Michael J Lee
Example of a transitional family room design in Boston with white walls

Transitional kitchen photo in Denver

White crisp subway tile accented with a contrasting band of black tile create interest in this basement bathroom. Photo: Pete Eckert
Example of a transitional white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor and white floor bathroom design in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, blue walls, an undermount sink and brown countertops

photo credit: Haris Kenjar Tabarka tile floor. Rejuvenation sink + mirror. Arteriors lighting.
Example of a transitional 3/4 white tile and ceramic tile multicolored floor and terra-cotta tile corner shower design in Albuquerque with a wall-mount sink, medium tone wood cabinets, white walls and a hinged shower door

Mid-sized minimalist master white tile and subway tile ceramic tile walk-in shower photo in San Francisco

Michael Hospelt Photography
Open concept kitchen - small modern u-shaped brick floor and red floor open concept kitchen idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, gray backsplash, a peninsula, an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, concrete countertops, stone slab backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Organization has to be key in a dressing room as well as looking beautiful. This was achieved by form and function, just gorgeous.
Closet - transitional closet idea in Indianapolis

Home office library - large craftsman dark wood floor home office library idea in Seattle with green walls

Karuna Passive House designed by Holst Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand. This high performance home meets the world's most demanding green building certifications. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann.

Example of a large mountain style l-shaped concrete floor eat-in kitchen design in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, an island, medium tone wood cabinets, marble countertops and stainless steel appliances

Small elegant 3/4 gray tile gray floor bathroom photo in Salt Lake City with a two-piece toilet, gray walls, quartz countertops, white countertops, recessed-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, a drop-in sink and a niche

This open urban kitchen invites with pops of yellow and an eat in dining table. A highly functional, contemporary beauty featuring wide plank white oak grey stained floors, white lacquer refrigerator and washing machine, brushed aluminum lower cabinets and walnut upper cabinets. Pure white Caesarstone countertops, Blanco kitchen faucet and sink, Bertazzoni range, Bosch dishwasher, architectural lighting trough with LED lights, and Emtech brushed chrome door hardware complete the high-end look.

Small elegant l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash and subway tile backsplash

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2017 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in Seattle

Casey Fry
Kitchen - mid-sized contemporary single-wall medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, gray backsplash and dark wood cabinets

This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months. With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of

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

Michael Moran
Large contemporary white three-story stucco flat roof idea in DC Metro

Karuna Passive House designed by Holst Architecture and built by Hammer & Hand. This high performance home meets the world's most demanding green building certifications. Photo by Jeremy Bittermann.