Andrew Cutright
Inspiration for a small traditional full sun backyard concrete paver water fountain landscape in DC Metro.

Perched high above the desert floor, this exclusive community of homes was designed specifically to take full advantage of close indoor/outdoor relationships, to showcase panoramic views and directional breezes. Adjacent mountains sweep across the site, and varied massing combined with rustic stone and wood beams recall historic European hill-towns. Each of the three plans incorporates multiple courtyards and porticos with a centralized, formal entry experience. The interplay of interior volumes articulates natural light and dramatic textures. Public and private spaces have been carefully zoned, to provide pockets of seclusion, balanced with generous entertainment areas. Inclusion of multiple water features combined with indigenous landscape seamlessly blend with the architecture to create a stunning sense of place among the rugged desert terrain. Eldorado Stone featured: Veneto Fieldledge Eldorado Brick featured: Brolio RomaBrick Architect: Steve Sennikoff Architecture Firm: Mark Scheurer Architect Mason: Dan Stringer Masonry

Formal blue stone tread steps, lead from an upper walkway (separate pic) to a large circular blue stone terrace with surrounding stacked- stone cheek walls. The focal point here is a rustic (albeit nicely upgraded) 40- yr old fireplace (not shown). This natural terrain produces an amphitheater- camp like setting! You're completely surrounded by an abundance of natural vegetation, a meandering creek and waterfalls flowing through the forest, a small cypress bridge.. absolute serenity! Also, along recessed pea gravel pathways are numerous 100-150- yr old primary growth hardwoods, specimen Crape Myrtles, Magnolias, Chinese & Blood-red maples, as well as, thousands of flowering plants!

Bedroom - bedroom idea in Singapore

Stunning deck & patio combo features TimberTech Evolutions Terrain decking in Brown Oak. The deck space has plenty of room for dining and includes a buffet table for food and drinks. The patio features and outdoor kitchen that includes an outdoor bar for dining. The kitchen in built with Belgard Weston Wall in Ashbury Haze and includes custom limestone countertops. The Belgard pavers consist of Belgar Lafit Slab pavers in Danville Beige with and Old World Cobble soldiers course in Gastony Tan.

This three-story vacation home for a family of ski enthusiasts features 5 bedrooms and a six-bed bunk room, 5 1/2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, great room, 2 wet bars, great room, exercise room, basement game room, office, mud room, ski work room, decks, stone patio with sunken hot tub, garage, and elevator. The home sits into an extremely steep, half-acre lot that shares a property line with a ski resort and allows for ski-in, ski-out access to the mountain’s 61 trails. This unique location and challenging terrain informed the home’s siting, footprint, program, design, interior design, finishes, and custom made furniture. Credit: Samyn-D'Elia Architects

The Pumpkin Ridge Passive House harnesses the simplicity of Passive House design to deliver superb comfort and efficiency at minimal added construction cost. The Pumpkin Ridge Passive House is no more expensive to own on a monthly basis than a conventional custom home, when monthly energy costs are considered alongside mortgage, taxes and insurance. Yet the high performance green building will consume 90% less heating energy and offer exceptional comfort and indoor air quality. The project, designed by Scott Edwards Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand, is one of six homes in the Pacific Northwest to be featured by Northwest ENERGY STAR® as a demonstration super-efficient home. Photography by Jeff Amram.

Contractor: Anderson Contracting Services, Carl Anderson Principal Consultants: Structural Engineers - Foley Buhl Roberts & Associates, Inc. Photographer: Dan Gair/Blind Dog Photo, Inc. & Greg Premru Photography This gambrel home takes full advantage of its rugged costal heights, embracing intoxicating ocean views from both wings of the house. Gracious interiors include a balance of formal living spaces, casual family quarters and private domains. Romantic details such as a tower with a curving staircase and wall of windows give it distinct personality. Architects transformed the site’s topography, providing vehicular access and building a 30-foot stone retaining wall to level the site. The change in landscape was sensitively integrated into the existing terrain through use of native materials and color. Reminiscent of estate architecture, the team created connections between the elegant seaside dwelling and its outbuildings, such as the carriage house and beach house.

Stipa pulchra / Purple needle grass Photo by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds; all rights reserved.

Stunning deck & patio combo features TimberTech Evolutions Terrain decking in Brown Oak. The deck space has plenty of room for dining and includes a buffet table for food and drinks. The patio features a built-in fire pit and outdoor kitchen that includes an outdoor bar for dining. The kitchen in built with Belgard Weston Wall in Ashbury Haze and includes custom limestone countertops. The Belgard pavers consist of Belgar Lafit Slab pavers in Danville Beige with and Old World Cobble soldiers course in Gastony Tan.

