The living room features twelve-foot by four-foot sheets of high-performance glass on the exterior of the main room are held in place with thermally broken sliding aluminum frames. These can be opened on temperate days, allowing the house to be cooled by cross breezes. Photo: Ben Rahn

mill valley, bruce damonte® photography

Metal Helical centre spine, with Oak treads and a Q railing balustrade.

Contemporary master bedroom created with custom millwork design for furniture and trip, with custom carpet design to mirror ceiling soffits. Custom upholstered headboard wall is incorporated into the millwork design.

Level Three: The living room's fireplace, housed within a 12-foot-wide by 13-foot-high fireplace mass clad in mountain ash stone, creates a dramatic focal point in the room. Seating is designed to be flexible and comfortable, maintaining open spaces to enable clear views of nature through the windows. Photograph © Darren Edwards, San Diego

Massive glass pocket doors full open up for indoor-outdoor living typical of Venice Beach. Photo: Jim Bartsch

Originally designed by Delano and Aldrich in 1917, this building served as carriage house to the William and Dorothy Straight mansion several blocks away on the Upper East Side of New York. With practically no original detail, this relatively humble structure was reconfigured into something more befitting the client’s needs. To convert it for a single family, interior floor plates are carved away to form two elegant double height spaces. The front façade is modified to express the grandness of the new interior. A beautiful new rear garden is formed by the demolition of an overbuilt addition. The entire rear façade was removed and replaced. A full floor was added to the roof, and a newly configured stair core incorporated an elevator. Architecture: DHD Interior Designer: Eve Robinson Associates Photography by Peter Margonelli http://petermargonelli.com

Living room.

Jill Greer

This second-story addition to an already 'picture perfect' Naples home presented many challenges. The main tension between adding the many 'must haves' the client wanted on their second floor, but at the same time not overwhelming the first floor. Working with David Benner of Safety Harbor Builders was key in the design and construction process – keeping the critical aesthetic elements in check. The owners were very 'detail oriented' and actively involved throughout the process. The result was adding 924 sq ft to the 1,600 sq ft home, with the addition of a large Bonus/Game Room, Guest Suite, 1-1/2 Baths and Laundry. But most importantly — the second floor is in complete harmony with the first, it looks as it was always meant to be that way. ©Energy Smart Home Plans, Safety Harbor Builders, Glenn Hettinger Photography

Angle Eye Photography

Interiors: Stylish Solutions by Crystal Brown

Modern bedroom, custom lighting, custom window placement and neutral tones. awards 2011 - Texas Society of Architects / AIA Design Award 2010 - AIA San Antonio Merit Award Architecture: Lake/Flato Architects Contractor: the construction zone, ltd. Photography: Bill Timmerman