This garage was refinished into a small studio apartment. The very unique space-saving measures include a loft bed built in above the bathroom and a queen size bed that pulls out from underneath the raised kitchen floor.

Country kitchen photo

Located in, Summit Park, Park City UT lies one of the most efficient houses in the country. The Summit Haus – designed and built by Chris Price of PCD+B, is an exploration in design and construction of advanced high performance housing. Seeing a rising demand for sustainable housing along with rising Carbon emissions leading to global warming, this house strives to show that sensible, good design can create spaces adequate for today’s housing demands while adhering to strict standards. The house was designed to meet the very rigid Passiv House rating system – 90% more efficient than a typical home in the area. The house itself was intended to nestle neatly into the 45 degree sloped site and to take full advantage of the limited solar access and views. The views range from short, highly wooded views to a long corridor out towards the Uinta Mountain range towards the east. The house was designed and built based off Passiv Haus standards, and the framing and ventilation became critical elements to maintain such minimal energy requirements. Zola triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows contribute substantially to the home’s energy efficiency, and takes advantage of the beautiful surrounding of the location, including forrest views from the deck off of the kitchen. Photographer: Douglas Burke

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized country open concept light wood floor living room remodel in Boston with white walls, a wood stove, a stone fireplace and no tv

This rustic style home on Hartwell Lake was designed and built for the owners to enjoy with family and friends during their active weekend lifestyle. The home was built on a narrow, deep lot that was semi-level on the roadside and steep on the lakeside. The back half of the lot heavily wooded with mature oak and poplar trees reducing the harsh sun’s heat gain on the home. The exterior utilizes fiber cement cedar shake and lap siding complimented by deep brown colors for the windows, soffit, trim and the large square columns. A nice balance of natural earth toned stacked stone rounds out the exterior materials completing the rustic casual lake living. The home 5400 SF is designed and built on thee levels each having a primary focus. The main level creates primary daily living for the owners. This level features an open plan with an entry, stair, dining, kitchen and living areas leading to a large lakeside screened porch. A master suite is privately tucked off its own hallway and allowing it to enjoy the lakeside as well with its own private deck. On the opposite side are two bedrooms, a study and a shared bathroom for each to utilize. An open carport for two vehicles was created with the motor court and connects to the mudroom/utility room giving the owners direct entry into their home. The upper level is for the grand children with an oversized bedroom, bathroom and loft area for play. The lower level is the considered the party level. Its primary feature is an elevated stage for the owner’s band opened to a large seating area, dining and kitchen for viewing and listening with direct access to another screened porch. Flanking each side is a theater and two additional bedrooms and bathrooms. Energy Efficient features include: • The majority of the lower level sunk into the site below grade • 6” thick walls utilizing advanced framing techniques • Foil covered roof sheathing • Extensive use of blown in cellulous • All windows & doors are double paned low E argon filed glass • Tank-less water heaters • Three separate high efficiency HVAC units with programmable thermostats and a fresh air ERV. Lastly the owner requested we make every effort to sound proof the home. Many materials and techniques gave a duel purpose and added to the energy efficiency. These items include: • 2x6 walls with staggered studs • Extensive use if rock wool acoustic batting • Tempered glass in all exterior doors and windows • ¼ thick Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) was installed on the top and bottom of the floor trusses and on all lower level walls. The combination of the design and detailing utilizing these specific materials enabled us to achieve a 5 Star Plus Energy Star Certification with a HERS Index Score of 50. This home received a the 2015 Pinnacle Award from the SC Home Builders Association for the “Best Achievement in Energy Efficiency” sponsored by the SC Department Commerce.

The worst culprits are your south facing windows that are exposed to indirect solar heat all day. East facing windows cause the most gain in the mornings and west facing in the afternoon and early evening. There is good news. Covering your windows with custom fit energy efficient shades not only give you privacy, but can also significantly reduce the solar heat gain in your home. One of the most energy efficient shades is Hunter Douglas’s Architella with its unique construction of a cell within a cell lowering your heat gain to 15%. We work with clients in the Central Indiana Area. Contact us today to get started on your project. 317-273-8343

Inspiration for a 1950s gray two-story brick house exterior remodel in Austin with a shed roof, a metal roof and a gray roof

Amelia Cameron
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary green tile and mosaic tile powder room remodel in Orange County with a vessel sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, tile countertops and white walls

Certified Built Green 95% Efficient Forced Air Furnace (A/C Ready) Blown-In Insulation + Low VOC paints Formaldehyde free millwork and cabinets Energy efficient lighting fixtures WaterSense fixtures, including Niagara Conservation 0.8 gpf toilets USB port in Kitchen Centrally located data port for better WiFi signal

Certified Built Green 95% Efficient Forced Air Furnace (A/C Ready) Blown-In Insulation + Low VOC paints Formaldehyde free millwork and cabinets Energy efficient lighting fixtures WaterSense fixtures, including Niagara Conservation 0.8 gpf toilets USB port in Kitchen Centrally located data port for better WiFi signal

