The homeowners wanted to take advantage of induction cooking, but were hesitant because of their unfamiliarity. I suggested reducing their cooktop from 36” to 30” and adding a 15” gas cooktop. The jury’s still out as to whether they'll use the gas, as they've fallen in love with induction. Photography ©2014 Adam Gibson

A complete two bath & kitchen renovation in a condo. Client wanted a larger kitchen area and better layout for bathrooms. We removed a wall near the entrance and extended the kitchen with additional cabinetry and storage area. Laundry room was reduced to accommodate the larger kitchen. The shared and primary bathrooms were gutted and fully remodeled as well. Enlarged shower enclosure in shared bath for more space. Layout of primary bathroom was changed for better accessibility and flow in the area. Vanity and shower was relocated to create a more spacious and inviting environment. Client didn’t like the current floors, we replaced it with luxury vinyl planks for durability.

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Example of a small beach style concrete floor and gray floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Los Angeles with white walls

Bathroom - mid-sized contemporary master white tile white floor and marble floor bathroom idea in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink, marble countertops and gray countertops

Feel at home anywhere with our coziest soundproof office pod. Find quiet and focus—even in a tiny, shared apartment or a big, open floor plan. Available in two contemporary grey hues, the TUESDAY fits into any interior style, tight spaces and with even tighter budgets. 3.61 x 2.95 ft footprint Power socket with USB port Reduces sound by 25 decibels Adjustable desktop LED lighting Our most affordable soundproof booth

Feel at home anywhere with our coziest soundproof office pod. Find quiet and focus—even in a tiny, shared apartment or a big, open floor plan. Available in two contemporary grey hues, the TUESDAY fits into any interior style, tight spaces and with even tighter budgets. 3.61 x 2.95 ft footprint Power socket with USB port Reduces sound by 25 decibels Adjustable desktop LED lighting Our most affordable soundproof booth

Feel at home anywhere with our coziest soundproof office pod. Find quiet and focus—even in a tiny, shared apartment or a big, open floor plan. Available in two contemporary grey hues, the TUESDAY fits into any interior style, tight spaces and with even tighter budgets. 3.61 x 2.95 ft footprint Power socket with USB port Reduces sound by 25 decibels Adjustable desktop LED lighting Our most affordable soundproof booth

Feel at home anywhere with our coziest soundproof office pod. Find quiet and focus—even in a tiny, shared apartment or a big, open floor plan. Available in two contemporary grey hues, the TUESDAY fits into any interior style, tight spaces and with even tighter budgets. 3.61 x 2.95 ft footprint Power socket with USB port Reduces sound by 25 decibels Adjustable desktop LED lighting Our most affordable soundproof booth

The perfect amount of space to get the laundry done! We love the color of the cabinets with the reclaimed wood (tractor trailer floor) counter tops...and again, that floor just brings everything together!

Inspiration for a transitional bedroom remodel in Minneapolis

With the remodel the window size had to be reduced slightly to create more usable storage and a symmetrical layout. Custom leaded glass doors where created for the two cabinets flanking the window with the glass pattern matching the hutch glass doors in the breakfast area. The addition of glass side panels was used on the upper cabinets flanking the sink to create a more open look, letting in light and a glimpse of the garden view. The use of the glass panels also helped to off set the reduced window size. The sink cabinet and the two upper cabinets flanking the windows both step out and share a chamfered detail on the outside leading edge. This detail is repeated though out the kitchen as a unifying element in the design drawing the eye to special design details. Alie Zandstra

While a great deal of the research that has been conducted to measure the physical and emotional benefits of incorporating biophilic design elements as part of the interior design of a space has been done in the healthcare environment , and to a lesser degree, in the corporate environment, it is completely reasonable to assume that the extraordinary benefits that are experienced by patients, doctors, nurses and support staff working in the healthcare environment, as well as by employees working in a corporate environment will extend to families that introduce biophilic design elements into their own personal spaces. Click on the next picture to continue reading………..

A complete two bath & kitchen renovation in a condo. Client wanted a larger kitchen area and better layout for bathrooms. We removed a wall near the entrance and extended the kitchen with additional cabinetry and storage area. Laundry room was reduced to accommodate the larger kitchen. The shared and primary bathrooms were gutted and fully remodeled as well. Enlarged shower enclosure in shared bath for more space. Layout of primary bathroom was changed for better accessibility and flow in the area. Vanity and shower was relocated to create a more spacious and inviting environment. Client didn’t like the current floors, we replaced it with luxury vinyl planks for durability.

Once you’re convinced (and the evidence will convince you) that incorporating biophilic design elements into your home will improve your life, and the lives of your loved ones, we’ll provide you with step by step instructions on how to undertake a biophilic design project in your home, what to look for when choosing biophilic art, and what to avoid, so that you and your family can experience all the incredible benefits that biophilic art has to offer. Click on the next picture to continue………..

Feel at home anywhere with our coziest soundproof office pod. Find quiet and focus—even in a tiny, shared apartment or a big, open floor plan. Available in two contemporary grey hues, the TUESDAY Large fits into any interior style, tight spaces and with even tighter budgets. 7.25 x 4 footprint 1 Power socket with 1-USB port and 1 USB-C Port Reduces sound by 30 decibels Adjustable LED lighting Our most affordable multi-person soundproof booth

Feel at home anywhere with our coziest soundproof office pod. Find quiet and focus—even in a tiny, shared apartment or a big, open floor plan. Available in two contemporary grey hues, the TUESDAY Large fits into any interior style, tight spaces and with even tighter budgets. 7.25 x 4 footprint 1 Power socket with 1-USB port and 1 USB-C Port Reduces sound by 30 decibels Adjustable LED lighting Our most affordable multi-person soundproof booth

Art Gray
Rustic one-story wood flat roof idea in Austin with a green roof

RIVUSS Carrión FBS-300 •Lead-Free Solid Brass Single-lever Bathroom Faucet. •Complete Solid Brass Drain Kit Included. •Kerox - Hungary Brand ceramic disc cartridge for near friction free movement for a lifetime. •Neoperl - Switzerland Brand Water Flow Regulator Saves Water - Reduces Energy •All mounting hardware and hot/cold waterlines are included. •Premium color finish resists tarnishing and corrosion. •ADA Compliant •Lead Free - AB 1953 / NSF 372 / NSF 61 Compliant •WaterSense certified product - 1.5 GPM uses at least 30% less water than standard 2.2 GPM faucets. •Certified and Listed by: cUPC / NSF 372 / NSF 61 / AB 1953 / WaterSense / CAL Green •Designed for standard US plumbing connections •Limited Lifetime Warranty *Available in Chrome & Brushed Nickel Finish