100% of the structure built by JCpA Group LLC Our team handled all structural wood framing for this modern custom home, including load-bearing walls, floor systems, and roof framing. A solid and accurate structure that allowed finishing teams to perform their work with confidence.

100% of the structure built by JCpA Group LLC Our team handled all structural wood framing for this modern custom home, including load-bearing walls, floor systems, and roof framing. A solid and accurate structure that allowed finishing teams to perform their work with confidence.

100% of the structure built by JCpA Group LLC Our team handled all structural wood framing for this modern custom home, including load-bearing walls, floor systems, and roof framing. A solid and accurate structure that allowed finishing teams to perform their work with confidence.

This historic estate was experiencing severe peeling paint, contacting our experienced team to perform all necessary repairs and painting that adhered to the Historic New England's standards. EPA requirements were performed throughout the scope of work. Siding, trim, window casings, doors and shutters were scraped, feather sanded, spot primed and applied two coats. The siding with Benjamin Moore Charcoal Slate, trim with Brilliant White and shutters with Black Satin. The results: a beautiful restoration!

100% of the structure built by JCpA Group LLC Our team handled all structural wood framing for this modern custom home, including load-bearing walls, floor systems, and roof framing. A solid and accurate structure that allowed finishing teams to perform their work with confidence.

Mountain style exterior home photo in Sacramento

Lower level kids bunk quarters. ©ThompsonPhotographic.com 2018
Mountain style gender-neutral dark wood floor kids' room photo in Other

The owners of this home came to us with a plan to build a new high-performance home that physically and aesthetically fit on an infill lot in an old well-established neighborhood in Bellingham. The Craftsman exterior detailing, Scandinavian exterior color palette, and timber details help it blend into the older neighborhood. At the same time the clean modern interior allowed their artistic details and displayed artwork take center stage. We started working with the owners and the design team in the later stages of design, sharing our expertise with high-performance building strategies, custom timber details, and construction cost planning. Our team then seamlessly rolled into the construction phase of the project, working with the owners and Michelle, the interior designer until the home was complete. The owners can hardly believe the way it all came together to create a bright, comfortable, and friendly space that highlights their applied details and favorite pieces of art. Photography by Radley Muller Photography​ Design by Deborah Todd Building Design Services Interior Design by Spiral Studios​

Inspiration for a transitional gray two-story wood exterior home remodel in Toronto with a metal roof and a gray roof

This full home renovation in North Vancouver transformed a previously updated yet disjointed home into a cohesive, modern retreat designed for long-term family living. The homeowners sought more than just a visual refresh—they wanted a smarter layout, enhanced energy performance, and improved everyday functionality.We reimagined key areas of the home to optimize flow and livability, including a complete redesign of the staircase, which previously divided the space and limited its usability. The result is a more open, connected home that meets exceptional standards for comfort and energy efficiency. Highlights include a fully reconfigured upper floor featuring a modern staircase, a convenient upstairs laundry, and a bright new home office. In the kitchen, a streamlined layout now centers around a linear island, complemented by a dedicated coffee bar, custom walnut cabinetry, and a functional new butler’s pantry. The living room has been transformed into a light-filled gathering space anchored by a statement fireplace that celebrates the home’s West Coast surroundings. A legal one-bedroom basement suite was added with full soundproofing and future-ready media wiring, while a glulam and glass patio cover extends the living area outdoors for year-round enjoyment. Behind the scenes, upgraded HVAC systems, improved air sealing, and precision soundproofing deliver Built Green Platinum performance.

This full home renovation in North Vancouver transformed a previously updated yet disjointed home into a cohesive, modern retreat designed for long-term family living. The homeowners sought more than just a visual refresh—they wanted a smarter layout, enhanced energy performance, and improved everyday functionality.We reimagined key areas of the home to optimize flow and livability, including a complete redesign of the staircase, which previously divided the space and limited its usability. The result is a more open, connected home that meets exceptional standards for comfort and energy efficiency. Highlights include a fully reconfigured upper floor featuring a modern staircase, a convenient upstairs laundry, and a bright new home office. In the kitchen, a streamlined layout now centers around a linear island, complemented by a dedicated coffee bar, custom walnut cabinetry, and a functional new butler’s pantry. The living room has been transformed into a light-filled gathering space anchored by a statement fireplace that celebrates the home’s West Coast surroundings. A legal one-bedroom basement suite was added with full soundproofing and future-ready media wiring, while a glulam and glass patio cover extends the living area outdoors for year-round enjoyment. Behind the scenes, upgraded HVAC systems, improved air sealing, and precision soundproofing deliver Built Green Platinum performance.

The original kitchen featured dark cherry cabinetry with ornate corbels, Tuscan-inspired tile, outdated bronze hardware, and insufficient lighting that made the space feel heavy and visually closed off. While the cabinetry itself was high quality, the clients were unsure whether to paint or replace it and wanted reassurance that their investment would feel timeless. The design solution focused on refinement rather than removal. Existing cabinetry was repainted in a warm neutral tone to immediately brighten the space while complementing the existing stone flooring, and decorative corbels were replaced with simplified profiles to modernize the cabinetry without altering its original construction. Moon Valley quartz countertops established a cohesive palette with subtle warm undertones, while Tuscan-style tile was replaced with classic white subway tile to visually open the space. Patterned tile accents were selectively incorporated at the range and adjacent coffee station, and the range feature was simplified by eliminating the original arch to create a cleaner focal point. Lighting played a critical role in the transformation, with glass and brushed gold fixtures significantly improving brightness and maintaining open sightlines into the adjacent living and dining areas. A new side-by-side refrigerator was custom paneled to match the cabinetry profile, and bulky island seating was replaced with slim-profile barstools upholstered in durable performance materials—supporting an active, family-focused lifestyle. The result is a warm, cohesive transitional kitchen defined by thoughtful restraint, improved function, and lasting appeal.

Originally dark and dated, this kitchen was transformed to enhance function and open up the kitchen. We cut down the old, two-tiered island to one level, creating a beautiful contrast against the freshly painted white perimeter cabinets. Photos by Spacecrafting Photography

Mid-sized beach style medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Tampa

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

This season, ‘Windy City Rehab’ star Alison Victoria and her partner Mike Holmes from ‘Holmes + Holmes’ teamed up to win the kitchen challenge for the second year in a row. They carried their vision of creating a French countryside home into this space. When it came time to select the appliances Alison just knew she had to go with BlueStar®. She was able to maintain a sense of history without giving up the cutting-edge performance that they provide. After using BlueStar® in her season 1 winning design and being an owner of one herself she knew the combination of cooking performance with almost unlimited customization would be the perfect way to make her kitchen stand out. For this season she chose a 48” Nova (RNB) Series range in Signal White with Jet Black knobs and Antique Brass trim that perfectly matched the surrounding elements and seamlessly blended into her French countryside design. It’s searing 22,000 BTU burners and oversized oven capacity are perfect for any home chef, while the 1,000+ color and designer trim options only help to enhance any space. For the refrigerator she selected the 36” PRO French Door Built-In Refrigerator customized with the same Signal White and Antique Brass trim design as used on the range. By including a painted top grill, the refrigerator becomes more a part of the overall room design and less of an appliance. Featuring an over-sized capacity of 22.4 cu. ft., all stainless steel and glass interiors and the ability to accommodate a full-size baking sheet it is the perfect refrigerator for the home entertainer or a large family.

Dean J. Birinyi Photography, copyright 2012-2014
Example of a classic bathroom design in San Francisco

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA