AV Architects + Builders Location: Tysons, VA, USA The Home for Life project was customized around our client’s lifestyle so that he could enjoy the home for many years to come. Designed with empty nesters and baby boomers in mind, our custom design used a different approach to the disparity of square footage on each floor. The main level measures out at 2,300 square feet while the lower and upper levels of the home measure out at 1000 square feet each, respectively. The open floor plan of the main level features a master suite and master bath, personal office, kitchen and dining areas, and a two-car garage that opens to a mudroom and laundry room. The upper level features two generously sized en-suite bedrooms while the lower level features an extra guest room with a full bath and an exercise/rec room. The backyard offers 800 square feet of travertine patio with an elegant outdoor kitchen, while the front entry has a covered 300 square foot porch with custom landscape lighting. The biggest challenge of the project was dealing with the size of the lot, measuring only a ¼ acre. Because the majority of square footage was dedicated to the main floor, we had to make sure that the main rooms had plenty of natural lighting. Our solution was to place the public spaces (Great room and outdoor patio) facing south, and the more private spaces (Bedrooms) facing north. The common misconception with small homes is that they cannot factor in everything the homeowner wants. With our custom design, we created an open concept space that features all the amenities of a luxury lifestyle in a home measuring a total of 4300 square feet. Jim Tetro Architectural Photography

A traditional 1930 Spanish bungalow, re-imagined and respectfully updated by ArtCraft Homes to create a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home of over 1,300sf plus 400sf of bonus space in a finished detached 2-car garage. Authentic vintage tiles from Claycraft Potteries adorn the all-original Spanish-style fireplace. Remodel by Tim Braseth of ArtCraft Homes, Los Angeles. Photos by Larry Underhill.

Located on the flat of Beacon Hill, this iconic building is rich in history and in detail. Constructed in 1828 as one of the first buildings in a series of row houses, it was in need of a major renovation to improve functionality and to restore as well as re-introduce charm.Originally designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin, the renovation was respectful of his early work. “What would Asher have done?” was a common refrain during design decision making, given today’s technology and tools. Photographer: Bruce Buck

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

An extraordinary opportunity taken, applying a client driven design concept into a residence surpassing all expectations. Client collaboration and pursuant work combine to satisfy requirements of modernism, respect of streetscape, family privacy, and applications of art and function. Interior Furnishings by Client. Exclusive Photography and Videography by Michael Blevins of MB Productions.

This beautiful farmhouse chic kitchen (courtesy of Mod Vintage Life) is charming in all respects of the word. We love the reclaimed wood, open shelving, the gray cabinetry and the use of a piece of furniture, to serve as the island centerpiece.

Minimalist home design photo in Los Angeles

This gem of a house was built in the 1950s, when its neighborhood undoubtedly felt remote. The university footprint has expanded in the 70 years since, however, and today this home sits on prime real estate—easy biking and reasonable walking distance to campus. When it went up for sale in 2017, it was largely unaltered. Our clients purchased it to renovate and resell, and while we all knew we'd need to add square footage to make it profitable, we also wanted to respect the neighborhood and the house’s own history. Swedes have a word that means “just the right amount”: lagom. It is a guiding philosophy for us at SYH, and especially applied in this renovation. Part of the soul of this house was about living in just the right amount of space. Super sizing wasn’t a thing in 1950s America. So, the solution emerged: keep the original rectangle, but add an L off the back. With no owner to design with and for, SYH created a layout to appeal to the masses. All public spaces are the back of the home--the new addition that extends into the property’s expansive backyard. A den and four smallish bedrooms are atypically located in the front of the house, in the original 1500 square feet. Lagom is behind that choice: conserve space in the rooms where you spend most of your time with your eyes shut. Put money and square footage toward the spaces in which you mostly have your eyes open. In the studio, we started calling this project the Mullet Ranch—business up front, party in the back. The front has a sleek but quiet effect, mimicking its original low-profile architecture street-side. It’s very Hoosier of us to keep appearances modest, we think. But get around to the back, and surprise! lofted ceilings and walls of windows. Gorgeous.

