We're seeing a shift with homeowners increasingly turning away from cheaply made, big-box store furniture in favor of high-quality pieces that are friendlier on the environment. It is so rad when our love for the planet and passion for design collide! No human is perfect, but these little changes in decisions combine to create big change. When buying furniture and decor, try to seek out materials that are certified sustainable by the manufacturers so you can feel good about the piece's environmental impact - while also knowing that it will last generations. #handmadedecor #handmadeinteriors #luxurydiningroom #diningspace #diningroomstyle

Lincoln Net Positive Farmhouse

ZeroEnergy Design

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Mineral Drive Kitchen Renovation

TVL Creative Ltd.

Cramped kitchen be gone! That was the project motto and top priority. The goal was to transform the current layout from multiple smaller spaces into a connected whole that would activate the main level for our clients, a young family of four. The biggest obstacle was the wall dividing the kitchen and the dining room. Removing this wall was central to opening up and integrating the main living spaces, but the existing ductwork that ran right through the center of the wall posed a design challenge, er design opportunity. The resulting design solution features a central pantry that captures the ductwork and provides valuable storage- especially when compared to the original kitchen's 18" wide pantry cabinet. The pantry also anchors the kitchen island and serves as a visual separation of space between the kitchen and homework area. Through our design development process, we learned the formal living room was of no service to their lifestyle and therefore space they rarely spent time in. With that in mind, we proposed to eliminate the unused living room and make it the new dining room. Relocating the dining room to this space inherently felt right given the soaring ceiling and ample room for holiday dinners and celebrations. The new dining room was spacious enough for us to incorporate a conversational seating area in the warm, south-facing window alcove. Now what to do with the old dining room?! To answer that question we took inspiration from our clients' shared profession in education and developed a craft area/homework station for both of their boys. The semi-custom cabinetry of the desk area carries over to the adjacent wall and forms window bench base with storage that we topped with butcher block for a touch of warmth. While the boys are young, the bench drawers are the perfect place for a stash of toys close to the kitchen. The kitchen begins just beyond the window seat with their refrigerator enclosure. Opposite the refrigerator is the new pantry with twenty linear feet of shelving and space for brooms and a stick vacuum. Extending from the backside of the pantry the kitchen island design incorporates counter seating on the family room side and a cabinetry configuration on the kitchen side with drawer storage, a trashcan center, farmhouse sink, and dishwasher. We took careful time in design and execution to align the range and sink because while it might seem like a small detail, it plays an important role in supporting the symmetrical configuration of the back wall of the kitchen. The rear wall design utilizes an appliance garage mirrors the visual impact of the refrigerator enclosure and helps keep the now open kitchen tidy. Between the appliance garage and refrigerator enclosure is the cooking zone with 30" of cabinetry and work surface on either side of the range, a chimney style vent hood, and a bold graphic tile backsplash. The backsplash is just one of many personal touches we added to the space to reflect our client's modern eclectic style and love of color. Swooping lines of the mid-mod style barstools compliment the pendants and backsplash pattern. A pop of vibrant green on the frame of the pantry door adds a fresh wash of color to an otherwise neutral space. The big show stopper is the custom charcoal gray and copper chevron wall installation in the dining room. This was an idea our clients softly suggested, and we excitedly embraced the opportunity. It is also a kickass solution to the head-scratching design dilemma of how to fill a large and lofty wall. We are so grateful to bring this design to life for our clients and now dear friends.

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Earthwind Elegant Kitchen and Living Room

Alair Homes Plano

Our clients wanted to open up their living space for better flow so that they could entertain friends and family in a more functional space. They wanted to remove the wall separating the family room and the kitchen and completely gut the kitchen and start over. This also entailed removing the built-in bar area and breakfast nook. They weren’t sure if they wanted to keep the skylight or if it would even work with the new layout or not. The various ceiling heights were also going to be a challenge in the family room and breakfast nook. They also wanted to explore options for a dry bar and/or a coffee bar area. They wanted to keep their new kitchen classic, simple, and clean, and they definitely needed design help to see what it was going to look like. We removed the door to the hallway, closed off the pass-through to the wet bar, and moved two doors on the opposite end of the kitchen. Most importantly, we removed the large built-in bookcase wall between the kitchen and living room! The entire kitchen was demolished, and the renovation began. Linen painted Waypoint cabinets were installed with Successi French Gold hardware. Our client picked out gorgeous Sea Pearl quartzite countertops, making this kitchen clean and sophisticated, with a subtle backsplash using Nabi Tundra 3x6 Ceramic Tile to create a slight contrast. A white Platus 33” single-basin farmhouse fireclay kitchen sink with an apron front was put in, giving it that modern farmhouse feel. All new stainless steel Thermador appliances were installed, really making this kitchen pop! To top it off, the skylight remained as-is and worked perfectly with the new layout, sitting directly above the center of the new large island. Two Darlana small lantern island pendants from Visual Comfort were hung to add a simple, decorative touch to the center of their new open kitchen. New built-ins were installed in the dining area, with floor-to-ceiling cabinets on either end for extra storage and glass front cabinets in the center, above a gorgeous coffee bar. Our clients chose a Metrolume Chandelier from Shades of Light to hang over the dining room table and create a warm eating area. This space went from totally closed off and not their style to a beautiful, classic kitchen that our clients absolutely love. Their boys and their dog, Rusty, also love their new, wide-open living space!

