Brooke Littell Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional open plan dining in Indianapolis with dark hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor and white walls.

View of dining room and living room with double sided fire place. Andrew Pogue Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open plan dining in Denver with a two-sided fireplace, beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a metal fireplace surround and brown floor.

From brick to wood, to steel, to tile: the materials in this project create both harmony and an interesting contrast all at once. Featuring the Lucius 140 peninsula fireplace by Element4. Photo by: Jill Greer

David Agnello
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open plan dining in Salt Lake City with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and brown floor.

Tana Photography
Large transitional open plan dining in Boise with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and brown floor.

A massive expanse of folding nana-wall doors creates open-concept flow to the covered and heated patio, for year-round enjoyment. Inside, the greatroom runs the entire width of the house, separated by a substantial 2-way fireplace wrapped in stone to match the home’s exterior styling. photography: Paul Grdina

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Sydney with white walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Inspiration for a country open plan dining in New York with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

This is an example of a large country open plan dining in Denver with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Open Living/Dining Room Floorplan | Custom Built in Cabinet Seating | Wood Tile Floor | Warm Gray Walls | Craftman Style Light Fixtures | Brick Two-Sided Fireplace

Mid-sized transitional open plan dining in Atlanta with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace and brown floor.

Inspiration for a transitional dining room in San Francisco with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

PC: Jeri Koegel Photography
Mid-sized contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Orange County with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and brown floor.

A young family with a wooded, triangular lot in Ipswich, Massachusetts wanted to take on a highly creative, organic, and unrushed process in designing their new home. The parents of three boys had contemporary ideas for living, including phasing the construction of different structures over time as the kids grew so they could maximize the options for use on their land. They hoped to build a net zero energy home that would be cozy on the very coldest days of winter, using cost-efficient methods of home building. The house needed to be sited to minimize impact on the land and trees, and it was critical to respect a conservation easement on the south border of the lot. Finally, the design would be contemporary in form and feel, but it would also need to fit into a classic New England context, both in terms of materials used and durability. We were asked to honor the notions of “surprise and delight,” and that inspired everything we designed for the family. The highly unique home consists of a three-story form, composed mostly of bedrooms and baths on the top two floors and a cross axis of shared living spaces on the first level. This axis extends out to an oversized covered porch, open to the south and west. The porch connects to a two-story garage with flex space above, used as a guest house, play room, and yoga studio depending on the day. A floor-to-ceiling ribbon of glass wraps the south and west walls of the lower level, bringing in an abundance of natural light and linking the entire open plan to the yard beyond. The master suite takes up the entire top floor, and includes an outdoor deck with a shower. The middle floor has extra height to accommodate a variety of multi-level play scenarios in the kids’ rooms. Many of the materials used in this house are made from recycled or environmentally friendly content, or they come from local sources. The high performance home has triple glazed windows and all materials, adhesives, and sealants are low toxicity and safe for growing kids.

Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts open plan dining in Grand Rapids with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

tonywestphoto.co.uk
This is an example of a large contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Other with medium hardwood floors, brown floor, white walls, a two-sided fireplace and a plaster fireplace surround.

Usedom Travel
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary kitchen/dining combo in Berlin with a two-sided fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, beige walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Lyne Brunet
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional separate dining room in Other with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.