Large elegant galley porcelain tile kitchen pantry photo in Houston with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops and an island

Example of a large trendy light wood floor kitchen pantry design in New York with white cabinets and open cabinets

A dark backyard was given a new life with dramatic additions of built in planting beds, custom cut salvaged pavers, green screen trellis and a ton of charm. The reclaimed barn doors add a focal point to the east wall while the custom built two-tier planting system allows vines to fill this garden which spans two floors of the client's home.

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

Justin Krug Photography
Inspiration for a huge farmhouse gray two-story wood gable roof remodel in Portland with a metal roof

When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

Inspiration for a farmhouse living room remodel in Boise

Stacy Bass Photography
Large beach style white three-story wood gable roof photo in New York with a mixed material roof

larry arnal photography
Example of a small transitional gender-neutral bamboo floor and beige floor walk-in closet design in Toronto with open cabinets and white cabinets

This Secret finish custom reach-in closet is not a well kept secret, but not one to hide either! Fully custom storage, it’s a joy to use and look at, especially when you have an open closet. Shown with an oil rubbed bronze hardware, this custom reach-in closet provides plenty of storage with shelves, hanging rods and drawers.

This new 6400 s.f. two-story split-level home lifts upward and orients toward unobstructed views of Windy Hill. The deep overhanging flat roof design with a stepped fascia preserves the classic modern lines of the building while incorporating a Zero-Net Energy photovoltaic panel system. From start to finish, the construction is uniformly energy efficient and follows California Build It Green guidelines. Many sustainable finish materials are used on both the interior and exterior, including recycled old growth cedar and pre-fabricated concrete panel siding. Photo by: www.bernardandre.com

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Columbus with gray cabinets and shaker cabinets

Example of a huge classic enclosed carpeted and multicolored floor home theater design in Austin with beige walls and a projector screen

Michelle Wilson Photography
Example of a mid-sized country concrete floor and gray floor dedicated laundry room design in San Francisco with an utility sink, white cabinets, white walls, a stacked washer/dryer, shaker cabinets, wood countertops and beige countertops

This basic Media Room features a smaller Flat Panel Display and a completely wireless Surround Sound System. The wireless Surround System also doubles as a great Music System.

Designer: Matt Welch Contractor: Adam Lambert Photographer: Mark Bayer
Mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped medium tone wood floor home design photo in Burlington with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Designer: Cameron Snyder & Judy Whalen; Photography: Dan Cutrona
Home design - huge traditional master beige tile and stone tile marble floor home design idea in Boston with dark wood cabinets, granite countertops and beige walls

Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal galley light wood floor and beige floor laundry room remodel in Miami with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, green walls, solid surface countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Closet - closet idea in Phoenix