Search results for "Insulating layer" in Home Design Ideas

Nestled in a wooded area in the Pacific Northwest, the 1800 sf Passive Cedar Haus was built as a retirement home. The Artisans Group designed the layout of the home, mindful of aging in place, and working to ensure that the home blended in with the surrounding natural beauty. The project meets a complex program, with an unheated sleeping porch for a master bedroom, a screened porch, a 600 sf caretakers apartment/mother in law unit, large wood shop, plus a two car carport. The home seamlessly integrates a floating cedar tongue and groove roof with large sheltering overhangs, clerestory windows, and language of cedar slats for privacy screens and doors inside and out. The warm, natural materials of wood and cork for the interior palette are punctuated by lively accents and stunning fixtures.
This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living area, gives an expansive view of the surrounding Northwest forest. The tops of these windows reveal the interior cedar clad and the up-swept soffits on the home’s exterior, creating a floating ceiling effect. Slatted spruce wood fly-overs break up the vertical areas of the great room and define separate areas that would otherwise feel like an overwhelmingly expansive space.
Photography by: Cheryl Ramsay of Ramsay Photography

Located in a beautiful spot within Wellesley, Massachusetts, Sunspace Design played a key role in introducing this architectural gem to a client’s home—a custom double hip skylight crowning a gorgeous room. The resulting construction offers fluid transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces within the home, and blends well with the existing architecture.
The skylight boasts solid mahogany framing with a robust steel sub-frame. Durability meets sophistication. We used a layer of insulated tempered glass atop heat-strengthened laminated safety glass, further enhanced with a PPG Solarban 70 coating, to ensure optimal thermal performance. The dual-sealed, argon gas-filled glass system is efficient and resilient against oft-challenging New England weather.
Collaborative effort was key to the project’s success. MASS Architect, with their skylight concept drawings, inspired the project’s genesis, while Sunspace prepared a full suite of engineered shop drawings to complement the concepts. The local general contractor's preliminary framing and structural curb preparation accelerated our team’s installation of the skylight. As the frame was assembled at the Sunspace Design shop and positioned above the room via crane operation, a swift two-day field installation saved time and expense for all involved.
At Sunspace Design we’re all about pairing natural light with refined architecture. This double hip skylight is a focal point in the new room that welcomes the sun’s radiance into the heart of the client’s home. We take pride in our role, from engineering to fabrication, careful transportation, and quality installation. Our projects are journeys where architectural ideas are transformed into tangible, breathtaking spaces that elevate the way we live and create memories.

Sunspace Design’s principal service area extends along the seacoast corridor from Massachusetts to Maine, but it’s not every day that we’re able to work on a true oceanside project! This gorgeous two-tier conservatory was the result of a collaboration between Sunspace Design, TMS Architects and Interiors, and Architectural Builders. Sunspace was brought in to complete the conservatory addition envisioned by TMS, while Architectural Builders served as the general contractor.
The two-tier conservatory is an expansion to the existing residence. The 750 square foot design includes a 225 square foot cupola and stunning glass roof. Sunspace’s classic mahogany framing has been paired with copper flashing and caps. Thermal performance is especially important in coastal New England, so we’ve used insulated tempered glass layered upon laminated safety glass, with argon gas filling the spaces between the panes.
We worked in close conjunction with TMS and Architectural Builders at each step of the journey to this project’s completion. The result is a stunning testament to what’s possible when specialty architectural and design-build firms team up. Consider reaching out to Sunspace Design whether you’re a fellow industry professional with a need for custom glass design expertise, or a residential homeowner looking to revolutionize your home with the beauty of natural sunlight.
Find the right local pro for your project

This basement room was raised three feet.An acoustic drop ceiling was installed over insulation. and Large windows were added to make better use of daylight.
A layered lighting design was implemented to accentuate art objects and provide both ambient and task lighting.
In this rec room, Traditional shelving was placed above a media center to add interest, texture and color.
The brick fire place was painted to blend in with the walls and a custom mantle and a gas insert was installed and surrounded with Travertine tiles. Luxurious carpeting was added for comfort and beauty. The hearth is Travertine with a rough 2" edge.
Eben Waggoner

