Jaime Alvarez jaimephoto.com
Example of an urban black and white tile mosaic tile floor and black floor bathroom design in Philadelphia with a wall-mount sink and white walls

Wing Wong/ Memories TTL
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman white tile porcelain tile and multicolored floor bathroom remodel in New York with furniture-like cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, granite countertops, a hinged shower door and gray countertops

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

Joel Lassiter
Mid-sized traditional gray two-story mixed siding house exterior idea in Charlotte with a hip roof and a shingle roof

creative & cheap jewelry displays can be found at the art or hardware store. photo: Rikki Snyder
Bedroom - eclectic bedroom idea in New York

Pull out knife block makes use of a small space while keep essential cooking tools close at hand. ~ Brian DalBalcon Photography
Kitchen - mid-sized transitional kitchen idea in Seattle

Rather than starting with an outcome in mind, this 1,400 square foot residence began from a polemic place - exploring shared conviction regarding the concentrated power of living with a smaller footprint. From the gabled silhouette to passive ventilation, the home captures the nostalgia for the past with the sustainable practices of the future. While the exterior materials contrast a calm, minimal palette with the sleek lines of the gabled silhouette, the interior spaces embody a playful, artistic spirit. From the hand painted De Gournay wallpaper in the master bath to the rugged texture of the over-grouted limestone and Portuguese cobblestones, the home is an experience that encapsulates the unexpected and the timeless.

Example of a transitional living room design in Los Angeles with gray walls

Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

In the search of lightness and the mark of modern detail, this model interprets a seemingly simple style that expresses in reality, a precise desire for harmony and convenience. Essential and elegance translates tradition into a trendy language.

Our latest series, Ruskin creates a fresh visual language from classical Greek, the timeless cathedrals of Europe, and the soul of the Arts and Crafts movement, steeped in theory from the great art and architecture critic for which it is named, John Ruskin. Ruskin was designed exclusively for Rutt by renowned designer Scott A. Stultz. Learn more at http://www.ruttcabinetry.com Copyright 2013 Peter Leach Photography

Our latest series, Ruskin creates a fresh visual language from classical Greek, the timeless cathedrals of Europe, and the soul of the Arts and Crafts movement, steeped in theory from the great art and architecture critic for which it is named, John Ruskin. Ruskin was designed exclusively for Rutt by renowned designer Scott A. Stultz. Learn more at http://www.ruttcabinetry.com Copyright 2013 Peter Leach Photography

Design: Jens Juul Eilersen Quick ship : FABRIC: PLINDY 0016 Compare Tub to a cloud of down or a foamy mug of beer. Jens Juul Eilersen has created a gigantic "sofa bathtub", which is an orgy of soft foam, down and pillows. Tub is the coolest and softest sofa yet in the Eilersen universe of floaters. And the contrast between the slim, tight outer shell and the interior heaven of foam and down creates dynamism in the language of form. Like sitting on a soft bed. "My goal was to create a well-being sofa where you can sit as if on a soft bed. And I succeeded! I actually fell asleep the first time I leaned back into the prototype, which was the deepest version," tells Jens Juul Eilersen. "When I woke up, I could certainly see that I had to develop a variation of the model in which people could stay awake". This resulted in a further 2 different depths where you sit more upright but still comfortably. Compared to Eilersen's other floater, Tub differentiates itself by the frame. Tub does not have a heavy frame, which is part of the comfort. But on the other hand a thin shell, which keeps the large, soft pillows in place. Externally, the lines are straight and tight and internally, the upholstery and pillows result in organic lines. "The entire sitting comfort in Tub lies in the foam, which seems softer due to the large depth. This provides a feeling of elevation and larger submersion than in any of our other sofas. It is actually just like sitting in a large mug of foaming beer or on a cloud of down" says Jens Juul Eilersen who promises that even though Tub is soft, inviting and provoking, it cannot become flat. Tub is available in three depths and the series contains corner, end and centre sections, which can be combined as desired. Quick ship : FABRIC: PLINDY 0016 For other fabric choices Email : info@cityfurnitureshop.com * Difference in shipping will vary

Design: Jens Juul Eilersen Quick ship : FABRIC: PLINDY 0016 Compare Tub to a cloud of down or a foamy mug of beer. Jens Juul Eilersen has created a gigantic "sofa bathtub", which is an orgy of soft foam, down and pillows. Tub is the coolest and softest sofa yet in the Eilersen universe of floaters. And the contrast between the slim, tight outer shell and the interior heaven of foam and down creates dynamism in the language of form. Like sitting on a soft bed. "My goal was to create a well-being sofa where you can sit as if on a soft bed. And I succeeded! I actually fell asleep the first time I leaned back into the prototype, which was the deepest version," tells Jens Juul Eilersen. "When I woke up, I could certainly see that I had to develop a variation of the model in which people could stay awake". This resulted in a further 2 different depths where you sit more upright but still comfortably. Compared to Eilersen's other floater, Tub differentiates itself by the frame. Tub does not have a heavy frame, which is part of the comfort. But on the other hand a thin shell, which keeps the large, soft pillows in place. Externally, the lines are straight and tight and internally, the upholstery and pillows result in organic lines. "The entire sitting comfort in Tub lies in the foam, which seems softer due to the large depth. This provides a feeling of elevation and larger submersion than in any of our other sofas. It is actually just like sitting in a large mug of foaming beer or on a cloud of down" says Jens Juul Eilersen who promises that even though Tub is soft, inviting and provoking, it cannot become flat. Tub is available in three depths and the series contains corner, end and centre sections, which can be combined as desired. Quick ship : FABRIC: PLINDY 0016 For other fabric choices Email : info@cityfurnitureshop.com * Difference in shipping will vary

design: Carrie Preston (Studio TOOP) and Jasper Helmantel (Cruydt Hoeck), 2011 location: Appeltern, NL status: built in 2012 by Appeltern Model Garden Complex photos: Jolanthe Lalkens, June 2013 Designed as assignment from both the Dutch gardening magazine Groei & Bloei and the television and radio nature program Vara's Vroege Vogels, this garden serves as a model of how homeowners can incorporate lots of plant life and wildlife into the design but without sacrificing practicality or aesthetics. The garden is deliberately contemporary in its style to emphasize that nature-rich gardens need not look a certain way - insects and birds don't care if the lines are straight or curved. At the same time the garden makes use of affordable, simple, no-nonsense materials. The 40x60 cm paving stones are one of the most common and affordable paving options in the Netherlands, available en masse for free on the Internet. Conceptually we imagined a garden completely paved with the tiles (as to many gardens are) and what would happen if took out some of these stones, used them to build benches and structure and added plants where the tiles had been. In the construction of the benches we include other materials such as bamboo sticks and insulation bricks that create habitat for insects such as solitary bees. The plant palette is based on a selection of native and host plants in combination with the 26 plants plan set up by Groei & Boei -- a list of plants aimed at making the use of more plants in gardens accessible and less intimidating. The choice for the number 26 corresponds with the number of letters in the alphabet in line with the famous Dutch garden designer Mien Ruy's comment that if we only need 26 letters to create a whole language, we should be able to combine and mix 26 plants to express far more than we think.

design: Carrie Preston (Studio TOOP) and Jasper Helmantel (Cruydt Hoeck), 2011 location: Appeltern, NL status: built in 2012 by Appeltern Model Garden Complex photos: Olga van Saane, October 2013 Designed as assignment from both the Dutch gardening magazine Groei & Bloei and the television and radio nature program Vara's Vroege Vogels, this garden serves as a model of how homeowners can incorporate lots of plant life and wildlife into the design but without sacrificing practicality or aesthetics. The garden is deliberately contemporary in its style to emphasize that nature-rich gardens need not look a certain way - insects and birds don't care if the lines are straight or curved. At the same time the garden makes use of affordable, simple, no-nonsense materials. The 40x60 cm paving stones are one of the most common and affordable paving options in the Netherlands, available en masse for free on the Internet. Conceptually we imagined a garden completely paved with the tiles (as to many gardens are) and what would happen if took out some of these stones, used them to build benches and structure and added plants where the tiles had been. In the construction of the benches we include other materials such as bamboo sticks and insulation bricks that create habitat for insects such as solitary bees. The plant palette is based on a selection of native and host plants in combination with the 26 plants plan set up by Groei & Boei -- a list of plants aimed at making the use of more plants in gardens accessible and less intimidating. The choice for the number 26 corresponds with the number of letters in the alphabet in line with the famous Dutch garden designer Mien Ruy's comment that if we only need 26 letters to create a whole language, we should be able to combine and mix 26 plants to express far more than we think.

