Tiny Home
Traditional exterior home idea in Other

Patio - mediterranean patio idea in Miami

New custom house in the Tree Section of Manhattan Beach, California. Custom built and interior design by Titan&Co. Modern Farmhouse
Large cottage single-wall medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Large farmhouse gray two-story wood exterior home idea in New York with a metal roof

Alcove shower - small contemporary 3/4 white tile ceramic tile alcove shower idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, black walls, a wall-mount sink and a hinged shower door

Photo: Mike Wiseman
Mid-sized mountain style brown one-story mixed siding gable roof photo in Other with a green roof

Example of a huge country loft-style medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Dallas with a bar, beige walls and a wall-mounted tv

Vince Lupo - Direction One
Example of a large transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room design in Baltimore with no fireplace and gray walls

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

Design ideas for a mid-sized tropical backyard stone landscaping in Hawaii with a fire pit.

Inspiration for a tropical bathroom remodel in Hawaii

Looking through the new addition to the existing shingle style cottage. Photo: Eric Rorer
Small rustic brown one-story exterior home idea in San Francisco

New custom beach home in the Golden Hills of Hermosa Beach, California, melding a modern sensibility in concept, plan and flow w/ traditional design aesthetic elements and detailing.

Don't be afraid to use multiple paint colours in one room.
Living room - small contemporary open concept and formal medium tone wood floor and yellow floor living room idea in London with no fireplace, a tv stand and multicolored walls

Joe Fletcher
Modern exterior home idea in San Francisco

Mid-century modern white two-story exterior home idea in Sacramento with a metal roof

Detail Photo: Eric Rorer
Transitional exterior home idea in San Francisco

Mid-sized minimalist gray tile and stone tile travertine floor powder room photo in Los Angeles with white walls and a pedestal sink

ANM Photography
Eat-in kitchen - large transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Dallas with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and multicolored backsplash