Photo Andrew Wuttke

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.

Our client initially asked us to assist with selecting materials and designing a guest bath for their new Tucson home. Our scope of work progressively expanded into interior architecture and detailing, including the kitchen, baths, fireplaces, stair, custom millwork, doors, guardrails, and lighting for the residence – essentially everything except the furniture. The home is loosely defined by a series of thick, parallel walls supporting planar roof elements floating above the desert floor. Our approach was to not only reinforce the general intentions of the architecture but to more clearly articulate its meaning. We began by adopting a limited palette of desert neutrals, providing continuity to the uniquely differentiated spaces. Much of the detailing shares a common vocabulary, while numerous objects (such as the elements of the master bath – each operating on their own terms) coalesce comfortably in the rich compositional language. Photo Credit: William Lesch

Photography-Hedrich Blessing Glass House: The design objective was to build a house for my wife and three kids, looking forward in terms of how people live today. To experiment with transparency and reflectivity, removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. To construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. To tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with the nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the concrete beams support the steel beams; and in terms of how the entire house is enveloped in glass as if it was poured over the bones to make it skin tight. To engineer the house to be a smart house that not only looks modern, but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades/blinds, HVAC, communication/audio/video, or security. To develop a planning module based on a 16 foot square room size and a 8 foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The base of the interstitial spaces also become skylights for the basement gallery. This house is all about flexibility; the family room, was a nursery when the kids were infants, is a craft and media room now, and will be a family room when the time is right. Our rooms are all based on a 16’x16’ (4.8mx4.8m) module, so a bedroom, a kitchen, and a dining room are the same size and functions can easily change; only the furniture and the attitude needs to change. The house is 5,500 SF (550 SM)of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 8200 SF (820 SM). The mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hardscapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot.

The homeowners selected Minneapolis Interior Designer Brandi Hagen to make their interior home design more hip. Originally built in the 1970s, a contemporary retro theme complemented this newly remodeled home. beautiful, yet practical, the interior design holds up to heavy use among four active boys. The ultra-suede sofa is durable enough to withstand routine scrubbings. Commercial – grade carpets bound into area rugs accommodate high foot and Hot Wheels traffic. Brandi retained neutral tones in the home’s fixtures, with grey walls, warm woods and mellow upholsteries. Colorful accents, including rugs, artwork and pillows to jazz up the space white providing far-out focal points. A red birch wall provides separation between the more formal and casual spaces but creatively disguises storage that is found with the touch of a finger. To read more about this project, click on the following link: http://eminentid.com/featured-work/newly-remodeled-home-contemporary-retro/case_study

Indoor-outdoor courtyard, living room in mid-century-modern home. Living room with expansive views of the San Francisco Bay, with wood ceilings and floor to ceiling sliding doors. Courtyard with round dining table and wicker patio chairs, orange lounge chair and wood side table. Large potted plants on teak deck tiles in the Berkeley hills, California.

The glow of the lantern-like foyer sets the tone for this urban contemporary home. This open floor plan invites entertaining on the main floor, with only ceiling transitions defining the living, dining, kitchen, and breakfast rooms. With viewable outdoor living and pool, extensive use of glass makes it seamless from inside to out. Published: Western Art & Architecture, August/September 2012 Austin-San Antonio Urban HOME: February/March 2012 (Cover) - https://issuu.com/urbanhomeaustinsanantonio/docs/uh_febmar_2012 Photo Credit: Coles Hairston

This house, in eastern Washington’s Kittitas County, is sited on the shallow incline of a slight elevation, in the midst of fifty acres of pasture and prairie grassland, a place of vast expanses, where only distant hills and the occasional isolated tree interrupt the view toward the horizon. Where another design might seem to be an alien import, this house feels entirely native, powerfully attached to the land. Set back from and protected under the tent-like protection of the roof, the front of the house is entirely transparent, glowing like a lantern in the evening. Along the windowed wall that looks out over the porch, a full-length enfilade reaches out to the far window at each end. Steep ship’s ladders on either side of the great room lead to loft spaces, lighted by a single window placed high on the gable ends. On either side of the massive stone fireplace, angled window seats offer views of the grasslands and of the watch tower. Eight-foot-high accordion doors at the porch end of the great room fold away, extending the room out to a screened space for summer, a glass-enclosed solarium in winter. In addition to serving as an observation look-out and beacon, the tower serves the practical function of housing a below-grade wine cellar and sleeping benches. Tower and house align from entrance to entrance, literally linked by a pathway, set off axis and leading to steps that descend into the courtyard.

Light and soft celadon walls and soft blue ceiling. Two double beds for flexibility as in many hotels. This project altogether is a Catalog based, low budget design.

This stunning project in Cultra, County Down marries both form and function in one beautiful open plan space. Although it may look minimalist, this is a family home that has all the usual paraphernalia which is cleverly hidden with practical storage solutions. The project, in collaboration with J'Adore Decor uses beautiful cross-grained wedge doors, hardwood flooring and luxurious Silestone work surfaces.

Brandner Design fabricated the ladder for these bunk beds in the Riverbend Residence.