Example of a stainless steel transitional built-in kitchen design in New York

With major functions located on one side of the island, the opposite wall is reserved for storage and work surface. Solid doors conceal pantry goods and a microwave while glass doors are used to display the homeowners dishes and glassware. Andrea Rugg Photography

Bathroom with rustic cabinets, stone tile, beige walls, white trim in the Proud Green Home of St. Louis in Wildwood, Missouri. This home features an EcoDrain hot water recovery system that will reduce hot water heater usage by 25 to 50%. Photo by Kim Hibbs

Meghan Beierle O'Brien
Example of a transitional bathroom design in Los Angeles

Presenting the first Carbon Neutral collection by Silestone®. A commitment to sustainability in which we reduce and offset the emissions of the manufacturing process with reforestation projects. Sunlit Days is inspired by the evocative Mediterranean shades of a unique lifestyle.

Architect: Elizabeth Herrmann Photos: Susan Teare This 1100 sf 3-bedroom cottage in the Mad River valley was designed by architect Elizabeth Herrmann for a family of four who dreamed of downsizing and reducing energy consumption. Sited on an east-facing slope with view over the Mad River, the little black house features a standing seam roof, triple-glazed windows from Alpen, and a high-performing insulation package. A small Morso woodstove provides heat in the winter. A single Mitsubishi heat pump provides cooling in the summer and backup heat in the winter. Water is heat by an electric heat pump water heater.

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Here is an example of a Bomanite Grasscrete project that features partially concealed pervious concrete and this product would be perfect in a residential subdivision to reduce site runoff while maintaining the natural aesthetic of the surrounding landscape design.

Alcove shower - contemporary 3/4 gray tile and marble tile gray floor alcove shower idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door and gray countertops

Seated home bar - mid-sized contemporary galley seated home bar idea in Burlington with medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and multicolored backsplash

Inspiration for a transitional enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Orange County with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Photo: Lucy Call © 2015 Houzz

The custom basalt water feature is goldfinch approved.
Photo of a huge rustic backyard waterfall in San Francisco.

Oliver Irwin Photography www.oliveriphoto.com Park Lane Residence is a single family house designed in a unique, northwest modern style. The goal of the project is to create a space that allows the family to entertain their guests in a welcoming one-of-a-kind environment. Uptic Studios took into consideration the relation between the exterior and interior spaces creating a smooth transition with an open concept design and celebrating the natural environment. The Clean geometry and contrast in materials creates an integrative design that is both artistic, functional and in harmony with its surroundings. Uptic Studios provided the privacy needed, while also opening the space to the surrounding environment with large floor to ceiling windows. The large overhangs and trellises reduce solar exposure in the summer, while provides protection from the elements and letting in daylight in the winter. The crisp hardwood, metal and stone blends the exterior with the beautiful surrounding nature.

A beautiful mix of clean stainless steel and warm mango wood creates a stylish and practical kitchen space. This coastal, contemporary Tiny Home features a warm yet industrial style kitchen with stainless steel counters and husky tool drawers with black cabinets. the silver metal counters are complimented by grey subway tiling as a backsplash against the warmth of the locally sourced curly mango wood windowsill ledge. I mango wood windowsill also acts as a pass-through window to an outdoor bar and seating area on the deck. Entertaining guests right from the kitchen essentially makes this a wet-bar. LED track lighting adds the right amount of accent lighting and brightness to the area. The window is actually a french door that is mirrored on the opposite side of the kitchen. This kitchen has 7-foot long stainless steel counters on either end. There are stainless steel outlet covers to match the industrial look. There are stained exposed beams adding a cozy and stylish feeling to the room. To the back end of the kitchen is a frosted glass pocket door leading to the bathroom. All shelving is made of Hawaiian locally sourced curly mango wood. A stainless steel fridge matches the rest of the style and is built-in to the staircase of this tiny home. Dish drying racks are hung on the wall to conserve space and reduce clutter.

Sunroom with wood ceiling detail.
Mid-sized beach style screened-in and metal railing back porch photo in Minneapolis

This new item features an updated, versatile American traditional appeal · Convenient underbed storage reduces bedroom clutter · Bed rests on distinctive turned wooden feet · Vertical beadboard panels lend a traditional feel

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary concrete paver landscaping in Orange County with a fireplace.