A floating walnut bench thoughtfully paired with a stylish slatted flyover wall, all elegantly supported by brass rods that provide a distinctive and accentuated detail to this ensemble

What does a roof deck look like when every part of the roof, even areas deemed uninhabitable and structurally weak, is utilized and optimized? This large midcentury home on the edge of Presidio National Park in San Francisco had an incredible location and views. But the original roof deck suffered from poor design detailing that had rendered it a leaking, deteriorating mess. Even worse, the previous owner had covered three roof areas surrounding the deck with river stones, structurally overloading the building and endangering its occupants. We removed the river stones and everything else down to the framing. An expertly detailed drainage and waterproofing system underlies everything above. The deck and access stairs are surfaced with durable and refined porcelain pavers. The guardrail is made from custom stainless steel supports with clear, low-iron, laminated glass spanning between for an unobstructed view. Heated seats make watching the chilly fog roll in through the gate comfy. Planting and greenery surround the deck. The type varies depending on structural conditions- a deep planter sits on top of a structural wall, sedums in shallow soil occupy the strong edges of the surrounding rooftops, and faux grass turf fills out the middle in areas that can’t support the weight of wet soil.

This basement remodeling project began in a traditional Edina home with an unfinished basement and underutilized space. With the Super bowl on the horizon the owner wanted a new space for entertaining and chilling out. The project began with a warm fireplace positioned at an angle to get the most impact in the smallest space. A solid wood mantle encloses the firebox and supports the large-screen HDTV, offering the best angle for viewing HDTV. Using a gas-burning fireplace insert makes the new fireplace enjoyable and efficient, great for cold Minnesota nights. Outdoor landscaping to accommodate the new windows greatly improved the volume of natural sunlight and fresh air available to the basement. Removing layers of soil and rock and reinforcing with landscaping rock created a great new place for summer flowers. This technique also works well when installing egress windows that can serve as a legal fire escape that can add value to a basement remodeling project.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member. Constructed within a rare five acre plot of forested land in Bothell, this house design stemmed from an interest in both creating connections to the surrounding environment as well as carving out an area for communal gathering for this family of 6 to come together with their extended family, friends and community. In response to this desire, the main residence was broken into three separate structures arranged roughly into a “C” confirguration, which formed an inner courtyard where communal gatherings could take place that was adjacent to but felt distinct from the surrounding forest. All three structures support different uses for the residence, but all have views toward and open onto this inner court. Since the residence was located at the low point of a shallow ravine that runs through the site, the two side structures were built into the surrounding hillsides with boardformed concrete retaining walls that are exposed at both the interior and exterior of the house. The central structure that houses the main interior living spaces, bridges over a small stream that flows during the wet season, allowing the site’s natural drainage patterns to remain intact. The spanning portion of this central structure is supported off of two cast in place board-formed concrete chimneys, which also act to define the edges of the main interior spaces and include large double sided fireplaces. This central structure was designed to be very transparent to be as inviting as possible and provide views through the structure to the inner courtyard and into the forest beyond. The simple gabled forms are typical of traditional Pacific Northwest homes and cabins found in forested settings like this, and are preferred for their structural efficiency, and their ability to shed rain, snow and tree debris. The roof forms are vaulted at the interior as well, creating an increased sense of spaciousness. The exterior materials used are extremely durable and will remain maintenance free for many years, with corten standing seam metal roofs, corrugated pre-finished siding, exposed board-formed concrete and powder coated steel.

Here we replaced the wall between the living and dining rooms. This created extra support for the stressed ceiling support beam, and allowed furniture to be more easily placed. The built in dish cabinet is seen nestled next to a corner nook as it was when it was first installed in 25'. We left two 4' openings in each side of the wall, and wired the wall to accommodate a flat screen on either side. This allowed the kitchen area still to be included in the living area activities. San Antonio Board of Realtors/ Sunny Harris

