When this young family of four and their aging dog, Bernie, moved into their new home, it was evident that changes needed to be made for the house to work for them. The kitchen was cramped and crowded and didn’t allow for the large family gatherings they enjoyed hosting. Without a mudroom between the garage and kitchen, there was no place to drop groceries, schoolbags, coats or boots. And an unused dining room sat empty, save for the furniture. We immediately set out to open up walls and make better use of the space. A mudroom was added, outfitted with cabinetry lockers for jackets and schoolbags with room for baskets for shoes under the bench. A glass pocket door was installed to let the light flow from the window on the front of the house into the adjacent kitchen. In the kitchen, we took advantage of the unused dining room and broke through the wall creating one large, open plan, kitchen and family room. An expansive island was installed to provide seating in the kitchen and give sight lines from the sink to the family room from which to keep an eye on the littles while they played. A desk area was also created in front of one of the windows, giving great light for homework and crafts. While the floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining room kept us to a galley kitchen layout, their dog, Bernie was thankful we maintained his views of the park-like setting in the backyard.

We took this empty, long unused Master Bath and took it from ugly and unusable to Stunning and a relaxing escape! All glass tile with custom inlays and pencil borders. Custom built vanity with a matching stained entry door. Frameless shower door. Tile flooring and a jacuzzi tub to take you away!

Like many homes today with unused dining room/living spaces, this homeowner had a plan to repurpose her unused dining space by creating an open concept large cooks’ kitchen/dining area. The new design included removing a wall between the existing kitchen and dining room to enlarge the kitchen space. A new wall was built with a corner walk-in pantry for additional storage. A large island was designed into the kitchen with room for additional seating, more cabinetry space and a wine refrigerator. To improve the flow in the room, we also created a new entry into the kitchen. To create ample seating, space was designated for a dining room table and an island bar. The dropped ceiling in the kitchen was raised and a new window was added to open up the space and let in more natural light. To accommodate the homeowner’s hutch, additional room was added along the outer wall of the kitchen. For beauty and aesthetics, a new powder-coated steel stair railing was installed to guide people from the entry to the upper floor. The stair case risers were completed with a contrasting white and dark wood finish and matching posts were added to the island bar area. Knotty Alder cabinets and a New World stain complete this Rustic Napa-inspired look. The light color counter tops are Kashmire Cream granite. The contrast between the dark cabinets with beautiful visible grain detail and light countertops gives this kitchen a timeless, rustic feel. The Blanco apron front sink, in white SiliGranite material is surrounded by antique nickel finish faucets and Antique Pewter hardware. The steel posts are powder coated to match the Antique Nickel faucets. Behind the cooktop in 4” x 16” Pumice color Portcelain tile, is a full height-tiled backsplash—a perfect backdrop for floating shelves that match the cabinets. Beautiful!

