Renovations

This urban retreat, originally designed in the 1980s by famed architect Robert Renfro, is perched on a secluded hillside with a ravine and stream running through. With the help of Hogan Architects and Development, the Sundown Residence underwent a thoughtful renovation and addition that reflects the owners' post-modernist ideals and individualism. Today, it combines a reverence for the past with a commitment to contemporary advancements and amenities.

Nick Deaver Jes Deaver Architecture transformed a derelict 1930s cottage in the heart of Austin into a modern residence for a retired couple. The quirky storybook structure features a steel and wood carport and rear arbor, a screened porch, a 28ft cantilevered concrete bench, and cypress wood details throughout, such as sinker cypress sills and ledges made from logs reclaimed in rivers and swamps. The design feels at one with the landscape, with room-sized terraces overlooking the grounds and gardens. Inside, rough wood transitions to soft white gallery walls with clean, curated lighting.

OFFBeat by Nick Deaver Jes Deaver Architecture is one of nine cleverly designed homes featured in the 2024 AIA Austin Home Tours lineup.

In Seattle, two architects from Office of Ordinary Architecture purchased a 1979 townhouse designed by Milton Stricker. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel Ash revamped the patio and built under-deck storage.

The cork flooring from the den continues into the primary bedroom, which opens to a semi-private outdoor garden.

Mariana's father Eduardo lives with the family, and was in need of his own private spaces. In Eduardo's bedroom, Koetter and Studebaker converted an oversized closet to a small study and lounge area with built-ins in Baltic Birch.

Designed to feel like the cabin of a boat, Eduardo's bedroom is clad in marine grade plywood.

Floor plan of Manhattan Beach A-Frame by Studio MacDonald Libit

The kitchen features a graphite-colored resin countertop and millwork painted with Turbulent Sea by Dunn-Edwards. Vegan leather counter stools sit on new cork flooring.

Inside, the original ceiling complements new Douglas fir slats. A teal sofa from Crate & Barrel picks up on a color in the stained-glass panels. The coffee table is from Salty Home.

Bucking the trend to tear such buildings down, Julie Anderson and Amy Dantzler worked with architect Bryan Libit to preserve a 1960s A-frame in Manhattan Beach. The home, with its original stained-glass panels and balcony design, is now listed as a historic landmark in the city.