Search results for "Sequence" in Home Design Ideas
Klopf Architecture
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
Lim Design Studio, IncLocated just outside of Boston, this home was built from the ground up to serve a bustling working family. The home contains a work/office space for client visits and an asymmetrical floor plan that distinguishes itself from typical New England vernacular. The entry sequence creates an enfilade to the main living spaces of the house. Smaller programmatic spaces such as the indoor pool, office, mud room, and staircase are kept to the perimeter of the main living areas on the lower floor. Upstairs, the stair ends at a reading nook and crafts area for children. Project featured in The Boston Globe. Completed in 2020. Photography by Sabrina Cole Quinn.
EAG StudioRefined Continuity: Bridging Classical Architecture and Modern Living
This comprehensive remodel of a grand Cow Hollow residence reimagines a historically expressive envelope through a lens of contemporary livability, precision detailing, and material restraint. The design approach carefully balances the home’s classical proportions and ornamental heritage with a refined, modern sensibility—evident in the disciplined palette of warm neutrals, soft plasters, pale oak flooring, and tailored millwork. Circulation has been clarified and subtly expanded to enhance spatial flow, while openings are leveraged to capture light, garden outlooks, and distant water views. Throughout, architectural interventions are executed with a high level of craft, ensuring that new insertions—whether cabinetry, railings, or apertures—read as seamless continuations of the original structure rather than applied elements.
The kitchen serves as the operational and visual anchor of the home, conceived as a sculptural yet highly functional environment. Custom rift-cut cabinetry, softened through a desaturated finish, is paired with honed stone surfaces and integrated brass hardware to create a quiet, tactile richness. A monolithic island establishes a central gathering point, while perimeter work zones are carefully layered with concealed storage, integrated appliances, and open, backlit shelving that elevates everyday objects into curated displays. The adjacent bar and entertaining areas extend this language, reinforcing a cohesive hospitality-driven program. In parallel, the primary bathroom is designed as a serene, spa-like retreat, where bookmatched stone, frameless glass enclosures, and finely detailed metalwork converge. The composition prioritizes symmetry, clarity, and light—balancing generous volumes with intimate moments through integrated lighting, custom vanities, and a restrained material hierarchy.
The library and ancillary living spaces introduce a more intimate scale, anchored by bespoke built-ins that combine closed storage with illuminated display niches, creating depth and rhythm along the walls. Here, material transitions and furniture integration are handled with particular nuance, allowing the architecture to support both quiet retreat and social gathering. A continuous language of custom railings—executed in refined metal profiles—threads through the interior and extends outward, where the exterior gate and garden elements have been reinterpreted to align with the home’s renewed identity. The entry sequence is now defined by a calibrated interplay of solidity and transparency, with sculptural metalwork and landscape integration establishing a sense of arrival that is both secure and elegant. Collectively, the project reflects a holistic transformation—one that elevates performance, livability, and aesthetic clarity while preserving the inherent dignity of the original architecture.
Find the right local pro for your project
Barbara Wilson Landscape Architect, LLCThe new low maintenance foundation plantings surrounding this charming house are dwarf so as to not overwhelm the windows along the side of the house. Dwarf evergreen shrubs and a sequence of summer flowering perennials provide seasonal interest.
Gene Calabrese Home Remodeling and RenovationsTiles pictured were purchased all over the world by my client. I worked with the homeowner on each placement. The homeowner went so far as to place them on the floor and give me a schematic and sequence for the layout. Another unique attribute is the thickness of the tiles ranging from 1/4 inch to 7/16 of an inch.
3D Green Planet ArchitectsHouston Height 1920's bungalow renovation. Ceilings were vaulted, and the doors and openings aligned to maximize an open plan yet maintain the traditional craftsman architecture.
Winder Gibson ArchitectsThis 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.
Departure l ArchitectureBarn door concealing recessed shelves while with the "control central" desk in utilized located within the Dining Room. Easy to hide the clutter.
Example of a small arts and crafts home design design in Portland
Example of a small arts and crafts home design design in Portland
George OcampoUpper Valley Estate Curb Appeal – El Paso, Texas
This curb appeal transformation was conceived as a deliberate sequence—an arrival experience where architecture, landscape, and lighting work together as one. Every element was designed to honor the home’s stone construction, turreted forms, and Old World character while responding precisely to the Upper Valley climate and lifestyle.
By day, the experience is grounded and composed. Brick-edged concrete drives establish order and permanence, guiding movement through the property with clarity and intention. Natural stone walls and columns anchor the architecture, while layered gravel beds, drought-tolerant plantings, and manicured turf soften transitions and connect the home to its desert setting. Mature trees were preserved and carefully integrated, providing scale, shade, and a sense of continuity.
As afternoon shifts toward sunset, the materials begin to speak differently. Stone warms, textures deepen, and sightlines subtly draw the eye toward the front entry. The landscape narrows the focus, creating a moment of pause before arrival—calm, quiet, and refined.
