Home office - traditional freestanding desk medium tone wood floor, brown floor, wall paneling and wallpaper home office idea in New York with beige walls

Designed by Heidekat Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless backyard brick patio remodel in Indianapolis with no cover

Plastic benches held up by concrete block make a simple benching system. Wire closet shelving adds extra room for plants. 3/8" pea stone floor with drainage pipe beneath keeps the floor dry. Photo by Bob Trainor

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Cookbooks are stored in a quartzite niche built into the end of the island.
Inspiration for a large transitional porcelain tile and beige floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

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

MIRIAM MOORE has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from Miami International University of Art and Design. She has been responsible for numerous residential and commercial projects and her work is featured in design publications with national circulation. Before turning her attention to interior design, Miriam worked for many years in the fashion industry, owning several high-end boutiques. Miriam is an active member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

photos by Susan Teare • www.susanteare.com
Inspiration for a small rustic beige one-story wood gable roof remodel in Burlington

MIRIAM MOORE has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from Miami International University of Art and Design. She has been responsible for numerous residential and commercial projects and her work is featured in design publications with national circulation. Before turning her attention to interior design, Miriam worked for many years in the fashion industry, owning several high-end boutiques. Miriam is an active member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

Bliss Garden Design
Inspiration for a contemporary full sun front yard landscaping in Seattle.

Photography by Jim Tetro This house, built in the 1960s, sits southfacing on a terrific wooded lot in Bethesda, Maryland. The owners desire a whole-house renovation which would improve the general building fabric and systems, and extend the sense of living out of doors in all seasons. The original sixties-modern character is preserved and the renovation extends the design forward into a contemporary, modern approach. Connections to and through the site are enhanced through the creation of new larger window and door openings. Screened porches and decks perch above the sloped and wooded site. The new kitchen and bathrooms allow for opportunities to feel out-of -doors while preparing, cooking, dining, and bathing. Smart passive strategies guide the environmental choices for this project, including envelope improvements, updated mechanical systems, and on-site stormwater management.

Beautiful guest bathroom with floating vanity, large tile and lots of natural light. Margaret Wright Photography
Trendy white tile white floor bathroom photo in Charleston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white walls and black countertops

Courtney Apple
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped porcelain tile and multicolored floor eat-in kitchen idea in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, gray cabinets, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island, shaker cabinets and gray countertops

Architect: Michelle Penn, AIA This barn home is modeled after an existing Nebraska barn in Lancaster County. Heating is by passive solar design, supplemented by a geothermal radiant floor system. Cooling uses a whole house fan and a passive air flow system. The passive system is created with the cupola, windows, transoms and passive venting for cooling, rather than a forced air system. Because fresh water is not available from a well nor county water, water will be provided by rainwater harvesting. The water will be collected from a gutter system, go into a series of nine holding tanks and then go through a water filtration system to provide drinking water for the home. A greywater system will then recycle water from the sinks and showers to be reused in the toilets. Low-flow fixtures will be used throughout the home to conserve water. Photo Credits: Jackson Studios

To create a welcoming gathering space and a stronger connection the outdoors, the kitchen was reconfigured and opened up to the front entry of the home. To improve traffic flow, an additional doorway to the adjacent family room was added.

Bliss Garden Design
Photo of a coastal landscaping in Seattle.

Modern pergola on Chicago rooftop deck. Minimal materials used and clean lines define the space and pergola. Lounge seating under retractable mesh shade panels on a track system. Roof deck materials are composite and built on frame system. Contemporary rooftop deck. Bradley Foto, Chris Bradley

Katie Johnson
Inspiration for a mid-sized southwestern formal and open concept living room remodel in Albuquerque with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.