The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

Jacob Lilley Architects Location: Concord, MA, USA The renovation to this classic Victorian House included and an expansion of the current kitchen, family room and breakfast area. These changes allowed us to improve the existing rear elevation and create a new backyard patio. A new, detached two-car carriage house was designed to compliment the main house and provide some much needed storage.

Builder: Markay Johnson Construction visit: www.mjconstruction.com Project Details: Located on a beautiful corner lot of just over one acre, this sumptuous home presents Country French styling – with leaded glass windows, half-timber accents, and a steeply pitched roof finished in varying shades of slate. Completed in 2006, the home is magnificently appointed with traditional appeal and classic elegance surrounding a vast center terrace that accommodates indoor/outdoor living so easily. Distressed walnut floors span the main living areas, numerous rooms are accented with a bowed wall of windows, and ceilings are architecturally interesting and unique. There are 4 additional upstairs bedroom suites with the convenience of a second family room, plus a fully equipped guest house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Equally impressive are the resort-inspired grounds, which include a beautiful pool and spa just beyond the center terrace and all finished in Connecticut bluestone. A sport court, vast stretches of level lawn, and English gardens manicured to perfection complete the setting. Photographer: Bernard Andre Photography

This sophisticated metropolitan family room is the talk of the town. It connects the owners to their backyard, letting in lots of light from two directions. The space is fresh and inviting - the perfect place to hang out with the kids. Photo by Danny Piassick House designed by Charles Isreal

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This kitchen was part of a whole house renovation. The house, a foreclosure property, was gutted and remodeled by Streetscape Design. The kitchen, originally a small peninsula kitchen, was opened up to the family room and the dining room, giving the house a more open feel. Benjamin Moore's "Fieldstone" was hand selected for the cabinets by designer, Susan Klimala, CKD, along with white carrera marble and simple white subway tile, reflecting a casual beachy feel that was carried throughout the house. Professional grade appliances, vintage style ceiling fixtures and nickel hardware complete the look. The new homeowners are enjoying life in their brand new "old" house. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photographed by Carlos Vergara For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

A simple one-story white clapboard 1920s cottage bungalow sat on a narrow straight street with many older homes, all of which meeting the street with a similar dignified approach. This house was the smallest of them all, built in 1922 as a weekend cottage, near the old East Falls Church rail station which provided direct access to Washington D.C. Its diminutive scale, low-pitched roof with the ridge parallel to the street, and lack of superfluous decoration characterized this cottage bungalow. Though the owners fell in love with the charm of the original house, their growing family presented an architectural dilemma: how do you significantly expand a charming little 1920’s Craftsman style house that you love without totally losing the integrity that made it so perfect? The answer began to formulate after a review of the houses in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood; every older house was two stories tall, each built in a different style, each beautifully proportioned, each much larger than this cottage bungalow. Most of the neighborhood houses had been significantly renovated or expanded. Growing this one-story house would certainly not adversely affect the architectural character of the neighborhood. Given that, the house needed to maintain a diminutive scale in order to appear friendly and avoid a dominating presence. The simplistic, crisp, honest materials and details of the little house, all painted white, would be saved and incorporated into a new house. Across the front of the house, the three public spaces would be saved, connected along an axis anchored on the left by the living room fireplace, with the dining room and the sitting room to the right. These three rooms are punctuated by thirteen windows, which for this house age and style, really suggests a more modern aesthetic. Hoachlander Davis Photography

A book loving family of four, Dan, Julia and their two daughters were looking to add on to and rearrange their three bedroom, one bathroom home to suit their unique needs for places to study, rest, play, and hide and go seek. A generous lot allowed for a addition to the north of the house connecting to the middle bedroom/den, and the design process, while initially motivated by the need for a more spacious and private master bedroom and bathroom, evolved to focus around Dan & Julia distinct desires for home offices. Dan, a Minnesotan Medievalist, craved a cozy, wood paneled room with a nook for his reading chair and ample space for books, and, Julia, an American Studies professor with a focus on history of progressive children's literature, imagined a bright and airy space with plenty of shelf and desk space where she could peacefully focus on her latest project. What resulted was an addition with two offices, one upstairs, one downstairs, that were animated very differently by the presence of the connecting stair--Dan's reading nook nestled under the stair and Julia's office defined by a custom bookshelf stair rail that gave her plenty of storage down low and a sense of spaciousness above. A generous corridor with large windows on both sides serves as the transitional space between the addition and the original house as well as impromptu yoga room. The master suite extends from the end of the corridor towards the street creating a sense of separation from the original house which was remodeled to create a variety of family rooms and utility spaces including a small "office" for the girls, an entry hall with storage for shoes and jackets, a mud room, a new linen closet, an improved great room that reused an original window that had to be removed to connect to the addition. A palette of local and reclaimed wood provide prominent accents throughout the house including pecan flooring in the addition, barn doors faced with reclaimed pine flooring, reused solid wood doors from the original house, and shiplap paneling that was reclaimed during remodel. Photography by: Michael Hsu

Located upon a 200-acre farm of rolling terrain in western Wisconsin, this new, single-family sustainable residence implements today’s advanced technology within a historic farm setting. The arrangement of volumes, detailing of forms and selection of materials provide a weekend retreat that reflects the agrarian styles of the surrounding area. Open floor plans and expansive views allow a free-flowing living experience connected to the natural environment.

A simple one-story white clapboard 1920s cottage bungalow sat on a narrow straight street with many older homes, all of which meeting the street with a similar dignified approach. This house was the smallest of them all, built in 1922 as a weekend cottage, near the old East Falls Church rail station which provided direct access to Washington D.C. Its diminutive scale, low-pitched roof with the ridge parallel to the street, and lack of superfluous decoration characterized this cottage bungalow. Though the owners fell in love with the charm of the original house, their growing family presented an architectural dilemma: how do you significantly expand a charming little 1920’s Craftsman style house that you love without totally losing the integrity that made it so perfect? The answer began to formulate after a review of the houses in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood; every older house was two stories tall, each built in a different style, each beautifully proportioned, each much larger than this cottage bungalow. Most of the neighborhood houses had been significantly renovated or expanded. Growing this one-story house would certainly not adversely affect the architectural character of the neighborhood. Given that, the house needed to maintain a diminutive scale in order to appear friendly and avoid a dominating presence. The simplistic, crisp, honest materials and details of the little house, all painted white, would be saved and incorporated into a new house. Across the front of the house, the three public spaces would be saved, connected along an axis anchored on the left by the living room fireplace, with the dining room and the sitting room to the right. These three rooms are punctuated by thirteen windows, which for this house age and style, really suggests a more modern aesthetic. Hoachlander Davis Photography.

Who lives there: Asha Mevlana and her Havanese dog named Bali Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas Size: Main house (400 sq ft), Trailer (160 sq ft.), 1 loft bedroom, 1 bath What sets your home apart: The home was designed specifically for my lifestyle. My inspiration: After reading the book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying," I got inspired to just live with things that bring me joy which meant scaling down on everything and getting rid of most of my possessions and all of the things that I had accumulated over the years. I also travel quite a bit and wanted to live with just what I needed. About the house: The L-shaped house consists of two separate structures joined by a deck. The main house (400 sq ft), which rests on a solid foundation, features the kitchen, living room, bathroom and loft bedroom. To make the small area feel more spacious, it was designed with high ceilings, windows and two custom garage doors to let in more light. The L-shape of the deck mirrors the house and allows for the two separate structures to blend seamlessly together. The smaller "amplified" structure (160 sq ft) is built on wheels to allow for touring and transportation. This studio is soundproof using recycled denim, and acts as a recording studio/guest bedroom/practice area. But it doesn't just look like an amp, it actually is one -- just plug in your instrument and sound comes through the front marine speakers onto the expansive deck designed for concerts. My favorite part of the home is the large kitchen and the expansive deck that makes the home feel even bigger. The deck also acts as a way to bring the community together where local musicians perform. I love having a the amp trailer as a separate space to practice music. But I especially love all the light with windows and garage doors throughout. Design team: Brian Crabb (designer), Zack Giffin (builder, custom furniture) Vickery Construction (builder) 3 Volve Construction (builder) Design dilemmas: Because the city wasn’t used to having tiny houses there were certain rules that didn’t quite make sense for a tiny house. I wasn’t allowed to have stairs leading up to the loft, only ladders were allowed. Since it was built, the city is beginning to revisit some of the old rules and hopefully things will be changing. Photo cred: Don Shreve

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

In the design stages many details were incorporated in this classic kitchen to give it dimension since the surround cabinets, counters and backsplash were white. Polished nickel plumbing, hardware and custom grilles on feature cabinets along with the island pendants add shine, while finer details such as inset doors, furniture kicks on non-working areas and lofty crown details add a layering effect in the millwork. Surround counters as well as 3" x 6" backsplash tile are Calacutta Gold stone, while island counter surface is walnut. Conveniences include a 60" Wolf range, a 36" Subzero refrigerator and freezer and two farmhouse sinks by Kallista. The kitchen also boasts two dishwashers (one in the island and one to the right of the sink cabinet under the window) and a coffee bar area with a built-in Miele. Photo by Pete Maric.