At night, the design reveals its final layer. Low-voltage lighting is integrated with precision, washing stone surfaces, tracing architectural curves, and uplighting specimen trees to create depth without glare. The drive, walkways, and entry feel safe, legible, and inviting, while the home itself glows with a restrained elegance. Coming home after dark feels intentional—protected, welcoming, and unmistakably yours.
What was created is more than curb appeal. It is a cohesive design-build solution where nothing is ornamental without purpose and nothing is built without intention. A daily experience of arrival that reflects craftsmanship, care, and the enduring character of the Upper Valley.
Eilering ArchitectureEntry sequence with relationship to nature. Timber framing over stone walls to meet the curved drive.
Inspiration for a contemporary front door remodel in Houston
Inspiration for a contemporary front door remodel in Houston
Aris KeshishianHampden Place Residence is a paired single-family residential design in Pacific Palisades, California, developed for a hillside site with an emphasis on privacy, views, and contemporary living. Conceived as two 3,500-square-foot homes, the project explores how modern residential architecture can respond to challenging topography through careful massing, terraced site planning, and a strong relationship between interior space and landscape.
The design is defined by expansive glazing, warm material tones, broad exterior terraces, and a stepped architectural composition that follows the natural grade of the property. Large openings bring light deep into the interiors while framing long views across the site, and the overall layout balances openness with a sense of retreat appropriate to hillside living.
A sequence of terraces, stairs, and retaining walls extends the homes into the landscape, creating outdoor spaces that feel integrated with the architecture rather than separate from it. The result is a contemporary Pacific Palisades residential design shaped around site sensitivity, livability, and a clear connection between house, terrain, and horizon.
AKDA Architects works with homeowners on custom home design, rebuild planning, and site-responsive hillside residential projects in Pacific Palisades and throughout Los Angeles.
Frederick Cooke Architecture, LLCWelcome 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.
Shuler Architecture
This classic 1970's rambler was purchased by our clients as their 'forever' retirement home and as a gathering place for their large, extended family. Situated on a large, verdant lot, the house was burdened with extremely dated finishes and poorly conceived spaces. These flaws were more than offset by the overwhelming advantages of a single level plan and spectacular sunset views. Weighing their options, our clients executed their purchase fully intending to hire us to immediately remodel this structure for them.
Our first task was to open up this plan and give the house a fresh, contemporary look that emphasizes views toward Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Our initial response was to recreate our favorite Great Room plan. This started with the elimination of a large, masonry fireplace awkwardly located in the middle of the plan and to then tear out all the walls. We then flipped the Kitchen and Dining Room and inserted a walk-in pantry between the Garage and new Kitchen location.
While our clients' initial intention was to execute a simple Kitchen remodel, the project scope grew during the design phase. We convinced them that the original ill-conceived entry needed a make-over as well as both bathrooms on the main level. Now, instead of an entry sequence that looks like an afterthought, there is a formal court on axis with an entry art wall that arrests views before moving into the heart of the plan. The master suite was updated by sliding the wall between the bedroom and Great Room into the family area and then placing closets along this wall - in essence, using these closets as an acoustical buffer between the Master Suite and the Great Room. Moving these closets then freed up space for a 5-piece master bath, a more efficient hall bath and a stacking washer/dryer in a closet at the top of the stairs.
George OcampoUpper Valley Estate Curb Appeal – El Paso, Texas
This curb appeal transformation was conceived as a deliberate sequence—an arrival experience where architecture, landscape, and lighting work together as one. Every element was designed to honor the home’s stone construction, turreted forms, and Old World character while responding precisely to the Upper Valley climate and lifestyle.
By day, the experience is grounded and composed. Brick-edged concrete drives establish order and permanence, guiding movement through the property with clarity and intention. Natural stone walls and columns anchor the architecture, while layered gravel beds, drought-tolerant plantings, and manicured turf soften transitions and connect the home to its desert setting. Mature trees were preserved and carefully integrated, providing scale, shade, and a sense of continuity.
As afternoon shifts toward sunset, the materials begin to speak differently. Stone warms, textures deepen, and sightlines subtly draw the eye toward the front entry. The landscape narrows the focus, creating a moment of pause before arrival—calm, quiet, and refined.
At night, the design reveals its final layer. Low-voltage lighting is integrated with precision, washing stone surfaces, tracing architectural curves, and uplighting specimen trees to create depth without glare. The drive, walkways, and entry feel safe, legible, and inviting, while the home itself glows with a restrained elegance. Coming home after dark feels intentional—protected, welcoming, and unmistakably yours.
What was created is more than curb appeal. It is a cohesive design-build solution where nothing is ornamental without purpose and nothing is built without intention. A daily experience of arrival that reflects craftsmanship, care, and the enduring character of the Upper Valley.
Klopf ArchitectureThis Eichler home was strategically expanded and reconfigured to strengthen the connection between interior and exterior spaces while also adding a more spacious primary suite, formalized entry space, and an expanded bedroom and hallway bathroom. The entry sequence is now defined by custom storage, a large glass wall at the light-filled atrium, and a mid-century-inspired geometric screen. The sense of connection between indoor and outdoor spaces is heightened by a large, multi-panel sliding door system spanning the full width of the main living spaces. The outdated kitchen was relocated adjacent to the new door system, flowing into a spacious great room overlooking new landscaping. Indoor/outdoor floor tile extends the living spaces out onto patios at the atrium and rear yard to further fade the boundary between this Eichler’s interior and exterior.
Klopf Architecture project team: John Klopf, Ethan Taylor, and Fernanda Bernardes
Structural engineer: BASE Design
Interior Designer: Lucile Glessner
Landscape Designer: Bonnie Brock Landscape Design
General Contrator: Starburst Construction
Photography: © 2022 by Mariko Reed
Completion year: 2021
George OcampoUpper Valley Estate Curb Appeal – El Paso, Texas
This curb appeal transformation was conceived as a deliberate sequence—an arrival experience where architecture, landscape, and lighting work together as one. Every element was designed to honor the home’s stone construction, turreted forms, and Old World character while responding precisely to the Upper Valley climate and lifestyle.
By day, the experience is grounded and composed. Brick-edged concrete drives establish order and permanence, guiding movement through the property with clarity and intention. Natural stone walls and columns anchor the architecture, while layered gravel beds, drought-tolerant plantings, and manicured turf soften transitions and connect the home to its desert setting. Mature trees were preserved and carefully integrated, providing scale, shade, and a sense of continuity.
As afternoon shifts toward sunset, the materials begin to speak differently. Stone warms, textures deepen, and sightlines subtly draw the eye toward the front entry. The landscape narrows the focus, creating a moment of pause before arrival—calm, quiet, and refined.
At night, the design reveals its final layer. Low-voltage lighting is integrated with precision, washing stone surfaces, tracing architectural curves, and uplighting specimen trees to create depth without glare. The drive, walkways, and entry feel safe, legible, and inviting, while the home itself glows with a restrained elegance. Coming home after dark feels intentional—protected, welcoming, and unmistakably yours.
What was created is more than curb appeal. It is a cohesive design-build solution where nothing is ornamental without purpose and nothing is built without intention. A daily experience of arrival that reflects craftsmanship, care, and the enduring character of the Upper Valley.
EW Architecture Inc.This 1967 home has been transformed. LANTERN HOUSE is located at the edge of the forest, the edge of urbanity, where the glass and metal clad entry and stair volumes glow like lanterns in the night. The sloping, trapezoidal site posed challenges, resulting in a very unique geometry with a courtyard, a bridge, and a new stair tower link old to new. A new porch and foyer create a gradual entry sequence into the existing main house. A new roof form provides vaulted ceilings in an open plan concept. The primary living spaces are connected to private outdoor spaces for entertaining and everyday living, and the main addition contains a private master retreat with secluded access from the stair tower. The connection with nature is ever present throughout the house with intentionally placed glazing framing views to the surrounding trees.
kimberly peck architectThis landmarked brownstone on Prospect Park West already had extraordinary bones—and the rare advantage of windows on three sides. That natural light allowed us to rethink the traditional parlor-floor layout into something more open, connected, and reflective of the way the family lives today, while still honoring the building’s historic character.
The original sequence—a front parlor, a formal dining room in the center, and a closed-off kitchen at the rear—was replaced with a single, flowing main level anchored by a generous slate-blue kitchen. The cabinetry forms a C-shaped configuration that maximizes storage, creates a natural dining zone, and maintains easy circulation to the backyard through the existing glass French door. A full-height marble backsplash with brass inlay adds subtle drama, extending to the ceiling around the windows, and a built-in desk niche creates a casual workspace that feels fully integrated into the design.
Because storage was a priority, the kitchen includes multiple pantry cabinets and deep pull-outs to keep daily life efficient and uncluttered.
The living room now occupies the center of the plan, serving as a shared hub between the kitchen and the front of the home. Just inside the entry, we designed a custom reading nook framed by floor-to-ceiling bookcases with integrated bench seating—an intentional space for the couple and their teenage daughter, who value reading and wanted their books to be both displayed and actively used.
The entry itself was also reimagined. Now separated from the main living space by a wall and door, it functions as a true vestibule with a built-in storage wall for coats and shoes. Tucked beside it is a playful powder room featuring a green vanity, floral wallpaper, and a grey-and-white mosaic tile floor—continued throughout the entry to visually tie the front of the house together and add a moment of personality within the historic shell.
The result is a garden level that remains rooted in its 19th-century architecture but fully supports modern life—light-filled, functional, and thoughtfully layered.
Woolems Luxury BuildersNew 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.
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