As another year comes to a close, Craig reflects on 2023: he’s thrilled about the press recognition the firm received this year. He’s proud of big project completions and is inspired to continue exciting new projects in 2024. On a personal note, Craig discovered a healthy family-work-life balance by shifting his relationship to the digital world. It was a year of gaining work momentum, coupled with personal growth and self-care, setting the path for a calm (his word for 2024), creative, and productive new year ahead.

2023 Press: Sunset Magazine, Houzz and Small Firms Great Projects

This year, Sunset Magazine and Houzz featured our Costa Mesa project. Houzz covered the project twice; one article was about the home design and another showcased the landscape design. All three articles highlighted the synergistic collaboration between Craig and the homeowners Travis and Aubree Gramberg, who lead the landscape design business Koheid Design.

“It was rewarding to work closely with Travis and Aubree to dramatically transform the 1960s ranch house – on a gem of a corner lot – into a light-filled, ‘modern-ish’ home with indoor-outdoor living. The property now offers a laid-back California lifestyle ideal for Travis, Aubree, their two young boys, and beloved dogs,” says Craig.

Our design for this indoor-outdoor family oasis in Orange County garnered press recognition in 2023.

“I’m also incredibly honored that our Calistoga Modern Farmhouse Retreat was selected by SF AIA for the Small Firms Great Projects issue,” he says. “When I learned that my friends lost their Calistoga home in the devastating 2017 Tubbs Fire, and that they wanted me to help them revive the property, I was touched. Knowing the homeowners well, my design was inspired by their personalities and lifestyle, the natural setting — nestled in the hills with sweeping views of Mayacamas Mountains — and the wine country agricultural vernacular.”

*Small Firms Great Projects* showcased our Calistoga Modern Farmhouse Retreat in its annual publication.

A Mill Valley 1800s Cottage Remodel & a Rooftop Deck in the City

“A huge project achievement this year was the Mill Valley cottage remodel we completed in October,” says Craig. The age of the home, which was built pre-1900, inspired the renovation – Craig’s design blended its natural history with a modern touch. “The clients, a family with two kids, moved in this fall and are very happy. The home retains its older roots that’s demonstrated mostly on the outside of the house, and on the inside has refreshing modern twists, specifically in the kitchen.” Stay tuned for a home tour and photos to come.

Another favorite project, this time in the city of San Francisco, is a beautiful rooftop deck in the Sunset District with views of the Pacific Ocean, coming to completion this month. This is an exciting accomplishment as the project began in 2020 during the onset of COVID (pictures to come soon).

Lastly, Craig and his team began the master plan for a beautiful property in downtown St. Helena. He’s inspired to create a special wine country escape for the clients who reside in Southern California.

What Craig is Grateful for: Being More Efficient in His Workflow

Being a business owner is an extremely rewarding and challenging experience. For the past few years, Craig’s been exploring how to strike that perfect balance between work and family life. His dedicated self-care practices have led him to “conscious decoupling with digital connections”. This looks like checking email far less often to create more room for creativity.

“When I take a break from email it significantly frees up bandwidth in my brain for creativity,” he says.

Jessica, Farrah, Wyatt, and Craig enjoying Spring Break on Maui.

A Look Ahead to 2024: Projects on the Horizon

“An extensive project that’s been in the works for a while is a complete remodel to a three-story home in San Francisco’s Nob Hill. We are set to start construction in January 2024.”

Also in the New Year, we will break ground on a project in Los Gatos for a young family with two kids. Craig is designing a full house remodel and will move into the permit process and construction in 2024.

Lastly, the St. Helena project mentioned above will give Craig the opportunity to design a new ground-up ADU (accessory dwelling unit). “I enjoy the creative problem-solving challenge of working with existing conditions for remodels. At the same time, I love the opportunity to create something completely new and unique,” says Craig.

It’s been an incredible year of building community within the architectural space, retaining amazing connections with partners and clients, and creating more spaciousness in day-to-day life. We’re so grateful for all of our clients and those of you interested in our work, and we’re excitedly looking to share more in the upcoming year.