New England Charm

Having worked with the owners on this house in the past, John returned to oversee a whole house renovation, collaborating with J Hall Designs for the kitchen and bathrooms. The couple appreciated the charming New England details in the original designs by noted Cleveland architect Monroe Copper and asked Koncar to create an updated comfortable “East Coast” retreat, perfect for blended family gatherings.  Ample seating includes a sofa of John’s design, and a television that disappears into a cabinet. The sun porch is surrounded by a lush, private garden with colors and textures inspiring the interior palette. John removed the foyer wall to feature the graceful stair detailing, added panel moldings and increased the scale of the crown, base and window casings for a more refined look. Materials, while luxurious, provide an understated environment that is also durable.

Mid-century Penthouse

"I want a mid-century ranch house on top of this building!" was the client’s order in remodeling the suite, which had been vacant for years...for lack of vision. Atop a high rise along Lake Erie’s shore, this project involved complete demolition, reconfiguring the floor plan to take advantage of the lake and skyline views. All amenities are newly constructed and designed to the client’s sophisticated taste. The existing fireplace, a rarity in high-rise buildings, was clad in stone veneer extending through the window to the balcony beyond. Window frames were redesigned, permissible only because the penthouse is out of view from the rest of the building. Porcelain floor tiles resembling aged bronze can withstand harsh Cleveland winters and extend to the balcony, further blurring boundaries. A special feature is the onyx backsplash that illuminates the kitchen counters.

Zen Farm House

Clapboard siding, shutters, and rambling additions typify Western Reserve architecture. This Chagrin Valley house, nestled in a deep ravine, is no exception. The young family asked for a gathering place for meals, a great kitchen, a place for music, and a small yet "great" room in which to enjoy the setting. Working with Peninsula Architects, John and the clients crafted what lives like a modern urban dwelling in the heart of the country, blending natural beauty and new spaces. The silo form is connection and dining space, joining the older structure to the new family room and glowing like a lantern in the night. The former living room houses a state-of-the-art sound system. Natural materials reference the surrounding landscape with barn siding hiding efficient refrigeration, stacked river stone covering the fireplaces, and sustainable and recycled materials, low VOC paints and LED lighting putting into practice the clients’ wish to live responsibly.

Town House

Hollywood Chic

In-town Chateau

This house, like its owner, has a large personality and is blessed with remarkable details usually found in much larger dwellings allowing John to implement his architecture background in understanding the detailing of an older house, and allowing it to explain itself. Fluency in the home's language can create kitchens and bathrooms that don’t look new; but instead look like the owner was lucky enough to inherit them. John used the client’s own furniture (most of which he designed for their former country residence), and an extensive art & antiques collection. A careful inventory of the owner’s furnishings and a curatorial eye in creating fresh combinations appropriate to the in-town location were required. A meticulously drawn plan describing the location of major works and furnishings, the design and detailing of the many window treatments, a fearless use of color and a keen sense of what NOT to disturb in the grand design make a statement that is truly one of a kind.

Shoreline Modernism

A 3,500 square foot condo with a Lake Erie backdrop becomes a new pied-à-terre. Entrusted with the space planning and entire design-build package, John reconfigured the spaces limited only by the locations of existing mechanical/structural elements. The clients hoped for "easy sophistication" with the latest in energy efficient amenities. True to John’s philosophy that spaces within should reflect the spaces outside, the landscape and sky-high views were inspiration to create a poetic reference to life near the water. Sandstone-hued porcelain reflects the beaches below; sand-etched glass looks like beach glass; teak paneling brings to mind a vintage Chris Craft. Even the custom glass panels by John Sheffer were imagined to look like the watery horizon beyond, or perhaps a frozen lake. This home features Koncar’s FLORIAN FURNITURE collection including the Arcos Console in rusted steel, and The Shoreline Sofas. John assembled a virtual office comprised of Novus Architects, an engineer, Sean O’Connor Associates for lighting and DAK Construction to make the process seamless and simple for the California-based clients.

Rural Retreat

Urban Lux

After years in a small, top floor condo, "Cleveland’s Carrie Bradshaw" had accumulated far too many treasures from her frequent travels. John suggested it was time she move on, and within a week she presented him with plans for a townhouse being built in her own neighborhood. Her vibrant personality and generous entertaining style called for an open plan with color. John modified the builder’s plans to fit a treasured piano in a bay window, and hide the television in a custom cabinet that also separates the dining room from the living room, with the space above open and loft-like. Now the engaging hostess and great cook can entertain in the open kitchen with friends nearby. Her master suite takes a subtler approach to create a restful spot in which to end her day.

Lakefront Glamour

A tall room facing a water view needed softening. The client purchased furnishings for the new house, but it didn’t suit their vision of a completed and inviting home. John added soft, semi-transparent drapery in the living room in a grandly scaled pattern related to the dusty colors in the rug. Reaching high into the room, botanical prints and an enormous mirror fill the bare walls and reinforce the existing color scheme. The mirror makes the room appear wider, while allowing people inhabiting the room to add movement and color. In the dining room, John chose a sparkling grass cloth for the walls in a deep copper color to provide intimacy. Layering the same fabric seen in the living room upon a bronze silk material created continuity between the adjacent spaces. In the family room beyond, a custom carpet designed by Koncar anchors the sofas, and sheer plaid fabric frames sunset views.