ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

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/

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | Corey Gaffer, Photography 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.

We designed this kitchen using Plain & Fancy custom cabinetry with natural walnut and white pain finishes. The extra large island includes the sink and marble countertops. The matching marble backsplash features hidden spice shelves behind a mobile layer of solid marble. The cabinet style and molding details were selected to feel true to a traditional home in Greenwich, CT. In the adjacent living room, the built-in white cabinetry showcases matching walnut backs to tie in with the kitchen. The pantry encompasses space for a bar and small desk area. The light blue laundry room has a magnetized hanger for hang-drying clothes and a folding station. Downstairs, the bar kitchen is designed in blue Ultracraft cabinetry and creates a space for drinks and entertaining by the pool table. This was a full-house project that touched on all aspects of the ways the homeowners live in the space. Photos by Kyle Norton

Large island style backyard concrete and kidney-shaped natural pool fountain photo in San Diego

Eat-in kitchen - transitional medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2014 Houzz Main living/dining room: Labor Day Design team: Huniford Design Studio
Example of a trendy galley light wood floor kitchen design in New York with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, gray backsplash and an island

This fun playroom was designed for three-year-old twins, Samantha and Gabriel. Functionality was included in all aspects of this design. The storage unit includes drawers, canvas buckets, boxes to store artwork, and areas for display and a CD player. Whimsical red and blue uplights create a soft glow.

A Mondrian style wall treatment is infused with bright, bold colors and offset with walnut to set the stage for this mid-century modern living room. Photo by Jeri Koegel

Freestanding Queen Victoria tub in modern bath Photography by Michael Hunter
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Melanie Roy of Melanie Roy Design created a Junior Bedroom Suite in Holiday House Hamptons that has three aspects that are seamlessly integrated. Known for her Family Friendly designs, she creates a space that is Beach Glam, combining a playful palette of metallic (chrome), crystal, soothing grey and silver tones with pops of bright neon colors that are seen in the Francine Tint painting and also in touches of the bedding and accessories. Photography by Anastassios Mentis

Intricate ceiling details play off the reclaimed beams, industrial elements, and hand scraped, wide plank, white oak floors.
Example of a mid-sized country open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Minneapolis with white walls, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace and a concealed tv

Completed in late 2019, this new residence features and elegant and understated landscape design to fit well with the transitional and modern aspects of the house. Major design elements and aspects included are simplified plantings, stone walkways, custom lanterns, brick privacy wall, swimming pool garden, outdoor seating, play area, synthetic lawn, privacy screening, decorative planters, sport court, decorative driveway and porte cochere. The residence creates a balance between clean design lines and a functional family residence with plenty of play room for the kids and dogs.

The Chelsea Loft combined two adjacent lofts into a four bedroom home. The home was designed to flexibly adapt with the owners as they grew their young family. The design also preserved the open industrial spaces of the original loft building. These open spaces were created for multiple activities throughout the day: entertaining, cooking, lounging, playing, exercising, and working. Sliding wall panels and “deep” walls housed numerous storage systems, allowing for areas to be adapted differently throughout the day. The adaptability of the spaces was the essential aspect to the design-- transforming the owners’ everyday needs into a flexible and well-loved home. The interior partitions were also minimized, which maximizied the natural light flowing from three sides of the loft. One of these sides included an outdoor terrace, which was also renovated to provide a more open connection between the interior and exterior.

Trendy bedroom photo in Miami

Brownstone Vibe 1st Floor Bath sanctuary. When you place a gold claw foot black tub in this setting, you gain a statement that draws you in and is timeless. The clients rave about their time spent soaking in this beauty.

Inspiration for a transitional gender-neutral carpeted kids' room remodel in Minneapolis with beige walls

Intricate ceiling details play off the reclaimed beams, industrial elements, and hand scraped, wide plank, white oak floors.
Example of a mid-sized farmhouse open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Minneapolis with white walls, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace and a concealed tv

The art of placement rooted in feng shui and the practical demands of nature both played intricate roles in this home’s design evolution. Project Style: Contemporary Size: 5 bedrooms; 5 bathrooms; 2 half baths; Living area - 6,200 sq. ft.; Total under roof - 8,200 sq. ft. Home Story: The inspiration for many of the design elements in this waterfront residence came from years of travel by the homeowner. Tucking away wide-ranging ideas - a hotel lobby's suspended fireplace, a restaurant's pivoting front door, a serene reflecting pool - that fused together seamlessly in a meticulous, well-thought-out manner. This home accommodates a large, very active family while serving as a backdrop for elegant art as well as nature's show-stopping displays. Challenges & Points of Interest: Potential for high waves and wind dictated specific aspects of this home's design. Careful planning avoided the need and expense of driving 30-foot deep piles. Suspending a 6' wide, 1,200-pound marble fireplace proved a gravity-defying engineering challenge. The tons of behind-the-scene steel and framing allow the fireplace effortlessly float as the home's centerpiece. The stunning, 900-pound sapele wood, custom front door opens with a finger touch thanks to its unique pivot design. Linear-patterned waterfall granite, ceiling-supplied water for tub bathing, Murphy bed, cantilevered 4-foot stair treads with stainless steel airline-cabled railing, 4-sided infinity-edge hot tub, living wall, zen garden and an intimate reflection pool with stepping stones are a few more of the design inspirations-turned reality in this highly-efficient Smart home.