Falcon Heights Contracting. LED tape lighting (for back lit mirror) with Fero LED Lighting. A Net Zero Energy home produces as much energy as it consumes on a yearly basis.

Window Quilt (Muskoka) Recommends Hunter Douglas Hunter Douglas Advantage. The Art of Window Dressing... Well-designed window fashions do more than simply cover a window. At Hunter Douglas, form and function are inseparable. Great design is beautiful to live with, provides variable light control, insulates rooms against heat and cold while saving energy, protects your furnishings from damaging UV rays, and even absorbs sound, improving the acoustics in a room. And, our advanced operating systems make using our products a pleasure every day. Now that’s artful window dressing. Lifetime guarantee. Privacy and Light Control Hunter Douglas window fashions are available in a wide variety of product designs with fabrics and materials that come in a range of opacities from sheer to opaque—offering varying degrees of privacy and light control options. Energy Efficiency Up to 50% of your home’s heating and cooling energy can be lost through your windows. At Hunter Douglas, we're an industry leader in making a big energy savings difference at the window. Keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer At Hunter Douglas, we're an industry leader in making a big energy savings difference at the window. In 1985, we invented the highly energy-efficient Duette® honeycomb shades in response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s. Our latest innovation is the Duette Architella® honeycomb shades featuring a honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb design for even greater energy efficiency. Today, we continue to think about the impact all of our window fashions can make. Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. Hunter Douglas products help conserve energy at the window in many important ways: Insulation In winter months, your home heating escapes to the outdoors through your windows while in the summertime, the outside heat flows into your home through these same windows. With window treatments that provide insulation, you can reduce energy consumption, save on heating and cooling costs, and create a more comfortable atmosphere. At Hunter Douglas, we're an industry leader in making a big energy savings difference at the window. In 1985, we invented the highly energy-efficient Duette® honeycomb shades in response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s. Our latest innovation is the Duette Architella® honeycomb shades featuring a honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb design for even greater energy efficiency. Today, we continue to think about the impact all of our window fashions can make. Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. Hunter Douglas products help conserve energy at the window in many important ways: The Duette Energy Efficiency Story Video Thumbnail The Duette® Honeycomb Shades Energy Efficiency Story Insulation Icon Insulation In winter months, your home heating escapes to the outdoors through your windows while in the summertime, the outside heat flows into your home through these same windows. With window treatments that provide insulation, you can reduce energy consumption, save on heating and cooling costs, and create a more comfortable atmosphere. Solar Heat Control Icon Solar Heat Control The warmth provided by the sun, its solar energy, may be desirable during the winter to help heat your home, but in the summer, it can make a room overly hot and uncomfortable—driving up air conditioning costs. Many Hunter Douglas window fashions help to control solar heat by allowing it into your home in the winter and minimizing the amount that comes in during the summer. Daylighting Daylighting is the practice of lighting rooms with natural light rather than artificial light.By drawing natural light into a room many of our window treatments reduce the need for other types of lighting, thereby reducing your energy use 5 Tips for Saving Energy at the Window: 1) Ensure your windows and doors are properly weather-stripped. 2) Caulk around basement and storm windows. 3) When heating or cooling, keep windows locked. 4) Open your window coverings during sunny winter days to catch free solar heat then close them at night to keep that heat in. 5) Close your window coverings during summer days to keep the heat out. Innovation: All of our window fashions are designed and custom-assembled in the U.S. Our longstanding commitment to quality and innovation means you’ll enjoy choices at Hunter Douglas that you won’t find anywhere else. Child Safety: From cordless manual and motorized operating systems, retractable lift cords, cord tensioners and wand controls, we offer a wide array of innovative lifting system options for enhanced child and pet safety as well as especially easy operation. Advanced Operating Systems: Power View Motorization-Intelligent Shades that Simply your Life: Our brilliant new wireless operating system gives you the power to control and schedule your Hunter Douglas window treatments from your smartphone, tablet, or a remote control.

Leanna Rathkelly Photo: With a number of rescue dogs the owners of this energy efficient home installed a dog shower in the multi-functional space of the back entry. The low shower walls allows the owner to easily clean the dogs and keeps the area neat and tidy.

