The three-level Mediterranean revival home started as a 1930s summer cottage that expanded downward and upward over time. We used a clean, crisp white wall plaster with bronze hardware throughout the interiors to give the house continuity. A neutral color palette and minimalist furnishings create a sense of calm restraint. Subtle and nuanced textures and variations in tints add visual interest. The stair risers from the living room to the primary suite are hand-painted terra cotta tile in gray and off-white. We used the same tile resource in the kitchen for the island's toe kick.

A look at the most luxurious shower ever to be installed inside of a Shipping Container. Notable features include: Calcutta Tile "walk out shower" and washroom area, wall to wall stainless steel floor drain, off grid water and solar power. All work was done in-house at our Toronto, Canada container modification facility.

When you open the back doors of the home of Nancy and Jeremy Campbell in Granville, you don’t just step out onto a patio. You enter an extension of a modern living space that just happens to be outdoors. Their patio’s unique design and setting provides the comfort and style of indoors while enjoying the natural beauty and fresh air of outdoors. It all started with a rather desolate back yard. “It was completely blank, there was nothing back there,” Nancy remembers of the patio space of this 1972 split-level house they bought five years ago. With a blank slate to work with, the Campbells knew the key elements of what they wanted for their new outdoor space when they sat down with Travis Ketron of Ketron Custom Builders to design it. “We knew we wanted something covered so we could use it in the rain, and in the winter, and we knew we wanted a stone fireplace,” Nancy recalls. Travis translated the Campbells’ vision into a design to satisfy outdoor entertaining and relaxing desires in all seasons. The new outdoor space is reminiscent of a vast, rustic great room complete with a stone fireplace, a vaulted ceiling, skylights, and ceiling fans, yet no walls. The space is completely open to the elements without any glass or doors on any of the sides, except from the house. Furnished like a great room, with a built-in music system as well, it’s truly an extension of indoor living and entertaining space, and one that is unaffected by rain. Jeremy comments, “We haven’t had to cover the furniture yet. It would have to be a pretty strong wind to get wet.” Just outside the covered patio is a quartet of outdoor chairs adorned with plush cushions and colorful pillows, positioned perfectly for users to bask in the sun. In the design process, the fireplace emerged as the anchor of the space and set the stage for the outdoor space both aesthetically and functionally. “We didn’t want it to block the view. Then designing the space with Travis, the fireplace became the center,” remembers Jeremy. Placed directly across from the two sets of French doors leading out from the house, a Rumford fireplace and extended hearth of stone in neutral earth tones is the focal point of this outdoor living room. Seating for entertaining and lounging falls easily into place around it providing optimal viewing of the private, wooded back yard. When temperatures cool off, the fireplace provides ample warmth and a cozy setting to experience the change of seasons. “It’s a great fireplace for the space,” Jeremy says of the unique design of a Rumford style fireplace. “The way you stack the wood in the fireplace is different so as to get more heat. It has a shallower box, burns hotter and puts off more heat. Wood is placed in it vertically, not stacked.” Just in case the fireplace doesn’t provide enough light for late-night soirees, there is additional outdoor lighting mounted from the ceiling to make sure the party always goes on. Travis brought the idea of the Rumford outdoor fireplace to the Campbells. “I learned about it a few years back from some masons, and I was intrigued by the idea then,” he says. “We like to do stuff that’s out of the norm, and this fireplace fits the space and function very well.” Travis adds, “People want unique things that are designed for them. That’s our style to do that for them.” The patio also extends out to an uncovered area set up with patio tables for grilling and dining. Gray pavers flow throughout from the covered space to the open-air area. Their continuous flow mimics the feel of flooring that extends from a living room into a dining room inside a home. Also, the earth tone colors throughout the space on the pavers, fireplace and furnishings help the entire space mesh nicely with its natural surroundings. A little ways off from both the covered and uncovered patio area is a stone fire pit ring. Removed by just the right distance, it provides a separate place for young adults to gather and enjoy the night. Adirondack chairs and matching tables surround the outdoor fire pit, offering seating for anyone who doesn’t wish to stand and a place to set down ingredients for yummy fireside treats like s’mores. Padded chairs outside the reach of the pavilion and the nearby umbrella the perfect place to kick back and relax in the sun. The colorful throw pillows and outdoor furniture cushions add some needed color and a touch of personality. Enjoying the comforts of indoors while being outdoors is exactly what the Campbells are doing now, particularly when lounging on the comfortable wicker furniture that dominate most of the area. “My favorite part of the whole thing is the fireplace,” Nancy says. Jeremy concludes, “There is no television, it would destroy the ambiance out there. We just enjoy listening to music and watching the fire.”

