Photo of a mid-sized contemporary two-storey black house exterior in Melbourne with wood siding, a flat roof and a metal roof.

Design ideas for a contemporary garden in Orange County.

Contemporary exterior in Philadelphia with wood siding.

Tony Soluri Photography
Design ideas for a contemporary backyard deck in Chicago.

Contemporary patio in Miami.

The upper deck includes Ipe flooring, an outdoor kitchen with concrete countertops, and a custom decorative metal railing that connects to the lower deck's artificial turf area. The ground level features custom concrete pavers, fire pit, open framed pergola with day bed and under decking system.

Probably our favorite Home Theater System. This system makes going to the movies as easy as going downstairs. Based around Sony’s 4K Projector, this system looks incredible and has awesome sound. A Stewart Filmscreen provides the best canvas for our picture to be viewed. Eight speakers by B&W (including a subwoofer) are built into the walls or ceiling. All of the Equipment is hidden behind the screen-wall in a nice rack – out of the way and more importantly – out of view. Using the simple remote or your mobile device (tablet or phone) you can easily control the system and watch your favorite movie or channel. The system also has streaming service available along with the Kaleidescape System.

Photo of a contemporary front yard driveway in Other with concrete pavers.

Matthew Millman
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary front yard full sun garden in San Francisco with natural stone pavers.

Kara Mosher © 2012 Houzz
Inspiration for a contemporary backyard garden in Austin.

This is an example of a contemporary family room in Paris.

This is an example of a contemporary exterior in San Francisco.

Photo of a contemporary bathroom in Austin.

Contemporary patio in Other with tile and no cover.

In a wooded area of Lafayette, a mid-century home was re-imagined for a graphic designer and kindergarten teacher couple and their three children. A major new design feature is a high ceiling great room that wraps from the front to the back yard, turning a corner at the kitchen and ending at the family room fireplace. This room was designed with a high flat roof to work in conjunction with existing roof forms to create a unified whole, and raise interior ceiling heights from eight to over ten feet. All new lighting and large floor to ceiling Fleetwood aluminum windows expand views of the trees beyond. The existing home was enlarged by 700 square feet with a small exterior addition enlarging the kitchen over an existing deck, and a larger amount by excavating out crawlspace at the garage level to create a new home office with full bath, and separate laundry utility room. The remodeled residence became 3,847 square feet in total area including the garage. Exterior curb appeal was improved with all new Fleetwood windows, stained wood siding and stucco. New steel railing and concrete steps lead up to the front entry. Front and rear yard new landscape design by Huettl Landscape Architecture dramatically alters the site. New planting was added at the front yard with landscape lighting and modern concrete pavers and the rear yard has multiple decks for family gatherings with the focal point a concrete conversation circle with central fire feature. Everything revolves around the corner kitchen, large windows to the backyard, quartz countertops and cabinetry in painted and walnut finishes. The homeowners enjoyed the process of selecting Heath Tile for the kitchen backsplash and white oval tiles at the family room fireplace. Black brick tiles by Fireclay were used on the living room hearth. The kitchen flows into the family room all with views to the beautifully landscaped yards. The primary suite has a built-in window seat with large windows overlooking the garden, walnut cabinetry in a skylit walk-in closet, and a large dramatic skylight bouncing light into the shower. The kid’s bath also has a skylight slot with light angling downward over double sinks. More colorful tile shows up in these spaces, as does a geometric patterned tile in the downstairs office bath shower. The large yard is taken full advantage of with concrete paved walkways, stairs and firepit circle. New retaining walls in the rear yard helped to add more level usable outdoor space, with wood slats to visually blend them into the overall design. The end result is a beautiful transformation of a mid-century home, that both captures the client’s personalities and elevates the house into the modern age.

Inspiration for a contemporary shed and granny flat in San Francisco.

Photo of a contemporary master bedroom in Moscow with grey walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Photo of a contemporary deck in Other.

A Victorian terraced townhouse set over five storeys, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms on the upper two floors; a double drawing room, family room, snug, study and hall on the first and ground levels, and a utility room, nanny suite and kitchen-dining room leading to a garden on the lower level. Settling here from overseas, the owners of this house in Primrose Hill chose the area for its quintessentially English architecture and bohemian feel. They loved the property’s original features and wanted their new home to be light and spacious, with plenty of storage and an eclectic British feel. As self-confessed ‘culture vultures’, the couple’s art collection formed the basis of their home’s colour palette.