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.

Mother in law suite has all the allowable amenities by law: refrigerator, sink, dishwasher, toaster over, microwave, toaster and coffee pot. With direct access to the main house, this offers the perfect amount of independence.

Images provided by 'Ancient Surfaces' Product name: Antique Biblical Stone Flooring Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com Antique reclaimed Limestone flooring pavers unique in its blend and authenticity and rare in it's hardness and beauty. With every footstep you take on those pavers you travel through a time portal of sorts, connecting you with past generations that have walked and lived their lives on top of it for centuries.

by Brian Walters
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Detroit with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR GLASS PANTRY DOOR! Pantry Doors shipping is just $99 to most states, $159 to some East coast regions, custom packed and fully insured with a 1-4 day transit time. Available any size, as pantry door glass insert only or pre-installed in a door frame, with 8 wood types available. ETA for pantry doors will vary from 3-8 weeks depending on glass & door type.........Block the view, but brighten the look with a beautiful glass pantry door by Sans Soucie! Select from dozens of frosted glass designs, borders and letter styles! Sans Soucie creates their pantry door glass designs thru sandblasting the glass in different ways which create not only different effects, but different levels in price. Choose from the highest quality and largest selection of frosted glass pantry doors available anywhere! The "same design, done different" - with no limit to design, there's something for every decor, regardless of style. Inside our fun, easy to use online Glass and Door Designer at sanssoucie.com, you'll get instant pricing on everything as YOU customize your door and the glass, just the way YOU want it, to compliment and coordinate with your decor. When you're all finished designing, you can place your order right there online! Glass and doors ship worldwide, custom packed in-house, fully insured via UPS Freight. Glass is sandblast frosted or etched and pantry door designs are available in 3 effects: Solid frost, 2D surface etched or 3D carved. Visit or site to learn more!

A warm, contemporary kitchen designed for entertaining, described by Erin McLaughlin, the Editor-in-Chief of Style at Home magazine, as the "new minimal" on CBC's Steven & Chris show. The travertine backsplash adds a dramatic focal point. Photo by Michael Graydon Photography http://www.michaelgraydon.ca/

A kitchen that any cook would love to have- spacious, loads of counter space and state-of-the-art appliances – in a rustic mountain style home that brings the grandeur of the surroundings inside. Photo credits: Design Directives, Dino Tonn

Kitchen and Great Room Remodel Photos by Erika Bierman www.erikabiermanphotography.com
Inspiration for a traditional open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, travertine floors and with island.

Photo of a traditional u-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, beige splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Inspiration for an arts and crafts eat-in kitchen in Seattle with stainless steel appliances, wood benchtops, a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, beige splashback and travertine splashback.

French Country Cabinetry by Bentwood Cabinetry. Photography by Mary Ann Elston
This is an example of a galley eat-in kitchen in New Orleans with raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, an undermount sink, granite benchtops and brick floors.

Mid-sized transitional eat-in kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

The warmth of quarter sawn oak is one of a kind. It's a great choice when looking for a natural, neutral cabinet. In this project, it was paired with a simple white quartz countertop. And it's golden natural hue was emphasized with gold hardware, and wicker pendants.

Expansive modern galley open plan kitchen in Salt Lake City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and coffered.

Design ideas for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Kyoto with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, beige splashback, black appliances, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts galley open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and green benchtop.

This kitchen remodel has a 5 foot Galley Workstation with a 36" induction cook top opposite it in the island. The ceiling exhaust hood provides lighting for the island.

This amazing traditional kitchen design in Yardley, PA incorporates medium wood finish raised panel cabinetry by Koch and Company with island cabinets painted charcoal blue The striking blue island is beautifully accented by a Grothouse butcherblock countertop, with a Silestone Copper Mist countertop around the perimeter. A Blanco Siligranit black farmhouse sink pairs perfectly with the Riobel faucet and soap dispenser. The Gazzini gold cashmere tile backsplash complements the kitchen cabinets and includes a niche behind the range, below a custom matching hood. The adjacent beverage bar includes a round Nantucket brushed satin sink and upper glass front display cabinets. Black appliances feature throughout the kitchen design including a GE French door refrigerator, KitchenAid cooktop, GE built-in double convection wall oven, and Sharp microwave drawer. The Lang's team also installed Andersen windows and a patio door with satin nickel hardware. The kitchen cabinets are packed with customized storage accessories including a corner cabinet swing out shelf, tray dividers, narrow spice and oil pull outs, pantry pull out shelves, appliance garage, and cutlery drawers. This kitchen design is packed with style and storage, and sure to be the center of attention in this home.

Reflecting Walls Photography
Inspiration for a small transitional galley open plan kitchen in Phoenix with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, travertine floors, no island, beige floor and beige benchtop.