This home combines function, efficiency and style. The homeowners had a limited budget, so maximizing function while minimizing square footage was critical. We used a fully insulated slab on grade foundation of a conventionally framed air-tight building envelope that gives the house a good baseline for energy efficiency. High efficiency lighting, appliance and HVAC system, including a heat exchanger for fresh air, round out the energy saving measures. Rainwater was collected and retained on site. Working within an older traditional neighborhood has several advantages including close proximity to community amenities and a mature landscape. Our challenge was to create a design that sits well with the early 20th century homes in the area. The resulting solution has a fresh attitude that interprets and reflects the neighborhood’s character rather than mimicking it. Traditional forms and elements merged with a more modern approach. Photography by Todd Crawford

Amelia Cameron
Trendy wooden u-shaped open staircase photo in Orange County

This new custom house, completed in late 2012, was designed with an accessory dwelling unit to take advantage of an allowance in the single family zoning code in Seattle. The primary dwelling, 1300 square feet on the upper two stories houses a mother and teenager. The accessory dwelling, 750 square feet, provides a leasable smaller space that can be for a tenant or downsizing in the future. Seattle based RE Store began by completely deconstructing the original home so that its salvaged parts could have a new life in other design applications. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials. The Paperstone, wood and steel staircase connects the open-plan living, dining areas and kitchen to the upstairs bedrooms and open library. Exterior decks extend the main interior living spaces while sliding glass panels allow the primary bedroom to connect. Stylishly visible from all rooms in the open interior living spaces are two complementary objects, both lit from within, a frosted lexan pantry and a slatted reclaimed fir bathroom, with wood sourced from Windfall Lumber. Throughout the home, finishes are simple and minimal: polished concrete flooring, bright-white walls, and formaldehyde-free sapele and maple cabinetry. The main kitchen is outfitted with Ecotop counters and a custom sapele wood island that has large, handle-free pullout drawers on the cooking side and a built-in wine rack on the other. Maximizing storage, a custom built-in apple plywood bench and open wooden box shelves provide extra space. A model of efficiency, the home maximizes the performance of the envelope of the building. The reclaimed fir car decking wrapped around the exterior from Windfall Lumber, creates the rainscreen siding and is sourced locally from a deconstructed warehouse in Tacoma WA. In addition, access to daylight through high-performance glazing, solar preheat for domestic hot water needs, in-floor radiant heating and a green roof created by the owner adds to the efficiency. Photo Credit & Design: b9 architects URL http://www.windfalllumber.com Photographer: Ed Sozinho

Amelia Cameron
Example of a huge trendy master white tile and pebble tile light wood floor bathroom design in Orange County with white walls and a one-piece toilet

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Located in, Summit Park, Park City UT lies one of the most efficient houses in the country. The Summit Haus – designed and built by Chris Price of PCD+B, is an exploration in design and construction of advanced high performance housing. Seeing a rising demand for sustainable housing along with rising Carbon emissions leading to global warming, this house strives to show that sensible, good design can create spaces adequate for today’s housing demands while adhering to strict standards. The house was designed to meet the very rigid Passiv House rating system – 90% more efficient than a typical home in the area. The house itself was intended to nestle neatly into the 45 degree sloped site and to take full advantage of the limited solar access and views. The views range from short, highly wooded views to a long corridor out towards the Uinta Mountain range towards the east. The house was designed and built based off Passiv Haus standards, and the framing and ventilation became critical elements to maintain such minimal energy requirements. Zola triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows contribute substantially to the home’s energy efficiency, and takes advantage of the beautiful surrounding of the location, including forrest views from the deck off of the kitchen. Photographer: City Home Collective

Located in, Summit Park, Park City UT lies one of the most efficient houses in the country. The Summit Haus – designed and built by Chris Price of PCD+B, is an exploration in design and construction of advanced high performance housing. Seeing a rising demand for sustainable housing along with rising Carbon emissions leading to global warming, this house strives to show that sensible, good design can create spaces adequate for today’s housing demands while adhering to strict standards. The house was designed to meet the very rigid Passiv House rating system – 90% more efficient than a typical home in the area. The house itself was intended to nestle neatly into the 45 degree sloped site and to take full advantage of the limited solar access and views. The views range from short, highly wooded views to a long corridor out towards the Uinta Mountain range towards the east. The house was designed and built based off Passiv Haus standards, and the framing and ventilation became critical elements to maintain such minimal energy requirements. Zola triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows contribute substantially to the home’s energy efficiency, and takes advantage of the beautiful surrounding of the location, including forrest views from the deck off of the kitchen. Photographer: City Home Collective

Beautiful Ski Locker Room featuring over 500 skis from the 1950's & 1960's and lockers named after the iconic ski trails of Park City. Photo credit: Kevin Scott.

Trendy wooden u-shaped metal railing staircase photo in Seattle with wooden risers