To stage this room we removed the two dated blue recliners and slipcovered the dated sofa. Colorful pillows and a pouf were added. A runner downplays the 80's oak coffee table. The space is spare but it feels fresher.

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

To stage this powder room, we removed the dated wallpaper and border. Once painted a soothing gray, the space felt completely updated and much calmer. The peacock painting adds a touch of fun.

Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Living room - small contemporary open concept porcelain tile and brown floor living room idea in DC Metro with a bar and white walls

Brewster & Company was an American coach builder, active from 1810-1937. Lanterns probably date from the first half of the 19th century. Circa 1840.
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Architecture & Interior Design: David Heide Design Studio Photography: William Wright
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This sunroom was painted a soft silver gray. The dated and stained furniture was slipcovered with inexpensive fabric. Bright colorful pillows were placed. Larger colorful art went on the walls. A colorful pouf replaced the dated oak coffee table. The urn was removed when we updated the foyer, but it worked better in this space.

Lowell Custom Homes, Lake Geneva, WI., Living room with open and airy concept, large window walls and center fireplace with detailed wood mantel. Volume ceiling with beams and center globe light fixture.

We painted the walls pewter with white trim, stained the oak woodwork an ebony color, and replaced the dated brass and glass light fixture. The look is now current and elegant with their furnishings from their old houses.

Photo: Brandon Barre
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This living room went from Victorian dated, dark and tired to updated, light, fresh and happy on a very tiny budget with slipcovers and accessories.
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This living room went from Victorian dated, dark and tired to updated, light, fresh and happy on a very tiny budget with slipcovers and accessories. Furniture was rearranged all over the house to completely change the feel of each room.

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This space used to have dark forest green walls and floral chintz swagged window treatments. The room was empty except for 2 dining chairs. Walls were painted a putty color which instantly updated the space. The rolltop desk and office chair that were between the living and dining areas were relocated. We brought up an old stained sofa from the basement and slipcovered it to make the space more welcoming. Dated window treatments were removed.

After staging, the master feels refreshed and a bit more luxurious. Most of the excess and dated furniture was removed, creating a sense of calm while at the same time updating the space. Clean white drapes replaced the dark blue drapes, making the room less blue. We used the existing bedding by flipping it over to the solid reverse side. To save money, the bedskirt was made from the drapes we removed.

This space used to have dark forest green walls and floral chintz swagged window treatments. The room was empty except for 2 dining chairs. Walls were painted a putty color which instantly updated the space. The rolltop desk and office chair that were between the living and dining areas were relocated. We brought up an old stained sofa from the basement and slipcovered it to make the space more welcoming. Dated window treatments were removed.

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