The Watonga residence was commissioned by a woman with a big heart for animal fostering. She wanted a house that felt private from the street but visually and physically connected to the backyard. The house needed to consider the typology and scale of the existing neighborhood, and it needed durable materials to accommodate little paws. Finally, it had to support an environmentally conscientious life. The house was intentionally placed on the short end of an irregularly shaped lot, allowing the living spaces to open up to a large native landscape and adjacent lot containing a significant tree grove. This siting allowed for a passive orientation where window walls face north and exposure to the south and west is minimal. The interior is light-filled, capturing expansive landscape views of an established oak grove to the North and bayou views to the East. A carefully choreographed entry vestibule and screen shield create interior privacy from the street. A two-story volume fills the center of the home with warm, southern light. A palette of tile, Texas stone, and concrete are used for budget friendly durability. The house is derived from a simple diagram with utilitarian functions placed in the stone box and living in a minimal gabled roof that supports solar panel orientation and rainwater collection. At its core, this home is designed for family, foster dogs, well-curated music, and Aggie game days.

A family cottage in the Gatineau hills infused with Canadiana shifts its way over the edge of a cliff to command views of the adjacent lake. The retreat is gently embedded in the Canadian Shield; the sleeping quarters firmly set in the rock while the cantilevered family room dramatically emerges from this stone base. The modest entry visible from the road leads to an orchestrated, tranquil path entering from the forest-side of the house and moving through the space as it opens up onto the lakeside. The house illustrates a warm approach to modernism; white oak boards wrap from wall to floor enhancing the elongated shape of the house and slabs of silver maple create the bathroom vanity. On the exterior, the main volume is wrapped with open-joint eastern white cedar while the stairwell is encased in steel; both are left unfinished to age with the elements. On the lower level, the dormitory style sleeping quarters are again embedded into the rock. Access to the exterior is provided by a walkout from the lower level recreation room, allowing the family to easily explore nature. Natural cooling is provided by cool air rising from the lake, passing in through the lakeside openings and out through the clerestory windows on the forest elevation. The expanse of windows engages the ephemeral foliage from the treetops to the forest floor. The softness and shadows of the filtered forest light fosters an intimate relationship between the exterior and the interior.

The landscape design for this private residence brings together a diverse array of elements to create an ethereal, multi-sensory experience where sound, movement, colour and scent are simultaneously evoked. Shielded by a forty foot hedge, the site challenged us to create an exterior, yet interior, world where Asian and Western influences intersect. In honouring the traditions of Feng Shui, the retaining wall does not sit directly on the entrance. Meditation pathways lead to areas of retreat and socialization (including an outdoor fire, a restored pool and covered seating area). An ergonomic garden and potting station lined with fruit trees allows the client to grow her own plants and vegetables. A multi-leveled water feature is framed with lush camellias and peonies; the landscape is lined with evergreens and decorated with Chinese basalt and local granite. The multi-sensory design comes to life in the grove of Shirofugen cherry trees as it sheds its petals to the music of a custom Corten steel wind chime sculpture made by English artist David Harber. A weather station was placed on site for a month to determine the weight of the chimes—each one set to the pentatonic scale. This is a space where our clients can grow and evolve their lives with the seasons.

