Balanced shade, dappled sunlight, and tree canopy views are the basis of the 518 Sacramento Drive house design. The entry is on center with the lot’s primary Live Oak tree, and each interior space has a unique relationship to this central element. Composed of crisply-detailed, considered materials, surfaces and finishes, the home is a balance of sophistication and restraint. The two-story massing is designed to allow for a bold yet humble street presence, while each single-story wing extends through the site, forming intimate outdoor and indoor spaces. Photo: Brian Mihealsick

Chelsea door, Slab & Manor Flat drawer fronts, Designer White enamel.
Large farmhouse l-shaped slate floor and gray floor laundry room photo in Other with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

Mountain style enclosed game room photo in New York

Photos by shawn Lortie Photography
Mid-sized trendy loft-style medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room photo in DC Metro with white walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Inspiration for a transitional marble tile powder room remodel in New York with an undermount sink and multicolored walls

Inspiration for a transitional master beige floor bathroom remodel in Houston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door and beige countertops

360-Vip Photography - Dean Riedel Schrader & Co - Remodeler
Example of a mid-sized transitional master marble tile and multicolored tile marble floor and multicolored floor alcove shower design in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door and marble countertops

A stunning minimal primary bathroom features marble herringbone shower tiles, hexagon mosaic floor tiles, and niche. We removed the bathtub to make the shower area larger. Also features a modern floating toilet, floating quartz shower bench, and custom white oak shaker vanity with a stacked quartz countertop. It feels perfectly curated with a mix of matte black and brass metals. The simplicity of the bathroom is balanced out with the patterned marble floors.

Shown: Kährs Lumen Rime wood flooring Kährs have launched two new ultra-matt wood flooring collections, Lux and Lumen. Recently winning Gold for 'Best Flooring' at the 2017 House Beautiful Awards, Kährs' Lux collection includes nine one-strip plank format designs in an array of natural colours, which are mirrored in Lumen's three-strip designs. The new surface treatment applied to the designs is non reflective; enhancing the colour and beauty of real wood, whilst giving a silky, yet strong shield against wear and tear. Emanuel Lidberg, Head of Design at Kährs Group, says, “Lux and Lumen have been developed for design-led interiors, with abundant natural light, for example with floor-to-ceiling glazing. Traditional lacquer finishes reflect light which distracts from the floor’s appearance. Our new, ultra-matt finish minimizes reflections so that the wood’s natural grain and tone can be appreciated to the full." The contemporary Lux Collection features nine floors spanning from the milky white "Ash Air" to the earthy, deep-smoked "Oak Terra". Kährs' Lumen Collection offers mirrored three strip and two-strip designs to complement Lux, or offer an alternative interior look. All designs feature a brushed effect, accentuating the natural grain of the wood. All floors feature Kährs' multi-layered construction, with a surface layer of oak or ash. This engineered format is eco-friendly, whilst also making the floors more stable, and ideal for use with underfloor heating systems. Matching accessories, including mouldings, skirting and handmade stairnosing are also available for the new designs.

TEAM //// Architect: Design Associates, Inc. //// Contractor: Howard Brothers Builders, Charlie Howard //// Interior Design: Pentimento Interiors, Karen Newman //// Cabinetry: Modern Heritage, Ian Mentasti //// Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Photo of a mediterranean full sun landscaping in Other.

Designed by Dale Mulfinger, Jody McGuire This new lake home takes advantage of the stunning landscape of Lake Superior. The compact floor plans minimize the site impact. The expressive building form blends the structure into the language of the cliff. The home provides a serene perch to view not only the big lake, but also to look back into the North Shore. With triple pane windows and careful details, this house surpasses the airtightness criteria set by the international Passive House Association, to keep life cozy on the North Shore all year round. Construction by Dale Torgersen Photography by Corey Gaffer

Example of a minimalist bathroom design in Other

Madrona Passive House, a new Seattle home designed by SHED Architecture & Design and built by Hammer & Hand, combines contemporary design with high performance building to create an environmentally responsive and resource-efficient house. The home’s airtight, super-insulated building envelope and passive design minimize energy consumption while providing superior thermal comfort to occupants. A heat recovery ventilator supplies constant fresh air to the home’s interior while recovering 90% of thermal energy from exhaust air for reuse inside. A rooftop solar photovoltaic array will provide enough energy to offset most, perhaps all, of the home’s energy consumption on a net annual basis. To manage stormwater the project employs permeable pavers for site hardscape and two cisterns to capture and control rainwater from the home’s roof and the green roof on the garage. By investing in sustainable site development strategies, efficient building systems and an advanced envelope, the project aims to respect the home’s environmentally critical site and achieve one of the world’s most demanding building energy standards: Passive House. Photos by Mark Woods Photography.

The homeowners had a very large and beautiful meadow-like backyard, surrounded by full grown trees and unfortunately mosquitoes. To minimize mosquito exposure for them and their baby, they needed a screened porch to be able to enjoy meals and relax in the beautiful outdoors. They also wanted a large deck/patio area for outdoor family and friends entertaining. We constructed an amazing detached oasis: an enclosed screened porch structure with all stone masonry fireplace, an integrated composite deck surface, large flagstone patio, and 2 flagstone walkways, which is also outfitted with a TV, gas fireplace, ceiling fan, recessed and accent lighting.

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.

This cellar was custom designed for an existing basement space using professional-grade cooling and craftsman-quality built-in racking and storage.
Trendy wine cellar photo in Seattle

Combining real wood, symmetry, and the latest wine storage technology makes this Seattle wine cellar perfectly cooled and protected.
Inspiration for a contemporary wine cellar remodel in Seattle

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.