Jared McKenna Photography
Example of a mountain style exterior home design in Boston

This door includes dual clear glass with a tempered bug. Other types of glass may be ordered at an additional cost. These Mahogany Riviera doors are the highest quality available in the market today. While many of our competitors have sacrificed quality by turning to MDF/Veneer door constructions to reduce production cost we at ETO Doors have kept quality as our primary concern.

This kitchen design, built from classic inset Shaker cabinets, features multiple specialty storage solutions, including a pull-out spice rack, roll-out base cabinet trays and vertical tray storage. The microwave is tucked neatly under a counter. The 90-inch black Shaker pantry, built from reduced-depth cabinets with stacked crown molding, reflects the home’s architectural style as seen in the buffet in the adjacent dining room. The inset cabinet style is a testament to traditional craftsmanship, since it requires a more precise fit than the more common full-overlay style. The revealed hinge barrels offer a touch of detail that reflects the historical context of the style.

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

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Minimalist gardens rely on strong architectural elements and hardscapes to bring the beauty of an outdoor space without demanding lush, heavy plantings and, hence reducing maintenance. The concept is to bring what you expect of a traditional garden… color, texture, balance, harmony, comfort, etc., into an outdoor space that still stimulates your senses but rely on fewer elements to create beauty. Repetition is the key word when planning minimalist gardens. Common elements used in a minimalist garden include plants with strong architectural features, hardscape structures, straight or graceful curve lines, gravels, water and strong focal point like a modern, powerful artwork piece or sculpture.

This kitchen design, built from classic inset Shaker cabinets, features multiple specialty storage solutions, including a pull-out spice rack, roll-out base cabinet trays and vertical tray storage. The microwave is tucked neatly under a counter. The 90-inch black Shaker pantry, built from reduced-depth cabinets with stacked crown molding, reflects the home’s architectural style as seen in the buffet in the adjacent dining room. The inset cabinet style is a testament to traditional craftsmanship, since it requires a more precise fit than the more common full-overlay style. The revealed hinge barrels offer a touch of detail that reflects the historical context of the style.

This kitchen design, built from classic inset Shaker cabinets, features multiple specialty storage solutions, including a pull-out spice rack, roll-out base cabinet trays and vertical tray storage. The microwave is tucked neatly under a counter. The 90-inch black Shaker pantry, built from reduced-depth cabinets with stacked crown molding, reflects the home’s architectural style as seen in the buffet in the adjacent dining room. The inset cabinet style is a testament to traditional craftsmanship, since it requires a more precise fit than the more common full-overlay style. The revealed hinge barrels offer a touch of detail that reflects the historical context of the style.

Soft colourful plantings along the pathway, seasonal interest begins in early spring and the planting is still colourful in late summer.
Design ideas for a small craftsman partial sun front yard brick driveway in New York for summer.

Material expression and exterior finishes were carefully selected to reduce the apparent size of the house, last through many years, and add warmth and human scale to the home. The unique siding system is made up of different widths and depths of western red cedar, complementing the vision of the structures wings which are balanced, not symmetrical. The exterior materials include a burn brick base, powder-coated steel, cedar, acid-washed concrete and Corten steel planters.

This new 1,700 sf two-story single family residence for a young couple required a minimum of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, packaged to fit unobtrusively in an older low-key residential neighborhood. The house is located on a small non-conforming lot. In order to get the maximum out of this small footprint, we virtually eliminated areas such as hallways to capture as much living space. We made the house feel larger by giving the ground floor higher ceilings, provided ample natural lighting, captured elongated sight lines out of view windows, and used outdoor areas as extended living spaces. To help the building be a “good neighbor,” we set back the house on the lot to minimize visual volume, creating a friendly, social semi-public front porch. We designed with multiple step-back levels to create an intimacy in scale. The garage is on one level, the main house is on another higher level. The upper floor is set back even further to reduce visual impact. By designing a single car garage with exterior tandem parking, we minimized the amount of yard space taken up with parking. The landscaping and permeable cobblestone walkway up to the house serves double duty as part of the city required parking space. The final building solution incorporated a variety of significant cost saving features, including a floor plan that made the most of the natural topography of the site and allowed access to utilities’ crawl spaces. We avoided expensive excavation by using slab on grade at the ground floor. Retaining walls also doubled as building walls.

