Complete "man cave" area, currently utilized as a woodworkers' dream shop, this space could be used for almost anything. Loads of natural light, wood stove and a dust collection system below the floor.

The customers wanted a grand entry to their home. The entry area, with a covered entry porch, ample landscaping, and a driveway, welcomes their guests. The entry features glass doors giving the house an light and open appearance. The driveway provides ample access and turnaround space.

This project was a beautiful collaboration between J.Montgomery Landscape Architects and the Architect remodeling the house and cabana structure. The original 1928 Art Deco home underwent its own transformation, while we designed the landscape to perfectly match. The clients wanted a style reminiscent of a Country Club experience, with an expansive pool, outdoor kitchen with a shade structure, and a custom play area for the kids. Bluestone paving really shines in this setting, offsetting the classic Sonoma-style architecture and framing the contemporary gas fire pit with its blue accents. Landscape lighting enhances the site by night for evening gatherings or a late-night swim. In front, a bluestone entrance leads out to paver driveway and styled front gate. Plantings throughout are Water Efficiency Landscape certified, accenting the front hardscape and back terraces with beautiful low-water color.

The addition of this low maintenance front entry portico with composite and PVC stairs and a new energy efficient ProVia Signet Entry Door dramatically transforms the curb appeal of this North End Manchester Home. See before Pic!

The entry of this passive house features a large frosted glass single door with wood framing. The home sits in a redwood forest in the mountains, and the front door opens to a serene view of the forest and entry sculpture.

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

Close up of large front entry door.
Mid-sized minimalist ceramic tile and gray floor home design photo in Edmonton with white walls and a metal front door

This ultra-modern desert home is an impressive feat of engineering, architectural design, and efficiency – especially considering the almost 23,000 square feet of living space. The A7 Series windows with triple-pane glazing were paired with custom-designed Ultra Lift and Slide doors to provide comfort, efficiency, and seamless design integration of fenestration products. Large-scale sliding doors have been fitted with motors hidden in the ceiling, which allow the doors to open flush into wall pockets at the press of a button. This seamless door system is a true custom solution for a homeowner that wanted the largest expanses of glass possible to disappear from sight with minimal effort. The enormous doors slide completely out of view, allowing the interior and exterior to blur into a single living space. By integrating the ultra-modern desert home into the surrounding landscape, this residence is able to adapt and evolve as the seasons change – providing a comfortable, beautiful, and luxurious environment all year long.

We made use of the space underneath the stairs by providing efficient storage for the client's wine collection.
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Bedroom - transitional master bedroom idea in Austin

An entry's well organized hall closet and landing space is the key to efficient comings and goings.

This project was a beautiful collaboration between J.Montgomery Landscape Architects and the Architect remodeling the house and cabana structure. The original 1928 Art Deco home underwent its own transformation, while we designed the landscape to perfectly match. The clients wanted a style reminiscent of a Country Club experience, with an expansive pool, outdoor kitchen with a shade structure, and a custom play area for the kids. Bluestone paving really shines in this setting, offsetting the classic Sonoma-style architecture and framing the contemporary gas fire pit with its blue accents. Landscape lighting enhances the site by night for evening gatherings or a late-night swim. In front, a bluestone entrance leads out to paver driveway and styled front gate. Plantings throughout are Water Efficiency Landscape certified, accenting the front hardscape and back terraces with beautiful low-water color.

A welcoming entry with mudroom functions as part of the space.

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards In general, Bryan and Connie Rellinger loved the charm of the old cottage they purchased on a Crooked Lake peninsula, north of Petoskey. Specifically, however, the presence of a live-well in the kitchen (a huge cement basin with running water for keeping fish alive was right in the kitchen entryway, seriously), rickety staircase and green shag carpet, not so much. An extreme renovation was the only solution. The downside? The rebuild would have to fit into the smallish nonconforming footprint. The upside? That footprint was built when folks could place a building close enough to the water to feel like they could dive in from the house. Ahhh... Stephanie Baldwin of Edgewater Design helped the Rellingers come up with a timeless cottage design that breathes efficiency into every nook and cranny. It also expresses the synergy of Bryan, Connie and Stephanie, who emailed each other links to products they liked throughout the building process. That teamwork resulted in an interior that sports a young take on classic cottage. Highlights include a brass sink and light fixtures, coffered ceilings with wide beadboard planks, leathered granite kitchen counters and a way-cool floor made of American chestnut planks from an old barn. Thanks to an abundant use of windows that deliver a grand view of Crooked Lake, the home feels airy and much larger than it is. Bryan and Connie also love how well the layout functions for their family - especially when they are entertaining. The kids' bedrooms are off a large landing at the top of the stairs - roomy enough to double as an entertainment room. When the adults are enjoying cocktail hour or a dinner party downstairs, they can pull a sliding door across the kitchen/great room area to seal it off from the kids' ruckus upstairs (or vice versa!). From its gray-shingled dormers to its sweet white window boxes, this charmer on Crooked Lake is packed with ideas! - Jacqueline Southby Photography

This modern passive solar residence sits on five acres of steep mountain land with great views looking down the Beaverdam Valley in Asheville, North Carolina. The house is on a south-facing slope that allowed the owners to build the energy efficient, passive solar house they had been dreaming of. Our clients were looking for decidedly modern architecture with a low maintenance exterior and a clean-lined and comfortable interior. We developed a light and neutral interior palette that provides a simple backdrop to highlight an extensive family art collection and eclectic mix of antique and modern furniture. Builder: Standing Stone Builders

A beautiful entry door says "Welcome"! Our entry doors are customized with material, glass, finish and hardware option to complement the architectural style of your home. Decorative glass options include glazing for energy efficiency and privacy ratings.

Colonial style grid picture window beside a replacement entry door.
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Golf simulation room entry and storage
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