Architect + Interior Design: Olson-Olson Architects, Construction: Bruce Olson Construction, Photography: Vance Fox
Bedroom - mid-sized modern master medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Sacramento with brown walls and no fireplace

Modern backyard retreat with minimalist elements. A concrete patio with square modular pavers leads up to a raised Ipe wood deck. The spa is raised with a concrete coping seat bench and an infinity edge glass spillway. The pool has a concrete coping and white plaster. The main concrete area is accented by charcoal beach pebble. The retaining wall is constructed of Angelus Glacier White precision block with a sandblasted finish. The tight geometry is balanced by vibrant succulents on the adjacent slope. The BBQ station is faced with smooth white plaster and a gray colored Dekton countertop. The property is surrounded by lush green bamboo and other greenery.

The cabin typology redux came out of the owner’s desire to have a house that is warm and familiar, but also “feels like you are on vacation.” The basis of the “Hewn House” design starts with a cabin’s simple form and materiality: a gable roof, a wood-clad body, a prominent fireplace that acts as the hearth, and integrated indoor-outdoor spaces. However, rather than a rustic style, the scheme proposes a clean-lined and “hewned” form, sculpted, to best fit on its urban infill lot. The plan and elevation geometries are responsive to the unique site conditions. Existing prominent trees determined the faceted shape of the main house, while providing shade that projecting eaves of a traditional log cabin would otherwise offer. Deferring to the trees also allows the house to more readily tuck into its leafy East Austin neighborhood, and is therefore more quiet and secluded. Natural light and coziness are key inside the home. Both the common zone and the private quarters extend to sheltered outdoor spaces of varying scales: the front porch, the private patios, and the back porch which acts as a transition to the backyard. Similar to the front of the house, a large cedar elm was preserved in the center of the yard. Sliding glass doors open up the interior living zone to the backyard life while clerestory windows bring in additional ambient light and tree canopy views. The wood ceiling adds warmth and connection to the exterior knotted cedar tongue & groove. The iron spot bricks with an earthy, reddish tone around the fireplace cast a new material interest both inside and outside. The gable roof is clad with standing seam to reinforced the clean-lined and faceted form. Furthermore, a dark gray shade of stucco contrasts and complements the warmth of the cedar with its coolness. A freestanding guest house both separates from and connects to the main house through a small, private patio with a tall steel planter bed. Photo by Charles Davis Smith

This house in Lower Burns Park in Ann Arbor had a small, cramped and chopped kitchen with no eating area or space for a family to cook or gather. The Rochman Design Build Team stayed with the clients' feel for a more European kitchen, opened up the walls, and created a space where the family can now make dinner, do homework or put groceries away, all at the same time :-)

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to math the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who could not live in a tiny house, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design assistance by Jimmy Thornton

Modern Retreat is one of a four home collection located in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The site, formerly home to the abandoned Kachina Elementary School, offered remarkable views of Camelback Mountain. Nestled into an acre-sized, pie shaped cul-de-sac, the site’s unique challenges came in the form of lot geometry, western primary views, and limited southern exposure. While the lot’s shape had a heavy influence on the home organization, the western views and the need for western solar protection created the general massing hierarchy. The undulating split-faced travertine stone walls both protect and give a vivid textural display and seamlessly pass from exterior to interior. The tone-on-tone exterior material palate was married with an effective amount of contrast internally. This created a very dynamic exchange between objects in space and the juxtaposition to the more simple and elegant architecture. Maximizing the 5,652 sq ft, a seamless connection of interior and exterior spaces through pocketing glass doors extends public spaces to the outdoors and highlights the fantastic Camelback Mountain views. Project Details // Modern Retreat Architecture: Drewett Works Builder/Developer: Bedbrock Developers, LLC Interior Design: Ownby Design Photographer: Thompson Photographic

Patio kitchen - huge contemporary backyard stone patio kitchen idea in San Francisco with a pergola

