This project was such an incredible design opportunity, and instilled inspiration and excitement at every turn! Our amazing clients came to us with the challenge of converting their beloved family home into a welcoming haven for all members of the family. At the time that we met our clients, they were struggling with the difficult personal decision of the fate of the home. Their father/father-in-law had passed away and their mother/mother-in-law had recently been admitted into a nursing facility and was fighting Alzheimer’s. Resistant to loss of the home now that both parents were out of it, our clients purchased the home to keep in in the family. Despite their permanent home currently being in New Jersey, these clients dedicated themselves to keeping and revitalizing the house. We were moved by the story and became immediately passionate about bringing this dream to life. The home was built by the parents of our clients and was only ever owned by them, making this a truly special space to the family. Our goal was to revitalize the home and to bring new energy into every room without losing the special characteristics that were original to the home when it was built. In this way, we were able to develop a house that maintains its own unique personality while offering a space of welcoming neutrality for all members of the family to enjoy over time. The renovation touched every part of the home: the exterior, foyer, kitchen, living room, sun room, garage, six bedrooms, three bathrooms, the laundry room, and everything in between. The focus was to develop a style that carried consistently from space to space, but allowed for unique expression in the small details in every room. Starting at the entry, we renovated the front door and entry point to offer more presence and to bring more of the mid-century vibe to the home’s exterior. We integrated a new modern front door, cedar shingle accents, new exterior paint, and gorgeous contemporary house numbers that really allow the home to stand out. Just inside the entry, we renovated the foyer to create a playful entry point worthy of attention. Cement look tile adorns the foyer floor, and we’ve added new lighting and upgraded the entry coat storage. Upon entering the home, one will immediately be captivated by the stunning kitchen just off the entry. We transformed this space in just about every way. While the footprint of the home ultimately remained almost identical, the aesthetics were completely turned on their head. We re-worked the kitchen to maximize storage and to create an informal dining area that is great for casual hosting or morning coffee. We removed the entry to the garage that was once in the informal dining, and created a peninsula in its place that offers a unique division between the kitchen/informal dining and the formal dining and living areas. The simple light warm light gray cabinetry offers a bit of traditional elegance, along with the marble backsplash and quartz countertops. We extended the original wood flooring into the kitchen and stained all floors to match for a warmth that truly resonates through all spaces. We upgraded appliances, added lighting everywhere, and finished the space with some gorgeous mid century furniture pieces. In the formal dining and living room, we really focused on maintaining the original marble fireplace as a focal point. We cleaned the marble, repaired the mortar, and refinished the original fireplace screen to give a new sleek look in black. We then integrated a new gas insert for modern heating and painted the upper portion in a rich navy blue; an accent that is carried through the home consistently as a nod to our client’s love of the color. The former entry into the old covered porch is now an elegant glass door leading to a stunning finished sunroom. This room was completely upgraded as well. We wrapped the entire space in cozy white shiplap to keep a casual feel with brightness. We tiled the floor with large format concrete look tile, and painted the old brick fireplace a bright white. We installed a new gas burning unit, and integrated transitional style lighting to bring warmth and elegance into the space. The new black-frame windows are adorned with decorative shades that feature hand-sketched bird prints, and we’ve created a dedicated garden-ware “nook” for our client who loves to work in the yard. The far end of this space is completed with two oversized chaise loungers and overhead lights…the most perfect little reading nook! Just off the dining room, we created an entirely new space to the home: a mudroom. The clients lacked this space and desperately needed a landing spot upon entering the home from the garage. We uniquely planned existing space in the garage to utilize for this purpose, and were able to create a small but functional entry point without losing the ability to park cars in the garage. This new space features cement-look tile, gorgeous deep brown cabinetry, and plenty of storage for all the small items one might need to store while moving in and out of the home. The remainder of the upstairs level includes massive renovations to the guest hall bathroom and guest bedroom, upstairs master bed/bath suite, and a third bedroom that we converted into a home office for the client. Some of the largest transformations were made in the basement, where unfinished space and lack of light were converted into gloriously lit, cozy, finished spaces. Our first task was to convert the massive basement living room into the new master bedroom for our clients. We removed existing built-ins, created an entirely new walk-in closet, painted the old brick fireplace, installed a new gas unit, added carpet, introduced new lighting, replaced windows, and upgraded every part of the aesthetic appearance. One of the most incredible features of this space is the custom double sliding barn door made by a Denver artisan. This space is truly a retreat for our clients! We also completely transformed the laundry room, back storage room, basement master bathroom, and two bedrooms. This home’s massive scope and ever-evolving challenges were thrilling and exciting to work with, and the result is absolutely amazing. At the end of the day, this home offers a look and feel that the clients love. Above all, though, the clients feel the spirit of their family home and have a welcoming environment for all members of the family to enjoy for years to come.