In keeping with ADA compliance guidelines, we designed reduced-height cabinetry into this bathroom renovation with a deep 9″ high toe kick. We also created a zero clearance threshold shower. A wheelchair radius of 78 inches allowed space for ease of movement between essential features in the bathroom, to include the sink, toilet, shower, and soaking tub. The tile was also intentionally chosen for the bathroom for its aesthetics, wearability, and easy-to-clean properties.

It’s likely that your television is the epicenter of your home entertainment space. Allow us to transform the centerpiece of your home’s leisure with a stylish entertainment center. With our endless array of designs, we can offer a freestanding system or a built-in wall unit that can house all of your media center components, including flat screen televisions, gaming and audio equipment. Entertainment centers also keep electronics neat and organized by hiding unsightly cords and providing a designated area to store all of your remotes, reducing clutter.

Sun Control of Minnesota is a family owned and operated business that offers Professional Window Tinting Services. We first started out in one office with two part time installers, and we have now grown our business with over 15 employees badge-1980and four different locations in the metro area. We continue to expand our relationships with customers, as well as our service and quality of work. We offer a complete line of Window Tinting services for Automotive, Commercial, Residential, & Marine applications. Our products include Decorative Frost Films, for glass enhancement; Safety/ Security Films, for Anti-Theft and Blast Protection; and 3M Paint Protection Film, for Automotive Rock Chip Prevention. We focus on helping our customers reduce damaging UV rays, excessive solar heat gain, and glare from their interior spaces. UV rays, solar heat, and visible light are the main contributors to fading concerns in homes. Window Film reduces these elements to provide a beautiful view without having to close out the natural sunlight with a shade or blind. We provide the quality that competitors can’t even touch. Our Mission is to Provide the Highest Quality Service, Products, and Installation in the Solar Energy Control Tint & Glass Film industry.

Therma-Tru Classic-Craft American Style Collection fiberglass door with dentil shelf. This door features high-definition vertical Douglas Fir grain and Shaker-style recessed panels. Door and sidelites include Chord privacy and textured glass which features a vertical flowing pattern. Ara handleset also from Therma-Tru.

Material expression and exterior finishes were carefully selected to reduce the apparent size of the house, last through many years, and add warmth and human scale to the home. The unique siding system is made up of different widths and depths of western red cedar, complementing the vision of the structures wings which are balanced, not symmetrical. The exterior materials include a burn brick base, powder-coated steel, cedar, acid-washed concrete and Corten steel planters.

It’s likely that your television is the epicenter of your home entertainment space. Allow us to transform the centerpiece of your home’s leisure with a stylish entertainment center. With our endless array of designs, we can offer a freestanding system or a built-in wall unit that can house all of your media center components, including flat screen televisions, gaming and audio equipment. Entertainment centers also keep electronics neat and organized by hiding unsightly cords and providing a designated area to store all of your remotes, reducing clutter.

Update your space with Globe Electric's energy efficient McKinley 4-Light Track Lighting. The black finish brings a modern accent to your room while the caged accent adds an industrial feel. The included LED bulbs will save you time and money, reducing the need for frequent bulb changes. The modern design complements any décor and shows off your impeccable style. Includes all mounting hardware for quick and easy installation and four 50W GU10 LED bulbs.

The clients were inspired to renovate following exposure to Zen architecture while honeymooning in Japan. The architectural brief was to deliver a modern Australian home that serves as a private, meditative retreat that would also cater to a buzzing family as their relationship evolves; and transform into a welcoming and generous entertaining space. The home would need to maximise the potential of the sites orientation and create a strong connection to generous and versatile outdoor spaces including sheltered entertaining areas and spacious areas for planting and lawn. It was essential that elements of the existing residence be retained where possible to reduce waste, however disguised so that the final product was effectively a new home.