Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home.

Brandon Shigeta
Example of a large minimalist l-shaped porcelain tile open concept kitchen design in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home. Photos (c) Irvin Serrano

Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home.

Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home. Photos (c) Irvin Serrano

Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home. Photos (c) Irvin Serrano

Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home. Photos (c) Irvin Serrano

Dining room - farmhouse medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room idea in Other with beige walls and a standard fireplace

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/

LEED Certification Level: Platinum. The homeowners put a premium on indoor air quality and low energy consumption and recognized that quality design would allow more investment in a smaller project. A modest plan size was developed (1,700 square foot net, 1,960 square foot gross), with slab-on-grade first floor. The upper level slopes up to the south to capture sky views and solar gains; the stair allows that light and energy to flow to the main level. The front-screened porch is a reinvention of the traditional front porch — a place to socialize, enjoy the outdoors and enjoy fire on cool evenings. Great care was taken in specifying non-toxic materials: no-added formaldehyde cabinet construction with water-borne finishes, zero VOC, nontoxic floor finish and paints, Greenguard certified drywall and subfloor adhesives, caulks, and sealants, salvaged wood (not previously finished), etc. Third-party air quality testing showed total VOC of only 48 parts per billion prior to move in, and formaldehyde of 46ppb. The CARB residential formaldehyde guideline is below 27ppb for residential chronic exposure. Since we had no specified added-formaldehyde construction materials, our count is likely due to furniture and other off-gassing, and will drop as the house is ventilated. Mold readings were below outdoor air. An energy monitoring system was installed so the owners and design team can track energy use compared to modeled predictions. Measured results also contribute to a clearer understanding of energy use for future energy models across the industry, which is one of PHIUS’ objectives. Although early in occupancy, the owners appear to be running this all-electric house at about 500kWh per month, below the modeled prediction. The owners plan to install a PV array within the next year.

The guest room is anchored by a fully upholstered bed with a tufted back and nailhead trim. The cream herringbone fabric pops against the patterned grasscloth wallpaper by Schumacher. Linen bedding adds texture to the space, while wool drapery panels soften the large bay window. Heidi Zeiger

Context After retiring from their careers in New Jersey, an active professional couple decided to move to Vermont to be closer to their family. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sensibly plan for the future by building a sunlit home in which they could comfortably age in place with predictable, low energy costs through the harsh Vermont winter. A spacious, open lot near a historic river village provided the perfect backdrop for the couple’s favorite hobbies: gardening, woodworking, and yoga. The couple’s son, owner of Shelterwood Construction, would have the chance to showcase his meticulous craftsmanship in a home lovingly built for his parents. Response The home was built using very local natural materials that blend into the surrounding landscape. Cor-ten steel weathered clapboards transition from the earth to the wood clapboards above and the entire exterior has no finish, allowing the house to change and weather with the seasons. Many of the interior finishes, including the decorative stair wall, were made from locally-milled white pine that was harvested from the site. This certified Passive House is designed to be lived in for a lifetime with wheelchair accessibility, wide doorways, accessible fixtures, and everything the couple needs located on the main level. Framed by large south-facing windows, the light-filled main living area includes a lofted ceiling transected with a glass bridge that connects the guest bedrooms above and looks out onto the garden and fruit trees below. The attached barn, which creates a courtyard for gardens, houses a yoga studio and woodworking shop. With an ample array of solar panels and airtight construction to keep the heat in, the house is predicted to be net zero with no energy bills even in the coldest of Vermont winters. A Tesla Powerwall stores backup electricity for this all-electric home. Photos (c) Irvin Serrano

Inspiration for a rustic dark wood floor living room remodel in Other

Children's bath with splash of color.
Inspiration for a mid-sized 1960s kids' multicolored tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and white floor bathroom remodel in New York with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, an undermount tub, a two-piece toilet, multicolored walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and gray countertops

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional porch design in Chicago.

Karen and Chad of Tower Lakes, IL were tired of their unfinished basement functioning as nothing more than a storage area and depressing gym. They wanted to increase the livable square footage of their home with a cohesive finished basement design, while incorporating space for the kids and adults to hang out. “We wanted to make sure that upon renovating the basement, that we can have a place where we can spend time and watch movies, but also entertain and showcase the wine collection that we have,” Karen said. After a long search comparing many different remodeling companies, Karen and Chad found Advance Design Studio. They were drawn towards the unique “Common Sense Remodeling” process that simplifies the renovation experience into predictable steps focused on customer satisfaction. “There are so many other design/build companies, who may not have transparency, or a focused process in mind and I think that is what separated Advance Design Studio from the rest,” Karen said. Karen loved how designer Claudia Pop was able to take very high-level concepts, “non-negotiable items” and implement them in the initial 3D drawings. Claudia and Project Manager DJ Yurik kept the couple in constant communication through the project. “Claudia was very receptive to the ideas we had, but she was also very good at infusing her own points and thoughts, she was very responsive, and we had an open line of communication,” Karen said. A very important part of the basement renovation for the couple was the home gym and sauna. The “high-end hotel” look and feel of the openly blended work out area is both highly functional and beautiful to look at. The home sauna gives them a place to relax after a long day of work or a tough workout. “The gym was a very important feature for us,” Karen said. “And I think (Advance Design) did a very great job in not only making the gym a functional area, but also an aesthetic point in our basement”. An extremely unique wow-factor in this basement is the walk in glass wine cellar that elegantly displays Karen and Chad’s extensive wine collection. Immediate access to the stunning wet bar accompanies the wine cellar to make this basement a popular spot for friends and family. The custom-built wine bar brings together two natural elements; Calacatta Vicenza Quartz and thick distressed Black Walnut. Sophisticated yet warm Graphite Dura Supreme cabinetry provides contrast to the soft beige walls and the Calacatta Gold backsplash. An undermount sink across from the bar in a matching Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertop adds functionality and convenience to the bar, while identical distressed walnut floating shelves add an interesting design element and increased storage. Rich true brown Rustic Oak hardwood floors soften and warm the space drawing all the areas together. Across from the bar is a comfortable living area perfect for the family to sit down at a watch a movie. A full bath completes this finished basement with a spacious walk-in shower, Cocoa Brown Dura Supreme vanity with Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertop, a crisp white sink and a stainless-steel Voss faucet. Advance Design’s Common Sense process gives clients the opportunity to walk through the basement renovation process one step at a time, in a completely predictable and controlled environment. “Everything was designed and built exactly how we envisioned it, and we are really enjoying it to it’s full potential,” Karen said. Constantly striving for customer satisfaction, Advance Design’s success is heavily reliant upon happy clients referring their friends and family. “We definitely will and have recommended Advance Design Studio to friends who are looking to embark on a remodeling project small or large,” Karen exclaimed at the completion of her project.

Beach style exterior home photo in DC Metro

Living room - modern living room idea in New York

This retired couple loves collecting art on their worldwide travels and didn't want to settle for a predictable look for their new kitchen. We began with the black and gold honed granite they fell in love with, and added the glass tile mosaic back splash and custom mixed metal hood. The result is truly a work of art! Collaboration with Sterling Renovations Matt Ross-photos