Located in the Midtown East neighborhood of Turtle Bay, this project involved combining two separate units to create a duplex three bedroom apartment. The upper unit required a gut renovation to provide a new Master Bedroom suite, including the replacement of an existing Kitchen with a Master Bathroom, remodeling a second bathroom, and adding new closets and cabinetry throughout. An opening was made in the steel floor structure between the units to install a new stair. The lower unit had been renovated recently and only needed work in the Living/Dining area to accommodate the new staircase. Given the long and narrow proportion of the apartment footprint, it was important that the stair be spatially efficient while creating a focal element to unify the apartment. The stair structure takes the concept of a spine beam and splits it into two thin steel plates, which support horizontal plates recessed into the underside of the treads. The wall adjacent to the stair was clad with vertical wood slats to physically connect the two levels and define a double height space. Whitewashed oak flooring runs through both floors, with solid white oak for the stair treads and window countertops. The blackened steel stair structure contrasts with white satin lacquer finishes to the slat wall and built-in cabinetry. On the upper floor, full height electrolytic glass panels bring natural light into the stair hall from the Master Bedroom, while providing privacy when needed. archphoto.com

Duayne Naugle
Mid-sized trendy wooden l-shaped glass railing staircase photo in Other with painted risers

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Patio - contemporary patio idea in Dallas with a roof extension

Nick Wheeler
Example of a trendy open staircase design in Boston

Trendy wooden straight wood railing staircase photo in New York with painted risers

Example of a mid-sized trendy wooden straight wood railing staircase design in Toronto with wooden risers

The Telgenhoff Residence uses a complex blend of material, texture and color to create a architectural design that reflects the Northwest Lifestyle. This project was completely designed and constructed by Craig L. Telgenhoff.

Trendy wooden l-shaped staircase photo in Providence with wooden risers

A short hall leads into the master suite. In the background is the top of a three flight staircase. Storage is encased in custom cabinetry and paired with a compact built in desk.

Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped light wood floor and brown floor kitchen remodel in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Bob Schatz
Example of a mountain style staircase design in Burlington

Photography: Michael Biondo
Large mid-century modern wooden u-shaped staircase photo in New York with painted risers

Full gut renovation and facade restoration of an historic 1850s wood-frame townhouse. The current owners found the building as a decaying, vacant SRO (single room occupancy) dwelling with approximately 9 rooming units. The building has been converted to a two-family house with an owner’s triplex over a garden-level rental. Due to the fact that the very little of the existing structure was serviceable and the change of occupancy necessitated major layout changes, nC2 was able to propose an especially creative and unconventional design for the triplex. This design centers around a continuous 2-run stair which connects the main living space on the parlor level to a family room on the second floor and, finally, to a studio space on the third, thus linking all of the public and semi-public spaces with a single architectural element. This scheme is further enhanced through the use of a wood-slat screen wall which functions as a guardrail for the stair as well as a light-filtering element tying all of the floors together, as well its culmination in a 5’ x 25’ skylight.

Jordan Kokel
Bedroom - mid-sized contemporary master medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea in Dallas with white walls and no fireplace

Full gut renovation and facade restoration of an historic 1850s wood-frame townhouse. The current owners found the building as a decaying, vacant SRO (single room occupancy) dwelling with approximately 9 rooming units. The building has been converted to a two-family house with an owner’s triplex over a garden-level rental. Due to the fact that the very little of the existing structure was serviceable and the change of occupancy necessitated major layout changes, nC2 was able to propose an especially creative and unconventional design for the triplex. This design centers around a continuous 2-run stair which connects the main living space on the parlor level to a family room on the second floor and, finally, to a studio space on the third, thus linking all of the public and semi-public spaces with a single architectural element. This scheme is further enhanced through the use of a wood-slat screen wall which functions as a guardrail for the stair as well as a light-filtering element tying all of the floors together, as well its culmination in a 5’ x 25’ skylight.

Dror Baldinger
Trendy wooden u-shaped metal railing staircase photo in Austin with wooden risers

Located in the Midtown East neighborhood of Turtle Bay, this project involved combining two separate units to create a duplex three bedroom apartment. The upper unit required a gut renovation to provide a new Master Bedroom suite, including the replacement of an existing Kitchen with a Master Bathroom, remodeling a second bathroom, and adding new closets and cabinetry throughout. An opening was made in the steel floor structure between the units to install a new stair. The lower unit had been renovated recently and only needed work in the Living/Dining area to accommodate the new staircase. Given the long and narrow proportion of the apartment footprint, it was important that the stair be spatially efficient while creating a focal element to unify the apartment. The stair structure takes the concept of a spine beam and splits it into two thin steel plates, which support horizontal plates recessed into the underside of the treads. The wall adjacent to the stair was clad with vertical wood slats to physically connect the two levels and define a double height space. Whitewashed oak flooring runs through both floors, with solid white oak for the stair treads and window countertops. The blackened steel stair structure contrasts with white satin lacquer finishes to the slat wall and built-in cabinetry. On the upper floor, full height electrolytic glass panels bring natural light into the stair hall from the Master Bedroom, while providing privacy when needed. archphoto.com

Charles Davis Smith, AIA
Staircase - contemporary u-shaped open staircase idea in Dallas