When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

James Maidhof Photography
Transitional dining room photo in Kansas City

Chicago's Top-Rated Luxury Staging & Furniture Rental
Minimalist family room photo in Chicago

Minimalistic styling was key for this small condo living . Selecting pieces that was not going to obstruct the 360 city views was also key . Adding pops of color for a warm cozy feel was also important and versatile accent pieces round the space.

Trent Bell
Living room - small rustic open concept living room idea in Portland Maine with white walls and no fireplace

Michael Hunter
Design ideas for a small eclectic full sun side yard concrete paver garden path in Dallas for fall.

In this whole-house renovation we transformed a dark ‘50s ranch house into a bright, open, contemporary home with a breathtaking 180-degree view. The owner sought a peaceful, sanctuary-like environment where she could relax and work from home, as well as an easy place to entertain guests. Following these fundamental criteria, we approached the project with a simple design and select palette of natural materials. Photography by Kurt Manley. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/vista-adobe/

Venjhamin Reyes
Inspiration for a mediterranean medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in Miami with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and two islands

Mark Pinkerton, VI 360
Example of a transitional brown two-story mixed siding house exterior design in San Francisco

Architect Sarah Armstrong of Studio360 designed this porch with a view to the sky. The blue sky seen through the skylights provides a beautiful contrast to the natural wood tongue-and-groove finish on the porch's ceiling. Photo credit: Maryland Photography Inc.

The homeowners of this condo sought our assistance when downsizing from a large family home on Howe Sound to a small urban condo in Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver. They asked us to incorporate many of their precious antiques and art pieces into the new design. Our challenges here were twofold; first, how to deal with the unconventional curved floor plan with vast South facing windows that provide a 180 degree view of downtown Vancouver, and second, how to successfully merge an eclectic collection of antique pieces into a modern setting. We began by updating most of their artwork with new matting and framing. We created a gallery effect by grouping like artwork together and displaying larger pieces on the sections of wall between the windows, lighting them with black wall sconces for a graphic effect. We re-upholstered their antique seating with more contemporary fabrics choices - a gray flannel on their Victorian fainting couch and a fun orange chenille animal print on their Louis style chairs. We selected black as an accent colour for many of the accessories as well as the dining room wall to give the space a sophisticated modern edge. The new pieces that we added, including the sofa, coffee table and dining light fixture are mid century inspired, bridging the gap between old and new. White walls and understated wallpaper provide the perfect backdrop for the colourful mix of antique pieces. Interior Design by Lori Steeves, Simply Home Decorating. Photos by Tracey Ayton Photography

Large mountain style beige two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in St Louis with a gambrel roof

Rebel Fast Jack fixture head features a 360 degree rotation and tilts 90 degrees. Holds up to 3 lenses or louvers (comes with clear glass). Available in 1, 3, 6, 12, or 18 inch stem lengths. Mounts to a Monorail connector, Monorail 2 Circuit connector, or Fast Jack power canopy, sold separately. Finish available in satin nickel, polished nickel, or antique bronze. One 50 Watt, 12 Volt, IR, MR16 GU5.3 lamp for use with satin nickel or polished nickel finish, one 37 Watt, 12 Volt, IR, MR16 GU5.3 lamp for use with the antique bronze finish, lamp not included. ETL listed.

Detail of the tongue and groove roof laid on bamboo structure. This a 270 degree wrap around porch has an impressive view overlooking the ocean and surrounding hills.

This screened-in-porch turned into a spacious dining area by removing extra storage furniture and arranging with place settings. It surely had buyers dreaming of family dinners here!

This house features an open concept floor plan, with expansive windows that truly capture the 180-degree lake views. The classic design elements, such as white cabinets, neutral paint colors, and natural wood tones, help make this house feel bright and welcoming year round.

©Teague Hunziker
Large trendy two-story and backyard stucco and concrete white patio photo with no cover

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/

Two-story living room with 18' ceilings, large windows, and a grand fireplace. 180-degree views of the surrounding property add a natural peacefulness to the space. Three wood stained beams draw your eye to the ceiling and over to the iron railing from the flex space which looks down from above.