Sam Van Fleet Photography
Living room - large contemporary living room idea in Seattle with gray walls

Design credit: Bill Bib Photo credit: Melissa Preston
This is an example of a transitional side yard landscaping in Dallas.

Richard Leo Johnson
Inspiration for a farmhouse claw-foot bathtub remodel in Atlanta with a vessel sink and blue cabinets

Paul Finkel | Piston Design
Mid-sized trendy front yard rectangular and gravel pool photo in Austin

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/

Freestanding bathtub - large contemporary freestanding bathtub idea in Denver

Mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped light wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in San Francisco with a double-bowl sink, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash, an island, stainless steel appliances, ceramic backsplash and shaker cabinets

Kitchen - traditional l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Design: Kingsbury Garden Designs Photo: Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz
Inspiration for a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

Aaron Leitz
Bedroom transitional gender-neutral light wood floor kids' bedroom photo in San Francisco

Elegant kitchen photo in Columbus with raised-panel cabinets and gray cabinets

Karen Swanson of New England Design Works Designed this Pennville Kitchen for her own home, and it won not only the regional Sub-Zero award, but also the National Kitchen & Bath Association's medium kitchen of the year. Karen is located in Manchester, MA and can be reached at nedesignworks@gmail.com or 978.500.1096.

Bathroom - transitional gray tile single-sink bathroom idea in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, white countertops and a built-in vanity

Inspiration for a mid-century modern galley vinyl floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, concrete countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Kitchen - kitchen idea in Richmond

Renee Alexander
Alcove shower - mid-sized transitional 3/4 porcelain tile and beige tile porcelain tile and beige floor alcove shower idea in DC Metro with recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, a two-piece toilet, beige walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and gray countertops

Edmund Studios Photography. The lake side of the kitchen has windows on two sides to maximize the view. Four custom tilt-in windows allow the outdoor counter on the deck to be served from inside the kitchen. Concrete countertops, hickory floors, a center island, and farm sink are key elements in this kitchen.

Mike Schwartz
Example of a trendy backyard deck design in Chicago with decking and no cover

Example of a classic wooden u-shaped staircase design in Minneapolis with painted risers