Unused piano room was remodeled to become a functioning family library, complete with rolling library ladder rail system, two built-in study spaces and 16ft tall shelving. Chaise provides the perfect reading space by the windows.

What was largely an unusable backyard was transformed into a complete outdoor living space. The focal point is the pool while the surrounding patio of architectural stamped concrete provides ample space for outdoor dining and a comfortable lounge area. Landscaping accents are provided by planting beds laden with colourful flowers and shrubs.

These homeowners decided to turn their ski home into a full-time home only to find that what was perfect as a vacation home, didn't function well for year-round living. In the master bathroom an unused tub was removed to make room for a larger vanity with storage. Using the same large format tiles on the floor and the walls provide the desired spa-like feel to the space. Floor to ceiling cabinets provide loads of storage for this kosher kitchen. Two dishwashers, two utensil drawers, a divided sink and two ovens are also included so that meat and dairy could be kept separated.

Photographer: Brendon Pinola Contractor: Lovette Construction This Tanglewood home originally had a very tiny kitchen separated from the family room and dining area. Several walls were removed to create this gorgeous open plan. The laundry was in the back corner by the bay window where ovens are currently located. The laundry was relocated to the front of the house where they had an unused formal sitting room. The laundry is now inside the walk in HIDDEN pantry that is concealed by cabinet doors. The large island is an incredible work surface and social gathering area. The cabinets are Wellborn's shaker door style with Glacier on the perimeter and Shadow Charcoal for the hood and island. This turned out to be one of my favorite projects of all time! Great clients to work with.

This older couple residing in a golf course community wanted to expand their living space and finish up their unfinished basement for entertainment purposes and more. Their wish list included: exercise room, full scale movie theater, fireplace area, guest bedroom, full size master bath suite style, full bar area, entertainment and pool table area, and tray ceiling. After major concrete breaking and running ground plumbing, we used a dead corner of basement near staircase to tuck in bar area. A dual entrance bathroom from guest bedroom and main entertainment area was placed on far wall to create a large uninterrupted main floor area. A custom barn door for closet gives extra floor space to guest bedroom. New movie theater room with multi-level seating, sound panel walls, two rows of recliner seating, 120-inch screen, state of art A/V system, custom pattern carpeting, surround sound & in-speakers, custom molding and trim with fluted columns, custom mahogany theater doors. The bar area includes copper panel ceiling and rope lighting inside tray area, wrapped around cherry cabinets and dark granite top, plenty of stools and decorated with glass backsplash and listed glass cabinets. The main seating area includes a linear fireplace, covered with floor to ceiling ledger stone and an embedded television above it. The new exercise room with two French doors, full mirror walls, a couple storage closets, and rubber floors provide a fully equipped home gym. The unused space under staircase now includes a hidden bookcase for storage and A/V equipment. New bathroom includes fully equipped body sprays, large corner shower, double vanities, and lots of other amenities. Carefully selected trim work, crown molding, tray ceiling, wainscoting, wide plank engineered flooring, matching stairs, and railing, makes this basement remodel the jewel of this community.

This functional pantry enables the home owner to keep the microwave out of the kitchen
Example of a large classic u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen pantry design in Columbus with open cabinets, a double-bowl sink, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and brown countertops

The original kitchen was disjointed and lacked connection to the home and its history. The remodel opened the room to other areas of the home by incorporating an unused breakfast nook and enclosed porch to create a spacious new kitchen. It features stunning soapstone counters and range splash, era appropriate subway tiles, and hand crafted floating shelves. Ceasarstone on the island creates a durable, hardworking surface for prep work. A black Blue Star range anchors the space while custom inset fir cabinets wrap the walls and provide ample storage. Great care was given in restoring and recreating historic details for this charming Foursquare kitchen.

Photographer: Brendon Pinola Contractor: Lovette Construction This Tanglewood home originally had a very tiny kitchen separated from the family room and dining area. Several walls were removed to create this gorgeous open plan. The laundry was in the back corner by the bay window where ovens are currently located. The laundry was relocated to the front of the house where they had an unused formal sitting room. The laundry is now inside the walk in HIDDEN pantry that is concealed by cabinet doors. The large island is an incredible work surface and social gathering area. The cabinets are Wellborn's shaker door style with Glacier on the perimeter and Shadow Charcoal for the hood and island. This turned out to be one of my favorite projects of all time! Great clients to work with.

