Casey Dunn Photography

Standard IKEA kitchen with custom Semihandmade Walnut facing in Topanga Canyon, CA. Photo by Bryce Duffy.

New home designed for a young family who desired to stay true to "modernism" without compromising meeting the needs of family. True to moderns philosophy the home utilizes standard modular materials and construction techniques. Simple geometric forms were manipulated to create protected outdoor spaces and framed views. Concrete walls anchor the home both structurally and metaphorically to the Earth. Interior and exterior spaces become intertwined through the aluminum/glass curtain walls. Photography: Phil McClain Photography

The Mazama Cabin is located at the end of a beautiful meadow in the Methow Valley, on the east slope of the North Cascades Mountains in Washington state. The 1500 SF cabin is a superb place for a weekend get-a-way, with a garage below and compact living space above. The roof is “lifted” by a continuous band of clerestory windows, and the upstairs living space has a large glass wall facing a beautiful view of the mountain face known locally as Goat Wall. The project is characterized by sustainable cedar siding and recycled metal roofing; the walls and roof have 40% higher insulation values than typical construction. The cabin will become a guest house when the main house is completed in late 2012.

Remodel of a two-story residence in the heart of South Austin. The entire first floor was opened up and the kitchen enlarged and upgraded to meet the demands of the homeowners who love to cook and entertain. The upstairs master bathroom was also completely renovated and features a large, luxurious walk-in shower. Jennifer Ott Design • http://jenottdesign.com/ Photography by Atelier Wong

(c) Brett Boardman

Taking its cues from both persona and place, this residence seeks to reconcile a difficult, walnut-wooded site with the late client’s desire to live in a log home in the woods. The residence was conceived as a 24 ft x 150 ft linear bar rising into the trees from northwest to southeast. Positioned according to subdivision covenants, the structure bridges 40 ft across an existing intermittent creek, thereby preserving the natural drainage patterns and habitat. The residence’s long and narrow massing allowed many of the trees to remain, enabling the client to live in a wooded environment. A requested pool “grotto” and porte cochere complete the site interventions. The structure’s section rises successively up a cascading stair to culminate in a glass-enclosed meditative space (known lovingly as the “bird feeder”), providing access to the grass roof via an exterior stair. The walnut trees, cleared from the site during construction, were locally milled and returned to the residence as hardwood flooring. Photo Credit: Eric Williams (Sophisticated Living magazine)

Living Room Photo by Arrowood Photography

Grey Crawford

Entry side view. One story ranch style house with clerestory light and air monitor in the center. Cathy Schwabe Architecture. Landscape design by Joni Janecki. Photograph by David Wakely

A Hotel Luxe Modern Transitional Home by Natalie Fuglestveit Interior Design, Calgary Interior Design Firm. Photos by Lindsay Nichols Photography. Interior design includes modern fireplace with 24"x24" calacutta marble tile face, 18 karat vase with tree, black and white geometric prints, modern Gus white Delano armchairs, natural walnut hardwood floors, medium brown wall color, ET2 Lighting linear pendant fixture over dining table with tear drop glass, acrylic coffee table, carmel shag wool area rug, champagne gold Delta Trinsic faucet, charcoal flat panel cabinets, tray ceiling with chandelier in master bedroom, pink floral drapery in girls room with teal linear border.

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Although this kitchen had ample cabinets and countertops, none of it was functional. Tall appliances divided what would have been a functional run of counters. The cooktop was placed at the end of a narrow island. The walk-in pantry jutted into the kitchen reducing the walkspace of the only functional countertop to 36”. There was not enough room to work and still have a walking area behind. Dark corners and cabinets with poor storage rounded out the existing kitchen. Removing the walk in pantry opened the kitchen and made the adjoining utility room more functional. The space created by removing the pantry became a functional wall of appliances featuring: • 30” Viking Freezer • 36” Viking Refrigerator • 30” Wolf Microwave • 30” Wolf warming drawer To minimize a three foot ceiling height change, a custom Uberboten was built to create a horizontal band keeping the focus downward. The Uberboten houses recessed cans and three decorative light fixtures to illuminate the worksurface and seating area. The Island is functional from all four sides: • Elevation F: functions as an eating bar for two and as a buffet counter for large parties. Countertop: Ceasarstone Blue Ridge • Elevation G: 30” deep coffee bar with beverage refrigerator. Custom storage for flavored syrups and coffee accoutrements. Access to the water with the pull out Elkay faucet makes filling the espresso machine a cinch! Countertop: Ceasarstone Canyon Red • Elevation H: holds the Franke sink, and a cabinet with popup mixer hardware. Countertop: 4” thick endgrain butcherblock maple countertop • Elevation I: 42” tall and 30” deep cabinets hold a second Wolf oven and a built-in Franke scale Countertop: Ceasarstone in Blue Ridge The Range Elevation (Elevation B) has 27” deep countertops, the trash compactor, recycling, a 48” Wolf range. Opposing counter surfaces flank of the range: • Left: Ceasarstone in Canyon Red • Right: Stainless Steel. • Backsplash: Copper What originally was a dysfunctional desk that collected EVERYTHING, now is an attractive, functional 21” deep pantry that stores linen, food, serving pieces and more. The cabinet doors were made from a Zebra-wood-look-alike melamine, the gain runs both horizontally and vertically for a custom design. The end cabinet is a 12” deep message center with cork-board backing and a small work space. Storage below houses phone books and the Lumitron Graphic Eye that controls the light fixtures. Design Details: • An Icebox computer to the left of the main sink • Undercabinet lighting: Xenon • Plug strip eliminate unsightly outlets in the backsplash • Cabinets: natural maple accented with espresso stained alder.

The decision to remodel your kitchen isn't one to take lightly. But, if you really don't enjoy spending time there, it may be time for a change. That was the situation facing the owners of this remodeled kitchen, says interior designer Vernon Applegate. "The old kitchen was dismal," he says. "It was small, cramped and outdated, with low ceilings and a style that reminded me of the early ‘80s." It was also some way from what the owners – a young couple – wanted. They were looking for a contemporary open-plan kitchen and family room where they could entertain guests and, in the future, keep an eye on their children. Two sinks, dishwashers and refrigerators were on their wish list, along with storage space for appliances and other equipment. Applegate's first task was to open up and increase the space by demolishing some walls and raising the height of the ceiling. "The house sits on a steep ravine. The original architect's plans for the house were missing, so we needed to be sure which walls were structural and which were decorative," he says. With the walls removed and the ceiling height increased by 18 inches, the new kitchen is now three times the size of the original galley kitchen. The main work area runs along the back of the kitchen, with an island providing additional workspace and a place for guests to linger. A color palette of dark blues and reds was chosen for the walls and backsplashes. Black was used for the kitchen island top and back. "Blue provides a sense of intimacy, and creates a contrast with the bright living and dining areas, which have lots of natural light coming through their large windows," he says. "Blue also works as a restful backdrop for anyone watching the large screen television in the kitchen." A mottled red backsplash adds to the intimate tone and makes the walls seem to pop out, especially around the range hood, says Applegate. From the family room, the black of the kitchen island provides a visual break between the two spaces. "I wanted to avoid people's eyes going straight to the cabinetry, so I extended the black countertop down to the back of the island to form a negative space and divide the two areas," he says. "The kitchen is now the axis of the whole public space in the house. From there you can see the dining room, living room and family room, as well as views of the hills and the water beyond." Cabinets : Custom rift sawn white oak, cerused dyed glaze Countertops : Absolute black granite, polished Flooring : Oak/driftwood grey from Gammapar Bar stools : Techno with arms, walnut color Lighting : Policelli Backsplash : Red dragon marble Sink : Stainless undermountby Blanco Faucets : Grohe Hot water system : InSinkErator Oven : Jade Cooktop : Independent Hoods, custom Microwave : GE Monogram Refrigerator : Jade Dishwasher : Miele, Touchtronic anniversary Limited Edition