This home is a modern farmhouse on the outside with an open-concept floor plan and nautical/midcentury influence on the inside! From top to bottom, this home was completely customized for the family of four with five bedrooms and 3-1/2 bathrooms spread over three levels of 3,998 sq. ft. This home is functional and utilizes the space wisely without feeling cramped. Some of the details that should be highlighted in this home include the 5” quartersawn oak floors, detailed millwork including ceiling beams, abundant natural lighting, and a cohesive color palate. Space Plans, Building Design, Interior & Exterior Finishes by Anchor Builders Andrea Rugg Photography

Inspiration for a scandinavian bathroom remodel in New York

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Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard deck remodel in Chicago with a roof extension

This backyard is a sanctuary and a show stopper. The warm contemporary home mixes mahogany and limestone for fresh take on modern architecture. It utilizes every section of the home to maximize the indoor/outdoor living Southern California offers. The second story balcony uses glass panel railing for unimpeded views of the back yard. Large sliders grace the bottom floor living area and lead to a large variety of sitting and dining spaces in the yard. A small pool with an infinity ledge gives a space to cool off without compromising the abundant green space of the yard. Native plants are scattered around the property giving privacy, color and space delineation of each little oasis area.

The design of this home drew upon historical styles, preserving the essentials of the original movement while updating these elements with clean lines and modern materials. Peers Homestead drew upon the American Farmhouse. The architectural design was based on several factors: orientation with views and connection to seasonal water elements, glass cubes, simplistic form and material palette, and steel accents with structure and cladding. To capture views, the floor to ceiling windows in the great room bring in the natural environment into the home and were oriented to face the Spanish Peaks. The great room’s simple gable roof and square room shape, accompanied by the large glass walls and a high ceiling, create an impressive glass cube effect. Following a contemporary trend for windows, thin-frame, aluminum clad windows were utilized for the high performance qualities as well as the aesthetic appeal. (Photos by Whitney Kamman)

The hot tub is a stainless steel unit which is seated on a poured concrete pad and surrounded by drain stone base material and covered with flagstone.

These homeowners are well known to our team as repeat clients and asked us to convert a dated deck overlooking their pool and the lake into an indoor/outdoor living space. A new footer foundation with tile floor was added to withstand the Indiana climate and to create an elegant aesthetic. The existing transom windows were raised and a collapsible glass wall with retractable screens was added to truly bring the outdoor space inside. Overhead heaters and ceiling fans now assist with climate control and a custom TV cabinet was built and installed utilizing motorized retractable hardware to hide the TV when not in use. As the exterior project was concluding we additionally removed 2 interior walls and french doors to a room to be converted to a game room. We removed a storage space under the stairs leading to the upper floor and installed contemporary stair tread and cable handrail for an updated modern look. The first floor living space is now open and entertainer friendly with uninterrupted flow from inside to outside and is simply stunning.

