Photo Credit: E. Gualdoni Photography, Landscape Architect: Hoerr Schaudt

This custom contemporary NYC roof garden near Gramercy Park features beautifully stained ipe deck and planters with plantings of evergreens, Japanese maples, bamboo, boxwoods, and ornamental grasses. Read more about our projects on my blog, www.amberfreda.com.

Mid-Century Modernism inspired our design for this new house in Noe Valley. The exterior is distinguished by cubic massing, well proportioned forms and use of contrasting but harmonious natural materials. These include clear cedar, stone, aluminum, colored stucco, glass railings, slate and painted wood. At the rear yard, stepped terraces provide scenic views of downtown and the Bay Bridge. Large sunken courts allow generous natural light to reach the below grade guest bedroom and office behind the first floor garage. The upper floors bedrooms and baths are flooded with natural light from carefully arranged windows that open the house to panoramic views. A mostly open plan with 10 foot ceilings and an open stairwell combine with metal railings, dropped ceilings, fin walls, a stone fireplace, stone counters and teak floors to create a unified interior.

Photo Copyright: Thien Do

Here seen from the basement, where the bedroom is situated. Cosy outside living room. Sitting underneath the pergola with a protecting cloth. Garden made up of 50-50 plants-hard materials. Transparent bridge over a small pond. Lighting provided for evening use. Arjan Boekel

Michael David Rose & Paul Dyer

Dennis Mayer, Photographer

This 1925 Jackson street penthouse boasts 2,600 square feet with an additional 1,000 square foot roof deck. Having only been remodeled a few times the space suffered from an outdated, wall heavy floor plan. Updating the flow was critical to the success of this project. An enclosed kitchen was opened up to become the hub for gathering and entertaining while an antiquated closet was relocated for a sumptuous master bath. The necessity for roof access to the additional outdoor living space allowed for the introduction of a spiral staircase. The sculptural stairs provide a source for natural light and yet another focal point.

Homeowners in hip, downtown Chicago wanted a contemporary update for their open-concept kitchen and living room. Designer, Hannah Tindall, paired pops of bright orange and chartreuse with sleek gray cabinets and furnishings. We added a white, exposed brick wall as a unique accent piece to the living room. The custom kitchen island with waterfall edges adds extra space for cooking, while dropping down several inches on one end to become the homeowner's dining area. The final home result is a true blend of utility, sophistication, and cheer.

"Revival” implies a retread of an old idea—not our interests at Axis Mundi. So when renovating an 1840s Greek Revival brownstone, subversion was on our minds. The landmarked exterior remains unchanged, as does the residence’s unalterable 19-foot width. Inside, however, a pristine white space forms a backdrop for art by Warhol, Basquiat and Haring, as well as intriguing furnishings drawn from the continuum of modern design—pieces by Dalí and Gaudí, Patrick Naggar and Poltrona Frau, Armani and Versace. The architectural envelope references iconic 20th-century figures and genres: Jean Prouvé-like shutters in the kitchen, an industrial-chic bronze staircase and a ground-floor screen employing cast glass salvaged from Gio Ponti’s 1950s design for Alitalia’s Fifth Avenue showroom (paired with mercury mirror and set within a bronze grid). Unable to resist a bit of our usual wit, Greek allusions appear in a dining room fireplace that reimagines classicism in a contemporary fashion and lampshades that slyly recall the drapery of Greek sculpture. Size: 2,550 sq. ft. Design Team: John Beckmann and Richard Rosenbloom Photography: Adriana Bufi, Andrew Garn, and Annie Schlecter © Axis Mundi Design LLC