Completing the Vibe...Cool & Contemporary Curb Appeal that helps complete our clients special spaces. From the start...it feels like it was here all along. The perimeter tree line serving as a partial wind break has a feel that most parks long for. Lit up at night, it almost feels like youre in a downtown urban park. Forever Lawn grass brightens the front lawn without all the maintenance. Full accessibility with custom concrete rocksalt deck pads makes it easy for everyone to get around. Accent lighting adds to the environments ambiance positioned for safety and athletics. Natural limestone & mossrock boulders engraves the terrain, softening the energy & movement. We bring all the colors together on a custom cedar fence that adds privacy & function. Moving into the backyard, steps pads, ipe deck & forever lawn adds depth and comfort making spaces to slow down and admire your moments in the landscaped edges.

As the core of Atlanta becomes more and more dense, options for new single-family homes are often limited to building unsustainably through demolition of existing homes. However, scattered around the city core are undeveloped sites considered “unbuildable", often because of jurisdictionally imposed restraints i.e. zoning setbacks, riparian stream buffers, peculiar lot configurations and difficult site features. Comparably, for this 12,401 sq. ft. site, zoning setbacks and riparian buffer restraints imposed on the lot's status as an undeveloped, legal, residential lot-of-record, rendered the property “unbuildable”. Not a single square foot of the site met jurisdictional requirements for “buildable”. Furthermore, the stream along the front of the site precluded construction access and the steep terrain was foreboding.

Kirk Bianchi created the design for this residential resort next to a desert preserve. The overhang of the homes patio suggested a pool with a sweeping curve shape. Kirk positioned a raised vanishing edge pool to work with the ascending terrain and to also capture the reflections of the scenery behind. The fire pit and bbq areas are situated to capture the best views of the superstition mountains, framed by the architectural pergola that creates a window to the vista beyond. A raised glass tile spa, capturing the colors of the desert context, serves as a jewel and centerpiece for the outdoor living space.

When full-time Massachusetts residents contemplate building a second home in Telluride, Colorado the question immediately arises; does it make most sense to hire a regionally based Rocky Mountain architect or a sea level architect conveniently located for all of the rigorous collaboration required for successful bespoke home design. Determined to prove the latter true, Siemasko + Verbridge accompanied the potential client as they scoured the undulating Telluride landscape in search of the perfect house site. The selected site’s harmonious balance of untouched meadow rising up to meet the edge of an aspen grove and the opposing 180 degree view of Wilson’s Range spoke to everyone. A plateau just beyond a fork in the meadow provided a natural flatland, requiring little excavation and yet the right amount of upland slope to capture the views. The intrinsic character of the site was only enriched by an elk trail and snake-rail fence. Establishing the expanse of Wilson’s range would be best served by rejecting the notion of selected views, the central sweeping curve of the roof inverts a small saddle in the range with which it is perfectly aligned. The soaring wave of custom windows and the open floor plan make the relatively modest house feel sizable despite its footprint of just under 2,000 square feet. Officially a two bedroom home, the bunk room and loft allow the home to comfortably sleep ten, encouraging large gatherings of family and friends. The home is completely off the grid in response to the unique and fragile qualities of the landscape. Great care was taken to respect the regions vernacular through the use of mostly native materials and a palette derived from the terrain found at 9,820 feet above sea level. Photographer: Gibeon Photography

Inspiration for a modern patio remodel in Los Angeles

This outdoor kitchen area marries functionality with the natural splendor of the surrounding Arizona desert. The space is equipped with a state-of-the-art grill and preparation area, set against the backdrop of towering saguaro cacti and rugged terrain. The clean, straight lines of the kitchen unit echo the modern, minimalist aesthetic of the home, while the stone cladding provides a textural contrast, adding a rustic touch to the sleek design. The expansive patio area is perfect for al fresco dining and entertaining, inviting guests to enjoy the warm climate and the striking views under the shelter of a contemporary, open-beam overhang.

Jan Enright
Photo of a craftsman landscaping in Charlotte.

Located near the base of Scottsdale landmark Pinnacle Peak, the Desert Prairie is surrounded by distant peaks as well as boulder conservation easements. This 30,710 square foot site was unique in terrain and shape and was in close proximity to adjacent properties. These unique challenges initiated a truly unique piece of architecture. Planning of this residence was very complex as it weaved among the boulders. The owners were agnostic regarding style, yet wanted a warm palate with clean lines. The arrival point of the design journey was a desert interpretation of a prairie-styled home. The materials meet the surrounding desert with great harmony. Copper, undulating limestone, and Madre Perla quartzite all blend into a low-slung and highly protected home. Located in Estancia Golf Club, the 5,325 square foot (conditioned) residence has been featured in Luxe Interiors + Design’s September/October 2018 issue. Additionally, the home has received numerous design awards. Desert Prairie // Project Details Architecture: Drewett Works Builder: Argue Custom Homes Interior Design: Lindsey Schultz Design Interior Furnishings: Ownby Design Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Photography: Werner Segarra