Rodwin Architecture and Skycastle Homes Location: Boulder, CO, United States This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse is our first “regenerative home,” producing more energy than it consumes. This 3,900 s.f. custom home uses passive solar design, 10.2kW of solar photovoltaics, a ground source heat pump, double wall well-insulated exterior envelope, high performance doors and windows, to achieve a HERS negative 8 rating and Energy Star v.3.0 certification. The interior has low-VOC finishes and custom built-in FSC-certified wood and beetle kill pine cabinets throughout. The site is designed to be very low water use, incorporating permaculture and urban farming, with raised planting beds and a passive solar chicken coop/greenhouse. What makes this project special is its combination of extraordinary sustainability with conventionally attractive, cost-effective design tailored to the owner’s needs.

Another project by Landmark Remodeling, Pro Design Custom Cabinetry and Pinnacle Interior Designs. This main floor bath is shared by the mom, dad, and two boys so we had to think about how all users can utilize the space and enjoy it. We also wanted to be budget conscience so that we could possibly do their outdated kitchen as well. We had a dark stained custom vanity and a custom mirror to give the homeowner their dream look and cost effective tile and light choices to balance out.

Elegant living room photo in Kansas City

The Pumpkin Ridge Passive House harnesses the simplicity of Passive House design to deliver superb comfort and efficiency at minimal added construction cost. The Pumpkin Ridge Passive House is no more expensive to own on a monthly basis than a conventional custom home, when monthly energy costs are considered alongside mortgage, taxes and insurance. Yet the high performance green building will consume 90% less heating energy and offer exceptional comfort and indoor air quality. The project, designed by Scott Edwards Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand, is one of six homes in the Pacific Northwest to be featured by Northwest ENERGY STAR® as a demonstration super-efficient home. Photography by Jeff Amram.

Example of a tuscan dining room design in Tampa

LED lights are a safe and cost effective way to brighten up your kitchen island, cabinets, or pendants. Illuminating cabinet interiors and the spaces above and below is a great way to perfectly balance opening up the room, task lighting for food prep and cooking, and adding a splash of color. Illuminating the area under cabinets really transforms a room. LED light bars and strips provide ample task lighting for everyday activities and increase the overall illumination in a room. Never has it been easier to achieve this look than now with the various LED light strip kits offered.

Example of a mid-sized transitional dark wood floor and gray floor family room design with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a tuscan bedroom design in Tampa

The A5 Aluminum Series was used throughout the home. The dual pane windows provide cost-effective durability in the temperate climate. The A5 Series boasts a larger continuous thermal break, high-performance spacers, multiple air seals, and low iron glass, which helped facilitate the Passive House standards. For a design where clean lines are key, the thinner profile frame furnishes the contemporary home with an effortless style. The double-pane glazing coupled with European operability is the perfect combination in creating a contemporary home-design worth noting. The homeowners absolutely love the form and function of their tilt-turn windows!

Heaven on earth! All Margie could think of while on this site was, "All I need is a tent out here with this view and I'd be happy." The small weekend home on the flank of the rolling grassy coastal plain in Hollister Ranch (near Gaviota, CA) faces breath-taking panoramic views of ocean, islands, coastal plain, foothills and mountains. This place is all about a great outdoor space with just enough house for in case it rains! The pocket sized garden makes a titanic impact bringing a little intimate, livable space to the expansive scenery. Restrained plantings take their cue from the glorious setting. Sweeps of native grasses and succulents dot the garden with olive trees for shade. Dramatic succulents in pots as juxtapose the simple background. The goal was to blend a few practical uses such as wind protected dining and lounging, a hot tub and a fire pit into the nearly undisturbed surroundings. The cedar hot tub is tucked into hillside and surrounded by fieldstone walls and fish-scale flagstone. A small flash-heater provides a warm water shower under an olive next to the tub for de-sanding before plunging into the tub for post-surf warm-up. Meandering gravel paths and lyrical fieldstone "tole work" on the floor plane brings movement to the garden and ties the long narrow space together. The campfire circle (fueled by propane) and lanterns in the trees invite outdoor evening entertainment. Driftwood details - surf rack, stools around the fire pit, posts for hanging lanterns - complete this idyllic surf camp. Cowabunga, dude!

Another project by Landmark Remodeling, Pro Design Custom Cabinetry and Pinnacle Interior Designs. This main floor bath is shared by the mom, dad, and two boys so we had to think about how all users can utilize the space and enjoy it. We also wanted to be budget conscience so that we could possibly do their outdated kitchen as well. We had a dark stained custom vanity and a custom mirror to give the homeowner their dream look and cost effective tile and light choices to balance out.

Photo by Jody Dole John R. Schroeder, AIA is a professional design firm specializing in architecture, interiors, and planning. We have over 30 years experience with projects of all types, sizes, and levels of complexity. Because we love what we do, we approach our work with enthusiasm and dedication. We are committed to the highest level of design and service on each and every project. We engage our clients in positive and rewarding collaborations. We strive to exceed expectations through our attention to detail, our understanding of the “big picture”, and our ability to effectively manage a team of design professionals, industry representatives, and building contractors. We carefully analyze budgets and project objectives to assist clients with wise fund allocation. We continually monitor and research advances in technology, materials, and construction methods, both sustainable and otherwise, to provide a responsible, well-suited, and cost effective product. Our design solutions are highly functional using both innovative and traditional approaches. Our aesthetic style is flexible and open, blending cues from client desires, building function, site context, and material properties, making each project unique, personalized, and enduring.

After their Niwot, Colorado, home was inundated with floodwater and mud in the historic 2013 flood, the owners brought their “glass is half full” zest for life to the process of restarting their lives in a modest budget-conscious home. It wouldn’t have been possible without the goodwill of neighbors, friends, strangers, donated services, and their own grit and full engagement in the building process. Water-shed Revival is a 2000 square foot home designed for social engagement, inside-outside living, the joy of cooking, and soaking in the sun and mountain views. The lofty space under the shed roof speaks of farm structures, but with a twist of the modern vis-à-vis clerestory windows and glass walls. Concrete floors act as a passive solar heat sink for a constant sense of thermal comfort, not to mention a relief for muddy pet paw cleanups. Cost-effective structure and material choices, such as corrugated metal and HardiePanel siding, point this home and this couple toward a renewed future.

Concrete Hearth 17 foot floater
Living room - modern living room idea in Orange County

Great room - large contemporary ceramic tile and gray floor great room idea with white walls and no fireplace

This Minnesota Artisan Tour showcase home features three exceptional natural stone fireplaces. A custom blend of ORIJIN STONE's Alder™ Split Face Limestone is paired with custom Indiana Limestone for the oversized hearths. Minnetrista, MN residence. MASONRY: SJB Masonry + Concrete BUILDER: Denali Custom Homes, Inc. PHOTOGRAPHY: Landmark Photography

Crystal clear glass panels and slim stainless posts enhance the view, and the wood handrail adds a touch of warmth, tying the railing design into the deck.