Bill Ripley
Photo of a large transitional partial sun backyard gravel formal garden in Cincinnati.

With the wide range of housing options in Long Beach, solar energy systems vary greatly in size. Our average solar electric installation is about 6 kW, but we have found that on a per square foot basis, families in Naples and Belmont Heights use less electricity because of lower cooling costs. However, with larger homes, these families can see much larger bills. Solar electric systems should be designed around your usage and your home. There is no one size fits all, but we’ll take the time to find the right sized system for you needs.

Example of a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room design in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

Madrona Passive House, a new Seattle home designed by SHED Architecture & Design and built by Hammer & Hand, combines contemporary design with high performance building to create an environmentally responsive and resource-efficient house. The home’s airtight, super-insulated building envelope and passive design minimize energy consumption while providing superior thermal comfort to occupants. A heat recovery ventilator supplies constant fresh air to the home’s interior while recovering 90% of thermal energy from exhaust air for reuse inside. A rooftop solar photovoltaic array will provide enough energy to offset most, perhaps all, of the home’s energy consumption on a net annual basis. To manage stormwater the project employs permeable pavers for site hardscape and two cisterns to capture and control rainwater from the home’s roof and the green roof on the garage. By investing in sustainable site development strategies, efficient building systems and an advanced envelope, the project aims to respect the home’s environmentally critical site and achieve one of the world’s most demanding building energy standards: Passive House. Photos by Mark Woods Photography.

We decided on a retro look for our new kitchen with lots of display shelving, happy colors, laminate counters (no cracking!), a chubby old stove, period details and “linoleum” flooring.

Custom designed kitchen hutch holds electronics, mail and cookbooks. Photo Credit: Betsy Bassett
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Boston with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, matchstick tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, gray countertops and soapstone countertops

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

The blue glass mosaic mural inside of the shower is 4' x 4' and was created with 12" x 12" sheets of glass mosaic by Porcelanosa Mosaico Nomad in water. Finished with a bull nose molding and Sterling Silver permacolor grout.

Small danish loft-style entryway photo in Moscow with a hanging fireplace, a plaster fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Daniel Shea
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary medium tone wood floor hallway remodel in New York with white walls

Governor's House Entry by Lisa Tharp. 2019 Bulfinch Award - Interior Design. Photo by Michael J. Lee
Transitional painted wood floor foyer photo with white walls and a black front door

Collaboration with Canonbury Homes and Frank Neely Design Associates.
Inspiration for a timeless open concept kitchen remodel in Atlanta with beaded inset cabinets and two islands

Gorgeous master bath finished with Dal-Tile's Fabrique porcelain tile in the color Noir Linen polished. Tile size is 12"x24" installed in a brick joint pattern. The floor boasts underfloor heating on a timed thermostat.

Staircase - cottage staircase idea in San Francisco

Exterior, brick, lime, limewash, painted brick, architectural finish

Staircase - mid-sized traditional wooden straight wood railing staircase idea in New York with painted risers

Shake Siding Close Up A Cape Cod style house with Alside Pelican Bay cedar shake siding, Color: Cape Cod Gray. Installed by Sidetex in North Haven CT 06473

Katherine Sfeir
Example of an urban home bar design in Miami