This creative transitional space was transformed from a very dated layout that did not function well for our homeowners - who enjoy cooking for both their family and friends. They found themselves cooking on a 30" by 36" tiny island in an area that had much more potential. A completely new floor plan was in order. An unnecessary hallway was removed to create additional space and a new traffic pattern. New doorways were created for access from the garage and to the laundry. Just a couple of highlights in this all Thermador appliance professional kitchen are the 10 ft island with two dishwashers (also note the heated tile area on the functional side of the island), double floor to ceiling pull-out pantries flanking the refrigerator, stylish soffited area at the range complete with burnished steel, niches and shelving for storage. Contemporary organic pendants add another unique texture to this beautiful, welcoming, one of a kind kitchen! Photos by David Cobb Photography.

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

This kitchen was designed by Kathryn in our Braintree showroom. This beautiful kitchen remodel features Showplace raised-panel cabinets with a gray paint, gorgeous Cambria quartz countertops with a pencil edge and full height backsplash, Berenson hardware, and Sub-Zero appliances. Unique features in this kitchen include an extra large island, finished paneling on all visible ends, including the fridge, dishwasher, trash compactor, and ice maker, as well as a custom bench attached to the island with extra storage drawers. Cabinets: Showplace Chesapeake Finish: Gun Smoke/Peppercorn Gray Wash (bench) Counter tops: Cambria Quartz Color: Brittanicca Edge: Pencil Hardware: Berenson Vested Interest

Large modern single-wall eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Photo of a transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island and beige floor.

This is an example of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and shaker cabinets.

Photo of a large country l-shaped kitchen in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, with island and shaker cabinets.

Inspiration for a mid-sized country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, quartzite benchtops and brown floor.

Alyssa Kirsten
Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island and light hardwood floors.

California casual vibes in this Newport Beach farmhouse! Interior Design + Furnishings by Blackband Design Home Build + Design by Graystone Custom Builders

Double larder cupboard with drawers to the bottom. Bespoke hand-made cabinetry. Paint colours by Lewis Alderson
Photo of an expansive country kitchen pantry in Hampshire with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops and limestone floors.

These terrific clients turned a boring 80's kitchen into a modern, Asian-inspired chef's dream kitchen, with two tone cabinetry and professional grade appliances. An over-sized island provides comfortable seating for four. Custom Half-wall bookcases divide the kitchen from the family room without impeding sight lines into the inviting space. Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg

This gray and white family kitchen has touches of gold and warm accents. The Diamond Cabinets that were purchased from Lowes are a warm grey and are accented with champagne gold Atlas cabinet hardware. The Taj Mahal quartzite countertops have a nice cream tone with veins of gold and gray. The mother or pearl diamond mosaic tile backsplash by Jeffery Court adds a little sparkle to the small kitchen layout. The island houses the glass cook top with a stainless steel hood above the island. The white appliances are not the typical thing you see in kitchens these days but works beautifully. This family friendly casual kitchen brings smiles. Designed by Danielle Perkins @ DANIELLE Interior Design & Decor Taylor Abeel Photography

Lots of Drawers make retrieving cookware easy even for this retired couple. The distance between counters allows for multiple catering personnel to work together. Photo Credit: Felicia Evans

Tre Dunham
Photo of a large country l-shaped separate kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, brick floors, with island and brick splashback.

This scullery kitchen is located near the garage entrance to the home and the utility room. It is one of two kitchens in the home. The more formal entertaining kitchen is open to the formal living area. This kitchen provides an area for the bulk of the cooking and dish washing. It can also serve as a staging area for caterers when needed. Counters: Viatera by LG - Minuet Brick Back Splash and Floor: General Shale, Culpepper brick veneer Light Fixture/Pot Rack: Troy - Brunswick, F3798, Aged Pewter finish Cabinets, Shelves, Island Counter: Grandeur Cellars Shelf Brackets: Rejuvenation Hardware, Portland shelf bracket, 10" Cabinet Hardware: Emtek, Trinity, Flat Black finish Barn Door Hardware: Register Dixon Custom Homes Barn Door: Register Dixon Custom Homes Wall and Ceiling Paint: Sherwin Williams - 7015 Repose Gray Cabinet Paint: Sherwin Williams - 7019 Gauntlet Gray Refrigerator: Electrolux - Icon Series Dishwasher: Bosch 500 Series Bar Handle Dishwasher Sink: Proflo - PFUS308, single bowl, under mount, stainless Faucet: Kohler - Bellera, K-560, pull down spray, vibrant stainless finish Stove: Bertazzoni 36" Dual Fuel Range with 5 burners Vent Hood: Bertazzoni Heritage Series Tre Dunham with Fine Focus Photography

By relocating the sink and dishwasher to the island the new kitchen layout allows the owners to engage with guests seated at the island and the banquette while maintaining a view to the outdoor terrace.

This is an example of an expansive traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Art Gray
Inspiration for a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.