Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept living room remodel in Orlando with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace and a plaster fireplace

Example of a mid-sized arts and crafts formal and open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room design in Calgary with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace and a tv stand

Living room - mid-sized craftsman formal and open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Calgary with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace and a tv stand

Example of a large minimalist open concept light wood floor living room design in Orlando with white walls

Ryan Patrick Kelly
Inspiration for a small transitional formal and enclosed carpeted and beige floor living room remodel in Edmonton with black walls

Recessed cans and spotlights, which mimic natural light, provide great lighting for the studio. Other complements include a farm-size sink, spacious cabinets for supplies, flat files and cubbies for smaller items and the pièce de résistance is the custom-made, over-sized art table, reminiscent of a drafting table. Photo By Matt Kocourek

Kitchen - coastal kitchen idea in Charleston

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

Enclosed dining room - mid-sized traditional dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed dining room idea in Other with brown walls and a standard fireplace

This home office was created from an outbuilding on the property. Seagrass wall-to-wall carpet was installed for ultimate durability and a relaxed vibe. We employed a high-low aesthetic to create a space that was unique but still within budget, utilizing the owner's Stickley desk, a custom desk chair, custom blush Roman shades, a Hudson Valley Fenwater chandelier and sconces, and multiple office items from budget sources like IKEA and The Container Store. The ceiling is painted Quicksand and walls and trim in White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Photo by Sabrina Cole Quinn Photography.

Inspiration for a rustic backyard stone patio remodel in Seattle with no cover and a fireplace

The master bathroom remodel was done in continuation of the color scheme that was done throughout the house. Large format tile was used for the floor to eliminate as many grout lines and to showcase the large open space that is present in the bathroom. All 3 walls were tiles with large format tile as well with 3 decorative lines running in parallel with 1 tile spacing between them. The deck of the tub that also acts as the bench in the shower was covered with the same quartz stone material that was used for the vanity countertop, notice for its running continuously from the vanity to the waterfall to the tub deck and its step. Another great use for the countertop was the ledge of the shampoo niche.

Architects were once skilled draftsmen and graceful calligraphers, able to draw a crisp and perfect line on virgin drafting stock. They worked at a classic architect’s desk crafted of precious woods, with an adjustable work surface tilted to an individualized angle. Usually they would stand, lounge, and lean on the tall desk, discarding the chair or replacing it with a tall, narrow stool. In our day and age, we have done away with the standing desk. We hammer away at keyboards for days on end, slumped in a desk chair. Actually, a recent scientific study showed that working at a standing desk all day equals the exercise provided by a robust morning workout.

Edmonton Oilers Hockey Fan Cave Game Room
Example of a trendy look-out carpeted basement design in Edmonton with multicolored walls

Wainscotting Drafted and Designed by Fluidesign Studio
Large elegant medium tone wood floor and brown floor entryway photo in Minneapolis with white walls and a medium wood front door

Todd Pierson
Example of a large classic u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, an undermount sink and glass sheet backsplash

Photo: Julian Plimley
Example of a large trendy open concept light wood floor and brown floor family room design in Vancouver with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Wine racks were installed to house floor plans and drawings for the architect or interior designer's home office. The industrial style tables function as a desk or the lid lifts to work as a drafting or drawing table.

This Greek Revival row house in Boerum Hill was previously owned by a local architect who renovated it several times, including the addition of a two-story steel and glass extension at the rear. The new owners came to us seeking to restore the house and its original formality, while adapting it to the modern needs of a family of five. The detailing of the 25 x 36 foot structure had been lost and required some sleuthing into the history of Greek Revival style in historic Brooklyn neighborhoods. In addition to completely re-framing the interior, the house also required a new south-facing brick façade due to significant deterioration. The modern extension was replaced with a more traditionally detailed wood and copper- clad bay, still open to natural light and the garden view without sacrificing comfort. The kitchen was relocated from the first floor to the garden level with an adjacent formal dining room. Both rooms were enlarged from their previous iterations to accommodate weekly dinners with extended family. The kitchen includes a home office and breakfast nook that doubles as a homework station. The cellar level was further excavated to accommodate finished storage space and a playroom where activity can be monitored from the kitchen workspaces. The parlor floor is now reserved for entertaining. New pocket doors can be closed to separate the formal front parlor from the more relaxed back portion, where the family plays games or watches TV together. At the end of the hall, a powder room with brass details, and a luxe bar with antique mirrored backsplash and stone tile flooring, leads to the deck and direct garden access. Because of the property width, the house is able to provide ample space for the interior program within a shorter footprint. This allows the garden to remain expansive, with a small lawn for play, an outdoor food preparation area with a cast-in-place concrete bench, and a place for entertaining towards the rear. The newly designed landscaping will continue to develop, further enhancing the yard’s feeling of escape, and filling-in the views from the kitchen and back parlor above. A less visible, but equally as conscious, addition is a rooftop PV solar array that provides nearly 100% of the daily electrical usage, with the exception of the AC system on hot summer days. The well-appointed interiors connect the traditional backdrop of the home to a youthful take on classic design and functionality. The materials are elegant without being precious, accommodating a young, growing family. Unique colors and patterns provide a feeling of luxury while inviting inhabitants and guests to relax and enjoy this classic Brooklyn brownstone. This project won runner-up in the architecture category for the 2017 NYC&G Innovation in Design Awards and was featured in The American House: 100 Contemporary Homes. Photography by Francis Dzikowski / OTTO