Kevin Lein Photography, NYC
Family room - small traditional enclosed family room idea in New York

wa design
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary partial sun backyard gravel formal garden in San Francisco for spring.

Kat Alves Photography
Example of a small trendy wooden staircase design in Sacramento with wooden risers

This Washington Park Residence sits on a bluff with easterly views of Lake Washington and the Cascades beyond. The house has a restrained presence on the street side and opens to the views with floor to ceiling windows looking east. A limited palette of concrete, steel, wood and stone create a serenity in the home and on its terraces. The house features a ground source heat pump system for cooling and a green roof to manage storm water runoff. Photo by Aaron Leitz

Large trendy master white tile and stone slab white floor bathroom photo in Chicago with open cabinets, an undermount sink and white countertops

Jessie Preza Photography
Inspiration for a large contemporary wooden floating metal railing staircase remodel in Jacksonville

Combining a contemporary, masculine edge with nods to early-1900’s traditionalism, the Rook Bath Collection by Brizo® is an arresting, modern interpretation of a stately aesthetic. Rook is about the intersection of old and new. There’s a touch of modern with a masculinity to it, along with elements of classic, traditional design—all brought together with a compelling, unified vision. Space designed by Richard Herb, Richard Herb Interior Design

Photos by Valerie Wilcox
Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Toronto

Poolside with view of Santa Barbara Channel.
Hot tub - large contemporary backyard tile and rectangular lap hot tub idea in Santa Barbara

furnishings by Villa Vici || photo credit: Marcus Burell, ImotoPhoto
Example of a large transitional master gray tile and marble tile ceramic tile and white floor drop-in bathtub design in New Orleans with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops and a hinged shower door

Troy Thies Photography
Country light wood floor bedroom photo in Minneapolis

Example of a mid-sized minimalist white tile and ceramic tile white floor doorless shower design in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, solid surface countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Gold Winner for Best Home Theater up to $25K, 2018 Home of the Year Awards presented by Electronic House. Photo by Brad Montgomery
Inspiration for a large contemporary enclosed carpeted and gray floor home theater remodel in Salt Lake City with a projector screen 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

Trendy guest dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in Los Angeles with white walls and no fireplace

Merle Prosofsky
Huge trendy master white tile and stone tile ceramic tile freestanding bathtub photo in Edmonton with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartzite countertops and white walls

Trendy white tile and stone slab corner shower photo in Orange County with white walls