Modern, simple and with an element of pizzazz. That was the motto behind this Travel Heights project. In this bathroom, our challenge was to extend the relatively small space while keeping the integrity of the existing floor tiles.Our expertise in color combinations and experience with patterns and textures helped us overcome the hurdle. The result was a clutter-free bathroom without being full-on minimalist, and yet another happy costumer. As a first step, large lenin tiles were installed on all the bathroom from floor to ceiling to create the continuity and to make the bathroom seem larger than it is. Large accent black and white 13x40 porcelain tiles were selected which a "wow" effect to the bathroom and maintain the color palette flow with the existing patterned floor tiles. Moreover, to create a modern, creative aesthetic, these were installed on the entire shower wall. A frame less shower affords the viewer the full visual draw of the stunning accent wall. The waterfall counter top on the side creatively frames the cabinets and provides protection to the beautiful mahogany wood from water spills. The cabinet details also included a small full-out rod from the left front side of the vanity for toilet paper, so no holes have to drilled on the beautiful counter-top side. The sink faucet was installed in the wall to create a clean, no-frills appearance. Additionally, we included upscale amenities like a stainless steel rain shower head with hand shower, an energy-efficient LED light fixture, floating drawer pulls and shower door with aluminum framing to give more strength. The result is an interesting mix of "something old" and "something new." Bee Creek Photography

Patrick Coulie
Trendy straight staircase photo in Albuquerque

Zero energy home built with a high efficiency building envelope, geothermal heating and cooling system, solar photovoltaic array, and backup generator. The geothermal system and solar array offset 100% of the home's energy demand.

Timber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements. Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma. Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house" Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden. Builder: East Shore Builders Photographer: Michael Eric Berube

This prefabricated 1,800 square foot Certified Passive House is designed and built by The Artisans Group, located in the rugged central highlands of Shaw Island, in the San Juan Islands. It is the first Certified Passive House in the San Juans, and the fourth in Washington State. The home was built for $330 per square foot, while construction costs for residential projects in the San Juan market often exceed $600 per square foot. Passive House measures did not increase this projects’ cost of construction. The clients are retired teachers, and desired a low-maintenance, cost-effective, energy-efficient house in which they could age in place; a restful shelter from clutter, stress and over-stimulation. The circular floor plan centers on the prefabricated pod. Radiating from the pod, cabinetry and a minimum of walls defines functions, with a series of sliding and concealable doors providing flexible privacy to the peripheral spaces. The interior palette consists of wind fallen light maple floors, locally made FSC certified cabinets, stainless steel hardware and neutral tiles in black, gray and white. The exterior materials are painted concrete fiberboard lap siding, Ipe wood slats and galvanized metal. The home sits in stunning contrast to its natural environment with no formal landscaping. Photo Credit: Art Gray

Farmhouse Reinvented - Interior Design Project in Marlboro, New York Design: Duncan Avenue // Maxwell & Dino Alexander Construction: ToughConstruct | Hudson Valley Welcome to the historic (circa 1870) Hudson Valley Farmhouse in the heart of legendary Marlboro, NY. It has been completely reimagined by the Award-Winning Duncan Avenue Design Studio and has become an inspiring, stylish and extremely comfortable zero-emissions 21st century smart home just minutes away from NYC. Situated on top of a hill and an acre of picturesque landscape, it could become your turnkey second-home, a vacation home, rental or investment property, or an authentic Hudson Valley Style dream home for generations to come. The Farmhouse has been renovated with style, design, sustainability, functionality, and comfort in mind and incorporates more than a dozen smart technology, energy efficiency, and sustainability features. Contemporary open concept floorplan, glass french doors and 210° wraparound porch with 3-season outdoor dining space blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and allow residents and guests to enjoy a true connection with surrounding nature. Wake up to the sunrise shining through double glass doors on the east side of the house and watch the warm sunset rays shining through plenty of energy-efficient windows and french doors on the west. High-end finishes such as sustainable bamboo hardwood floors, sustainable concrete countertops, solid wood kitchen cabinets with soft closing drawers, energy star stainless steel appliances, and designer light fixtures are only a few of the updates along with a brand-new central HVAC heat pump system controlled by smart Nest thermostat with two-zone sensors. Brand new roof, utilities, and all LED lighting bring additional value and comfort for many years to come. The property features a beautiful designer pergola on the edge of the hill with an opportunity for the in-ground infinity pool. Property's sun number is 91 and is all set for installation of your own solar farm that will take the property go 100% off-grid. Superior quality renovation, energy-efficient smart utilities, world-class interior design, sustainable materials, and Authentic Hudson Valley Style make this unique property a true real estate gem and once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity to own a turnkey second-home and a piece of the Hudson Valley history.

