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Open concept Living/Dining/Kitchen in the 200 series floor plan
Example of a small classic l-shaped brown floor eat-in kitchen design in St Louis with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, laminate countertops and no island

These canopy solar solutions come at a premium, but provide the added value of shade, extended outdoor living space or storage. Additonally they are will be a signature piece of your landscape. Everything is made in the USA!! 30% Federal Income Tax Credit Applies.

Boulevard in Crisp Linen by Shaw Floors. The Boulevard collection combines high style with laminate's characteristic durability to create a floor that's extraordinarily realistic, functional, and fashionable. Photo Credit: as seen on HGTV’s Income Property

I have become an expert in the design of small starter homes over the last 15 years. Over 350 of these homes have been built in the St. Louis Metro area, including in Illinois. These homes are often built as low-cost rental homes using low-income housing tax credits, but they do not look like low income housing do they.

Looking from inside to outer surrounding Japanese garden area. The top row of windows are hand blown art glass. Photo credits:Dan Drobnick
Design ideas for a mid-sized asian partial sun backyard gravel landscaping in Cleveland.

Boulevard in Crisp Linen by Shaw Floors. The Boulevard collection combines high style with laminate's characteristic durability to create a floor that's extraordinarily realistic, functional, and fashionable. Photo Credit: as seen on HGTV’s Income Property

Boulevard in Crisp Linen by Shaw Floors. The Boulevard collection combines high style with laminate's characteristic durability to create a floor that's extraordinarily realistic, functional, and fashionable. Photo Credit: as seen on HGTV’s Income Property

Wine cubes double as a household organization center. Mullion-style Aristokraft Winstead glass-panel cabinet doors showcase the prettiest of serving dishes.

3 BU No 122 Small Truck with 2 inch stem casters Photo Credit: Amy Gerber/Brown Eyes Plus Blue (www.browneyesplusblue.com)
Elegant laundry room photo in Boston

This starter home features the raised basement concept. Homes like these are often built using low income housing tax credits that require a 15 year period of rental. The idea of this home is that it is an ideal rental to be sold after the rental period. The owner can then easily expand this house by finishing the basement - doubling the square footage of the home at a low cost per square foot. It allows to stabilize neighborhoods by keeping residents in place for the long term.

Boardwalk in Brooklyn by Shaw Floors. Moisture resistant, durable and easy to clean, the Boardwalk collection is constructed using VersaLock technology that reliably secures the flooring panels on all four sides with out adhesive. Photo Credit: as seen on HGTV’s Income Property

Boardwalk in Brooklyn by Shaw Floors. Moisture resistant, durable and easy to clean, the Boardwalk collection is constructed using VersaLock technology that reliably secures the flooring panels on all four sides with out adhesive. Photo Credit: as seen on HGTV’s Income Property

Inspiration for a rustic brown one-story wood gable roof remodel in Seattle

Situated above the Vancouver skyline, overlooking the city below, this custom home is a top performer on top of it all. An open kitchen, dining, and great room with a 99 bottle capacity wine wall, this space is made for entertaining. The three car garage houses the technical equipment including solar inverters and the Tesla Powerwall 2. A vehicle lift allows for easy maintenance and double parking storage. From BBQ season in the summer to the gorgeous sunsets of fall, the views are simply stunning both from and within the home. A cozy library and home office are well placed to allow for a more intimate atmosphere while still absorbing the beautiful city below. Luxury custom homes are not always as high on the performance scale but this home boasts a modelled energy rating of 60 GJ/year compared with the 182 GJ/year standard, close to 70% better! With high-efficiency appliances and a well positioned solar array, this home may perform so well that it starts generating income through Net Metering. Photo Credits: SilentSama Architectural Photography

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

The single greatest difficulty found in the design of low cost homes is that this process mandates the repetitive use of a few house plan prototypes. Simple house prototypes must be given some unique design features to create a long lasting neighborhood where the residents feel a sense of ownership (these are all built with low-income housing tax credits, and thus are rental for 15 years). Color, texture, material, porch configuration and detail, window locations, bays, roof shape - all are elements that can be changed to make a single house type look different.

With such a large narrow space we maximized the square footage by dividing the space into two functions. The alcove by the windows lent it self to be the perfect area for dining and the space closer to the entry we arranged a small seating area. Eliminating the conventional idea of a cocktail table in front of the sofa to allow maximum circulation for incoming buyers to explore the space. Photo Credit: Travis Mark

Situated above the Vancouver skyline, overlooking the city below, this custom home is a top performer on top of it all. An open kitchen, dining, and great room with a 99 bottle capacity wine wall, this space is made for entertaining. The three car garage houses the technical equipment including solar inverters and the Tesla Powerwall 2. A vehicle lift allows for easy maintenance and double parking storage. From BBQ season in the summer to the gorgeous sunsets of fall, the views are simply stunning both from and within the home. A cozy library and home office are well placed to allow for a more intimate atmosphere while still absorbing the beautiful city below. Luxury custom homes are not always as high on the performance scale but this home boasts a modelled energy rating of 60 GJ/year compared with the 182 GJ/year standard, close to 70% better! With high-efficiency appliances and a well positioned solar array, this home may perform so well that it starts generating income through Net Metering. Photo Credits: SilentSama Architectural Photography