Richard Powers
Living room - french country master medium tone wood floor living room idea in Orange County with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Doorless shower - contemporary beige tile and stone slab beige floor doorless shower idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets

Jim Brady

Large elegant guest medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in Chicago with white walls and no fireplace

Zivko Grcic
Family room - contemporary family room idea in New York with gray walls

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2015 Houzz
Example of a cottage kitchen design in Boise

kitchen rustic with antique beam ceilings, and furniture like cabinetry. TV is hidden above the range at the hood,
Kitchen - rustic kitchen idea in Houston with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and paneled appliances

The front entry features CNC milled custom beech cabinets, an open display shelf, and a custom wood/glass front door. Photo: Benjamin Benschneider
Mid-sized minimalist light wood floor entry hall photo in Seattle with a medium wood front door

Photo: Teness Herman Photography © 2015 Houzz
Large elegant women's carpeted walk-in closet photo in Portland with flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets

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

This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months. With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of

Bedroom - rustic dark wood floor bedroom idea in Sacramento with brown walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Photo: Whitney Lyons © 2013 Houzz
Example of an eclectic kitchen design in Portland

Designer: Shadi Khadivi Photography: Sebastien Barre
Inspiration for a transitional medium tone wood floor bedroom remodel in Boston with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Inckx Photography
Large tuscan open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Phoenix with a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and beige walls

Family room - contemporary dark wood floor family room idea in New York with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

Several walls were removed to open up and enlarge the kitchen. The cabinetry was custom designed and built to maximize storage and create a central island that the family gathers around. Photo credit: Open Source Architecture

Warren Jagger Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal porch remodel in Providence with decking and a roof extension

The existing galley kitchen was small, but extended to more than double the work surface and cabinetry. Photo credit: Open Source Architecture
Small trendy galley medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, black appliances and an island