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

Family/entertainment space with oak casework and matt charcoal concrete floor. Glass sliding doors open to the patio and garden. The concrete floor outside has the same hue as the interior one but the texture is more pronounced to prevent slipping. Photos by Scott Hargis.

Example of a mountain style kitchen design in Salt Lake City

Tom Crane Photography
Design ideas for a large contemporary front yard landscaping in Philadelphia.

© SGM PHOTOGRAPHY
Mid-sized trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom photo in New York with white walls

Kraig Scattarella Photography
Mid-sized transitional open concept and formal dark wood floor living room photo in Portland with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a tv stand

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photos: Kyle Born
Example of a large eclectic enclosed light wood floor and brown floor living room design in New York with a bar, blue walls, a standard fireplace and no tv

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Home design - mid-sized eclectic l-shaped home design idea in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, soapstone countertops, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and gray walls

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Mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor great room photo in Dallas with gray walls and no fireplace

Urban l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, brick backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photographer: Greg Premru Photography
Inspiration for a small contemporary porcelain tile and white tile porcelain tile freestanding bathtub remodel in Boston with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount sink and white walls

R4 construction's in-house design team always tries to come up with the best use of space. This basement entry bench, under-the-stairs coat closet, and shoe pullout answered more then one storage problem. Photography: Dawn Fast AKBD, R4 Construction

Jeri Koegel
Trendy courtyard patio photo in Orange County with no cover

With amazing city views, its hard not to want to spend all your time living outside. With this design, you can. In one corner you have planters packed with seasonal vegetables that can be picked, rinsed and served, all within about 10 footsteps. Want some protein with that? No problem. The outdoor kitchen is set to feed a crowd, all while engaging friends over the bar, and into the dining area. Here, with built-in retractable pergola canopies, you can control your environment to whatever shade, sun, or night sky setting you desire. And then, when you can eat no more, kick-back and relax in the comfy, heated lounge seating area.

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Large transitional white two-story wood exterior home idea in Austin

The client was excited to purchase a home in the beautiful resort of Sandestin, but was not pleased with the dark interiors, heavy mouldings, tile floors, dated fixtures and heavy feel of the interior of the home. We solved their problems by completely renovating the interiors. Ceilings were raised, floors were replaced, cabinetry and fixtures were replaced and a problem area in the living room was solved. They now have the open, clean, airy beach home of their dreams and I couldn't be more pleased with how this home turned out for them. anthony vallee