On this spectacular mountain site, the clients wanted to build a 4,200-square-foot residence that did not appear to be a big, prestigious house. They didn’t want a McMansion; they wanted a living space integrated into the landscape – a home nestled among the trees and rock outcroppings. The clients decided to demolish an existing farmhouse on the site, but they also sought to recreate the views afforded by that older home. Siting the fireplace and living room at the same location, the new residence was built on a similar footprint, but with a focus on energy efficiency. The rambling, rustic Montana-lodge style exterior belies the technology inside. The fireplace – with help from the geothermal radiant heat system – is enough to keep the clients warm and toasty through the worst winter gales. A natural ventilation system also keeps the home allergen-free. Careful coordination with the engineer allowed the structure to appear hunkered into the site, creating a humble front façade. The house’s floor plan strategically winds its way around the trees and boulders – framing intimate views of the landscape from the master bedroom and offering magnificent vistas from the deck. Through attention to design and careful construction, the project saved nearly all of the more than 30 mature trees directly adjacent to the building footprint. Blasting of the some larger rocks was required to make room for the driveway, but the completed home now looks and functions as an established part of the landscape.

Inspiration for a contemporary living room remodel in Los Angeles

On this spectacular mountain site, the clients wanted to build a 4,200-square-foot residence that did not appear to be a big, prestigious house. They didn’t want a McMansion; they wanted a living space integrated into the landscape – a home nestled among the trees and rock outcroppings. The clients decided to demolish an existing farmhouse on the site, but they also sought to recreate the views afforded by that older home. Siting the fireplace and living room at the same location, the new residence was built on a similar footprint, but with a focus on energy efficiency. The rambling, rustic Montana-lodge style exterior belies the technology inside. The fireplace – with help from the geothermal radiant heat system – is enough to keep the clients warm and toasty through the worst winter gales. A natural ventilation system also keeps the home allergen-free. Careful coordination with the engineer allowed the structure to appear hunkered into the site, creating a humble front façade. The house’s floor plan strategically winds its way around the trees and boulders – framing intimate views of the landscape from the master bedroom and offering magnificent vistas from the deck. Through attention to design and careful construction, the project saved nearly all of the more than 30 mature trees directly adjacent to the building footprint. Blasting of the some larger rocks was required to make room for the driveway, but the completed home now looks and functions as an established part of the landscape.

You have to see this incredible luxury custom home that just got finished! ? The outdoor living space is absolutely stunning - it's the perfect spot for family fun or hosting friends. ? With an expansive covered patio, sparkling pool, and lush landscaping, you can create your own little piece of paradise right in the heart of Florida. Just imagine sipping your morning coffee while taking in the beautiful views, or firing up the grill for an epic backyard BBQ. This home has it all - high-end finishes, smart home technology, and so much more. If you've been dreaming of your custom Florida oasis, I highly recommend checking this place out. It's a total showstopper! ? Let me know what you think in the comments below

WKD’s design specialty in quality historic preservation ensured that the integrity of this home’s interior and exterior architecture was kept intact. The design mission was to preserve, restore and renovate the home in a manner that celebrated its heritage, while recognizing and accommodating today’s lifestyle and technology. Drawing from the home’s original details, WKD re-designed a friendly entry (including the exterior landscape approach) and kitchen area, integrating it into the existing hearth room. We also created a new stair to the second floor, eliminating the small, steep winding stair. New colors, wallpaper, furnishings and lighting make for a family friendly, welcoming home. The project has been published several times. Click below to read:       October 2014 Northshore Magazine       Spring 2013 Kitchen Trends Magazine       Spring 2013 Bathroom Trends Magazine Photographer: MIchael Lee

This reinterpretation of the classic American Foursquare features a floor plan for modern family living and 21st-c. energy efficiency and technology. The home is right-sized for a family of 6, and designed to be healthy, efficient, affordable, and a complement to its neighborhood. As a Passive House, it uses only about a tenth of the heating and cooling energy of a built-to-code home, and about 70% less energy overall; it is also designed to be Zero Energy Ready, meaning that with the addition of a solar electric array, the house can produce as much energy as it uses. Indoor air quality and occupant health are a primary objective as well, so no-added-formaldehyde panel materials, no-VOC, non-toxic paints, and Greenguard certified sealants, caulks, and adhesives were used along with a continuous demand-controlled ventilation system to provide superior air quality.

This backyard patio design is inspired by our Para patio slab. Large-scale, ultra-smooth texture and fine lines best describe the all-new Para HD. Manufactured with Techo-Bloc’s patented High Definition technology, an extremely tight surface texture with pores that are virtually invisible. The Para HD provides contemporary styling and design flexibility. Each of its three sizes are packaged and sold separately allowing your projects to reflect your personal creativity. This 60 mm product is available in a 500 mm x 250 mm, 500 mm x 500 mm and 500 mm x 750 mm. It is available in both hyper smooth and polished textures. Check out our website to shop the look! https://www.techo-bloc.com/shop/slabs/para/

Here is an inside look at the backyard of one of our Elite Builders! This two-tier, newly remodeled pool belongs to Dane Palmero, the owner of Overflow Pool Construction & Repair located in Phoenix, AZ. Not only does this pool defy gravity, but it also beautifully blends all three of our PebbleTec product lines: Pool Finishes, Lightstreams Glass Tile and Fire + Water Outdoor Elements. Materials used: PebbleSheen Blue Surf with Luminous Blue Blend, Lightstreams Glass Tile Gold Iridescent Collection Silverado, Fire + Water Cast Stone Fire Bowl and Lava Rock.