Emily Followill Photography
Country home bar photo in Atlanta

The owners of this beautiful historic farmhouse had been painstakingly restoring it bit by bit. One of the last items on their list was to create a wrap-around front porch to create a more distinct and obvious entrance to the front of their home. Aside from the functional reasons for the new porch, our client also had very specific ideas for its design. She wanted to recreate her grandmother’s porch so that she could carry on the same wonderful traditions with her own grandchildren someday. Key requirements for this front porch remodel included: - Creating a seamless connection to the main house. - A floorplan with areas for dining, reading, having coffee and playing games. - Respecting and maintaining the historic details of the home and making sure the addition felt authentic. Upon entering, you will notice the authentic real pine porch decking. Real windows were used instead of three season porch windows which also have molding around them to match the existing home’s windows. The left wing of the porch includes a dining area and a game and craft space. Ceiling fans provide light and additional comfort in the summer months. Iron wall sconces supply additional lighting throughout. Exposed rafters with hidden fasteners were used in the ceiling. Handmade shiplap graces the walls. On the left side of the front porch, a reading area enjoys plenty of natural light from the windows. The new porch blends perfectly with the existing home much nicer front facade. There is a clear front entrance to the home, where previously guests weren’t sure where to enter. We successfully created a place for the client to enjoy with her future grandchildren that’s filled with nostalgic nods to the memories she made with her own grandmother. "We have had many people who asked us what changed on the house but did not know what we did. When we told them we put the porch on, all of them made the statement that they did not notice it was a new addition and fit into the house perfectly.” – Homeowner

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Miami

Example of a mid-sized classic l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen design in New Orleans with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

"TaylorPro completely remodeled our master bathroom. We had our outdated shower transformed into a modern walk-in shower, new custom cabinets installed with a beautiful quartz counter top, a giant framed vanity mirror which makes the bathroom look so much bigger and brighter, and a wood ceramic tile floor including under floor heating. Kerry Taylor also solved a hot water problem we had by installing a recirculating hot water system which allows us to have instant hot water in the shower rather than waiting forever for the water to heat up. From start to finish TaylorPro did a professional, quality job. Kerry Taylor was always quick to respond to any question or problem and made sure all work was done properly. Bonnie, the resident designer, did a great job of creating a beautiful, functional bathroom design combining our ideas with her own. Every member of the TaylorPro team was professional, hard-working, considerate, and competent. Any remodeling project is going to be somewhat disruptive, but the TaylorPro crew made the process as painless as possible by being respectful of our home environment and always cleaning up their mess at the end of the day. I would recommend TaylorPro Design to anyone who wants a quality project done by a great team of professionals. You won't be disappointed!" ~ Judy and Stuart C, Clients Carlsbad home with Caribbean Blue mosaic glass tile, NuHeat radiant floor heating, grey weathered plank floor tile, pebble shower pan and custom "Whale Tail" towel hooks. Classic white painted vanity with quartz counter tops. Bathroom Design - Bonnie Bagley Catlin, Signature Designs Kitchen Bath. Contractor - TaylorPro Design and Remodeling Photos by: Kerry W. Taylor

Located on the flat of Beacon Hill, this iconic building is rich in history and in detail. Constructed in 1828 as one of the first buildings in a series of row houses, it was in need of a major renovation to improve functionality and to restore as well as re-introduce charm.Originally designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin, the renovation was respectful of his early work. “What would Asher have done?” was a common refrain during design decision making, given today’s technology and tools. Photographer: Bruce Buck

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

An extraordinary opportunity taken, applying a client driven design concept into a residence surpassing all expectations. Client collaboration and pursuant work combine to satisfy requirements of modernism, respect of streetscape, family privacy, and applications of art and function. Interior Furnishings by Client. Exclusive Photography and Videography by Michael Blevins of MB Productions.

This renovation was completed with the primary goal of removed the carpet in the stairs which was not only difficult to clean but constantly looking worn in this very busy household. Ideally they wanted a durable, low maintenance flooring solution that still added character and coziness. The solution: Luxury vinyl planks! The unique and discreet metal nosings we used respect the clean lines and richness of this amazing plank in a non-commercial way. NOTE: While not all vinyl planks are created equal - the good ones are worth paying a little extra for!

A rustic wood gate flanked with pots full of old fashioned roses provide an informal entry to the entry courtyard from the gravel driveway.
Photo of a mid-sized coastal full sun front yard gravel garden path in San Francisco.

Photos by Ken Vaughan
Open concept kitchen - mid-sized traditional l-shaped porcelain tile open concept kitchen idea in Dallas with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, mosaic tile backsplash, paneled appliances and an island