Photographer: Jay Goodrich This 2800 sf single-family home was completed in 2009. The clients desired an intimate, yet dynamic family residence that reflected the beauty of the site and the lifestyle of the San Juan Islands. The house was built to be both a place to gather for large dinners with friends and family as well as a cozy home for the couple when they are there alone. The project is located on a stunning, but cripplingly-restricted site overlooking Griffin Bay on San Juan Island. The most practical area to build was exactly where three beautiful old growth trees had already chosen to live. A prior architect, in a prior design, had proposed chopping them down and building right in the middle of the site. From our perspective, the trees were an important essence of the site and respectfully had to be preserved. As a result we squeezed the programmatic requirements, kept the clients on a square foot restriction and pressed tight against property setbacks. The delineate concept is a stone wall that sweeps from the parking to the entry, through the house and out the other side, terminating in a hook that nestles the master shower. This is the symbolic and functional shield between the public road and the private living spaces of the home owners. All the primary living spaces and the master suite are on the water side, the remaining rooms are tucked into the hill on the road side of the wall. Off-setting the solid massing of the stone walls is a pavilion which grabs the views and the light to the south, east and west. Built in a position to be hammered by the winter storms the pavilion, while light and airy in appearance and feeling, is constructed of glass, steel, stout wood timbers and doors with a stone roof and a slate floor. The glass pavilion is anchored by two concrete panel chimneys; the windows are steel framed and the exterior skin is of powder coated steel sheathing.

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

The Port Ludlow Residence is a compact, 2400 SF modern house located on a wooded waterfront property at the north end of the Hood Canal, a long, fjord-like arm of western Puget Sound. The house creates a simple glazed living space that opens up to become a front porch to the beautiful Hood Canal. The east-facing house is sited along a high bank, with a wonderful view of the water. The main living volume is completely glazed, with 12-ft. high glass walls facing the view and large, 8-ft.x8-ft. sliding glass doors that open to a slightly raised wood deck, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. During the warm summer months, the living area feels like a large, open porch. Anchoring the north end of the living space is a two-story building volume containing several bedrooms and separate his/her office spaces. The interior finishes are simple and elegant, with IPE wood flooring, zebrawood cabinet doors with mahogany end panels, quartz and limestone countertops, and Douglas Fir trim and doors. Exterior materials are completely maintenance-free: metal siding and aluminum windows and doors. The metal siding has an alternating pattern using two different siding profiles. The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and rain protection; metal siding (recycled steel) for maximum durability, and a heat pump mechanical system for maximum energy efficiency. Sustainable interior finish materials include wood cabinets, linoleum floors, low-VOC paints, and natural wool carpet.

The Port Ludlow Residence is a compact, 2400 SF modern house located on a wooded waterfront property at the north end of the Hood Canal, a long, fjord-like arm of western Puget Sound. The house creates a simple glazed living space that opens up to become a front porch to the beautiful Hood Canal. The east-facing house is sited along a high bank, with a wonderful view of the water. The main living volume is completely glazed, with 12-ft. high glass walls facing the view and large, 8-ft.x8-ft. sliding glass doors that open to a slightly raised wood deck, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. During the warm summer months, the living area feels like a large, open porch. Anchoring the north end of the living space is a two-story building volume containing several bedrooms and separate his/her office spaces. The interior finishes are simple and elegant, with IPE wood flooring, zebrawood cabinet doors with mahogany end panels, quartz and limestone countertops, and Douglas Fir trim and doors. Exterior materials are completely maintenance-free: metal siding and aluminum windows and doors. The metal siding has an alternating pattern using two different siding profiles. The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and rain protection; metal siding (recycled steel) for maximum durability, and a heat pump mechanical system for maximum energy efficiency. Sustainable interior finish materials include wood cabinets, linoleum floors, low-VOC paints, and natural wool carpet.

Originally built in 1929, this simple two story center hall white wood clapboard colonial satisfied all of the early 20th century requirements; formal front elevation with full porch, central foyer/stair hall bounded by formal rooms, private bedroom space on the second floor, and, no relationship to the backyard. Americans love their early century houses, but they do not love the way they function, forsaking usable modern first floor spaces such as kitchen, mudroom, family room, powder room, and a strong connection to the back yard. In this case, the solid house ignored the backyard with its original 1920’s kitchen dumping out onto the left side of the house; there was a total lack of connection. The project program asked for a new kitchen and the other missing pieces, but most importantly, a clear, strong connection to the vast rear lawn with an assemblage of spaces starting with the kitchen flowing into the family room, then flowing into the screened porch that spilled onto the rear porch, and then culminates to the hardscape and softscape of the vast lush lawn. The new architecture is simple like the house; a new gabled volume of open space for the family room that feels connected and then disengaged from the house by a gasket addition holding the kitchen and utility entrance; a strong center access through the spaces carrying the focus from indoors to outdoors; traditional forms creating a crisp modern aesthetic of material, light, form and detail. The addition is respectful to the original house, but not without imposing its own place in time, commanding the rear elevation in a diminutive manner. All photos by Hoachlander Davis Photography.

