Ammar Selo
Inspiration for a large timeless single-wall laminate floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Houston with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, beige backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Inspiration for a coastal white tile black floor, double-sink and wallpaper freestanding bathtub remodel in New York with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, green walls, an undermount sink, white countertops and a freestanding vanity

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Olbrich Botanical Gardens, in Madison, Wisconsin

Minimalist living room photo in Orange County

A collaborative space for entertaining, dining and gathering.
Inspiration for a contemporary dark wood floor great room remodel in Seattle with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wood fireplace surround

Dining room - craftsman dining room idea in San Francisco

Equity Residences' 3 BR Kapalua Maui Golf Villa lanai. photo: Travis Rowan styling: Jaclyn Kaahui
Example of a beach style bedroom design in Hawaii with white walls

Elliott Johnson
Large mountain style u-shaped concrete floor eat-in kitchen photo in San Luis Obispo with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, stainless steel appliances and green walls

Teka Illumination LED exterior sconces and SunRinse outdoor shower pipe. Raised platform creates a shower with a view!
Deck - coastal deck idea in New York

Inspiration for a large modern open concept marble floor, white floor and wall paneling family room remodel in Miami with beige walls

Bright and modern space accented with cheerful yellow mosaics, adding warmth and personality.
Alcove bathtub - small craftsman 3/4 beige tile, yellow tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and beige floor alcove bathtub idea in Seattle with beige walls, a drop-in sink and solid surface countertops

Mid-sized elegant gray tile and marble tile marble floor and white floor freestanding bathtub photo in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, a drop-in sink, marble countertops, a hinged shower door and multicolored countertops

For this kitchen and bath remodel in San Francisco's Cole Valley, our client wanted us to open the kitchen up to the living room and create a new modern feel for all of the remodeled areas. Opening the kitchen to the living area provided a structural challenge as the wall we had to remove was load-bearing and there was a separately owned condo on the floor below. Working closely with a structural engineer, we created a strategy to carry the weight to the exterior walls of the building. In order to do this we had to tear off the entire roof and rebuild it with new structural joists which could span from property line to property line. To achieve a dramatic daylighting effect, we created a slot skylight over the back wall of the kitchen with the beams running through the skylight. Cerulean blue, back-painted glass for the backsplash and a thick waterfall edge for the island add more distinctive touches to this kitchen design. In the master bath we created a sinuous counter edge which tracks its way to the floor to create a curb for the shower. Green tile imported from Morocco adds a pop of color in the shower and a custom built indirect LED lighting cove creates a glow of light around the mirror. Photography by Christopher Stark.

Mid-sized trendy gender-neutral concrete floor playroom photo in Los Angeles with beige walls

You can see the majority of the beach entry in this photo of this New Braunfels, Texas pool. The pool also has a waterfall and spa with spillover into the pool.

Example of an arts and crafts living room design in San Francisco

Example of an arts and crafts deck design in San Francisco

this is the space with the overhead lights off and LED wall illuminated Custom LED feature wall (this is our main feature) Freestanding tub Quartz Countertops: PentalQuartz Mysterio Medicine Cabinets: Robern M Series Vanity Sinks: Toto Kiwami Faucets: Hans Grohe Metris Pental Sabbia wall tile 5/8” mosaic glass tile wall