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.

Saturday June 20, 10:00 to 11:30am | Manhattan Midtown Sky Garden by Hank White, FASLA, and Aaron Booher of HMWhite This excursion to a spectacular workplace landscape will take visitors up high above the busy streets of Manhattan. The award-winning, 6,500 square-foot terrace of the Midtown Manhattan Sky Garden takes advantage of panoramic skyline views while providing an intimate garden backdrop to the mid-century-modern building’s newly-renovated interior workspace. Richly textured and seasonally diverse plantings include a dense blanket of drought-tolerant prairie grasses, wildflower perennials, and spring flowering bulbs, punctuated by flowering Crab Apple trees. At twilight, the garden evolves into a subtle stage set of textured plantings, rustling softly against the glow of a frosted glass parapet rail—a soothing space where workers can escape the conference room or the electrifying noise of the dense urban environment. The roof garden’s biophilic design has elevated employees’ well-being, productivity, and morale. Photo copyright C. Taylor Crothers Photography

Chilton's Acadia Live Edge Collection is crafted in Maine from solid walnut, cherry or Spalted Maple. Each piece features clean minimalist lines with a contrasting unfinished edge from the bark line of the tree. This raw "live edge" ensures that each piece is both dynamic and unique. Inspired by George Nakashima, this bed marries a modern aesthetic with a reverence for the tree from which it was hewn. Also available as a stand-alone frame without headboard. Headboard height and shape vary from piece to piece based on the individual characteristics of the wood. This bed is a platform bed that only requires a mattress. A foundation is not necessary.

Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal porch remodel in Charleston with a fire pit

We removed an existing concrete patio and replaced it w/ this incredible Raised Patio and retaining wall w/ Solid Blue Stone Cap-Stones and added some Low-voltage Lighting on the corner light piers...

NAPOLEAN: The grey and brown undertones of this imperial, solid French oak can serve as the foundation of any design style. A contemporary twist to a classic wood.

These new solid, site finished hardwood floors are the foundation to how wonderful this light filled room will be! These classic wood floors welcome any style! That's why we love it! Congratulations to our client!

RutGuard™ was used in a patio project in place of the traditional method of packing sand as the sub-base. By using RutGuard™, the customer was able to use 1/3 of the material originally needed to create a solid foundation. RutGuard™ continues to hold the material in place to keep it from being pushed into the ground or washed away by the rain.

Kellogg's Painting Company painted the exterior of this Windham, NY home. Our painters applied a solid stain to the fence decks, siding and overhangs. The foundation was painted white.

With floor space at a premium within the efficient footprint of the hut, convertible wall mounted furniture maximizes the amount of open space, while providing storage, a sizable desk, and an entry bench.

Photo by Eric Rorer
Inspiration for a contemporary dark wood floor dining room remodel in San Francisco with gray walls

Kellogg's Painting Contractors painted the exterior of this Windham, NY home. Our painters applied a solid stain to the fence, deck, siding and overhangs. The foundation was painted white.

Ulimited Style Photography
Example of a mid-sized minimalist front yard tile patio design in Los Angeles with an awning

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to math the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who could not live in a tiny house, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design assistance by Jimmy Thornton

The THALI The Loop Pillar Dining Table is a luxury solid wood architectural dining masterpiece. Serving as the foundational centerpiece of the collection, this monumental design replaces traditional legs with dual, massive solid "U-Pillar" bases that form a continuous, vessel-like loop, beautifully balancing heavy, grounded timber with an open and airy presence.

This custom craftsman home located in Flemington, NJ was created for our client who wanted to find the perfect balance of accommodating the needs of their family, while being conscientious of not compromising on quality. Embracing handiwork, simplicity, and natural materials, this single story Craftsman-style home is cozy and constructed of beautiful shingle siding and stone details. This home is built on a solid rock foundation which allows a natural transition between the land and the built environment.

Large traditional gray two-story vinyl gable roof idea in Boston

Pre-run bedding, staining and landscaping

What was once just an area to pass through on the way to the front door is now a welcoming destination. The custom mortise and tenon swing invites you to sit and relax for a while. Photo: Jessica Abler, Los Angeles, CA Photos by Jessica Abler, Los Angeles, CA