The Yin-Yang House is a net-zero energy single-family home in a quiet Venice, CA neighborhood. The design objective was to create a space for a large and growing family with several children, which would create a calm, relaxed and organized environment that emphasizes public family space. The home also serves as a place to entertain, and a welcoming space for teenagers as they seek social space with friends. The home is organized around a series of courtyards and other outdoor spaces that integrate with the interior of the house. Facing the street the house appears to be solid. However, behind the steel entry door is a courtyard, which reveals the indoor-outdoor nature of the house behind the solid exterior. From the entry courtyard, the entire space to the rear garden wall can be seen; the first clue of the home’s spatial connection between inside and out. These spaces are designed for entertainment, and the 40 foot sliding glass door to the living room enhances the harmonic relationship of the main room, allowing the owners to host many guests without the feeling of being overburdened. The tensions of the house’s exterior are subtly underscored by a 12-inch steel band that hews close to, but sometimes rises above or falls below the floor line of the second floor – a continuous loop moving inside and out like a pen that is never lifted from the page, but reinforces the intent to spatially weave together the indoors with the outside as a single space. Scale manipulation also plays a formal role in the design of the structure. From the rear, the house appears to be a single-story volume. The large master bedroom window and the outdoor steps are scaled to support this illusion. It is only when the steps are animated with people that one realizes the true scale of the house is two stories. The kitchen is the heart of the house, with an open working area that allows the owner, an accomplished chef, to converse with friends while cooking. Bedrooms are intentionally designed to be very small and simple; allowing for larger public spaces, emphasizing the family over individual domains. The breakfast room looks across an outdoor courtyard to the guest room/kids playroom, establishing a visual connection while defining the separation of uses. The children can play outdoors while under adult supervision from the dining area or the office, or do homework in the office while adults occupy the adjacent outdoor or indoor space. Many of the materials used, including the bamboo interior, composite stone and tile countertops and bathroom finishes are recycled, and reinforce the environmental DNA of the house, which also has a green roof. Blown-in cellulose insulation, radiant heating and a host of other sustainable features aids in the performance of the building’s heating and cooling. The active systems in the home include a 12 KW solar photovoltaic panel system, the largest such residential system available on the market. The solar panels also provide shade from the sun, preventing the house from becoming overheated. The owners have been in the home for over nine months and have yet to receive a power bill.

This brownstone, located in Harlem, consists of five stories which had been duplexed to create a two story rental unit and a 3 story home for the owners. The owner hired us to do a modern renovation of their home and rear garden. The garden was under utilized, barely visible from the interior and could only be accessed via a small steel stair at the rear of the second floor. We enlarged the owner’s home to include the rear third of the floor below which had walk out access to the garden. The additional square footage became a new family room connected to the living room and kitchen on the floor above via a double height space and a new sculptural stair. The rear facade was completely restructured to allow us to install a wall to wall two story window and door system within the new double height space creating a connection not only between the two floors but with the outside. The garden itself was terraced into two levels, the bottom level of which is directly accessed from the new family room space, the upper level accessed via a few stone clad steps. The upper level of the garden features a playful interplay of stone pavers with wood decking adjacent to a large seating area and a new planting bed. Wet bar cabinetry at the family room level is mirrored by an outside cabinetry/grill configuration as another way to visually tie inside to out. The second floor features the dining room, kitchen and living room in a large open space. Wall to wall builtins from the front to the rear transition from storage to dining display to kitchen; ending at an open shelf display with a fireplace feature in the base. The third floor serves as the children’s floor with two bedrooms and two ensuite baths. The fourth floor is a master suite with a large bedroom and a large bathroom bridged by a walnut clad hall that conceals a closet system and features a built in desk. The master bath consists of a tiled partition wall dividing the space to create a large walkthrough shower for two on one side and showcasing a free standing tub on the other. The house is full of custom modern details such as the recessed, lit handrail at the house’s main stair, floor to ceiling glass partitions separating the halls from the stairs and a whimsical builtin bench in the entry.