Built for the Bluff, A Sea Ranch Home is Remade from the Inside Out The house had always been grounded, on an ocean bluff at The Sea Ranch. It sits unencumbered, adjacent to one of the most dramatic stretches of the Sonoma coast with protected commons meadow to the east, uninterrupted Pacific views to the west, and a bluff trail running alongside. What it lacked was the feeling of home, one that could hold up its own against the natural landscape. The owners are entrepreneurs with deep involvement across tech, real estate, and development and they know how things are built. The Sea Ranch house had been in their lives for years, a second residence and a place for family to gather. Built for a different time, it felt more compromising than comfortable. Sitting in a closed off nook, the kitchen fit one cook at a time and turned its back on the rest of the house. The entry was dim and compressed, divided by a structural column that presented itself at exactly the wrong moment. The primary suite was small relative to the view outside it. A large rear bedroom sat behind a lowered ceiling with a bathroom that had never been added. The house was certainly worth the trouble of doing it right. What followed was not one project but four, each with its own design challenge, each addressed over a period of time. Where the House Meets the Ocean The most complex piece of the project, in both structural and spatial terms, was the kitchen expansion. The existing room was a single-person galley squeezed in as an afterthought with no meaningful connection to the dining room, the living space, or the deck outside. To make it useful for a family that cooks and gathers, it needed to grow outward into an existing patio and flow into the rooms around it. A big challenge was the roofline. Several planes at different pitches and angles converged directly where additional volume was needed. A new form had to join that geometry without reading as a correction. The solution found the simplest possible connection between the existing angles, a roofline that from outside the structure, appears entirely original. From the bluff trail where the addition is visible, there is no discernible seam. Inside, the kitchen is now open to the living and dining rooms without interruption. A large sliding glass door connects the space onto the rear deck. The deck itself was expanded and oriented so that the body of the house shields it from the coastal wind which is a common consideration that determines whether outdoor space at The Sea Ranch actually gets used. The result is a room that works for large family gatherings where no one feels cutoff, and one that makes the boundary between being inside and outside easy to ignore. Welcoming Light A structural column stood at the convergence of eight distinct roof planes in the entry. It was load-bearing, but it was also the reason the entry had always felt like a hallway rather than a welcoming arrival. With the structural engineer, a custom steel connector was designed to receive beams from six separate directions, redistributing the load through a single new continuous beam. The column was surgically removed. Three triangular skylights were then cut into the roof above, their shapes drawn from the existing geometry of the planes around them. The entry is now bright and open. The skylights feel native to the structure because they follow the logic already present in the roof. Two Suites, Two Views At opposite ends of the house, the two bedroom suites were each reconfigured, and each found a different way to introduce more of the landscape into the room. An addition to the primary suite extended the structure outward to create a wraparound plan with a loop from the bedroom through bath and closet that had not been possible before. The expansion opened a slot view from the tub and shower toward the ocean. The view is precise and private. The ocean view is present and deliberate. The rear bedroom absorbed an adjacent storage room to transform it into a full second suite with a vaulted ceiling, a large bathroom with a tub, a shower, and a sauna. A private fenced garden courtyard sits just beyond the glass bringing the outdoors inside. The tub was placed so that, looking past the courtyard and through the bedroom beyond, the ocean is visible at the far end. It is a long view and it makes the room feel larger and more settled than its footprint would suggest. Glass on Four Sides, Fire at the Center The main living and gathering room had always been caught between two competing facts: glass on four sides meant exceptional views but at The Sea Ranch, it also meant a cold room. A 360-degree cylindrical fireplace was added at the center on a raised stone base, providing radiant heat in every direction and giving the room a focal point around which a group naturally orients itself, whether that means two people at the end of the day or the whole family after dinner. Owners Who Picked Up the Tools The owner was not a passive client. they came with construction knowledge, specific ideas, and the desire to be an active part of the process, a dynamic that other architects may had found difficult, which Klopf Architecture accepted as an asset. They took it upon themselves to complete some of the work during construction, including the installation of a new radiant heating system beneath the floors. The radiant system added to the older and less-desirable forced-air setup. At The Sea Ranch, that change matters as the house sits close enough to the ocean and moving air competes with the sound of it, where radiant heat does not. Solar panels were added to the roof as part of the new system. Insulation was upgraded throughout the walls, roof, and crawl space. The house that had always had the right setting now holds warmth the way a house on the bluff should. They were also deeply involved in the design and selections throughout, and the finished house reflects both of them in ways that are specific rather than generic. The process took longer and moved through more iterations than a more arms-length relationship might have allowed. The result is more defined and personal because of it. The Landscape Holds Priority Every exterior decision was shaped by The Sea Ranch Design Standards, which require that buildings defer to the landscape around them rather than compete with it. Because this house sits on the bluff and is visible from the public trail, the additions faced a close review. Existing materials were matched. Geometries were resolved. The additions had to become indistinguishable from the original building. From the trail, the house reads exactly as it always has — low, cedar-clad, secondary to the meadow and the water. The setting holds priority. Inside, the house has been remade. Klopf Architecture Project Team: Geoff Campen and Trenton Jewett
Contractor: Shawn Bettega Construction
Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2023
Location: The Sea Ranch, CA

Complete kitchen renovation with new custom cabinetry, granite countertops, crushed glass and subway tile backsplash, under cabinet lighting, stainless steel appliances and more. This entire space was taken down to the frame work and with the new design came a much more functional and stylish layout.

This project is a new 5,900 sf. primary residence for a couple with three children. The site is slightly elevated above the residential street and enjoys winter views of the Potomac River. The family’s requirements included five bedrooms, five full baths, a powder room, family room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, walk-in pantry, mudroom, lower level recreation room, exercise room, media room and numerous storage spaces. Also included was the request for an outdoor terrace and adequate outdoor storage, including provision for the storage of bikes and kayaks. The family needed a home that would have two entrances, the primary entrance, and a mudroom entry that would provide generous storage spaces for the family’s active lifestyle. Due to the small lot size, the challenge was to accommodate the family’s requirements, while remaining sympathetic to the scale of neighboring homes. The residence employs a “T” shaped plan to aid in minimizing the massing visible from the street, while organizing interior spaces around a private outdoor terrace space accessible from the living and dining spaces. A generous front porch and a gambrel roof diminish the home’s scale, providing a welcoming view along the street front. A path along the right side of the residence leads to the family entrance and a small outbuilding that provides ready access to the bikes and kayaks while shielding the rear terrace from view of neighboring homes. The two entrances join a central stair hall that leads to the eat-in kitchen overlooking the great room. Window seats and a custom built banquette provide gathering spaces, while the French doors connect the great room to the terrace where the arbor transitions to the garden. A first floor guest suite, separate from the family areas of the home, affords privacy for both guests and hosts alike. The second floor Master Suite enjoys views of the Potomac River through a second floor arched balcony visible from the front. The exterior is composed of a board and batten first floor with a cedar shingled second floor and gambrel roof. These two contrasting materials and the inclusion of a partially recessed front porch contribute to the perceived diminution of the home’s scale relative to its smaller neighbors. The overall intention was to create a close fit between the residence and the neighboring context, both built and natural. Builder: E.H. Johnstone Builders Anice Hoachlander Photography

