Not only do ReAlta homes incorporate solar power and home automation, they also embody contemporary architecture rarely seen on the east coast. Cheslea Building Group approached TruGuard, looking for a contemporary exterior cladding that fit with their building techniques (in this case, low maintenance). James Hardie Artisan V-Groove and Nichiha VintageWood Fiber Cement immediately came to mind. The Artisan V-Groove is pre-primed and painted on site to fit with one of the pre-selected color palettes. The VintageWood on the other hand, comes in two pre-finished colors that mimic the natural beauty and texture of real wood without the maintenance requirements. Whatever your aesthetic needs, TruGuard can offer a variety of cladding solutions for your remodel or new construction home.

Ulrich Designer: Julia Kleyman Photography by Peter Rymwid The design challenge in this kitchen was to combine sleek materials to make the space look modern – in fitting with the overall character of the home – and also to achieve a warm and inviting living space. Some special touches for the homeowners include the peninsula counter top that was dropped down to a more comfortable height for mixing and dough rolling. Above the peninsula a bean-shaped frosted glass snack counter sits on metal posts, creating an eating/snacking area. White porcelain tile with two chrome liners running around the perimeter create a clean backdrop for the focal point of the kitchen, a clear glass hood by Miele. A blue acrylic cabinetry finish gives the space a dash of color, while the cherry finish on the appliances side of the kitchen and on the sitting side of the peninsula makes the kitchen warm and inviting.

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land. They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot. Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family. The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day. A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms. Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids. Photographer credit: Irvin Serrano

Treve Johnson
Mid-sized trendy multiuse home gym photo in San Francisco with white walls

In 1949, one of mid-century modern’s most famous NW architects, Paul Hayden Kirk, built this early “glass house” in Hawthorne Hills. Rather than flattening the rolling hills of the Northwest to accommodate his structures, Kirk sought to make the least impact possible on the building site by making use of it natural landscape. When we started this project, our goal was to pay attention to the original architecture--as well as designing the home around the client’s eclectic art collection and African artifacts. The home was completely gutted, since most of the home is glass, hardly any exterior walls remained. We kept the basic footprint of the home the same—opening the space between the kitchen and living room. The horizontal grain matched walnut cabinets creates a natural continuous movement. The sleek lines of the Fleetwood windows surrounding the home allow for the landscape and interior to seamlessly intertwine. In our effort to preserve as much of the design as possible, the original fireplace remains in the home and we made sure to work with the natural lines originally designed by Kirk.

SITE STRUCTURES LANDSCAPE INC
Example of a mid-sized classic front yard patio design in Portland Maine

Emily Jenkins Followill photography This bath was one of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Bath of the Year winners for 2014!!
Mid-sized minimalist master white tile and glass tile marble floor bathroom photo in Atlanta with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets and white walls

Photography by Susan Teare
Freestanding bathtub - farmhouse light wood floor freestanding bathtub idea in Burlington with an undermount sink and a wall-mount toilet

Brian Vanden Brink
Home design - coastal home design idea in Boston

Inspiration for a craftsman bathroom remodel in Philadelphia

AquaTerra Outdoors was hired to bring life to the outdoors of the new home. When it came time to design the space we were challenged with the tight space of the backyard. We worked through the concepts and we were able to incorporate a new pool with spa, custom water feature wall, Ipe wood deck, outdoor kitchen, custom steel and Ipe wood shade arbor and fire pit. We also designed and installed all the landscaping including the custom steel planter. Photography: Wade Griffith

A freestanding structure set deep back into the site is a zen-like fitness/yoga studio as well as a guesthouse with a kitchenette (Photography by: Matthew Millman)

The picture perfect home
Example of a large transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photography by Lucas Henning.
Inspiration for a coastal garage remodel in Seattle

Custom shower shelves were integrated into the stall. The very, sloped, bottom "shelf" is at a good height, slope, and depth to support a foot while washing or shaving. A custom design feature that many customers have been thrilled with. James C Schell jim@jcschell.com

Matthew Daniels Photography
Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen remodel in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Michael Hsu
Entry hall - large contemporary concrete floor entry hall idea in Austin with white walls

Photographer: Teri Fotheringham Interior Designer: InSite Design Group This home gym was illuminated with perimeter monorail accent lighting and hidden uplighting. Using an overframed mirrored wall to conceal the uplight, we created the most illusive and coveted of all lights.... the invisible light.