Photography Marija Vidal
Inspiration for a small transitional wet bar remodel in San Francisco with beige cabinets and multicolored backsplash

Example of a classic built-in desk craft room design in Salt Lake City with no fireplace

Inspiration for a small transitional l-shaped dedicated laundry room remodel in Minneapolis with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and gray countertops

Example of a trendy l-shaped eat-in kitchen design in Sacramento with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, metallic backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photography: Garett + Carrie Buell of Studiobuell/ studiobuell.com
Example of a large mountain style backyard tile patio kitchen design in Nashville with a roof extension

Inspiration for a small timeless u-shaped dark wood floor seated home bar remodel in Dallas with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, multicolored backsplash and mosaic tile backsplash

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

Inspiration for a timeless wine cellar remodel in Charlotte with storage racks

Photo by Peter Lyons
Inspiration for a mid-century modern formal medium tone wood floor living room remodel in San Francisco with white walls

Photography by:Sophia Hronis-Arbis
Inspiration for a small timeless l-shaped light wood floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Chicago with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, beige walls and glass tile backsplash

We moved the kitchen to the opposite side of the room to provide a better overall layout with more cabinets and continuous countertop space. Cabinets were placed under clerestory windows, allowing them to act as a light shelf and exponentially increasing natural light in the space. We removed the dropped ceiling to open up the space and create more evenly dispersed natural light. New appliances were installed, including a separate cooktop and wall oven to accommodate different cooking and baking zones. We implemented a warm Pacific Northwest material pallet with quarter-sawn oak cabinets, and added neutral yet sharp finishes in black, white, and chrome.

By completely gutting the old kitchen, we were able to start with a clean slate and to integrate the homeowner’s list of requirements. Both love to entertain, so this included two refrigerators, a full pantry, an island, a large-capacity 48-inch Viking range and two dishwashers.

Susan Fisher Photography
Patio - contemporary patio idea in London with a bbq area

The Coastal Living Showhouse 2014 kitchen is on the second floor with ocean views of the Pacific, Mexico and Point Loma
Beach style l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Example of a classic bathroom design in Atlanta

©Lincoln Barbour
Large country l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in Portland with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, flat-panel cabinets, black appliances and an island

2016 MBIA Gold Award Winner: From whence an old one-story house once stood now stands this 5,000+ SF marvel that Finecraft built in the heart of Bethesda, MD. Thomson & Cooke Architects Susie Soleimani Photography

Kitchen - cottage l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, gray countertops and soapstone countertops

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