Before - After many years of having no outdoor living space and dealing with overgrown plants and trees the owner’s decided it was time to revitalize their backyard. They knew they wanted a large sitting area with a wood burning fireplace, room for outdoor dining and a place for the grill. A connecting walk would be needed to get guests from the driveway to the outdoor space. Last but not least, the owners wanted the ability to and a reason for stepping out of their unusable patio doors. The designers decided from the start the fireplace would be the prominent feature and focal point for the entire project. A large fireplace accented with sitting walls and arbors was positioned to anchor the corner of the patio. Stone was chosen to set the fireplace apart as its own element. Brick was used for the sitting walls and brick accents were added to the fireplace to tie into the house. An inlaid herringbone brick detail was incorporated above the stone mantle to simulate artwork which is typically found above indoor fireplaces. Flagstone was used for the wall caps and hearth to match the patio and thicker flagstone tread stock was used for the mantle and top. The arbors were added to visually balance the pergolas at the opposite side of the patio. For the patio the designers created a series of offset spaces to help subtly divide the space into two areas, sitting and dining. Two large existing trees also help dictate the shape of the patio. Cut flagstone was chosen for the surface bordered by a double soldier edge of brick. The brick edging also surrounds a decorative gravel area topped with an urn fountain which provides a secondary focal point and the sound of water. Large flagstone treads were used for the steps leading to the previously unused patio doors. Opposite the fireplace a short walk leads to a square transition area with a statue chosen by the owner. The statue provides a strong focal point when entering from the driveway. A longer walk leads from this space along the house to the driveway. The pergolas and arbors were designed by the landscape designer as part of this project but were ultimately contracted separately by the owner. The larger square pergola was intended as an area for a bench or two separate from the main patio. The longer pergola was added later in the design phase to help provide shade to the interior of the house. The arbors at the fireplace were added to balance out the wood elements at the opposite side while adding additional architectural interest to the fireplace. While this project was predominantly hardscaping, planting and lighting were also incorporated into the design. Several large existing trees were retained and serious of smaller understory trees were added to help enclose the space. The designer’s took advantage of the large trees to place down lights on the branches to achieve a moonlight effect at night. Additional lighting was used on the pergola, to accent focal points, to up light the smaller trees and around the patio. Massed planting of Japanese forest grass provides bold foliage color for the shady garden. A mulch path leads off behind the fireplace to another garden and a secluded area ideal for a bench or small table and chairs. Additional plantings were added along the rear property line to screen and unsightly fence. This project has obviously completely changed the way the owners use their backyard. They now have a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors with the use of the patio doors. The large patio allows for entertaining small gatherings outdoors for the first time. The fireplace has definitely become the primary gathering place for family and friends.

In Arizona, the views are stunning! The mountain views never cease to amaze. When we were called in to help a client open up the views to their lovely, hillside home, Giardinello Landscape & Design knew we could take on the challenge. By creating a seamless connection between the pool patio and the previously closed off master patio we opened up this stunning view. The area right off the slate, master patio was an unusable, hillside that was open to wildlife...including rattlesnakes and coyotes. After clearing desert scrub and relocating cacti, a retaining wall was constructed and the area leveled off. Next, an unused fire pit was removed and awkward steps leveled off to create a large open patio. Fencing was re-worked to enclose the new area and pavers installed to perfectly match the existing patio. New plantings and an awesome putting green finish off the new outdoor space.

This beautiful 1881 Alameda Victorian cottage, wonderfully embodying the Transitional Gothic-Eastlake era, had most of its original features intact. Our clients, one of whom is a painter, wanted to preserve the beauty of the historic home while modernizing its flow and function. From several small rooms, we created a bright, open artist’s studio. We dug out the basement for a large workshop, extending a new run of stair in keeping with the existing original staircase. While keeping the bones of the house intact, we combined small spaces into large rooms, closed off doorways that were in awkward places, removed unused chimneys, changed the circulation through the house for ease and good sightlines, and made new high doorways that work gracefully with the eleven foot high ceilings. We removed inconsistent picture railings to give wall space for the clients’ art collection and to enhance the height of the rooms. From a poorly laid out kitchen and adjunct utility rooms, we made a large kitchen and family room with nine-foot-high glass doors to a new large deck. A tall wood screen at one end of the deck, fire pit, and seating give the sense of an outdoor room, overlooking the owners’ intensively planted garden. A previous mismatched addition at the side of the house was removed and a cozy outdoor living space made where morning light is received. The original house was segmented into small spaces; the new open design lends itself to the clients’ lifestyle of entertaining groups of people, working from home, and enjoying indoor-outdoor living. Photography by Kurt Manley. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/artists-victorian/

Design Dilemma: Our clients needed a place to store their beautiful bass and their extensive collection of books and records. Solution - We transformed this unused corner in the great room into a beautiful and functional storage space. Using a subtle instrument rack so the client could easily remove the bass to play, we were able to showcase the bass as a work of art and make it a focal point in the space. We also added a rolling ladder to access the top of the bookshelf and to make the space more interesting. Photo Credit: Holland Photography - Cory Holland - Hollandphotography.biz

