Custom-made mid-century design platform bed with recessed lighting and green wall print onto the pine wood panel wall decor. Porcelain bathtub installed next to white subway tile shower wall in the master bedroom.

Modern Ina Wall Trellis for vertical garden by TerraTrellis.com.
Inspiration for a modern landscaping in Los Angeles.

These clients came to my office looking for an architect who could design their "empty nest" home that would be the focus of their soon to be extended family. A place where the kids and grand kids would want to hang out: with a pool, open family room/ kitchen, garden; but also one-story so there wouldn't be any unnecessary stairs to climb. They wanted the design to feel like "old Pasadena" with the coziness and attention to detail that the era embraced. My sensibilities led me to recall the wonderful classic mansions of San Marino, so I designed a manor house clad in trim Bluestone with a steep French slate roof and clean white entry, eave and dormer moldings that would blend organically with the future hardscape plan and thoughtfully landscaped grounds. The site was a deep, flat lot that had been half of the old Joan Crawford estate; the part that had an abandoned swimming pool and small cabana. I envisioned a pavilion filled with natural light set in a beautifully planted park with garden views from all sides. Having a one-story house allowed for tall and interesting shaped ceilings that carved into the sheer angles of the roof. The most private area of the house would be the central loggia with skylights ensconced in a deep woodwork lattice grid and would be reminiscent of the outdoor “Salas” found in early Californian homes. The family would soon gather there and enjoy warm afternoons and the wonderfully cool evening hours together. Working with interior designer Jeffrey Hitchcock, we designed an open family room/kitchen with high dark wood beamed ceilings, dormer windows for daylight, custom raised panel cabinetry, granite counters and a textured glass tile splash. Natural light and gentle breezes flow through the many French doors and windows located to accommodate not only the garden views, but the prevailing sun and wind as well. The graceful living room features a dramatic vaulted white painted wood ceiling and grand fireplace flanked by generous double hung French windows and elegant drapery. A deeply cased opening draws one into the wainscot paneled dining room that is highlighted by hand painted scenic wallpaper and a barrel vaulted ceiling. The walnut paneled library opens up to reveal the waterfall feature in the back garden. Equally picturesque and restful is the view from the rotunda in the master bedroom suite. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Jeffrey Hitchcock Enterprises Contractor: Synergy General Contractors, Inc. Landscape Design: LZ Design Group, Inc. Photography: Laura Hull

Brent A. Riechers
Photo of a small contemporary full sun rooftop vegetable garden landscape in Chicago.

The potting shed and vegetable garden (featured in a spring issue of Country Living Gardens magazine. © Melissa Clark Photography. All rights reserved

Inspiration for a country backyard patio kitchen remodel in Other with no cover

These clients came to my office looking for an architect who could design their "empty nest" home that would be the focus of their soon to be extended family. A place where the kids and grand kids would want to hang out: with a pool, open family room/ kitchen, garden; but also one-story so there wouldn't be any unnecessary stairs to climb. They wanted the design to feel like "old Pasadena" with the coziness and attention to detail that the era embraced. My sensibilities led me to recall the wonderful classic mansions of San Marino, so I designed a manor house clad in trim Bluestone with a steep French slate roof and clean white entry, eave and dormer moldings that would blend organically with the future hardscape plan and thoughtfully landscaped grounds. The site was a deep, flat lot that had been half of the old Joan Crawford estate; the part that had an abandoned swimming pool and small cabana. I envisioned a pavilion filled with natural light set in a beautifully planted park with garden views from all sides. Having a one-story house allowed for tall and interesting shaped ceilings that carved into the sheer angles of the roof. The most private area of the house would be the central loggia with skylights ensconced in a deep woodwork lattice grid and would be reminiscent of the outdoor “Salas” found in early Californian homes. The family would soon gather there and enjoy warm afternoons and the wonderfully cool evening hours together. Working with interior designer Jeffrey Hitchcock, we designed an open family room/kitchen with high dark wood beamed ceilings, dormer windows for daylight, custom raised panel cabinetry, granite counters and a textured glass tile splash. Natural light and gentle breezes flow through the many French doors and windows located to accommodate not only the garden views, but the prevailing sun and wind as well. The graceful living room features a dramatic vaulted white painted wood ceiling and grand fireplace flanked by generous double hung French windows and elegant drapery. A deeply cased opening draws one into the wainscot paneled dining room that is highlighted by hand painted scenic wallpaper and a barrel vaulted ceiling. The walnut paneled library opens up to reveal the waterfall feature in the back garden. Equally picturesque and restful is the view from the rotunda in the master bedroom suite. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Jeffrey Hitchcock Enterprises Contractor: Synergy General Contractors, Inc. Landscape Design: LZ Design Group, Inc. Photography: Laura Hull

Design ideas for a large rustic full sun side yard mulch and wood fence landscaping in Minneapolis for summer.