One of the best ways to add a warm serenity around a pool area is installing a high quality decking structure. Not only aesthetically pleasing but highly functional as well. Thermo Treated Ash decking 120 x 21mm with Rubio Monocoat: Hybrid - Greylook Benefits: 1. Stable geometry. 2. Biological stability. 3. Insects, bugs, larvae won't appear in the wood. 4. No visible surface fixings 5. Reduces timber damage and decay 6. Faster installation 7. Installation over existing timber, sheet floor, battens and concrete 8. No popping Nails for kids to cut their feet on 9. No hammering popping nails to re fix 10. Thermo-treating wood burns, but the positive result consists that the Thermo-treating wood allocates carbonic monoxide less; beneficial to the environment. 11. Finished planks, can stay for a long time in cold shops without heating, wait a long time of departure on the construction site awaiting installation 12. Low thermal conductivity of Thermo-treating wood. 13. "Green" product, environmental friendliness. Photographer: Ettiene Smit

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to match the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who cannot live tiny, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design Assistance Jimmy Thornton

Our techy client needed a quiet workspace where he can work, read, and relax. We came up with a colorful, inviting, and modern design that everybody loves. We’ve introduced geometric pattern on the rug that compliments the geometry on the bookshelves. The color of the couch picks up the reds from the rug perfectly, and the steel blue wall is the perfect backdrop to connect all the elements in the room. This is how a modern workspace should look like.

Located in the historic Central Gardens neighborhood in Memphis, the project sought to revive the outdoor space of a 1920’s traditional home with a new pool, screened porch and garden design. After renovating the 1920’s kitchen, the client sought to improve their outdoor space. The first step was replacing the existing kidney pool with a smaller pool more suited to the charm of the site. With careful insertion of key elements the design creates spaces which accommodate, swimming, lounging, entertaining, gardening, cooking and more. “Strong, organized geometry makes all of this work and creates a simple and relaxing environment,” Designer Jeff Edwards explains. “Our detailing takes on updated freshness, so there is a distinction between new and old, but both reside harmoniously.” The screened porch actually has some modern detailing that compliments the previous kitchen renovation, but the proportions in materiality are very complimentary to the original architecture from the 1920s. The screened porch opens out onto a small outdoor terrace that then flows down into the backyard and overlooks a small pool.

Modern backyard retreat with minimalist elements. A concrete patio with square modular pavers leads up to a raised Ipe wood deck. The spa is raised with a concrete coping seat bench and an infinity edge glass spillway. The pool has a concrete coping and white plaster. The main concrete area is accented by charcoal beach pebble. The retaining wall is constructed of Angelus Glacier White precision block with a sandblasted finish. The tight geometry is balanced by vibrant succulents on the adjacent slope. The BBQ station is faced with smooth white plaster and a gray colored Dekton countertop. The property is surrounded by lush green bamboo and other greenery.

This generous living room with 12 ft. ceilings was hard to make warm and inviting. Its original state had massive gothic chandeliers and a stark white brick fireplace (ask us if you would like to see the before photos!). We worked carefully at articulating the fireplace facade, changing it's geometry to change the scale. By adding hand hewn wood cladding to the non fire side and a warm textural limestone adjacent, created a fireplace you area ready to snuggle up to. Additionally, thoughtful lighting and creating room definition through the furniture plan, helped to define and inhabit this great space.

Overlooking the Puget Sound, this 2,000 sf Pacific Northwest modern home effortlessly opens onto classic water views while optimizing privacy and Southern exposure with a private patio. Our clients sought a poetically minimalist and practical retirement home infused with rhythm and geometry. With dramatic roof lines and a projecting great room that define its form, the architecture’s simplicity frames its dramatic site to incredible effect while the interior playfully loops the spacious traffic patterns of this 3 bedroom 2.5 bath.

Modern Retreat is one of a four home collection located in Paradise Valley, Arizona. The site, formerly home to the abandoned Kachina Elementary School, offered remarkable views of Camelback Mountain. Nestled into an acre-sized, pie shaped cul-de-sac, the site’s unique challenges came in the form of lot geometry, western primary views, and limited southern exposure. While the lot’s shape had a heavy influence on the home organization, the western views and the need for western solar protection created the general massing hierarchy. The undulating split-faced travertine stone walls both protect and give a vivid textural display and seamlessly pass from exterior to interior. The tone-on-tone exterior material palate was married with an effective amount of contrast internally. This created a very dynamic exchange between objects in space and the juxtaposition to the more simple and elegant architecture. Maximizing the 5,652 sq ft, a seamless connection of interior and exterior spaces through pocketing glass doors extends public spaces to the outdoors and highlights the fantastic Camelback Mountain views. Project Details // Modern Retreat Architecture: Drewett Works Builder/Developer: Bedbrock Developers, LLC Interior Design: Ownby Design Photographer: Thompson Photographic

Located in the historic Central Gardens neighborhood in Memphis, the project sought to revive the outdoor space of a 1920’s traditional home with a new pool, screened porch and garden design. After renovating the 1920’s kitchen, the client sought to improve their outdoor space. The first step was replacing the existing kidney pool with a smaller pool more suited to the charm of the site. With careful insertion of key elements the design creates spaces which accommodate, swimming, lounging, entertaining, gardening, cooking and more. “Strong, organized geometry makes all of this work and creates a simple and relaxing environment,” Designer Jeff Edwards explains. “Our detailing takes on updated freshness, so there is a distinction between new and old, but both reside harmoniously.” The screened porch actually has some modern detailing that compliments the previous kitchen renovation, but the proportions in materiality are very complimentary to the original architecture from the 1920s. The screened porch opens out onto a small outdoor terrace that then flows down into the backyard and overlooks a small pool. We wanted to incorporate as much green as possible in the small space, so there is no pool deck. The sod of the lawn comes right up to a limestone coping around the perimeter of the pool. Inside the pool, we used a dark plaster so that it feels more like a reflecting pool in the small space. We nestled it in around an existing Japanese maple that's bordered in seal edging and underplanted in dwarf mondo grass. The backyard is really divided into a couple of zones. So there's the central zone with the pool and lawn. There are an existing garage and guesthouse beyond, just now used as a pool house.

This is an example of a modern landscaping in Portland.

The tightly constrained footprint of the affectionately named “Box on the Rock” is a response to a limited budget and difficult site. Shallow underground hillside waterways run across the site often daylighting in unexpected and unwanted locations. These necessitated relatively expensive pier footings thus motivating an extremely efficient 2,000 sq ft footprint. With no initial resources to develop the wild scrub and rock landscape of the 3-acre property, the home becomes a lone outpost settling the higher ground of the larger natural site --a literal box on a rock. Given these limitations, the architecture of this outpost needs to provide for all indoor and outdoor functions within its area. With the extremes of the wine country microclimate on the exposed site, this becomes an even more critical requirement for year-round comfort. The central courtyard and the cantilevered deck are strategically carved out of the diagrammatic box to ensure that over the course of the day, temperate options for both sun and shade are always available. In particular, the geometry of the overhang at the front cantilevered deck and the inward angle of its exterior glass walls are carefully calibrated to capture morning sun and winter warming while shielding the internal space from the harshest summer glare. Later in the day the central courtyard comes alive as the sunniest developed outdoor space, yet one that is naturally cooled by capturing the valley cross breezes. With an economy of means, this simple form morphs to amplify the experience of the dramatic site and create an expansive feeling home that belies its small footprint. Each adjustment to the diagrammatic box negotiates the functional and environmental needs to foster self-contained and site-specific living with a minimal environmental impact. Photo by Bruce Damonte

Modern and minimal, Brooklyn Modern Dining Table by Tonin Casa will surely become a welcoming destination in your house. Made in Italy, Brooklyn Designer Extension Dining Table features straight linear design and abundance for customization that’s meant to correspond with any décor palette and space you are working with.