Add light and volume to a room to create a sense of spaciousness. “I used a butterfly roof design — taller at the edges and sloping down to the center — to open up both sides of this new Saratoga home,” Shmariahu says.

 

The wide lot lent itself to a horizontal design. The wall at the front of the house adds height to the family room and entry. At the back of the lot, a matching wall spans the kitchen and great room and opens into the backyard. All of the public spaces include full-size glass doors and windows along with clerestory windows. “They help capture the light”, Shmariahu says. Lower ceilings in the private rooms of the house provide a needed sense of enclosure. 

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