Search results for "Cross performance" in Home Design Ideas

This polished chrome thermostatic valve is more than just a control — it's a precision instrument for the perfect shower. Set against the cool backdrop of marble tile, it becomes both a focal point and a functional powerhouse.
The valve allows for exact temperature control, ensuring a consistent and comfortable experience every time. Its classic cross-handle design nods to traditional styling, while the polished chrome finish reflects the transitional elegance of the bathroom.
Perfectly aligned with the other fixtures, the valve enhances the room's sense of unity. Every detail, no matter how technical, was considered for both performance and beauty in this Lake Forest remodel.

Living Room in Bronco | Key Feature: A Scottsdale new-build rooted in sculptural modernism, Bronco Revival balances bold black-and-white contrast with organic textures, natural wood elements, and statement lighting. As a groundbreaking “Live Lab” designer residence, it’s a first-of-its-kind space where luxury furnishings are tested in real-world conditions before being introduced into high-profile client homes.
Challenge: Because Bronco Revival was the designer’s personal residence, the project carried a unique level of pressure and intention. The challenge was creating a Scottsdale new-build that felt elevated and editorial while still functioning as a true family home. Every selection had to balance bold sculptural modernism (high contrast, statement lighting, architectural furnishings) with durability, comfort, and day-to-day livability. In addition, the home served as a “Live Lab,” meaning new vendors, materials, and luxury furnishings needed to be tested in real-life conditions before being trusted for future high-profile client projects.
Solution: We approached the project with a highly curated, test-and-refine design strategy, treating each space as both a finished interior and a real-world evaluation environment. Key furnishings, textiles, and materials were selected to support the modern organic vision while also standing up to the demands of everyday family life. We worked through selections intentionally, layering in bold contrast, natural woods, and sculptural statement pieces, while prioritizing performance materials, pet-friendly durability, and timeless foundational elements. By using the home as a lived-in showroom, we were able to validate what truly performs beautifully, refine our vendor relationships, and confidently carry those proven selections into future client designs.
Materials: MadeGoods: Sculptural Davion coffee tables |
Loloi: Custom performance rug collection |
Schumacher: Bespoke drapery fabrication |
Aesthetic Wall Coverings: Pioneering wallpaper application on ceiling beams |
Zac + Fox: Exclusive textile collaboration via Made Resource Group |
Budget ($ Range): $300K |
Timeline (Duration): 4 MONTHS

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land.
They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot.
Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family.
The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day.
A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms.
Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.
Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano
Find the right local pro for your project

Salida del Sol is a home designed for Revelstoke. Using advanced techniques for building envelope design, climate models, and thermal comfort design, this home has been carefully designed to live and perform well in the specific microclimate in which it resides.
The house is oriented with maximum exposure and majority of the glazing to the southerly aspect, to greatly reduce energy costs by embracing passive solar gain and natural lighting. The other aspects of the home have minimal glazing, to insulate for the prevailing winds and harsh winter temperatures. We designed the layout so the living spaces are enjoyed on the southern side of the house and closets, bathrooms, and mechanical on the north. The garage, positioned on the north side of the house, provides a buffer zone to shield it from the northern exposure during the winter.
The bedrooms are separated to optimise privacy, with the master bedroom oriented to receive the early morning sunlight coming from the east. A large southern window and glazed sliding door in the lounge room provide passive solar gain during the winter months and shoulder seasons, and the overhang of the eaves give shade during the summer heat. Operable windows have also been carefully planned for cross ventilation, helping to cool the rooms in the summer and bring fresh air in during any season.
With thorough consideration given to wind patterns, daylighting, orientation and glazing, Salida del Sol ‘opens the sunrise’ for its operation and its occupants.

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land.
They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot.
Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family.
The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day.
A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms.
Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.
Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

CLTHouse is one Washington’s first homes of its kind. Constructed using Passive House techniques and built to exceed BUILT GREEN 4*requirements, the single-family home will deliver healthy indoor air, thermal comfort and easy accessibility to the city. Designed by atelierjones, the Madison Park home is built using cross laminate timber (CLT), a high performance material composed of layered wood and non-toxic glue to maximize energy efficiency, reduce waste and increase structural durability. The unique 1,485sf, 3bd/2ba home will feature a stunning cantilevered second story to provide space for the ground-level carport paved with salvaged foundation bricks, shou sugi ban fir siding and a rooftop terrace with neighborhood views and built-in planters for urban gardening.
Images courtesy Lara Swimmer Photography

Salida del Sol is a home designed for Revelstoke. Using advanced techniques for building envelope design, climate models, and thermal comfort design, this home has been carefully designed to live and perform well in the specific microclimate in which it resides.
The house is oriented with maximum exposure and majority of the glazing to the southerly aspect, to greatly reduce energy costs by embracing passive solar gain and natural lighting. The other aspects of the home have minimal glazing, to insulate for the prevailing winds and harsh winter temperatures. We designed the layout so the living spaces are enjoyed on the southern side of the house and closets, bathrooms, and mechanical on the north. The garage, positioned on the north side of the house, provides a buffer zone to shield it from the northern exposure during the winter.
The bedrooms are separated to optimise privacy, with the master bedroom oriented to receive the early morning sunlight coming from the east. A large southern window and glazed sliding door in the lounge room provide passive solar gain during the winter months and shoulder seasons, and the overhang of the eaves give shade during the summer heat. Operable windows have also been carefully planned for cross ventilation, helping to cool the rooms in the summer and bring fresh air in during any season.
With thorough consideration given to wind patterns, daylighting, orientation and glazing, Salida del Sol ‘opens the sunrise’ for its operation and its occupants.

