Marco Ricca
Inspiration for a contemporary home bar remodel in New York

Lucy Call
Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept medium tone wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in Salt Lake City with a bar, beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Darren Sinnett
Inspiration for a large contemporary light wood floor and beige floor kitchen remodel in Cleveland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, white backsplash, an island, quartz countertops, stone slab backsplash and paneled appliances

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

This light and airy kitchen is the definition of elegance. It has white shaker cabinets with satin gold pulls topped with white quartz counters. The matching white quartz backsplash provides a clean look. The center piece of the room is the large island! With seating for four, the deep blue island is loaded with storage and has a drawer microwave. For a special touch on the white quartz counter, we used an extra thick quartz slab. The striking gold pendants are from Ferguson Lighting. Sleek and contemporary, this beautiful home is located in Villanova, PA. Blue, white and gold are the palette of this transitional design. With custom touches and an emphasis on flow and an open floor plan, the renovation included the kitchen, family room, butler’s pantry, mudroom, two powder rooms and floors. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016, 2017 and 2019. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: Linda McManus Images

Jasmine Star
Example of a large 1960s master light wood floor bedroom design in Orange County with gray walls and no fireplace

Example of a classic l-shaped light wood floor kitchen design in Seattle with an island, a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, gray backsplash and gray countertops

Patio - mid-sized rustic backyard stamped concrete patio idea in Boise with a pergola

This beautiful custom home built by Bowlin Built and designed by Boxwood Avenue in the Reno Tahoe area features creamy walls painted with Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee and white oak custom cabinetry. With beautiful granite and marble countertops and handmade backsplash. The dark stained island creates a two-toned kitchen with lovely European oak wood flooring and a large double oven range with a custom hood above!

This modern farmhouse kitchen features reclaimed flooring and island countertop, farmhouse sink, marble countertops, Grabill custom cabinetry, with a unique drawer for tupperware and beautiful table with built in benches. Photography by Eric Roth

Coffee bar cabinet with retractable doors in open position. Internal lighting & wall-mounted pot filler. Countertop within cabinet detailed to include concealed drain. Microwave built-in below countertop without the use of a trim kit. View through kitchen pass-through to living room beyond. Leathered-quartzite countertops and distressed wood beams.

The open plan of the great room, dining and kitchen, leads to a completely covered outdoor living area for year-round entertaining in the Pacific Northwest. By combining tried and true farmhouse style with sophisticated, creamy colors and textures inspired by the home's surroundings, the result is a welcoming, cohesive and intriguing living experience.

For more photos of this project visit our website: https://wendyobrienid.com.

DESIGN BY Martins Grehl Architects A 3,700 sf ground-up single-family residence located on a waterfront lot in Easton, MD, this home features beautiful views of the surrounding landscape and celebrates the gathering of family and friends through a large, open living and dining area. It was designed with natural materials meant to evolve with its inhabitants and reflect the passage of time.

Example of a mid-sized country l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen design in Boston with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, blue backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Utility room - coastal black floor utility room idea in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, gray walls and a stacked washer/dryer

Custom cabinetry makes this marble topped vanity a standout piece. Paired with unique lighting features and hardware. Jim Brady Architectural Photography

Inspired by a cool, tranquil space punctuated with high-end details such as convenient folding teak shower benches, polished nickel and laser-cut marble shower tiles that add bright swirls of visual movement. And the hidden surprise is the stack washer/dryer unit built into the tasteful center floor to ceiling cabinet.

Bathroom - small contemporary master porcelain tile marble floor bathroom idea in Minneapolis

This beautiful little Craftsman in Credit River Basic concept design is available on the website https://www.hartsdesign.com/fullscreen-store-page/comp-jql1rjw5/6cdc53f4-ce3e-46f7-a96e-ea93be499bbb/1/%3Fi%3D1%26p%3Dkbm3w%26s%3Dstyle-jql30y7i