This one-room sunroom addition is connected to both an existing wood deck, as well as the dining room inside. As part of the project, the homeowners replaced the deck flooring material with composite decking, which gave us the opportunity to run that material into the addition as well, giving the room a seamless indoor / outdoor transition. We also designed the space to be surrounded with windows on three sides, as well as glass doors and skylights, flooding the interior with natural light and giving the homeowners the visual connection to the outside which they so desired. The addition, 12'-0" wide x 21'-6" long, has enabled the family to enjoy the outdoors both in the early spring, as well as into the fall, and has become a wonderful gathering space for the family and their guests.

Sunroom with a line of the largest stock casement windows availible. Joanne Tall
Inspiration for a large timeless beige two-story mixed siding exterior home remodel in New York

Schroeder Design/Build designed a new addition to replace an existing aluminum sunroom on this Fairfax home. This new space can be used all year and has a beautiful window wall and solar tubes. The beautiful view and all the natural light makes you feel like you are sitting outdoors. Greg Hadley

Designing additions for Victorian homes is a challenging task. The architects and builders who designed and built these homes were masters in their craft. No detail of design or proportion went unattended. Cummings Architects is often approached to work on these types of projects because of their unwavering dedication to ensure structural and aesthetic continuity both inside and out. Upon meeting the owner of this stately home in Winchester, Massachusetts, Mathew immediately began sketching a beautifully detail drawing of a design for a family room with an upstairs master suite. Though the initial ideas were just rough concepts, the client could already see that Mathew’s vision for the house would blend the new space seamlessly into the fabric of the turn of the century home. In the finished design, expanses of glass stretch along the lines of the living room, letting in an expansive amount of light and creating a sense of openness. The exterior walls and interior trims were designed to create an environment that merged the indoors and outdoors into a single comfortable space. The family enjoys this new room so much, that is has become their primary living space, making the original sitting rooms in the home a bit jealous. Photo Credit: Cydney Ambrose

Tom Holdsworth Photography Our clients wanted to create a room that would bring them closer to the outdoors; a room filled with natural lighting; and a venue to spotlight a modern fireplace. Early in the design process, our clients wanted to replace their existing, outdated, and rundown screen porch, but instead decided to build an all-season sun room. The space was intended as a quiet place to read, relax, and enjoy the view. The sunroom addition extends from the existing house and is nestled into its heavily wooded surroundings. The roof of the new structure reaches toward the sky, enabling additional light and views. The floor-to-ceiling magnum double-hung windows with transoms, occupy the rear and side-walls. The original brick, on the fourth wall remains exposed; and provides a perfect complement to the French doors that open to the dining room and create an optimum configuration for cross-ventilation. To continue the design philosophy for this addition place seamlessly merged natural finishes from the interior to the exterior. The Brazilian black slate, on the sunroom floor, extends to the outdoor terrace; and the stained tongue and groove, installed on the ceiling, continues through to the exterior soffit. The room's main attraction is the suspended metal fireplace; an authentic wood-burning heat source. Its shape is a modern orb with a commanding presence. Positioned at the center of the room, toward the rear, the orb adds to the majestic interior-exterior experience. This is the client's third project with place architecture: design. Each endeavor has been a wonderful collaboration to successfully bring this 1960s ranch-house into twenty-first century living.

360 VIP Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Minneapolis with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.

Easton, Maryland Traditional Kitchen Design by #JenniferGilmer with a lake view http://gilmerkitchens.com/ Photography by Bob Narod

Angle Eye Photography
Sunroom - large traditional brick floor sunroom idea in Philadelphia with a skylight

Angle Eye Photography
Example of a huge classic formal and enclosed travertine floor living room design in Philadelphia

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

A masterpiece of light and design, this gorgeous Beverly Hills contemporary is filled with incredible moments, offering the perfect balance of intimate corners and open spaces. A large driveway with space for ten cars is complete with a contemporary fountain wall that beckons guests inside. An amazing pivot door opens to an airy foyer and light-filled corridor with sliding walls of glass and high ceilings enhancing the space and scale of every room. An elegant study features a tranquil outdoor garden and faces an open living area with fireplace. A formal dining room spills into the incredible gourmet Italian kitchen with butler’s pantry—complete with Miele appliances, eat-in island and Carrara marble countertops—and an additional open living area is roomy and bright. Two well-appointed powder rooms on either end of the main floor offer luxury and convenience. Surrounded by large windows and skylights, the stairway to the second floor overlooks incredible views of the home and its natural surroundings. A gallery space awaits an owner’s art collection at the top of the landing and an elevator, accessible from every floor in the home, opens just outside the master suite. Three en-suite guest rooms are spacious and bright, all featuring walk-in closets, gorgeous bathrooms and balconies that open to exquisite canyon views. A striking master suite features a sitting area, fireplace, stunning walk-in closet with cedar wood shelving, and marble bathroom with stand-alone tub. A spacious balcony extends the entire length of the room and floor-to-ceiling windows create a feeling of openness and connection to nature. A large grassy area accessible from the second level is ideal for relaxing and entertaining with family and friends, and features a fire pit with ample lounge seating and tall hedges for privacy and seclusion. Downstairs, an infinity pool with deck and canyon views feels like a natural extension of the home, seamlessly integrated with the indoor living areas through sliding pocket doors. Amenities and features including a glassed-in wine room and tasting area, additional en-suite bedroom ideal for staff quarters, designer fixtures and appliances and ample parking complete this superb hillside retreat.

The basement bedroom only has color on one wall to keep the focus on the bright white walls and trim to help brighten the basement space. A large window well helps reduce the stigma of high up basement windows. John Wilbanks Photography

The home is able to achieve passive house standards and take full advantage of the views with the use of Glo’s A7 triple pane windows and doors. The PHIUS (Passive House Institute US) certified series boasts triple pane glazing, a larger thermal break, high-performance spacers, and multiple air-seals. The large picture windows frame the landscape while maintaining comfortable interior temperatures year-round. The strategically placed operable windows throughout the residence offer cross-ventilation and a visual connection to the sweeping views of Utah. The modern hardware and color selection of the windows are not only aesthetically exceptional, but remain true to the mid-century modern design.

Open kitchen has great views to the beautiful back yard through new Fleetwood aluminum windows and doors. The large glass door at left fully pockets into the wall. Cabinets are a combination of natural walnut and lacquer painted uppers with Caesarstone countertops and backsplashes. Duda bar stools by Sossego in walnut neatly fit into the new island. To reduce costs the new kitchen was designed around the owners existing appliances.

This home started out as a remodel of a family’s beloved summer cottage. A fire started on the work site which caused irreparable damage. Needless to say, a remodel turned into a brand-new home. We were brought on board to help our clients re-imagine their summer haven. Windows were important to maximize the gorgeous lake view. Access to the lake was also very important, so an outdoor shower off the mudroom/laundry area with its own side entrance provided a nice beach entry for the kids. A large kitchen island open to dining and living was imperative for the family and the time they like to spend together. The master suite is on the main floor and three bedrooms upstairs, one of which has built-in bunks allows the kids to have their own area. While the original family cottage is no more, we were able to successfully help our clients begin again so they can start new memories. - Jacqueline Southby Photography

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

From KUBE Architecture: "They [owners] wanted a house of openness and light, where their children could be free to explore and play independently, still within view of their parents. The solution was to create a courtyard house, with large sliding glass doors to bring the inside out and outside in." Greg Powers Photography Contractor: Housecraft

Marvin Windows and Doors Corner Windows in Designer Black. Contemporary large picture windows with scenic views. Available at AVI Windows and Doors in Franklin, TN