This spectacular entryway for the Hayden, Idaho, custom estate acts as a technical architectural bridge. By integrating specialized artisan millwork with advanced smart-home connectivity and complex climate engineering, we’ve created a high-performance first impression that sets the standard for the entire residence.
High-Performance Architecture: Custom Entry & Smart Integration
This entryway serves as a technical showcase, blending rustic artisan craftsmanship with high-capacity environmental control. We engineered this high-volume space to function as a thermal and visual bridge, leveraging specialized Knotty Alder millwork and advanced construction techniques to prepare visitors for the complexity found deeper in the home (like the 18-head steam suite!).
Technical & Artisan Highlights:
Custom Aagesen Millworks Door: The focal point is the substantial, hand-crafted Knotty Alder entry door, fabricated by Aagesen Millworks. We integrated a large upper-glass panel featuring a custom "raindrop" texture for immediate architectural interest and privacy, setting an artisan tone for the entire residence.
Complex Fenestration Matrix: We engineered this wall with a sophisticated array of matching side-lights and a spectacular semicircular transom window. This complex framing assembly requires precise geometry and structural integration to ensure maximum daylight infiltration while maintaining high-efficiency environmental performance.
Architectural Woodwork Integration: The entry door and windows are anchored by a continuous, massive Knotty Alder header and casing assembly. Note the thick, rustic cross-header that bridges the central opening, creating a robust, unified archway that emphasizes the vaulting architecture.
Invisible HVAC Integration: To handle the significant volume of this vaulted space, we installed an invisible thermostat-controlled radiant heating system beneath the large-format dark grey tile. This provides consistent, "cold-spot-free" warmth across the entire floor plan. (Note the technical complexity required to fit the baseboard registers into the substantial wood base).
Smart Security & Continuity: This entry features integrated high-end dark bronze security and locking hardware (visible on the right-hand jamb), providing professional-grade protection. We ensured design continuity by utilizing the same rustic wood tones and heavy-gauge bronze that are echoed on the specialized DTV plumbing controls in the master en-suite.

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

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land.
They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot.
Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family.
The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day.
A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms.
Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.
Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

The exterior façade of the home is reminiscent of the 50’s with its mixed material aesthetic. The stacked stone veneer is complimented with the Shou Sugi Ban siding. The burned wood finish is an ancient Japanese technique that chars the wood, essentially wrapping it in carbon, adding protection and durability against mold, insects, and moisture related decay. This impressive burned wood finish is not only an indelible product but eye-catching as well. The horizontal and vertical orientation of the wood planks further emphasize the width and height of the structure. The subtle play of each material is simplistic and functional.
The home is able to take full advantage of views with the use of Glo’s A7 triple pane windows and doors. The energy-efficient series boasts triple pane glazing, a larger thermal break, high-performance spacers, and multiple air-seals. The large picture windows frame the landscape while maintaining comfortable interior temperatures year-round. The strategically placed operable windows throughout the residence offer cross-ventilation and a visual connection to the sweeping views of Utah. The modern hardware and color selection of the windows are not only aesthetically exceptional, but remain true to the mid-century modern design.

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

This is an organic Lime Wash done with a true lime wash product as opposed to a brick mortar or concrete that is often seen on new houses. This product can be applied as a solid coating making the surface completely white, or can be applied and "washed off" in many artistic ways, as seen here. If you hate your brick or just want something unique this is a great option!
Photo credit: Jeff Murrey

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land.
They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot.
Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family.
The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day.
A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms.
Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.

Diablo Flooring, Inc - US Floors - Castle Combe Originals Retailer In Danville, CA – San Ramon, CA – Pleasanton, CA & Walnut Creek CA
Castle Combe provides the look and feel of an ancient, reclaimed floor and combines it with the modern performance features of a 21st century engineered floor. These inspiring, beautifully aged, handcrafted FSC® 100% floors may be the most interesting, unique, head-turning floor covering AND wall panelling you’ve seen in many years. State of the art aging techniques accentuate the natural character of the wood and the ancient appearance of each plank.
Castle Combe has three distinctive series:
Market Cross: combination of hand-carved fissures, brushing, hand-scraping, and a number of stains; a rich and rustic appearance.
Manor House: smooth, raised knots sculpted and sanded by hand; a rustic look and tailored modern finish
Relics: split planks and hand carved fissures with random insertions of wooden peg inlays, and diagonal cuts; the essence of a floor reclaimed from a 19th century storehouse or a historic colonial estate.
FSCDj3eX4
Castle_Combe_Originals_inline
Plank Dimensions: 7.5″ x 75″ x 5/8″
Sq. Ft./Carton: 31.11
Construction: Engineered
Species: Oak
Finish: Natural-E Natural Oil Finish
Installation Method: Glue, Nail, Float
Installation Level: Below, On, or Above Grade Level
Residential Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Structure Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Commercial Warranty: 5 Year Limited Light/Medium Commercial

