Trendy backyard infinity pool photo in Other with decking

An existing typical pressure treated wood fence was replaced with a chunky rustic stone block wall. The Wiarton Limestone blocks are stacked with a thick stone cap put on top. The wall is a nice foil to the smooth surfaces of the rest of the backyard.

This home started out as a very typical rectangular rancher. With adding some depth and roof structures to the front façade and a beautiful timber framed covered deck in the back this home now has real character. Couple those exterior upgrades with a full interior upgrade and this home has become a real show piece.

This is a master-bath remodel of a typical 90's bathroom. The large tiles, seamless shower, and the custom design on the tub base make it one of a kind. Photo by Building Images LLC

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

The industrious clients came to us with dreams of a new garage structure to provide a home for all of their passions. The design came together around a three car garage with room for a micro-brewery, workshop and bicycle storage – all attached to the house via a new three season porch – and a native prairie landscape and sauna structure on the roof. Designed by Jody McGuire Photographed by Corey Gaffer

“When the Cameron’s hired us to work with them, we were confronted with a typical Chicago problem…flooding on the property because of the grade differences between the two neighbor’s lots on both sides. The fixes were effective and beautiful; a raised bed on the north side to match the neighbor’s grade and a grassy area that was pitched toward a Rain Garden on the south side which effectively managed the water from the other neighbor’s garage and incorporated a percentage of native plants addressing Sustainable Sites Initiative™ requirements (the LEED like standards being set forth for the Landscape industry). We also incorporated organic food grade soil into areas where food would be grown.” - Julia Bunn The Spirited Gardener SpiritedGardener.com

Inspiration for a craftsman home design remodel in San Diego

Previously, this yard was burdened by a typical boulder pile pool, that was heaped higher than typical, trying to hide the towering wall behind. At first, the clients sought merely to reconfigure the BBQ that was congesting the patio, but upon further analysis, they decided it was time to strip the entire yard, leaving only the pool shell. Bianchi’s solution introduced an array of four arbors to distract the eye from the wall behind, solving what the boulder waterfall could never do. Additionally, the wall was painted a dark earth tone to add contrast and depth. This strategy enabled the wall to recede into the distance, while the agave blue grey arbors floated forward visually from the background. Previously, the patios were a hodgepodge of deck islands that were impossible to navigate, and were of insufficient size to arrange furniture on. A well organized patio streamlined the traffic flow and the living space, featuring a cast in place concrete fire pit and banco couch, as well as a new outdoor bistro, glowing with filtered light from the canvas shade sails overhead. A turquoise glass overflow spa became the yards focal point, sharing the space between the pool and outdoor living. The striking symmetry of the spa and pot pedestal with regal cacti arrangement behind, flanked by the arbors on either side, created a stately first impression from the front door. This teaser was just a glimpse of what could not yet be seen serving as an invitation to explore and enjoy as the yard unfolds. See more about this project & hear from the homeowner here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eT3RkLkg5w&feature=youtu.be

This covered walkway connects the garage to the side entrance. White pine timber framing is steel reinforced at critical points and uses typical 2x framing for the decking and flooring. The gaurd rail is all locust with hidden fasteners for long term rot resistance. The deck floor is 2x lumber with a unique "hidden fastener" system that minimizes labor and material costs.

Transitional deck photo in Seattle

Modern update to a typical South Park Slope row house with Synthtic lawn, Cedar horizontal fence, Bluestone patio, curved Corten planter with perennials and new metal deck with stairs in Ipe wood.

Easy entry to screened-in room from deck. McHugh Architecture designed a unique 3-Seasons Room addition for a family in Brielle, NJ. The home is an old English Style Tudor home. Most old English Style homes tend to have darker elements, where the space can typically feel heavy and may also lack natural light. We wanted to keep the architectural integrity of the Tudor style while giving the space a light and airy feel that invoked a sense of calmness and peacefulness. The space provides 3 seasons of indoor-outdoor entertainment.

This home was a typical Toll Brothers contemporary from the early ‘90’s. The exterior had reached the end of its life, with decayed cedar siding and a deteriorated roof. Greg & Tamara decided to use this opportunity to radically remake their home - to update its modern appeal and set it apart from any other suburban tract house. Spring Creek Design created a new deck, new siding design, entryways and sculptural landscaping for the home. Design Criteria: - Replace siding and give the home a bold, modern look. - Update the home’s landscaping with a spare modernism. - Add a new deck with an outdoor kitchen. Special Features: - Bold new exterior features fiber-cement panels and siding. -Three different colors are used to clearly define the shapes of the home. - Cantilevered concrete entryways features “floating” concrete slab landings. - Azek deck with tempered glass railings. - Custom wine-bottle light fixtures adorn the outdoor kitchen. - Massive planting boxes of Cor-Ten steel form the basis of a low-maintenance, dramatic landscape. - Custom-fabricated square gutters and downspouts compliment the linearity of the home’s design.