Essential, contemporary, and inviting defines this extremely energy efficient, Energy Star certified, Passive House design-inspired home in the Pacific Northwest. Designed for an active family of four, the one-story 3 bedroom, 2 bath floor plan offers tasteful aging in place features, a strong sense of privacy for both kids and parents, and a low profile that doesn’t impinge on the natural landscape. This house will heat itself in the dead of winter with less energy than it takes to run a hair dryer, and be sensual to live in while it does it. The forms throughout the home are simple and neutral, allowing for ample natural light, rich warm materials, and of course, room for the Guinea pigs makes this a great example of artful architecture applied to a genuine family lifestyle.
This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. Natural daylight enters both from the tilt & turn and fixed windows in the living and dining areas, and through the terrace door that leads seamlessly outside to the natural landscape.
Designed and constructed by The Artisans Group out of Olympia, Washington - a small but mighty firm co-owned by Randy Foster and Tessa Smith. Fun, funky and innovative, The Artisans Group has designed and built more Passive Houses than any other firm on the West Coast. Known for their striking, award winning, and sensible work, they provide solutions for projects of any size and budget.
Photography: Art Gray of Art Gray Photography

The perfect blend of beauty and practicality, these carriage house doors look like wood, but they are actually crafted of multiple layers of durable, low-maintenance steel and insulation topped with a woodgrain textured composite overlay.

Built in the early 1950s, this small urban townhouse is located in North Old Town Alexandria in an area currently undergoing major redevelopment. The neighborhood is popular with, and affordable for, young people and families, and very convenient to Washington, DC.
In its heyday, the townhouse touted a stately brick exterior, plaster walls, tongue and groove wood flooring and beautiful wooden staircase. Sixty years later, however, the homeowners were faced with crumbling masonry, sagging floors, a double layer of wallpaper over the plaster walls, a crumbling staircase, a dysfunctional kitchen and small, dark second floor rooms. Additionally, the basement had a low ceiling, moldy and cinder block walls, no plumbing and a large boiler taking up most of the space.
The homeowners’ goal was to restore the exterior’s historic look while creating an interior up-to-date for the 21st Century. To turn their vision into reality, they turned to Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.
Design Solutions
To maintain the townhome’s historic exterior, the Michael Nash team carefully removed, salvaged, restored and reused existing brick masonry. Matching fascia boards and windows were combined with existing windows to complete the exterior renovation.
All interior walls were gutted and reframed. New electrical work, new insulation and new drywall were installed. Much of the home’s original trim was salvaged and reused, as was a piece of art glass, all to keep a bit of the past in the renovation.
The sagging subfloors were fixed, new hard wood floors were installed and a new staircase and railing were designed in a style similar to the original.
The solid wall between the kitchen and the dining room was removed, plumbing was relocated for a new sink location and the kitchen got expanded with an island into the dining room. Closet and plumbing stacks were relocated to allow a new space for fridge. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and custom cabinetry highlight the new modern kitchen.
The plan called for redesigning the three bedrooms on the second floor to allow a larger bathroom, walk-in closet and wider hallways. In addition to new roofing, a large skylight was installed to allow natural light into the bathroom and the upper hallway.
The basement was totally revamped. New plumbing was put in place for a full bathroom, laundry room and a den. New e-grass window was installed in the basement to bring this basement up to current building codes.
This homeowners love the neighborhood and now their home gives them the opportunity to stay in the same location.

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Wannemacher Interiors
Customized Award-Winning Interior Design Solutions in Franklin Cnty OH

A favorite space for these clients—both editors and avid readers—the media room was transformed into a cozy, multifunctional lounge for books, movies, and games. Almost fully color-drenched in navy, the room now includes two custom and coordinating built-ins: a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and entertainment wall with closed cabinetry below and a wood-topped media stand, as well as a built-in bar for entertaining.
The closet housing the sump pump was insulated and refitted with a weather-stripped exterior door, significantly reducing the noise that once bothered the homeowners. The second closet was opened up to install a dry bar featuring matching navy cabinetry, a beverage fridge, and the same concrete-look countertop used in the laundry. With layered lighting and thoughtful storage, the room is now a perfect spot to relax solo or entertain friends.

Located in a beautiful spot within Wellesley, Massachusetts, Sunspace Design played a key role in introducing this architectural gem to a client’s home—a custom double hip skylight crowning a gorgeous room. The resulting construction offers fluid transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces within the home, and blends well with the existing architecture.
The skylight boasts solid mahogany framing with a robust steel sub-frame. Durability meets sophistication. We used a layer of insulated tempered glass atop heat-strengthened laminated safety glass, further enhanced with a PPG Solarban 70 coating, to ensure optimal thermal performance. The dual-sealed, argon gas-filled glass system is efficient and resilient against oft-challenging New England weather.
Collaborative effort was key to the project’s success. MASS Architect, with their skylight concept drawings, inspired the project’s genesis, while Sunspace prepared a full suite of engineered shop drawings to complement the concepts. The local general contractor's preliminary framing and structural curb preparation accelerated our team’s installation of the skylight. As the frame was assembled at the Sunspace Design shop and positioned above the room via crane operation, a swift two-day field installation saved time and expense for all involved.
At Sunspace Design we’re all about pairing natural light with refined architecture. This double hip skylight is a focal point in the new room that welcomes the sun’s radiance into the heart of the client’s home. We take pride in our role, from engineering to fabrication, careful transportation, and quality installation. Our projects are journeys where architectural ideas are transformed into tangible, breathtaking spaces that elevate the way we live and create memories.

Our first project on a serviced suburban lot, with the street frontage to the North and the backyard facing South. The front façade is a balance between reducing North-facing windows while providing eyes-on-the-street. A storage space above the garage exists in-between layers of the thermal boundary, and had insulation levels carefully tuned to maintain temperatures above freezing without any dedicated heating. The organization of the plan responded to the clients need for a house that would feel as large as their previous, a much larger home in the country, while maintaining a scale appropriate to the neighborhood and construction budget.
Photo Credit: Jarrell Whisken

A run down traditional 1960's home in the heart of the san Fernando valley area is a common site for home buyers in the area. so, what can you do with it you ask? A LOT! is our answer. Most first-time home buyers are on a budget when they need to remodel and we know how to maximize it. The entire exterior of the house was redone with #stucco over layer, some nice bright color for the front door to pop out and a modern garage door is a good add. the back yard gained a huge 400sq. outdoor living space with Composite Decking from Cali Bamboo and a fantastic insulated patio made from aluminum. The pool was redone with dark color pebble-tech for better temperature capture and the 0 maintenance of the material.
Inside we used water resistance wide planks European oak look-a-like laminated flooring. the floor is continues throughout the entire home (except the bathrooms of course ? ).
A gray/white and a touch of earth tones for the wall colors to bring some brightness to the house.
The center focal point of the house is the transitional farmhouse kitchen with real reclaimed wood floating shelves and custom-made island vegetables/fruits baskets on a full extension hardware.
take a look at the clean and unique countertop cloudburst-concrete by caesarstone it has a "raw" finish texture.
The master bathroom is made entirely from natural slate stone in different sizes, wall mounted modern vanity and a fantastic shower system by Signature Hardware.
Guest bathroom was lightly remodeled as well with a new 66"x36" Mariposa tub by Kohler with a single piece quartz slab installed above it.

Built in the early 1950s, this small urban townhouse is located in North Old Town Alexandria in an area currently undergoing major redevelopment. The neighborhood is popular with, and affordable for, young people and families, and very convenient to Washington, DC.
In its heyday, the townhouse touted a stately brick exterior, plaster walls, tongue and groove wood flooring and beautiful wooden staircase. Sixty years later, however, the homeowners were faced with crumbling masonry, sagging floors, a double layer of wallpaper over the plaster walls, a crumbling staircase, a dysfunctional kitchen and small, dark second floor rooms. Additionally, the basement had a low ceiling, moldy and cinder block walls, no plumbing and a large boiler taking up most of the space.
The homeowners’ goal was to restore the exterior’s historic look while creating an interior up-to-date for the 21st Century. To turn their vision into reality, they turned to Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.
Design Solutions
To maintain the townhome’s historic exterior, the Michael Nash team carefully removed, salvaged, restored and reused existing brick masonry. Matching fascia boards and windows were combined with existing windows to complete the exterior renovation.
All interior walls were gutted and reframed. New electrical work, new insulation and new drywall were installed. Much of the home’s original trim was salvaged and reused, as was a piece of art glass, all to keep a bit of the past in the renovation.
The sagging subfloors were fixed, new hard wood floors were installed and a new staircase and railing were designed in a style similar to the original.
The solid wall between the kitchen and the dining room was removed, plumbing was relocated for a new sink location and the kitchen got expanded with an island into the dining room. Closet and plumbing stacks were relocated to allow a new space for fridge. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and custom cabinetry highlight the new modern kitchen.
The plan called for redesigning the three bedrooms on the second floor to allow a larger bathroom, walk-in closet and wider hallways. In addition to new roofing, a large skylight was installed to allow natural light into the bathroom and the upper hallway.
The basement was totally revamped. New plumbing was put in place for a full bathroom, laundry room and a den. New e-grass window was installed in the basement to bring this basement up to current building codes.
This homeowners love the neighborhood and now their home gives them the opportunity to stay in the same location.

Our first project on a serviced suburban lot, with the street frontage to the North and the backyard facing South. The front façade is a balance between reducing North-facing windows while providing eyes-on-the-street. A storage space above the garage exists in-between layers of the thermal boundary, and had insulation levels carefully tuned to maintain temperatures above freezing without any dedicated heating. The organization of the plan responded to the clients need for a house that would feel as large as their previous, a much larger home in the country, while maintaining a scale appropriate to the neighborhood and construction budget.
Photo Credit: Jarrell Whisken

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Wannemacher Interiors
Customized Award-Winning Interior Design Solutions in Franklin Cnty OH

Roll up storm shutters provide the ultimate in security and storm protection for your home or business. These hurricane shutters attach above the window, roll up and store in a discrete enclosed box when not in use. You can lower them with either a hand crank or by the push of a button, and they lock in place for the ultimate storm protection. They also provide you with an extra layer of defense against crime and also reduce your energy costs year round. Specially designed to provide maximum strength and insulation from sun, storm, heat, noise, and weather extremes, our Carolina rolling shutters are the very best available.

A favorite space for these clients—both editors and avid readers—the media room was transformed into a cozy, multifunctional lounge for books, movies, and games. Almost fully color-drenched in navy, the room now includes two custom and coordinating built-ins: a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and entertainment wall with closed cabinetry below and a wood-topped media stand, as well as a built-in bar for entertaining.
The closet housing the sump pump was insulated and refitted with a weather-stripped exterior door, significantly reducing the noise that once bothered the homeowners. The second closet was opened up to install a dry bar featuring matching navy cabinetry, a beverage fridge, and the same concrete-look countertop used in the laundry. With layered lighting and thoughtful storage, the room is now a perfect spot to relax solo or entertain friends.

Lead Time: 3 - 4 Months
All doors are made of heavy 12 gauge steel with 16 x 16 mm or custom specifications.
The glass on all doors is Aquatex.
Hinged glass opens allowing easy access for cleaning and ventilating.
Window lock controls the opening and closing of glass frame.
Polyurethane foam layer adds insulation from the heat or the cold.
All thresholds are hand- forged and fully-welded.
All of our doors undergo a unique seven-step process: Sandblast, Zinc-coat, anti-corrosive prime, middle coat, top coat, faux finish, clear coat.
Rubber weatherstripping is installed around the door frame and around the interior glass frame.
Door sweep is installed underneath the door.
Up and down extension ball latches are installed on all doors.
On the lower half of the window, there is a small decline for water to run-off.
All doors come with a standard deadbolt lock.

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Free consultation for landscape design!
Peabody Landscape Group
Columbus' Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

Built in the early 1950s, this small urban townhouse is located in North Old Town Alexandria in an area currently undergoing major redevelopment. The neighborhood is popular with, and affordable for, young people and families, and very convenient to Washington, DC.
In its heyday, the townhouse touted a stately brick exterior, plaster walls, tongue and groove wood flooring and beautiful wooden staircase. Sixty years later, however, the homeowners were faced with crumbling masonry, sagging floors, a double layer of wallpaper over the plaster walls, a crumbling staircase, a dysfunctional kitchen and small, dark second floor rooms. Additionally, the basement had a low ceiling, moldy and cinder block walls, no plumbing and a large boiler taking up most of the space.
The homeowners’ goal was to restore the exterior’s historic look while creating an interior up-to-date for the 21st Century. To turn their vision into reality, they turned to Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.
Design Solutions
To maintain the townhome’s historic exterior, the Michael Nash team carefully removed, salvaged, restored and reused existing brick masonry. Matching fascia boards and windows were combined with existing windows to complete the exterior renovation.
All interior walls were gutted and reframed. New electrical work, new insulation and new drywall were installed. Much of the home’s original trim was salvaged and reused, as was a piece of art glass, all to keep a bit of the past in the renovation.
The sagging subfloors were fixed, new hard wood floors were installed and a new staircase and railing were designed in a style similar to the original.
The solid wall between the kitchen and the dining room was removed, plumbing was relocated for a new sink location and the kitchen got expanded with an island into the dining room. Closet and plumbing stacks were relocated to allow a new space for fridge. Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and custom cabinetry highlight the new modern kitchen.
The plan called for redesigning the three bedrooms on the second floor to allow a larger bathroom, walk-in closet and wider hallways. In addition to new roofing, a large skylight was installed to allow natural light into the bathroom and the upper hallway.
The basement was totally revamped. New plumbing was put in place for a full bathroom, laundry room and a den. New e-grass window was installed in the basement to bring this basement up to current building codes.
This homeowners love the neighborhood and now their home gives them the opportunity to stay in the same location.

