Casey Dunn Photography
Kitchen/dining room combo - large contemporary limestone floor and beige floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Austin with no fireplace and white walls

Freestanding bathtub - large contemporary master beige tile and matchstick tile marble floor and white floor freestanding bathtub idea in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink, quartz countertops and a one-piece toilet

The residence received a full gut renovation to create a modern coastal retreat vacation home. This was achieved by using a neutral color pallet of sands and blues with organic accents juxtaposed with custom furniture’s clean lines and soft textures.

Patrick Argast
Deck - country deck idea in San Francisco with no cover and a fireplace

The old wine bar took up to much space and was out dated. A new refreshed look with a bit of bling helps to add a focal point to the room. The wine bar and powder room are adjacent to one another so creating a cohesive, elegant look was needed. The wine bar cabinets are glazed, distressed and antiqued to create an old world feel. This is balanced with iridescent tile so the look doesn't feel to rustic. The powder room is marble using different sizes for interest, and accented with a feature wall of marble mosaic. A mirrored tile is used in the shower to complete the elegant look.

Matthew Niemann Photography
Transitional kitchen photo in Austin

The old wine bar took up to much space and was out dated. A new refreshed look with a bit of bling helps to add a focal point to the room. The wine bar and powder room are adjacent to one another so creating a cohesive, elegant look was needed. The wine bar cabinets are glazed, distressed and antiqued to create an old world feel. This is balanced with iridescent tile so the look doesn't feel to rustic. The powder room is marble using different sizes for interest, and accented with a feature wall of marble mosaic. A mirrored tile is used in the shower to complete the elegant look.

A soft subtle Toasted Antique finish gives Aristokraft Cabinetry's Durham its distinguished, enduring character that adds an effortless grace to any room. Shown here against light oak floors and dark gray countertop.

Los Altos Hills Fusion in Los Altos Hills, California Photography: David Duncan Livingston
Transitional home office photo in San Francisco

Example of a southwest laundry room design in New Orleans with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, wood countertops, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and beige countertops

Justin Krug Photography
Inspiration for a huge farmhouse gray two-story wood gable roof remodel in Portland with a metal roof

Joe Fletcher
Example of a transitional l-shaped light wood floor kitchen design in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

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

Toilet room - small transitional gray tile toilet room idea in Los Angeles with white walls

This countryside kitchen includes a beautiful blue statement island, which adds originality to the classic space with a transitional spin. The cabinetry is made by Downsview and the design is done through Astro Design Centre in Ottawa Canada. Astro Design, Ottawa DoubleSpace Photography

When my clients purchased this charming 1940's home in the Seattle neighborhood of Wedgwood, they were amazed by how intact the original kitchen was. It was like a perfect time capsule. The color palette was avocado green and buttercream yellow. The highlights were an original retro built-in banquette and vintage oven! The challenge we faced (besides the awesome but dated finishes) was the closed floor plan typical in this era of homes and the lack of storage. So, we opened the kitchen to the adjacent dining and living room, bringing it up to speed with modern-day living. In opening it up, we also walled off a doorway that went from the kitchen to the hallway, but it was completely unnecessary and allowed us to gain an entire wall of cabinets that didn't exist previously. For the finishes, we kept it classic with mostly gray and white but brought in a little flare and interest with the herringbone backsplash and brushed brass finishes because who doesn't love a little gold? Also, we added color with the finishing details like the rug and countertop decor because those things are a great way to add interest and warmth to a space and can be easily changed when it's time for a fresh new look.

Mid-sized trendy u-shaped light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen photo in Denver with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and flat-panel cabinets

Example of a large trendy backyard concrete patio kitchen design in San Francisco with a roof extension

Architect: Sarah Susanka, AIA Photography: Jim Westphalen Integration of Prairie-style architecture and Japanese garden. Palette of patterned and textures borrowed from the surroundings. Sequence of places makes a continuous necklace around the home.