Water Conservation Low flow faucets Low flow showers Energy Efficiency Dense-pack blown in insulation R-31 Walls R-50 Ceiling Insulation (3″ closed cell Spray Foam + R38 Batts) Energy Star certified appliances Energy efficient on-demand water heater All lighting CFL or LED Sustainable Materials Bamboo Decking Job-Site recycling Bamboo flooring Polished concrete flooring Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality Zero VOC paint Occupancy controlled bath fans Heat Recovery Ventilator No added urea formaldehyde

Farmhouse Reinvented - Interior Design Project in Marlboro, New York Design: Duncan Avenue // Maxwell & Dino Alexander Construction: ToughConstruct | Hudson Valley Welcome to the historic (circa 1870) Hudson Valley Farmhouse in the heart of legendary Marlboro, NY. It has been completely reimagined by the Award-Winning Duncan Avenue Design Studio and has become an inspiring, stylish and extremely comfortable zero-emissions 21st century smart home just minutes away from NYC. Situated on top of a hill and an acre of picturesque landscape, it could become your turnkey second-home, a vacation home, rental or investment property, or an authentic Hudson Valley Style dream home for generations to come. The Farmhouse has been renovated with style, design, sustainability, functionality, and comfort in mind and incorporates more than a dozen smart technology, energy efficiency, and sustainability features. Contemporary open concept floorplan, glass french doors and 210° wraparound porch with 3-season outdoor dining space blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and allow residents and guests to enjoy a true connection with surrounding nature. Wake up to the sunrise shining through double glass doors on the east side of the house and watch the warm sunset rays shining through plenty of energy-efficient windows and french doors on the west. High-end finishes such as sustainable bamboo hardwood floors, sustainable concrete countertops, solid wood kitchen cabinets with soft closing drawers, energy star stainless steel appliances, and designer light fixtures are only a few of the updates along with a brand-new central HVAC heat pump system controlled by smart Nest thermostat with two-zone sensors. Brand new roof, utilities, and all LED lighting bring additional value and comfort for many years to come. The property features a beautiful designer pergola on the edge of the hill with an opportunity for the in-ground infinity pool. Property's sun number is 91 and is all set for installation of your own solar farm that will take the property go 100% off-grid. Superior quality renovation, energy-efficient smart utilities, world-class interior design, sustainable materials, and Authentic Hudson Valley Style make this unique property a true real estate gem and once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity to own a turnkey second-home and a piece of the Hudson Valley history.

Water Conservation Low flow faucets Low flow showers Energy Efficiency Dense-pack blown in insulation R-31 Walls R-50 Ceiling Insulation (3″ closed cell Spray Foam + R38 Batts) Energy Star certified appliances Energy efficient on-demand water heater All lighting CFL or LED Sustainable Materials Bamboo Decking Job-Site recycling Bamboo flooring Polished concrete flooring Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality Zero VOC paint Occupancy controlled bath fans Heat Recovery Ventilator No added urea formaldehyde

