Karuna Passive House designed by Holst Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand. This high performance home meets the world's most demanding green building certifications. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann.

This home, set at the end of a long, private driveway, is far more than meets the eye. Built in three sections and connected by two breezeways, the home’s setting takes full advantage of the clean ocean air. Set back from the water on an open plot, its lush lawn is bordered by fieldstone walls that lead to an ocean cove. The hideaway calms the mind and spirit, not only by its privacy from the noise of daily life, but through well-chosen elements, clean lines, and a bright, cheerful feel throughout. The interior is show-stopping, covered almost entirely in clear, vertical-grain fir—most of which was source from the same place. From the flooring to the walls, columns, staircases and ceiling beams, this special, tight-grain wood brightens every room in the home. At just over 3,000 feet of living area, storage and smart use of space was a huge consideration in the creation of this home. For example, the mudroom and living room were both built with expansive window seating with storage beneath. Built-in drawers and cabinets can also be found throughout, yet never interfere with the distinctly uncluttered feel of the rooms. The homeowners wanted the home to fit in as naturally as possible with the Cape Cod landscape, and also desired a feeling of virtual seamlessness between the indoors and out, resulting in an abundance of windows and doors throughout. This home has high performance windows, which are rated to withstand hurricane-force winds and impact rated against wind-borne debris. The 24-foot skylight, which was installed by crane, consists of six independently mechanized shades operating in unison. The open kitchen blends in with the home’s great room, and includes a Sub Zero refrigerator and a Wolf stove. Eco-friendly features in the home include low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets in the bathrooms, and an energy recovery ventilation system, which conditions and improves indoor air quality. Other natural materials incorporated for the home included a variety of stone, including bluestone and boulders. Hand-made ceramic tiles were used for the bathroom showers, and the kitchen counters are covered in granite – eye-catching and long-lasting.

Pantry Pass-through window
Example of a cottage backyard concrete paver patio kitchen design in Indianapolis with a pergola

This contemporary kitchen features the NEW Stainless Steel Drawers and Roll-Out Shelves from Dura Supreme Cabinetry. The Bria (frameless) cabinets in Dura Supreme's "White" and Wired-Foil cabinets in Dura Supreme's "Wired-Mercury" are a great combination of cabinetry for creating the clean sleek look of this modern two-tone kitchen design. Dura Supreme Cabinetry is excited to introduce NEW Stainless Steel Drawers and Roll-Out Shelves for their Bria Cabinetry (Frameless / Full-Access product line). For a limited time, this new metal drawer system is available exclusively from Dura Supreme as they partnered with Blum to be the first American manufacturer to bring it to market. Dura Supreme’s Stainless Steel Drawers and Roll-Out Shelves are an attractive option for any kitchen design. Sleek, double-wall, stainless steel sides are only ½” thick and work with many of Dura Supreme’s wood drawer accessories, as well as the coordinating gray metal accessories designed specifically for Stainless Steel drawers. Concealed, undermount glides are integrated into the sides and are self-closing with a soft-close feature. Our new Stainless Steel drawer option provides a contemporary alternative to our classic Maple dovetailed drawer. For homeowners that favor Transitional or Contemporary styling, this sleek, high-performance drawer system will be ideal! Request a FREE Dura Supreme Brochure: http://www.durasupreme.com/request-brochure Find a Dura Supreme Showroom in your area: http://www.durasupreme.com/dealer-locator Want to become a Dura Supreme Dealer? Go to: http://www.durasupreme.com/new-dealer-inquiry To view a video and more info about this product go to: http://www.durasupreme.com/storage-solutions/stainless-steel-drawers-roll-outs

This residential kitchen project was performed in conjunction with Legacy Custom Homes/RSD, Frank Ponterio Interiors, and NuHaus/Exclusive Woodworking. The goal of this project was to fabricate and install marble slabs in a fashion that mimicked the custom millwork in the rest of this estate home on the Northshore of Chicago. John Tithof and Jason Cranmer, along with the fabrication production team, executed this project on behalf of Tithof Tile & Marble. The client wanted the panels to appear as if carved from dimensional stone blocks rather than the classic full height stone backsplash. One of the primary focuses was keeping the client involved through the templating and layout process to ensure they knew what their project would look like before anything was cut or installed. The evolution of this process has changed in recent years. Gone are the days of blue tape and visualizing the completed job. With the recent introduction of the revolutionary Perfect Match and Slabsmith software programs we have the ability to digitally layout every slab project and create a virtual representation of the project for approval prior to cutting.

Formal living room: We played off symmetry of the windows and fireplace to create the spacious conversational layout, perfect for this chill family that enjoys quiet evenings at home. To achieve a farmhouse chic look, we used a blend of luxe, luminous materials and traditional farmhouse finishes (rustic & reclaimed wood, iron). Fabrics are high performance (kid friendly) and the coffee table is virtually indestructible to little ones! We choose a color palette of muted blues and citrine to blend with the lush natural scenery on the property, located in suburban New Jersery. Photo Credit: Erin Coren, Curated Nest Interiors

Are you looking for professional and reliable painting contractor in Bergen County, NJ? At Spilotras Painting, we specialize in providing high quality painting services for residential and commercial clients. We go beyond performing simple paint jobs. Our well-trained professionals perform a wide variety of services, from custom painting and wall papering to wood restoration, water damage repair, and roof cleaning. We can work with any color scheme or decor to enhance almost any surface. Spilotras Painting has decades of experience, and we utilize that expertise to transform interior and exterior surfaces into virtual works of art.

Performance never looked so good. The Explorer Series wood stoves deliver a powerful heating experience you can see and feel. At its core the Explorer Series wood stoves are performance, easy operation and durability providing intense rolling flames season after season, year after year. Exclusive technology makes it virtually effortless to enjoy. The Explorer Series with its cast iron construction and solid steel welded firebox is built to last.

Performance never looked so good. The Explorer Series wood stoves deliver a powerful heating experience you can see and feel. At its core the Explorer Series wood stoves are performance, easy operation and durability providing intense rolling flames season after season, year after year. Exclusive technology makes it virtually effortless to enjoy. The Explorer Series with its cast iron construction and solid steel welded firebox is built to last.

Cockle Bay House Auckland, New Zealand During the design of their new home, the Powell’s had a specific colour pallet in mind for the exterior. This included contrasting dark vertical cladding to the top of the building with light coloured brick at the base. Vulcan Primed Cladding was chosen primarily due to it’s ability to perform with a dark colour in the harsh Auckland climate . The weatherboards were painted on site with Resene Mako CoolColour- with 15% LRV, this colour is much darker than allowed on other timber weatherboard products. The cladding continues to perform excellently with virtually no movement or warping.

Cockle Bay House Auckland, New Zealand During the design of their new home, the Powell’s had a specific colour pallet in mind for the exterior. This included contrasting dark vertical cladding to the top of the building with light coloured brick at the base. Vulcan Primed Cladding was chosen primarily due to it’s ability to perform with a dark colour in the harsh Auckland climate . The weatherboards were painted on site with Resene Mako CoolColour- with 15% LRV, this colour is much darker than allowed on other timber weatherboard products. The cladding continues to perform excellently with virtually no movement or warping.

Cockle Bay House Auckland, New Zealand During the design of their new home, the Powell’s had a specific colour pallet in mind for the exterior. This included contrasting dark vertical cladding to the top of the building with light coloured brick at the base. Vulcan Primed Cladding was chosen primarily due to it’s ability to perform with a dark colour in the harsh Auckland climate . The weatherboards were painted on site with Resene Mako CoolColour- with 15% LRV, this colour is much darker than allowed on other timber weatherboard products. The cladding continues to perform excellently with virtually no movement or warping.

Cockle Bay House Auckland, New Zealand During the design of their new home, the Powell’s had a specific colour pallet in mind for the exterior. This included contrasting dark vertical cladding to the top of the building with light coloured brick at the base. Vulcan Primed Cladding was chosen primarily due to it’s ability to perform with a dark colour in the harsh Auckland climate . The weatherboards were painted on site with Resene Mako CoolColour- with 15% LRV, this colour is much darker than allowed on other timber weatherboard products. The cladding continues to perform excellently with virtually no movement or warping.

Location dictates style and vinyl can meet the needs of virtually every location from both a style and a performance standpoint. When it comes to building developments from multifamily to single-family, more and more designers are becoming to homeowners, and creating multifaceted exteriors that make an impact. That's why its necessary to specify a versatile cladding option to meet the needs of different developments, from coastal to modern.

Performance never looked so good. The Explorer Series wood stoves deliver a powerful heating experience you can see and feel. At its core the Explorer Series wood stoves are performance, easy operation and durability providing intense rolling flames season after season, year after year. Exclusive technology makes it virtually effortless to enjoy. The Explorer Series with its cast iron construction and solid steel welded firebox is built to last.

Performance never looked so good. The Explorer Series wood stoves deliver a powerful heating experience you can see and feel. At its core the Explorer Series wood stoves are performance, easy operation and durability providing intense rolling flames season after season, year after year. Exclusive technology makes it virtually effortless to enjoy. The Explorer Series with its cast iron construction and solid steel welded firebox is built to last.

Performance never looked so good. The Explorer Series wood stoves deliver a powerful heating experience you can see and feel. At its core the Explorer Series wood stoves are performance, easy operation and durability providing intense rolling flames season after season, year after year. Exclusive technology makes it virtually effortless to enjoy. The Explorer Series with its cast iron construction and solid steel welded firebox is built to last.

Performance never looked so good. The Explorer Series wood stoves deliver a powerful heating experience you can see and feel. At its core the Explorer Series wood stoves are performance, easy operation and durability providing intense rolling flames season after season, year after year. Exclusive technology makes it virtually effortless to enjoy. The Explorer Series with its cast iron construction and solid steel welded firebox is built to last.