Search results for "Improve efficiency" in Home Design Ideas

Norwood House is a 55 year old center hall Georgian Revival style house that sits on an expansive piece of property across from the main campus at Kent Place School. The house and grounds are owned and maintained by the School, and serve as the primary residence for the Head of School and her family. The property is also used on occasion for school functions. Since there have been no significant improvements to the property since the 1980’s, we worked with the School to improve the entire house and surrounding grounds. Specifics included creating a mudroom between the garage and the kitchen, relocating the dining room and family room to improve the flow of the first floor layout, adding three pairs of French doors in the sunroom leading out to a new bluestone patio, gutting and redoing the kitchen, renovating all of the bathrooms, and refinishing the basement. The scope also encompassed various infrastructure improvements, including a new roof, new windows, new high efficiency HVAC and lighting, etc. For the project, we also worked closely with Frances Chester, a local Landscape Architect, on improving the property with new plantings, walkways, patios, driveway, lighting, etc.
The school required that the project be complete by the beginning of the 2014 school year. We worked the Contractor, Owner’s Rep, and members of the Board of Trustees to have construction completed within 5 months, which was a very aggressive schedule for a project of this size.

This Wallingford neighborhood remodel and addition focused on enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of the existing home through a series of targeted updates and structural improvements. Central to the project was a full kitchen transformation, incorporating a completely new layout with modern finishes, fixtures, and appliances—designed to create a more efficient and visually appealing space. The new design also introduced a cozy sitting area adjacent to the kitchen, offering a comfortable spot for casual dining, conversation, or relaxation. To improve openness on the main floor, an existing structural post was removed and replaced with a concealed beam, resulting in a more seamless and connected layout that encourages natural flow between living spaces. On the upper level, a new dormer was added to extend the living space and accommodate a newly designed bathroom. All existing windows throughout the home were replaced to improve energy efficiency and refresh the home’s overall appearance.
+ Architecture: H2D Architecture + Design
www.h2darchitects.com
+ Photographer: Robert Brittingham Photography
Find the right local pro for your project

Klopf Architecture, Outer Space Landscape Architects, and Flegels Construction updated a classical 1950s original mid-century modern house designed by the late Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Ellis Jacobs. Klopf Architecture pushed the original design intent to make the house more open and uniform from space to space, while improving energy efficiency, capitalizing more on the already incredible views, improving the flow of spaces, providing an outdoor living area, and ratcheting up the quality level of the home in general. The updated custom Mid-Century Modern home is a remodeled single-family house in Redwood City. This 2,000 square foot (plus garage), 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home is located in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA and Angela Todorova
Landscape Architect: Outer space
Landscape Contractor: Roco's Gardening and Arroyo Vista Landscaping
Contractor: Flegels Construction
Photography ©2015 Mariko Reed
Location: Redwood City, CA
Year completed: 2014

Hunter Douglas | Duette®
Duette®
The original single- and double-honeycomb Duette® shades come in multiple cell sizes, a horizontal or Vertiglide™ vertical orientation, and a range of light-control options from sheer to opaque.
Energy Efficiency
COOL IN THE SUMMER, WARM IN THE WINTER
Did you know that up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows? That’s why we designed this unique cellular shade that traps air in distinct pockets to help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
And while the honeycomb design is praised for its efficiency, its shape and overall aesthetic are nothing short of beautiful.
Double Honeycomb
EVEN GREATER EFFICIENCIES
Our double-honeycomb construction traps air even more efficiently than our single honeycomb by sandwiching two honeycomb cells between your room and the window.
Absorb Sound
REDUCE OUTSIDE NOISE
Improve your room’s acoustics while reducing the intensity of outside sound. It starts at the windows.
The degree of sound control will depend on the fabric you choose, so if this is an important feature to you, be sure to discuss it with your sales expert.
Top-Down/Bottom-Up
PRIVACY WITH A VIEW
The Top-Down/Bottom-Up feature offers a more versatile approach to light control. Open from the top, from the bottom, or find somewhere in-between–for the perfect balance of privacy and light.
Energy Efficiency
COOL IN THE SUMMER, WARM IN THE WINTER
Did you know that up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows? That’s why we designed this unique cellular shade that traps air in distinct pockets to help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
And while the honeycomb design is praised for its efficiency, its shape and overall aesthetic are nothing short of beautiful.
Double Honeycomb
EVEN GREATER EFFICIENCIES
Our double-honeycomb construction traps air even more efficiently than our single honeycomb by sandwiching two honeycomb cells between your room and the window.
Absorb Sound
REDUCE OUTSIDE NOISE
Improve your room’s acoustics while reducing the intensity of outside sound. It starts at the windows.
The degree of sound control will depend on the fabric you choose, so if this is an important feature to you, be sure to discuss it with your sales expert.
Vertiglide™
FOR LARGE WINDOWS AND SLIDING DOORS
Vertiglide™ offers an exceptional, energy-efficient vertical solution for large expanses of windows and sliding glass doors.
Top-Down/Bottom-Up
PRIVACY WITH A VIEW
The Top-Down/Bottom-Up feature offers a more versatile approach to light control. Open from the top, from the bottom, or find somewhere in-between–for the perfect balance of privacy and light.
UV protection
SUNSCREEN FOR YOUR VALUABLES
Protect your furniture, flooring and artwork from fading with at least 75% protection from harmful UV rays

