This home is in Noe Valley, a highly desirable and growing neighborhood of San Francisco. As young highly-educated families move into the area, we are remodeling and adding on to the aging homes found there. This project remodeled the entire existing two story house and added a third level, capturing the incredible views toward downtown. The design features integral color stucco, zinc roofing, an International Orange staircase, eco-teak cabinets and concrete counters. A flowing sequence of spaces were choreographed from the entry through to the family room.

Located steps from the waterways of Huntington Harbor, California, Phelps Residence is a remodel of a regional mid-century house, developed in the 1960s along with the rest of the Harbor neighborhood. The goal of the renovation was to honor the mid-century bones of the existing structure featuring full-height windows and open beam ceilings while infusing new life and detail via a ground-up renovation. The volume of the house is a two-story stucco façade structure with vertical cedar and black metal accents. The wall-to-wall, full-height sliding doors create an indoor-outdoor experience by extending the front yard fire pit and seating area through the living room to the backyard swimming pool and cabana beyond. The climate of the Harbor provides an ideal environment to open the space up to the yards year-round, thereby expanding the footprint of the house and allowing for an uninterrupted flow between rooms and indoor and outdoor areas. The entry foyer features a steel and terrazzo sculptural stair in a recessed bed of river rock. The lower level’s large-scale terrazzo tiles seamlessly join the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The upper level is reserved for the private bedrooms and a more intimate family room. Hardwood floors flow throughout while large-scale windows seek to capture the unique views offered from each room. Stack bond CMU garden walls in the front yard define the entry sequence, honoring the mid-century history of the residence.

SDH Studio - Architecture and Design Location: Golden Beach, Florida, USA The Architecture is conceived as an ensemble of vertical and horizontal planes that guide the user through a sequence of spatial and visual experiences. Our clients’ passion for the outdoors is embedded in the entire project. Also, the use of color is an important feature that highlights certain accents along the design.

From Mid-Century Classic to the Present An iconic design updated with comfort, function, and flow for today. A Remodel That Balances Past and Present What started as a desire to update a classic Eichler soon became an exploration of how Mid-Century Modern design can successfully evolve for today. The client, a tech professional with a passion for scuba diving and underwater photography, wanted a home that would both honor its original character and feel tailored to his daily life. A lifelong technology enthusiast, he still owns the very first Mac desktop he saved up for as a teenager working at Radio Shack, a detail that underscores his appreciation for design that melds function and form. Honoring Separation While Expanding Possibility Unlike many contemporary remodels where walls are opened up to create expansive living spaces, this project took a more restrained approach. The client valued the defined rooms of the original plan and wanted to preserve as much wall space as possible for displaying his large-format underwater photography. The emphasis was not on dramatic spatial reinvention, but on thoughtful refinements. Klopf Architecture shaped a gallery-like backdrop while also expanding the primary suite, modernizing materials and fixtures throughout the home, and improving the functionality and layout of the kitchen. The finished home feels at once timeless and renewed, an Eichler that continues to inspire while fully supporting the lifestyle of its present-day owner. A major turning point came mid-design. The original project brief had not included an addition, but as the reconfiguration of the primary bedroom and bath unfolded, it became clear that an expansion was the best approach to achieve the client’s vision of a more spacious suite. Fortunately, the adjustment came at a stage when revisions were still manageable and was integrated seamlessly, showing how thoughtful course corrections can strengthen a project rather than hinder it. Navigating Challenges With Precision The design development included multiple conceptual rounds, balancing preservation with subtle expansion. During construction, an existing post previously thought to be load-bearing turned out not to be. The structural engineer was able to pivot quickly, and both the post and the cross beam that had been intended to replace it could be omitted, allowing the original rhythm of the Eichler beam bays to be preserved. Sustainability was not just a checklist item, but a way to align the home with the client’s values of simplicity, efficiency, and long-term functionality. R-38 roof insulation reduced energy usage, solar panels with battery storage provided independence and resilience, and passive comfort strategies eliminated the need forenergy-intensive air conditioning. An electric vehicle charger and an on-demand hot water recirculation system (with call buttons as opposed to having constant circulation) add to the home’s long-term efficiency factors. Together, these moves created a home that is quieter, more comfortable, and better equipped for the future, qualities that supported the client’s pragmatic approach to design and living lightly. Details That Respect the Eichler DNA The remodel carries forward the Eichler’s original spirit while introducing new layers of modern livability. Originally, the house was approached along a deep, narrow walk, with the garage on one side and the house on the other, leaving the front door tucked far back within this chasm-like space. By pulling the entry forward, the design reshaped the arrival experience, creating a clearer threshold and a natural drop-off zone for bags, shoes, and keys. This shift also made room for a custom bench at the entry that extends seamlessly through the glass sidelight. The bench and drop-off zone now work together as a single, integrated sequence that supports everyday living while offering a tactile reminder of Eichler’s philosophy of connectedness. At the client’s request, Klopf reintroduced a classic Eichler gesture by extending the exterior siding into the entry and living room. The detail reinforces a sense of indoor/outdoor continuity while providing a subtle architectural surface that allows the client’s photography to take visual precedence. The signature concrete masonry wall at the front was reconstructed using blocks sourced to match the originals, now strengthened with rebar for seismic resilience while maintaining a private outdoor courtyard, visually extending the kitchen outward. A decorative trellis element, a detail borrowed from a neighboring Eichler, restores a familiar mid-century modern architectural motif. At the courtyard entry door, a custom etched glass sidelight with an ocean-themed design featuring kelp and jellyfish serves as a subtle homage to the client’s passion for deep-sea diving. Landscaping became an integral part of the overall transformation. The homeowner engaged landscape architect Randi Johnsen of Third Nature Studio to shape a series of calm, inviting outdoor rooms that read as a natural extension of the interiors. While technically outside of the core construction scope, the landscape design proved central to achieving a sense of completeness and connectedness across the property. Such whole-property considerations often emerge as design ideas take shape, underscoring the importance of flexibility in planning and budgeting, as well as close collaboration among the design team starting early in the process. The Value of Evolving Scope As with many custom residential projects, the scope evolved during the design process. What began as a targeted remodel grew to include a new/expanded primary suite, a rebuilt CMU patio wall for strength and longevity, and a solar panel array and battery storage for energy resilience and carbon-reduction. Each thoughtful decision represented a conscious investment in the home’s performance and character, rather than a cost overrun. The result was a project delivered on schedule, tailored precisely to the client’s lifestyle, and positioned to add long-term value both functionally and aesthetically. By embracing scope evolution as an opportunity rather than a challenge, and relying on good design paired with transparent communication, this remodel demonstrates how Eichler homes can be adapted for contemporary living without erasing their DNA. Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, AIA, and Klara Kevane, Elise Webb and Nicholas LaNasa. Contractor: Golden Cove Construction Landscape Design: Third Nature Studio Structural Engineer: Daniel Bastiao Design Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2024 Location: Sunnyvale, CA