In our busy lives, creating a peaceful and rejuvenating home environment is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Built less than five years ago, this Stinson Beach Modern home is your own private oasis. Surrounded by a butterfly preserve and unparalleled ocean views, the home will lead you to a sense of connection with nature. As you enter an open living room space that encompasses a kitchen, dining area, and living room, the inspiring contemporary interior invokes a sense of relaxation, that stimulates the senses. The open floor plan and modern finishes create a soothing, tranquil, and uplifting atmosphere. The house is approximately 2900 square feet, has three (to possibly five) bedrooms, four bathrooms, an outdoor shower and spa, a full office, and a media room. Its two levels blend into the hillside, creating privacy and quiet spaces within an open floor plan and feature spectacular views from every room. The expansive home, decks and patios presents the most beautiful sunsets as well as the most private and panoramic setting in all of Stinson Beach. One of the home's noteworthy design features is a peaked roof that uses Kalwall's translucent day-lighting system, the most highly insulating, diffuse light-transmitting, structural panel technology. This protected area on the hill provides a dramatic roar from the ocean waves but without any of the threats of oceanfront living. Built on one of the last remaining one-acre coastline lots on the west side of the hill at Stinson Beach, the design of the residence is site friendly, using materials and finishes that meld into the hillside. The landscaping features low-maintenance succulents and butterfly friendly plantings appropriate for the adjacent Monarch Butterfly Preserve. Recalibrate your dreams in this natural environment, and make the choice to live in complete privacy on this one acre retreat. This home includes Miele appliances, Thermadore refrigerator and freezer, an entire home water filtration system, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry by SieMatic, Ceasarstone kitchen counter tops, hardwood and Italian ceramic radiant tile floors using Warmboard technology, Electric blinds, Dornbracht faucets, Kalwall skylights throughout livingroom and garage, Jeldwen windows and sliding doors. Located 5-8 minute walk to the ocean, downtown Stinson and the community center. It is less than a five minute walk away from the trail heads such as Steep Ravine and Willow Camp.

At the end of a quiet Palm Springs street, a vibrant wall of painted Exclamation Breeze Blocks by the artist Shag adds a bold architectural focal point to a classic William Krisel-designed home. The breeze blocks, arranged in a quarter-turned layout and painted chartreuse, were sourced through Tesselle and installed as a sculptural accent—not for privacy, but for pure design impact. The home itself has been lovingly restored, maintaining its original midcentury charm while incorporating modern conveniences throughout. Inside, vintage furnishings and authentic décor are paired with updated fixtures and technology for an effortless blend of old and new. Outside, stunning desert landscaping and a refreshing pool area complete the transformation. All tile and breeze block materials for the project were supplied by Modern Home Design Showroom, which played a key role in helping the homeowner realize their vision. This standout home is also available for vacation rental through pslux.com—offering guests the chance to enjoy iconic Palm Springs design firsthand.

Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it. Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy. Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy. The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors. Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house. The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood. The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu 
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects 
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers 
Staging: Da Lusso Design 
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed 
Location: Los Altos, CA
 Year completed: 2017

Awarded "Best Smart Home of the Year" by EH. Spire outfitted this beautiful Michigan home with the best in high quality luxury technology. The homeowners enjoy the complete control of their home, from lighting and shading to entertainment and security, through the Savant Control System. Homeowners and guests can easily create “scenes” to manage their days and social gatherings. Lutron shades help maintain light, climate and privacy to balance the inside and outside views. Outdoor entertaining is easy with the Sonance Landscape Audio System, Lutron light controls for pools and fountains and Savant control of outdoor fire pits. The fully managed Whyreboot network allows for uninterrupted system control. To maintain security, Holovision doors and gates are equipped with Doorbird system to notify residents of visitors and to give control to open and close doors and gates. Music lovers can enjoy the highest level in audio from Meridian 7200 speakers in the lower level, as well as, Sonance in wall and in ceiling speakers throughout the home. In order for the homeowners to enjoy different music and entertainment in various rooms, 14 zones of video and 26 zones of audio were necessary. Spire added many special touches to this amazing home. The master bathroom boasts a MirrorTV so owners can enjoy some entertainment while preparing for the day. A floor lift in the kitchen and dining room allows for entertainment, but can be tucked away when distractions are not wanted. A floor lift in the bedroom makes watching TV convenient, but can be put away when not in use. A fingerprint lock was placed at the bar for peace of mind. Spire’s expertise and commitment to detail were key to the intricate design concepts throughout the home. Spire worked closely with design teams to ensure under cabinet lighting was just right.