Farmhouse Reinvented - Interior Design Project in Marlboro, New York Design: Duncan Avenue // Maxwell & Dino Alexander Construction: ToughConstruct | Hudson Valley Welcome to the historic (circa 1870) Hudson Valley Farmhouse in the heart of legendary Marlboro, NY. It has been completely reimagined by the Award-Winning Duncan Avenue Design Studio and has become an inspiring, stylish and extremely comfortable zero-emissions 21st century smart home just minutes away from NYC. Situated on top of a hill and an acre of picturesque landscape, it could become your turnkey second-home, a vacation home, rental or investment property, or an authentic Hudson Valley Style dream home for generations to come. The Farmhouse has been renovated with style, design, sustainability, functionality, and comfort in mind and incorporates more than a dozen smart technology, energy efficiency, and sustainability features. Contemporary open concept floorplan, glass french doors and 210° wraparound porch with 3-season outdoor dining space blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and allow residents and guests to enjoy a true connection with surrounding nature. Wake up to the sunrise shining through double glass doors on the east side of the house and watch the warm sunset rays shining through plenty of energy-efficient windows and french doors on the west. High-end finishes such as sustainable bamboo hardwood floors, sustainable concrete countertops, solid wood kitchen cabinets with soft closing drawers, energy star stainless steel appliances, and designer light fixtures are only a few of the updates along with a brand-new central HVAC heat pump system controlled by smart Nest thermostat with two-zone sensors. Brand new roof, utilities, and all LED lighting bring additional value and comfort for many years to come. The property features a beautiful designer pergola on the edge of the hill with an opportunity for the in-ground infinity pool. Property's sun number is 91 and is all set for installation of your own solar farm that will take the property go 100% off-grid. Superior quality renovation, energy-efficient smart utilities, world-class interior design, sustainable materials, and Authentic Hudson Valley Style make this unique property a true real estate gem and once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity to own a turnkey second-home and a piece of the Hudson Valley history.

Farmhouse Reinvented - Interior Design Project in Marlboro, New York Design: Duncan Avenue // Maxwell & Dino Alexander Construction: ToughConstruct | Hudson Valley Welcome to the historic (circa 1870) Hudson Valley Farmhouse in the heart of legendary Marlboro, NY. It has been completely reimagined by the Award-Winning Duncan Avenue Design Studio and has become an inspiring, stylish and extremely comfortable zero-emissions 21st century smart home just minutes away from NYC. Situated on top of a hill and an acre of picturesque landscape, it could become your turnkey second-home, a vacation home, rental or investment property, or an authentic Hudson Valley Style dream home for generations to come. The Farmhouse has been renovated with style, design, sustainability, functionality, and comfort in mind and incorporates more than a dozen smart technology, energy efficiency, and sustainability features. Contemporary open concept floorplan, glass french doors and 210° wraparound porch with 3-season outdoor dining space blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and allow residents and guests to enjoy a true connection with surrounding nature. Wake up to the sunrise shining through double glass doors on the east side of the house and watch the warm sunset rays shining through plenty of energy-efficient windows and french doors on the west. High-end finishes such as sustainable bamboo hardwood floors, sustainable concrete countertops, solid wood kitchen cabinets with soft closing drawers, energy star stainless steel appliances, and designer light fixtures are only a few of the updates along with a brand-new central HVAC heat pump system controlled by smart Nest thermostat with two-zone sensors. Brand new roof, utilities, and all LED lighting bring additional value and comfort for many years to come. The property features a beautiful designer pergola on the edge of the hill with an opportunity for the in-ground infinity pool. Property's sun number is 91 and is all set for installation of your own solar farm that will take the property go 100% off-grid. Superior quality renovation, energy-efficient smart utilities, world-class interior design, sustainable materials, and Authentic Hudson Valley Style make this unique property a true real estate gem and once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity to own a turnkey second-home and a piece of the Hudson Valley history.

Water Conservation Low flow faucets Low flow showers Energy Efficiency Dense-pack blown in insulation R-31 Walls R-50 Ceiling Insulation (3″ closed cell Spray Foam + R38 Batts) Energy Star certified appliances Energy efficient on-demand water heater All lighting CFL or LED Sustainable Materials Bamboo Decking Job-Site recycling Bamboo flooring Polished concrete flooring Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air Quality Zero VOC paint Occupancy controlled bath fans Heat Recovery Ventilator No added urea formaldehyde

Farmhouse Reinvented - Interior Design Project in Marlboro, New York Design: Duncan Avenue // Maxwell & Dino Alexander Construction: ToughConstruct | Hudson Valley Welcome to the historic (circa 1870) Hudson Valley Farmhouse in the heart of legendary Marlboro, NY. It has been completely reimagined by the Award-Winning Duncan Avenue Design Studio and has become an inspiring, stylish and extremely comfortable zero-emissions 21st century smart home just minutes away from NYC. Situated on top of a hill and an acre of picturesque landscape, it could become your turnkey second-home, a vacation home, rental or investment property, or an authentic Hudson Valley Style dream home for generations to come. The Farmhouse has been renovated with style, design, sustainability, functionality, and comfort in mind and incorporates more than a dozen smart technology, energy efficiency, and sustainability features. Contemporary open concept floorplan, glass french doors and 210° wraparound porch with 3-season outdoor dining space blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and allow residents and guests to enjoy a true connection with surrounding nature. Wake up to the sunrise shining through double glass doors on the east side of the house and watch the warm sunset rays shining through plenty of energy-efficient windows and french doors on the west. High-end finishes such as sustainable bamboo hardwood floors, sustainable concrete countertops, solid wood kitchen cabinets with soft closing drawers, energy star stainless steel appliances, and designer light fixtures are only a few of the updates along with a brand-new central HVAC heat pump system controlled by smart Nest thermostat with two-zone sensors. Brand new roof, utilities, and all LED lighting bring additional value and comfort for many years to come. The property features a beautiful designer pergola on the edge of the hill with an opportunity for the in-ground infinity pool. Property's sun number is 91 and is all set for installation of your own solar farm that will take the property go 100% off-grid. Superior quality renovation, energy-efficient smart utilities, world-class interior design, sustainable materials, and Authentic Hudson Valley Style make this unique property a true real estate gem and once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity to own a turnkey second-home and a piece of the Hudson Valley history.

This homeowner had been considering new exterior siding for their home in Manasquan, NJ for some time. A sub-division in Long Branch of new high end homes; caught their attention due to the combination of stone and vinyl siding that provided great curb appeal and increased value to their home. The homeowner required the knowledge of Design Build expertise and residential remodeling experience. They knew this could not be found from a siding contractor or stone mason alone. Help was needed with the Design aspect of the project that would transform their weather worn exterior into a beautifully built new home. Their internet research; led them to Mark of Excellence Remodeling, a Design Build Pros Preferred Network Remodeler. Before their consultation with the Project Designer they looked into the reputation of the company with the BBB where the company had an A plus rating and were able to see the company had been doing business and completed numerous projects in Monmouth County over their 28 year history. Monmouth County vinyl and stone siding remodel in Manasquan, NJ (10)The Project Designer met with the customer and went through our needs analysis process. The customer wanted little or no future maintenance, energy efficiency and an up to date and up market appearance. We recommended a full back insulated vinyl siding material for this large home; which would improve energy efficiency and improve the value proposition of the investment. The homeowner had a very specific color combination in mind and the Project Designer determined that Somerset Wheat Prodigy Siding would be ideal in combination with Savannah Ledge Vintage Wine Boral Stone as the main two elements of the exterior. The Project Designer added some architectural accents; a stone arch front entrance to the home in conjunction two stone flower containers. Mark of Excellence Remodeling completely re-framed the front entrance working with Pella windows and doors for the entry door system. Additional features included Prodigy window lineal to give the front windows a more substantial and elegant appearance. Color coordinated exterior trim for soffits and fascia in Adobe Cream, seamless gutters and leaders in Eggshell and Wicker Keystones pull the color pallet and architectural components together. Here is how the home looked BEFORE the exterior makeover and remodeling: BEFORE vinyl and stone siding remodel in Manasquan, NJ (1) BEFORE vinyl and stone siding remodel in Manasquan, NJ (2) The homeowner had a particular challenge with the projecting bay windows on the front and rear of the home. The Project Designer felt that to effectively emulate the exterior siding project the homeowner had seen in Long Branch; the application of AZEK building products exterior trim would break up the predominance of Summer Wheat on large wall areas. The homeowner had already selected low maintenance garage doors which were only available in white. With some direction on the door style from the Project Designer the use of AZEK trim was the ideal complement to the finished doors. A team experienced in emulating traditional construction using AZEK building products was brought in for the bay area detail. This Siding and Stone Project in Monmouth County New Jersey is the envy of the neighborhood!

Brian Jones
Traditional exterior home idea in Providence

Rustic wood exterior home idea in Denver