Nat Rea
Photo of a small country mudroom in Boston with white walls, slate floors, a single front door, a blue front door and blue floor.

Beautiful home on Lake Keowee with English Arts and Crafts inspired details. The exterior combines stone and wavy edge siding with a cedar shake roof. Inside, heavy timber construction is accented by reclaimed heart pine floors and shiplap walls. The three-sided stone tower fireplace faces the great room, covered porch and master bedroom. Photography by Accent Photography, Greenville, SC.

photo by Jeffery Edward Tryon
Inspiration for a small midcentury front door in Philadelphia with white walls, slate floors, a pivot front door, a light wood front door, grey floor and recessed.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional entryway in New York with grey walls, slate floors, a single front door and a medium wood front door.

The beautiful, old barn on this Topsfield estate was at risk of being demolished. Before approaching Mathew Cummings, the homeowner had met with several architects about the structure, and they had all told her that it needed to be torn down. Thankfully, for the sake of the barn and the owner, Cummings Architects has a long and distinguished history of preserving some of the oldest timber framed homes and barns in the U.S. Once the homeowner realized that the barn was not only salvageable, but could be transformed into a new living space that was as utilitarian as it was stunning, the design ideas began flowing fast. In the end, the design came together in a way that met all the family’s needs with all the warmth and style you’d expect in such a venerable, old building. On the ground level of this 200-year old structure, a garage offers ample room for three cars, including one loaded up with kids and groceries. Just off the garage is the mudroom – a large but quaint space with an exposed wood ceiling, custom-built seat with period detailing, and a powder room. The vanity in the powder room features a vanity that was built using salvaged wood and reclaimed bluestone sourced right on the property. Original, exposed timbers frame an expansive, two-story family room that leads, through classic French doors, to a new deck adjacent to the large, open backyard. On the second floor, salvaged barn doors lead to the master suite which features a bright bedroom and bath as well as a custom walk-in closet with his and hers areas separated by a black walnut island. In the master bath, hand-beaded boards surround a claw-foot tub, the perfect place to relax after a long day. In addition, the newly restored and renovated barn features a mid-level exercise studio and a children’s playroom that connects to the main house. From a derelict relic that was slated for demolition to a warmly inviting and beautifully utilitarian living space, this barn has undergone an almost magical transformation to become a beautiful addition and asset to this stately home.

Peter Aaron
Photo of a mid-sized traditional entryway in New York with a red front door, slate floors and a single front door.

With a busy family of four, the rear entry in this home was overworked and cramped. We widened the space, improved the storage, and designed a slip-in "catch all" cabinet that keeps chaos hidden. Off white cabinetry and a crisp white quartz countertop gives the entry an open, airy feel. The stunning, walnut veneered cabinetry and matching walnut hardware connect with the kitchen and compliment the lovely oak floor. The configuration of the mid-century style entry door echoes the mudroom shelves and adds a period touch.

This mud room entry has a great farmhouse addition feel. There's a large walk-in closet, custom lockers for everyone, a nice counter and cabinetry area with a second refrigerator. Meyer Design

Interior Designer: Allard & Roberts Interior Design, Inc. Builder: Glennwood Custom Builders Architect: Con Dameron Photographer: Kevin Meechan Doors: Sun Mountain Cabinetry: Advance Custom Cabinetry Countertops & Fireplaces: Mountain Marble & Granite Window Treatments: Blinds & Designs, Fletcher NC

Custom front doors using old growth White Oak. The clear glass is 1/2"thick and the colored glass is 1" thick chunks hammer into shards and then leaded into to cut spaces between the clear glass sections. The handle sets custom forged by a local black smith.

This unique custom iron door features a Charcoal finish, 60/40 pivot split, and detailed wrought iron lines.
This is an example of a large contemporary front door in Charlotte with slate floors, a pivot front door and a black front door.

Photo of a large traditional mudroom in Boston with blue walls, slate floors, a single front door, a black front door, black floor and planked wall panelling.

Photos by Kelly Raffaele
Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style mudroom in Portland Maine with slate floors, white walls and grey floor.

Embracing the notion of commissioning artists and hiring a General Contractor in a single stroke, the new owners of this Grove Park condo hired WSM Craft to create a space to showcase their collection of contemporary folk art. The entire home is trimmed in repurposed wood from the WNC Livestock Market, which continues to become headboards, custom cabinetry, mosaic wall installations, and the mantle for the massive stone fireplace. The sliding barn door is outfitted with hand forged ironwork, and faux finish painting adorns walls, doors, and cabinetry and furnishings, creating a seamless unity between the built space and the décor. Michael Oppenheim Photography

Here's a detail of the mudroom locker cabinets. Chris Marshall
This is an example of a large transitional mudroom in St Louis with white walls and slate floors.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional mudroom in Ottawa with blue walls, slate floors, a single front door and a white front door.

eladinejanetphotography
This is an example of a mid-sized country mudroom in New York with blue walls, slate floors, a single front door and a medium wood front door.

This is an example of a large country front door in Philadelphia with slate floors, a single front door and a green front door.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography