Jacob Lilley Architects Location: Sudbury, MA, USA On a beautiful piece of property west of Boston, we have been asked to design and site a new home for a family of six. The house has been sited to maximize views to an adjacent pond and private outdoor spaces for family recreating. The design of the house is an ‘L’ scheme that creates a courtyard entry and includes porch elements to insure a strong connection from inside to outdoor spaces. Photographed by: Greg Premrue

This screened porch addition in Charlotte, NC / Lake Wylie area was designed to create a comfortable, functional outdoor living space that can be enjoyed year-round. The addition provides protection from the elements while maintaining a strong connection to the surrounding backyard, making it ideal for both relaxing and entertaining. As part of a design-build remodeling project, the porch was thoughtfully integrated with the existing home to create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. Features such as a covered structure, improved airflow, and durable materials enhance usability while maintaining a cohesive look with the home’s architecture. The result is a versatile indoor-outdoor living space that extends the home’s footprint, adds functional square footage, and supports how the homeowners gather, entertain, and enjoy their home.

We focused on creating a nurturing space that would help the family and their guests unwind and heal from the stress of everyday life. An eclectic mix of wood finishes and tones, metals and neutral color palettes create a strong connection to the natural lakeside environment right outside the home. In the master bedroom we created a calming space built around gray, white and blue tones. For the bedroom office space, we designed and built classic cabinetry and paired it with another slab of natural wood for the desktop. The children and guest bedrooms are peaceful and comfortable, carrying through the neutral palette and blending of textures and materials. Our focus was on creating a home that would inspire and heal anyone who enters it, both the family enjoying their vacations and the people invited there for retreats. Through careful consideration of materials and the purpose of this home, we revealed a nurturing and peaceful atmosphere that would refocus people’s awareness to the exquisite natural surroundings.

This rear exterior showcases a clean, modern two-story design with light gray clapboard siding and black framed windows. Large rear windows and a sliding glass door create a strong connection to the backyard, offering abundant natural light and easy outdoor access. A timeless, low-maintenance exterior ideal for modern living.

This rear exterior showcases a clean, modern two-story design with light gray clapboard siding and black framed windows. Large rear windows and a sliding glass door create a strong connection to the backyard, offering abundant natural light and easy outdoor access. A timeless, low-maintenance exterior ideal for modern living.

SDH Studio - Architecture and Design Location: Golden Beach, Florida, USA Conceptualized as minimalist assembly of structures on the edge of the canal in Golden Beach, the design emphasizes the views of the water while creating a strong connection between the interior and the exterior of the home.

This custom-designed curved staircase is a stunning architectural feature that effortlessly blends traditional craftsmanship with modern design sensibilities. The staircase's elegant curve serves as a focal point, creating a sense of movement and flow within the home while maintaining a strong connection to the overall modern style. The treads, crafted from premium white oak, are carefully finished to highlight the wood’s rich, natural grain and warm tones. Each tread is expertly constructed to ensure durability and comfort, offering a smooth and inviting surface that is both functional and beautiful. The graceful curve of the staircase allows for an unobstructed view of these finely crafted treads from every angle, enhancing the sense of openness and light within the space. The white oak railing continues the theme of natural elegance, with its clean, polished finish that complements the modern aesthetic of the home. The railing’s smooth profile and crisp lines enhance the staircase’s overall design, ensuring it harmonizes perfectly with the surrounding environment. The addition of wrought iron balusters introduces a touch of timeless artistry, offering a beautiful contrast to the warm oak. The intricate design of the balusters adds visual interest without detracting from the staircase’s modern appeal, creating a striking balance between strength and sophistication. This staircase is not only a functional element of the home but a true statement piece. Meticulously crafted to meet the highest standards, it adds both elegance and character to the space, embodying the perfect fusion of traditional craftsmanship and modern design.

The goal of this gut renovation was to transform a drab and gloomy apartment into a warm and open living space. The new design makes a strong connection to the stunning oceanfront location by allowing all exterior doors and windows to slide into wall pockets (except bedroom and bathroom windows). To bring warmth, the new finish palette includes cut coral slabs to wrap structural walls, and sapele wood for cabinet and ceiling finishes. The two bedrooms focus on a wood canopy and headboard, while views of Diamond Head are offering from a master bedroom soaking tub and from a guest bedroom see-through shower. Throughout the apartment, wood accent ceilings are surrounded by cove lighting, allowing the interior to be washed with a warm illumination during the evening.

The clients were inspired to renovate following exposure to Zen architecture while honeymooning in Japan. The architectural brief was to deliver a modern Australian home that serves as a private, meditative retreat that would also cater to a buzzing family as their relationship evolves; and transform into a welcoming and generous entertaining space. The home would need to maximise the potential of the sites orientation and create a strong connection to generous and versatile outdoor spaces including sheltered entertaining areas and spacious areas for planting and lawn. It was essential that elements of the existing residence be retained where possible to reduce waste, however disguised so that the final product was effectively a new home.

