These modest homeowners were looking for drainage solutions, low maintenance plantings, and an entertainment space they could enjoy outside. Mowing the grass had been a pain in the past, so with this design we decided to remove it entirely. Instead, more native grasses were utilized to take in water and reduce erosion. A new fence modernized and updated the space and allowed the interior of the backyard to be leveled providing more opportunities for design elements like a floating bench and custom built fire pit.

Jewel Photography
This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Sacramento.

We remodeled the front yard appeal from this beautiful home in North Park and raised the front yard level 3.' Gaining a functional outdoor area and easier front door access to enjoy while reducing the use of water.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary white tile and subway tile single-sink and gray floor alcove bathtub remodel in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, white countertops, a floating vanity, white walls and an integrated sink

Example of a tuscan open concept medium tone wood floor living room design in Minneapolis with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

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/

This space was completely empty, void of everything except the flooring tiles. All the containers and plantings, the patterned turf in the flooring, ornaments, and fixtures were part of the design. It spans three sides of the penthouse, extending the dining and living space out into the open. Outdoor rooms are created with the alignment of fixtures and placement of furniture. The custom designed water feature is both a wall to separate the dining and living spaces and a work of art on its own. A shade system offers relief from the scorching sun without permanently blocking the view from the dining room. A frosted glass wall on the edge of the kitchen brings privacy and still allows light to filter into the space. The south wall is lined with planters to add some privacy and at night are lit as a focal point.

Designed by Watershapes Consulting and built by Paradise Pools & Gardens, this stunning contemporary vanishing edge pool utilizes our HydraLux "in-floor" system to achieve maximum energy savings while keeping the pool both warm and clean while preserving and enhancing the architectural flow of the project. The slats are Solar in polycarbonate.

Walnut custom cabinets are known for light gray to purple-brown color tone. Walnut cabinets will not display sapwood on the face, although some may be seen on the back. Its grain pattern can contain both straight and wavy sections as well, and has a reduced allowance for small knots and pin knots. Walnut custom cabinets will offer a great new look for any home.

Pebble Beach Family Room. Floating wooden shelves, white counters. Photographer: John Merkl
Family room - mid-sized coastal open concept light wood floor family room idea in San Luis Obispo with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a concrete fireplace

We had a several challenges to face with this project. Not only did we need to update a dated landscape to accommodate two seemingly different design tastes (modern & minimalistic vs natural english garden), we were tasked with improving the property’s drainage, improving the driveway access, reducing water usage and plant maintenance, and fixing a crumbling wall. To marry the two design tastes, we started with the more modern elements of metal planters and softened the landscape with mass plantings of ornamental grasses and native sedge. These grasses act as a turf replacement that do not need to be mowed and require less regular watering. On each side of the yard we constructed new cedar fences to provide updated and additional privacy. In addition, we poured a new concrete wall to replace the existing retaining wall and play off the new modern vibe.

This beautiful Medallion White Icing cabinetry perfectly pairs with the Cambria quartz Ironbridge countertop. The subway porcelain backsplash gives the kitchen a modern style. The top drawers are done in a flat slab front. The raised panel ends and the large crown above the cabinets come together for a very elegant look. The paint is applied to maple wood, a typical application that reduces the appearance of any grain in the wood.

The native ”pollinator meadow” gives all the functionality of a traditional lawn but reduces water use. Incorporation of native herbs into the meadow increases biodiversity, and provides herbal and floral harvest potential. California native plants mix with culinary edimentals throughout the garden space, to maximize biodiversity for animal and human enjoyment. Vertical space was utilized with a diversity of vining plants to create privacy and living green walls around the perimeter of the garden spaces.

This beautiful Medallion White Icing cabinetry perfectly pairs with the Cambria quartz Ironbridge countertop. The subway porcelain backsplash gives the kitchen a modern style. The top drawers are done in a flat slab front. The raised panel ends and the large crown above the cabinets come together for a very elegant look. The paint is applied to maple wood, a typical application that reduces the appearance of any grain in the wood.

The native ”pollinator meadow” gives all the functionality of a traditional lawn but reduces water use. Incorporation of native herbs into the meadow increases biodiversity, and provides herbal and floral harvest potential. California native plants mix with culinary edimentals throughout the garden space, to maximize biodiversity for animal and human enjoyment. Vertical space was utilized with a diversity of vining plants to create privacy and living green walls around the perimeter of the garden spaces.

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/

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary drought-tolerant and full sun front yard concrete paver landscaping in Los Angeles.

This beautiful Medallion White Icing cabinetry perfectly pairs with the Cambria quartz Ironbridge countertop. The subway porcelain backsplash gives the kitchen a modern style. The top drawers are done in a flat slab front. The raised panel ends and the large crown above the cabinets come together for a very elegant look. The paint is applied to maple wood, a typical application that reduces the appearance of any grain in the wood.

The far corner of the yard had the best sun for a vegetable garden so three 30" tall beds went in. A river of Japanese Forest Grass lines the path. Thick barkdust went down to reduce the weeds. Native plants were kept whenever possible and supplemented by additional native ferns, huckleberries, red currants, lupines and others.