Rebecca Westover
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless light wood floor and beige floor entryway remodel in Salt Lake City with white walls and a glass front door

The plank tile floors are set over an infloor heating system. The tiles were laid in a herringbone pattern and dark grout was used to bring in a feeling of history to this space. Then by playing with the dividers in the built in bookcases and keeping very clean lines on the windows they style of the basement feels like a modern update on a classic style. Architecture & Design by Meriwether Felt. Photos by Susan Gilmore

Eric Roth Photography
Living room - large coastal formal and open concept concrete floor and gray floor living room idea in Boston with beige walls and no tv

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

Photography: David Duncan Livingston
Large transitional bedroom photo in San Francisco

Photo: Mina Brinkey © 2013 Houzz
Inspiration for a mediterranean bedroom remodel in Tampa with blue walls

Photo by Oivanki Photography. Builder: Telich Custom Homes. Interior Design: Anne McCanless.
Example of a transitional dark wood floor living room design in Nashville with white walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Dan Cutrona
Example of a small beach style open concept dark wood floor living room design in Boston with a standard fireplace, blue walls, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a large minimalist formal concrete floor living room design in Sydney with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

Our client’s love of books directed much of the use of the wall space in the entry and living room. The books provide areas of color and visual interest against the newly painted accent wall in Silken Blue by Benjamin Moore.

Randall Perry Photography
Bedroom - mediterranean beige floor bedroom idea in Miami

Mid-sized country medium tone wood floor and brown floor entry hall photo in Indianapolis with white walls

Dining room - contemporary medium tone wood floor dining room idea in Portland with white walls

Inspiration for a coastal medium tone wood floor bedroom remodel in Orange County with gray walls

Travis J Photography
Inspiration for a transitional gender-neutral nursery remodel in Salt Lake City with white walls

Studio Tim Campbell, Grand Foyer & Entrance Hall Holiday: The Blue Angel Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Living room - eclectic living room idea in New York with beige walls

Home office - contemporary freestanding desk home office idea in New York with white walls

Photography: Nathan Schroder
Inspiration for a mediterranean bedroom remodel in Dallas with beige walls

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2014 Houzz
Family room - contemporary family room idea in New York with multicolored walls