Amazing open kitchen with white shaker cabinets and stained center island with matching floating shelves. Bronze and brass lighting and marble subway backsplash.

Jessica White
Inspiration for a large transitional medium tone wood floor family room remodel in Salt Lake City with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a classic porcelain tile and gray floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Philadelphia with no fireplace

Photography Copyright Matt Delphenich Photography
Inspiration for a scandinavian medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in Boston with a farmhouse sink, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Eric Lucero
Mid-sized mountain style carpeted bedroom photo in New York with beige walls

Light floods into this open kitchen and sparkles against the white backsplash tile and illuminates the red countertops. Photography by Chrissy Racho
Eat-in kitchen - scandinavian porcelain tile eat-in kitchen idea in Bridgeport with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

This spa-like bathroom features a freestanding tub, sleek black fixtures, and soft natural finishes that create a calm, contemporary retreat. Large-format tile, warm wood cabinetry, and a floor-to-ceiling window framing lush greenery bring a sophisticated organic feel to the space. The clean lines and minimalist design highlight the modern coastal aesthetic that resonates with Sarasota buyers seeking luxury, move-in-ready homes. Ryan Gamma Photography

Photo of a kitchen renovation feature cabinets finished in Black Licorice and Pure White lacquer. The cabinets are oversized and conceal the appliances with finished wood panels. Unique features include a wall of natural leuders veneer stone with a custom floating ventilation system as a main focal point. Complementing the cabinets are countertops of Satin Cambrian black granite and Honed Calcatta Colorado Marble. Custom hewn wood beams and hand scraped flooring warm the rooms feel against the cool gray walls. Designed and constructed by USI in Southlake Tx.

Photography by Jennifer Hughes
Transitional medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, marble backsplash and white countertops

Photo by Amy Bartlam
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal multicolored tile bathroom remodel in Los Angeles with black cabinets, marble countertops, white walls, a console sink and shaker cabinets

Drew Kelly
Example of a mid-sized eclectic guest carpeted bedroom design in Sacramento with green walls and no fireplace

Example of a classic double front door design in Austin with beige walls and a black front door

Richard Leo Johnson
Inspiration for a small cottage gray one-story exterior home remodel in Atlanta

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2014 Houzz
Family room - eclectic dark wood floor family room idea in New York with white walls and no tv

Josh Thornton
Mid-sized eclectic dark wood floor and brown floor dining room photo in Chicago with multicolored walls

Mixed pine, pine cones and berries add a lot of texture to this mantel at the holidays. Painting is by artist Jean Richardson. Tre Dunham with Fine Focus Photography

Joe Fletcher
Example of a transitional l-shaped light wood floor kitchen design in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless guest carpeted bedroom remodel in Boston with blue walls

The homes in Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill, NC are representative of the popularity and explosive growth of American Home Ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WW II. They were designed and built to foster the benefits and sense of “community”, where families could come together and share theirs and their children’s lives. They are typically in very desirable locations within their larger communities, and remodeling them with modern amenities, increasing the performance and efficiency of them, and having them Green Certified (independent third-party verified) makes them extremely attractive to buyers, and helps to raise other property values within the neighborhood. Green Certified Remodeled Homes offer significant value and advantage in the marketplace over similar homes in their area, which is especially important as a new, younger era of home buyers enter the market. Current trends suggest that younger (as well as many “seasoned”) homeowners are interested in smaller, more efficient (and thus affordable) homes situated closer to shopping, their work, entertainment opportunities, and access to the economic and environmental benefits of mass transit. These older homes also offer an additional value that is continuing to gain visibility and appreciation in the market place. They were built from lumber from slower-growth trees (denser and harder wood), and as such offer superior structural support compared to the same home built using lumber from today’s faster-growing (softer and less-dense wood) trees. Robin and Kent had lived in their 2-story Gambrel Roof home in Heritage Hills since 1994. The house was structurally sound, due in large part to the old-growth (and denser) yellow pine that was used in its framing. They loved the quiet neighborhood, its sense of community and amenities, and their home. It suited their life-style and needs; and they had decided that they would remain in the home. It was showing its age, and was in need of general repairs and maintenance, and its energy, water, and indoor air quality performance was continuing to increase their ongoing cost of ownership. Robin loved the screen porch that looked out on their private and nicely landscaped back yard, but she wanted to be able to use it in the colder months of the year. She was unsatisfied with the kitchen and the mud room / laundry room, and the darkness of other living spaces. A previous water leak in the laundry room had resulted in a large patch of mold that had compromised flooring, wall board, and insulation and contributed to the homes reduced indoor air quality. The home lacked insulation in the crawl, and inadequate insulation in the attic. The single HVAC unit had been replaced a few years earlier with a more efficient unit, but with a single programmable thermostat control on the first floor and aging and un-insulated ducting, the second floor was often over-heated in the summer months. The original wood windows had begun to deteriorate and were drafty and inefficient, and the original wood-burning fireplace was an open conduit for escaping conditioned air as well as an inlet for wood-smoke smelling air being pulled into the home. The siding had been replaced a few years earlier with a cement-fiber product, but the exterior wood trim was compromised and beginning to look unsightly. Its original architecture had been altered over the years in ways that presented ongoing maintenance and durability issues, as well as disrupting the elegance of the original design. Kent has worked for over 30 years in the Environmental Sciences field, and is considered to be a national expert in understanding the sources of, and human exposure to pollutants in indoor environments. He had always been very conscious and cautious about the effects on indoor air quality that the construction, furnishings, and products used in home had on him and his family. Project Goals Increase the performance of their home by improving energy efficiency by at least 40% and lowering their natural gas and electric utility costs. Increase the performance of their home by reducing water usage by at least 40% and lowering the water utility costs. Increase the comfort of their home that was being compromised by an inadequate HVAC design, inadequate insulation, inefficient and compromised wood windows, and copious air intrusions and drafts. Improve the healthiness of the homes indoor air quality that was being compromised by an open wood-burning fireplace, and prior water intrusion that had allowed colonies of mold to thrive. Create a new Kitchen, Family Room, Home Office, Mudroom, and Laundry Room that featured some of the latest designs and trends and harmonized with the rest of the homes charm. Increase the usefulness and aesthetics of the screened porch by creating a warm and inviting semi-conditioned 3-Season Room that extended the times during the year that it was comfortable. Introduce day-lighting into areas of the home that were dark and uninviting. Brighten and harmonize all of the interior finishes. Protect and restore the exterior of the home with superior-performing products and finishes. Achieve Gold Level Green Home Certification in conformance with the ICC 700-2012 National Green Building Standards (NGBS).