Home Design Ideas


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
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Very private backyard enclave
Photo of a contemporary partial sun side yard stone landscaping in DC Metro for summer.
Photo of a contemporary partial sun side yard stone landscaping in DC Metro for summer.


Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Photography: Landmark Photography
Inspiration for a small contemporary gray two-story mixed siding flat roof remodel in Minneapolis
Inspiration for a small contemporary gray two-story mixed siding flat roof remodel in Minneapolis


Lake Front Country Estate Living Room, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling.
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Inspiration for a timeless formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Other with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

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Bathroom - contemporary beige tile and limestone tile bathroom idea in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and dark wood cabinets


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Alcove shower - transitional white tile black floor alcove shower idea in Chicago with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, a two-piece toilet and gray walls


Lucy Call
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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


Photography by Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets and stainless steel appliances
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets and stainless steel appliances

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Deck - large mid-century modern ground level metal railing deck idea in San Diego


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Example of a large trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and beige floor living room design in Seattle with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a stone fireplace
Example of a large trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and beige floor living room design in Seattle with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a stone fireplace


Products used: Venus Grey - island Bianca Real - white countertops These colors can be special ordered, and viewable on the Australia GT website: http://bit.ly/1t86tus
Home Design Ideas

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Mid-sized transitional open concept brown floor, dark wood floor and wall paneling living room photo in Phoenix with blue walls, a wall-mounted tv and no fireplace
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