My client for this project was a builder/ developer. He had purchased a flat two acre parcel with vineyards that was within easy walking distance of downtown St. Helena. He planned to “build for sale” a three bedroom home with a separate one bedroom guest house, a pool and a pool house. He wanted a modern type farmhouse design that opened up to the site and to the views of the hills beyond and to keep as much of the vineyards as possible. The house was designed with a central Great Room consisting of a kitchen area, a dining area, and a living area all under one roof with a central linear cupola to bring natural light into the middle of the room. One approaches the entrance to the home through a small garden with water features on both sides of a path that leads to a covered entry porch and the front door. The entry hall runs the length of the Great Room and serves as both a link to the bedroom wings, the garage, the laundry room and a small study. The entry hall also serves as an art gallery for the future owner. An interstitial space between the entry hall and the Great Room contains a pantry, a wine room, an entry closet, an electrical room and a powder room. A large deep porch on the pool/garden side of the house extends most of the length of the Great Room with a small breakfast Room at one end that opens both to the kitchen and to this porch. The Great Room and porch open up to a swimming pool that is on on axis with the front door. The main house has two wings. One wing contains the master bedroom suite with a walk in closet and a bathroom with soaking tub in a bay window and separate toilet room and shower. The other wing at the opposite end of the househas two children’s bedrooms each with their own bathroom a small play room serving both bedrooms. A rear hallway serves the children’s wing, a Laundry Room and a Study, the garage and a stair to an Au Pair unit above the garage. A separate small one bedroom guest house has a small living room, a kitchen, a toilet room to serve the pool and a small covered porch. The bedroom is ensuite with a full bath. This guest house faces the side of the pool and serves to provide privacy and block views ofthe neighbors to the east. A Pool house at the far end of the pool on the main axis of the house has a covered sitting area with a pizza oven, a bar area and a small bathroom. Vineyards were saved on all sides of the house to help provide a private enclave within the vines. The exterior of the house has simple gable roofs over the major rooms of the house with sloping ceilings and large wooden trusses in the Great Room and plaster sloping ceilings in the bedrooms. The exterior siding through out is painted board and batten siding similar to farmhouses of other older homes in the area. Clyde Construction: General Contractor Photographed by: Paul Rollins

Large elegant u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in Orange County with stainless steel appliances

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

Inspiration for a modern balcony remodel in Miami

This home gym located in the beautifully finished basement has full mirrored walls, wall mounted TV, and enough room for full-size exercise equipment. The glass between the gym and family room beyond allows for some separation of space and sound while not completely closing it off where it may be less likely to be used. Being open to the main basement spaces, it was important to continue the architectural details into the gym. - Photo Credit: David A. Beckwith

This space provides some relief from the late afternoon sun....or just a spot to relax after a dip in the swimming pool or hot tub.
Example of a trendy patio design in Minneapolis with no cover

Andrée Allard, photographe
Utility room - small contemporary single-wall porcelain tile utility room idea in Other with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and a single-bowl sink

Minimalist exterior home photo in Dunedin

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen photo in New York with white backsplash, an island, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, stainless steel appliances and marble backsplash

Living room - transitional open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Nashville with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

Power room with terrazzo, wood paneling, and custom mirror and screen.
Trendy powder room photo in San Francisco

This renovation project updates an existing New York 1920s apartment with a modern sensibility. Replacing the cellular pre-war layout of the central spaces with a built-in walnut credenza and white lacquer side board effectively opens the plan to create a unified and spacious living area. The back side of the full-height dining room side-board screens views from the entrance foyer. The modern design of the new built-ins at center of the space is balanced by perimeter radiator covers and a full-height bookshelf which work with the period trim detail. The dining room features a folding translucent glass partition that provides separation from the kitchen, or can be completely stowed away to create an open kitchen that connects with the rest of the space. The new kitchen has been relocated to open directly onto the dining room, and features a long, solid mahogany island serving counter. An operable white lacquer and translucent glass partition pulls out from behind a concealed panel to separate the two rooms, providing flexibility for both casual and formal arrangements. The relocation of the kitchen allows for the addition of a small private study, and a powder room, both absent from the original layout. Photography: Mikiko Kikuyama

Example of a 1960s foyer design in Portland

These clients hired us to renovate their long and narrow bathroom with a dysfunctional design. Along with creating a more functional layout, our clients wanted a walk-in shower, a separate bathtub, and a double vanity. Already working with tight space, we got creative and were able to widen the bathroom by 30 inches. This additional space allowed us to install a wet area, rather than a small, separate shower, which works perfectly to prevent the rest of the bathroom from getting soaked when their youngest child plays and splashes in the bath. Our clients wanted an industrial-contemporary style, with clean lines and refreshing colors. To ensure the bathroom was cohesive with the rest of their home (a timber frame mountain-inspired home located in northern New Hampshire), we decided to mix a few complementary elements to get the look of their dreams. The shower and bathtub boast industrial-inspired oil-rubbed bronze hardware, and the light contemporary ceramic garden seat brightens up the space while providing the perfect place to sit during bath time. We chose river rock tile for the wet area, which seamlessly contrasts against the rustic wood-like tile. And finally, we merged both rustic and industrial-contemporary looks through the vanity using rustic cabinets and mirror frames as well as “industrial” Edison bulb lighting.

Henry Jones
Mid-sized farmhouse white two-story concrete fiberboard exterior home idea in Other with a mixed material roof

Example of a classic kitchen design in New York

Ken Dahlin
Inspiration for a 1960s dining room remodel in Chicago

Example of a classic hallway design in Los Angeles