No matter how long the break lasts, everyone needs time to unwind. Find your seconds, minutes or hours of peace on our best-selling Axis sectional. Emboldened by a graphic hand-tufted rug, this crisp configuration makes the cut for comfort thanks to soft cushions in an even softer grey fabric. Retro accent chairs provide additional places to perch, while tables with tubular metal bases help synchronize this soulful space.

A homeowner who we’d worked with previously (a bathroom we’d remodeled for him was named ‘Bathroom of the Year’ by Boston Globe Magazine in 2007.) contacted us with a new project in mind. Following a divorce and second marriage, he and his family had moved into mid-sized home that felt too cramped for two adults and four children. Working within its existing frame, we set to work creating a more functional and pleasant living experience. The family’s main gathering area is the kitchen. We began improving the space by absorbing square footage from what had been a mudroom/laundry area behind the kitchen. This allowed us to introduce an island, creating a focal point for meal prep, cooking, and socializing. New custom cabinetry increased storage. We added a homework nook for the kids. Wider openings to the foyer and the dining room made flow between spaces easier. At the home’s entry, we re-treaded and re-finished the staircase, adding new railings and newell post. An orange fiberglass exterior door contrasts playfully with the home’s deep blue exterior. Finishing the basement allowed the introduction of a new laundry area, a cozy family room/kids play space, and a workshop. In this last space we reconfigured some kitchen items that had been ordered but were unusable due to a last-minute change in plans, including a cabinet now used for tool storage and a wall panel that became a workbench. On the home’s second floor, one bedroom had been accessible only by passing through another bedroom. The family’s two teenage children had been enduring this arrangement via solutions that included placing duct tape along the floor to mark passage boundaries. We were able to give each child much-desired private space by borrowing square-footage from a closet and carving out a hallway with separate entries for each room. Another bedroom on the second floor was refreshed with a new coat of paint. Photo by Shelly Harrison

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

Inquire About Our Design Services When we first started talking in the spring of 2015, I was impressed. She was witty, realistic, and understood that as much as she loves my shows on HGTV, design does not does not happen in 43 minutes! She told me about her space, and how she felt that her bedroom seemed “blah” to her. She had no retreat. Molly desperately longed for a place that she could spend time in, read in, play in and above all, relax in. What we did: Many people are terrified of hiring a designer. Rightfully so, they are investing a pretty penny in their homes. They want to make sure that everything, down to the last floral arrangement, is to their liking, because they will have to live it (and pay for it). Unfortunately, a client can unintentionally stifle a designer’s creativity through micro-management. This can produce lackluster results and ultimately cause more time (and money) to be spent on a project than is really necessary. With Molly, that was never an issue. Before she even showed me the room in question, she said that I could have full creative license to do what I needed to do to her bedroom. SAY WHAAH!? With Molly giving me complete creative freedom, I planned everything out and got down to business. The result: Bite-your-bottom-lip sexy. I don’t get jealous of too many of my clients’ spaces, but this one still takes my breath away every time I look at the pics! The craziest part was that by adding more furniture, it actually made the space feel larger. Molly and her husband Patrick loved the finished space, and promised me I will be back to finish the rest of the house! Here’s the highlights of the rest of the project: I came up with a space plan with three options. Next, we reviewed mood boards and fabric schemes that would work for both Molly and her hubby Patrick. We started with the bed. My goal was to add edge to its otherwise traditional style. We decided to spice things up by painting the trim work in the room black. We built in layers of lighting with dimmers. In a bedroom everything should be on dimmers, right? Right. We designed and customized bedding, chairs and window treatments. Together with Molly, we selected the most perfect wallpaper. This geometric “grasscloth” adds so much depth and dimension that was just missing before. What I love: That light fixture. I mean it is really, really amazing in person. The porcupine mirror. This thing came packaged like it was the hope diamond, and everyone was terrified to handle it. But it really became a highlight of the room.

Main floor serenity with four kids? At Grand Homes & Renovations that was our end goal and achievement with this project. Since the homeowner had already completed a renovation on their second floor they were pretty confident how the main floor was going to flow. Removing the kitchen wall that separated a small and private dining room was a last minute and worth while change! Painted cabinets, warm maple floors with marble looking quartz added to the cape cod/beachy feeling the homeowners craved. We also were able to tuck a small mudroom space in just off the kitchen. Stop by and find your serenity!

A homeowner who we’d worked with previously (a bathroom we’d remodeled for him was named ‘Bathroom of the Year’ by Boston Globe Magazine in 2007.) contacted us with a new project in mind. Following a divorce and second marriage, he and his family had moved into mid-sized home that felt too cramped for two adults and four children. Working within its existing frame, we set to work creating a more functional and pleasant living experience. The family’s main gathering area is the kitchen. We began improving the space by absorbing square footage from what had been a mudroom/laundry area behind the kitchen. This allowed us to introduce an island, creating a focal point for meal prep, cooking, and socializing. New custom cabinetry increased storage. We added a homework nook for the kids. Wider openings to the foyer and the dining room made flow between spaces easier. At the home’s entry, we re-treaded and re-finished the staircase, adding new railings and newell post. An orange fiberglass exterior door contrasts playfully with the home’s deep blue exterior. Finishing the basement allowed the introduction of a new laundry area, a cozy family room/kids play space, and a workshop. In this last space we reconfigured some kitchen items that had been ordered but were unusable due to a last-minute change in plans, including a cabinet now used for tool storage and a wall panel that became a workbench. On the home’s second floor, one bedroom had been accessible only by passing through another bedroom. The family’s two teenage children had been enduring this arrangement via solutions that included placing duct tape along the floor to mark passage boundaries. We were able to give each child much-desired private space by borrowing square-footage from a closet and carving out a hallway with separate entries for each room. Another bedroom on the second floor was refreshed with a new coat of paint. Photo by Shelly Harrison

Inspiration for a garage remodel in New York

Main floor serenity with four kids? At Grand Homes & Renovations that was our end goal and achievement with this project. Since the homeowner had already completed a renovation on their second floor they were pretty confident how the main floor was going to flow. Removing the kitchen wall that separated a small and private dining room was a last minute and worth while change! Painted cabinets, warm maple floors with marble looking quartz added to the cape cod/beachy feeling the homeowners craved. We also were able to tuck a small mudroom space in just off the kitchen. Stop by and find your serenity!

Main floor serenity with four kids? At Grand Homes & Renovations that was our end goal and achievement with this project. Since the homeowner had already completed a renovation on their second floor they were pretty confident how the main floor was going to flow. Removing the kitchen wall that separated a small and private dining room was a last minute and worth while change! Painted cabinets, warm maple floors with marble looking quartz added to the cape cod/beachy feeling the homeowners craved. We also were able to tuck a small mudroom space in just off the kitchen. Stop by and find your serenity!