Tatum Brown Custom Homes {Photo credit: Danny Piassick} {Architectural credit: Enrique Montenegro of Stocker Hoesterey Montenegro Architects}

Dana Nichols © 2012 Houzz

Greg Premru Photography

Designer: Paul McClean Project Type: New Single Family Residence Location: Los Angeles, CA Approximate Size: 15,500 sf Completion Date: 2012 Photographer: Jim Bartsch

Douglas Gibb

The owner's preferred mode of transportation, a prized and valuble bicycle, is stored neatly behind a folding screen near the entry for ease of access and security. The large bike rack provides storage for all the necessities of "2 wheel" travel.

Larry Arnal

Family Room

The key living spaces of this mountainside house are nestled in an intimate proximity to a granite outcrop on one side while opening to expansive distant views on the other. Situated at the top of a mountain in the Laurentians with a commanding view of the valley below; the architecture of this house was well situated to take advantage of the site. This discrete siting within the terrain ensures both privacy from a nearby road and a powerful connection to the rugged terrain and distant mountainscapes. The client especially likes to watch the changing weather moving through the valley from the long expanse of the windows. Exterior materials were selected for their tactile earthy quality which blends with the natural context. In contrast, the interior has been rendered in subtle simplicity to bring a sense of calm and serenity as a respite from busy urban life and to enjoy the inside as a non-competing continuation of nature’s drama outside. An open plan with prismatic spaces heightens the sense of order and lightness. The interior was finished with a minimalist theme and all extraneous details that did not contribute to function were eliminated. The first principal room accommodates the entry, living and dining rooms, and the kitchen. The kitchen is very elegant because the main working components are in the pantry. The client, who loves to entertain, likes to do all of the prep and plating out of view of the guests. The master bedroom with the ensuite bath, wardrobe, and dressing room also has a stunning view of the valley. It features a his and her vanity with a generous curb-less shower stall and a soaker tub in the bay window. Through the house, the built-in cabinets, custom designed the bedroom furniture, minimalist trim detail, and carefully selected lighting; harmonize with the neutral palette chosen for all finishes. This ensures that the beauty of the surrounding nature remains the star performer.

The mammoth phalanxes of white-brick apartment houses that proliferated in the 1960s occupy an architectural purgatory; generic, with boxy interiors devoid of detail, many aren’t even interesting enough to excite a raised eyebrow. Our solution for this exemplar near Astor Place, which fortunately was blessed with premium skyline views, was to relieve the interior ordinariness by stimulating the senses with tactile variety. Axis Mundi created a complexly layered textural palette that injects visual adrenaline into the architectural envelope: a television set into a waxed steel panel topped by clerestory windows with a built-in planter for grasses; wenge wood walls rising from richly figured walnut floors; white subway tile surrounding a subtly colored penny-tile mosaic tub and wall; in the kitchen, Venetian plaster, steel, stone and wood mix harmoniously as a surprisingly spiced exotic concoction. The interiors exude a confident masculinity that challenges the complacency of bland, white-box living. Project Team: John Beckmann and Esther Sperber | Studio ST Photography: Andrew Garn © Axis Mundi Design LLC

Our modish Evolve kitchen comes in a variety of finishes. Here, we are delighted to showcase this clean white Eco-friendly design featuring smooth curved surfaces, hidden accent lighting and streamlined handleless storage.

To the right as you walk into the bathroom is an open shower used to create space. After discussing it with the clients we thought it was not necessary to have a double shower as before as the open shower provided more space. Photohub Ben Wrigley

Adrien Tiemens

Photo by Jordi Canosa http://www.jordicanosa.com/ YLAB Arquitectos http://www.ylab.es/ https://www.facebook.com/YLAB.arquitectos?ref=ts

Photography by Tria Giovan

Sarah Lavoine : http://www.sarahlavoine.com