The kitchen features custom Italian porcelain countertops and flat panel oak black stained cabinets and double-sided island; microwave drawer and Jenn-Air stainless steel appliances; touchless Moen faucets; modern glass globe pendant lights; stainless steel penny round backsplash and new light hardwood floors. All tiles, countertops and wood floors are from Spazio LA Tile Gallery.

A simple one-story white clapboard 1920s cottage bungalow sat on a narrow straight street with many older homes, all of which meeting the street with a similar dignified approach. This house was the smallest of them all, built in 1922 as a weekend cottage, near the old East Falls Church rail station which provided direct access to Washington D.C. Its diminutive scale, low-pitched roof with the ridge parallel to the street, and lack of superfluous decoration characterized this cottage bungalow. Though the owners fell in love with the charm of the original house, their growing family presented an architectural dilemma: how do you significantly expand a charming little 1920’s Craftsman style house that you love without totally losing the integrity that made it so perfect? The answer began to formulate after a review of the houses in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood; every older house was two stories tall, each built in a different style, each beautifully proportioned, each much larger than this cottage bungalow. Most of the neighborhood houses had been significantly renovated or expanded. Growing this one-story house would certainly not adversely affect the architectural character of the neighborhood. Given that, the house needed to maintain a diminutive scale in order to appear friendly and avoid a dominating presence. The simplistic, crisp, honest materials and details of the little house, all painted white, would be saved and incorporated into a new house. Across the front of the house, the three public spaces would be saved, connected along an axis anchored on the left by the living room fireplace, with the dining room and the sitting room to the right. These three rooms are punctuated by thirteen windows, which for this house age and style, really suggests a more modern aesthetic. Hoachlander Davis Photography

This modern exterior was created with a blend of different surfaces that reflect a very unique aesthetics. The house was done with white smooth stucco finish and black aluminum trims and custom gutters. Brazilian Ipe wood was used on the front around the windows. On the second floor's face we installed Black Italian porcelain slabs and a custom powder coated black metal fence to hide the HVAC systems on the roof

This modern exterior was created with a blend of different surfaces that reflect a very unique aesthetics. The house was done with white smooth stucco finish and black aluminum trims and custom gutters. Brazilian Ipe wood was used on the front around the windows. On the second floor's face we installed Black Italian porcelain slabs and a custom powder coated black metal fence to hide the HVAC systems on the roof

Cynthia Karegeannes
Example of a country white two-story wood exterior home design in Atlanta

Roof top lounge w/ BBQ and dining area. Our goal with with this project was to turn this Traditional home into a Modern house and create and addition and remodel the whole home. We added a second story with lots of windows for natural light. To warm up the exterior we used a combination of wood siding, smooth stucco, and stone. This home now has great curb appeal and has the natural elements that the client wanted. The inside is now has beautiful hardwood floors, new fireplace, updated modern kitchen with island, new u-shaped staircase, rooftop deck for entertaining, and great natural light making it feel so warm and inviting.

This modern exterior was created with a blend of different surfaces that reflect a very unique aesthetics. The house was done with white smooth stucco finish and black aluminum trims and custom gutters. Brazilian Ipe wood was used on the front around the windows. On the second floor's face we installed Black Italian porcelain slabs and a custom powder coated black metal fence to hide the HVAC systems on the roof

The challenge of this project was to fulfill the clients' desire for a unique and modern second story addition that would blend harmoniously with the original 1930s bungalow. On the exterior, the addition appropriates the traditional materials of the existing home, while using contemporary proportions and lines to speak to a modern sensibility. Staggered massing and terraced roofs add to the visual interest and a harmonious balance in the design. On the interior, rich natural materials like oak and mahogany add warmth to the clean lines of the design. The design carefully frames stunning views of the reservoir and surrounding hills. In each room, multi-directional natural light, views and cross-ventilation increase the comfort and expansiveness of the spaces Photography by: Studio Ceja

This brownstone, located in Harlem, consists of five stories which had been duplexed to create a two story rental unit and a 3 story home for the owners. The owner hired us to do a modern renovation of their home and rear garden. The garden was under utilized, barely visible from the interior and could only be accessed via a small steel stair at the rear of the second floor. We enlarged the owner’s home to include the rear third of the floor below which had walk out access to the garden. The additional square footage became a new family room connected to the living room and kitchen on the floor above via a double height space and a new sculptural stair. The rear facade was completely restructured to allow us to install a wall to wall two story window and door system within the new double height space creating a connection not only between the two floors but with the outside. The garden itself was terraced into two levels, the bottom level of which is directly accessed from the new family room space, the upper level accessed via a few stone clad steps. The upper level of the garden features a playful interplay of stone pavers with wood decking adjacent to a large seating area and a new planting bed. Wet bar cabinetry at the family room level is mirrored by an outside cabinetry/grill configuration as another way to visually tie inside to out. The second floor features the dining room, kitchen and living room in a large open space. Wall to wall builtins from the front to the rear transition from storage to dining display to kitchen; ending at an open shelf display with a fireplace feature in the base. The third floor serves as the children’s floor with two bedrooms and two ensuite baths. The fourth floor is a master suite with a large bedroom and a large bathroom bridged by a walnut clad hall that conceals a closet system and features a built in desk. The master bath consists of a tiled partition wall dividing the space to create a large walkthrough shower for two on one side and showcasing a free standing tub on the other. The house is full of custom modern details such as the recessed, lit handrail at the house’s main stair, floor to ceiling glass partitions separating the halls from the stairs and a whimsical builtin bench in the entry.

