Reconfiguration of the exising kitchen/living room area yielded a more gracious entertaining space with unobstructed views and natural lighting. The pre-finished flooring is a 5" width plank from Dansk Hardwood: Vintage Birch Hard-scraped Solid in the "Toast" finish with satin sheen. Last I checked, it was discontinued by the manufacturer.

Spigelia marilandica in the "Berryville Virginia Swimming Pool" garden with Stachys, Asclepias tuberosa (a yellow flowering form), Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' , and Nepeta. This planting is in full sun. Photo by Tom Mannion. Used with permission

Small elegant ceramic tile kitchen photo in Other with white cabinets

Kitchen - transitional l-shaped gray floor kitchen idea in Miami with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Photography by Natalie Marotta Bungalows are lovable homes, but how can they be better? Along with many of our clients, we find that older (early 20th c.) homes have a lot of character and a comfortable scale, but are leaky, damp (especially in the basement), have fair to poor air quality, and use unconscionable amounts of fossil fuels to heat. The owners of this bungalow were ready to change that, and wanted to do so with minimal upfront carbon emissions as well. The gut renovation included replacing the basement slab and providing capillary breaks and insulation continuously below grade. The brick structure was treated with a fluid-applied air and water barrier from the interior and insulated entirely with cellulose, a carbon-storing insulation. The roof used HFO-blown spray foam to provide sufficient insulation while allowing headroom for bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry. One great benefit of a full renovation is the possibility of reconfiguring spaces to suit the family’s lifestyle, and to make the best of indoor-outdoor connections. We opened up the main rooms on the first floor, creating a family gathering spot with a view to the back yard, and a spacious kitchen that supports the family’s commitment to cooking for healthy eating. The stair uses a north-facing skylight to bring light from above into the middle of the home, where it was previously dark. As a decarbonization retrofit, the inefficient furnace was replaced with two small ducted heat pump systems, water heating and clothes drying are powered by air-source heat pumps, and cooking uses an induction cooktop plus electric ovens. Energy recovery ventilation provides filtered fresh air continuous exhaust from the kitchen, baths, and laundry, and supplies fresh, highly filtered air to bedrooms and living spaces. The Better Bungalow now makes sense for the 21st century–it now fits the owners’ life-patterns, is super comfortable, has great air quality, and uses a fraction of the energy it did before, greatly lowering the demand on the utility grid. In the near future, when solar PV is installed, it can achieve net zero or near net zero emissions, and with battery backup, can provide great resilience in the event of power outages.

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Minneapolis

This navy kid's room is filled with bright moments of orange and yellow. Ralph Lauren's Northern Hemisphere is covering the ceiling, inspiring exploration in space and ocean. A Solar System mobile and light-up Moon provide great fun to this sophisticated yet playful space.

This Bank Executive / Mom works full time from home. Accounting for this way of life, we began the office design by analyzing the space to accommodate for this individual’s workload and lifestyle. The office nook remains integrated within the rest of the household, with “tweenaged” boys afoot. Still sequestered upstairs, Mom fulfills her role as a professional, while keeping an ear on the household activities. We designed this space with ample lighting both natural and artificial, sufficient closed and open shelving, and supplies cupboards, with drawers and file cabinets. Craftsman Four Square, Seattle, WA - Master Bedroom & Office - Custom Cabinetry, by Belltown Design LLC, Photography by Julie Mannell

Example of a classic u-shaped dark wood floor laundry room design in Portland with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, a stacked washer/dryer and gray countertops

Mid-sized elegant dark wood floor hallway photo in Denver with beige walls

Photography by Natalie Marotta Bungalows are lovable homes, but how can they be better? Along with many of our clients, we find that older (early 20th c.) homes have a lot of character and a comfortable scale, but are leaky, damp (especially in the basement), have fair to poor air quality, and use unconscionable amounts of fossil fuels to heat. The owners of this bungalow were ready to change that, and wanted to do so with minimal upfront carbon emissions as well. The gut renovation included replacing the basement slab and providing capillary breaks and insulation continuously below grade. The brick structure was treated with a fluid-applied air and water barrier from the interior and insulated entirely with cellulose, a carbon-storing insulation. The roof used HFO-blown spray foam to provide sufficient insulation while allowing headroom for bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry. One great benefit of a full renovation is the possibility of reconfiguring spaces to suit the family’s lifestyle, and to make the best of indoor-outdoor connections. We opened up the main rooms on the first floor, creating a family gathering spot with a view to the back yard, and a spacious kitchen that supports the family’s commitment to cooking for healthy eating. The stair uses a north-facing skylight to bring light from above into the middle of the home, where it was previously dark. As a decarbonization retrofit, the inefficient furnace was replaced with two small ducted heat pump systems, water heating and clothes drying are powered by air-source heat pumps, and cooking uses an induction cooktop plus electric ovens. Energy recovery ventilation provides filtered fresh air continuous exhaust from the kitchen, baths, and laundry, and supplies fresh, highly filtered air to bedrooms and living spaces. The Better Bungalow now makes sense for the 21st century–it now fits the owners’ life-patterns, is super comfortable, has great air quality, and uses a fraction of the energy it did before, greatly lowering the demand on the utility grid. In the near future, when solar PV is installed, it can achieve net zero or near net zero emissions, and with battery backup, can provide great resilience in the event of power outages.

Designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn helped a neighbor and friend to update a “builder grade” kitchen into a personal, family space that feels luxurious and inviting. The homeowner wanted to solve a number of storage and flow problems in the kitchen, including a wasted area dedicated to a desk, too-little pantry storage, and her wish for a kitchen bar. The all white builder kitchen lacked character, and the client wanted to inject color, texture and personality into the kitchen while keeping it classic.

CCForteza
Transitional bathroom photo in Los Angeles

Design ideas for a contemporary full sun landscaping in Los Angeles with decking.

Farmhouse laundry room with shiplap walls and butcher block counters.
Dedicated laundry room - mid-sized cottage l-shaped porcelain tile, black floor and shiplap wall dedicated laundry room idea in Seattle with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, shiplap backsplash, white walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and brown countertops

Project Developer MJ Englert https://www.houzz.com/pro/mjenglert/mj-englert-ckbr-udcp-case-design-remodeling-inc Designer Scott North https://www.houzz.com/pro/snorth71/scott-north-case-design-remodeling-inc Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Built by: J.A. Long, Inc Design Builders
Large craftsman gray two-story wood exterior home idea in Jacksonville

The Vermont Cottage continues to be one of our most popular designs - mostly because the kits ship free* in the continental US and Eastern Canada & the estimated assembly time to build this 16' x 20' cabin is only 2 people, 40 hours. Diy plans are $49.95. Shown with optional cedar shake shingle siding, customer supplied antique windows & doors + electrical package.

Large elegant screened-in back porch photo in Minneapolis with decking and a roof extension