ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Our designer has achieved a stylish look by combining dark cabinets and light-colored marbles.

Example of a classic kitchen design in Columbus with raised-panel cabinets and gray cabinets

Craig Saucier
Elegant front door photo in New Orleans with beige walls and a blue front door

Maximum storage for one of the most time-consuming chores (depending on who's in your household).
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped ceramic tile and gray floor utility room remodel in Toronto with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, glass tile backsplash, white walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Sma presents the great Italian woodworking tradition and its vocation for research and innovation. These two values represent a cultural heritage and experience that Sma transfers in every product; the Company is evident in shapes, in the component details, in the quality and original proposals. In the global and undifferentiated market, SMA strong personality offers to the consumers an alternative based on the quality. This is the result of a particular care for the new materials and for the innovation, that, joining with the quality craft, it gives the best solutions for furniture.

The Owners of a home that had been consumed by the moving dunes of Lake Michigan wanted a home that would not only stand the test of aesthetic time, but survive the vicissitudes of the environment. With the assistance of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as well as the consulting civil engineer and the City of Grand Haven Zoning Department, a soil stabilization site plan was developed based on raising the new home’s main floor elevation by almost three feet, implementing erosion studies, screen walls and planting indigenous, drought tolerant xeriscaping. The screen walls, as well as the low profile of the home and the use of sand trapping marrum beachgrass all help to create a wind shadow buffer around the home and reduce blowing sand erosion and accretion. The Owners wanted to minimize the stylistic baggage which consumes most “cottage” residences, and with the Architect created a home with simple lines focused on the view and the natural environment. Sustainable energy requirements on a budget directed the design decisions regarding the SIPs panel insulation, energy systems, roof shading, other insulation systems, lighting and detailing. Easily constructed and linear, the home harkens back to mid century modern pavilions with present day environmental sensitivities and harmony with the site. James Yochum

Kitchen with custom steel cabinets and pallet wood inserts Photography by Lynn Donaldson
Open concept kitchen - large industrial one-story and galley mixed siding gray and concrete floor open concept kitchen idea with distressed cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island, a double-bowl sink, recycled glass countertops, metallic backsplash and open cabinets

Sma presents the great Italian woodworking tradition and its vocation for research and innovation. These two values represent a cultural heritage and experience that Sma transfers in every product; the Company is evident in shapes, in the component details, in the quality and original proposals. In the global and undifferentiated market, SMA strong personality offers to the consumers an alternative based on the quality. This is the result of a particular care for the new materials and for the innovation, that, joining with the quality craft, it gives the best solutions for furniture.

With adjacent neighbors within a fairly dense section of Paradise Valley, Arizona, C.P. Drewett sought to provide a tranquil retreat for a new-to-the-Valley surgeon and his family who were seeking the modernism they loved though had never lived in. With a goal of consuming all possible site lines and views while maintaining autonomy, a portion of the house — including the entry, office, and master bedroom wing — is subterranean. This subterranean nature of the home provides interior grandeur for guests but offers a welcoming and humble approach, fully satisfying the clients requests. While the lot has an east-west orientation, the home was designed to capture mainly north and south light which is more desirable and soothing. The architecture’s interior loftiness is created with overlapping, undulating planes of plaster, glass, and steel. The woven nature of horizontal planes throughout the living spaces provides an uplifting sense, inviting a symphony of light to enter the space. The more voluminous public spaces are comprised of stone-clad massing elements which convert into a desert pavilion embracing the outdoor spaces. Every room opens to exterior spaces providing a dramatic embrace of home to natural environment. Grand Award winner for Best Interior Design of a Custom Home The material palette began with a rich, tonal, large-format Quartzite stone cladding. The stone’s tones gaveforth the rest of the material palette including a champagne-colored metal fascia, a tonal stucco system, and ceilings clad with hemlock, a tight-grained but softer wood that was tonally perfect with the rest of the materials. The interior case goods and wood-wrapped openings further contribute to the tonal harmony of architecture and materials. Grand Award Winner for Best Indoor Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home This award-winning project was recognized at the 2020 Gold Nugget Awards with two Grand Awards, one for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home, and another for Best Interior Design of a One of a Kind or Custom Home. At the 2020 Design Excellence Awards and Gala presented by ASID AZ North, Ownby Design received five awards for Tonal Harmony. The project was recognized for 1st place – Bathroom; 3rd place – Furniture; 1st place – Kitchen; 1st place – Outdoor Living; and 2nd place – Residence over 6,000 square ft. Congratulations to Claire Ownby, Kalysha Manzo, and the entire Ownby Design team. Tonal Harmony was also featured on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design and received a 14-page editorial feature entitled “A Place in the Sun” within the magazine.