Located on a marsh in the upper reaches of the Lieutenant River in Old Lyme, the existing house was well-sited and well-built, but the design failed to exploit the views and more importantly was a confused combination of contemporary and traditional elements. The new homeowners, a successful businesswoman and an accomplished artist and photographer, were interested in creating a fully-contemporary environment to open up space, connect indoors with outdoors, display artwork and showcase the husband’s distinctive photographs. One glaring deficiency was the curb appeal and approach sequence: the grade sloped down and the path to the house followed, but this led to an uncomfortable dip and abrupt rise to the front door. By creating a virtual “moat,” occupied by a grid of raised-bed grasses contained in aluminum-clad boxes, and spanning the moat with an ipe bridge, the approach becomes level and engaging. The façade of the existing house was blank and bland, and with no cover. Adding a deep overhang with a wide porch creates a welcoming, covered condition, accentuated by a 6’ wide pivoting front door that feels more like a moving piece of wall. Another deficiency was the connection to the outdoors. By adding glass to the front and back of the house, and removing interior walls selectively, the house takes on a diaphanous quality that allows one to see through to the marsh beyond, even when in the driveway. The raised-bed grasses act as abstract, geometric versions of the marsh beyond. A large, pyramidal skylight establishes a spatial hierarchy around which the rooms revolve. The house featured several tray-ceilinged spaces – living room, kitchen, and master bedroom – that were poorly-proportioned and with panels at the top that resembled inset flat panel doors. The solution was to use a different strategy for each: the bedroom turns the ceiling into an eggshell through the use of a creative trim detail; the living room has an oversized sculptural, backlit lighting element; and the kitchen has a collage of painted rectangular forms that support or include lighting pieces. A palette of concrete, blackened steel, stainless steel and colors carefully chosen by homeowner and architect create an interior and exterior environment punctuated by moments that are as artistic as the featured works in the black-ceilinged gallery.

