This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

A master bathroom gets an update with a dramatic blue glass tile waterfall accenting the large format Carrara tile shower wall. The blue vanity pulls the color around the room.

Triveny Model Home Exterior
Example of a large classic white three-story brick exterior home design in Charlotte

R. Brad Knipstein Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary boy dark wood floor and brown floor kids' bedroom remodel in San Francisco with gray walls

In the third floor library we had custom built bookcases constructed with a strong geometric pattern. The shelves were finished in a high gloss black to make them stand out against the white walls. Photo: Eric Roth

Eat-in kitchen - large coastal l-shaped concrete floor eat-in kitchen idea in Boston with light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, open cabinets, glass sheet backsplash and an island

For this couple, planning to move back to their rambler home in Arlington after living overseas for few years, they were ready to get rid of clutter, clean up their grown-up kids’ boxes, and transform their home into their dream home for their golden years. The old home included a box-like 8 feet x 10 feet kitchen, no family room, three small bedrooms and two back to back small bathrooms. The laundry room was located in a small dark space of the unfinished basement. This home is located in a cul-de-sac, on an uphill lot, of a very secluded neighborhood with lots of new homes just being built around them. The couple consulted an architectural firm in past but never were satisfied with the final plans. They approached Michael Nash Custom Kitchens hoping for fresh ideas. The backyard and side yard are wooded and the existing structure was too close to building restriction lines. We developed design plans and applied for special permits to achieve our client’s goals. The remodel includes a family room, sunroom, breakfast area, home office, large master bedroom suite, large walk-in closet, main level laundry room, lots of windows, front porch, back deck, and most important than all an elevator from lower to upper level given them and their close relative a necessary easier access. The new plan added extra dimensions to this rambler on all four sides. Starting from the front, we excavated to allow a first level entrance, storage, and elevator room. Building just above it, is a 12 feet x 30 feet covered porch with a leading brick staircase. A contemporary cedar rail with horizontal stainless steel cable rail system on both the front porch and the back deck sets off this project from any others in area. A new foyer with double frosted stainless-steel door was added which contains the elevator. The garage door was widened and a solid cedar door was installed to compliment the cedar siding. The left side of this rambler was excavated to allow a storage off the garage and extension of one of the old bedrooms to be converted to a large master bedroom suite, master bathroom suite and walk-in closet. We installed matching brick for a seam-less exterior look. The entire house was furnished with new Italian imported highly custom stainless-steel windows and doors. We removed several brick and block structure walls to put doors and floor to ceiling windows. A full walk in shower with barn style frameless glass doors, double vanities covered with selective stone, floor to ceiling porcelain tile make the master bathroom highly accessible. The other two bedrooms were reconfigured with new closets, wider doorways, new wood floors and wider windows. Just outside of the bedroom, a new laundry room closet was a major upgrade. A second HVAC system was added in the attic for all new areas. The back side of the master bedroom was covered with floor to ceiling windows and a door to step into a new deck covered in trex and cable railing. This addition provides a view to wooded area of the home. By excavating and leveling the backyard, we constructed a two story 15’x 40’ addition that provided the tall ceiling for the family room just adjacent to new deck, a breakfast area a few steps away from the remodeled kitchen. Upscale stainless-steel appliances, floor to ceiling white custom cabinetry and quartz counter top, and fun lighting improved this back section of the house with its increased lighting and available work space. Just below this addition, there is extra space for exercise and storage room. This room has a pair of sliding doors allowing more light inside. The right elevation has a trapezoid shape addition with floor to ceiling windows and space used as a sunroom/in-home office. Wide plank wood floors were installed throughout the main level for continuity. The hall bathroom was gutted and expanded to allow a new soaking tub and large vanity. The basement half bathroom was converted to a full bathroom, new flooring and lighting in the entire basement changed the purpose of the basement for entertainment and spending time with grandkids. Off white and soft tone were used inside and out as the color schemes to make this rambler spacious and illuminated. Final grade and landscaping, by adding a few trees, trimming the old cherry and walnut trees in backyard, saddling the yard, and a new concrete driveway and walkway made this home a unique and charming gem in the neighborhood.

After reviving their kitchen, this couple was ready to tackle the master bathroom by getting rid of some Venetian plaster and a built in tub, removing fur downs and a bulky shower surround, and just making the entire space feel lighter, brighter, and bringing into a more mid-century style space. The cabinet is a freestanding furniture piece that we allowed the homeowner to purchase themselves to save a little bit on cost, and it came with prefabricated with a counter and undermount sinks. We installed 2 floating shelves in walnut above the commode to match the vanity piece. The faucets are Hansgrohe Talis S widespread in chrome, and the tub filler is from the same collection. The shower control, also from Hansgrohe, is the Ecostat S Pressure Balance with a Croma SAM Set Plus shower head set. The gorgeous freestanding soaking tub if from Jason - the Forma collection. The commode is a Toto Drake II two-piece, elongated. Tile was really fun to play with in this space so there is a pretty good mix. The floor tile is from Daltile in their Fabric Art Modern Textile in white. We kept is fairly simple on the vanity back wall, shower walls and tub surround walls with an Interceramic IC Brites White in their wall tile collection. A 1" hex on the shower floor is from Daltile - the Keystones collection. The accent tiles were very fun to choose and we settled on Daltile Natural Hues - Paprika in the shower, and Jade by the tub. The wall color was updated to a neutral Gray Screen from Sherwin Williams, with Extra White as the ceiling color.

Justin Ramsdell Photography
Kitchen - farmhouse kitchen idea in DC Metro

Dawn Smith Photography
Large transitional open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Cincinnati with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

milesminnophotography
Cottage light wood floor kitchen photo in Sacramento with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, gray countertops and shaker cabinets

JVL Photography
Inspiration for a small contemporary ceramic tile enclosed kitchen remodel in Ottawa with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Example of a classic alcove shower design in Dallas with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink and a hinged shower door

Bedroom - mid-sized contemporary guest bedroom idea in San Francisco with white walls

Utilizing under-the-stairs space, this integrated system allows the whole family to stay organized elegantly. • Lago® Siena finish sets the tone for a traditional aesthetic. • Lago® Siena 5-piece door and drawer fronts with mink leather inserts contribute to the warm, traditional feel. • Aluminum frames with high-gloss Olive back-painted glass fronts provide concealed storage. • Leather mink cleat with cleat mount accessories adds texture and offers a place to hang coats. • Oil-rubbed bronzed pull-out baskets offer flexible storage for winter gear and sporting equipment. • Ecoresin Thatch backer is used as a unique back panel option. • Tiered custom height accommodates sloped ceiling. • Finger pulls and top cap shelf details add to the design aesthetic.

Lee Manning Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage medium tone wood floor entryway remodel in Los Angeles with a white front door

frameless cabinets, kitchen remodel, Showplace Cabinetry
Small elegant l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen photo in Other with white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, white appliances, an island, white countertops, a farmhouse sink and shaker cabinets

Elegant family room photo in San Francisco with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Large, elevated bonus room above family room, offers 150 sq ft of extra flex space
Family room - mid-sized transitional loft-style carpeted and gray floor family room idea in Chicago with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv