the process creating lush private patios and limestone terraces. The Owners desired an accessible residence built for flexibility as they age. This led to a single level home, and the challenge to nestle the step-less house into the sloping landscape. Full height glazing opens the house to the very beautiful arid landscape, while porches and overhangs protect interior spaces from the harsh Texas sun. Expansive walls of industrial insulated glazing panels allow soft modulated light to penetrate the interior while providing visual privacy. An integral lap pool with adjacent low fenestration reflects dappled light deep into the house. Chaste stained concrete floors and blackened steel focal elements contrast with islands of mesquite flooring, cherry casework and fir ceilings. Selective areas of exposed limestone walls, some incorporating salvaged timber lintels, and cor-ten steel components further the contrast within the uncomplicated framework. The Owner’s object and art collection is incorporated into the residence’s sequence of connecting galleries creating a choreography of passage that alternates between the lucid expression of simple ranch house architecture and the rich accumulation of their heritage. The general contractor for the project is local custom homebuilder Dauphine Homes. Structural Engineering is provided by Structures Inc. of Austin, Texas, and Landscape Architecture is provided by Prado Design LLC in conjunction with Jill Nokes, also of Austin. Cecil Baker + Partners Photography

Located on a wooded site, a single-story 1950s house with an awkward floor plan was strategically remodeled to provide living spaces that connect to the outdoors and respond to the needs of a young family. This home had undergone successive alterations over the years, resulting in a fragmented, confusing layout. With only minor changes to the footprint, the architects redesigned this midcentury home to blur the boundary between indoor living and the landscape beyond. The new design effects a dramatic change by reorganizing the space into linear zones, raising the roof in key places, and making two small additions. A concrete wall links a new music studio and detached garage to the main house, forming an entry court that welcomes visitors and screens the private bedroom spaces nearby. The entry is marked by a series of round skylights, while the living room has been opened up with taller ceilings, a new fireplace and walls of glass. A series of long colored boxes provides storage and utility spaces, while planar elements draw the eye through the house to the landscape beyond. Teak cabinets, blackened steel and Douglas fir contrast with more modest materials such as painted MDF panels, fiber-cement siding and painted gypsum wallboard. These spaces are designed to accommodate both intimate family gatherings and large parties. Select Furnishings provided by INForm Images by Nic LeHoux Photography