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Example of a mid-sized farmhouse u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in Austin with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, green backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a small trendy gender-neutral light wood floor reach-in closet design in Nashville with open cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Beach style hot tub photo in Orange County with decking

Example of a small classic l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Providence with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Small elegant l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Providence with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

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/

Mixed foliage and flowers in a summer border Le jardinet

LAMINATE FLOORING from Carpet One Floor & Home offers authentic wood and tile visuals, delivering a wide range of looks, colors, and gloss levels. On top of it's aesthetic appeal, this flooring product offers the benefit of having the lowest maintenance requirement of any floor on the market. Constructed using the most up-to-date technologies, laminate features eco-friendly, allergen-free surfaces, with unsurpassed scratch, scuff and dent resistance. In this kitchen, we love the warm honey colored maple this laminate mimics.

Eat-in kitchen - small traditional l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Providence with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Photo: Heather Banks © 2015 Houzz
This is an example of a farmhouse landscaping in Austin.

Trendy deck photo in Boston

Castlewood Oak in Tower by Shaw Floors. The Castlewood collection has an abundance of the natural charm that makes hardwood floors so desirable. Creating its stunning character are stylish 7 1/2" widths, extremely handsome linear graining, and sawn face veneers that closely resemble solid hardwood. Castlewood's colors are visually rich - with the beautiful knots, mineral streaks, and natural splits seen in heirloom woods. Heightening its appeal is a very low-gloss finish, which calls to mind vintage European oil-rubbed floors.

Super practical entry, yet earth sculpting and some grasses and shrubs shroud a fire pit and benches for the family to use in their front yard. In this case, privacy is sequestered, stated, yet a sense of openness encourages and facilitates living like neighbors.

Lisa Rossman, co-owner of Huntington Beach design firm LL Design Co, reached out to us right after our launch in March 2020. She needed tile options for her client—a local homeowner embarking on an ambitious, complete master suite remodel. We were delighted to connect with Rossman and rushed to send over a few of our favorite samples, so her client had some chic and sustainable tiles to choose from. Her client went back and forth on which tile sample to select, but eventually landed on the stylish STELLA 5-Flower tile in the colorway Fog on our recycled 12x12 Polar Ice Terrazzo. One of the added benefits of this tile—and all LIVDEN tiles for that matter—is its tile body type. LL Design Co’s client selected the STELLA tile on our 12x12 Polar Ice Terrazzo, which is made from recycled materials and produced by manufacturers committed to preserving our planet’s resources.

The goal of this project was to upgrade the builder grade finishes and create an ergonomic space that had a contemporary feel. This bathroom transformed from a standard, builder grade bathroom to a contemporary urban oasis. This was one of my favorite projects, I know I say that about most of my projects but this one really took an amazing transformation. By removing the walls surrounding the shower and relocating the toilet it visually opened up the space. Creating a deeper shower allowed for the tub to be incorporated into the wet area. Adding a LED panel in the back of the shower gave the illusion of a depth and created a unique storage ledge. A custom vanity keeps a clean front with different storage options and linear limestone draws the eye towards the stacked stone accent wall. Houzz Write Up: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/inside-houzz-a-chopped-up-bathroom-goes-streamlined-and-swank-stsetivw-vs~27263720 The layout of this bathroom was opened up to get rid of the hallway effect, being only 7 foot wide, this bathroom needed all the width it could muster. Using light flooring in the form of natural lime stone 12x24 tiles with a linear pattern, it really draws the eye down the length of the room which is what we needed. Then, breaking up the space a little with the stone pebble flooring in the shower, this client enjoyed his time living in Japan and wanted to incorporate some of the elements that he appreciated while living there. The dark stacked stone feature wall behind the tub is the perfect backdrop for the LED panel, giving the illusion of a window and also creates a cool storage shelf for the tub. A narrow, but tasteful, oval freestanding tub fit effortlessly in the back of the shower. With a sloped floor, ensuring no standing water either in the shower floor or behind the tub, every thought went into engineering this Atlanta bathroom to last the test of time. With now adequate space in the shower, there was space for adjacent shower heads controlled by Kohler digital valves. A hand wand was added for use and convenience of cleaning as well. On the vanity are semi-vessel sinks which give the appearance of vessel sinks, but with the added benefit of a deeper, rounded basin to avoid splashing. Wall mounted faucets add sophistication as well as less cleaning maintenance over time. The custom vanity is streamlined with drawers, doors and a pull out for a can or hamper. A wonderful project and equally wonderful client. I really enjoyed working with this client and the creative direction of this project. Brushed nickel shower head with digital shower valve, freestanding bathtub, curbless shower with hidden shower drain, flat pebble shower floor, shelf over tub with LED lighting, gray vanity with drawer fronts, white square ceramic sinks, wall mount faucets and lighting under vanity. Hidden Drain shower system. Atlanta Bathroom.

This project was designed and installed by Cottage Gardener, LTD. These photos highlight our effort to create seasonal interest throughout the entire year.

Angela Kearney, Minglewood, LLC
Design ideas for a small traditional full sun and drought-tolerant front yard stone and wood fence garden path in Boston for summer.

modern farmhouse bathroom.
Mid-sized cottage master ceramic tile, gray floor and double-sink bathroom photo in Columbus with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, beige walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, white countertops and a built-in vanity