Inspiration for a timeless wooden spiral open staircase remodel in New York

Large tuscan formal and enclosed linoleum floor and brown floor living room photo in Houston with beige walls, a standard fireplace, no tv and a stone fireplace

A need for extra counter space and fine wine service, creates a ‘JEWEL’ of a kitchen! As the artful anchor, the Emerald Glacier quartzite includes many shades of lush green, grey and red. Complimentary colors of natural cherry cabinets, warm walnut floors and surrounding Willow glass backsplash support the vibrant, playful colors creating an enhanced multifunctional space. Copyright Dean J. Birinyi, ASMP

This kitchen was inspired by a french countryside cottage. We used traditional design elements, warm worn finishes, along with french industrial lighting fixtures to bring a magical element to this space. Bright patterns, bold pops of color, and unique trim details bring life to the living space. Photography: Alyssa Lee Photography

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

Rickie Agapito
Beach style dark wood floor family room photo in Orlando with a ribbon fireplace, a brick fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and gray walls

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Kitchen - contemporary travertine floor kitchen idea in Santa Barbara with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photos by Vic Moss, Moss Photography.
Inspiration for a timeless bedroom remodel in Denver with beige walls

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Example of a tuscan carpeted bedroom design in Los Angeles with beige walls and a standard fireplace

Inspiration for a large coastal master carpeted and beige floor bedroom remodel in San Diego with white walls and no fireplace

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Huge tuscan open concept family room photo in Houston with black walls and a wall-mounted tv

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Example of a classic formal medium tone wood floor living room design in Grand Rapids with gray walls

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Elegant bathroom photo in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and beige walls

This area joins the gym area with the stairway with the sitting area and comes complete with a swing for the lofted area. The project was timber framed from the repurposed timbers of a tobacco barn and utilizes the stone and plank flooring throughout with aluminum ceiling sheets under Structural Insulated Panels. Timer Framer: Lancaster County Timber Frames /General Contractor: Historic Restorations

Inspiration for a coastal family room remodel in Houston

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Transitional wooden dark wood floor staircase photo in Boston with beige walls and wooden risers

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Large arts and crafts u-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Minneapolis with a double-bowl sink, solid surface countertops, custom tile backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, brown backsplash and yellow walls

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