A bluestone walkway leads to a deck shaded by a pergola at this Cape Cod custom home. Photo: OnSite Studios
Deck - country deck idea in Boston with a pergola and decking

Our clients purchased this 1950 ranch style cottage knowing it needed to be updated. They fell in love with the location, being within walking distance to White Rock Lake. They wanted to redesign the layout of the house to improve the flow and function of the spaces while maintaining a cozy feel. They wanted to explore the idea of opening up the kitchen and possibly even relocating it. A laundry room and mudroom space needed to be added to that space, as well. Both bathrooms needed a complete update and they wanted to enlarge the master bath if possible, to have a double vanity and more efficient storage. With two small boys and one on the way, they ideally wanted to add a 3rd bedroom to the house within the existing footprint but were open to possibly designing an addition, if that wasn’t possible. In the end, we gave them everything they wanted, without having to put an addition on to the home. They absolutely love the openness of their new kitchen and living spaces and we even added a small bar! They have their much-needed laundry room and mudroom off the back patio, so their “drop zone” is out of the way. We were able to add storage and double vanity to the master bathroom by enclosing what used to be a coat closet near the entryway and using that sq. ft. in the bathroom. The functionality of this house has completely changed and has definitely changed the lives of our clients for the better!

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

Living Room
Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept limestone floor living room remodel in New York with white walls, no fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Kitchen - transitional l-shaped kitchen idea in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Living room - large transitional open concept dark wood floor living room idea in Los Angeles with a standard fireplace, purple walls, a stone fireplace and no tv

Vivian Johnson
Study space transitional kids' study room photo in San Francisco

Photo Credit: Tessa Neustadt
Beach style l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen photo in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, gray backsplash, black appliances and an island

photo by Roger Wade
Example of a mountain style dark wood floor kitchen design with a double-bowl sink, medium tone wood cabinets, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Laundry room - rustic laundry room idea in Minneapolis

Best of Houzz Design & Service 2014. --Photography by Paul Dyer.
Eat-in kitchen - large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

Tucked neatly into an existing bay of the barn, the open kitchen is a comfortable hub of the home. Rather than create a solid division between the kitchen and the children's TV area, Franklin finished only the lower portion of the post-and-beam supports. The ladder is one of the original features of the barn that Franklin could not imagine ever removing. Cleverly integrated into the support post, its original function allowed workers to climb above large haystacks and pick and toss hay down a chute to the feeding area below. Franklin's children, 10 and 14, also enjoy this aspect of their home. "The kids and their friends run, slide, climb up the ladder and have a ton of fun," he explains, "It’s a barn! It is a place to share with friends and family." Adrienne DeRosa Photography

Design ideas for a rustic vegetable garden landscape in Santa Barbara.

Chris Davis Photography
Large transitional l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in New York with shaker cabinets, an island, an undermount sink, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, gray backsplash, stone slab backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Elegant u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

paul bardagjy
Dark wood floor kitchen photo in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, stainless steel appliances, white walls and an island

Mid-sized beach style mudroom photo in Atlanta with white walls

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2014 Houzz
Eclectic dining room photo in Dallas with beige walls

Modern Classic Family home in downtown Toronto Interior: Croma Design Inc Contractor: http://www.vaughanconstruction.ca/ Styling: Christine Hanlon Photography: Donna Griffith Photography http://www.donnagriffith.com/