Modern homes

Located in the coastal community of La Jolla, San Diego, this modern family home brings the comforts of luxury living outdoors, with terraces and gathering spaces on every floor. The home’s main living spaces are on the upper level, where an open-plan kitchen, dining room, bar, and living room invite everyday living and entertaining. Sliding glass walls open onto an expansive terrace, where a sofa arranged around a fire feature makes a comfortable outdoor lounge, and a dining table and built-in barbecue look out over the pool terrace below.  On this same floor, but separated by a glass bridge walkway and skylit lightwell, is the primary suite. Featuring a spa-style bathroom with sauna and steam shower, it opens onto an outdoor... More

Set atop a prominent ridgeline in Rancho Santa Fe, Pinnacle House is conceived as a contemporary estate that blurs the boundary between architecture, landscape, and horizon. Positioned on 1.9 acres with panoramic views extending across rolling canyons to the Pacific Ocean, the residence is designed as a private retreat that celebrates Southern California’s climate, light, and indoor-outdoor way of living. The 19,700 square foot compound is organized as a collection of interconnected pavilions anchored by a dramatic central living space. Floor-to-ceiling glazing, expansive overhangs, and a carefully curated material palette dissolve the distinction between interior and exterior, allowing the surrounding landscape to become an extensio... More

Perched high above the Arizona desert, Paradise Valley transforms its steep hillside site into a bold architectural composition that follows the contours of the landscape, and opens its multi-layered design towards the valley below. A modern courtyard at the entrance with seating and a water vapor feature provides an atmospheric transition from the street to the private spaces. More than somewhere to quickly pass through, this open air gathering space invites a moment of pause before entering and exiting the property.   Once inside, the 7,300-square-foot design opens up into a dramatic living space with sweeping views across the desert. Anchored by a double-height stone fireplace, the great room is the heart of the home, connecting t... More

Nestled in Reno, Nevada's high desert environment, 16 Glenhaven is a modern home that blends architecture, landscape, and resort style living in a custom design that lives like a private retreat, set apart from the pace of everyday life. Upon approach to the property, a sweeping driveway reveals the home, and a modern front yard pool terrace. Rather than hiding this recreation space behind the house, it's instead given a prominent place in both the arrival sequence, and the flow of everyday life. From the motor court, broad steps climb to the entrance, where expansive glazing and strong horizontal rooflines create a luxury modern aesthetic. Spanning more than 12,000 square feet*, the home is designed for both intimate family living, and l... More

From a distance, Royal Palm reads as layered planes of stone, wood, water, and glass stepping down a mountainside in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Its modern design extends in a series of horizontal volumes towards the valley below, opening to an infinity-edge swimming pool, and outdoor living spaces for entertaining and resort-style living. At the heart of the design is a light-filled main floor where the kitchen, dining room, living room, bar and wine display share one open plan. A skylight brings natural light down and through this open volume, and then past a glass floor walkway into the lower level below, while floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls connect the main living areas to the outdoors. A luxury infinity pool with waterfall edge, B... More

Some homes are defined by a single dramatic gesture, Pasadena is defined by the richness of everyday life. Set within a secluded hillside estate in Los Angeles, California, the custom home feels both generous in size, and easy to live in, with spaces for everything from quiet family evenings, to hosting on a grand scale. A minimalist modern exterior gives way to an expansive interior shaped by natural light, extensive glazing, and open living spaces. Responding to fire department access requirements, the main and upper levels are organized as two separate wings that remain connected on the lower level. Between them, the central pool terrace becomes a focal point for everyday living, with the kitchen, living, and dining areas opening toward... More

Set within the coastal landscape of Biarritz, France, this modern resort-style home features a layered composition of glass and stone around a front yard swimming pool at the heart of its outdoor spaces.  Arrival unfolds vertically, with a covered passageway and stairs leading to the main living level. Landing on an expansive terrace at the door of a light-filled interior, the design immediately establishes an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living.  The upper level is the center of daily life. On one end sits the primary suite with private terrace, spacious dressing room, and generous bath, and on the other, a kitchen, dining area, and living room, all flowing together in one open-plan design. Extending onto the outdoor terrace, ope... More

