The problem this Memorial-Houston homeowner faced was that her sumptuous contemporary home, an austere series of interconnected cubes of various sizes constructed from white stucco, black steel and glass, did not have the proper landscaping frame. It was out of scale. Imagine Robert Motherwell's "Black on White" painting without the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston's generous expanse of white walls surrounding it. It would still be magnificent but somehow...off. Intuitively, the homeowner realized this issue and started interviewing landscape designers. After talking to about 15 different designers, she finally went with one, only to be disappointed with the results. From the across-the-street neighbor, she was then introduced to Exterior Worlds and she hired us to correct the newly-created problems and more fully realize her hopes for the grounds. "It's not unusual for us to come in and deal with a mess. Sometimes a homeowner gets overwhelmed with managing everything. Other times it is like this project where the design misses the mark. Regardless, it is really important to listen for what a prospect or client means and not just what they say," says Jeff Halper, owner of Exterior Worlds. Since the sheer size of the house is so dominating, Exterior Worlds' overall job was to bring the garden up to scale to match the house. Likewise, it was important to stretch the house into the landscape, thereby softening some of its severity. The concept we devised entailed creating an interplay between the landscape and the house by astute placement of the black-and-white colors of the house into the yard using different materials and textures. Strategic plantings of greenery increased the interest, density, height and function of the design. First we installed a pathway of crushed white marble around the perimeter of the house, the white of the path in homage to the house’s white facade. At various intervals, 3/8-inch steel-plated metal strips, painted black to echo the bones of the house, were embedded and crisscrossed in the pathway to turn it into a loose maze. Along this metal bunting, we planted succulents whose other-worldly shapes and mild coloration juxtaposed nicely against the hard-edged steel. These plantings included Gulf Coast muhly, a native grass that produces a pink-purple plume when it blooms in the fall. A side benefit to the use of these plants is that they are low maintenance and hardy in Houston’s summertime heat. Next we brought in trees for scale. Without them, the impressive architecture becomes imposing. We placed them along the front at either corner of the house. For the left side, we found a multi-trunk live oak in a field, transported it to the property and placed it in a custom-made square of the crushed marble at a slight distance from the house. On the right side where the house makes a 90-degree alcove, we planted a mature mesquite tree. To finish off the front entry, we fashioned the black steel into large squares and planted grass to create islands of green, or giant lawn stepping pads. We echoed this look in the back off the master suite by turning concrete pads of black-stained concrete into stepping pads. We kept the foundational plantings of Japanese yews which add green, earthy mass, something the stark architecture needs for further balance. We contoured Japanese boxwoods into small spheres to enhance the play between shapes and textures. In the large, white planters at the front entrance, we repeated the plantings of succulents and Gulf Coast muhly to reinforce symmetry. Then we built an additional planter in the back out of the black metal, filled it with the crushed white marble and planted a Texas vitex, another hardy choice that adds a touch of color with its purple blooms. To finish off the landscaping, we needed to address the ravine behind the house. We built a retaining wall to contain erosion. Aesthetically, we crafted it so that the wall has a sharp upper edge, a modern motif right where the landscape meets the land.

Raymond de Beeld Architects Inc. www.rdbarchitect.ca/ Photos by: Artez Photography Corporation http://www.artezphoto.com/

This four bedroom, three and a half bath, new construction home is located in a beach community in Florida.
На фото: двухэтажный, желтый частный загородный дом среднего размера в морском стиле с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, вальмовой крышей и крышей из смешанных материалов

На фото: большой, двухэтажный частный загородный дом в стиле модернизм с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, плоской крышей и белой крышей с

На фото: четырехэтажный, черный таунхаус среднего размера в стиле модернизм с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, двускатной крышей, черепичной крышей и красной крышей

Пример оригинального дизайна: большой, двухэтажный, белый частный загородный дом в стиле модернизм с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, крышей из гибкой черепицы и черной крышей

New construction modern cape cod
Идея дизайна: большой, двухэтажный, белый частный загородный дом в стиле модернизм с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, крышей из гибкой черепицы и серой крышей

Photos by Jean Bai.
Источник вдохновения для домашнего уюта: двухэтажный, синий частный загородный дом среднего размера в стиле неоклассика (современная классика) с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, двускатной крышей, крышей из гибкой черепицы и серой крышей

Three story home in Austin with white stucco exterior and black metal roof
На фото: большой, трехэтажный, белый частный загородный дом в стиле модернизм с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, двускатной крышей, металлической крышей и черной крышей с

Идея дизайна: оранжевый дом с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки

New Moroccan Villa on the Santa Barbara Riviera, overlooking the Pacific ocean and the city. In this terra cotta and deep blue home, we used natural stone mosaics and glass mosaics, along with custom carved stone columns. Every room is colorful with deep, rich colors. In the master bath we used blue stone mosaics on the groin vaulted ceiling of the shower. All the lighting was designed and made in Marrakesh, as were many furniture pieces. The entry black and white columns are also imported from Morocco. We also designed the carved doors and had them made in Marrakesh. Cabinetry doors we designed were carved in Canada. The carved plaster molding were made especially for us, and all was shipped in a large container (just before covid-19 hit the shipping world!) Thank you to our wonderful craftsman and enthusiastic vendors! Project designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Santa Ynez, Malibu and Calabasas, across the tri-county area of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills and Calabasas. Architecture by Thomas Ochsner in Santa Barbara, CA

The indoor and outdoor kitchen is connected by sliding doors that stack back for easy access to both spaces. This angle shows how headers and rails in the exterior’s frame manage the motorized screens. When the glass doors are open and the screens are down, the indoor/outdoor division is eliminated and the options for cooking, lounging and dining expand. Additionally, this angle shows a close up of the stepping stones that serve as a bridge over the shallow lounge area of the pool.

Light and Airy! Fresh and Modern Architecture by Arch Studio, Inc. 2021
Источник вдохновения для домашнего уюта: большой, двухэтажный, белый частный загородный дом в стиле неоклассика (современная классика) с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, двускатной крышей, крышей из гибкой черепицы и черной крышей

Hotel 5 étoiles Relais et Châteaux
На фото: большой, трехэтажный, оранжевый многоквартирный дом в средиземноморском стиле с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки

Пример оригинального дизайна: большой, одноэтажный, белый частный загородный дом в стиле неоклассика (современная классика) с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, вальмовой крышей, крышей из гибкой черепицы и черной крышей

For this project we painted the exterior walls and wood trims of this craftsman home. Fog Coating, a coating that can be applied to a traditional stucco finish that will even out the color of the stucco was applied. For further questions or to schedule a free quote give us a call today. 562-218-3295

A beautiful transformation! Client wanted a darker almost black garage door and a lighter creamy base. We used Sherwin Williams Black Fox for the trim, front door and garage doors and Wool Skein on the base. This really updated the look of this striking Stilwell home.

На фото: серый, двухэтажный частный загородный дом среднего размера в современном стиле с облицовкой из цементной штукатурки, односкатной крышей и металлической крышей

This 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.