This off-grid mountain barn home located in the heart of the Rockies sits at 7,500 feet and has expansive, beautiful views of the foothills below. The model is a Barn Pros 36 ft. x 36 ft. Denali barn apartment with a partially enclosed shed roof on one side for outdoor seating and entertainment area. The deck off the back of the building is smaller than the standard 12 ft. x 12 ft. deck included in the Denali package. Roll-up garage doors like the one shown at the front of the home are an add-on option for nearly any Barn Pros kit. Inside, the finish is decidedly rustic modern where sheetrock walls contrast handsomely with the exposed posts and beams throughout the space. The owners incorporated garage parking, laundry, kitchenette with wood-burning stove oven, bathroom, workout area and a pool table all on the first floor. The upper level houses the main living space where contemporary décor and finished are combined with natural wood flooring and those same exposed posts and beams. Lots of natural light fills the space from the 18 ft. vaulted ceilings, dormer windows and French doors off the living room. The owners added a partial loft for additional sleeping and a functional storage area.

Double access cabinets were used between the dining room and kitchen space to maximize storage and ease of use.
Example of a large transitional galley light wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen design in Other with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, green backsplash, glass tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Located in the heart of Victoria Park neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, FL, this kitchen is a play between clean, transitional shaker style with the edginess of a city loft. There is a crispness brought by the White Painted cabinets and warmth brought through the addition of Natural Walnut highlights. The grey concrete floors and subway-tile clad hood and back-splash ease more industrial elements into the design. The beautiful walnut trim woodwork, striking navy blue island and sleek waterfall counter-top live in harmony with the commanding presence of professional cooking appliances. The warm and storied character of this kitchen is further reinforced by the use of unique floating shelves, which serve as display areas for treasured objects to bring a layer of history and personality to the Kitchen. It is not just a place for cooking, but a place for living, entertaining and loving. Photo by: Matthew Horton

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/

The dining room off the kitchen incorporates an antique dining set the homeowners acquired a number of years ago. We replicated 1 chair to make a set of 6 since there had only been 5 chairs originally.

This laundry room doubles as the mudroom entry from the garage so we created an area to kick off shoes and hang backpacks as well as the laundry.
Inspiration for a small craftsman porcelain tile utility room remodel in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer, brown countertops and a drop-in sink

Bar off Kitchen with White Cabinetry and Leather Silver Pearl Granite. Blackstock Photography
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Our formula for a home centered around play: a high-energy, high-contrast aesthetic with a mix of vintage and new, higher and lower end finishes and furnishings. There's nothing precious underfoot; the fabrics are all very cleanable; and our specifications are modular, so they work in an overall scheme — to be grouped or moved, regrouped and moved again. We are hopeful most of the furniture withstands the short term (eschewing the "college kid" stereotype — not all young adults ruin things!) and can also be anchors in the next iteration of life in this off campus getaway.

Our formula for a home centered around play: a high-energy, high-contrast aesthetic with a mix of vintage and new, higher and lower end finishes and furnishings. There's nothing precious underfoot; the fabrics are all very cleanable; and our specifications are modular, so they work in an overall scheme — to be grouped or moved, regrouped and moved again. We are hopeful most of the furniture withstands the short term (eschewing the "college kid" stereotype — not all young adults ruin things!) and can also be anchors in the next iteration of life in this off campus getaway.

Our formula for a home centered around play: a high-energy, high-contrast aesthetic with a mix of vintage and new, higher and lower end finishes and furnishings. There's nothing precious underfoot; the fabrics are all very cleanable; and our specifications are modular, so they work in an overall scheme — to be grouped or moved, regrouped and moved again. We are hopeful most of the furniture withstands the short term (eschewing the "college kid" stereotype — not all young adults ruin things!) and can also be anchors in the next iteration of life in this off campus getaway.

