Joe Fletcher
Minimalist black tile, gray tile and ceramic tile alcove bathtub photo in New York with black walls

We designed a new type of residential project in Sherman Oaks, CA consisting of a second story addition on an attached garage. The clients asked for an up-and-coming feature, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), to be built on the second floor of the garage structure while maintain the existing garage.

Exterior of the Second Story Addition

This cluster of two cottage courts is the National Association of Home Builders 50+ Housing Award winner. The cottages are simple yet elegant and are geared toward todays 50+ lifestyle. The Cottages are located within the Village at Saluda River Club. A NAHB BALA award winning community also planned by Allison Ramsey Architects.

Example of an arts and crafts attached one-car garage design in Charlotte

Jim Bartsch Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized zen wooden u-shaped limestone floor staircase remodel in Santa Barbara with white walls and wooden risers

Photo by StudioCeja.com
Mid-sized traditional white two-story vinyl gable roof idea in Los Angeles

We designed a new type of residential project in Sherman Oaks, CA consisting of a second story addition on an attached garage. The clients asked for an up-and-coming feature, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), to be built on the second floor of the garage structure while maintain the existing garage.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2015 Houzz
Bedroom - small transitional dark wood floor bedroom idea in New York with white walls

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Down-to-studs remodel and second floor addition. The original house was a simple plain ranch house with a layout that didn’t function well for the family. We changed the house to a contemporary Mediterranean with an eclectic mix of details. Space was limited by City Planning requirements so an important aspect of the design was to optimize every bit of space, both inside and outside. The living space extends out to functional places in the back and front yards: a private shaded back yard and a sunny seating area in the front yard off the kitchen where neighbors can easily mingle with the family. A Japanese bath off the master bedroom upstairs overlooks a private roof deck which is screened from neighbors’ views by a trellis with plants growing from planter boxes and with lanterns hanging from a trellis above. Photography by Kurt Manley. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/modern-mediterranean/

“This design originated with the client’s desire to duplicate the warmth of Tuscan Architecture,” says Stolz. “The vision that South Coast Architects set forth was to create the feel of an old Tuscan Village as a private residence at their golf community, ‘The Hideaway’ in La Quinta, California. However, we had to keep in mind that we were still designing for a desert lifestyle, which meant an emphasis on indoor/outdoor living and capturing the spectacular views of the golf course and neighboring mountains,” Stolz adds. “The owners had spent a lot of time in Europe and knew exactly what they wanted when it came to the overall look of the home, especially the stone,” says Muth. “The mason ended up creating a dozen mock-ups of various stone profiles and blends to help the family decide what really worked for them. Ultimately, they selected Eldorado Stone’s Orchard Cypress Ridge profile that offers a beautiful blend of stone sizes and colors.” “The generous use of Eldorado Stone with brick detailing over the majority of the exterior of the home added the authenticity and timelessness that we were striving for in the design,” says Stolz. “Our clients want the very best, but if we can duplicate something and save money, what client would say no? That’s why we use Eldorado Stone whenever we can. It gives us the opportunity to save money and gives clients exactly the look they desire so we can use more of their budget in other areas.” Stolz explained that Eldorado Stone was also brought into the interior to continue that feel of authenticity and historical accuracy. Stone is used floor to ceiling in the kitchen for a pizza oven, as well as on the fireplace in the Great Room and on an entire wall in the master bedroom. “Using a material like Eldorado Stone allows for the seamless continuation of space” says Stolz. “Stone is what made the house so authentic-looking” says Muth. “It’s such an integral part of the house that it either was going to be a make or break scenario if we made the wrong choice. Luckily, Eldorado Stone really made it!” Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Orchard Cypress Ridge with a khaki grout color (overgrout technique) Eldorado Brick Profile Featured: Cassis ModenaBrick with a khaki grout color (overgrout technique) Architect: South Coast Architects Website: www.southcoastarchitects.com Builder: Andrew Pierce Corporation, Palm Desert, CA Website: www. andrewpiercecorp.com Mason: RAS Masonry, Inc. Bob Serna, Corona, CA Phone: 760-774-0090 Photography: Eric Figge Photography, Inc.

Martin King Photography
Example of a mid-sized trendy open concept dark wood floor and brown floor family room library design in Los Angeles with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace and a media wall

Exterior of the Second Story Addition

Large transitional built-in desk dark wood floor home studio photo in Chicago with white walls

Casey Dunn
Trendy two-story wood exterior home photo in Austin with a shed roof

Photo Credit: Nat Rea
Foyer - coastal foyer idea in Providence with blue walls and a blue front door

Example of a large transitional master white tile and porcelain tile gray floor freestanding bathtub design in Calgary with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, an undermount sink, white countertops, white walls, quartz countertops and a hinged shower door

Built by Cornerstone Construction Services Interior Design by Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Photography by Blackstone Edge Studios
Large elegant u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Portland with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, subway tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, gray backsplash and gray cabinets