David Duncan Livingston
Mid-sized country white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor bathroom photo in San Francisco with a one-piece toilet, white walls and an undermount sink

Design by Krista Watterworth Design Studio in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Photo by Lesley Unruh. A newly constructed home on the intercoastal waterway. A fun house to design with lots of warmth and coastal flair.

Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen design in Orange County with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, solid surface countertops and matchstick tile backsplash

Photo by Carolyn Bates
Mid-sized trendy gray two-story wood house exterior photo in Burlington with a shed roof and a metal roof

Inspired by the majesty of the Northern Lights and this family's everlasting love for Disney, this home plays host to enlighteningly open vistas and playful activity. Like its namesake, the beloved Sleeping Beauty, this home embodies family, fantasy and adventure in their truest form. Visions are seldom what they seem, but this home did begin 'Once Upon a Dream'. Welcome, to The Aurora.

Barry Grossman Photography
Enclosed kitchen - contemporary u-shaped enclosed kitchen idea in Miami with an undermount sink, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops and paneled appliances

To maximize the functionality of the lower level, the rear entry includes a built-in workspace, bench and storage for the kids' jackets/backpacks. Photographer: Tyler Chartier

J Savage Gibson Photography
Family room - large transitional enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor family room idea in Atlanta with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a stone fireplace

Example of a farmhouse stone exterior home design in Austin

We love this cozy but bright living room, it's perfect for snuggling up with the family!
Inspiration for a large farmhouse open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in Calgary with white walls, a tile fireplace and a standard fireplace

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

Joe Fletcher
Example of a mid-sized minimalist brown one-story wood flat roof design in San Francisco

The quaking aspen provide upper level screening, but still allow light through to the patio. Photography by Larry Huene Photography.
Example of a small trendy backyard stone patio design in Chicago with a pergola

Tom Zikas
Mid-sized mountain style master brown tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile doorless shower photo in Sacramento with open cabinets, distressed cabinets, beige walls, a trough sink, wood countertops and brown countertops

Alan Blakely
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen remodel in Salt Lake City with recessed-panel cabinets, marble countertops, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, an undermount sink, beige cabinets, white backsplash and white countertops

Example of a mountain style eat-in kitchen design with a farmhouse sink, glass-front cabinets, dark wood cabinets, wood countertops, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Todd Goodman
Pool fountain - large modern backyard rectangular pool fountain idea in Los Angeles

Example of a beach style l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Charleston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

JS Gibson
Hallway - mid-sized cottage dark wood floor and blue floor hallway idea in Charleston with white walls