Design Ideas - Special Fireplace

I ran across this sculpture installation that really caught my eye.  A really simple fireplace wall composition with one spectacular piece o...

really modern really old house design

I ran across some photos of this house I thought interesting.  Actually, I love it.  The home located in Yport in Normandy, France was desig...

Ron Brenner Design to be Featured in New Book

An In-Law Apartment I designed a few years ago is to be featured in an upcoming book by Michael Litchfield.  The book is called in-laws, out...

New House Plan Offering - The Excelsior Cottage

Simply Elegant Home Designs is very proud to offer an amazing new house plan - the   Excelsior Farmhouse Cottage ; designed by Ron Brenner o...

Ron Brenner Architects creates new Cottage House Plan

Ron Brenner Architects is creating a new design for the Cottagewood division of Kyle Hunt & Partners. The design is characterized by ...

Architects Suck?

I had quite a long conversation with a very nice fellow the other day. I’ll call him Tom, the owner of another pre -designed house plan com...

New Simple Yet Dramatic Home Design

I just completed a new home design for a client that will be built in "Tapestry at Charlotte's Grove"; a new community in Lake...

Home Design Ideas - Split the Garage!

At Ron Brenner Architects , I am currently working with a client on a new home design to be constructed in Rochester, MN.  Here we have run ...

House Plans - Build it yourself

In the "old days" people used to build their own houses. Many would buy a set of house plans and the construction materials from t...

Home Design Ideas - Funky Fireplace

You can learn much from studying rooms that you love. Below I have attached a living room picture from a home I designed a few years ago. ...

Beijing Water Park Redux

This post is not about Home Design but I thought it interesting to pass on. Remember the National Aquatic Center at the Beijing Olympics? Th...

Home Design Ideas - Eclectic Kitchen

My better half (Kelley) sent me the kitchen photo below. She loves it and so do I. Here are a few observations: No upper cabinets - most of...

Home Design Ideas - Floating Stair

Here is another nice home design idea - a floating stair. The residential design world tends to do things the same way over and over while ...

Rambler Redux

I ran across some photos of a 1970's era rambler that was for sale in the San Francisco area. This reminds me that there is an awful lo...

Design Ideas - Make Your Island Special!

This is the first in a new series that I will be starting called "Design Ideas". What I would like to do is illustrate little des...

Nice Space, Good House Design2

My better half (Kelley) loves everything that interior designer Candice Olson performs. I just ran across one more example of a family room...

Ipod Kitchen Faucet

For years I have been wondering when someone would come out with a kitchen faucet / ipod - and here it is! OK - its not an IPOD, but a touch...

Nice Space, Good House Design

I ran across this photo of a nice modern bedroom space and thought I would pass it on along with a couple of thoughts. Obviously the design ...

Custom Architect Designed House Plans for $10K?

So how much does good home design cost? To have an Architect tailor a home design specifically for you and your building site it can cost ...

Its Complicated House

Over the past year I have had several clients make reference to the movie "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldw...

Architects Have Great Tools!

Every once in a while I like to give you an example of the tools we use in this business called Architecture. Things have come a long way s...