With its modern glass wall design, moat-style swimming pool that wraps around the entire backyard, and outdoor living spaces that extend all the way from the lowest floor to the rooftop, Royal Oak offers a luxury interpretation of contemporary Hollywood Hills living. From the motor court, the entryway passes a glass-walled display garage, before climbing floating stairs over reflecting pools and fire features to an elevated front door. Here, a light-filled gallery draws arrival deeper inside. The open plan main floor is composed of a series of everyday living and entertaining spaces. Family, dining, kitchen, and gathering areas all flow from one to the next, while open volumes and transparent floor elements allow views to pass throughout... More

Designed for the contemporary Brentwood lifestyle, Bonhill brings together open plan living, abundant natural light, and a central outdoor pool terrace at the heart of its design.  From the street, a visually textured exterior of stacked stone, warm wood, and expansive glass beneath deep roof overhangs lends the home a sense of sheltered privacy, while it remains remarkably open.  Inside, the design is exceptionally cohesive. A library, living room, dining room, bar, and kitchen all unfold within a series of interconnected spaces, while a concealed workspace, walk-in pantry, and private guest suite are incorporated into the surrounding plan.  A sculptural wine wall and strategically placed light well add visual interest an... More

Set within a quiet Hollywood Hills setting, Rising Glen is conceived around an unusual arrival, where the resort-style pool terrace becomes the first expression of the home’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The main floor is set within an open plan, with a family room, dining area, and kitchen extending onto outdoor living spaces, both front and rear. The pool terrace brings together a 52-foot swimming pool with spa, sunken fire-side conversation pit, ponds, sculpture, and areas for lounging, dining, and barbecuing, while the backyard opens onto a quieter garden with a lawn, mature trees, and water feature. The upper floor houses private accommodations and rooms for wellness, work, and relaxation. On one end sits the primary suite with a... More

In Los Angeles, where the landscape is as much a client as the human resident, architecture becomes an act of translation. This Beverly Hills hillside home, conceived by Whipple Russell Architects, answers a geologic challenge with sculptural serenity — a cascading Mediterranean retreat that follows the natural slope of its ridgeline parcel with grace, restraint, and reverence. Simon Berlyn Simon Berlyn Simon Berlyn Simon Berlyn Perched on a steep incline without a single flat pad, the home emerges not as a monolith, but as a rhythmic series of terraced levels — each responding to topography, setback, and sun. A three-story stack was prohibited by geology and code; instead, the home steps elegantly down the... More

Modern meets indoor outdoor living. Designed in a flat-roof style, the long overhangs are anchored by two stone chimney masses. This home has a long driveway that wraps around an existing pond, revealing the home as you progress down the drive. JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD We designed a steel channel detail on the facia, creating a subtle industrial look and a unique roof edge detail that’s crisp and clean – and not interrupted by gutters or downspouts. Doors from the sunroom take you right out to the terrace and pool areas. JMAD JMAD JMAD More

Set in the quiet residential pocket of Nad Al Sheba, this private villa by BMA Studio is designed to be more than just a home; it’s a retreat from the pace of urban life. With a brief that called for a warm, modern space where comfort and flow take centre stage, the project balances clean architectural lines with a deeply personal atmosphere. Renders by BMA Studio Renders by BMA Studio From the street, the villa makes a calm, grounded impression. The front façade is intentionally closed and minimal, creating a subtle sense of seclusion. This choice reflects the homeowners’ desire for privacy, allowing life inside the house to unfold away from the noise and rhythm of the city. Renders by BMA Studio Rende... More

The most striking feature of this home are the razor-edge roof profiles and the fact that those roofs swoop both vertically and horizontally. It is really an evolution of modern design. It uses all of the typical architectural rules of modern home design and takes it to the next level. JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD The roof forms serve functions on the exterior. They overhang to provide shade during the warmer months and then create a really unique transition from the single story portion of the home to the second story. Plus, they take form in the great room with a curved ceiling form above that transitions up to the second floor, creating a timeless architectural element.  JMAD JMAD JMAD... More