Who says green and sustainable design has to look like it? Designed to emulate the owner’s favorite country club, this fine estate home blends in with the natural surroundings of it’s hillside perch, and is so intoxicatingly beautiful, one hardly notices its numerous energy saving and green features. Durable, natural and handsome materials such as stained cedar trim, natural stone veneer, and integral color plaster are combined with strong horizontal roof lines that emphasize the expansive nature of the site and capture the “bigness” of the view. Large expanses of glass punctuated with a natural rhythm of exposed beams and stone columns that frame the spectacular views of the Santa Clara Valley and the Los Gatos Hills. A shady outdoor loggia and cozy outdoor fire pit create the perfect environment for relaxed Saturday afternoon barbecues and glitzy evening dinner parties alike. A glass “wall of wine” creates an elegant backdrop for the dining room table, the warm stained wood interior details make the home both comfortable and dramatic. The project’s energy saving features include: - a 5 kW roof mounted grid-tied PV solar array pays for most of the electrical needs, and sends power to the grid in summer 6 year payback! - all native and drought-tolerant landscaping reduce irrigation needs - passive solar design that reduces heat gain in summer and allows for passive heating in winter - passive flow through ventilation provides natural night cooling, taking advantage of cooling summer breezes - natural day-lighting decreases need for interior lighting - fly ash concrete for all foundations - dual glazed low e high performance windows and doors Design Team: Noel Cross+Architects - Architect Christopher Yates Landscape Architecture Joanie Wick – Interior Design Vita Pehar - Lighting Design Conrado Co. – General Contractor Marion Brenner – Photography

We built this kitchen for a very environmentally-conscious client in Madison, Wisconsin. All of the wood used was from Wisconsin, all of the plywood used was Pure-Bond (formaldehyde-free), and we used 100% Tung Oil as a finish. For a cozy little ranch, this open and airy kitchen is now the true heart of the home. Design and Contracting credits go to Lesley Sager of Sager Designs of Madison. Please see her website at www.sager-designs.com.

A simple one-story white clapboard 1920s cottage bungalow sat on a narrow straight street with many older homes, all of which meeting the street with a similar dignified approach. This house was the smallest of them all, built in 1922 as a weekend cottage, near the old East Falls Church rail station which provided direct access to Washington D.C. Its diminutive scale, low-pitched roof with the ridge parallel to the street, and lack of superfluous decoration characterized this cottage bungalow. Though the owners fell in love with the charm of the original house, their growing family presented an architectural dilemma: how do you significantly expand a charming little 1920’s Craftsman style house that you love without totally losing the integrity that made it so perfect? The answer began to formulate after a review of the houses in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood; every older house was two stories tall, each built in a different style, each beautifully proportioned, each much larger than this cottage bungalow. Most of the neighborhood houses had been significantly renovated or expanded. Growing this one-story house would certainly not adversely affect the architectural character of the neighborhood. Given that, the house needed to maintain a diminutive scale in order to appear friendly and avoid a dominating presence. The simplistic, crisp, honest materials and details of the little house, all painted white, would be saved and incorporated into a new house. Across the front of the house, the three public spaces would be saved, connected along an axis anchored on the left by the living room fireplace, with the dining room and the sitting room to the right. These three rooms are punctuated by thirteen windows, which for this house age and style, really suggests a more modern aesthetic. Hoachlander Davis Photography.

The nearly 10’ island is an ideal place for food prep, a quick bite, buffet set-up, or sharing a glass of wine with friends. 2.5” thick marble countertop on the island gives substance and a professional feel.

Elegant u-shaped dark wood floor and exposed beam eat-in kitchen photo in Columbus with stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, brown backsplash, beaded inset cabinets, distressed cabinets, mosaic tile backsplash, an island and multicolored countertops

Andrew Pogue Photography Located on one of the highest hilltops in Lakeway, this contemporary home enjoys panoramas of the Texas Hill Country. The home employs it’s unique position, surrounded by nature preserve, to integrate views with a variety of interior and outdoor spaces. The all stone entry features two massive pivot doors, front and back to view across the all negative edge pool, and on to the 15 mile view.

Complete Custom Basement / Lower Level Renovation. Photography by: Ben Gebo For Before and After Photos please see our Facebook Account. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinney-Designs/156913921096192

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/

Master bathroom suite with slab and mosaic Calacatta Marble floors, slab counters and tiled walls. Crystal chandeliers and sconces highlighting custom painted inset cabinets.

The only builder in Southwest Colorado to third-party certify all their homes to rigorous standards. 3 bedrooms and 3 baths. Certified indoor air quality, durability, and low maintenance. Built using inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright as well as the clients' vision with lots of clean lines.

Andrew McKinney Photography Not every kitchen on houzz is enormous! Here's a 10' x 10' kitchen. It seems that painted white kitchens never go out of favor. While the cabinets, faucets and hardware lean toward a more traditional look, that look is tempered by the modern lines of grey glass tile and the chimney hood. And instead of carrara marble counter tops, the client opted for quartz for a similar look (Cambria's "Torquay").

Photography by Michael J. Lee
Example of a large transitional formal and open concept medium tone wood floor, brown floor and tray ceiling living room design in Boston with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design | L. Cramer Builders + Remodelers, Builder | Troy Thies, Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Mid-sized mid-century modern l-shaped vinyl floor and exposed beam kitchen pantry photo in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, multicolored backsplash, paneled appliances, an island and multicolored countertops

Example of a trendy carpeted living room design in Omaha with a ribbon fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and beige walls

This tranquil master bedroom suite includes a small seating area, beautiful views and an interior hallway to the master bathroom & closet. All furnishings in this space are available through Martha O'Hara Interiors. www.oharainteriors.com - 952.908.3150 Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Selections & Furnishings | Charles Cudd De Novo, Architecture | Troy Thies Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling

Matthew Niemann Photography
Example of a transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen design in Austin with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, gray backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, white countertops, quartz countertops and white cabinets

Collaboration with Homeworks, www.homeworksinteriordesign.com
Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Boston with beaded inset cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink and white cabinets

Barry Grossman Photography
Example of a trendy white floor living room design in Miami with a ribbon fireplace