During this project in West Chester, PA, we embarked on a comprehensive home renovation journey, breathing new life into every space. Our meticulous craftsmanship extended from the kitchen to the master suite, ensuring each area received a tailored makeover. From installing cabinets and backsplash tiles in the kitchen to reinforcing support beams throughout the home, our attention to detail was paramount. Modernizing the powder room with new fixtures and optimizing functionality in the closet/pantry with custom cabinetry were just a few highlights. Custom touches adorned every room, including new bookshelves in the living room and reinforced support beams in the dining room. The master suite emerged as a tranquil oasis, complete with a spacious walk-in closet and luxurious master bath. Our dedication to excellence ensured a seamless transformation that exceeded our client's expectations, breathing new life and functionality into their cherished home.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member. Constructed within a rare five acre plot of forested land in Bothell, this house design stemmed from an interest in both creating connections to the surrounding environment as well as carving out an area for communal gathering for this family of 6 to come together with their extended family, friends and community. In response to this desire, the main residence was broken into three separate structures arranged roughly into a “C” confirguration, which formed an inner courtyard where communal gatherings could take place that was adjacent to but felt distinct from the surrounding forest. All three structures support different uses for the residence, but all have views toward and open onto this inner court. Since the residence was located at the low point of a shallow ravine that runs through the site, the two side structures were built into the surrounding hillsides with boardformed concrete retaining walls that are exposed at both the interior and exterior of the house. The central structure that houses the main interior living spaces, bridges over a small stream that flows during the wet season, allowing the site’s natural drainage patterns to remain intact. The spanning portion of this central structure is supported off of two cast in place board-formed concrete chimneys, which also act to define the edges of the main interior spaces and include large double sided fireplaces. This central structure was designed to be very transparent to be as inviting as possible and provide views through the structure to the inner courtyard and into the forest beyond. The simple gabled forms are typical of traditional Pacific Northwest homes and cabins found in forested settings like this, and are preferred for their structural efficiency, and their ability to shed rain, snow and tree debris. The roof forms are vaulted at the interior as well, creating an increased sense of spaciousness. The exterior materials used are extremely durable and will remain maintenance free for many years, with corten standing seam metal roofs, corrugated pre-finished siding, exposed board-formed concrete and powder coated steel.

