One of the most appealing aspects of getting LeafGuard® gutters installed is their oversized troughs and downspouts. Just how large? Sizable enough for the Good Housekeeping Institute to certify that LeafGuard® Brand Gutters can handle over 32 inches of rain in an hour. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at a project we completed for our client, Jim.

An existing 1 storey bungalow which we have converted into a brand new 2 storey Custom dream home. A complete gut of the entire house allowed for several upgrades including a large open concept first floor footprint, a sizable family room, dedicated laundry room, 3 beautiful, spacious bedrooms and a custom kitchen.

Example of a mountain style kitchen design in Houston

BEFORE: Opening up a once congested kitchen space allowed our client to host all the family events, neighborhood socials, and even the grand kids! Installing some sizable LVLs and relocating the pantry to an unused hall space behind the range made this the most beautiful and open great room of them all!

Opening up a once congested kitchen space allowed our client to host all the family events, neighborhood socials, and even the grand kids! Installing some sizable LVLs and relocating the pantry to an unused hall space behind the range made this the most beautiful and open great room of them all!

One of the most appealing aspects of getting LeafGuard® gutters installed is their oversized troughs and downspouts. Just how large? Sizable enough for the Good Housekeeping Institute to certify that LeafGuard® Brand Gutters can handle over 32 inches of rain in an hour. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at a project we completed for our client, Jim.

The dining room showcases the original built-ins and a sizable pocket door. Quartersawn meticulously restored the original pocket door to its former glory, incorporating a soft-close feature.

Opening up a once congested kitchen space allowed our client to host all the family events, neighborhood socials, and even the grand kids! Installing some sizable LVLs and relocating the pantry to an unused hall space behind the range made this the most beautiful and open great room of them all!

While the great room’s existing footprint was sizable, the room lived small. To create a loftier, more airy space, we eliminated the two-sided fireplace and redesigned the ceiling vault by encroaching an upstairs storage area.

Nestled in the countryside and designed to accommodate a multi-generational family, this custom compound boasts a nearly 5,000 square foot main residence, an infinity pool with luscious landscaping, a guest and pool house as well as a pole barn. The spacious, yet cozy flow of the main residence fits perfectly with the farmhouse style exterior. The gourmet kitchen with separate bakery kitchen offers built-in banquette seating for casual dining and is open to a cozy dining room for more formal meals enjoyed in front of the wood-burning fireplace. Completing the main level is a library, mudroom and living room with rustic accents throughout. The upper level features a grand master suite, a guest bedroom with dressing room, a laundry room as well as a sizable home office. The lower level has a fireside sitting room that opens to the media and exercise rooms by custom-built sliding barn doors. The quaint guest house has a living room, dining room and full kitchen, plus an upper level with two bedrooms and a full bath, as well as a wrap-around porch overlooking the infinity edge pool and picturesque landscaping of the estate.

On the wall leading up to the third floor library we installed high-gloss white wall tiles for a graphic pop. The right side wall has white board paint where the husband works on mathematical formulas. Photo: Eric Roth

This kitchen is light filled. Note the wall mounted kitchen faucet that adds to the over all vintage flavor. There is a sizable under-the-counter oven and a microwave station. The white cabinetry adds sparkle and the vintage style hardware feel right at home in this highly usable little space. Three cooks can easily make 100 square feet work and have a good time doing it. The meal should be exceptional.

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

Opening up a once congested kitchen space allowed our client to host all the family events, neighborhood socials, and even the grand kids! Installing some sizable LVLs and relocating the pantry to an unused hall space behind the range made this the most beautiful and open great room of them all!

This is a 1906 Denver Square next to our city’s beautiful City Park! This was a sizable remodel that expanded the size of the home on two stories.
Open concept kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen idea in Denver with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

The former attic was transformed into more usable space - a sizable master closet. Photo by Jim Tschetter
Inspiration for a modern gender-neutral walk-in closet remodel in Chicago

Sizable addition to a small 1960s house, almost doubling it's size. Vaulted ceilings, skylights, full height glazing on the rear elevation of the house and fresh white walls expand the spaces and create a cozy, creative canvas for the artist owner to splash with her colorful accents.

The former attic was transformed into more usable space - a sizable master closet. Photo by Jim Tschetter
Minimalist gender-neutral walk-in closet photo in Chicago

The bones of the kitchen allowed for a sizable island, a banquette window breakfast nook, and a desk area! Photos: Rebecca Quandt
Example of a large transitional u-shaped porcelain tile and gray floor enclosed kitchen design in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops