For this remodel in Portola Valley, California we were hired to rejuvenate a circa 1980 modernist house clad in deteriorating vertical wood siding. The house included a greenhouse style sunroom which got so unbearably hot as to be unusable. We opened up the floor plan and completely demolished the sunroom, replacing it with a new dining room open to the remodeled living room and kitchen. We added a new office and deck above the new dining room and replaced all of the exterior windows, mostly with oversized sliding aluminum doors by Fleetwood to open the house up to the wooded hillside setting. Stainless steel railings protect the inhabitants where the sliding doors open more than 50 feet above the ground below. We replaced the wood siding with stucco in varying tones of gray, white and black, creating new exterior lines, massing and proportions. We also created a new master suite upstairs and remodeled the existing powder room. Architecture by Mark Brand Architecture. Interior Design by Mark Brand Architecture in collaboration with Applegate Tran Interiors. Lighting design by Luminae Souter. Photos by Christopher Stark Photography.

Blending contemporary and historic styles requires innovative design and a well-balanced aesthetic. That was the challenge we faced in creating a modern kitchen for this historic home in Lynnfield, MA. The final design retained the classically beautiful spatial and structural elements of the home while introducing a sleek sophistication. We mixed the two design palettes carefully. For instance, juxtaposing the warm, distressed wood of an original door with the smooth, brightness of non-paneled, maple cabinetry. A cork floor and accent cabinets of white metal add texture while a seated, step-down peninsula and built in bookcase create an open transition from the kitchen proper to an inviting dining space. This is truly a space where the past and present can coexist harmoniously. Photo Credit: Eric Roth

This award-winning and intimate cottage was rebuilt on the site of a deteriorating outbuilding. Doubling as a custom jewelry studio and guest retreat, the cottage’s timeless design was inspired by old National Parks rough-stone shelters that the owners had fallen in love with. A single living space boasts custom built-ins for jewelry work, a Murphy bed for overnight guests, and a stone fireplace for warmth and relaxation. A cozy loft nestles behind rustic timber trusses above. Expansive sliding glass doors open to an outdoor living terrace overlooking a serene wooded meadow. Photos by: Emily Minton Redfield

These doors are the most prominent feature seen when arriving at this home. They feature horizontal T&G boards using quarter sawn White Oak with a "dime gap" flush joint. Quarter sawn oak has been a favored wood for furniture and architectural trim for over a hundred years in both the US and Europe. Its unique and sophisticated look is enhanced by the Sikkens finish on these doors. The doors blend traditional materials with a modern interpretation.

Tague Design Showroom & Jay Greene Photography

Richard Leo Johnson

Photos by Spacecrafting

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

The bathroom door was taken from a NH sheep barn. Photo Credit: Emily Gilbert Photography

Berkshire Retreat. Photographer: Rob Karosis

URRUTIA DESIGN Photography by Matt Sartain

Sliding barn door, made from reclaimed wood, leads to the renovated laundry & mudroom. Follow Us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kipnis-Architecture-Planning-Evanston-Chicago/168326469897745?sk=wall Photo Credit: Rachel Wray Thompson

Pocket doors add to the spacious feel by eliminating door swing that would otherwise take up functional space

Traditional Kitchen and Family Room, Benvenuti and Stein, Design Build Chicago North Shore

New Entry Door Higher Resolution Photography

Tracey Rapisardi Design, 2008 Coastal Living Idea House Living Room/Study