Two Weathered Antique Box Beams in dark gray brown tones with deep checking and heavily textured aged surface cross the ceiling of this contemporary white kitchen as a dramatic accent. The raw, weathered character of the reclaimed wood contrasts beautifully with the polished marble, white cabinetry, and navy millwork, creating a sophisticated modern rustic combination where the beams serve as the sole rustic element in an otherwise refined space.
This install shows exactly how Weathered Antique Box Beams can elevate a contemporary kitchen without disrupting a clean, polished palette. At Manomin Resawn Timbers, every piece goes through a detailed process of denailing, kiln drying, and precision milling so that antique character is preserved while performing beautifully in a modern home.
Whether you are a homebuilder, a home remodeling contractor, or a homeowner looking to add a reclaimed wood accent to a contemporary kitchen or modern interior, Manomin Resawn Timbers has been helping people discover the antique charm of reclaimed wood since 2002. We serve homebuilders, contractors, and designers across the country. Visit our showroom in Hugo, MN or reach out to us with a call or a message to get started.
Mark D. Williams Custom Home

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land.
They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot.
Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family.
The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day.
A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms.
Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.

Diablo Flooring, Inc - US Floors - Castle Combe Originals Retailer In Danville, CA – San Ramon, CA – Pleasanton, CA & Walnut Creek CA
Castle Combe provides the look and feel of an ancient, reclaimed floor and combines it with the modern performance features of a 21st century engineered floor. These inspiring, beautifully aged, handcrafted FSC® 100% floors may be the most interesting, unique, head-turning floor covering AND wall panelling you’ve seen in many years. State of the art aging techniques accentuate the natural character of the wood and the ancient appearance of each plank.
Castle Combe has three distinctive series:
Market Cross: combination of hand-carved fissures, brushing, hand-scraping, and a number of stains; a rich and rustic appearance.
Manor House: smooth, raised knots sculpted and sanded by hand; a rustic look and tailored modern finish
Relics: split planks and hand carved fissures with random insertions of wooden peg inlays, and diagonal cuts; the essence of a floor reclaimed from a 19th century storehouse or a historic colonial estate.
FSCDj3eX4
Castle_Combe_Originals_inline
Plank Dimensions: 7.5″ x 75″ x 5/8″
Sq. Ft./Carton: 31.11
Construction: Engineered
Species: Oak
Finish: Natural-E Natural Oil Finish
Installation Method: Glue, Nail, Float
Installation Level: Below, On, or Above Grade Level
Residential Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Structure Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Commercial Warranty: 5 Year Limited Light/Medium Commercial

This wider angle of the same contemporary lake home living room shows two Weathered Antique Box Beams in silvered gray brown tones crossing the vaulted ceiling from end to end, giving a clear sense of how the minimal beam application scales to the full room. Against the white ceiling, white walls, and black window frames framing the lake and tree views beyond, the naturally aged texture of these old growth hardwoods provides just the right amount of warmth and material interest.
This view shows that you do not need a full beam system to make a meaningful impact. Two well placed Weathered Antique Box Beams are all it takes to ground a large, light filled contemporary interior. At Manomin Resawn Timbers, every piece goes through a detailed process of denailing, kiln drying, and precision milling so that antique character is preserved while performing beautifully in a modern home.
Whether you are a homebuilder, a home remodeling contractor, or a homeowner looking to add reclaimed wood accent beams to a contemporary living room or lake home, Manomin Resawn Timbers has been helping people discover the antique charm of reclaimed wood since 2002. We serve homebuilders, contractors, and designers across the country. Visit our showroom in Hugo, MN or reach out to us with a call or a message to get started.
Mark D. Williams Custom Home

Weathered Antique Box Beams in warm gray brown tones with original checking and aged surface texture cross the vaulted ceiling above a matching reclaimed wood fireplace mantel, the coordinated tone across both products creating a cohesive and intentional material palette throughout this transitional living room.
The warm gray brown palette pairs naturally with the stone surround, black window frames, and neutral furnishings, proving that reclaimed wood can anchor a refined transitional interior just as powerfully as a rustic one. At Manomin Resawn Timbers, every piece goes through a detailed process of denailing, kiln drying, and precision milling so that antique character is preserved while performing beautifully in a modern home.
Whether you are a homebuilder, a home remodeling contractor, or a homeowner looking for coordinated reclaimed wood ceiling beams and a fireplace mantel for a transitional living room, Manomin Resawn Timbers has been helping people discover the antique charm of reclaimed wood since 2002. We serve homebuilders, contractors, and designers across the country. Visit our showroom in Hugo, MN or reach out to us with a call or a message to get started.
Mark D. Williams Custom Home
8
