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.

Mis-matched flooring was replaced with honed travertine marble and river stone in the entry. Honed black granite counter tops contrast the light bamboo cabinetry. Glass mosaic tile as back-splash accent picks up the colors in palette in a decorative pattern. Curvalinear swivel bar stools in micro-suede for the eat-in bar area.

Island Studio Productions
Inspiration for a contemporary master gray tile bathroom remodel in Miami with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

By removing part of the kitchen wall, the dark kitchen is transformed into a bright calm kitchen that flows with the living and dining areas. {Photo Credit: Andy Mattheson}

Jeremy Bitterman
Inspiration for a modern exterior home remodel in Seattle

Scott Amundson Photography
Transitional dedicated laundry room photo in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, a drop-in sink, a side-by-side washer/dryer, laminate countertops and beige countertops

SW RAL 6019 Pastel Green
Mid-sized elegant girl medium tone wood floor kids' room photo in Philadelphia with multicolored walls

Example of a large trendy gray one-story house exterior design in Other with a shed roof

David Lauer Photography
Example of a 1950s enclosed light wood floor living room library design in Denver with white walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace and no tv

Modern Italian Wall Unit Line 3 by LC Mobili Made in Italy Line by LC Mobili is a collection of modern Italian wall units and entertainment centers manufactured with care and sense of style to furnish your modern home. Wall unit from the Line Collection can be a perfect design and functional solution for any contemporary or modern interior: living room, family room and even office. It is a modular line that consists of a selection of individual units: Cube Vitrine, TV Stand, Sideboard, Wall Shelf, Shelving units (three version: A, B, C), and hanging horizontal and vertical cabinets. The individual pieces can be arranged as you want, giving you complete flexibility in designing the entertainment center you need. Being modular, Line Collection allows to build a wall unit both for tight apartments and spacious houses. Feel free to choose from our pre-design wall unit compositions as well as remove or add the units to create your own entertainment center. See addition images of other units from Line Collection and finishes available! Please contact our office if some customization is needed! Features: E1-Class ecological panels, which are made exclusively through a wood recycling process The lacquered structures and front are made of REAL POLISH SCRATCH PROOF LACQUERING, which is both non toxic and non allergenic Light (optional): RGB multicolor LED light is supplied with a remote control The starting price is for the Wall Unit Composition Line 3 as shown in the main picture in Gloss White and Gray Oak finishes. (Consists of Two Large Horizontal Units, Small Vertical Unit and Shelving Unit B). Dimensions: Wall Unit: W135" x D14.2" x H75"

Mid-sized eclectic open concept living room photo in New York with a wall-mounted tv

The best kitchen showroom in your area is closer than you think. The four designers there are some of the most experienced award winning kitchen designers in the Delaware Valley. They design in and sell 6 national cabinet lines. And their pricing for cabinetry is slightly less than at home centers in apples to apples comparisons. Where is this kitchen showroom and how come you don’t remember seeing it when it is so close by? It’s in your own home! Main Line Kitchen Design brings all the same samples you select from when you travel to other showrooms to your home. We make design changes on our laptops in 20-20 CAD with you present usually in the very kitchen being renovated. Understanding what designs will look like and how sample kitchen cabinets, doors, and finishes will look in your home is easy when you are standing in the very room being renovated. Design changes can be emailed to you to print out and discuss with friends and family if you choose. Best of all our design time is free since it is incorporated into the very competitive pricing of your cabinetry when you purchase a kitchen from Main Line Kitchen Design. Finally there is a kitchen business model and design team that carries the highest quality cabinetry, is experienced, convenient, and reasonably priced. Call us today and find out why we get the best reviews on the internet or Google us and check. We look forward to working with you. As our company tag line says: “The world of kitchen design is changing…”

Minimalist kitchen photo in Dallas

Composting Top drawer in Stainless Steel
Kitchen - scandinavian kitchen idea in San Francisco

Photo - Jessica Glynn Photography
Example of a mid-sized transitional enclosed light wood floor and beige floor living room design in New York with multicolored walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

For this kitchen and bath remodel in San Francisco's Cole Valley, our client wanted us to open the kitchen up to the living room and create a new modern feel for all of the remodeled areas. Opening the kitchen to the living area provided a structural challenge as the wall we had to remove was load-bearing and there was a separately owned condo on the floor below. Working closely with a structural engineer, we created a strategy to carry the weight to the exterior walls of the building. In order to do this we had to tear off the entire roof and rebuild it with new structural joists which could span from property line to property line. To achieve a dramatic daylighting effect, we created a slot skylight over the back wall of the kitchen with the beams running through the skylight. Cerulean blue, back-painted glass for the backsplash and a thick waterfall edge for the island add more distinctive touches to this kitchen design. In the master bath we created a sinuous counter edge which tracks its way to the floor to create a curb for the shower. Green tile imported from Morocco adds a pop of color in the shower and a custom built indirect LED lighting cove creates a glow of light around the mirror. Photography by Christopher Stark.

Cabinetry – Kemper Echo Cabinetry Hardware- Jeffrey Alexander stainless bar pulls Countertops- Cambria Quartz Torquay Sinks and Faucets- Blanco Anthracite undermount Silgranite sink. Moen Faucet Nickel Appliances- Samsung French door refrigerator in stainless, Samsung slide in gas range, Whirlpool wall Oven/ Microwave combination, Bosch 500 series dishwasher, and Broan Elite series pro range hood. Flooring- prefinished 3/4 oak hardwood. Backsplash- Natural stone subway tile. -Inspiration and Design Challenges The Original kitchen in this 1970’s raised ranch was bright an open yet left the dining room closed off from the home and wasn’t large enough for the island that Joe and his wife would have liked. Joe and Tim from THI Co. had developed a plan relocate the kitchen to one exterior wall and allow for an island that would function for both seating and entertaining. The challenge we faced was the original windows of the kitchen had to completely go. Relying solely on the open floor plan for natural light, Tim opened up the Dining room wall, removed the dividing half wall to the family room and widened doorways to the great room leading from the kitchen and dining room. The removal of the soffits and consistent wood flooring help tie together the adjacent rooms. The plan was for simple clean lines with subtle detail brought out in the trim on the cabinetry and custom 10ft island back panel. Finding a set of appliances was the next task. The kitchen was designed with the intention of being used. The Whirlpool convection wall ovens give the kitchen 3 possible functioning ovens with along with the Samsung 5 burner range. The end result is a simple elegant design that has all the functionality of galley kitchen yet the feel of an open kitchen with twice the square footage.

Laure Joliet
Example of a mid-sized 1960s boy carpeted kids' room design in Los Angeles with multicolored walls

A cozy and functional farmhouse kitchen with warm white cabinets and a rustic walnut island.
Mid-sized country l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops