Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Reinterpreting the old, the Rim planters mimic traditional Italian rimmed containers. Unlike their predecessor, these self-watering pots are incredibly versatile in design and can be used to complement any style home from Mediterranean to Modern. The double-wall planter helps insulate the roots of your plants when the temperature shifts from cold to hot, preserving the longevity of the plant's life. Created for the first-time gardener or the savvy enthusiast, the TruDrop system feature allows your plants to better survive the outdoors and can go weeks without watering for phenomenal results. The ingeniously designed reservoir in the planter, which reduces watering frequency and avoids over-fertilizing, is an innovative environmental solution for container gardening. This 100% recyclable and food-safe container is resistant to chipping, fading and mildews, resulting in healthier plants and more efficient gardening. The Crescent Garden's TruDrop One self-watering planting pots are available in a great variety of colors, sizes and styles. Using quality materials that are backed by a 10-year warranty, these lightweight planters are known for their durability, designed to withstand extreme weather, and made to last.

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

This small suburban yard was filled by a large swimming pool. The homeowner is extremely sensitive to the sun so she decided to trade out the pool for this intimate garden space. When this client is not traveling, she is hosting visitors, watching friends’ dogs, or hanging out with her grandchildren. Our job was to create an inviting space that is low maintenance, drought tolerant, and kid- and dog-friendly. Using gravel, concrete pavers, and a simple planting plan consisting of Mediterranean-adaptive plants, we created this design to fit the mid-century home. The gravel allows for the absorption of rainwater while providing a space for kids and dog to romp and play. Olive trees help shade and cool the space, providing a cozy area to gather with friends. The minimalist plantings survive on very little irrigation and require little more than an hour or two of puttering in the garden per season to maintain.

Part mirage, part miracle - this masterful modern evocation is in the best Louisiana vernacular tradition. It was conceived by architect Kevin Gossen (Gossen Architects Lafayette, Louisiana) for an unusual piece of property in Metairie whose cheated landscape gives the illusion of open country spaces. He has created a “cottage” that already looks as if it might be a survivor from a couple of centuries ago. Using reclaimed building materials, magnificent beams, beautiful old flooring with classically scaled rooms, it was a perfect project for Decorations Lucullus. Both architect and interior designers admit the real magic rested with the client whose highly developed aesthetic and extensive experience in design gave the process amazing vitality. Conceived as a “résidence secondaire” to be near grandchildren, she wanted something more snug than her large primary house out of town but without sacrificing the qualities of charm or elegance. While the project is still evolving, she can’t repress a smile when some passer-by stops to chat over the rose-heavy iron fence, perhaps peering into the gracious side hall, asking how this old house has managed to survive all the changes in the neighborhood. Photography by Sara Essex Bradly

San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close- knit family. San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close-knit family. Facing the Back Bay, overlooking downtown and the Bay Bridge, this property presented us with a unique opportunity to design a vacation home with a dual personality. One side faces a bustling harbor with a constant parade of yachts, cargo vessels and military ships while the other opens onto a deep, quiet contemplative garden. The home’s shingle-style influence carries on the historical Coronado tradition of clapboard and Craftsman bungalows built in the shadow of the great Hotel Del Coronado which was erected at the turn of the last century. In order to create an informal feel to the residence, we devised a concept that eliminated the need for a “front door”. Instead, one walks through the garden and enters the “Great Hall” through either one of two French doors flanking a walk-in stone fireplace. Both two-story bedroom wings bookend this central wood beam vaulted room which serves as the “heart of the home”, and opens to both views. Three sets of stairs are discretely tucked away inside the bedroom wings. In lieu of a formal dining room, the family convenes and dines around a beautiful table and banquette set into a circular window bay off the kitchen which overlooks the lights of the city beyond the harbor. Working with noted interior designer Betty Ann Marshall, we designed a unique kitchen that was inspired by the colors and textures of a fossil the couple found on a honeymoon trip to the quarries of Montana. We set that ancient fossil into a matte glass backsplash behind the professional cook’s stove. A warm library with walnut paneling and a bayed window seat affords a refuge for the family to read or play board games. The couple’s fine craft and folk art collection is on prominent display throughout the house and helps to set an intimate and whimsical tone. Another architectural feature devoted to family is the play room lit by a dramatic cupola which beacons the older grandchildren and their friends. Below the play room is a four car garage that allows the patriarch space to refurbish an antique fire truck, a mahogany launch boat and several vintage cars. Their jet skis and kayaks are housed in another garage designed for that purpose. Lattice covered skylights that allow dappled sunlight to bathe the loggia affords a comfortable refuge to watch the kids swim and gaze out upon the rushing water, the Coronado Bay Bridge and the romantic downtown San Diego skyline. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Betty Ann Marshall Construction: Bill Lyons Photographer: Laura Hull Styling: Zale Design Studio

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

A green wall was desired to heighten the mood of paramount luxury. The owners explored various options to incorporate greenery into the space and found Vistafolia to be the perfect, ‘obvious’ solution. The owners found Vistafolia's UV-stable panels to be just the right cladding product for the concrete wall, which is exposed to direct sunlight from 11 am onwards. Temperatures can also soar to above 100 degree Fahrenheit in the summer months, making the rooftop environment inhospitable for real plants. With our maintenance-free and weather-resistant signature panels, they need not worry about plant survival and watering, especially during the peak summer season. The UV-protected panels deliver vibrant green year-round, creating an uplifting atmosphere for guests enjoying the spectacular rooftop views.

The Owners of a home that had been consumed by the moving dunes of Lake Michigan wanted a home that would not only stand the test of aesthetic time, but survive the vicissitudes of the environment. With the assistance of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as well as the consulting civil engineer and the City of Grand Haven Zoning Department, a soil stabilization site plan was developed based on raising the new home’s main floor elevation by almost three feet, implementing erosion studies, screen walls and planting indigenous, drought tolerant xeriscaping. The screen walls, as well as the low profile of the home and the use of sand trapping marrum beachgrass all help to create a wind shadow buffer around the home and reduce blowing sand erosion and accretion. The Owners wanted to minimize the stylistic baggage which consumes most “cottage” residences, and with the Architect created a home with simple lines focused on the view and the natural environment. Sustainable energy requirements on a budget directed the design decisions regarding the SIPs panel insulation, energy systems, roof shading, other insulation systems, lighting and detailing. Easily constructed and linear, the home harkens back to mid century modern pavilions with present day environmental sensitivities and harmony with the site. James Yochum

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Traditional design elements have survived generations of shifting trends for a reason. This switchback staircase makes that case quietly. Box newels anchor the design with stateliness, while white painted risers and square balusters add definition to the natural white oak treads and handrail. Nothing here competes. Each element makes room for the next. Set against a modern interior, the staircase doesn't feel out of place. It grounds it. A reminder that classic and contemporary don't have to choose sides. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company