The space for the toilet must remain as is because it is the minimum allowed by code so the shower cannot get any larger in this direction.

We installed a solid surface silestone curb to minimize any future water damage from an overflowing washer or broken water supply line in this 2nd floor laundry. This will contain the water and the sloped floor will direct any water to the newly installed floor drain under the washer. The drain is daylit to the basement to a floor drain per code.

Example of a trendy foyer design in Cologne with a gray front door

Another beautiful home, featuring a kitchen and bathrooms completed by A Direct Distributor Corp. This Bellport, New York home is currently on the market for $2.1. This Cape Code affords sweeping views of Bellport bay, marina and Fire Island. The renovation was done last year, including the brand new kitchen done with yours truly! The kitchen was updated using Masterbrand Cabinets; A shaker door with a dark gray stain, a Rococo quartz countertop by Viatera USA, Copper hardware by Jako Hardware Aventura Inc., Ruvati oil rubbed bronze faucet and Dawn Kitchen & Bath Products, Inc. kitchen sink with all the accessories!

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This charming little attic bath was an infrequently used guest bath located on the 3rd floor right above the master bath that we were also remodeling. The beautiful original leaded glass windows open to a view of the park and small lake across the street. A vintage claw foot tub sat directly below the window. This is where the charm ended though as everything was sorely in need of updating. From the pieced-together wall cladding to the exposed electrical wiring and old galvanized plumbing, it was in definite need of a gut job. Plus the hardwood flooring leaked into the bathroom below which was priority one to fix. Once we gutted the space, we got to rebuilding the room. We wanted to keep the cottage-y charm, so we started with simple white herringbone marble tile on the floor and clad all the walls with soft white shiplap paneling. A new clawfoot tub/shower under the original window was added. Next, to allow for a larger vanity with more storage, we moved the toilet over and eliminated a mish mash of storage pieces. We discovered that with separate hot/cold supplies that were the only thing available for a claw foot tub with a shower kit, building codes require a pressure balance valve to prevent scalding, so we had to install a remote valve. We learn something new on every job! There is a view to the park across the street through the home’s original custom shuttered windows. Can’t you just smell the fresh air? We found a vintage dresser and had it lacquered in high gloss black and converted it into a vanity. The clawfoot tub was also painted black. Brass lighting, plumbing and hardware details add warmth to the room, which feels right at home in the attic of this traditional home. We love how the combination of traditional and charming come together in this sweet attic guest bath. Truly a room with a view! Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Driveway drain
Garage workshop - large modern detached two-car garage workshop idea in Charlotte

Another beautiful home, featuring a kitchen and bathrooms completed by A Direct Distributor Corp. This Bellport, New York home is currently on the market for $2.1. This Cape Code affords sweeping views of Bellport bay, marina and Fire Island. The renovation was done last year, including the brand new kitchen done with yours truly! The kitchen was updated using Masterbrand Cabinets; A shaker door with a dark gray stain, a Rococo quartz countertop by Viatera USA, Copper hardware by Jako Hardware Aventura Inc., Ruvati oil rubbed bronze faucet and Dawn Kitchen & Bath Products, Inc. kitchen sink with all the accessories!

Another beautiful home, featuring a kitchen and bathrooms completed by A Direct Distributor Corp. This Bellport, New York home is currently on the market for $2.1. This Cape Code affords sweeping views of Bellport bay, marina and Fire Island. The renovation was done last year, including the brand new kitchen done with yours truly! The kitchen was updated using Masterbrand Cabinets; A shaker door with a dark gray stain, a Rococo quartz countertop by Viatera USA, Copper hardware by Jako Hardware Aventura Inc., Ruvati oil rubbed bronze faucet and Dawn Kitchen & Bath Products, Inc. kitchen sink with all the accessories!

Another beautiful home, featuring a kitchen and bathrooms completed by A Direct Distributor Corp. This Bellport, New York home is currently on the market for $2.1. This Cape Code affords sweeping views of Bellport bay, marina and Fire Island. The renovation was done last year, including the brand new kitchen done with yours truly! The kitchen was updated using Masterbrand Cabinets; A shaker door with a dark gray stain, a Rococo quartz countertop by Viatera USA, Copper hardware by Jako Hardware Aventura Inc., Ruvati oil rubbed bronze faucet and Dawn Kitchen & Bath Products, Inc. kitchen sink with all the accessories!

This is an example of a tropical back porch design in Charleston with a roof extension.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary 3/4 gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and gray floor freestanding bathtub remodel in Toronto with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink, granite countertops and a hinged shower door

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.

Why pay for a vacation when you have a backyard that looks like this? You don't need to leave the comfort of your own home when you have a backyard like this one. The deck was beautifully designed to comfort all who visit this home. Want to stay out of the sun for a little while? No problem! Step into the covered patio to relax outdoors without having to be burdened by direct sunlight. Photos by: Robert Woolley , Wolf

Inspiration for a contemporary light wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink and an island

Another beautiful home, featuring a kitchen and bathrooms completed by A Direct Distributor Corp. This Bellport, New York home is currently on the market for $2.1. This Cape Code affords sweeping views of Bellport bay, marina and Fire Island. The renovation was done last year, including the brand new kitchen done with yours truly! The kitchen was updated using Masterbrand Cabinets; A shaker door with a dark gray stain, a Rococo quartz countertop by Viatera USA, Copper hardware by Jako Hardware Aventura Inc., Ruvati oil rubbed bronze faucet and Dawn Kitchen & Bath Products, Inc. kitchen sink with all the accessories!

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Free-standing direct-vent gas stove installation in a charming Seattle home. The homeowners wanted the warmth and ambiance of a wood stove without the maintenance, smoke, ash, or hassle of cordwood. We installed a high-efficiency direct-vent gas stove in the corner of their open-concept living room, with a code-compliant single-wall vent pipe routed straight up through the ceiling. The clean black exterior and authentic flame complement the home's mid-century modern aesthetic — leather sofa, light wood floors, natural light, and lush greenery — without overpowering the space. Scope of work: - Site assessment and gas line evaluation - Hearth pad installation and floor protection - Free-standing direct-vent gas stove installation - Single-wall vent pipe through ceiling and roof - Code-compliant clearances and termination - Gas line connection and leak testing - Final commissioning and homeowner walkthrough Installation completed in a single day. Family-owned. Licensed and bonded in Washington State.

To maximize the views from the house we removed the railings and set the hot tub lower and to the side. We used raised planters to meet safety codes. The steps lead directly to the entry of the home. The parking area was relocated to allow the stream and pond to enhance the entry and view from the home. This client takes people of birding expeditions so he wanted the planting areas to be as natural as possible. The waterfeature was designed for perching spots and optimal bird baths.

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