Vintage O'Keefe & Merritt stove, restored. Walnut island and soapstone countertops. Photo, Amy Miller
Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Los Angeles

Farnsworth House (1951), Plano, Illinois, designed by Mies van der Rohe Photograph: U.S. Library of Congress, Carol M. Highsmith Archive
Minimalist living room photo in Chicago

This project represents the evolution of a 10 acre space over more than three decades. It began with the pool and space around it. As the vegetable garden grew, the orchard was established and the display gardens blossomed. The prairie was restored and a kitchen was added to complete the space. Although, it continues to change with a pond next on the design plan. Photo credit: Linda Oyama Bryan

Example of a large classic living room design in Seattle with white walls and a standard fireplace

Example of a large classic brown floor living room design in Chicago with beige walls

Example of a classic dark wood floor enclosed dining room design in Charleston with beige walls

Casey Fry
Kitchen - mid-sized contemporary single-wall medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, gray backsplash and dark wood cabinets

John Dimaio
Example of a beach style guest dark wood floor bedroom design in Philadelphia with gray walls

New residential construction 2012
Tuscan travertine floor enclosed dining room photo in Dallas with white walls

The master bedroom of this home is full of exciting colors and textures. The dark walls allow the bed to stand out while the rug and pillows add pops of color and texture. Brad Knipstein was the photographer.

Photography: Lisa Sze
Example of a classic kitchen pantry design in San Francisco with open cabinets and white cabinets

Photo: Kathryn Clark
Enclosed kitchen - farmhouse galley enclosed kitchen idea in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, colored appliances and white cabinets

This Mini-kitchen safely hides a 120V GE Advantium oven that can cook (bake, warm) just about anything, it’s not just a microwave. And its speed cook feature works four times faster. This oven is why this compact kitchen is a REAL kitchen, not just a hospitality center. The 120V Kenyon Custom ceramic cooktop also functions as extra counter space when it is not being used. For safety considerations, both of these appliances DO NOT FUNCTION when the grid doors are concealing them. When the doors are opened, power is restored to the appliances, a safety feature enabled by YesterTec’s exclusive U.L Listed technology. Photo by David Beer

View from the street of Ballard Craftsman shows rebuilt entry stair, balcony and railing. Master bedroom opens to balcony with new door and Quantum windows. Exterior colors are Benjamin Moore "Mountain Lane" for siding, and "Barely Yellow" for trim. David Whelan photo

The homes in Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill, NC are representative of the popularity and explosive growth of American Home Ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WW II. They were designed and built to foster the benefits and sense of “community”, where families could come together and share theirs and their children’s lives. They are typically in very desirable locations within their larger communities, and remodeling them with modern amenities, increasing the performance and efficiency of them, and having them Green Certified (independent third-party verified) makes them extremely attractive to buyers, and helps to raise other property values within the neighborhood. Green Certified Remodeled Homes offer significant value and advantage in the marketplace over similar homes in their area, which is especially important as a new, younger era of home buyers enter the market. Current trends suggest that younger (as well as many “seasoned”) homeowners are interested in smaller, more efficient (and thus affordable) homes situated closer to shopping, their work, entertainment opportunities, and access to the economic and environmental benefits of mass transit. These older homes also offer an additional value that is continuing to gain visibility and appreciation in the market place. They were built from lumber from slower-growth trees (denser and harder wood), and as such offer superior structural support compared to the same home built using lumber from today’s faster-growing (softer and less-dense wood) trees. Robin and Kent had lived in their 2-story Gambrel Roof home in Heritage Hills since 1994. The house was structurally sound, due in large part to the old-growth (and denser) yellow pine that was used in its framing. They loved the quiet neighborhood, its sense of community and amenities, and their home. It suited their life-style and needs; and they had decided that they would remain in the home. It was showing its age, and was in need of general repairs and maintenance, and its energy, water, and indoor air quality performance was continuing to increase their ongoing cost of ownership. Robin loved the screen porch that looked out on their private and nicely landscaped back yard, but she wanted to be able to use it in the colder months of the year. She was unsatisfied with the kitchen and the mud room / laundry room, and the darkness of other living spaces. A previous water leak in the laundry room had resulted in a large patch of mold that had compromised flooring, wall board, and insulation and contributed to the homes reduced indoor air quality. The home lacked insulation in the crawl, and inadequate insulation in the attic. The single HVAC unit had been replaced a few years earlier with a more efficient unit, but with a single programmable thermostat control on the first floor and aging and un-insulated ducting, the second floor was often over-heated in the summer months. The original wood windows had begun to deteriorate and were drafty and inefficient, and the original wood-burning fireplace was an open conduit for escaping conditioned air as well as an inlet for wood-smoke smelling air being pulled into the home. The siding had been replaced a few years earlier with a cement-fiber product, but the exterior wood trim was compromised and beginning to look unsightly. Its original architecture had been altered over the years in ways that presented ongoing maintenance and durability issues, as well as disrupting the elegance of the original design. Kent has worked for over 30 years in the Environmental Sciences field, and is considered to be a national expert in understanding the sources of, and human exposure to pollutants in indoor environments. He had always been very conscious and cautious about the effects on indoor air quality that the construction, furnishings, and products used in home had on him and his family. Project Goals Increase the performance of their home by improving energy efficiency by at least 40% and lowering their natural gas and electric utility costs. Increase the performance of their home by reducing water usage by at least 40% and lowering the water utility costs. Increase the comfort of their home that was being compromised by an inadequate HVAC design, inadequate insulation, inefficient and compromised wood windows, and copious air intrusions and drafts. Improve the healthiness of the homes indoor air quality that was being compromised by an open wood-burning fireplace, and prior water intrusion that had allowed colonies of mold to thrive. Create a new Kitchen, Family Room, Home Office, Mudroom, and Laundry Room that featured some of the latest designs and trends and harmonized with the rest of the homes charm. Increase the usefulness and aesthetics of the screened porch by creating a warm and inviting semi-conditioned 3-Season Room that extended the times during the year that it was comfortable. Introduce day-lighting into areas of the home that were dark and uninviting. Brighten and harmonize all of the interior finishes. Protect and restore the exterior of the home with superior-performing products and finishes. Achieve Gold Level Green Home Certification in conformance with the ICC 700-2012 National Green Building Standards (NGBS).

Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances and green cabinets

WJM Architect
Example of a classic home design design in New York

Access to a vacuum system in the toekick of the wall oven cabinet.
Example of a mid-sized classic u-shaped ceramic tile open concept kitchen design in Chicago with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island