Photographer: Chase Daniel
1960s medium tone wood floor dining room photo in Austin with green walls

Example of a mid-sized country open concept light wood floor living room design in Milwaukee with white walls

The PPG Pittsburgh Paints®, 2016 Paint Color of the Year Paradise Found provides a backdrop of nature-inspired color on the ceiling. The space is balanced with wood in natural tones, while Delicate White assists in creating a more passive and soothing feel. Drawn from consumers’ increasing desire for safety & security, the minimalist elements of this design theme work together to convey calming, relaxing environments.

Meredith Gilardoni
Inspiration for an eclectic porcelain tile dining room remodel in San Francisco with pink walls

Mauricio Pinto
Kitchen/dining room combo - small industrial ceramic tile kitchen/dining room combo idea with brown walls

Farmhouse medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Dallas with white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photo by Suzanna Scott Photography.
Trendy beige floor kitchen photo in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Dining room - transitional dining room idea in Los Angeles

Example of an eclectic light wood floor dining room design in Burlington with white walls

Rachael Boling
Example of a beach style medium tone wood floor and brown floor dining room design with white walls

Inspiration for a large coastal light wood floor dining room remodel in New York with white walls

Clarity NW
Trendy light wood floor and beige floor dining room photo in Seattle with beige walls

Example of a large minimalist galley light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen design in Atlanta with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, marble countertops, metallic backsplash, mirror backsplash, black appliances, an island and black countertops

The formal dining area, also on the top level of the home, features Mid-Century furniture and lighting. Photo: Jim Bartsch
Inspiration for a large 1960s porcelain tile and beige floor dining room remodel in Los Angeles

photos by Matthew Williams
Large trendy concrete floor enclosed dining room photo in New York with beige walls

Laura Resen
Dining room - transitional dining room idea in Boston with gray walls

Inspiration for a contemporary tile patio remodel with a roof extension

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography