Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it. Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy. Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy. The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors. Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house. The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood. The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu 
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects 
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers 
Staging: Da Lusso Design 
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed 
Location: Los Altos, CA
 Year completed: 2017

A room completely transformed into a rustic forest playroom for a 3yr old features of this space include double level bespoke playhouse with shop Band sawn oak panelled false wall concealing two other rooms with ivy used as high level handles Live edged douglas fir play bench with custom made storage boxes on casters. Douglas fir live edged shelving. Rustic curtain rail with ivy curtain hangers. Giant bespoke live edged blackboard doubling up as a radiator cover. photos by collette creative photography

A custom corner sofa is the perfect spot to read quietly, or enjoy a cup of tea and conversation. The clients artwork was updated with some more contemporary pieces and featured in this beautifully balanced collection. Michele Wilson photography

An open and airy living room in a contemporary home we designed and built for a client in New Jersey. The custom wood burning fireplace is the center piece. The dry laid stacked stone runs through the home, extends through the glass window wall and picks up again in the exterior features of the home. I love the platinum and moehair chairs in this room. Re|Structure Design-Build Project Photo

Our Clients goal is reinforce the kitchen as the center of their home, and do so with a contemporary craftsman's style. Our solution reorganized the traditional living room and family room into one central living room, and pushes the "formal dining room" into the old family room space. Our solution separates the cooking work triangle from circulation route. We accomplish this by relocating the kitchen wall to the center of the house and push the circulation to the exterior wall.

Room & Board Classic Contemporary Home Furnishings

Living room

Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallpaper help to give this midcentury living room an added layer of warmth. The print and color on the pillows, add another layer of texture as well.

This living room got an upgraded look with the help of new paint, furnishings, fireplace tiling and the installation of a bar area. Our clients like to party and they host very often... so they needed a space off the kitchen where adults can make a cocktail and have a conversation while listening to music. We accomplished this with conversation style seating around a coffee table. We designed a custom built-in bar area with wine storage and beverage fridge, and floating shelves for storing stemware and glasses. The fireplace also got an update with beachy glazed tile installed in a herringbone pattern and a rustic pine mantel. The homeowners are also love music and have a large collection of vinyl records. We commissioned a custom record storage cabinet from Hansen Concepts which is a piece of art and a conversation starter of its own. The record storage unit is made of raw edge wood and the drawers are engraved with the lyrics of the client's favorite songs. It's a masterpiece and will be an heirloom for sure.

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

New skylights are double insulated with safety glass. The challenge was the technical work required to install a vaulted skylight. All new trims, baseboards and doors in the redone living room. All new, modern lighting was installed. Heated du chateau flooring was added. Bruce Damonte Photography

An industrial modern design + build project placed among the trees at the top of a hill. More projects at www.IversonSignatureHomes.com 2012 KaDa Photography

Set in the Somerset hills, this beautiful old barn hadn’t been updated since its conversion back in the ’90s and the owners were keen to give it a refresh and bring it in line with 21st century living. We were tasked with creating a fresh, contemporary home filled with natural light and a space that was super stylish but also inviting and practical enough to stand up to the day-to-day needs of family life. The project covered everything from interior design to spatial planning, bathroom design, lighting, colour schemes, bespoke cabinetry, window treatments right down to furniture and accessories. We re-developed an annexe to create a decadent master suite; a grown-up haven for relaxation, with its own private sitting room, dressing room and bathroom. A formal drawing room and double-height reception hall were added, for that real sense of grandeur every time you walk in and we accentuated the original exposed beam detailing with hidden state-of-the-art lighting. Concealed doors were used to make the space as versatile as possible – meaning the ground floor can adapt from one large open-plan room, perfect for entertaining, to more intimate, private spaces in a flash. This flexibility also allows the layout to evolve with the family. The new-look barn is a modern light-filled wonder meets characterful country home and the serene space is one the family now want to spend lots of time in.

This gorgeous detached garden room in Wilmslow boasts Indossati flooring, wood panelling, two sets of bi-folding doors with integral blinds, a cloakroom & WC, and exquisite lighting features to complement the beautiful gardens. It was all built and complete in 2 weeks much to our client’s delight, and as with all of our buildings, is highly insulated for year-round use.

An elegant pink and white living room with soft green accents. An impressionist-style framed (47.75" x 35.75) watercolor print creates a colorful focal point over the fireplace. Artwork © BeverlyBrown.com