Norwood House is a 55 year old center hall Georgian Revival style house that sits on an expansive piece of property across from the main campus at Kent Place School. The house and grounds are owned and maintained by the School, and serve as the primary residence for the Head of School and her family. The property is also used on occasion for school functions. Since there have been no significant improvements to the property since the 1980’s, we worked with the School to improve the entire house and surrounding grounds. Specifics included creating a mudroom between the garage and the kitchen, relocating the dining room and family room to improve the flow of the first floor layout, adding three pairs of French doors in the sunroom leading out to a new bluestone patio, gutting and redoing the kitchen, renovating all of the bathrooms, and refinishing the basement. The scope also encompassed various infrastructure improvements, including a new roof, new windows, new high efficiency HVAC and lighting, etc. For the project, we also worked closely with Frances Chester, a local Landscape Architect, on improving the property with new plantings, walkways, patios, driveway, lighting, etc.
The school required that the project be complete by the beginning of the 2014 school year. We worked the Contractor, Owner’s Rep, and members of the Board of Trustees to have construction completed within 5 months, which was a very aggressive schedule for a project of this size.

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Columbus, OH
EverHome Improvement & Design
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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

Small coastal gray one-story vinyl and shingle house exterior idea in Philadelphia with a hip roof, a shingle roof and a brown roof

Photo Credit: Kenneth M Wyner Photography Inc
Entryway - transitional entryway idea in DC Metro
Entryway - transitional entryway idea in DC Metro

Small beach style gray one-story vinyl and shingle house exterior photo in Philadelphia with a hip roof, a shingle roof and a brown roof

We transformed the kitchen into a visually stunning and highly functional space. By enhancing the layout for improved efficiency, we added proper storage solutions and modernized the finishes to elevate the overall design. A custom vent hood was incorporated for both style and practicality, while rich blue cabinetry paired with elegant brass hardware brings a bold, sophisticated touch to the space.

We transformed the kitchen into a visually stunning and highly functional space. By enhancing the layout for improved efficiency, we added proper storage solutions and modernized the finishes to elevate the overall design. A custom vent hood was incorporated for both style and practicality, while rich blue cabinetry paired with elegant brass hardware brings a bold, sophisticated touch to the space.

Modern kitchen drawer system in Miramar, FL featuring soft-close technology and built-in organizers. Designed to improve accessibility and maximize kitchen storage efficiency.

Inspiration for a small coastal gray one-story vinyl and shingle house exterior remodel in Philadelphia with a hip roof, a shingle roof and a brown roof

We create kitchens with custom kitchen design, kitchen cabinetry, and kitchen countertops that improve organization, efficiency, and the overall look of your home.

This custom sunroom creates a bright, relaxing space while providing panoramic outdoor views and a seamless connection to the home.
Example of a huge minimalist sunroom design in New York
Example of a huge minimalist sunroom design in New York
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