Nestled in a historic residential neighborhood this 1950s Baptist Church was outgrown by its congregation. The building was left unused for 12 years until it was adapted for reuse as a single family home. The home, for a young family of four, was designed with the healthy building principles in mind. The completed house is net zero ready, meaning that all of the systems necessary to convert this house to a net zero home are in place, all that is needed are solar panels. Though the original building was in very rough shape, the design team worked hard to retain as much of the original form as possible. The addition distinguishes itself from the original through materiality and structural articulation. The new form hovers on cantilevers, creating a light touch with the ground plane, in contrast to the heavy form of the original masonry structure. Even though the new building has a modern aesthetic it had to conform to some of the historic neighborhood ordinances of the city. The completed product is loved by the neighborhood, with many people taking their evening walks to pass by their new favorite house.

This room as an unused dining room. This couple loves to entertain so we designed the room to be dramatic to look at, and allow for movable seating, and of course, a very sexy functional custom bar.

Photo: Robert Burns ˙© 2015 Houzz
Urban shed photo in Portland

This design left the homeowners with a beautiful long island that is perfect for large gatherings and meal prep! A complimentary butler’s pantry was designed just off the kitchen. And, in an adjacent nook to the kitchen, our designer transformed the unused space into a convenient command center for the family, here they can plan menus, keep mail and papers out of the work area, or the kids can get their homework done in their own quiet space.

Nestled in a historic residential neighborhood this 1950s Baptist Church was outgrown by its congregation. The building was left unused for 12 years until it was adapted for reuse as a single family home. The home, for a young family of four, was designed with the healthy building principles in mind. The completed house is net zero ready, meaning that all of the systems necessary to convert this house to a net zero home are in place, all that is needed are solar panels. Though the original building was in very rough shape, the design team worked hard to retain as much of the original form as possible. The addition distinguishes itself from the original through materiality and structural articulation. The new form hovers on cantilevers, creating a light touch with the ground plane, in contrast to the heavy form of the original masonry structure. Even though the new building has a modern aesthetic it had to conform to some of the historic neighborhood ordinances of the city. The completed product is loved by the neighborhood, with many people taking their evening walks to pass by their new favorite house.

The primary goal of this basement project was to give these homeowners more space: both for their own everyday use and for guests. By excavating an unusable crawl space, we were able to build out a full basement with 9’ high ceilings, a guest bedroom, a full bathroom, a gym, a large storage room, and a spacious entertainment room that includes a kitchenette. In all, the homeowners gained over 1,100 of finished space.

Who needs a two-car garage, when you can have a "carbana"!?! This formerly unused garage has been converted to a very user friendly cabana-playroom-gameroom, and all around amazing hang-out space!

Aluminum or corten planters with a bench top. The removable bench top provides functional sitting. Also, the unit can be used as storage for garden tools and accessories. Durable polystyrene and aluminum bench top construction requires no maintenance. The bench top comes in mocha color with finely sanded texture.

Photography by John Merkl
Example of a trendy kitchen design in San Francisco

APD was hired to update the kitchen, living room, primary bathroom and bedroom, and laundry room in this suburban townhome. The design brought an aesthetic that incorporated a fresh updated and current take on traditional while remaining timeless and classic. The kitchen layout moved cooking to the exterior wall providing a beautiful range and hood moment. Removing an existing peninsula and re-orienting the island orientation provided a functional floorplan while adding extra storage in the same square footage. A specific design request from the client was bar cabinetry integrated into the stair railing, and we could not be more thrilled with how it came together! The primary bathroom experienced a major overhaul by relocating both the shower and double vanities and removing an un-used soaker tub. The design added linen storage and seated beauty vanity while expanding the shower to a luxurious size. Dimensional tile at the shower accent wall relates to the dimensional tile at the kitchen backsplash without matching the two spaces to each other while tones of cream, taupe, and warm woods with touches of gray are a cohesive thread throughout.

SafeRacks installed above the garage door tracks. Most garages have 18-24" of unused space above the door.
Shed - traditional shed idea in Orange County

This breezeway is a unique architectural detail that connects the garage to the main house.
Inspiration for a transitional partial sun stone garden path in Other.