design: Carrie Preston (Studio TOOP) and Jasper Helmantel (Cruydt Hoeck), 2011 location: Appeltern, NL status: built in 2012 by Appeltern Model Garden Complex photos: Jolanthe Lalkens, October 2012 Designed as assignment from both the Dutch gardening magazine Groei & Bloei and the television and radio nature program Vara's Vroege Vogels, this garden serves as a model of how homeowners can incorporate lots of plant life and wildlife into the design but without sacrificing practicality or aesthetics. The garden is deliberately contemporary in its style to emphasize that nature-rich gardens need not look a certain way - insects and birds don't care if the lines are straight or curved. At the same time the garden makes use of affordable, simple, no-nonsense materials. The 40x60 cm paving stones are one of the most common and affordable paving options in the Netherlands, available en masse for free on the Internet. Conceptually we imagined a garden completely paved with the tiles (as to many gardens are) and what would happen if took out some of these stones, used them to build benches and structure and added plants where the tiles had been. In the construction of the benches we include other materials such as bamboo sticks and insulation bricks that create habitat for insects such as solitary bees. The plant palette is based on a selection of native and host plants in combination with the 26 plants plan set up by Groei & Boei -- a list of plants aimed at making the use of more plants in gardens accessible and less intimidating. The choice for the number 26 corresponds with the number of letters in the alphabet in line with the famous Dutch garden designer Mien Ruy's comment that if we only need 26 letters to create a whole language, we should be able to combine and mix 26 plants to express far more than we think.

design: Carrie Preston (Studio TOOP) and Jasper Helmantel (Cruydt Hoeck), 2011 location: Appeltern, NL status: built in 2012 by Appeltern Model Garden Complex photos: Jolanthe Lalkens, June 2013 Designed as assignment from both the Dutch gardening magazine Groei & Bloei and the television and radio nature program Vara's Vroege Vogels, this garden serves as a model of how homeowners can incorporate lots of plant life and wildlife into the design but without sacrificing practicality or aesthetics. The garden is deliberately contemporary in its style to emphasize that nature-rich gardens need not look a certain way - insects and birds don't care if the lines are straight or curved. At the same time the garden makes use of affordable, simple, no-nonsense materials. The 40x60 cm paving stones are one of the most common and affordable paving options in the Netherlands, available en masse for free on the Internet. Conceptually we imagined a garden completely paved with the tiles (as to many gardens are) and what would happen if took out some of these stones, used them to build benches and structure and added plants where the tiles had been. In the construction of the benches we include other materials such as bamboo sticks and insulation bricks that create habitat for insects such as solitary bees. The plant palette is based on a selection of native and host plants in combination with the 26 plants plan set up by Groei & Boei -- a list of plants aimed at making the use of more plants in gardens accessible and less intimidating. The choice for the number 26 corresponds with the number of letters in the alphabet in line with the famous Dutch garden designer Mien Ruy's comment that if we only need 26 letters to create a whole language, we should be able to combine and mix 26 plants to express far more than we think.

design: Carrie Preston (Studio TOOP) and Jasper Helmantel (Cruydt Hoeck), 2011 location: Appeltern, NL status: built in 2012 by Appeltern Model Garden Complex photos: Olga van Saane, October 2013 Designed as assignment from both the Dutch gardening magazine Groei & Bloei and the television and radio nature program Vara's Vroege Vogels, this garden serves as a model of how homeowners can incorporate lots of plant life and wildlife into the design but without sacrificing practicality or aesthetics. The garden is deliberately contemporary in its style to emphasize that nature-rich gardens need not look a certain way - insects and birds don't care if the lines are straight or curved. At the same time the garden makes use of affordable, simple, no-nonsense materials. The 40x60 cm paving stones are one of the most common and affordable paving options in the Netherlands, available en masse for free on the Internet. Conceptually we imagined a garden completely paved with the tiles (as to many gardens are) and what would happen if took out some of these stones, used them to build benches and structure and added plants where the tiles had been. In the construction of the benches we include other materials such as bamboo sticks and insulation bricks that create habitat for insects such as solitary bees. The plant palette is based on a selection of native and host plants in combination with the 26 plants plan set up by Groei & Boei -- a list of plants aimed at making the use of more plants in gardens accessible and less intimidating. The choice for the number 26 corresponds with the number of letters in the alphabet in line with the famous Dutch garden designer Mien Ruy's comment that if we only need 26 letters to create a whole language, we should be able to combine and mix 26 plants to express far more than we think.