When Cummings Architects first met with the owners of this understated country farmhouse, the building’s layout and design was an incoherent jumble. The original bones of the building were almost unrecognizable. All of the original windows, doors, flooring, and trims – even the country kitchen – had been removed. Mathew and his team began a thorough design discovery process to find the design solution that would enable them to breathe life back into the old farmhouse in a way that acknowledged the building’s venerable history while also providing for a modern living by a growing family. The redesign included the addition of a new eat-in kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, wrap around porch, and stone fireplaces. To begin the transforming restoration, the team designed a generous, twenty-four square foot kitchen addition with custom, farmers-style cabinetry and timber framing. The team walked the homeowners through each detail the cabinetry layout, materials, and finishes. Salvaged materials were used and authentic craftsmanship lent a sense of place and history to the fabric of the space. The new master suite included a cathedral ceiling showcasing beautifully worn salvaged timbers. The team continued with the farm theme, using sliding barn doors to separate the custom-designed master bath and closet. The new second-floor hallway features a bold, red floor while new transoms in each bedroom let in plenty of light. A summer stair, detailed and crafted with authentic details, was added for additional access and charm. Finally, a welcoming farmer’s porch wraps around the side entry, connecting to the rear yard via a gracefully engineered grade. This large outdoor space provides seating for large groups of people to visit and dine next to the beautiful outdoor landscape and the new exterior stone fireplace. Though it had temporarily lost its identity, with the help of the team at Cummings Architects, this lovely farmhouse has regained not only its former charm but also a new life through beautifully integrated modern features designed for today’s family. Photo by Eric Roth

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Dane Tashima Photography
Home design - small eclectic master white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile home design idea in New York with a pedestal sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, a two-piece toilet and white walls

2-car garage and work-shed in place of prior, demolished garage. New asphalt drive with Belgian block border. Construction by The House Guys.
Example of a large classic detached two-car garage design in Newark

Trendy master white tile gray floor freestanding bathtub photo in DC Metro with open cabinets, light wood cabinets, a vessel sink, wood countertops and brown countertops

A large game room / bar with tall exposed ceilings and industrial lighting. Wood and brick accent walls with glass garage door.
Inspiration for an industrial concrete floor and brown floor home bar remodel in Houston with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets and brick backsplash

Juliet Murphy Photography http://www.julietmurphyphotography.com

This classic fixture was liable to be found in nearly any kind of house and any room—porches included. We're partial to a brace of Thurman Wall Sconce flanking a flush medicine cabinet. Vintage flush fixtures were composed of a brass ring installed over a separate porcelain socket – bare bones lighting, indeed. Our reproductions are fully wired to modern UL specs, but they're just as versatile, providing low-profile lighting for most any room of homes of any style.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.

Mary & Bohan were fun to work with. They loved their home and have plans to live there for the long term, However, their kitchen did not reflect who they were, and wanted to have a modern kitchen to enjoy and add functionalities. The layout and function met their needs, but the overall all colors fell flat when it came to the cabinetry and countertops. The bones of the cabinets were strong, so they opted to have the cabinetry refinished. This created an opportunity to have a two-toned cabinet package. The upper cabinets we refinished to Pure White, and the base cabinets are Dovetail, both colors are from Sherwin Williams. Simple, but supportive quartz was selected for the countertops. Portofino Classico Quartz countertops from Arizona Tile, which along with the refinished cabinets give a clean and elegant feel. The backsplash tile was installed using Arizona Tile Bare White Subway 3X12 in a offset pattern. To break up the repetitive pattern we used dome liner that frames accent tile above range, and Arizona Tile Themar Statuario Matte 24X24 accent tile above range.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.

Mary & Bohan were fun to work with. They loved their home and have plans to live there for the long term, However, their kitchen did not reflect who they were, and wanted to have a modern kitchen to enjoy and add functionalities. The layout and function met their needs, but the overall all colors fell flat when it came to the cabinetry and countertops. The bones of the cabinets were strong, so they opted to have the cabinetry refinished. This created an opportunity to have a two-toned cabinet package. The upper cabinets we refinished to Pure White, and the base cabinets are Dovetail, both colors are from Sherwin Williams. Simple, but supportive quartz was selected for the countertops. Portofino Classico Quartz countertops from Arizona Tile, which along with the refinished cabinets give a clean and elegant feel. The backsplash tile was installed using Arizona Tile Bare White Subway 3X12 in a offset pattern. To break up the repetitive pattern we used dome liner that frames accent tile above range, and Arizona Tile Themar Statuario Matte 24X24 accent tile above range.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.

Mary & Bohan were fun to work with. They loved their home and have plans to live there for the long term, However, their kitchen did not reflect who they were, and wanted to have a modern kitchen to enjoy and add functionalities. The layout and function met their needs, but the overall all colors fell flat when it came to the cabinetry and countertops. The bones of the cabinets were strong, so they opted to have the cabinetry refinished. This created an opportunity to have a two-toned cabinet package. The upper cabinets we refinished to Pure White, and the base cabinets are Dovetail, both colors are from Sherwin Williams. Simple, but supportive quartz was selected for the countertops. Portofino Classico Quartz countertops from Arizona Tile, which along with the refinished cabinets give a clean and elegant feel. The backsplash tile was installed using Arizona Tile Bare White Subway 3X12 in a offset pattern. To break up the repetitive pattern we used dome liner that frames accent tile above range, and Arizona Tile Themar Statuario Matte 24X24 accent tile above range.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.

Located in North Riverdale, this project was stripped back to its bare bones to rework the layout and design of each floor. New flooring was installed throughout the house, and the bathrooms were updated with new hand-crafted cabinetry, tiles, hardware and fixtures. Custom-built glass railings adorn the bespoke open riser staircase, elevating the open-concept footprint of the ground floor. The made-to-measure galley kitchen provides plenty of storage and counter space, a must have for our clients. The kitchen walks out onto a brand-new rear deck meant for entertaining and supports the small balcony created for the rear bedroom on the house's second storey. New siding and metal work ties in nicely with the newly built garage to give the space a cohesive look and feel.