The designer worked with the clients, an artist and sculptor, along with the contractor, to design the perfect space for them to work separately but stay audibly connected. The space shown serves as a display gallery from which potential clients can see her art and his sculpture for purchase. The walls are covered in fabric to disguise the many nail holes from moving the art around the room.

This architectural delight nestled in Brentwood Hills was designed by Edna Muir in 1960 and featured on the cover of Art and Architecture in 1962. Flash forward to today’s remodel where the builder upheld the beautiful design while upgrading the space for today’s tech needs. With every light and shade on the system and full Alexa integration, this home stays connected in just the right ways.

Cutrona
Living room - large coastal open concept dark wood floor living room idea in Boston with gray walls and a corner fireplace

A comfortable family room flows from the kitchen and banquette area. It’s big enough for watching the game on weekends or for guests to stay connected with the host during food preparation. The ceiling is adorned with space-defining beams, and a wall of French doors flows out onto the side patio providing beautiful sunlit eastern views of the neighborhood. COREY GAFFER PHOTOGRAPHY

This architectural delight nestled in Brentwood Hills was designed by Edna Muir in 1960 and featured on the cover of Art and Architecture in 1962. Flash forward to today’s remodel where the builder upheld the beautiful design while upgrading the space for today’s tech needs. With every light and shade on the system and full Alexa integration, this home stays connected in just the right ways.

This architectural delight nestled in Brentwood Hills was designed by Edna Muir in 1960 and featured on the cover of Art and Architecture in 1962. Flash forward to today’s remodel where the builder upheld the beautiful design while upgrading the space for today’s tech needs. With every light and shade on the system and full Alexa integration, this home stays connected in just the right ways.

Photo by Joe Fletcher.
Patio - contemporary patio idea in San Francisco with a fire pit

Challenge This 2001 riverfront home was purchased by the owners in 2015 and immediately renovated. Progressive Design Build was hired at that time to remodel the interior, with tentative plans to remodel their outdoor living space as a second phase design/build remodel. True to their word, after completing the interior remodel, this young family turned to Progressive Design Build in 2017 to address known zoning regulations and restrictions in their backyard and build an outdoor living space that was fit for entertaining and everyday use. The homeowners wanted a pool and spa, outdoor living room, kitchen, fireplace and covered patio. They also wanted to stay true to their home’s Old Florida style architecture while also adding a Jamaican influence to the ceiling detail, which held sentimental value to the homeowners who honeymooned in Jamaica. Solution To tackle the known zoning regulations and restrictions in the backyard, the homeowners researched and applied for a variance. With the variance in hand, Progressive Design Build sat down with the homeowners to review several design options. These options included: Option 1) Modifications to the original pool design, changing it to be longer and narrower and comply with an existing drainage easement Option 2) Two different layouts of the outdoor living area Option 3) Two different height elevations and options for the fire pit area Option 4) A proposed breezeway connecting the new area with the existing home After reviewing the options, the homeowners chose the design that placed the pool on the backside of the house and the outdoor living area on the west side of the home (Option 1). It was important to build a patio structure that could sustain a hurricane (a Southwest Florida necessity), and provide substantial sun protection. The new covered area was supported by structural columns and designed as an open-air porch (with no screens) to allow for an unimpeded view of the Caloosahatchee River. The open porch design also made the area feel larger, and the roof extension was built with substantial strength to survive severe weather conditions. The pool and spa were connected to the adjoining patio area, designed to flow seamlessly into the next. The pool deck was designed intentionally in a 3-color blend of concrete brick with freeform edge detail to mimic the natural river setting. Bringing the outdoors inside, the pool and fire pit were slightly elevated to create a small separation of space. Result All of the desirable amenities of a screened porch were built into an open porch, including electrical outlets, a ceiling fan/light kit, TV, audio speakers, and a fireplace. The outdoor living area was finished off with additional storage for cushions, ample lighting, an outdoor dining area, a smoker, a grill, a double-side burner, an under cabinet refrigerator, a major ventilation system, and water supply plumbing that delivers hot and cold water to the sinks. Because the porch is under a roof, we had the option to use classy woods that would give the structure a natural look and feel. We chose a dark cypress ceiling with a gloss finish, replicating the same detail that the homeowners experienced in Jamaica. This created a deep visceral and emotional reaction from the homeowners to their new backyard. The family now spends more time outdoors enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of nature. Their professional lives allow them to take a trip to paradise right in their backyard—stealing moments that reflect on the past, but are also enjoyed in the present.

Masonite® M-Pwr™ Smart Doors is first of its kind, integrated door solution, offering built-in technology, including emergency battery backup, motion-sensing LED welcome lighting, a Ring Video Doorbell, a Yale Home smart lock, and a door state sensor, so you can always stay connected wherever you are.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

To enhance the condo’s vertical scale, the space was furnished with tall étagères and a 7-foot leaning mirror that draw the eye upward and emphasize the 16-foot ceiling height. The sofa chaise was intentionally placed at the end of the seating arrangement to preserve the open sitting area beneath the opposite windows, allowing guests to relax on the chaise while staying connected to conversations at the dining table.

A two-story addition in San Mateo — a light-filled family room, covered porch, and rebuilt rear entrance that gave a growing family the space and outdoor connection they needed to stay in the neighborhood they love. The 650 sq ft addition, completed in 22 weeks, features reclaimed hardwood floors, a wall of custom cabinetry, and a rebuilt rear entrance and mudroom.

A two-story addition in San Mateo — a light-filled family room, covered porch, and rebuilt rear entrance that gave a growing family the space and outdoor connection they needed to stay in the neighborhood they love. The 650 sq ft addition, completed in 22 weeks, features reclaimed hardwood floors, a wall of custom cabinetry, and a rebuilt rear entrance and mudroom.

Old meets new: 2024 addition to a 1940 house. The addition is distinctly modern, and the original Colonial Revival stays front and center. In this marriage of old and new, the whole emphasizes a harmony of materials and visual connections throughout. | 2024 AIA Central Virginia Award of Merit in Residential Design | Photography: Lincoln Barbour Photo

A two-story addition in San Mateo — a light-filled family room, covered porch, and rebuilt rear entrance that gave a growing family the space and outdoor connection they needed to stay in the neighborhood they love. The 650 sq ft addition, completed in 22 weeks, features reclaimed hardwood floors, a wall of custom cabinetry, and a rebuilt rear entrance and mudroom.

A two-story addition in San Mateo — a light-filled family room, covered porch, and rebuilt rear entrance that gave a growing family the space and outdoor connection they needed to stay in the neighborhood they love. The 650 sq ft addition, completed in 22 weeks, features reclaimed hardwood floors, a wall of custom cabinetry, and a rebuilt rear entrance and mudroom.

Trendy kitchen photo in Toronto

Photo by: Bill Timmerman, Architect : Ibarra Rosano Design Architects, Builder: Process Designs
Large trendy galley concrete floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen photo in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white walls, an island, a double-bowl sink, solid surface countertops and stainless steel appliances

The clients for this project approached SALA ‘to create a house that we will be excited to come home to’. Having lived in their house for over 20 years, they chose to stay connected to their neighborhood, and accomplish their goals by extensively remodeling their existing split-entry home.