Clematis jackmanii superba and Westerland rose Le jardinet

After decades of drastic alterations, and demolition of the second and third story, this grand estate was reduced to a pink Bermuda style ranch house. The current owners returned it to a suggestion of its original state. Beamed ceilings, working fireplace, period woodwork and historic finishes draw out the dignity of its past, and make them part of life in his century. The main house overlooks terraced yards, stonewalls and a landscaped pool area. The formal interiors frame sweeping views of treetops and seascapes. Contractor: Precision Carpentry Photographer: Dan Gair/ Blind Dog Photo INC.

This Japanese garden front entrance stepping stone walkway, using black slate is installed by Waterfalls Fountains & Gardens Inc. in Manalapan, Florida. Planting Design Akiko Iwata Planting Installation by Landco

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

After decades of drastic alterations, and demolition of the second and third story, this grand estate was reduced to a pink Bermuda style ranch house. The current owners returned it to a suggestion of its original state. Beamed ceilings, working fireplace, period woodwork and historic finishes draw out the dignity of its past, and make them part of life in his century. The main house overlooks terraced yards, stonewalls and a landscaped pool area. The formal interiors frame sweeping views of treetops and seascapes. Contractor: Precision Carpentry Photographer: Dan Gair/ Blind Dog Photo INC.

photo by Chad Mellon
Example of a large country l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor open concept kitchen design in Orange County with white walls, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, shiplap backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

While there are many design elements that can be considered “biophilic” that could be incorporated into a space as part of a biophilic program including views of the outdoors (specifically views of nature) as seen through windows and skylights and natural plant life throughout the space, the element that we will focus on in this catalog is biophilic or nature-based wall art. The evidence suggests that photorealistic images of nature can have the same impact and will produce the same benefits as actual views of nature. Click on the next picture to continue reading………..

After decades of drastic alterations, and demolition of the second and third story, this grand estate was reduced to a pink Bermuda style ranch house. The current owners returned it to a suggestion of its original state. Beamed ceilings, working fireplace, period woodwork and historic finishes draw out the dignity of its past, and make them part of life in his century. The main house overlooks terraced yards, stonewalls and a landscaped pool area. The formal interiors frame sweeping views of treetops and seascapes. Contractor: Precision Carpentry Photographer: Dan Gair/ Blind Dog Photo INC.

After decades of drastic alterations, and demolition of the second and third story, this grand estate was reduced to a pink Bermuda style ranch house. The current owners returned it to a suggestion of its original state. Beamed ceilings, working fireplace, period woodwork and historic finishes draw out the dignity of its past, and make them part of life in his century. The main house overlooks terraced yards, stonewalls and a landscaped pool area. The formal interiors frame sweeping views of treetops and seascapes. Contractor: Precision Carpentry Photographer: Dan Gair/ Blind Dog Photo INC.

After decades of drastic alterations, and demolition of the second and third story, this grand estate was reduced to a pink Bermuda style ranch house. The current owners returned it to a suggestion of its original state. Beamed ceilings, working fireplace, period woodwork and historic finishes draw out the dignity of its past, and make them part of life in his century. The main house overlooks terraced yards, stonewalls and a landscaped pool area. The formal interiors frame sweeping views of treetops and seascapes. Contractor: Precision Carpentry Photographer: Dan Gair/ Blind Dog Photo INC.

Garden 31 in La Canada Flintridge

This portion of the yard needed some significant changes to the grade. We installed pecky cedarwood to bring the left side of the entrance higher, reducing erosion; filled in and graded the soil under the mesquite tree. We suggested installing sod to ease mesquite litter clean-up and to create a cooling or quiet atmosphere to the entrance.

Marion Brenner Photography
Design ideas for a large modern drought-tolerant and full sun front yard concrete paver garden path in San Francisco.

The office has two full walls of windows to view the adjacent meadow. Photographer: Daniel Contelmo Jr.
Example of a mid-sized classic freestanding desk light wood floor and beige floor sunroom design in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen remodel with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Autumn fern, (Dryopteris erythrosora) in a woodland setting Le jardinet
Photo of a traditional landscaping in Seattle.

This bathroom was stripped to the studs; removing floor to ceiling tile, a built-in jet bathtub, and closed off water closet and walk-in closet. All plumbing locations stayed as-is to reduce timeline and save on costs which could be allocated towards the custom vanity and closing off 1 window. The goal was an open concept, spa-inspired space.

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath was the remodeling contractor for this beautiful Waukesha first floor remodel. The homeowners recently purchased the home and wanted to immediately update the space. The old kitchen was outdated and closed off from the great room. The goal was to design an open-concept space for hosting family and friends. LAYOUT The first step was to remove the awkward dining room walls. This made the room feel large and open. We tucked the refrigerator into a wall of cabinets so it didn’t impose. Seating at the island and peninsula makes the kitchen very versatile. DESIGN We created an elegant entertaining space to take advantage of the lake view. The Waukesha homeowners wanted a contemporary design with neutral colors and finishes. They chose soft gray lower cabinets and white upper cabinets. We added texture with wood accents and a herringbone marble backsplash tile. The desk area features a walnut butcher block countertop. We also used walnut for the open shelving, detail on the hood and the legs on the island. CUSTOM CABINETRY Frameless custom cabinets maximize storage in this Waukesha kitchen. The upper cabinets have hidden light rail molding. Angled plug molding eliminates outlets on the backsplash. Drawers in the lower cabinets allow for excellent storage. The cooktop has a functioning top drawer with a hidden apron to hide the guts of the cooktop. The clients also asked for a home office desk area and pantry cabinet.

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