This Roswell kitchen received a complete remodel! Take a look through this gallery to see the gorgeous transformation. This kitchen was completely gutted and brand new shaker style cabinets installed with custom built Island. Additional renovations include moving sink to window area, stovetop hood, built-in microwave, recessed cans and pendant lighting, beveled white tile subway backsplash, hardwood floors, black pearl granite countertop and freshly painted ceiling, walls and trim. Kitchen design by CCFF. The kitchen is the heart of the home and this homeowner is sure to enjoy this new updated space for years to come! 

We installed this arbor to shield the client from neighbors while enjoying their hot tub
Small trendy backyard stone patio photo in Columbus with a pergola

We closed off the open formal dining room, so it became a den with artistic barn doors, which created a more private entrance/foyer. We removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, including the fireplace, to create a great room. We also closed off an open staircase to build a wall with a dual focal point — it accommodates the TV and fireplace. We added a double-wide slider to the sunroom turning it into a happy play space that connects indoor and outdoor living areas. We reduced the size of the entrance to the powder room to create mudroom lockers. The kitchen was given a double island to fit the family’s cooking and entertaining needs, and we used a balance of warm (e.g., beautiful blue cabinetry in the kitchen) and cool colors to add a happy vibe to the space. Our design studio chose all the furnishing and finishes for each room to enhance the space's final look. Builder Partner – Parsetich Custom Homes Photographer - Sarah Shields --- Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/hard-working-haven/

This modern transitional home was designed for a family of four and their pets. Our studio used wood detailing and medium wood floors to give the home a warm, welcoming vibe. We used a variety of statement lights to add drama to the look, and the furniture is comfortable and complements the bright palette of the home. Photographer - Sarah Shields --- Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/

Fine Focus Photography
Trendy master bedroom photo in Austin

In this project we redesigned and renovated the first floor of the clients house. We created an open floor plan, larger Kitchen, seperate Mudroom, and larger Laundry Room. The cabinets are one of our local made custom frameless cabinets. They are a frameless, 3/4" plywood construction. The door is a modified shaker door we call a Step-Frame. The wood is Cherry and the stain is Blossom. The Laundry Room cabinets are the same doorstyle but an Antique White paint on Maple. The countertops are Cambria quartz and the color is Windemere. The backsplash is a 4x4 and 3x6 tumbled marble in Pearl with a Sonoma Tile custom blend for the accent. The floors are an oak wood that were custom stained on site.

Inspiration for a cottage bedroom remodel in Burlington

We closed off the open formal dining room, so it became a den with artistic barn doors, which created a more private entrance/foyer. We removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, including the fireplace, to create a great room. We also closed off an open staircase to build a wall with a dual focal point — it accommodates the TV and fireplace. We added a double-wide slider to the sunroom turning it into a happy play space that connects indoor and outdoor living areas. We reduced the size of the entrance to the powder room to create mudroom lockers. The kitchen was given a double island to fit the family’s cooking and entertaining needs, and we used a balance of warm (e.g., beautiful blue cabinetry in the kitchen) and cool colors to add a happy vibe to the space. Our design studio chose all the furnishing and finishes for each room to enhance the space's final look. Builder Partner – Parsetich Custom Homes Photographer - Sarah Shields --- Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/hard-working-haven/

Example of a classic kitchen design in San Francisco

Kitchen - southwest view with pull-out, butcher block-covered baking center under the microwave
Example of a classic l-shaped eat-in kitchen design in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Transitional bathroom photo in San Francisco

Benjamin Benschneider
Example of a large trendy wooden u-shaped open staircase design in Seattle

We closed off the open formal dining room, so it became a den with artistic barn doors, which created a more private entrance/foyer. We removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, including the fireplace, to create a great room. We also closed off an open staircase to build a wall with a dual focal point — it accommodates the TV and fireplace. We added a double-wide slider to the sunroom turning it into a happy play space that connects indoor and outdoor living areas. We reduced the size of the entrance to the powder room to create mudroom lockers. The kitchen was given a double island to fit the family’s cooking and entertaining needs, and we used a balance of warm (e.g., beautiful blue cabinetry in the kitchen) and cool colors to add a happy vibe to the space. Our design studio chose all the furnishing and finishes for each room to enhance the space's final look. Builder Partner – Parsetich Custom Homes Photographer - Sarah Shields --- Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/hard-working-haven/