!Viva Sonoran Desert! This Tucson Garden was created for the owners of a residence with a blank slate landscape, to have a strong connection with the beautiful and amazing Sonoran Desert. Using native surface select boulders and over ninety eight percent Southwest regional native plant material we created a wonderful invitation for wildlife such as hummingbirds and butterflies to visit this peaceful and lovely Sonoran Desert Garden. Native grasses help to hold rocky slopes from erosion and Saguaros abound in this garden creating a dialogue with the hundreds of saguaros that are present ubiquitously throughout the entirety of the property. An extended Moss Rock patio naturalistically edges an infinity edge pool that was designed using hand-placed boulders that plunge down to create a canyon-like water feature. The nearby plants may be seen mirrored back in the surface when the water is still. Newly added this year (photos to follow shortly) were several walkways and interconnecting patios that brought together various important areas clustered around the residence and slope going down to a newly created wildlife pond which uses only condensate, grey water and RO water to keep it filled. Overflow goes on to water native trees, relocated from on site to this new location. A Moss Rock gathering area with a firepit large enough for family and friends to sit on the edges and group around and sing the blues under open stars on frosty nights have culminated in making !Viva Sonoran Desert!

A cozy floor-to-ceiling fireplace, walls of glass, and chic furnishings define this home’s central gathering space. This living room view into the kitchen shows the strong connection between spaces, which makes entertaining easy.

Located in Washington, DC, this compartmentalized 1930s home underwent a whole house renovation to update it for modern life. The new tailored Kitchen and Family Room addition opens up the floor plan to create light-filled spaces with a strong connection to the exterior landscape beyond. Modifications to the remainder of the house elevate the more private rooms with an understated elegance. Stone terraces and gardens create magical outdoor rooms that act as a beautiful backdrop to the home and new detached Garage. Photo Credit: Gordon Beall Photography

A contemporary residential project in Los Angeles defined by clean geometry, spatial clarity, and a strong connection to light and material. The design explores the relationship between interior and exterior through carefully framed openings, layered volumes, and a refined material palette. Spaces are organized to enhance flow, privacy, and natural illumination, creating a calm and cohesive living environment. Project completed as part of professional work at Landry Design Group. Role: Project Designer.

Located in Washington, DC, this compartmentalized 1930s home underwent a whole house renovation to update it for modern life. The new tailored Kitchen and Family Room addition opens up the floor plan to create light-filled spaces with a strong connection to the exterior landscape beyond. Modifications to the remainder of the house elevate the more private rooms with an understated elegance. Stone terraces and gardens create magical outdoor rooms that act as a beautiful backdrop to the home and new detached Garage. Photo Credit: Gordon Beall Photography

SDH Studio - Architecture and Design Location: Golden Beach, Florida, USA Conceptualized as minimalist assembly of structures on the edge of the canal in Golden Beach, the design emphasizes the views of the water while creating a strong connection between the interior and the exterior of the home.

The owners were downsizing from a large ornate property down the street and were seeking a number of goals. Single story living, modern and open floor plan, comfortable working kitchen, spaces to house their collection of artwork, low maintenance and a strong connection between the interior and the landscape. Working with a long narrow lot adjacent to conservation land, the main living space (16 foot ceiling height at its peak) opens with folding glass doors to a large screen porch that looks out on a courtyard and the adjacent wooded landscape. This gives the home the perception that it is on a much larger lot and provides a great deal of privacy. The transition from the entry to the core of the home provides a natural gallery in which to display artwork and sculpture. Artificial light almost never needs to be turned on during daytime hours and the substantial peaked roof over the main living space is oriented to allow for solar panels not visible from the street or yard.

Set against the hills of Agoura Hills, this striking modern architectural home was styled to feel warm, livable, and quietly sophisticated. When first invited to complement the home’s incredible design vision, our team embraced the opportunity to bring an added layer of comfort and livability to the clean architectural lines and dramatic indoor-outdoor flow. Organic textures, layered furnishings, and relaxed contemporary accents were thoughtfully selected to enhance the home’s natural light, strong connection to the landscape, and overall sense of modern California living — allowing the architecture itself to remain the true focal point.

This Laguna Niguel kitchen remodel by USA Home Remodeling highlights custom shaker cabinetry with warm wood tones that bring natural character and contrast to the space. Quartzite countertops provide a bright, durable work surface, while the thoughtfully designed cabinetry maximizes storage and functionality. Large windows and sliding glass doors fill the kitchen and adjoining dining area with natural light while creating a strong connection to the outdoor space. A convenient breakfast bar adds additional seating and makes the area ideal for casual dining, morning coffee, and entertaining.

The Marshbrook Residence is a full-scope remodel of a 6,000-square-foot home in Thousand Oaks, California, reimagined through interior architecture, landscape design, and furniture specification. The project was approached as a comprehensive residential renovation, shaping the house and grounds into a more cohesive living environment with a strong connection between architecture, landscape, and outdoor use. The design extends beyond the interior to create a fully integrated outdoor setting organized around a generous pool terrace, spa, covered cabana, dining area, and layered planting. Broad decks, stepped lawns, structured hardscape, and defined gathering spaces give the property a clear sense of order while supporting the relaxed, indoor-outdoor lifestyle central to contemporary Southern California living. Rather than treating the residence and site as separate elements, the project brings them together as a unified composition. The result is a refined residential environment shaped around openness, entertaining, and everyday use, with landscape, architecture, and furnishing working together to give the property a more complete and intentional identity.