There are not many things better than a room full of your favourite people. As you gather you smell dinner cooking in the kitchen and music playing in the background, as joyful conversation and laughter fill the room. I feel so grateful that we are inching our way back to these days. How about you? The project I’m sharing with you today has beautiful moments like these at its heart. Spaces that invite people in, foster connection, and make everyday living so simple that it’s impossible not to enjoy... Meet our Delightful Clients: The family behind this 1950s North Vancouver home transformation enjoy entertaining friends just as much as cosying up to watch a movie together. A professional couple (I'll call them Jon and Anna) with two elementary school-aged sons, Anna and Jon approached us with the task of furnishing the main floor living spaces and the basement of their family home. Anna is a busy lawyer who is now working almost full time from home, and Jon works in the film industry. With full careers, two active boys, and a love of gathering, they craved a home that could support their everyday lifestyle. Design and Lifestyle Goals: Our central goal for this project was simple: to uncover the hidden potential in their home and create a family-friendly space that functioned well and flowed seamlessly. On the main floor, our clients tasked us with creating an area for the family to relax and entertain, along with crafting a work and play space for the boys. They also dreamed of a more functional and bright basement, which they envisioned as a dual purpose family room and home office for Anna. Reveal: Comfortable and Welcoming Entryway & Living Room: Imagine you are coming home, and you walk through a bright, sunny front door like this one. You are met by this entryway of calming earth and sea tones, paired with warm, natural wood flooring. You feel instantly welcomed and eager to venture further inside... The same is now true for our clients! The simple details in their entryway are thoughtfully arranged with clean lines and colourful art as the focal point, achieving a timeless and friendly aesthetic. Dried wheat brings movement into the space and plays up the beauty of nature, while the vibrant yet warm colours and textures evoke feelings of comfort and homecoming. The entry flows seamlessly into this connected living area, which is adorned with ample seating strategically arranged to host and accommodate joyful conversations. With the fireplace and wood mantel as the focal point, these natural elements and hues warm up the room to make it feel beautifully lived-in (not like an untouchable museum). Another colourful work of art graces the space above Jon’s and Anna’s sofa, and we used decorative pillows and a throw blanket to tempt those colours into the rest of the room. A simply styled coffee table keeps the space feeling open and engaged. Reading material, anyone? Just beyond this living area, you get a glimpse of the second space our clients requested on their main floor... A Collected Space for Children to Work + Play: When Jon and Anna realised that their formal dining area wasn’t being used to its full potential, they imagined creating a work and play space for their boys instead. We came up with a plan to create a shared desk area with plentiful storage. This timeless natural wood desk was the perfect way to maximise surface area and give the boys plenty of space to do homework during the school year, or spend time crafting or building LEGOs during the summers. The drawers provide storage for all the wonderful items that fuel their productivity or creativity. Or both. I also love how the white floating shelves display a collection of nostalgic toys, providing just the right amount of childhood endearment to this sophisticated and functional space. This workspace now has endless possibilities for the boys, and it helps Jon and Anna keep their minds and spaces clear, too. Which brings us to... Basement Family Room & Home Office: In general, we knew we had to maximise surface area in this ‘50s home, and this was especially true for our clients’ basement. I’m happy to say that we designed an effortlessly comfortable space that focuses on family and makes it simple to settle in and work… or leave the workday behind. Welcome to this dual-function office and family room. Toward the back of the room, we strategically positioned Anna’s wraparound desk facing out into the room and gave her a wallpaper-and-art backdrop for stunning Zoom calls (she has already received glowing compliments). There is plenty of storage for easy organization including a space to store the family’s shared printer near the door… so they don’t have to interrupt “Mom” to get to it. Anna also wanted the freedom to be able to relax in this space with her family and turn her back on the work day — quite literally! The sofa is perfectly positioned backing onto the desk allowing her to do just that. We relocated an existing mustard yellow chair and used pops of the same colour to integrate it into the overall scheme. The wood armrests on this modular sectional provide surfaces for snacks and drinks where there was no room for an end table. The walnut finish carries the theme of natural comfort from the upstairs spaces down into the family room. The view from the sectional is less business and more pleasure, featuring cosy seating and throw pillows in cheerful colours and patterns. The highlight of this space? A wallpapered accent wall where we were able to achieve the high-end feel of custom built-in shelving with a simple IKEA hack. The shelves and cabinetry around the television offer plenty of much needed storage space to house family games and movies at a budget price point. This fun room is the perfect balance of work and play, accommodating and supporting our clients’ daily family adventures. What Our Clients Had to Say... Our clients could not be happier with their warm yet functional new rooms. With thoughtful consideration and a plan of action, we were able to transform two areas of their home into spaces that function well and feel good. In fact, they had this to say: “Lori and her team were everything we were looking for: great listeners, wonderfully creative and highly professional. We couldn't be happier with our interior makeover.” — Clients That is why we do what we do. If you're ready to start your redesign project, we would love to help. Reach out to us here, and let's get to know more about each other.

