cedar fencing, Covered Structures, decking, outdoor cookstation, outdoor living space,
Deck - transitional deck idea in Portland with decking and a bbq area

Photo of a large rustic partial sun backyard stone formal garden in Philadelphia with a fire pit.

Photo: Michaela Dodd © 2015 Houzz
Elegant bathroom photo in DC Metro

Huge eclectic terra-cotta tile home design photo in Los Angeles with white walls, a standard fireplace and a plaster fireplace

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

Charlie Cho
Bathroom - mid-sized 1960s bathroom idea in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops and gray countertops

This is an organic Lime Wash done with a true lime wash product as opposed to a brick mortar or concrete that is often seen on new houses. This product can be applied as a solid coating making the surface completely white, or can be applied and "washed off" in many artistic ways, as seen here. If you hate your brick or just want something unique this is a great option! Photo credit: Jeff Murrey

Courtney Olander

Inspiration for a mid-sized eclectic open concept dark wood floor living room remodel in Salt Lake City with white walls, a standard fireplace and a plaster fireplace

lisa pétrole
Example of an eclectic open concept white floor living room design in Toronto with white walls and no tv

Our Birch & White elfa décor Reach-In Closet is tailor-made for your wardrobe. There's room for hanging garments, shelves and racks for shoes and accessories plus drawers for folded clothes. The fine weave of the mesh and closed corners of the drawers prevent smaller items from falling through.

4' - 6' Tall and Wide. Full sun. Semi dwarf First Editions Series. Dark purple maroon foliage all season with abundant deep pink flowers, 'Midnight Magic' has a rounded compact habit. Flowering starts in mid summer and remains colorful in September. The leaf color on 'Midnight Magic' remains deep purple maroon even in our southern heat.

Maximalism leans into big moves—bold colors, layered patterns, tons of decor, and eclectic mixes that create a rich, high-energy look, but can start to feel visually overwhelming in everyday life. Midimalism keeps some of that drama and personality, but pulls back on the sheer amount of stuff, editing down to a few strong pieces and layers so the room still feels calm, breathable, and easy to live in.

A new-renovation of a Beacon Hill townhouse gets a new look. It was clear from the beginning we needed to seamlessly meld old and new to bring a fresh approach to the interiors of this new home for a young family. Our client owned beautiful antiques and some well-loved, but worn pieces that had the right lines but needed a style upgrade. With a wonderful, engaged client we artfully edited, re-covered and added many new pieces to create a cohesive style with classic forms. The new home is a perfect mixture of beautiful fabrics, functional custom millwork, unique decorative lighting and elegant wall coverings, carpets, and window treatments. Eric Roth Photography

Daring and dramatic, this bathroom is the perfect showcase for our new Artist Editions sink pattern and glaze.
Example of a trendy bathroom design in Milwaukee

In dining spaces, start with a clean-lined dining table and let the character come from distinctive chairs or a statement light fixture overhead so the room feels special without a lot of visual noise. Add personality through a few well-chosen ceramics, glassware, or an edited open-shelf display, while keeping most surfaces clear so the space stays balanced and easy to live with.

Example of a cottage exterior home design in New York