Here is an inside look at the backyard of one of our Elite Builders! This two-tier, newly remodeled pool belongs to Dane Palmero, the owner of Overflow Pool Construction & Repair located in Phoenix, AZ. Not only does this pool defy gravity, but it also beautifully blends all three of our PebbleTec product lines: Pool Finishes, Lightstreams Glass Tile and Fire + Water Outdoor Elements. Materials used: PebbleSheen Blue Surf with Luminous Blue Blend, Lightstreams Glass Tile Gold Iridescent Collection Silverado, Fire + Water Cast Stone Fire Bowl and Lava Rock.

At the end of a quiet Palm Springs street, a vibrant wall of painted Exclamation Breeze Blocks by the artist Shag adds a bold architectural focal point to a classic William Krisel-designed home. The breeze blocks, arranged in a quarter-turned layout and painted chartreuse, were sourced through Tesselle and installed as a sculptural accent—not for privacy, but for pure design impact. The home itself has been lovingly restored, maintaining its original midcentury charm while incorporating modern conveniences throughout. Inside, vintage furnishings and authentic décor are paired with updated fixtures and technology for an effortless blend of old and new. Outside, stunning desert landscaping and a refreshing pool area complete the transformation. All tile and breeze block materials for the project were supplied by Modern Home Design Showroom, which played a key role in helping the homeowner realize their vision. This standout home is also available for vacation rental through pslux.com—offering guests the chance to enjoy iconic Palm Springs design firsthand.

This beautiful traditional home received a facelift. The old concrete driveway was replaced with Belgard pavers in Bergerac. Not only are they durable but also a "green" product by allowing rainwater and runoff to drain back down into the soil below. The first level of the exterior was given a custom look with Eldorado Stone siding using Montecito blend of the Cliffstone line. The pillars and brick walls were also wrapped with the same Montecito blend of Eldorado Stone. The windows were all replace with the latest vinyl window technology by Jeld Wen, along with the Cherry front door. This face lift brings personality and custom aspects to the traditional home allowing it to blend with the beautiful mountains behind.

Breeze Block Wall by the Artist Shag At the end of a quiet Palm Springs street, a vibrant wall of painted Exclamation Breeze Blocks by the artist Shag adds a bold architectural focal point to a classic William Krisel-designed home. The breeze blocks, arranged in a quarter-turned layout and painted chartreuse, were sourced through Tesselle and installed as a sculptural accent—not for privacy, but for pure design impact. The home itself has been lovingly restored, maintaining its original midcentury charm while incorporating modern conveniences throughout. Inside, vintage furnishings and authentic décor are paired with updated fixtures and technology for an effortless blend of old and new. Outside, stunning desert landscaping and a refreshing pool area complete the transformation. All tile and breeze block materials for the project were supplied by Modern Home Design Showroom, which played a key role in helping the homeowner realize their vision. This standout home is also available for vacation rental through pslux.com—offering guests the chance to enjoy iconic Palm Springs design firsthand.

Here is an inside look at the backyard of one of our Elite Builders! This two-tier, newly remodeled pool belongs to Dane Palmero, the owner of Overflow Pool Construction & Repair located in Phoenix, AZ. Not only does this pool defy gravity, but it also beautifully blends all three of our PebbleTec product lines: Pool Finishes, Lightstreams Glass Tile and Fire + Water Outdoor Elements. Materials used: PebbleSheen Blue Surf with Luminous Blue Blend, Lightstreams Glass Tile Gold Iridescent Collection Silverado, Fire + Water Cast Stone Fire Bowl and Lava Rock.

This reinterpretation of the classic American Foursquare features a floor plan for modern family living and 21st-c. energy efficiency and technology. The home is right-sized for a family of 6, and designed to be healthy, efficient, affordable, and a complement to its neighborhood. As a Passive House, it uses only about a tenth of the heating and cooling energy of a built-to-code home, and about 70% less energy overall; it is also designed to be Zero Energy Ready, meaning that with the addition of a solar electric array, the house can produce as much energy as it uses. Indoor air quality and occupant health are a primary objective as well, so no-added-formaldehyde panel materials, no-VOC, non-toxic paints, and Greenguard certified sealants, caulks, and adhesives were used along with a continuous demand-controlled ventilation system to provide superior air quality.

Located on a beautiful, sloping lakeside parcel, this 3,600 square-foot home is geared towards net-zero living. The residence is organized around a central cupola that provides natural ventilation and connects with the lakefront windows, pulling in a soft, cooling breeze. Attention to passive heating technologies like that of heat absorption and transmittance influenced the exterior material selection and encouraged the use of local materials. Geared towards large family gatherings, this residence boasts a large screened porch and extensive kitchen and dining spaces in the open-concept main level. One-of-a-kind lake views can be appreciated from all family spaces as well as from the large master suite. Guests have their choice of three bedrooms for their stay and can enjoy the beautiful lake environment from an expansive deck or from any of the landscaped terraces that lead down to the water’s edge. Photographer: MTA