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

Photo of a 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.

Maree Homer Photography
This is an example of a large transitional eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Transitional kitchen in West Midlands with a double-bowl sink, glass-front cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

This is an example of an expansive traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, blue splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Design ideas for an expansive transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | Elevation Homes, Builder | Peterssen/Keller, Architect | Spacecrafting, Photography | Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Tim Turner
Contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and marble splashback.

Transitional black and white kitchen remodel designed by Gail Bolling Woodbridge, Connecticut To get more detailed information copy and paste this link into your browser. https://thekitchencompany.com/blog/featured-kitchen-everyday-chefs-delight, Photographer, Dennis Carbo

Bill McAllen
Photo of an expansive country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

tamara flanagan photography
This is an example of a beach style l-shaped kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Photo of a large midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Orange County with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Contemporary galley open plan kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, black splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, white floor and black benchtop.

Silvertone Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Perth with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and brown floor.

Design ideas for a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, marble splashback, panelled appliances, with island, grey splashback, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Long and wide plank solid White Oak quarter and rift sawn wood flooring with a custom prefinish, locally manufactured by Hull Forest Products - Wide Plank Floors in Connecticut. Wood floors available mill-direct, unfinished or custom prefinished. 1-800-928-9602. https://www.hullforest.com Photo credit: Christopher Saelens

Greg Premru
This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Boston with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

www.zoon.ca
Inspiration for an expansive transitional u-shaped kitchen in Calgary with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Surrounded by canyon views and nestled in the heart of Orange County, this 9,000 square foot home encompasses all that is “chic”. Clean lines, interesting textures, pops of color, and an emphasis on art were all key in achieving this contemporary but comfortable sophistication. Photography by Chad Mellon