House Exterior Ideas and Designs
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Asha MevlanaWho lives there: Asha Mevlana and her Havanese dog named Bali
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Size: Main house (400 sq ft), Trailer (160 sq ft.), 1 loft bedroom, 1 bath
What sets your home apart: The home was designed specifically for my lifestyle.
My inspiration: After reading the book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying," I got inspired to just live with things that bring me joy which meant scaling down on everything and getting rid of most of my possessions and all of the things that I had accumulated over the years. I also travel quite a bit and wanted to live with just what I needed.
About the house: The L-shaped house consists of two separate structures joined by a deck. The main house (400 sq ft), which rests on a solid foundation, features the kitchen, living room, bathroom and loft bedroom. To make the small area feel more spacious, it was designed with high ceilings, windows and two custom garage doors to let in more light. The L-shape of the deck mirrors the house and allows for the two separate structures to blend seamlessly together. The smaller "amplified" structure (160 sq ft) is built on wheels to allow for touring and transportation. This studio is soundproof using recycled denim, and acts as a recording studio/guest bedroom/practice area. But it doesn't just look like an amp, it actually is one -- just plug in your instrument and sound comes through the front marine speakers onto the expansive deck designed for concerts.
My favorite part of the home is the large kitchen and the expansive deck that makes the home feel even bigger. The deck also acts as a way to bring the community together where local musicians perform. I love having a the amp trailer as a separate space to practice music. But I especially love all the light with windows and garage doors throughout.
Design team: Brian Crabb (designer), Zack Giffin (builder, custom furniture) Vickery Construction (builder) 3 Volve Construction (builder)
Design dilemmas: Because the city wasn’t used to having tiny houses there were certain rules that didn’t quite make sense for a tiny house. I wasn’t allowed to have stairs leading up to the loft, only ladders were allowed. Since it was built, the city is beginning to revisit some of the old rules and hopefully things will be changing.
Photo cred: Don Shreve
Kustom Home DesignAddition is an In-Law suite that can double as a pool house or guest suite. Massing, details and materials match the existing home to make the addition look like it was always here. New cedar siding and accents help to update the facade of the existing home.
The addition was designed to seamlessly marry with the existing house and provide a covered entertaining area off the pool deck and covered spa.
Photos By: Kimberly Kerl, Kustom Home Design. All rights reserved
National Association of Home BuildersThe Field at Lambert Ranch
Irvine, CA
Builder: The New Home Company
Marketing Director: Joan Marcus-Colvin
Associate: Summers/Murphy & Partners
Mikiten ArchitectureSurrounded by permanently protected open space in the historic winemaking area of the South Livermore Valley, this house presents a weathered wood barn to the road, and has metal-clad sheds behind. The design process was driven by the metaphor of an old farmhouse that had been incrementally added to over the years. The spaces open to expansive views of vineyards and unspoiled hills.
Erick Mikiten, AIA
URBAN OPERATIONSThis custom hillside home takes advantage of the terrain in order to provide sweeping views of the local Silver Lake neighborhood. A stepped sectional design provides balconies and outdoor space at every level.
Noel Cross+ArchitectsFirmness . . .
Santa Cruz’s historically eclectic Pleasure Point neighborhood has been evolving in its own quirky way for almost a century, and many of its inhabitants seem to have been around just as long. They cling to the relaxed and funky seaside character of their beach community with an almost indignant provinciality. For both client and architect, neighborhood context became the singular focus of the design; to become the “poster child” for compatibility and sustainability. Dozens of photos were taken of the surrounding area as inspiration, with the goal of honoring the idiosyncratic, fine-grained character and informal scale of a neighborhood built over time.
A low, horizontal weathered ipe fence at the street keeps out surfer vans and neighborhood dogs, and a simple gate beckons visitors to stroll down the boardwalk which gently angles toward the front door. A rusted steel fire pit is the focus of this ground level courtyard, which is encircled by a curving cor-ten garden wall graced by a sweep of horse tail reeds and tufts of feather grass.
Extensive day-lighting throughout the home is achieved with high windows placed in all directions in all major rooms, resulting in an abundance of natural light throughout. The clients report having only to turning on lights at nightfall. Notable are the numerous passive solar design elements: careful attention to overhangs and shading devices at South- and West-facing glass to control heat gain, and passive ventilation via high windows in the tower elements, all are significant contributors to the structure’s energy efficiency.
Commodity . . .
Beautiful views of Monterey Bay and the lively local beach scene became the main drivers in plan and section. The upper floor was intentionally set back to preserve ocean views of the neighbor to the north. The surf obsessed clients wished to be able to see the “break” from their upper floor breakfast table perch, able to take a moment’s notice advantage of some killer waves. A tiny 4,500 s.f. lot and a desire to create a ground level courtyard for entertaining dictated the small footprint. A graceful curving cor-ten and stainless steel stair descends from the upper floor living areas, connecting them to a ground level “sanctuary”.
A small detached art studio/surfboard storage shack in the back yard fulfills functional requirements, and includes an outdoor shower for the post-surf hose down. Parking access off a back alley helps to preserve ground floor space, and allows in the southern sun on the view/courtyard side. A relaxed “bare foot beach house” feel is underscored by weathered oak floors, painted re-sawn wall finishes, and painted wood ceilings, which recall the cozy cabins that stood here at Breakers Beach for nearly a century.
Delight . . .
Commemorating the history of the property was a priority for the surfing couple. With that in mind, they created an artistic reproduction of the original sign that decorated the property for many decades as an homage to the “Cozy Cabins at Breakers Beach”, which now graces the foyer.
This casual assemblage of local vernacular architecture has been informed by the consistent scale and simple materials of nearby cottages, shacks, and bungalows. These influences were distilled down to a palette of board and batt, clapboard, and cedar shiplap, and synthesized with bolder forms that evoke images of nearby Capitola Wharf, beach lifeguard towers, and the client’s “surf shack” program requirements. The landscape design takes its cues from boardwalks, rusted steel fire rings, and native grasses, all of which firmly tie the building to its local beach community. The locals have embraced it as one of their own.
Architect - Noel Cross Architect
Landscape Architect - Christopher Yates
Interior Designer - Gina Viscusi-Elson
Lighting Designer - Vita Pehar Design
Contractor - The Conrado Company
House Exterior Ideas and Designs
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