View of the rear extension showing the bi-folding doors opening up to create a flowing space between the inside and outside. The raised beds and steps help frame the garden space and the sunny terrace all summer long.

Mid-sized modern two-storey brick orange house exterior in Other with a gable roof, a metal roof and a black roof.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern two-storey white house exterior in DC Metro with mixed siding, a flat roof, a shingle roof, a grey roof and clapboard siding.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern one-storey brick black exterior in Houston with a shed roof, a shingle roof, a black roof and clapboard siding.

Sharp House Rear Yard View
Small modern one-storey brick multi-coloured house exterior in Perth with a metal roof, a shed roof and a grey roof.

Photo of a mid-sized modern three-storey concrete grey house exterior in Tokyo with a flat roof.

Photographer: Ryan Gamma
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern three-storey stucco white house exterior in Tampa with a flat roof.

23坪の土地を最大限に活かしながらシンプルで優しい外観。アイアン手すりも角ばらないようDesignしました。
Photo of a small modern two-storey stucco white house exterior in Other.

James Florio & Kyle Duetmeyer
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern two-storey black house exterior in Denver with metal siding, a gable roof and a metal roof.

Photo by Katsuhiro Aoki
Photo of a mid-sized modern exterior in Tokyo.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern two-storey green exterior in Seattle with mixed siding and a gable roof.

Exterior Front Facade of Modern Home in Green Brook, NJ
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern two-storey blue exterior in New York with concrete fiberboard siding.

Custom fabricated iron gate
This is an example of a mid-sized modern one-storey white exterior in Houston with vinyl siding.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern one-storey white exterior in Bordeaux with a flat roof.

Peter Peirce
Design ideas for a small modern one-storey brown house exterior in Bridgeport with wood siding and a metal roof.

Our Houston landscaping team was recently honored to collaborate with renowned architectural firm Murphy Mears. Murphy Mears builds superb custom homes throughout the country. A recent project for a Houston resident by the name of Borow involved a custom home that featured an efficient, elegant, and eclectic modern architectural design. Ms. Borow is very environmentally conscious and asked that we follow some very strict principles of conservation when developing her landscaping design plan. In many ways you could say this Houston landscaping project was green on both an aesthetic level and a functional level. We selected affordable ground cover that spread very quickly to provide a year round green color scheme that reflected much of the contemporary artwork within the interior of the home. Environmentally speaking, our project was also green in the sense that it focused on very primitive drought resistant plant species and tree preservation strategies. The resulting yard design ultimately functioned as an aesthetic mirror to the abstract forms that the owner prefers in wall art. One of the more notable things we did in this Houston landscaping project was to build the homeowner a gravel patio near the front entrance to the home. The homeowner specifically requested that we disconnect the irrigation system that we had installed in the yard because she wanted natural irrigation and drainage only. The gravel served this wish superbly. Being a natural drain in its own respect, it provided a permeable surface that allowed rainwater to soak through without collecting on the surface. More importantly, the gravel was the only material that could be laid down near the roots of the magnificent trees in Ms. Borow’s yard. Any type of stone, concrete, or brick that is used in more typical Houston landscaping plans would have been out of the question. A patio made from these materials would have either required cutting into tree roots, or it would have impeded their future growth. The specific species chosen for ground cover also bear noting. The two primary plants used were jasmine and iris. Monkey grass was also used to a small extent as a border around the edge of the house. Irises were planted in front of the house, and the jasmine was planted beneath the trees. Both are very fast growing, drought resistant species that require very little watering. However, they do require routine pruning, which Ms. Borow said she had no problem investing in. Such lawn alternatives are frequently used in Houston landscaping projects that for one reason or the other require something other than a standard planting of carpet grass. In this case, the motivation had nothing to do with finances, but rather a conscientious effort on Ms. Borow’s part to practice water conservation and tree preservation. Other hardscapes were then introduced into this green design to better support the home architecture. A stepping stone walkway was built using plain concrete pads that are very simple and modern in their aesthetic. These lead up to the front stair case with four inch steps that Murphy Mears designed for maximum ergonomics and comfort. There were a few softscape elements that we added to complete the Houston landscaping design. A planting of River Birch trees was introduced near the side of the home. River Birch trees are very attractive, light green trees that do not grow that tall. This eliminates any possible conflict between the tree roots and the home foundation. Murphy Mears also built a very elegant fence that transitioned the geometry of the house down to the city sidewalk. The fence sharply parallels the linear movement of the house. We introduced some climbing vines to help soften the fence and to harmonize its aesthetic with that of the trees, ground cover, and grass along the sidewalk.

Kaplan Architects, AIA Location: Redwood City , CA, USA Front entry fence and gate to new residence at street level with cedar siding.
Expansive modern two-storey brown house exterior in San Francisco with wood siding and a metal roof.

Our clients wanted to add on to their 1950's ranch house, but weren't sure whether to go up or out. We convinced them to go out, adding a Primary Suite addition with bathroom, walk-in closet, and spacious Bedroom with vaulted ceiling. To connect the addition with the main house, we provided plenty of light and a built-in bookshelf with detailed pendant at the end of the hall. The clients' style was decidedly peaceful, so we created a wet-room with green glass tile, a door to a small private garden, and a large fir slider door from the bedroom to a spacious deck. We also used Yakisugi siding on the exterior, adding depth and warmth to the addition. Our clients love using the tub while looking out on their private paradise!

This is an example of a mid-sized modern one-storey brown house exterior in Raleigh with wood siding, a shed roof, a metal roof, a grey roof and clapboard siding.