A happy east coast family gets their perfect second home on the west coast. This family of 6 was a true joy to work with from start to finish. They were very excited to have a home reflecting the true west coast sensibility: ocean tones mixed with neutrals, modern art and playful elements, and of course durability and comfort for all the kids and guests. The pool area and kitchen got total overhauls (thanks to Jeff with Black Cat Construction) and we added a fun wine closet below the staircase. They trusted the vision of the design and made few requests for changes. And the end result was even better than they expected.

Richard Silver Photo
Inspiration for a huge industrial red three-story brick exterior home remodel in New York

Window seat with storage
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open concept carpeted living room remodel in San Francisco with green walls and no fireplace

Example of a tuscan three-story exterior home design in Santa Barbara

Photo by Kent Dayton
Minimalist living room photo in Boston

This stunning lake home had great attention to detail with vertical board and batton in the peaks, custom made anchor shutters, White Dove trim color, Hale Navy siding color, custom stone blend and custom stained cedar decking and tongue-and-groove on the porch ceiling.

Wood details add texture to the bar island, boasting curved and comfortable seating, dramatic light fixtures, and space to organize all the beverages for entertaining, game-watching, and celebrating.

Richard Silver Photo
Inspiration for a huge industrial loft-style dark wood floor living room remodel in New York with multicolored walls

Custom ocean front four bedroom five bath craftsman remodel. This three story residence maintains a low profile from the street and exposes itself to the breathtaking views of Shaws Cove. A spectacular great room with sliding French pocket doors that lead out to a sizeable deck. This home was designed for entertaining. A very private outdoor room with every amenity you could ask for is tucked below on the first floor and has a private access stair to the beach. It is connected to the kitchen with a dumbwaiter for convenience. There is a wine room, theater, office and garage parking for three cars.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Dining room - eclectic medium tone wood floor dining room idea in New York with multicolored walls

Custom ocean front four bedroom five bath craftsman remodel. This three story residence maintains a low profile from the street and exposes itself to the breathtaking views of Shaws Cove. A spectacular great room with sliding French pocket doors that lead out to a sizeable deck. This home was designed for entertaining. A very private outdoor room with every amenity you could ask for is tucked below on the first floor and has a private access stair to the beach. It is connected to the kitchen with a dumbwaiter for convenience. There is a wine room, theater, office and garage parking for three cars.

Richard Silver Photo
Example of a huge urban wooden open staircase design in New York

Robert Haywood
Kitchen - coastal medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Other with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

The Control/Shift House is perched on the high side of the site which takes advantage of the view to the southeast. A gradual descending path navigates the change in terrain from the street to the entry of the house. A series of low retaining walls/planter beds gather and release the earth upon the descent resulting in a fairly flat level for the house to sit on the top one third of the site. The entry axis is aligned with the celebrated stair volume and then re-centers on the actual entry axis once you approach the forecourt of the house. The initial desire was for an “H” scheme house with common entertaining spaces bridging the gap between the more private spaces. After an investigation considering the site, program, and view, a key move was made: unfold the east wing of the “H” scheme to open all rooms to the southeast view resulting in a “T” scheme. The new derivation allows for both a swim pool which is on axis with the entry and main gathering space and a lap pool which occurs on the cross axis extending along the lengthy edge of the master suite, providing direct access for morning exercise and a view of the water throughout the day. The Control/Shift House was derived from a clever way of following the “rules.” Strict HOA guidelines required very specific exterior massing restrictions which limits the lengths of unbroken elevations and promotes varying sizes of masses. The solution most often used in this neighborhood is one of addition - an aggregation of masses and program randomly attached to the inner core of the house which often results in a parasitic plan. The approach taken with the Control/Shift House was to push and pull program/massing to delineate and define the layout of the house. Massing is intentional and reiterated by the careful selection of materiality that tracks through the house. Voids and relief in the plan are a natural result of this method and allow for light and air to circulate throughout every space of the house, even into the most inner core. Photography: Charles Davis Smith

Despite being located in an expansive golf community, the Brown residence celebrates stunning desert views from almost every space. Its careful design makes this possible as views to neighboring houses are edited out focused instead on distant mountains. While the residence presents an unassuming, modest scale to the street, it steps down with the slope of the site allowing the spaces inside to become quite generous. Oversize pivot doors and large expanses of glass allow abundant light and air into these spaces while broad overhangs and shading devices protect them from the harsh desert sun. awards 2011 - Texas Society of Architects / AIA Design Award 2010 - AIA San Antonio Merit Award Architecture: Lake/Flato Architects Contractor: the construction zone, ltd. Photography: Bill Timmerman

Michael Woodall Photography
Modern white brick exterior home idea in Phoenix

While the facade of the home was designed to take advantage of the waterfront scenery, it is the rooftop patio that truly celebrates the view. Towering six stories above the street, the Novogratzes gain an unobstructed view clear to New Jersey. To soften up the urban scenery, the designers planted a container garden of hardy shrubs, flowers and trees. The seating is kept informal with the use of woven rattan chairs and sectional pieces. A color palette of brown, grey, and blue stripes evokes a nautical feel in the heart of the city. Rattan chairs: Jannis Ellenberger for CB2 Photo: Adrienne DeRosa Photography © 2014 Houzz Design: Cortney and Robert Novogratz

Example of a trendy closet design in Los Angeles

This urban infill prefab is located at the foot of the Throgs Neck Bridge on Eastchester Bay in the Bronx. The Bronx Box is a modified version of the double-decker, 2-story bar typology with an additional storage ‘saddle bag’, containing built in cabinets along the length of the house. Given the narrow lot, the design aims to celebrate the constraints of its zoning envelope; the site’s set backs, height limitations, and flood plain requirements yield a compact footprint while still featuring off-street parking, a small patch of green, and an expansive roof deck with stunning views of the bay beyond. The first floor is compact and contains a wall of storage running the length of the floor. An open living, dining and kitchen area is organized in a linear manner and opens out onto an elevated deck. Exterior stairs are the full width of the house and lead down to the pier that juts out into the bay. The second floor mimics the linear organization of the first and a wall of storage as well, but two bedrooms and two bathrooms occupy the rest of the space. The master bedroom features its own fireplace and balcony while a structural glass skylight allows for natural light into the internal bathroom. A metal clad roof bulkhead was carefully sculpted within the zoning restrictions and provides access to an expansive roof deck providing 360º views of the bay and surrounding neighborhood. The house is clad in cement board with cedar accents and Ipe wood decks to keep maintenance issues at a minimum. Given that the home’s modern aesthetic builds from the existing colors, textures, and diverse qualities within the surrounding urban fabric, it has been accepted as another unique personality within the neighborhood. Architects: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz Project Architect: John Kim Manufacturer: Simplex Industries Project Coordinator: Jason Drouse Engineer: Lynne Walshaw P.E., Greg Sloditskie Contractor: Northbrook Contracting Corp. Photographer: © RES4, © Laurie Lambrecht