A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land. They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot. Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family. The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day. A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms. Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids. Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

©Finished Basement Company Arched opening under stairs into kid's private play area
Large transitional look-out carpeted and beige floor basement photo in Chicago with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

The family living in this shingled roofed home on the Peninsula loves color and pattern. At the heart of the two-story house, we created a library with high gloss lapis blue walls. The tête-à-tête provides an inviting place for the couple to read while their children play games at the antique card table. As a counterpoint, the open planned family, dining room, and kitchen have white walls. We selected a deep aubergine for the kitchen cabinetry. In the tranquil master suite, we layered celadon and sky blue while the daughters' room features pink, purple, and citrine.

This unique city-home is designed with a center entry, flanked by formal living and dining rooms on either side. An expansive gourmet kitchen / great room spans the rear of the main floor, opening onto a terraced outdoor space comprised of more than 700SF. The home also boasts an open, four-story staircase flooded with natural, southern light, as well as a lower level family room, four bedrooms (including two en-suite) on the second floor, and an additional two bedrooms and study on the third floor. A spacious, 500SF roof deck is accessible from the top of the staircase, providing additional outdoor space for play and entertainment. Due to the location and shape of the site, there is a 2-car, heated garage under the house, providing direct entry from the garage into the lower level mudroom. Two additional off-street parking spots are also provided in the covered driveway leading to the garage. Designed with family living in mind, the home has also been designed for entertaining and to embrace life's creature comforts. Pre-wired with HD Video, Audio and comprehensive low-voltage services, the home is able to accommodate and distribute any low voltage services requested by the homeowner. This home was pre-sold during construction. Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing

Every family home needs a bathtub and this one is clean and simple. It's faced with the same engineered quartz as the counter top and the hinged glass door allows for the beautiful glass tile and niche to be appreciated. Erika Bierman Photography

Bradshaw Photography
Home theater - mid-sized rustic open concept carpeted and beige floor home theater idea in Columbus with gray walls and a projector screen

Dan Cutrona
Transitional loft-style game room photo in Boston with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Architect: Blaine Bonadies, Bonadies Architect Photography By: Jean Allsopp Photography “Just as described, there is an edgy, irreverent vibe here, but the result has an appropriate stature and seriousness. Love the overscale windows. And the outdoor spaces are so great.” Situated atop an old Civil War battle site, this new residence was conceived for a couple with southern values and a rock-and-roll attitude. The project consists of a house, a pool with a pool house and a renovated music studio. A marriage of modern and traditional design, this project used a combination of California redwood siding, stone and a slate roof with flat-seam lead overhangs. Intimate and well planned, there is no space wasted in this home. The execution of the detail work, such as handmade railings, metal awnings and custom windows jambs, made this project mesmerizing. Cues from the client and how they use their space helped inspire and develop the initial floor plan, making it live at a human scale but with dramatic elements. Their varying taste then inspired the theme of traditional with an edge. The lines and rhythm of the house were simplified, and then complemented with some key details that made the house a juxtaposition of styles. The wood Ultimate Casement windows were all standard sizes. However, there was a desire to make the windows have a “deep pocket” look to create a break in the facade and add a dramatic shadow line. Marvin was able to customize the jambs by extruding them to the exterior. They added a very thin exterior profile, which negated the need for exterior casing. The same detail was in the stone veneers and walls, as well as the horizontal siding walls, with no need for any modification. This resulted in a very sleek look. MARVIN PRODUCTS USED: Marvin Ultimate Casement Window

Rickie Agapito, Agapito Online
Example of a mid-sized trendy single-wall gray floor home bar design in Tampa with flat-panel cabinets, orange cabinets, multicolored backsplash and mosaic tile backsplash

Photo © Bruce Damonte
1950s bathroom photo in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, multicolored walls and a console sink

Inspiration for a timeless family room library remodel in San Francisco with beige walls, no fireplace and a media wall

Small danish l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen photo in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Here, a concrete fire pit is pictured with built-in bench seating made of cumaru wood. Throw pillows have been added to give splashes of color. Behind the seating area are tall modern grasses, used to soften the screen area in the back. A modern concrete hardscape with Mexican beach pebble bands is featured, along with the concrete fire pit and built-in bench seating made of cumaru wood. An indoor/outdoor room is pictured with the concrete firepit in the foreground. A convenient outdoor dining room is shown here, featuring a modern concrete hardscape with Mexican beach pebble bands. A colorful umbrella, cushions and flower pots create visual interest. The cumaru horizontal wood screen has been added to create privacy. The expansive balcony off this modern home allows residents to enjoy the beautiful ocean views. The deck is constructed of cumaru wood, with cable rail wrapped around it. A native, low-water-use plant palette is featured in the foreground. Featured here are steps with cable rail leading down to the lower terrace. Concrete steppers in the grass create a walking path to the deck area under the balcony. The space was designed around the old pine in the foreground that was kept to add character. Also in view is a turf play area for kids. Here, a balcony with cable rail is pictured, along with a private garden with ocean view off the master bedroom. A modern concrete hardscape with Mexican beach pebble bands is featured, along with a low-water-use palette. Front & Backyard Landscape Design - La Jolla, CA Here, a succulent garden is the highlight, with some decorative pebbles and boulders used in combination as accents with a low-water-use plant palette. A horizontal screen fence made of beautiful cumaru wood is in the foreground, with a modern paver driveway in view. Here, a succulent garden with vibrant flowers can be viewed in the foreground. This aloe plant with coral flowers is a great example of a low-water-use focal plant. The modern paver driveway highlights this modern design featuring low-water-use olive trees in mass groupings. The cumaru wood fence can be viewed in the background. Also in view are boulders, which were found on the property and repurposed in the landscape. The modern paver driveway is in view, with native grasses used to give movement as they sway in the wind. The design incorporates this beautiful old pine (on the right)that was on the property. This view of the driveway shows how boulders found on the property were incorporated into the design, with the cumaru wood screen fence and low-water-use olive trees also in view. This view shows the modern design of the house and the paver driveway. Also in view is theMexican beach pebble bed with modern grasses. A modern bridge entry over a succulent gardencan be seen in the background. This photo shows the modern bridge entry over a succulent garden. The modern architecture is showcased here, and in the foreground, flowering succulents contrast nicely with the wood. A view of the modern architecture of the home and the paver driveway, with native grasses incorporated to create movement in the landscape. Colorful grasses create movement here in this side view of the home. A succulent garden with a low-water-use plant palette and colorful flowering plants is featured. Boulders found on the property have been repurposed in the landscape. In this view, different colors and textures are used to create visual interest. The low-water-use olive trees and succulent garden are pictured. Here, a concrete fire pit is pictured with built-in bench seating made of cumaru wood. Throw pillows have been added to give splashes of color. Behind the seating area are tall modern grasses, used to soften the screen area in the back. A modern concrete hardscape with Mexican beach pebble bands is featured, along with the concrete fire pit and built-in bench seating made of cumaru wood. An indoor/outdoor room is pictured with the concrete firepit in the foreground. A convenient outdoor dining room is shown here, featuring a modern concrete hardscape with Mexican beach pebble bands. A colorful umbrella, cushions and flower pots create visual interest. The cumaru horizontal wood screen has been added to create privacy. The expansive balcony off this modern home allows residents to enjoy the beautiful ocean views. The deck is constructed of cumaru wood, with cable rail wrapped around it. A native, low-water-use plant palette is featured in the foreground. Featured here are steps with cable rail leading down to the lower terrace. Concrete steppers in the grass create a walking path to the deck area under the balcony. The space was designed around the old pine in the foreground that was kept to add character. Also in view is a turf play area for kids. Here, a balcony with cable rail is pictured, along with a private garden with ocean view off the master bedroom. A modern concrete hardscape with Mexican beach pebble bands is featured, along with a low-water-use palette.

Tommy Daspit Photography
Example of an eclectic gray floor bathroom design in Birmingham with dark wood cabinets, white walls and an undermount sink

This Farmhouse Style Napa cabin features vaulted ceilings and walls cladded with our patina pine, sourced from century-old barn boards with original weathering and saw marks. The wood used here was reclaimed from a Wisconsin dairy barn. Also incorporated in the design are nearly 2,000 board feet of our interior rough pine trim. Situated in the center of wine country, this cabin in the woods was designed by Wade Design Architects.

Mirage Hardwood Flooring
Inspiration for a bedroom transitional gender-neutral laminate floor childrens' room remodel in Miami with white walls

Zel, inc.
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Photo: Michaela Dodd © 2015 Houzz
Kids' room - eclectic kids' room idea in DC Metro

Gridley + Graves Photographers
Staircase - traditional wooden curved staircase idea in Boston with painted risers