This is an example of a small partial sun courtyard gravel formal garden in Seattle for summer.

This project is the remaking and reimagining of an historically-rated storybook house in one of San Francisco’s first planned neighborhoods for a 21st century family. Strange half-levels and poor previous remodels were removed. The historic materials and forms of the house were studied and extended while creating a flowing sequence of spaces and a massive new kitchen. White painted cabinets, arched openings and wrought iron railings pull the house together.

The context of this home is set atop a hillside, making for a tricky entry sequence. The driveway meanders up and around the house to the rear of the property. Though this is the back of the property, it is indeed the main entry as well. Given that the other side of the home sits 15' above ground elevation, our client's desire was to design a space off the backside of the home that doesn't inhibit the entry for new visitors, but allows for a seamless outdoor living space off their kitchen/ living room. We achieved this balance by retaining a front walkwkay to the main entry using large 24" x 36" bluestone slabs in a running band through the new patio space. Visually the clean lines of this walkway lead visitors to the front entrance while also subtly defining the two seating areas of the new patio terrace. The reclaimed granite piers, Saratoga Granite Seating walls, and plantings provide further definition which truly enhance the sense of space! Needless to say, our clients were thrilled with the finished product!

This Coal Harbour master ensuite renovation highlights disciplined material transitions and thoughtful layout refinement within a Downtown Vancouver high-rise setting. The walk-in frameless glass shower enclosure was constructed with precision alignment, integrating vertically stacked ceramic tile above large-format slab tile for visual contrast and durability. A recessed shower niche was seamlessly incorporated to maintain clean wall planes while improving daily functionality. The adjacent smart toilet suite introduces separation and privacy while preserving continuity in finishes and tone. Executing this level of detailing in a high-rise condo requires careful sequencing, protection protocols, and coordinated trades — a standard approach in Arani Construction’s Downtown Vancouver renovation projects.

Sculptural front yard concrete walkways intersecting with build in furniture and red entrance door
This is an example of a modern landscaping in San Francisco.

This outdoor living transformation brought together multiple phases of construction to create a seamless, year-round entertaining space. The project began with dry rot repairs and termite remediation, followed by framing a custom outdoor fireplace, completing the chimney, and preparing it for a beautiful stone finish. A custom soffit with skylights and detailed trim was installed to create a warm, finished ceiling that complements the home's architecture. The existing deck was removed and replaced with a newly framed deck featuring custom stairs, durable decking, and modern railing. New siding and trim were completed around the home and breezeway, tying the addition into the existing exterior for a cohesive look. The outdoor living area was further enhanced with a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, including cabinetry, shelving, appliances, a kegerator, and a wine temperature control system. Electrical work included recessed lighting, heaters, fireplace power, dimmers, and a dedicated subpanel to support the space's amenities. A new fence and gate were also constructed and painted to match the homeowner's preferences, providing both privacy and a polished finish. Throughout the project, our team coordinated closely with specialty contractors, including the stone mason and paver installer, ensuring each phase was completed in the proper sequence. The result is a thoughtfully designed outdoor living space that blends craftsmanship, functionality, and lasting quality—creating the perfect setting for entertaining family and friends throughout every season.

New 2-story residence consisting of; kitchen, breakfast room, laundry room, butler’s pantry, wine room, living room, dining room, study, 4 guest bedroom and master suite. Exquisite custom fabricated, sequenced and book-matched marble, granite and onyx, walnut wood flooring with stone cabochons, bronze frame exterior doors to the water view, custom interior woodwork and cabinetry, mahogany windows and exterior doors, teak shutters, custom carved and stenciled exterior wood ceilings, custom fabricated plaster molding trim and groin vaults.

Matched vanity to kitchen cabinets and features Lennon granite counter top and waterfall tile accent in shower
Trendy bathroom photo in Other

