Located in, Summit Park, Park City UT lies one of the most efficient houses in the country. The Summit Haus – designed and built by Chris Price of PCD+B, is an exploration in design and construction of advanced high performance housing. Seeing a rising demand for sustainable housing along with rising Carbon emissions leading to global warming, this house strives to show that sensible, good design can create spaces adequate for today’s housing demands while adhering to strict standards. The house was designed to meet the very rigid Passiv House rating system – 90% more efficient than a typical home in the area. The house itself was intended to nestle neatly into the 45 degree sloped site and to take full advantage of the limited solar access and views. The views range from short, highly wooded views to a long corridor out towards the Uinta Mountain range towards the east. The house was designed and built based off Passiv Haus standards, and the framing and ventilation became critical elements to maintain such minimal energy requirements. Zola triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows contribute substantially to the home’s energy efficiency, and takes advantage of the beautiful surrounding of the location, including forrest views from the deck off of the kitchen. Photographer: Douglas Burke

Sandra Brannock from Expert Kitchen Designs was in charge of restoring this historic farm house. Pennville's Parisian Inset seemed like the perfect style for this space. This communication center was an excellent use of a small space.

This client was looking to create a guest bathroom that had more of an "East Coast" feel. The vanity has inset doors and drawers. Wainscoting was added around the entire bathroom. The pony wall was added to the tub to accommodate fixtures to be within reach. One niche was added above the tub and another was added in the shower (away from view). The flooring is a porcelain tile with a wood grain pattern, applied over a full mortar bed and a heating system—perfect for a cold winter morning. Photo: Jessica Abler, Los Angeles, CA

This urban townhouse took on new life when it was renovated for a couple relocating from New York City. The owner’s sophisticated taste, cultivated from world travels, paired with the character of the existing home and resulted in a fresh and colorful gem in the heart of the historic downtown. Extensive approvals from the local Historic District Commission preceded an addition on the rear of the time-honored building and a complete restoration of the exterior. The addition encompasses a first-floor, finished garage with arch doors that open to the gardens, ideal for entertaining. Above the garage accommodates the master bedroom, walk-in closets and a bathroom suite. The exterior restoration allowed the addition of window pediments, shutters with authentic hardware and gaslight features. Pocket gardens surround the townhouse and boast multiple plantings that complement a historic environment. The interior of the home was restructured to allow for reworking of the main stair. The reconfigured flight can now carry the weight of books and art alongside ascending residents and guests. Amid construction, two previously hidden fireplaces were uncovered. By the end of the renovation, four fireplaces were entirely refurbished and now lend immense aesthetic to interior design. The interior finishes within the home keep visitors engaged and impressed. From imported Italian tile to contextually historic light switches, the colorful décor is appealing to all senses. Specially painted walls coordinate with furnishings, bookcases and art. Photos: Greg West Photography

The design of this home was driven by the owners’ desire for a three-bedroom waterfront home that showcased the spectacular views and park-like setting. As nature lovers, they wanted their home to be organic, minimize any environmental impact on the sensitive site and embrace nature. This unique home is sited on a high ridge with a 45° slope to the water on the right and a deep ravine on the left. The five-acre site is completely wooded and tree preservation was a major emphasis. Very few trees were removed and special care was taken to protect the trees and environment throughout the project. To further minimize disturbance, grades were not changed and the home was designed to take full advantage of the site’s natural topography. Oak from the home site was re-purposed for the mantle, powder room counter and select furniture. The visually powerful twin pavilions were born from the need for level ground and parking on an otherwise challenging site. Fill dirt excavated from the main home provided the foundation. All structures are anchored with a natural stone base and exterior materials include timber framing, fir ceilings, shingle siding, a partial metal roof and corten steel walls. Stone, wood, metal and glass transition the exterior to the interior and large wood windows flood the home with light and showcase the setting. Interior finishes include reclaimed heart pine floors, Douglas fir trim, dry-stacked stone, rustic cherry cabinets and soapstone counters. Exterior spaces include a timber-framed porch, stone patio with fire pit and commanding views of the Occoquan reservoir. A second porch overlooks the ravine and a breezeway connects the garage to the home. Numerous energy-saving features have been incorporated, including LED lighting, on-demand gas water heating and special insulation. Smart technology helps manage and control the entire house. Greg Hadley Photography

Basement - large farmhouse look-out vinyl floor and gray floor basement idea in Detroit with gray walls

This house is discreetly tucked into its wooded site in the Mad River Valley near the Sugarbush Resort in Vermont. The soaring roof lines complement the slope of the land and open up views though large windows to a meadow planted with native wildflowers. The house was built with natural materials of cedar shingles, fir beams and native stone walls. These materials are complemented with innovative touches including concrete floors, composite exterior wall panels and exposed steel beams. The home is passively heated by the sun, aided by triple pane windows and super-insulated walls. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

Rising amidst the grand homes of North Howe Street, this stately house has more than 6,600 SF. In total, the home has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and three powder rooms. Designed with an extra-wide floor plan (21'-2"), achieved through side-yard relief, and an attached garage achieved through rear-yard relief, it is a truly unique home in a truly stunning environment. The centerpiece of the home is its dramatic, 11-foot-diameter circular stair that ascends four floors from the lower level to the roof decks where panoramic windows (and views) infuse the staircase and lower levels with natural light. Public areas include classically-proportioned living and dining rooms, designed in an open-plan concept with architectural distinction enabling them to function individually. A gourmet, eat-in kitchen opens to the home's great room and rear gardens and is connected via its own staircase to the lower level family room, mud room and attached 2-1/2 car, heated garage. The second floor is a dedicated master floor, accessed by the main stair or the home's elevator. Features include a groin-vaulted ceiling; attached sun-room; private balcony; lavishly appointed master bath; tremendous closet space, including a 120 SF walk-in closet, and; an en-suite office. Four family bedrooms and three bathrooms are located on the third floor. This home was sold early in its construction process. Nathan Kirkman

This Milford French country home’s 2,500 sq. ft. basement transformation is just as extraordinary as it is warm and inviting. The M.J. Whelan design team, along with our clients, left no details out. This luxury basement is a beautiful blend of modern and rustic materials. A unique tray ceiling with a hardwood inset defines the space of the full bar. Brookhaven maple custom cabinets with a dark bistro finish and Cambria quartz countertops were used along with state of the art appliances. A brick backsplash and vintage pendant lights with new LED Edison bulbs add beautiful drama. The entertainment area features a custom built-in entertainment center designed specifically to our client’s wishes. It houses a large flat screen TV, lots of storage, display shelves and speakers hidden by speaker fabric. LED accent lighting was strategically installed to highlight this beautiful space. The entertaining area is open to the billiards room, featuring a another beautiful brick accent wall with a direct vent fireplace. The old ugly steel columns were beautifully disguised with raised panel moldings and were used to create and define the different spaces, even a hallway. The exercise room and game space are open to each other and features glass all around to keep it open to the rest of the lower level. Another brick accent wall was used in the game area with hardwood flooring while the exercise room has rubber flooring. The design also includes a rear foyer coming in from the back yard with cubbies and a custom barn door to separate that entry. A playroom and a dining area were also included in this fabulous luxurious family retreat. Stunning Provenza engineered hardwood in a weathered wire brushed combined with textured Fabrica carpet was used throughout most of the basement floor which is heated hydronically. Tile was used in the entry and the new bathroom. The details are endless! Our client’s selections of beautiful furnishings complete this luxurious finished basement. Photography by Jeff Garland Photography

Flavin Architects collaborated with Ben Wood Studio Shanghai on the design of this modern house overlooking a blueberry farm. A contemporary design that looks at home in a traditional New England landscape, this house features many environmentally sustainable features including passive solar heat and native landscaping. The house is clad in stucco and natural wood in clear and stained finishes and also features a double height dining room with a double-sided fireplace. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

Property Marketed by Hudson Place Realty - Style meets substance in this circa 1875 townhouse. Completely renovated & restored in a contemporary, yet warm & welcoming style, 295 Pavonia Avenue is the ultimate home for the 21st century urban family. Set on a 25’ wide lot, this Hamilton Park home offers an ideal open floor plan, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and a private outdoor oasis. With 3,600 sq. ft. of living space, the owner’s triplex showcases a unique formal dining rotunda, living room with exposed brick and built in entertainment center, powder room and office nook. The upper bedroom floors feature a master suite separate sitting area, large walk-in closet with custom built-ins, a dream bath with an over-sized soaking tub, double vanity, separate shower and water closet. The top floor is its own private retreat complete with bedroom, full bath & large sitting room. Tailor-made for the cooking enthusiast, the chef’s kitchen features a top notch appliance package with 48” Viking refrigerator, Kuppersbusch induction cooktop, built-in double wall oven and Bosch dishwasher, Dacor espresso maker, Viking wine refrigerator, Italian Zebra marble counters and walk-in pantry. A breakfast nook leads out to the large deck and yard for seamless indoor/outdoor entertaining. Other building features include; a handsome façade with distinctive mansard roof, hardwood floors, Lutron lighting, home automation/sound system, 2 zone CAC, 3 zone radiant heat & tremendous storage, A garden level office and large one bedroom apartment with private entrances, round out this spectacular home.

