This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in San Francisco.

Design ideas for a transitional backyard gravel landscaping in San Francisco.

Black craftsman white iron fade-resistant, rust-resistant, weather-resistant and concrete exterior home idea in Los Angeles

You’d never know by looking at this stunning cottage that the project began by raising the entire home six feet above the foundation. The Birchwood field team used their expertise to carefully lift the home in order to pour an entirely new foundation. With the base of the home secure, our craftsmen moved indoors to remodel the home’s kitchen and bathrooms. The sleek kitchen features gray, custom made inlay cabinetry that brings out the detail in the one of a kind quartz countertop. A glitzy marble tile backsplash completes the contemporary styled kitchen. Photo credit: Phoenix Photographic

John Granen
Design ideas for a contemporary landscaping in Seattle.

Benny Chan
Mid-sized trendy master medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in Los Angeles with white walls and no fireplace

Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical backyard stone water fountain landscape.

Take a tour of the lake house landscape lighting design at this gorgeous property in Valley, Nebraska. It increases nighttime security, enhances the architectural features, and creates the perfect ambiance for long, leisurely evenings spent enjoying the lake. Learn more about the lighting design: www.mckaylighting.com/blog/lake-house-landscape-lighting-design Go to the photo gallery: www.mckaylighting.com/modern-farmhouse

Ipe decking, Earthworks EW Gold Stone decking, and exposed aggregate concrete create a beautiful contrast and balance that give this outdoor architecture design a Frank Lloyd Wright feel. Ipe decking is one of the finest quality wood materials for luxury outdoor projects. The exotic wood originates from South America. This environment contains a fire pit, with cobblestone laid underneath. Shallow, regress lighting is underneath each step and the fire feature to illuminate the elevation change. The bench seating is fabricated stone that was honed to a beautiful finish. This project also features an outdoor kitchen to cater to family or guests and create a total outdoor living experience.

Modern garage door and matching passage gates that harmonize with the authentic minimalistic styles of the MidCentury. Modern architectural doors are gorgeously used in many renovation projects today. Dynamic Garage Door is a unique design and manufacturing company that allow many of our clients achieve these renovations with our custom designed garage doors and passage gates. Because this modern home had an authentic Mid Century style with a horizontal layout using doors that accentuated these features was of essence. For instance, the garage doors and gates have horizontally configured wooden slat designs that resonate these fine lines. The garage door features a unique window configuration that offsets the monotony of too much congruency by breaking what the eye expects. White laminate glass was used for interior garage privacy while allowing the inside of the garage to be bathed in light. The steel rim around the windows ties in with the chrome and stainless steel fixtures found throughout the property such as lights and door hardware. The pedestrian gate follows the garage door horizontal slat design to pull in the modernistic style in other areas of the home that required some interest. The gate's dark stain was bejeweled with shimmering chrome handles and stainless, nickel-plated hinges and silver powder coated posts. Some of these elements were brought over from the garage door itself and the courtyard entry gate. So even though modern doors seem simple, they do require attention to details and they add up as you can see from our projects. We strive to make excellent designs and our craftsmanship is a vivid example of how innovative Dynamic Garage Door designers and craftsmen really are!

Dock - eclectic backyard dock idea in San Francisco with no cover

Dean Birinyi Photography

Already partially enclosed by an ipe fence and concrete wall, our client had a vision of an outdoor courtyard for entertaining on warm summer evenings since the space would be shaded by the house in the afternoon. He imagined the space with a water feature, lighting and paving surrounded by plants. With our marching orders in place, we drew up a schematic plan quickly and met to review two options for the space. These options quickly coalesced and combined into a single vision for the space. A thick, 60” tall concrete wall would enclose the opening to the street – creating privacy and security, and making a bold statement. We knew the gate had to be interesting enough to stand up to the large concrete walls on either side, so we designed and had custom fabricated by Dennis Schleder (www.dennisschleder.com) a beautiful, visually dynamic metal gate. Other touches include drought tolerant planting, bluestone paving with pebble accents, crushed granite paving, LED accent lighting, and outdoor furniture. Both existing trees were retained and are thriving with their new soil. Photography by: http://www.coreenschmidt.com/

Bliss Garden Design
Photo of a contemporary landscaping in Seattle.

Mid-sized transitional front door photo with a medium wood front door

Jeffrey Totaro Pinemar, Inc.- Philadelphia General Contractor & Home Builder.
Cottage white one-story gable roof photo in Philadelphia with a shingle roof

Example of a large minimalist master gray floor bedroom design in San Diego with multicolored walls and no fireplace

White traditional white iron decorative, fade-resistant, rust-resistant, weather-resistant and stucco exterior home idea in Los Angeles

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Photography: Eric Roth Photo