Welcome home to this luxe, modern, and inviting townhome in the heart of downtown Jersey City! We are ecstatic to see this project completed. This 4-story multifamily underwent a major renovation and was transformed into a spacious and functional family home for our clients. Careful consideration of our client’s lifestyle and plans for the future dictated every design decision. They needed a space that would function well now that they are a young professional couple and a space that would nicely accommodate a growing family in the future. Greater emphasis was placed on common family spaces and bedrooms were designed exclusively for sleep with minimal room for work or study and without TV connections to discourage those activities from taking place in these spaces. Instead, common places such as the family room and the kitchen are inviting and foster those activities. Due to sagging floors in need of extensive repair, it made more financial sense to replace them entirely. We took this historic house and by re-pitching the roof in an inverted form we were able to gain an overall 36” which we used for raising the floors. This, in turn, allowed us to bring the ground level up to code and be suitable for living space and gave us additional ceiling room on the upper floors. The ground floor was designed to be used as a rental unit and can be reincorporated into the home later when more space is needed. Both front and back facades were replaced with timeless brick and vertical wood siding and all windows and front doors were replaced. The ground floor features a one-bedroom suite, living room, and open kitchen-dining area. On the first floor, we achieved a more effective entry sequence to the living room, an open-concept design leading to the kitchen. The interior is bright and airy, and the kitchen opens up to the deck in the back and the patio, making entertaining indoors and outdoors seamless. The design works in a way to accommodate the addition of a stair leading to the ground level when the rental unit is incorporated back into the house. Up on the second floor, a suite with a bathroom was designed with grandparents or guests in mind. Also, two additional bedrooms are now being used as an exercise room and a zoom-worthy office but can later be used as kids’ rooms. Last but not least, the third floor features the master suite with his and hers walk-in closets, a master bath, and a library.

This project began with a simple sketch plan, followed with deck addition and sequenced plantings over the year using native grasses, shrubs, ferns,and perennials. The sunniest spaces were given a xeric treatment with a small rock garden near a serpentine granite path to the greenbelt behind the home. An original metal arbor-saloon door feature will be the new gate to the greenbelt.

This home is in Noe Valley, a highly desirable and growing neighborhood of San Francisco. As young highly-educated families move into the area, we are remodeling and adding on to the aging homes found there. This project remodeled the entire existing two story house and added a third level, capturing the incredible views toward downtown. The design features integral color stucco, zinc roofing, an International Orange staircase, eco-teak cabinets and concrete counters. A flowing sequence of spaces were choreographed from the entry through to the family room.

This home sits at a dramatic juncture between a state highway and the Columbia River, adjacent to the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway. Steps away from its namesake, Steamboat Landing Park, the home has dramatic 180 degree views of the river, Mount Hood, and Oregon beyond. Creating a connection and celebrating this stunning natural setting while keeping highway noise at bay was one of this project's primary goals. Equally as important was the goal to design a high-performance building. These goals were met by implementing an energy-efficient heat pump system, radiant floor heating, 10" thick super-insulated concrete walls, closed-cell spray foam insulation in the attic, and triple-pane windows throughout. The sustainable attributes were balanced with durable and long-lasting materials, including standing seam metal roofing, stucco, and cedar siding to create a home that will stand for generations. Honoring the homeowner's request to design an age-in-place, one-level home, the plan is a simple sequence of bars with the two largest capped by gable roofs. The tallest of the bars closest to the highway is a garage, which houses the couple's much-loved Airstream. A smaller flat-roofed bar acts as a connector between the gabled forms and serves as the home's entry with the kitchen functions beyond. The largest of the bars, and the one closest to the river, includes an open concept great room flanked by two-bedroom suites on either side. A water-front deck spans the entire living and dining area, with a twenty-foot wide multi-slide panel door offering a seamless connection to an outdoor covered entertainment area. Inside, smooth concrete floors, walnut casework, and multiple skylights combine to create a truly inviting space. Photographer: Matt Swain Photography

design: Studio TOOP, 2008 location: Driebergen, NL status: built in 2008, Tuinvreugd photo: Jolanthe Lalkens, 2010 A letter from the town of Driebergen explaining that there were subsidies available if residents wanted to build a rainwater catchment in their garden was the impulse necessary for Ben and Ine to finally redo their garden. About to start retirement they had more time to garden and enjoy being at home. Ine hd been a gardener for years and looked for the opportunity to spend more time on the hobby and Ben was already working out the technical details of the rainwater catchment and ponds. Studio TOOP helped them translate their wishes and interests into a clear design that made smart use of the small elevation change in the garden. Sequences of steps and raised beds separate each section of the garden. Three lines - a row of three ponds, a row of crab apple trees and a rose covered pergola - emphasize the gardens length. Each pond is 15 cm lower than the next, allowing the water to flows from one to another, and then to another lower lying pond at the end of the pergola. Under a lid that works as a bench integrated into two of the raised beds are the rainwater tanks.

The house sits in front of a prominent park in Clarendon and is set back to provide a layer of privacy from the street. The stairs and porch stretch in front of the house and create a sequence of spaces before actually getting to the front door.