There are not many things better than a room full of your favourite people. As you gather you smell dinner cooking in the kitchen and music playing in the background, as joyful conversation and laughter fill the room. I feel so grateful that we are inching our way back to these days. How about you? The project I’m sharing with you today has beautiful moments like these at its heart. Spaces that invite people in, foster connection, and make everyday living so simple that it’s impossible not to enjoy... Meet our Delightful Clients: The family behind this 1950s North Vancouver home transformation enjoy entertaining friends just as much as cosying up to watch a movie together. A professional couple (I'll call them Jon and Anna) with two elementary school-aged sons, Anna and Jon approached us with the task of furnishing the main floor living spaces and the basement of their family home. Anna is a busy lawyer who is now working almost full time from home, and Jon works in the film industry. With full careers, two active boys, and a love of gathering, they craved a home that could support their everyday lifestyle. Design and Lifestyle Goals: Our central goal for this project was simple: to uncover the hidden potential in their home and create a family-friendly space that functioned well and flowed seamlessly. On the main floor, our clients tasked us with creating an area for the family to relax and entertain, along with crafting a work and play space for the boys. They also dreamed of a more functional and bright basement, which they envisioned as a dual purpose family room and home office for Anna. Reveal: Comfortable and Welcoming Entryway & Living Room: Imagine you are coming home, and you walk through a bright, sunny front door like this one. You are met by this entryway of calming earth and sea tones, paired with warm, natural wood flooring. You feel instantly welcomed and eager to venture further inside... The same is now true for our clients! The simple details in their entryway are thoughtfully arranged with clean lines and colourful art as the focal point, achieving a timeless and friendly aesthetic. Dried wheat brings movement into the space and plays up the beauty of nature, while the vibrant yet warm colours and textures evoke feelings of comfort and homecoming. The entry flows seamlessly into this connected living area, which is adorned with ample seating strategically arranged to host and accommodate joyful conversations. With the fireplace and wood mantel as the focal point, these natural elements and hues warm up the room to make it feel beautifully lived-in (not like an untouchable museum). Another colourful work of art graces the space above Jon’s and Anna’s sofa, and we used decorative pillows and a throw blanket to tempt those colours into the rest of the room. A simply styled coffee table keeps the space feeling open and engaged. Reading material, anyone? Just beyond this living area, you get a glimpse of the second space our clients requested on their main floor... A Collected Space for Children to Work + Play: When Jon and Anna realised that their formal dining area wasn’t being used to its full potential, they imagined creating a work and play space for their boys instead. We came up with a plan to create a shared desk area with plentiful storage. This timeless natural wood desk was the perfect way to maximise surface area and give the boys plenty of space to do homework during the school year, or spend time crafting or building LEGOs during the summers. The drawers provide storage for all the wonderful items that fuel their productivity or creativity. Or both. I also love how the white floating shelves display a collection of nostalgic toys, providing just the right amount of childhood endearment to this sophisticated and functional space. This workspace now has endless possibilities for the boys, and it helps Jon and Anna keep their minds and spaces clear, too. Which brings us to... Basement Family Room & Home Office: In general, we knew we had to maximise surface area in this ‘50s home, and this was especially true for our clients’ basement. I’m happy to say that we designed an effortlessly comfortable space that focuses on family and makes it simple to settle in and work… or leave the workday behind. Welcome to this dual-function office and family room. Toward the back of the room, we strategically positioned Anna’s wraparound desk facing out into the room and gave her a wallpaper-and-art backdrop for stunning Zoom calls (she has already received glowing compliments). There is plenty of storage for easy organization including a space to store the family’s shared printer near the door… so they don’t have to interrupt “Mom” to get to it. Anna also wanted the freedom to be able to relax in this space with her family and turn her back on the work day — quite literally! The sofa is perfectly positioned backing onto the desk allowing her to do just that. We relocated an existing mustard yellow chair and used pops of the same colour to integrate it into the overall scheme. The wood armrests on this modular sectional provide surfaces for snacks and drinks where there was no room for an end table. The walnut finish carries the theme of natural comfort from the upstairs spaces down into the family room. The view from the sectional is less business and more pleasure, featuring cosy seating and throw pillows in cheerful colours and patterns. The highlight of this space? A wallpapered accent wall where we were able to achieve the high-end feel of custom built-in shelving with a simple IKEA hack. The shelves and cabinetry around the television offer plenty of much needed storage space to house family games and movies at a budget price point. This fun room is the perfect balance of work and play, accommodating and supporting our clients’ daily family adventures. What Our Clients Had to Say... Our clients could not be happier with their warm yet functional new rooms. With thoughtful consideration and a plan of action, we were able to transform two areas of their home into spaces that function well and feel good. In fact, they had this to say: “Lori and her team were everything we were looking for: great listeners, wonderfully creative and highly professional. We couldn't be happier with our interior makeover.” — Clients That is why we do what we do. If you're ready to start your redesign project, we would love to help. Reach out to us here, and let's get to know more about each other.

Nestled perfectly along a mountainside in the North Scottsdale Estancia Community, with views of Pinnacle Peak, and the Valley below, this landscape design honors the surrounding desert and the contemporary architecture of the home. A meandering driveway ascends the hillside to an auto court area where we placed mature cactus and yucca specimens. In the back, terracing was used to create interest and support from the intense hillside. We brought in mass boulders to retain the slope, while adding to the existing terrain. A succulent garden was placed in the terraced hillside using unique and rare species to enhance the surrounding native desert. A vertical fence of well casing rods was installed to preserve the view, while still securing the property. An infinity edge, glass tile pool is the perfect extension of the contemporary home. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Drewett Works Contractor: Manship Builders Interior Designer: David Michael Miller Associates Photography: Dino Tonn

Architect: Mary Brewster, Brewster Thornton Group
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