Graber Natural vertical blinds and gliding window panels for large windows array, sliding glass doors or french doors. Window panels are wide panel track blinds / sliding panels that move smootly across the wide window array or can be used as a room divider. If you are looking for window treatments to add value to your home before the sale, or to make your new home your own, Windows Dressed Up in Denver has blinds, shades, shutters, from Hunter Douglas, Graber & Lafayette. custom curtains, drapes, custom bedding & drapery hardware too. Home decorators dream store! Over 3,000 designer fabrics. Window treatments vary from budget to indulgence. Graber blinds vertical panel bedroom photo.

View of stair
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional wooden l-shaped wood railing staircase remodel in Boston with wooden risers

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture. Post processing by Isabella Li.
Design ideas for a contemporary landscaping in Orange County.

This wall installation in a hallway makes use of a preserved moss. Showcasing a beautiful green color against the walls, with nice wood panels to offset the green vertical wall. This type of plant art brings nature indoors. It gives a subtle sense of a spiritual connection to a calm presence.

The living wall/vertical garden is filling in beautifully 2 months after the installation, providing a dramatic focal point for this mid-century model landscape renovation. The updates include a new concrete driveway, a welcoming concrete pathway accented by shiny black pebbles along with a variety of grasses, lavender, yarrow, succulents and CA native plants. The large living wall was the perfect solution to bring life to the home's large front wall just next to the entrance. A variety of succulents, grass-like plants, cascading Oxalis and Lamium, were planted in long waves in the wall offering a beautiful tapestry of flowing textures and colors.

Gardens of every sort are an opportunity to enjoy the beauty found outdoors, including the often over-looked vegetable garden. The use of a fence or enclosure of some sort is helpful in keeping the gardens fruits safe from the occasional dig-happy pet as well as less welcome marauders such as rabbits and deer. By enclosing the space the fence itself helps to create its own little world within.

San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close- knit family. San Marino based clients were interested in developing a property that had been in their family for generations. This was an exciting proposition as it was one of the last surviving bayside double lots on the scenic Coronado peninsula in San Diego. They desired a holiday home that would be a gathering place for their large, close-knit family. Facing the Back Bay, overlooking downtown and the Bay Bridge, this property presented us with a unique opportunity to design a vacation home with a dual personality. One side faces a bustling harbor with a constant parade of yachts, cargo vessels and military ships while the other opens onto a deep, quiet contemplative garden. The home’s shingle-style influence carries on the historical Coronado tradition of clapboard and Craftsman bungalows built in the shadow of the great Hotel Del Coronado which was erected at the turn of the last century. In order to create an informal feel to the residence, we devised a concept that eliminated the need for a “front door”. Instead, one walks through the garden and enters the “Great Hall” through either one of two French doors flanking a walk-in stone fireplace. Both two-story bedroom wings bookend this central wood beam vaulted room which serves as the “heart of the home”, and opens to both views. Three sets of stairs are discretely tucked away inside the bedroom wings. In lieu of a formal dining room, the family convenes and dines around a beautiful table and banquette set into a circular window bay off the kitchen which overlooks the lights of the city beyond the harbor. Working with noted interior designer Betty Ann Marshall, we designed a unique kitchen that was inspired by the colors and textures of a fossil the couple found on a honeymoon trip to the quarries of Montana. We set that ancient fossil into a matte glass backsplash behind the professional cook’s stove. A warm library with walnut paneling and a bayed window seat affords a refuge for the family to read or play board games. The couple’s fine craft and folk art collection is on prominent display throughout the house and helps to set an intimate and whimsical tone. Another architectural feature devoted to family is the play room lit by a dramatic cupola which beacons the older grandchildren and their friends. Below the play room is a four car garage that allows the patriarch space to refurbish an antique fire truck, a mahogany launch boat and several vintage cars. Their jet skis and kayaks are housed in another garage designed for that purpose. Lattice covered skylights that allow dappled sunlight to bathe the loggia affords a comfortable refuge to watch the kids swim and gaze out upon the rushing water, the Coronado Bay Bridge and the romantic downtown San Diego skyline. Architect: Ward Jewell Architect, AIA Interior Design: Betty Ann Marshall Construction: Bill Lyons Photographer: Laura Hull Styling: Zale Design Studio

Brent A. Riechers
Inspiration for a small contemporary full sun rooftop vegetable garden landscape in Chicago.

Hand Hewn Timbers run in a cross-beam pattern across the ceiling of this open concept kitchen and dining room, filling the space with the kind of warmth and character that only comes from old growth hardwoods. Reclaimed wood ceiling paneling fills every bay between the beams, and a reclaimed vertical post frames the kitchen transition, creating a cohesive and immersive reclaimed wood interior from every angle. A custom reclaimed wood dining table and bench from Manomin anchor the dining space, crafted from the same old growth hardwoods that give our timbers their unmatched character and density. Whether you are a homebuilder, a home remodeling contractor, or a homeowner looking to bring reclaimed wood into a kitchen, dining room, or open concept living space, Manomin Resawn Timbers has been helping people discover the antique charm of reclaimed wood since 2002. We serve homebuilders, contractors, and designers across the country. Visit our showroom in Hugo, MN or reach out to us with a call or a message to get started.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern drought-tolerant backyard landscaping in Other.

The Ardent Gardener Landscape Design
Photo of a large traditional full sun side yard gravel landscaping in Salt Lake City for summer.