Room In A Day Service Breakfast Nook

Marker Girl Home

This kid friendly breakfast nook. Done in Navy and Grey. Navy vinyl cushion with throw pillows in outdoor fabrics to coordinate. The chandelier was repainted in white to give her new home a fresher look. Roman shade create a fun pattern to pull it all together. Artwork was purchased from Etsy a personalized chalkboard calendar to help keep this busy Mom organized

Kitchen/Dining Room Combo Ideas

The opposite of bustling, multifunctional rooms like the kitchen, the dining room is a simple space devoted solely to hosting and feasting. While it’s a room that may be used infrequently, it is ideal for large get-togethers, family dinners and celebrations. When perusing dining room ideas, consider what kind of furniture and decorative accents will transform the space into an entertaining mecca. Achieving an effective dining room design can be a little tricky. However, one of the easiest changes you can make is swapping out your furniture; as the focal point of the room, your table should be your biggest investment. Take time to consider various furniture pieces and what works best for your needs. Don’t be afraid to splurge — a good table can last you decades! Once you have this cornerstone piece figured out, you can then focus on implementing your favorite dining room decorating ideas and storage options.

What kind of dining room furniture should I get?

Dining areas come in all shapes and sizes, as do their accompanying tables. As you browse dining room ideas, consider a few things. What is your dining room layout? How often do you entertain? How many people usually attend? What kind of events do you like organizing - big dinners or intimate gatherings? What kind of dining rooms are you personally drawn to at other homes? If you don’t host anything because you are hindered by your current dining room design, consider what kind of soirees you would ideally throw and work from there. If you want a dining table with options, purchase one with a leaf so you can accommodate varying numbers of guests. Keep in mind that to ensure visitors won’t be bumping elbows with their fellow dinner guests, each person needs about two feet of eating space (typically the table manufacturer will be able to recommend the amount of people that can comfortably sit at the table). In terms of shapes, round tables are optimal for achieving some of the smaller dining room design ideas you might see. They fit into tight areas and have no sharp corners to bump into when you’re serving a hot casserole or pouring a glass of water. Round pedestal tables are also useful alternatives - they offer more legroom than conventional designs. For a larger space, a square table works well, and a rectangular table is ideal for a long, narrow room. No matter shape, size or material, make sure you measure table-to-wall clearance. To do this, measure the space around the room. Try to leave 42-48" between your table and the walls so diners can sit down and get up easily from their chairs. If there is furniture in the dining space, begin your 42-48” measurement from the edge of the furniture instead of the wall.

What kind of dining room decor should I have?

When looking for dining room decorating ideas, remember that you don’t want to overwhelm this refined space with too much clutter. However, simple does not mean plain, and this is a room where you can take some stylistic liberties. When decorating dining rooms, think about color schemes (after choosing your table, of course!). Usage of color can really make or break dining room designs, and the cohesion of a matching furniture set allows for colorful decor choices. Try light blue or gray walls for an elegant look, or go timeless with a black and white theme. If you want to stick to white paint, throw in some gold or copper accents, or splashes of bright colors to keep it interesting; geometric patterns, custom-painted ceilings and unique wallpapers are also effective at livening up a dining area. Top off your dining room remodel with a statement light fixture, some inspirational artwork and a large mirror to reflect more light throughout the room. Lastly, don’t forget the dining room table decor! A seasonal centerpiece, table runner or plant arrangement can immediately brighten up the entire space. And if you're shopping on a budget, then don't forget to check out our promo and coupon codes to find the best deals on dining room furniture and decor.

How do I add storage to my dining room?

When choosing storage for dining rooms, focus on functionality. Do you want to have a place to lay out food? Do you want more storage? Do you want to showcase any items? Take a look at various dining room pictures to see how others have incorporated storage and pull the ideas you like for your own. Since storage pieces can get expensive, especially for dining rooms, consider using one of our promo or coupon codes to get a great deal on a new piece for your home. A china cabinet or hutch is a great way to store and display dishes or art pieces. If you need storage as well as a place to lay out food, sideboards - a long, low storage piece with short legs (also known as a “buffet”) - typically are your best bets as they have cabinets. “Servers” tend to be smaller, more formal and lighter in scale than sideboards; they can have drawers and an open bottom on taller legs, or they may have cabinets. Credenzas tend to be long, low cabinets on slender legs, often with sliding doors. Lastly, if you’re going to be using your dining area primarily for cocktail hour (or even if you’re not), consider investing in a rolling bar cart or a permanent wet bar. The dining room ideas you can choose from are really endless, so try not to get overwhelmed and remember you can always change the design down the road!