Brian Vanden Brink

Keeping this kitchen true to its original period it has black granite perimeter countertops that are honed rather than polished to mimic slate or soapstone. The 9 foot long island has a walnut countertop and antique brass bin style pulls. See-in cabinets that extend to the ceiling are an old school idea that looks great and provides ample storage.

Existing 100 year old Arts and Crafts home. Kitchen space was completely gutted down to framing. In floor heat, chefs stove, custom site-built cabinetry and soapstone countertops bring kitchen up to date. Designed by Jean Rehkamp and Ryan Lawinger of Rehkamp Larson Architects. Greg Page Photography

Location: Bethesda, MD, USA We demolished an existing house that was built in the mid-1900s and built this house in its place. Everything about this new house is top-notch - from the materials used to the craftsmanship. The existing house was about 1600 sf. This new house is over 5000 sf. We made great use of space throughout, including the livable attic with a guest bedroom and bath. Finecraft Contractors, Inc. GTM Architects Photographed by: Ken Wyner

Photo: Corynne Pless © 2013 Houzz

A comfortable Family Room designed with family in mind, comfortable, durable with a variety of texture and finishes. Photography by Phil Garlington, UK

http://www.houzz.com/pro/curtis10/curtis-martin-photo-inc

Jeff Herr

Memories That Last Photos by Tracy Kearney

As part of the Walnut Farm project, Northworks was commissioned to convert an existing 19th century barn into a fully-conditioned home. Working closely with the local contractor and a barn restoration consultant, Northworks conducted a thorough investigation of the existing structure. The resulting design is intended to preserve the character of the original barn while taking advantage of its spacious interior volumes and natural materials.

Nancy Hill

The site for this new house was specifically selected for its proximity to nature while remaining connected to the urban amenities of Arlington and DC. From the beginning, the homeowners were mindful of the environmental impact of this house, so the goal was to get the project LEED certified. Even though the owner’s programmatic needs ultimately grew the house to almost 8,000 square feet, the design team was able to obtain LEED Silver for the project. The first floor houses the public spaces of the program: living, dining, kitchen, family room, power room, library, mudroom and screened porch. The second and third floors contain the master suite, four bedrooms, office, three bathrooms and laundry. The entire basement is dedicated to recreational spaces which include a billiard room, craft room, exercise room, media room and a wine cellar. To minimize the mass of the house, the architects designed low bearing roofs to reduce the height from above, while bringing the ground plain up by specifying local Carder Rock stone for the foundation walls. The landscape around the house further anchored the house by installing retaining walls using the same stone as the foundation. The remaining areas on the property were heavily landscaped with climate appropriate vegetation, retaining walls, and minimal turf. Other LEED elements include LED lighting, geothermal heating system, heat-pump water heater, FSA certified woods, low VOC paints and high R-value insulation and windows. Hoachlander Davis Photography

White and black distressed kitchen cabinets in this large traditional kitchen.