Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

The color palette that Emily Henderson worked with used cream, coral and moss green tones with gold accents. On the windows, the custom Roman shades are soft but structured. It helps to give a cozy look to the room without feeling cluttered or messy.

This beautiful Japanese style shade structure provides a shady retreat next to the pond in this garden. Western red cedar timbers and bamboo as the shade material.

Cape Associates, Inc. completed this backyard bliss by covering an attached pergola with a 12’ x 16’ retractable shade. Rope driven, the homeowners can extend the Sunbrella Taupe fabric without knocking fresh lobster rolls off the table.

This contemporary aluminum pergola kit design by Brown Jordan Structures offers its exclusive Suncloth fabric providing protection from the suns rays while creating a beautiful outdoor room. A powder coated finish in Titanium and a low maintenance structural aluminum material provides a lifetime of enjoyment and use. Paired with Brown Jordan Furniture, this outdoor dining area is simple yet refined. With this easy to install Serenity-Solis pergola kit you will be ready to enjoy your patio and guests every day. Unique "L" shaped support posts add a charming subtle accent.

This custom aluminum shade structure featuring flat end detail and a powder coated finish also incorporates integrated electrical so students may plug in devices for charging. Providing a sense of enclosure and architectural beauty, this aluminum pergola kit enhances the student common area at this Penn State University Campus in New Kensington, PA. This is a commercial grade, low maintenance pergola kit that will last for years. A powder coated custom Ipê utility screen, as seen in the right rear of the structure, was built to hide the AC units.

The roman shades go up illuminating the space with natural daylight. The custom window seat bench is the perfect place to relax in this dream closet compete with a tufted cushion and plush custom pillows. Photo Credit: Ginna Gill Photography

Minimalist patio photo in Salt Lake City

The entire back and side yard were renovated to include an extensive travertine deck, new landscaping, an entertainment center with a BBQ, bar, outdoor kitchen, and large overhead shade structure. This project involved an extensive renovation of the client's exiting free form pool and natural rock waterfall.

Completed in the summer of 2013, this modern garden is located in Highland Park, Texas just north of Dallas. This garden features a modern edge with a swimming pool, concrete terraces, Ipe wood decks, a unique wood fence an outdoor shade structure with fireplace. The garden also includes and outdoor cooking area with Kalamazoo appliances.

Havana fiberglass pergola kits boast a beautiful retractable shade canopy seen in garden green and painted with our ColorLast paint process in Latte. These high quality finishes and fabrics offer a low maintenance, high quality product. Each mesh fabric panel floats along a wire track for ease of use. This modern pergola design boasts double beams and spaced out double rafters which helps to keep Havana as one of our lowest cost fiberglass shade structures. With six different column options, ten canopy fabric selections and seven paint finishes, you will be able to design the perfect pergola kit for your outdoor retreat. Enjoy the sun or observe the stars with the option to retract your canopy to customize the amount of shade that will make you most comfortable. The pergola ideas are endless if a custom Havana is more your style. Fabricated by Brown Jordan Structures, you know the quality is unbeatable.

Completed in the summer of 2013, this modern garden is located in Highland Park, Texas just north of Dallas. This garden features a modern edge with a swimming pool, concrete terraces, Ipe wood decks, a unique wood fence an outdoor shade structure with fireplace. The garden also includes and outdoor cooking area with Kalamazoo appliances.

Minimalist pool photo in Salt Lake City

These floor to ceiling book shelves double as a storage and an eye- capturing focal point that surrounds the head board, making the bed in this master bedroom, the center of attention. Learn more about Chris Ebert, the Normandy Remodeling Designer who created this space, and other projects that Chris has created: https://www.normandyremodeling.com/team/christopher-ebert Photo Credit: Normandy Remodeling

Example of a large tuscan backyard concrete paver patio design in San Francisco with a gazebo

HGTV Designer Emily Henderson partnered with Curbly bloggers and homeowners to style their master bedroom. Emily's infallible style is an effortless mixture of midcentury and eclectic finds. Emily wanted to give the Curbly house a light, airy feel, so she dressed the windows with the stunning Blinds.com Roman Shades in a crisp white. Photo taken by Melissa Oholendt, styled by Emily Henderson, produced by Curbly.com

Outdoor motorized shading that is customized and designed specifically by EX Design Group creates exquisite solutions for year round enjoyment of outdoor spaces. Motorized Pergolas are retractable roof systems ideal for modern architectural settings. The structure is made of aluminium treated with exclusive an aluinox treatment making the metal surface similar to steel. The utility of the structures have absolutely unmatched aesthetics.

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Meg Messina Photography
Patio - mid-sized contemporary backyard concrete paver patio idea in San Francisco with a pergola