Design ideas for a large traditional two-storey purple house exterior in New York with wood siding and a gable roof.

Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style bathroom in Stockholm with a vessel sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, blue tile, mosaic tile and mosaic tile floors.

Design ideas for a small contemporary one-storey brown exterior in Bremen with wood siding and a flat roof.

Photo of a transitional galley kitchen in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, white benchtop and with island.

Inspiration for a transitional bathroom in Melbourne with white cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink, wood benchtops and brown benchtops.

Narrow Passive House by One SEED (www.oneseed.ca) The aesthetic is a purity of form. It expresses the concept of dwelling as a juxtaposition of shelter from the elements and warmth of home. The tough and durable exterior materials, including the off-white fibre-cement panels and the charcoal coloured horizontal ribbed cladding, have a cooling and calming effect. In contrast, warm vertical bands of clear stained cedar accent the front and rear elevations at the fenestration and doors as an inviting allusion to the family inside. The simple form includes two rectilinear masses, a larger one for bedrooms and living, and a smaller one containing service elements such as the stairs, washrooms, and mechanical rooms. The smaller mass is stepped back from the front and back elevations of the house to provide a sense of entrance. In addition, this allows the larger mass, which is located to the south, to have corner windows with improved views to the north-west mountains. The smaller volume is also the environmental heart of the home with a south facing glazed elevation above the green roof and full-height CMU block walls which feed the passive heating and cooling system within the house.

Paul Burk
Inspiration for a contemporary bedroom in DC Metro with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Elyse Kennedy
Industrial open plan kitchen in London with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

This is an example of a traditional two-storey white exterior in Salt Lake City.

Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts hallway in Seattle with beige walls, carpet and brown floor.

Originally, the front of the house was on the left (eave) side, facing the primary street. Since the Garage was on the narrower, quieter side street, we decided that when we would renovate, we would reorient the front to the quieter side street, and enter through the front Porch. So initially we built the fencing and Pergola entering from the side street into the existing Front Porch. Then in 2003, we pulled off the roof, which enclosed just one large room and a bathroom, and added a full second story. Then we added the gable overhangs to create the effect of a cottage with dormers, so as not to overwhelm the scale of the site. The shingles are stained Cabots Semi-Solid Deck and Siding Oil Stain, 7406, color: Burnt Hickory, and the trim is painted with Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior Low Luster Narraganset Green HC-157, (which is actually a dark blue). Photo by Glen Grayson, AIA

Nick Doolan
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary backyard deck in Melbourne with no cover.

Photos by Francis and Francis Photography The Anderson Residence is ‘practically’ a new home in one of Las Vegas midcentury modern neighborhoods McNeil. The house is the current home of Ian Anderson the local Herman Miller dealer and Shanna Anderson of Leeland furniture family. When Ian first introduced CSPA studio to the project it was burned down house. Turns out that the house is a 1960 midcentury modern sister of two homes that was destroyed by arson in a dispute between landlord and tenant. Once inside the burned walls it was quite clear what a wonderful house it once was. Great care was taken to try and restore the house to a similar splendor. The reality is the remodel didn’t involve much of the original house, by the time the fire damage was remediated there wasn’t much left. The renovation includes an additional 1000 SF of office, guest bedroom, laundry, mudroom, guest toilet outdoor shower and a garage. The roof line was raised in order to accommodate a forced air mechanical system, but care was taken to keep the lines long and low (appearing) to match the midcentury modern style. The House is an H-shape. Typically houses of this time period would have small rooms with long narrow hallways. However in this case with the walls burned out one can see from one side of the house to other creating a huge feeling space. It was decided to totally open the East side of the house and make the kitchen which gently spills into the living room and wood burning fireplace the public side. New windows and a huge 16’ sliding door were added all the way around the courtyard so that one can see out and across into the private side. On the west side of the house the long thin hallway is opened up by the windows to the courtyard and the long wall offers an opportunity for a gallery style art display. The long hallway opens to two bedrooms, shared bathroom and master bedroom. The end of the hallway opens to a casual living room and the swimming pool area. The house has no formal dining room but a 15’ custom crafted table by Ian’s sculptor father that is an extension of the kitchen island. The H-shape creates two covered areas, one is the front entry courtyard, fenced in by a Brazilian walnut enclosure and crowned by a steel art installation by Ian’s father. The rear covered courtyard is a breezy spot for chilling out on a hot desert day. The pool was re-finished and a shallow soaking deck added. A new barbeque and covered patio added. Some of the large plant material was salvaged and nursed back to health and a complete new desert landscape was re-installed to bring the exterior to life.

Narrow Passive House by One SEED (www.oneseed.ca) The aesthetic is a purity of form. It expresses the concept of dwelling as a juxtaposition of shelter from the elements and warmth of home. The tough and durable exterior materials, including the off-white fibre-cement panels and the charcoal coloured horizontal ribbed cladding, have a cooling and calming effect. In contrast, warm vertical bands of clear stained cedar accent the front and rear elevations at the fenestration and doors as an inviting allusion to the family inside. The simple form includes two rectilinear masses, a larger one for bedrooms and living, and a smaller one containing service elements such as the stairs, washrooms, and mechanical rooms. The smaller mass is stepped back from the front and back elevations of the house to provide a sense of entrance. In addition, this allows the larger mass, which is located to the south, to have corner windows with improved views to the north-west mountains. The smaller volume is also the environmental heart of the home with a south facing glazed elevation above the green roof and full-height CMU block walls which feed the passive heating and cooling system within the house.

Photography: Dan Piassick
Transitional entryway in Dallas with a glass front door.

This house was rebuilt to sit on an existing footprint on a postage stamp-sized lot in an established neighborhood in Portland, Maine. It pays homage to the vernacular of the surrounding homes and is beautifully detailed by the builder. It is a very comfortable home with updated and sustainable features such as Solar hot water and energy efficient radiant floor heating, insulation, and lighting. Natural light is utilized throughout on this hilltop site. Photo by Jamie Salomon

Photo of a small scandinavian open concept living room in Sydney with a library, white walls and light hardwood floors.

Front entry of North Caulfield renovation project. All original features were retained and or restored. The front door and fanlight were original to the house, lighting was period match to provide a pleasant experience.

This is an example of a traditional garden in Austin with with outdoor playset.