Elliott Kaufman Photography
Example of a minimalist black two-story exterior home design in New York

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land. They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot. Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family. The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day. A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms. Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids. Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

Custom millwork ensures this laundry room works fully and efficiently.
Trendy laundry room photo in New York

PhotoluxStudio.com/commercial - Christian Lalonde / Kariouk & Associates
Example of a trendy black wood flat roof design in Ottawa

Wine Cellar in Contemporary Elegance, Philadelphia – Transitional Interior Design by Eberlein Design Consultants
Wine cellar - transitional cork floor wine cellar idea in Philadelphia

Inspiration for a transitional gray tile gray floor and double-sink wet room remodel in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount tub, white walls, an undermount sink, gray countertops, a niche and a built-in vanity

Pella Designer Series snap-in, between-the-glass window fashions coordinate with virtually any dining room décor. You’ll enjoy a cleaner, healthier and safer home and the removable between-the-glass grilles, shades or blinds can be changed in a snap.

Images in Light
Home design - small craftsman l-shaped porcelain tile home design idea in Richmond with recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, granite countertops, gray walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) house. This home uses this construction method to make it strong, quiet, and super efficient.
Inspiration for a large craftsman white two-story wood house exterior remodel with a shingle roof and a black roof

Bedroom - modern bedroom idea in Albuquerque

Lori Hamilton
Example of a mid-sized trendy white floor and porcelain tile great room design in Miami with gray walls and no fireplace

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Minimalist kitchen photo in Albuquerque

Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in Houston

Modern super energy efficient water font home built with the Passive House method.
Mid-sized beach style one-story wood and board and batten house exterior photo in Vancouver with a metal roof

This small modern bathroom takes advantage of a variety clever space saving design details to bring more functionality into this small space. A clever sliding pocket wood door recedes into the wall, hidden when not in use. The stylish floating wood vanity allows for additional storage space underneath the sink. The simple look emphasizes strong hard edges in the tile, and fixtures, helping to contribute to the modern style of this bathroom.

Photograph by Cecil Cole.
Example of a large classic brick floor wine cellar design in New York with storage racks

Inspiration for a modern family room remodel in Albuquerque

Compact modern style rancher built using the Passive House method to achieve super energy efficiency.
Small minimalist black one-story metal house exterior photo in Vancouver with a shed roof, a mixed material roof and a black roof