The Atherton House is a family compound for a professional couple in the tech industry, and their two teenage children. After living in Singapore, then Hong Kong, and building homes there, they looked forward to continuing their search for a new place to start a life and set down roots. The site is located on Atherton Avenue on a flat, 1 acre lot. The neighboring lots are of a similar size, and are filled with mature planting and gardens. The brief on this site was to create a house that would comfortably accommodate the busy lives of each of the family members, as well as provide opportunities for wonder and awe. Views on the site are internal. Our goal was to create an indoor- outdoor home that embraced the benign California climate. The building was conceived as a classic “H” plan with two wings attached by a double height entertaining space. The “H” shape allows for alcoves of the yard to be embraced by the mass of the building, creating different types of exterior space. The two wings of the home provide some sense of enclosure and privacy along the side property lines. The south wing contains three bedroom suites at the second level, as well as laundry. At the first level there is a guest suite facing east, powder room and a Library facing west. The north wing is entirely given over to the Primary suite at the top level, including the main bedroom, dressing and bathroom. The bedroom opens out to a roof terrace to the west, overlooking a pool and courtyard below. At the ground floor, the north wing contains the family room, kitchen and dining room. The family room and dining room each have pocketing sliding glass doors that dissolve the boundary between inside and outside. Connecting the wings is a double high living space meant to be comfortable, delightful and awe-inspiring. A custom fabricated two story circular stair of steel and glass connects the upper level to the main level, and down to the basement “lounge” below. An acrylic and steel bridge begins near one end of the stair landing and flies 40 feet to the children’s bedroom wing. People going about their day moving through the stair and bridge become both observed and observer. The front (EAST) wall is the all important receiving place for guests and family alike. There the interplay between yin and yang, weathering steel and the mature olive tree, empower the entrance. Most other materials are white and pure. The mechanical systems are efficiently combined hydronic heating and cooling, with no forced air required.

I love all the textures in this monochromatic family room. Leather, velvet, faux fur, weaves...

Family Room, Chestnut Hill, MA

Patterson Custom Homes Ryan Gavin Photography

This ocean side home shares a balance between high style and comfortable living. The neutral color palette helps create the open airy feeling with a sectional that hosts plenty of seating, martini tables, black nickel bar stools with an Italian Moreno glass chandelier for the breakfast room overlooking the ocean

Alise O'Brien Photography

We love to collaborate, whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. For this mountainside retreat, we entered at a unique point in the process—to collaborate on the interior architecture—lending our expertise in fine finishes and fixtures to complete the spaces, thereby creating the perfect backdrop for the family of furniture makers to fill in each vignette. Catering to a design-industry client meant we sourced with singularity and sophistication in mind, from matchless slabs of marble for the kitchen and master bath to timeless basin sinks that feel right at home on the frontier and custom lighting with both industrial and artistic influences. We let each detail speak for itself in situ.

This natural stone veneer fireplace is made with the Quarry Mill's Torrington thin stone veneer. Torrington natural stone veneer is a rustic low height ledgestone. The stones showcase a beautiful depth of color within each individual piece which creates stunning visual interest and character on large- and small-scale projects. The pieces range in color from shades of brown, rust, black, deep blue and light grey. The rustic feel of Torrington complements residences such as a Northwoods lake house or a mountain lodge. The smaller pieces of thin stone veneer can be installed with a mortar joint between them or drystacked with a tight fit installation. With a drystack installation, increases in both the mason’s time and waste factor should be figured in.

FineCraft Contractors, Inc. Soleimani Photography

Morgan Nowland

on the other side of the large kitchen is this great room...a study in whimsical texture, plush mohair velvet, limestone and metal. the modern metal cocktail tables are from arteriors home, the mohair green sectional is from donghia. walls are covered in a wheat color grasscloth.

tiffany ringwald