Natural Swimming Pool design utilizing Shotcrete Inground Pool Shell with Natural Sandstone Retaining Walls, Seamless Slate Stamped Concrete decking, 30" Dia. x 22' long Tube Slide exiting under Huge Pool Waterfall. Pool House Features Copper Guttering and Roof Dormer Top, Real Stucco, Large Shower, Dressing Bench Area, Imprinted Compass In Floor all on approx. 45 degree sloped yard. A Beautiful Job well done! Design & Pic's by Doug Fender Const. By Doug & Craig Fender dba Indian Summer Pool and Spa

Custom Quonset Huts become artist live/work spaces, aesthetically and functionally bridging a border between industrial and residential zoning in a historic neighborhood. The open space on the main floor is designed to be flexible for artists to pursue their creative path. Upstairs, a living space helps to make creative pursuits in an expensive city more attainable. The two-story buildings were custom-engineered to achieve the height required for the second floor. End walls utilized a combination of traditional stick framing with autoclaved aerated concrete with a stucco finish. Steel doors were custom-built in-house.

Natural Swimming Pool design utilizing Shotcrete Inground Pool Shell with Natural Sandstone Retaining Walls, Seamless Slate Stamped Concrete decking, 30" Dia. x 22' long Tube Slide exiting under Huge Pool Waterfall. Pool House Features Copper Guttering and Roof Dormer Top, Real Stucco, Large Shower, Dressing Bench Area, Imprinted Compass In Floor all on approx. 45 degree sloped yard. A Beautiful Job well done! Design & Pic's by Doug Fender Const. By Doug & Craig Fender dba Indian Summer Pool and Spa

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

Natural Swimming Pool design utilizing Shotcrete Inground Pool Shell with Natural Sandstone Retaining Walls, Seamless Slate Stamped Concrete decking, 30" Dia. x 22' long Tube Slide exiting under Huge Pool Waterfall. Pool House Features Copper Guttering and Roof Dormer Top, Real Stucco, Large Shower, Dressing Bench Area, Imprinted Compass In Floor all on approx. 45 degree sloped yard. A Beautiful Job well done! Design & Pic's by Doug Fender Const. By Doug & Craig Fender dba Indian Summer Pool and Spa

Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic backyard brick patio kitchen remodel in Atlanta with a roof extension

The fireplace wall had been unfinished for years. After a leak they had a hard time deciding what to do with the space. Finn personally built a steel floating box around the fireplace and reframed the wall so that it could be better utilized for art or as a media wall. Simple materials and thoughtful design reinvent a space. Rather than spending a lot of money to clad a whole wall, some drywall, steel and concrete made the space unique and fresh and truly useable space. The fireplace was also brought up to code, a previous leak and repair had left the fireplace without adequate fireblocking and the unfinished harth made it unsafe for children to be around. isARK Studio

Inspired by European villas, the palette for this home utilizes natural earth tones, along with molded eaves, precast columns, and stone veneer. The design takes full advantage of natural valley view corridors as well as negating the line between interior and exterior living. The use of windows and French doors allows virtually every room in the residence to open up onto the spacious pool courtyard. This allows for an extension of the indoor activities to the exterior. Photos by: Zack Benson Photography

The design for this home in Palo Alto looked to create a union between the interior and exterior, blending the spaces in such a way as to allow residents to move seamlessly between the two environments. Expansive glazing was used throughout the home to complement this union, looking out onto a swimming pool centrally located within the courtyard. Within the living room, a large operable skylight brings in plentiful sunlight, while utilizing self tinting glass that adjusts to various lighting conditions throughout the day to ensure optimal comfort. For the exterior, a living wall was added to the garage that continues into the backyard. Extensive landscaping and a gabion wall was also created to provide privacy and contribute to the sense of the home as a tranquil oasis.

Inspired by European villas, the palette for this home utilizes natural earth tones, along with molded eaves, precast columns, and stone veneer. The design takes full advantage of natural valley view corridors as well as negating the line between interior and exterior living. The use of windows and French doors allows virtually every room in the residence to open up onto the spacious pool courtyard. This allows for an extension of the indoor activities to the exterior. Photos by: Zack Benson Photography

This commercial tenant improvement was completed in 2016 for locally based international safe manufacturer and retailer. The improvements focused on representing the company’s deep local roots utilizing barnwood and other traditional materials while also representing its forward thinking vision with the creative use of metals, historical safes and polished concrete. Featuring reclaimed wood walls & trim, concrete floors, Zodiaq Astral Pearl, semi-private cubicles and reclaimed wood barn door. McCandless & Associates Architects Photography by: Farrell Scott