Originally built in 1889 a short walk from the old East Falls Church rail station, the vaguely reminiscent gothic Victorian was a landmark in a neighborhood of late 19th century wood frame homes. The two story house had been changed many times over its 116 year life with most of the changes diminishing the style and integrity of the original home. Beginning during the mid-twentieth century, few of the changes could be seen as improvements. The wonderfully dominate front tower was obscured by a bathroom shed roof addition. The exterior skin was covered with asbestos siding, requiring the removal of any wood detailing projecting from its surface. Poorly designed diminutive additions were added to the rear creating small, awkward, low ceiling spaces that became irrelevant to the modern user. The house was in serious need of a significant renovation and restoration. A young family purchased the house and immediately realized the inadequacies; sub-par spaces, kitchen, bathrooms and systems. The program for this project was closely linked to aesthetics, function and budget. The program called for significantly enlarging the house with a major new rear addition taking the place of the former small additions. Critically important to the program was to not only protect the integrity of the original house, but to restore and expand the house in such a way that the addition would be seamless. The completed house had to fulfill all of the requirements of a modern house with significant living spaces, including reconfigured foyer, living room and dining room on the first floor and three modified bedrooms on the second floor. On the rear of the house a new addition created a new kitchen, family room, mud room, powder room and back stair hall. This new stair hall connected the new and existing first floor to a new basement recreation room below and a new master bedroom suite with laundry and second bathroom on the second floor. The entire exterior of the house was stripped to the original sheathing. New wood windows, wood lap siding, wall trim including roof eave and rake trim were installed. Each of the details on the exterior of the house matched the original details. This fact was confirmed by researching the house and studying turn-of-the-century photographs. The second floor addition was removed, facilitating the restoration of the four sided mansard roof tower. The final design for the house is strong but not overpowering. As a renovated house, the finished product fits the neighborhood, restoring its standing as a landmark, satisfying the owner’s needs for house and home. Hoachlander Davis Photography

This modern and elegant bedroom has a nice blend of surfaces and details. The floors are engineered wide planks French Oak from Urban floors, as well as the back featured wall, which features a chevron style pattern wood that matches the floor finish. On the window side, we feature a 10FT custom black aluminum window and designed a custom storage + bench in oak finish. There are motorized shades coming from the upper part of the windows. The bedroom also was done with drywall reveal design so that there is no base moldings anywhere. 10ft ceilings two black aluminum pendant lights, and LED accent strip lights behind the bed create an incredible luxurious experience in this beautiful bedroom.

Inspiration for a large modern brown two-story mixed siding exterior home remodel in Seattle with a hip roof

This modern beach house in Jacksonville Beach features a large, open entertainment area consisting of great room, kitchen, dining area and lanai. A unique second-story bridge over looks both foyer and great room. Polished concrete floors and horizontal aluminum stair railing bring a contemporary feel. The kitchen shines with European-style cabinetry and GE Profile appliances. The private upstairs master suite is situated away from other bedrooms and features a luxury master shower and floating double vanity. Two roomy secondary bedrooms share an additional bath. Photo credit: Deremer Studios

This one story home was transformed into a mid-century modern masterpiece with the addition of a second floor. Its expansive wrap around deck showcases the view of White Rock Lake and the Dallas Skyline and giving this growing family the space it needed to stay in their beloved home. We renovated the downstairs with modifications to the kitchen, pantry, and laundry space, we added a home office and upstairs, a large loft space is flanked by a powder room, playroom, 2 bedrooms and a jack and jill bath. Architecture by h design| Interior Design by Hatfield Builders & Remodelers| Photography by Versatile Imaging

Second Story addition to increase space and capture view of Puget Sound
Mid-sized trendy stone porch idea in Seattle with a roof extension

This kitchen addition project is an expansion of an old story and a half South Bozeman home. See the video about the finished project here: https://youtu.be/ClH5A3qs6Ik This old house has been remodeled and added onto many times over. A complete demolition and rebuild of this structure would be the best course of action, but we are in a historic neighborhood and we will be working with it as is. Budget is an issue as well, so in addition to the second story addition, we are limiting our renovation efforts to the kitchen and bathroom areas at the back the house. We are making a concerted effort to not get into too much of the existing front half of this house. This is precisely the type of remodeling work that requires a very skilled and experienced builder. And I emphasize experienced. We are lucky to be working with Luke Stahlberg of Ibex Builders. Luke is a talented local Bozeman contractor with years of experience in the remodeling industry. Luke is very methodical and well organized. This is a classic remodeling project with enough detail to really test a contractor’s skill and experience.

The challenge of this project was to fulfill the clients' desire for a unique and modern second story addition that would blend harmoniously with the original 1930s bungalow. On the exterior, the addition appropriates the traditional materials of the existing home, while using contemporary proportions and lines to speak to a modern sensibility. Staggered massing and terraced roofs add to the visual interest and a harmonious balance in the design. On the interior, rich natural materials like oak and mahogany add warmth to the clean lines of the design. The design carefully frames stunning views of the reservoir and surrounding hills. In each room, multi-directional natural light, views and cross-ventilation increase the comfort and expansiveness of the spaces Photography by: Studio Ceja

Entry Elevation; Historic bungalow on right, linked by new one story entry to 2 story addition on left. Cathy Schwabe Architecture. Photograph by David Wakely. Contractor: Young & Burton, Inc.

A comprehensive remodel and second-story addition dramatically transformed a one-story hillside Craftsman home, giving the owners a modern master suite with stunning views. www.marikoreed.com