This home was a typical Toll Brothers contemporary from the early ‘90’s. The exterior had reached the end of its life, with decayed cedar siding and a deteriorated roof. Greg & Tamara decided to use this opportunity to radically remake their home - to update its modern appeal and set it apart from any other suburban tract house. Spring Creek Design created a new deck, new siding design, entryways and sculptural landscaping for the home. Design Criteria: - Replace siding and give the home a bold, modern look. - Update the home’s landscaping with a spare modernism. - Add a new deck with an outdoor kitchen. Special Features: - Bold new exterior features fiber-cement panels and siding. -Three different colors are used to clearly define the shapes of the home. - Cantilevered concrete entryways features “floating” concrete slab landings. - Azek deck with tempered glass railings. - Custom wine-bottle light fixtures adorn the outdoor kitchen. - Massive planting boxes of Cor-Ten steel form the basis of a low-maintenance, dramatic landscape. - Custom-fabricated square gutters and downspouts compliment the linearity of the home’s design.

This uniquely designed home in Seattle, Washington recently underwent a dramatic transformation that provides both a fresh new aesthetic and improved functionality. Renovations on this home went above and beyond the typical “face-lift” of the home remodel project and created a modern, one-of-a-kind space perfectly designed to accommodate the growing family of the homeowners. Along with creating a new aesthetic for the home, constructing a dwelling that was both energy efficient and ensured a high level of comfort were major goals of the project. To this end, the homeowners selected A5h Windows and Doors with triple-pane glazing which offers argon-filled, low-E coated glass and warm edge spacers within an all-aluminum frame. The hidden sash option was selected to provide a clean and modern aesthetic on the exterior facade. Concealed hinges allow for a continuous air seal, while premium stainless-steel handles offer a refined contemporary touch.

This overgrown, rectangular yard in San Francisco is home to a young couple, their 3-year-old daughter, and twins that were on the way. Typical of many San Francisco yards, it is accessed from the back deck down a long set of stairs. The client wanted to be able to spend quality time in the yard with her two new babies and toddler. The design includes a play structure, a covered sand box, a small raised planter for playing in the dirt. Due to the limited space, several trellises were added to the side and back fence so that vines could add color surrounding the new play area. Covering an existing concrete pad with cut Connecticut Bluestone enhanced the adult seating area and was surrounded by low maintenance colorful planting beds. A simple but beautiful walkway of stones set in lose pebbles connects these two use areas. Custom lattice was added onto the underside of the deck to hide the large utility area. The existing deck and stairs were repaired and refurbished to improve it’s look and longevity. The clients were very happy with the end result which came in on time and budget just as the twin girls were born.

Overthinking a situation isn’t always a bad thing, particularly when the home in question is one in which the past is suddenly meeting the present. Originally designed by Finnish architect Olav Hammarstrom in 1952 for fellow architect Eero Saarinen, this unique home recently received its first transformation in decades. Still in its 1950s skin, it was completely gutted, inside and out. It was a serious undertaking, as the homeowner wanted modern upgrades, while keeping an eye toward retaining the home’s 1950s charm. She had a vision for her home, and she stuck to it from beginning to end. Perched on a rise of land and overlooking the tranquil Wellfleet Herring Pond, the home initially appears split, with the guest house on the left, and the main house of the right, but both ends are connected with a breezeway. The original home’s bones were in good shape, but many upgrades and replacements were necessary to bring the house up to date. New siding, roofing, gutters, insulation and mechanical systems were all replaced. Doors and windows with metal frames were custom made by a company in Long Island that fabricates doors for office buildings. Modern heating and cooling systems were added, and the three bathrooms were all updated. The footprint of the home remained unchanged. Inside, the only expansion was more closet space. The attention to detail in retaining the 50s-style look took a lot of online searching, from handles and knobs to lighting fixtures, with bits and pieces arriving from all over the world, including a doorstop from New Zealand. The homeowner selected many of the fixtures herself, while a very detail-oriented foreman exhaustively researched as well, looking for just the right piece for each and every location. High-end appliances were purchased to modernize the kitchen and all of the old cabinetry was removed, replaced and refaced with NUVACOR, a versatile surfacing material that not only provided a sleek, modern look, but added convenience and ease of use. Bare, wood-beamed ceilings throughout give a nod to the home’s natural surroundings, while the main living area (formerly a fisherman’s cabin), with a brick fireplace, was completely trimmed in walnut, while multiple windows of varying sizes welcome sunlight to brighten the home. Here, the sheetrock ceiling with faux rafters provides an interesting and room-brightening feature. Behind the house sits the serene pond, which can now be enjoyed from the stunning new deck. Here, decking material was not laid out side by side, as it typically is but, instead, meticulously laid out on edge, creating an unusual and eye-catching effect. A railing of tempered glass panels allows unobstructed views of the surrounding natural beauty, and keeps consistent with the open, airy feel of the place. A new outdoor shower is accessible via the deck and left open to the wilderness and the pond below, completing the bold yet sophisticated feeling of this retro-modern home.