Gray and yellow mudroom
Elegant black floor single front door photo in New York with gray walls and a glass front door

Transitional master white tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile, beige floor and double-sink alcove shower photo in San Diego with shaker cabinets, brown cabinets, an integrated sink, a hinged shower door, gray countertops and a built-in vanity

Dedicated laundry room - small transitional single-wall ceramic tile and orange floor dedicated laundry room idea in Orlando with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, white countertops and a side-by-side washer/dryer

Transitional dark wood floor family room photo in Chicago with blue walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

The client’s request was quite common - a typical 2800 sf builder home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living space, and den. However, their desire was for this to be “anything but common.” The result is an innovative update on the production home for the modern era, and serves as a direct counterpoint to the neighborhood and its more conventional suburban housing stock, which focus views to the backyard and seeks to nullify the unique qualities and challenges of topography and the natural environment. The Terraced House cautiously steps down the site’s steep topography, resulting in a more nuanced approach to site development than cutting and filling that is so common in the builder homes of the area. The compact house opens up in very focused views that capture the natural wooded setting, while masking the sounds and views of the directly adjacent roadway. The main living spaces face this major roadway, effectively flipping the typical orientation of a suburban home, and the main entrance pulls visitors up to the second floor and halfway through the site, providing a sense of procession and privacy absent in the typical suburban home. Clad in a custom rain screen that reflects the wood of the surrounding landscape - while providing a glimpse into the interior tones that are used. The stepping “wood boxes” rest on a series of concrete walls that organize the site, retain the earth, and - in conjunction with the wood veneer panels - provide a subtle organic texture to the composition. The interior spaces wrap around an interior knuckle that houses public zones and vertical circulation - allowing more private spaces to exist at the edges of the building. The windows get larger and more frequent as they ascend the building, culminating in the upstairs bedrooms that occupy the site like a tree house - giving views in all directions. The Terraced House imports urban qualities to the suburban neighborhood and seeks to elevate the typical approach to production home construction, while being more in tune with modern family living patterns. Overview: Elm Grove Size: 2,800 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completion Date: September 2014 Services: Architecture, Landscape Architecture Interior Consultants: Amy Carman 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

Jessica Delaney
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional l-shaped brown floor and medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Photo by Megan Caudill
Inspiration for a transitional master porcelain tile and multicolored floor bathroom remodel in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops, gray cabinets and gray countertops

Laundry room - contemporary single-wall gray floor laundry room idea in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, a side-by-side washer/dryer and gray countertops

Rob from Radlund Photography

black and white pattern tile
Example of a small trendy bathroom design in Los Angeles

Inspiration for a transitional open concept light wood floor and brown floor family room remodel in Denver with white walls, a tile fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a ribbon fireplace

David Livingston (Photography)
Alcove bathtub - contemporary white tile white floor and single-sink alcove bathtub idea with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a console sink, white countertops and a floating vanity

A colorful makeover for a little girl’s bathroom. The goal was to make bathtime more fun and enjoyable, so we opted for striking teal accents on the vanity and built-in. Balanced out by soft whites, grays, and woods, the space is bright and cheery yet still feels clean, spacious, and calming. Unique cabinets wrap around the room to maximize storage and save space for the tub and shower. Cabinet color is Hemlock by Benjamin Moore. Designed by Joy Street Design serving Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, and the whole of the East Bay. For more about Joy Street Design, click here: https://www.joystreetdesign.com/

Powder room with a twist. This cozy powder room was completely transformed form top to bottom. Introducing playful patterns with tile and wallpaper. This picture shows the green vanity, vessel sink, circular mirror, pendant lighting, tile flooring, along with brass accents and hardware. Boston, MA.

Photo © Bruce Damonte
1950s bathroom photo in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, multicolored walls and a console sink

Example of a trendy mudroom design in Chicago

Example of a trendy 3/4 white tile gray floor and single-sink sliding shower door design in New York with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, a vessel sink, gray countertops and a built-in vanity

This country house was previously owned by Halle Berry and sits on a private lake north of Montreal. The kitchen was dated and a part of a large two storey extension which included a master bedroom and ensuite, two guest bedrooms, office, and gym. The goal for the kitchen was to create a dramatic and urban space in a rural setting. Photo : Drew Hadley