Richard P. Rauso, ASLA
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard stone water fountain landscape for summer.

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects and Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Designed and built a new warm, modern, Eichler-inspired, open, indoor-outdoor home on a deeper-than-usual San Mateo Highlands property where an original Eichler house had burned to the ground. The owners wanted multi-generational living and larger spaces than the original home offered, but all parties agreed that the house should respect the neighborhood and blend in stylistically with the other Eichlers. At first the Klopf team considered re-using what little was left of the original home and expanding on it. But after discussions with the owner and builder, all parties agreed that the last few remaining elements of the house were not practical to re-use, so Klopf Architecture designed a new home that pushes the Eichler approach in new directions. One disadvantage of Eichler production homes is that the house designs were not optimized for each specific lot. A new custom home offered the team a chance to start over. In this case, a longer house that opens up sideways to the south fit the lot better than the original square-ish house that used to open to the rear (west). Accordingly, the Klopf team designed an L-shaped “bar” house with a large glass wall with large sliding glass doors that faces sideways instead of to the rear like a typical Eichler. This glass wall opens to a pool and landscaped yard designed by Arterra Landscape Architects. Driving by the house, one might assume at first glance it is an Eichler because of the horizontality, the overhanging flat roof eaves, the dark gray vertical siding, and orange solid panel front door, but the house is designed for the 21st Century and is not meant to be a “Likeler.” You won't see any posts and beams in this home. Instead, the ceiling decking is a western red cedar that covers over all the beams. Like Eichlers, this cedar runs continuously from inside to out, enhancing the indoor / outdoor feeling of the house, but unlike Eichlers it conceals a cavity for lighting, wiring, and insulation. Ceilings are higher, rooms are larger and more open, the master bathroom is light-filled and more generous, with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet compartment, and there is plenty of storage. The garage even easily fits two of today's vehicles with room to spare. A massive 49-foot by 12-foot wall of glass and the continuity of materials from inside to outside enhance the inside-outside living concept, so the owners and their guests can flow freely from house to pool deck to BBQ to pool and back. During construction in the rough framing stage, Klopf thought the front of the house appeared too tall even though the house had looked right in the design renderings (probably because the house is uphill from the street). So Klopf Architecture paid the framer to change the roofline from how we had designed it to be lower along the front, allowing the home to blend in better with the neighborhood. One project goal was for people driving up the street to pass the home without immediately noticing there is an "imposter" on this lot, and making that change was essential to achieve that goal. This 2,606 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Eichler-inspired new house is located in San Mateo in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Contractor: Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Photography ©2016 Mariko Reed Location: San Mateo, CA Year completed: 2016

The Magnolia Renovation has been primarily concerned with the design of a new, highly crafted modern kitchen in a traditional home located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. The kitchen design relies on the creation of a very simple continuous space that is occupied by highly crafted pieces of furniture, cabinets and fittings. Materials such as steel, bronze, bamboo, stained elm, woven cattail, and sea grass are used in juxtaposition, allowing each material to benefit from adjacent contrasts in texture and color. The existing kitchen and dining room consisted of separate rooms with a dividing wall. This wall was removed to create a long, continuous, east-west space, approximately 34 feet long, with cabinets and counters along each wall. The west end of the space has glass doors and views to the Puget Sound. The east end also has glass doors, leading to a small garden space. In the center of the new kitchen/dining space, we designed two long, custom tables from reclaimed elm planks (20" wide, 2" thick). The first table is a working kitchen island, the second table is the dining table. Both tables have custom blued-steel bases with laser-cut bronze overlay. We also designed custom stools with blued-steel bases and woven cattail rush seats. The lighting of the kitchen consists of 15 small, candle-like fixtures arranged in a random array with custom steel brackets. The cabinets are custom designed, with bleached Alaskan yellow cedar frames and bamboo panels. The counters are a dark limestone with a beautiful stone mosaic backsplash with a bamboo-like pattern. Adjacent to the backsplash is a long horizontal window with a “beargrass” resin panel placed on the interior side of the window. The “beargrass” panel contains actual sea grasses, which are backlit by the window behind the panel. Photo: Benjamin Benschneider

The old outside wall of the house, now inside the sunroom. We plastered over the stucco and painted it white around the original window.
Example of a transitional home design design in San Diego

Kitchen - cottage kitchen idea in Boston

granite, tile, wood floor, white cabinets, kitchen island, island light,
Kitchen - transitional l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photos by Steve Henke
Inspiration for a timeless white three-story gable roof remodel in Minneapolis

Sean Litchfield Photography Backsplash Tile: "Calcutta Ashlar 3x6" in a polished finish from Tile Showcase Countertops: Soapstone Island: Carrara Marble

Inspiration for a transitional dining room remodel in Dallas

Steve Roberts Photography
Example of a large minimalist l-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen design with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, multicolored backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room remodel in New York with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

David Duncan Livingston
Example of a huge beach style open concept and formal medium tone wood floor living room design in San Francisco with beige walls and no tv

Sit-Stand desks are gaining popularity in our ever-increasing sedentary culture. As we look for ways to rise from our office chairs, adjusting the height of your work surface has become very attractive. The cabinetry color is winter fun and the desktop Wilsonart Nightfall.

Inspiration for a 1960s backyard gravel patio remodel in San Diego with a fire pit and no cover

Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen design in Tampa with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Addition to the laundry/bathroom included a shower with a custom alcove to match the marbled white Stone Surface walls. Creamy bronze hardware throughout the space.

A period correct breeze block wall was built as a backdrop to the kitchen view and an industrial charcoal corrugated metal fence completes the leitmotif and creates privacy around the property.

Andrew Buchanan of Subtle Light Photography
Beach style backyard stone and rectangular infinity pool photo in Seattle