This gorgeous glass front wine cellar was built in a downstairs basement area within this Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Contemporary Modern architecture with a mix of rustic features line this Los Angeles Home - with this stunning glass wine room riding those same lines. Stone layered walls with dual paned glass windows and front make for a real stunning showpiece of a wine cellar from the outside looking in.
Wine Cellar Design and Wine Cellar Installation come naturally to the Wine Cellar Builders at Vintage Cellars. Wine Rooms consistently include more glass as a design feature in recent years, and this masterpiece is no exception in showing off these magnificient wines on display.
Unique Design features within this Glass wine room include dual waterfall displays, LED lit high reveal display rows, floor to ceiling Horizontal full reveal display, and matching stained ceiling beams.
Modern Wine Cellars incorporating glass should utilize dual paned glass to minimize heat loss. Glass, especially single pane, is not a great insulator and can cause wine cellars to lose cooling ability and force cooling units to run more regularly.
Master Wine Cellar Builders at Vintage Cellars specialize in wine rooms, wine display, wine racking, wine cellar cooling, wine closets, everything else wine cellar related. We do all applications of wine cellars, wine rooms, wine closets in areas spanning San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, and Nationwide. Vintage Cellars designs and installs wine cellars in various styles ranging from contemporary and modern to rustic, shabby chic, and classic.
Vintage Cellars has built gorgeous custom wine cellars and wine storage rooms across the United States and World for over 25 years. We are your go-to business for anything wine cellar and wine storage related! Whether you're interested in a wine closet, wine racking, custom wine racks, a custom wine cellar door, or a cooling system for your existing space, Vintage Cellars has you covered!
We carry all kinds of wine cellar cooling and refrigeration systems, incuding: Breezaire, CellarCool, WhisperKool, Wine Guardian, CellarPro and Commercial systems.
We also carry many types of Wine Refrigerators, Wine Cabinets, and wine racking types, including La Cache, Marvel, N'Finity, Transtherm, Vinotheque, Vintage Series, Credenza, Walk in wine rooms, Climadiff, Riedel, Fontenay, and VintageView.
Vintage Cellars also does work in many styles, including Contemporary and Modern, Rustic, Farmhouse, Traditional, Craftsman, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid-Century, Industrial and Eclectic.
Some locations we cover often include: San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Corona Del Mar, Del Mar, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Huntington Beach, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Orange County, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Bel Air, Los Angeles, Encinitas, Cardiff, Coronado, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, San Marino, Ladera Heights, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Hancock Park, Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove, Laguna Niguel, Torrey Pines, Thousand Oaks, Coto De Caza, Coronado Island, San Francisco, Danville, Walnut Creek, Marin, Tiburon, Hillsborough, Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Agoura Hills, Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Piedmont, Paso Robles, Carmel, Pebble Beach
Contact Vintage Cellars today with any of your Wine Cellar needs!
(800) 876-8789
Vintage Cellars
904 Rancheros Drive
San Marcos, California 92069
(800) 876-8789

Essential, contemporary, and inviting defines this extremely energy efficient, Energy Star certified, Passive House design-inspired home in the Pacific Northwest. Designed for an active family of four, the one-story 3 bedroom, 2 bath floor plan offers tasteful aging in place features, a strong sense of privacy, and a low profile that doesn’t impinge on the natural landscape. This house will heat itself in the dead of winter with less energy than it takes to run a hair dryer, and be sensual to live in while it does it. The forms throughout the home are simple and neutral, allowing for ample natural light, rich warm materials, and of course, room for the Guinea pigs makes this a great example of artful architecture applied to a genuine family lifestyle.
This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. Natural daylight enters both from the tilt & turn and fixed windows in the living and dining areas, and through the terrace door that leads seamlessly outside to the natural landscape.
Project Designed & Built by: artisansgroup
Certifications: Energy Star & Built Green Lvl 4
Photography: Art Gray of Art Gray Photography
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