Empire Contracting Inc 707.884.9789 Photos By: Sea Ranch Images www.searanchimages.com 707.653.6866
1950s living room photo in San Francisco with a tile fireplace

Sean Litchfield
Elegant kids' room photo in New York

Inspiration for a farmhouse kitchen remodel in San Francisco

Stylish brewery owners with airline miles that match George Clooney’s decided to hire Regan Baker Design to transform their beloved Duboce Park second home into an organic modern oasis reflecting their modern aesthetic and sustainable, green conscience lifestyle. From hops to floors, we worked extensively with our design savvy clients to provide a new footprint for their kitchen, dining and living room area, redesigned three bathrooms, reconfigured and designed the master suite, and replaced an existing spiral staircase with a new modern, steel staircase. We collaborated with an architect to expedite the permit process, as well as hired a structural engineer to help with the new loads from removing the stairs and load bearing walls in the kitchen and Master bedroom. We also used LED light fixtures, FSC certified cabinetry and low VOC paint finishes. Regan Baker Design was responsible for the overall schematics, design development, construction documentation, construction administration, as well as the selection and procurement of all fixtures, cabinets, equipment, furniture,and accessories. Key Contributors: Green Home Construction; Photography: Sarah Hebenstreit / Modern Kids Co. In this photo: We added a pop of color on the built-in bookshelf, and used CB2 space saving wall-racks for bikes as decor.

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

ChiChi Ubiña
Mudroom - mid-sized transitional limestone floor mudroom idea in New York with white walls

Mia Baxter
Family room - contemporary open concept dark wood floor family room idea in Austin with white walls and a media wall

The large granite island countertop creates a dedicated space for food preparation as well as for baking. Custom pull-out drawers were incorporated into the island as a place for laptop storage. A unique backsplash above the range was designed with 3” x 6” field tile, outlined by a liner bar, to draw the eyes attention to the custom Grabill hood.

Custom design by Cynthia Soda of Soda Pop Design Inc. in Toronto, Canada. Photography by Stephani Buchman Photography.
Study room - small transitional built-in desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in Toronto with white walls and no fireplace

Transitional home design photo in Denver

Advisement + Design - Construction advisement, custom millwork & custom furniture design, interior design & art curation by Chango & Co.
Study room - mid-sized transitional built-in desk carpeted, gray floor, shiplap ceiling and shiplap wall study room idea in New York with gray walls and no fireplace

Photo: Mick Hales
Cottage hallway photo in New York with gray walls

Modern Rustic cabin inspired by Norwegian design & heritage of the clients Photo: Martin Tessler
Family room library - huge farmhouse open concept medium tone wood floor family room library idea in Calgary with white walls, a two-sided fireplace and a stone fireplace

Example of a trendy freestanding desk light wood floor study room design in San Francisco

Todd DiFiore
Large country look-out medium tone wood floor and brown floor basement photo in Atlanta with beige walls

Minimalist bedroom photo in Toronto

Bright, white kitchen Werner Straube
Kitchen/dining room combo - mid-sized transitional dark wood floor, brown floor and tray ceiling kitchen/dining room combo idea in Chicago with white walls

Northpeak Design
Bedroom - rustic guest medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Manchester with beige walls

Built in library shelves provide separation and a chance to show off our client's admirable collection. Having removed the original wall separating the living and kitchen spaces, we chose to install the exposed and beautifully stained beam, which helps to maintain some divide between the two rooms. Photos by Aaron Ziltener