Our formula for a home centered around play: a high-energy, high-contrast aesthetic with a mix of vintage and new, higher and lower end finishes and furnishings. There's nothing precious underfoot; the fabrics are all very cleanable; and our specifications are modular, so they work in an overall scheme — to be grouped or moved, regrouped and moved again. We are hopeful most of the furniture withstands the short term (eschewing the "college kid" stereotype — not all young adults ruin things!) and can also be anchors in the next iteration of life in this off campus getaway.

When clients begin considering a kitchen remodel, they're often thinking about more than new cabinetry or countertops. They're thinking about how they want to live in their home. For this project, the goal was to create a kitchen that felt more open, connected, and functional for everyday life. The original kitchen was relatively small and enclosed. A wall with a single doorway separated it from the formal dining room, while a half-wall divided it from the main living area. The space functioned well enough, but it didn't support the way the homeowners wanted to gather, entertain, and interact with family and guests. Rather than simply updating finishes, we took a comprehensive approach to reimagining the entire layout.

Our formula for a home centered around play: a high-energy, high-contrast aesthetic with a mix of vintage and new, higher and lower end finishes and furnishings. There's nothing precious underfoot; the fabrics are all very cleanable; and our specifications are modular, so they work in an overall scheme — to be grouped or moved, regrouped and moved again. We are hopeful most of the furniture withstands the short term (eschewing the "college kid" stereotype — not all young adults ruin things!) and can also be anchors in the next iteration of life in this off campus getaway.

Our formula for a home centered around play: a high-energy, high-contrast aesthetic with a mix of vintage and new, higher and lower end finishes and furnishings. There's nothing precious underfoot; the fabrics are all very cleanable; and our specifications are modular, so they work in an overall scheme — to be grouped or moved, regrouped and moved again. We are hopeful most of the furniture withstands the short term (eschewing the "college kid" stereotype — not all young adults ruin things!) and can also be anchors in the next iteration of life in this off campus getaway.

Photograhpy by Braden Gunem Project by Studio H:T principal in charge Brad Tomecek (now with Tomecek Studio Architecture). This project questions the need for excessive space and challenges occupants to be efficient. Two shipping containers saddlebag a taller common space that connects local rock outcroppings to the expansive mountain ridge views. The containers house sleeping and work functions while the center space provides entry, dining, living and a loft above. The loft deck invites easy camping as the platform bed rolls between interior and exterior. The project is planned to be off-the-grid using solar orientation, passive cooling, green roofs, pellet stove heating and photovoltaics to create electricity.

Sustainable landscaping featuring low maintenance plants. The orange blooming plants are Dwarf Firebush shrubs. I paired them with Dwarf Natal Plum and Paspalum Ornamental grass. Dwarf Firebush shrubs sport orange flowers tipped with gold, which set off their beauty. A great nectar source for butterflies and hummingbirds adds to it's appeal. They are really tough, so tough they are used in commercial locations and on some roadways. This delightful shrub blooms on and off all year - more during warmer weather - and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to its brightly-colored, tubular flowers. It has a light and airy charm and looks best when it's hand-trimmed to form a natural mounded shape, rather than trying to keep it manicured with hedge trimmers. Now this is not the native variety, for all you native plant purists out there, though many nurseries sell the dwarf as just "firebush," which can get confusing. Here's how to tell the difference: The native grows larger and has slightly "hairy" leaves and deep red to red-orange flowers. It's dwarf "cousin" can be kept smaller and more compact, though with a similar informal look. The smaller variety has smoother leaves and a touch of yellow to the blossoms...and requires a bit more care. This shrub is a fast grower that can be kept 3 feet tall and wide, though you can let it grow larger if you prefer. Though considered evergreen, the plant can lose leaves during a cold winter, though with proper pruning in spring it should sprout new growth and flush out again. A location sheltered from winter winds will help protect it. These plants prefer full to partial sun, though they'll grow in part shade, where they'll flower less with more open growth. Landscape uses for dwarf fire bush: • accent for a mixed bed • informal hedge • butterfly garden plant • lining a walkway or garden path • along a medium-height or tall fence • around a poolcage, patio, porch or deck • understory planting for tall palms • backdrop planting for smaller plants