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

MOSAIC MIST Shimmering tile, soft greys and spa-day ease. DESIGN DESCRIPTION This bathroom proves that a modest footprint can still feel like a private spa. Clean white tile sets a bright, airy backdrop, punctuated by a shimmering panel of glass and stone mosaic that frames the tub like a work of art. The same mosaic returns as a band behind the vanity, tying the room together. A frameless glass screen, body sprays and a handheld wand turn the tub into a full shower experience, while a recessed niche keeps essentials tidy. A floating charcoal vanity with an integrated sink and a glass waterfall faucet pairs with a mirrored cabinet lit by slim vertical lights. Light wood-look floating shelves, a heated towel rail and a tall frosted glass cabinet add warmth and clever storage. Bright, calm and thoughtfully planned, it makes the everyday routine feel like a treat.

The owners spend a great deal of time outdoors and desperately desired a living room open to the elements and set up for long days and evenings of entertaining in the beautiful New England air. KMA’s goal was to give the owners an outdoor space where they can enjoy warm summer evenings with a glass of wine or a beer during football season. The floor will incorporate Natural Blue Cleft random size rectangular pieces of bluestone that coordinate with a feature wall made of ledge and ashlar cuts of the same stone. The interior walls feature weathered wood that complements a rich mahogany ceiling. Contemporary fans coordinate with three large skylights, and two new large sliding doors with transoms. Other features are a reclaimed hearth, an outdoor kitchen that includes a wine fridge, beverage dispenser (kegerator!), and under-counter refrigerator. Cedar clapboards tie the new structure with the existing home and a large brick chimney ground the feature wall while providing privacy from the street. The project also includes space for a grill, fire pit, and pergola.

Eric Roth Photography
Ornate dark wood floor kitchen photo in Boston with yellow cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, black appliances, an island, a single-bowl sink and glass-front cabinets

To create the illusion of space in this 5' x 8' Eureopean-style bathroom, we continued the bold black and white mosaic Portugese floor tile into the shower, whose floor is just slightly recessed, and angled so water drains to the center. The rest of the bathroom is almost purely white and includes: - white floating vanity with modern water-saving chrome faucet - large white subway tile with mother of pearl accents including the mother of pearl-lined shampoo niche and vanity backsplash that goes all the way up to the ceiling which catches the light and adds a bit of bling. - Adjustable handheld shower - modern white dual flush toilet - floating shelves - Carrera marble countertop - deep, custom made medicine cabinet for extra storage - heated floor

Guest bathroom remodel in Dallas, TX by Kitchen Design Concepts. This Girl's Bath features cabinetry by WW Woods Eclipse with a square flat panel door style, maple construction, and a finish of Arctic paint with a Slate Highlight / Brushed finish. Hand towel holder, towel bar and toilet tissue holder from Kohler Bancroft Collection in polished chrome. Heated mirror over vanity with interior storage and lighting. Tile -- Renaissance 2x2 Hex White tile, Matte finish in a straight lay; Daltile Rittenhouse Square Cove 3x6 Tile K101 White as base mold throughout; Arizona Tile H-Line Series 3x6 Denim Glossy in a brick lay up the wall, window casing and built-in niche and matching curb and bullnose pieces. Countertop -- 3 cm Caesarstone Frosty Carina. Vanity sink -- Toto Undercounter Lavatory with SanaGloss Cotton. Vanity faucet-- Widespread faucet with White ceramic lever handles. Tub filler - Kohler Devonshire non-diverter bath spout polished chrome. Shower control – Kohler Bancroft valve trim with white ceramic lever handles. Hand Shower & Slider Bar - one multifunction handshower with Slide Bar. Commode - Toto Maris Wall-Hung Dual-Flush Toilet Cotton w/ Rectangular Push Plate Dual Button White. Photos by Unique Exposure Photography

We designed a three season room with removable window/screens and a large sliding screen door. The Walnut matte rectified field tile floors are heated, We included an outdoor TV, ceiling fans and a linear fireplace insert with star Fyre glass. Outside, we created a seating area around a fire pit and fountain water feature, as well as a new patio for grilling.

Ken Dahlin
Living room - small 1950s open concept concrete floor and red floor living room idea in Chicago with beige walls, a corner fireplace and a stone fireplace