A "must have" for the home owner. A more spacious and luxurious bath. We removed the outdated bathtub and vanity, occupied the unused space at the doorway and created a new entry. the built-in walnut shelves are removable and the hidden door behind it gives access to the bath system panel behind should it ever need servicing. The remote shower system includes a fixed wall mount shower head, rain shower, handheld with slide bar and 2 jets. The remote control located on the inside of the half wall takes care of the rest! The vanity was custom built for the space and color and the pebbled shower floor comforts the feet.

Example of a small transitional metal spiral open and metal railing staircase design in Chicago

Large closet used for linen storage: Pillows, duvets, sheets, throw pillows, napkins, blankets and pillow cases. An unused media stand was moved into the closet to add shelving storage, with doors that keep the linens dust free. Photo 1 of 2 Photos by Alex Fribourg

Save space and create a unique look in your home for that extra un-used space under your stairway. This refrigerated stairway cabinet features a contemporary style with climate control, backlighting, and storage capacity of up to 200-300 bottles.

An unused closet under the stairs was reimagined as a cozy space to curl up and read a book.
Small eclectic staircase photo in Other

APD was hired to update the kitchen, living room, primary bathroom and bedroom, and laundry room in this suburban townhome. The design brought an aesthetic that incorporated a fresh updated and current take on traditional while remaining timeless and classic. The kitchen layout moved cooking to the exterior wall providing a beautiful range and hood moment. Removing an existing peninsula and re-orienting the island orientation provided a functional floorplan while adding extra storage in the same square footage. A specific design request from the client was bar cabinetry integrated into the stair railing, and we could not be more thrilled with how it came together! The primary bathroom experienced a major overhaul by relocating both the shower and double vanities and removing an un-used soaker tub. The design added linen storage and seated beauty vanity while expanding the shower to a luxurious size. Dimensional tile at the shower accent wall relates to the dimensional tile at the kitchen backsplash without matching the two spaces to each other while tones of cream, taupe, and warm woods with touches of gray are a cohesive thread throughout.

Another great backyard transformation wrapped up for some super clients in Matthews! Talk about a "reinvention"!!, from a plain unused deck to a versatile EzeBreeze space that adds months of use over traditional screens. This project features our standard 6" columns, premium beadboard, aluminum spindles and a stamped patio for the grille!

This once unused bonus room was transformed into a wonderful new bedroom for a boy with lots of room to grow, play and have sleepovers. We took advantage of the attic space either side of the room by recessing the TV / storage area and also on the opposite side with the double desk unit. The room was separated by the sets of drawers that have custom headboards at the back of them, this helping with the great length of this room. Custom bookcase shelving was made for the window wall to also create not only depth but display as well. The clients as well as their son are enjoying the room!

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

This older couple residing in a golf course community wanted to expand their living space and finish up their unfinished basement for entertainment purposes and more. Their wish list included: exercise room, full scale movie theater, fireplace area, guest bedroom, full size master bath suite style, full bar area, entertainment and pool table area, and tray ceiling. After major concrete breaking and running ground plumbing, we used a dead corner of basement near staircase to tuck in bar area. A dual entrance bathroom from guest bedroom and main entertainment area was placed on far wall to create a large uninterrupted main floor area. A custom barn door for closet gives extra floor space to guest bedroom. New movie theater room with multi-level seating, sound panel walls, two rows of recliner seating, 120-inch screen, state of art A/V system, custom pattern carpeting, surround sound & in-speakers, custom molding and trim with fluted columns, custom mahogany theater doors. The bar area includes copper panel ceiling and rope lighting inside tray area, wrapped around cherry cabinets and dark granite top, plenty of stools and decorated with glass backsplash and listed glass cabinets. The main seating area includes a linear fireplace, covered with floor to ceiling ledger stone and an embedded television above it. The new exercise room with two French doors, full mirror walls, a couple storage closets, and rubber floors provide a fully equipped home gym. The unused space under staircase now includes a hidden bookcase for storage and A/V equipment. New bathroom includes fully equipped body sprays, large corner shower, double vanities, and lots of other amenities. Carefully selected trim work, crown molding, tray ceiling, wainscoting, wide plank engineered flooring, matching stairs, and railing, makes this basement remodel the jewel of this community.

Beach style light wood floor mudroom photo in New York with gray walls