Growsgreen Landscape Design, photo by Caitlin Atkinson.
Example of a danish deck design in San Francisco

This large open kitchen was completely updated to include a custom cabinetry, a large center island, banquette seating and an extra large table to accommodate family and friends in the busy summer season. With plenty of lighting, extra large appliances and preparation space, everyone can get in on the cooking fun.

Gene Pollux and SRQ360 Photography
Large mediterranean lap and white side yard and two-story tile and custom-shaped exterior home idea in Tampa

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Mali Azima
Trendy freestanding bathtub photo in Atlanta with beige walls

Creative lighting, vintage Beatles posters and strategic splashes of green transform an interior windowless room into a home office that is ever ready to transition into a guest bedroom.

This sensational Arcadia ranch was completely reimagined for the new homeowners needs and desires. Our design parameters were to create balance, drama, and playfulness with some strategically placed container gardens and landscape amendments peppered throughout. The use of unique and hardy specimen cacti and succulent in combination with blooming perennials and lavenders were forefront in designing the unique statements. Green, dramatic contrast, coupled with softness and balance were used to design this clean, sophisticated look in Arcadia.

The Master Terrace is a perfect place to enjoy a beer and a magazine by the fire while overlooking the garden.
Example of a huge transitional backyard stone patio design in San Francisco with a fire pit and no cover

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.

Justin Krug Photography
Example of a large cottage medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Portland with white walls

THE SETUP Client Background: Our clients, a couple who have transitioned into the empty nest phase, have cherished their home for over three decades without undergoing any significant renovations. With a newfound desire to adapt their living space to better suit their current lifestyle, they’ve embarked on a journey to reimagine their kitchen — the heart of their home. Their aspiration is to cultivate a serene, neutral-toned sanctuary on the first floor that seamlessly merges with their family room, ensuring a harmonious and inviting environment. Design Inspiration: The renovation is inspired by the couple’s penchant for soft, calming neutrals, using their cherished family room and the kitchen’s existing tile flooring as the cornerstone for the color scheme. This approach aims to foster a sense of warmth and tranquility throughout. Design Objectives: Harmonize the kitchen with the family room by adopting a soothing, neutral color scheme, ensuring a seamless flow across the first floor. Enhance kitchen functionality with thoughtfully designed cabinetry, providing a designated place for every item and maximizing storage efficiency. Cultivate an inviting and comfortable atmosphere that reflects the homeowners’ desire for a calm and relaxing space. Design Challenges: The homeowners wish to retain the existing kitchen tile flooring and integrate it into a refreshed, modern design. Accommodating a dining area spacious enough for family visits without compromising the kitchen’s open feel or functional layout. Despite liking the current placement of plumbing and appliances, the homeowners aspire for a more open floor plan to facilitate better movement and interaction. The need to amplify natural light in the kitchen, especially around the sink area, where existing lighting is insufficient. Preserving the half-wall between the kitchen and family room, a feature the homeowners want to keep, while ensuring it complements the new design. THE RENEWED SPACE Design Solutions: By choosing a neutral color palette that complements the existing tile, the design unifies the kitchen with the adjacent spaces. The tile’s grout was cleaned and restored, enhancing the floor’s appearance and integrating it seamlessly with the new kitchen aesthetic. The inclusion of a larger island with seating for two, alongside maintaining a substantial dining table, was achieved by optimizing the spatial layout. This allowed for a sociable yet functional kitchen, accommodating large family gatherings without feeling crowded. Minor adjustments to the kitchen’s layout maintained the preferred locations for plumbing and appliances while introducing an ‘open’ design concept. Strategic modifications, such as angling the pantry wall, improved the flow and accessibility within the space. Replacing the garden window with a broader, standard window significantly increased natural light, transforming the sink area into a bright, welcoming space with enhanced views of the outdoors. The decision to keep the half-wall was ingeniously leveraged to define the dining area while maintaining an open connection to the family room. This feature not only serves as a visual separator but also ties the two spaces together through the shared color scheme and design elements. The homeowners are thrilled with their newly remodeled kitchen, which has become a hub of warmth and hospitality. Hosting a wedding shower and a birthday party, they have shared their renewed space with friends and family, who have been equally enamored. This remodel has not only met their functional and aesthetic desires but has also enriched their home with a fresh sense of serenity and joy. The upstairs part of the home is shaping up nicely. Here’s their newly remodeled primary bathroom.

The Tice Residences replace a run-down and aging duplex with two separate, modern, Santa Barbara homes. Although the unique creek-side site (which the client’s original home looked toward across a small ravine) proposed significant challenges, the clients were certain they wanted to live on the lush “Riviera” hillside. The challenges presented were ultimately overcome through a thorough and careful study of site conditions. With an extremely efficient use of space and strategic placement of windows and decks, privacy is maintained while affording expansive views from each home to the creek, downtown Santa Barbara and Pacific Ocean beyond. Both homes appear to have far more openness than their compact lots afford. The solution strikes a balance between enclosure and openness. Walls and landscape elements divide and protect two private domains, and are in turn, carefully penetrated to reveal views. Both homes are variations on one consistent theme: elegant composition of contemporary, “warm” materials; strong roof planes punctuated by vertical masses; and floating decks. The project forms an intimate connection with its setting by using site-excavated stone, terracing landscape planters with native plantings, and utilizing the shade provided by its ancient Riviera Oak trees. 2012 AIA Santa Barbara Chapter Merit Award Jim Bartsch Photography

In this view of the kitchen, you can see how we placed a beverage station away from the main food prep area. The cabinetry features cubbies for wine storage, with convenient lit cabinets for stemware directly above. Locating the beverage station at the end of the perimeter counter helps to minimize traffic congestion in the kitchen while our clients are entertaining guests.

Gazebos are larger structures perfectly suitable for dining and entertaining or just a little private time. The shape of the structure adds curves to the geometry of a backyard and is a wonderful complement to your landscapes trees, shrubs and plantings.

This large open kitchen was completely updated to include a custom cabinetry, a large center island, banquette seating and an extra large table to accommodate family and friends in the busy summer season. With plenty of lighting, extra large appliances and preparation space, everyone can get in on the cooking fun.

Twenty-four-foot windows span the back of the living room, breaking the bounds between indoors and out. "Rain storms are very exciting in our home", says Bobbie. "The diamond roof line creates waterfalls during a downpour, and the glass wall in our living room provides the perfect theater in which to watch them." Cove lighting runs all throughout the house. Constructed out of fluorescent tubing, wood, and milky plexi-glass, Stein strategically placed them to highlight doorways, windows and walls. The cocktail table was inherited from Matthew's grandmother. Much like a shadow box, the couple uses the table to display mementos and post cards from their travels together. Adrienne DeRosa Photography © 2013 Houzz

This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Seattle.

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.