modern industrial outdoor seating with exposed wooden beams, custom faux gloss silver ceiling tiles, custom-made rustic wooden table & chairs, large-scale windows, bronze stair railing, and industrial LED light

Large elegant backyard stone and rectangular natural hot tub photo in New York

A modern farmhouse style home enjoys an extended living space created by AG Millworks Bi-Fold Patio Doors. Photo by Danny Chung
Inspiration for a mid-sized country backyard tile patio remodel in Los Angeles with a fireplace and a roof extension

Cold frames are a terrific way to extend the growing season on both ends; serving as mini-greenhouses they allow your garden to keep producing in cold weather months when growing would otherwise be impossible. These beautiful, locally made cedar cold frames measure 24″x 44″ and slope from 5″ in front to 24″ in back (custom built sizes are also available). A temperature sensitive piston automatically opens and closes the lid as-need to create a perfect climate for your plants.

Close up of entry "curb appeal" bed. photo by Billy Goodnick
Photo of a small eclectic drought-tolerant and full sun front yard stone garden path in Santa Barbara.

This is an example of a small transitional front porch design in Boston with decking and a roof extension.

2013 ASID Showcase House 2013 2nd place NKBA Small Kitchen Award Mary Maney, ASID, AKBD designed the kitchenette of this Bed & Breakfast home. The kitchenette is located on the 3rd floor in the private quarters of the home, close to the children’s bedrooms and family room. It is a multi-functioning space where the children can make a snack, do school work or craft projects. A Herringbone patterned backsplash, with dark brown marble accent tile compliments the Cambria counter top and white cabinetry. This fully functioning kitchen has a fresh, clean look with design elements that hint to its vintage age. Photography Mark Ehlen

If a night time dip in the pool cools anyone off too much, they can warm up by the fireplace. Photography by Jerry Portelli of Architectural Specialists.

Architecture by Nest Architecture Photography by Bethany Nauert
Trendy backyard concrete pool house photo in Los Angeles

Freestanding pavilion with stone column bases over a concrete paver patio. Located in Falls Church, VA
Large elegant backyard stone patio photo in DC Metro with a gazebo

Close up of same front yard bed - Monarda magenta and Coneflower pinks, with a touch of rusty orange and yellow daylilies. Even a few Queen Ann's Lace pop up here in white. Note the density - the cure for weed free gardening. This bed has gone untouched for 4 years before any maintenance was required.

Bathroom - transitional bathroom idea in Orange County

Here is a close up of the waterfall
Hot tub - mid-sized tropical backyard stone and custom-shaped natural hot tub idea in Austin

This backyard patio garden was transformed with the client’s goal of minimizing lawn and creating intimate gathering space. Layered perennial beds are filled with a rich diversity of texture, form and color, enveloping the patio with stunning 3-dimensional views. Take a wander into the planting and you’ll find a meandering exploratory pathway that immerses you in nature’s sounds, movement and smells, up close. This grassy channel also provides the kids fun access from one playing area to the next, hidden from the grown-ups, free to roam and explore.

Bathroom - contemporary bathroom idea in New York

The Mazama house is located in the Methow Valley of Washington State, a secluded mountain valley on the eastern edge of the North Cascades, about 200 miles northeast of Seattle. The house has been carefully placed in a copse of trees at the easterly end of a large meadow. Two major building volumes indicate the house organization. A grounded 2-story bedroom wing anchors a raised living pavilion that is lifted off the ground by a series of exposed steel columns. Seen from the access road, the large meadow in front of the house continues right under the main living space, making the living pavilion into a kind of bridge structure spanning over the meadow grass, with the house touching the ground lightly on six steel columns. The raised floor level provides enhanced views as well as keeping the main living level well above the 3-4 feet of winter snow accumulation that is typical for the upper Methow Valley. To further emphasize the idea of lightness, the exposed wood structure of the living pavilion roof changes pitch along its length, so the roof warps upward at each end. The interior exposed wood beams appear like an unfolding fan as the roof pitch changes. The main interior bearing columns are steel with a tapered “V”-shape, recalling the lightness of a dancer. The house reflects the continuing FINNE investigation into the idea of crafted modernism, with cast bronze inserts at the front door, variegated laser-cut steel railing panels, a curvilinear cast-glass kitchen counter, waterjet-cut aluminum light fixtures, and many custom furniture pieces. The house interior has been designed to be completely integral with the exterior. The living pavilion contains more than twelve pieces of custom furniture and lighting, creating a totality of the designed environment that recalls the idea of Gesamtkunstverk, as seen in the work of Josef Hoffman and the Viennese Secessionist movement in the early 20th century. The house has been designed from the start as a sustainable structure, with 40% higher insulation values than required by code, radiant concrete slab heating, efficient natural ventilation, large amounts of natural lighting, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and locally sourced materials. Windows have high-performance LowE insulated glazing and are equipped with concealed shades. A radiant hydronic heat system with exposed concrete floors allows lower operating temperatures and higher occupant comfort levels. The concrete slabs conserve heat and provide great warmth and comfort for the feet. Deep roof overhangs, built-in shades and high operating clerestory windows are used to reduce heat gain in summer months. During the winter, the lower sun angle is able to penetrate into living spaces and passively warm the exposed concrete floor. Low VOC paints and stains have been used throughout the house. The high level of craft evident in the house reflects another key principle of sustainable design: build it well and make it last for many years! Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Outdoor Deck with Vinyl Pergola.
Inspiration for a small modern backyard deck remodel in Miami with a pergola

Korbin - Santa Monica room addition
Mid-sized trendy backyard concrete patio photo in Los Angeles with a pergola