Mid-sized modern formal enclosed living room in Vancouver with white walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

This is an example of a mid-sized modern living room in Houston with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and brown floor.

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

We were asked by the client to produce designs for a small mews house that would maximise the potential of the site on this very compact footprint. One of the principal design requirements was to bring as much natural light down through the building as possible without compromising room sizes and spacial arrangements. Both a full basement and roof extension have been added doubling the floor area. A stacked two storey cantilevered glass stair with full height glazed screens connects the upper floors to the basement maximising daylight penetration. The positioning and the transparency of the stair on the rear wall of the house create the illusion of space and provide a dramatic statement in the open plan rooms of the house. Wide plank, full length, natural timber floors are used as a warm contrast to the harder glazed elements. The project was highly commended at the United Kingdom Property Awards and commended at the Sunday Times British Homes Awards. The project has been published in Grand Designs Magazine, The Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph. Project Location: Princes Mews, Notting Hill Gate Project Type: New Build Internal Floor Area after: 150m2 Photography: Nerida Howard Photography

Photo of a mid-sized modern formal enclosed living room in Salt Lake City with grey walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Photo of a modern living room in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, beige floor and a wall-mounted tv.

Large modern open concept living room in Los Angeles with medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Inspiration for a large modern formal open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and no tv.

Design ideas for a modern living room in San Francisco.

Mid-sized modern formal enclosed living room in San Diego with beige walls, a wall-mounted tv, porcelain floors, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and white floor.

This is an example of a mid-sized modern formal enclosed living room in Sacramento with white walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Modern living room in Hertfordshire.

Justin Foulkes
Modern open concept living room in Devon with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Photo of an expansive modern formal open concept living room in New York with beige walls, limestone floors, a standard fireplace and a metal fireplace surround.

Photo: Lisa Petrole
Photo of a large modern open concept living room in San Francisco with a home bar, white walls, porcelain floors, a ribbon fireplace and a concrete fireplace surround.

A masterpiece of light and design, this gorgeous Beverly Hills contemporary is filled with incredible moments, offering the perfect balance of intimate corners and open spaces. A large driveway with space for ten cars is complete with a contemporary fountain wall that beckons guests inside. An amazing pivot door opens to an airy foyer and light-filled corridor with sliding walls of glass and high ceilings enhancing the space and scale of every room. An elegant study features a tranquil outdoor garden and faces an open living area with fireplace. A formal dining room spills into the incredible gourmet Italian kitchen with butler’s pantry—complete with Miele appliances, eat-in island and Carrara marble countertops—and an additional open living area is roomy and bright. Two well-appointed powder rooms on either end of the main floor offer luxury and convenience. Surrounded by large windows and skylights, the stairway to the second floor overlooks incredible views of the home and its natural surroundings. A gallery space awaits an owner’s art collection at the top of the landing and an elevator, accessible from every floor in the home, opens just outside the master suite. Three en-suite guest rooms are spacious and bright, all featuring walk-in closets, gorgeous bathrooms and balconies that open to exquisite canyon views. A striking master suite features a sitting area, fireplace, stunning walk-in closet with cedar wood shelving, and marble bathroom with stand-alone tub. A spacious balcony extends the entire length of the room and floor-to-ceiling windows create a feeling of openness and connection to nature. A large grassy area accessible from the second level is ideal for relaxing and entertaining with family and friends, and features a fire pit with ample lounge seating and tall hedges for privacy and seclusion. Downstairs, an infinity pool with deck and canyon views feels like a natural extension of the home, seamlessly integrated with the indoor living areas through sliding pocket doors. Amenities and features including a glassed-in wine room and tasting area, additional en-suite bedroom ideal for staff quarters, designer fixtures and appliances and ample parking complete this superb hillside retreat.

Photography by Matthew Momberger
Photo of a modern living room in Los Angeles.

Living Room
Photo of a mid-sized modern enclosed living room in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

A coffee table easily converts to a laptop computer workspace for traveling professionals or FaceBook check-ins.
Small modern open concept living room in Minneapolis with grey walls.