This is a terraced home that responds to its sloping site near the Shawangunk Mountains. Separated into two volumes anchored by a glass corridor, the private entry volume houses the guest suites. The lower volume opens to a glass-enclosed rear facade that showcases expansive wooded views in our clients’ bedrooms and main living area.

The organic clustering of forms pleasantly responds to the ridgelines in the background when one first approaches the home. Photographer: Vance Fox
Inspiration for a contemporary brown wood house exterior remodel

Low-water shrubs and soft textures frame the home while responding to the Northern California climate.
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in San Francisco.

The owners of a charming home in the hills west of Paso Robles recently decided to remodel their not-so-charming kitchen. Referred to San Luis Kitchen by several of their friends, the homeowners visited our showroom and soon decided we were the best people to design a kitchen fitting the style of their home. We were delighted to get to work on the project right away. When we arrived at the house, we found a small, cramped and out-dated kitchen. The ceiling was low, the cabinets old fashioned and painted a stark dead white, and the best view in the house was neglected in a seldom-used breakfast nook (sequestered behind the kitchen peninsula). This kitchen was also handicapped by white tile counters with dark grout, odd-sized and cluttered cabinets, and small ‘desk’ tacked on to the side of the oven cabinet. Due to a marked lack of counter space & inadequate storage the homeowner had resorted to keeping her small appliances on a little cart parked in the corner and the garbage was just sitting by the wall in full view of everything! On the plus side, the kitchen opened into a nice dining room and had beautiful saltillo tile floors. Mrs. Homeowner loves to entertain and often hosts dinner parties for her friends. She enjoys visiting with her guests in the kitchen while putting the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. Sadly, her small kitchen really limited her interactions with her guests – she often felt left out of the mix at her own parties! This savvy homeowner dreamed big – a new kitchen that would accommodate multiple workstations, have space for guests to gather but not be in the way, and maybe a prettier transition from the kitchen to the dining (wine service area or hutch?) – while managing the remodel budget by reusing some of her major appliances and keeping (patching as needed) her existing floors. Responding to the homeowner’s stated wish list and the opportunities presented by the home's setting and existing architecture, the designers at San Luis Kitchen decided to expand the kitchen into the breakfast nook. This change allowed the work area to be reoriented to take advantage of the great view – we replaced the existing window and added another while moving the door to gain space. A second sink and set of refrigerator drawers (housing fresh fruits & veggies) were included for the convenience of this mainly vegetarian cook – her prep station. The clean-up area now boasts a farmhouse style single bowl sink – adding to the ‘cottage’ charm. We located a new gas cook-top between the two workstations for easy access from each. Also tucked in here is a pullout trash/recycle cabinet for convenience and additional drawers for storage. Running parallel to the work counter we added a long butcher-block island with easy-to-access open shelves for the avid cook and seating for friendly guests placed just right to take in the view. A counter-top garage is used to hide excess small appliances. Glass door cabinets and open shelves are now available to display the owners beautiful dishware. The microwave was placed inconspicuously on the end of the island facing the refrigerator – easy access for guests (and extraneous family members) to help themselves to drinks and snacks while staying out of the cook’s way. We also moved the pantry storage away from the dining room (putting it on the far wall and closer to the work triangle) and added a furniture-like hutch in its place allowing the more formal dining area to flow seamlessly into the up-beat work area of the kitchen. This space is now also home (opposite wall) to an under counter wine refrigerator, a liquor cabinet and pretty glass door wall cabinet for stemware storage – meeting Mr. Homeowner’s desire for a bar service area. And then the aesthetic: an old-world style country cottage theme. The homeowners wanted the kitchen to have a warm feel while still loving the look of white cabinetry. San Luis Kitchen melded country-casual knotty pine base cabinets with vintage hand-brushed creamy white wall cabinets to create the desired cottage look. We also added bead board and mullioned glass doors for charm, used an inset doorstyle on the cabinets for authenticity, and mixed stone and wood counters to create an eclectic nuance in the space. All in all, the happy homeowners now boast a charming county cottage kitchen with plenty of space for entertaining their guests while creating gourmet meals to feed them. Credits: Custom cabinetry by Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry Contracting by Michael Pezzato of Lost Coast Construction Stone counters by Pyramid M.T.M.

The transformation of the bedroom was enhanced by replacing two small, portal windows with a large picture window that literally brings the surrounding forest into delightful, enchanting focus. From this vantage point the owners delight in watching a menagerie of wild animals and birds, and the forest responding to changing seasons and coastal weather. Built-in bookshelves pay gracious homage to the owner's large book collection

Named after a local crustacean, the Periwinkle Project design by Beaumont Concepts promotes harmony with the natural coastal surrounds and addresses sustainability from construction to consumption of resources over the life cycle of the home. The compact, cost effective home is successful in responding to constraints of the site. The home sits comfortably within the site and actively benefits from it with passive solar principals and energy efficiency and environmentally conscious provision of thermal mass.

We created custom millwork to respond to the functional and unique aesthetic inclinations of our clients, including a custom media wall accented by an ocean-blue Roman Clay background and a custom built-in bench and dining nook for social gatherings.

Our clients used an empty nest as the motivation for a long-desired relocation to a walkable neighborhood in Seattle. The small segmented rooms of the house they purchased did not support their lifestyle or preferred manner of entertaining. Our design responded by opening the kitchen, stair, living, and dining rooms into a shared space. The two-sided fireplace and the waterfall kitchen countertop serve as islands to delineate the space without dividing it.

The top interior design is all about creating meaningful, powerful, and sensual experiences for ourselves and our clients. It is more than creating luxury interiors of residences or choosing the right cushion color for your living room. It is about creating experiences that address, protect, and respond to the need of humans.

Classic White kitchen in Hinsdale, IL. A large space with tall ceilings and an open floor plan, PB designers responded with a design of appropriate scale.

We created custom millwork to respond to the functional and unique aesthetic inclinations of our clients, including a custom media wall accented by an ocean-blue Roman Clay background and a custom built-in bench and dining nook for social gatherings.

This two story addition responded to the owner’s wish that it compliment their classic white brick colonial. Large windows in the study create a bright space from which to enjoy the beautiful leafy view of their pasture and garden. The lower level features an exercise room and access to a lovely terrace. Landscape Design by David B. Post, PostModern Landscape Architecture, LLC

The key design driver for the project was to create a simple but contemporary extension that responded to the existing dramatic topography in the property’s rear garden. The concept was to provide a single elegant form, cantilevering out into the tree canopies and over the landscape. Conceived as a house within the tree canopies the extension is clad in sweet chestnut which enhances the relationship to the surrounding mature trees. Large sliding glass panels link the inside spaces to its unique environment. Internally the design successfully resolves the Client’s brief to provide an open plan and fluid layout, that subtly defines distinct living and dining areas. The scheme was completed in April 2016

Named after a local crustacean, the Periwinkle Project design by Beaumont Concepts promotes harmony with the natural coastal surrounds and addresses sustainability from construction to consumption of resources over the life cycle of the home. The compact, cost effective home is successful in responding to constraints of the site. The home sits comfortably within the site and actively benefits from it with passive solar principals and energy efficiency and environmentally conscious provision of thermal mass.

An historic Greek revival home in Concord, New Hampshire had a 'backstage' kitchen space that was not well suited to the growing family. The addition and renovation responded to the user needs and included reconditioning elements that would remain to keep the project costs on budget yet still create a new kitchen and dining space that brought forth design details from the historic home..

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2016 Houzz
Example of a trendy kitchen design in Amsterdam

Bedroom - large transitional master carpeted bedroom idea in New York with blue walls

Mixing an antique American Empire chest with the contemporary lines of the canopy bed creates a nice tension in the space. Nothing equals the patina you get with time-worn pieces. I always include something antique in my rooms. It creates a sense of history and quality. Photo by Walt Roycraft