Wet bar - transitional dark wood floor wet bar idea in New York with an undermount sink, furniture-like cabinets, gray cabinets, granite countertops and mirror backsplash

Sma presents the great Italian woodworking tradition and its vocation for research and innovation. These two values represent a cultural heritage and experience that Sma transfers in every product; the Company is evident in shapes, in the component details, in the quality and original proposals. In the global and undifferentiated market, SMA strong personality offers to the consumers an alternative based on the quality. This is the result of a particular care for the new materials and for the innovation, that, joining with the quality craft, it gives the best solutions for furniture.

Photo credit: Denise Retallack Photography
Example of a transitional medium tone wood floor bedroom design with blue walls and no fireplace

Art Gray
Example of a mountain style home design design in Austin

The Owners of a home that had been consumed by the moving dunes of Lake Michigan wanted a home that would not only stand the test of aesthetic time, but survive the vicissitudes of the environment. With the assistance of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as well as the consulting civil engineer and the City of Grand Haven Zoning Department, a soil stabilization site plan was developed based on raising the new home’s main floor elevation by almost three feet, implementing erosion studies, screen walls and planting indigenous, drought tolerant xeriscaping. The screen walls, as well as the low profile of the home and the use of sand trapping marrum beachgrass all help to create a wind shadow buffer around the home and reduce blowing sand erosion and accretion. The Owners wanted to minimize the stylistic baggage which consumes most “cottage” residences, and with the Architect created a home with simple lines focused on the view and the natural environment. Sustainable energy requirements on a budget directed the design decisions regarding the SIPs panel insulation, energy systems, roof shading, other insulation systems, lighting and detailing. Easily constructed and linear, the home harkens back to mid century modern pavilions with present day environmental sensitivities and harmony with the site. James Yochum

Samsung Serif TV – Along with 4K Ultra High Definition display technology, the Samsung Serif TV provides consumers with a more elegant viewing experience designed to blend naturally within the home. It makes a bold centerpiece statement with its generous size and it's unique I-shaped profile, broadening at the bottom to form a sturdy base and at the top to create a small shelf. This unique collaboration between Samsung and the award-winning Paris-based design duo Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec blends design and technology to make the Serif TV a stunning piece of art.

Exclusively at TLC Carpet One & Floor in Craig, CO. Innovia™ is Carpet One Floor & Home’s carpet collection made from a natural-based technology, combining softness with long-lasting beauty. Innovia™ carpet features built-in stain and soil protection that never washes or wears off and cleans with just water. It’s an ideal choice for consumers who desire incredible softness and performance in a moderately priced assortment.

Exclusively at TLC Carpet One & Floor in Craig, CO. Innovia™ is Carpet One Floor & Home’s carpet collection made from a natural-based technology, combining softness with long-lasting beauty. Innovia™ carpet features built-in stain and soil protection that never washes or wears off and cleans with just water. It’s an ideal choice for consumers who desire incredible softness and performance in a moderately priced assortment.

Example of a large tuscan l-shaped beige floor and ceramic tile eat-in kitchen design in Houston with beige cabinets, beige backsplash, an island, granite countertops, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances