This rear exterior view highlights the layered porches, expansive windows and elevated coastal architecture of a luxury custom home on Wrightsville Beach. Native landscaping and preserved vegetation help the home feel connected to its oceanfront setting while maintaining privacy around the pool and outdoor living areas.

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This view highlights french-door plantation shutter. Coordinated door and window shutters bring consistent light control across the home.
Entryway - transitional entryway idea in Miami

A closer view highlights the natural IPE hardwood construction and clean lines of this outdoor TV lift cabinet. The television rises above the cabinet for patio viewing while the lift system allows it to retract completely into the furniture.

This view highlights sunburst arch plantation shutter. The coordinated real-wood panels balance outdoor views with adjustable Florida light.
Example of a classic living room design in Miami

This view highlights both the long views through the space as well as the gleam of the white terrazzo flooring.
Minimalist terrazzo floor and white floor entryway photo in Philadelphia

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This view highlights arched window shutters behind a table lamp. The coordinated real-wood panels balance outdoor views with adjustable Florida light.

This is an angled view of the exterior of the Farmhouse. This view highlights a double-door garage.
Inspiration for a farmhouse two-story exterior home remodel in Austin

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

This modern home with hints of classic design is situated on a hilltop estate in Pacific Palisades, California. Architect and Designer, Michelle Anaya, took on the challenge of renovating the home into the breathtaking residence that it is today. The home features Hallmark Floors: Engineered Hardwood Floors throughout most of the interior. The vision of the interior design was influenced by the outdoors. The home boasts a world-class view highlighted by large windows featuring some of the best sights in the country. Five rigorous years of planning, detailed designing, and extensive renovating resulted in a stunning outcome. “The color of the floor was the perfect selection to compliment the home’s natural landscape with the interior. I needed a floor that would compliment these natural colors… I didn’t want to compete with the sky, the greenery, and the ocean. The floors came out amazing!”

Cottage kitchen photo in Minneapolis

The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home. Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials. The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond. The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival. Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces. This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”. Overview Ranch Creek Ranch Winter Park, Colorado Completion Date October, 2007 Services Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture