Richard Leo Johnson Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Extra White 2137-40 Cabinet Color: Benjamin Moore Intense White OC-51 Hardware: My Knobs, Nouveau III Collection - Matte Black Faucet: Feruson Enterprises, Delta Trinsic Pull-Down - Matte Black Subway Tile: Savannah Surfaces, Waterworks Grove Brick - White Countertop: Cambria, Brittanicca Lighting: Rejuvenation, Jefferson 6" Classic Flush Mount - Black Enamel Roman Shade: The Woven Co., Canton #206 Bench Fabric: Perennials, Elements - Rhino Pillow Fabric A: Kerry Joyce Textiles, Corsica - Blue Dot Pillow Fabric B: Scalamandra, Bamboo Lattice - Endless Summer Chairs: Redford House, James Side Chair Wooden Bowls: Asher + Rye, Farmhouse Pottery Cheese Boards: Asher + Rye, Farmhouse Pottery Cutting Board: Asher + Rye, Son of a Sailor Glass Corked Jars: Roost Ceramic Utensil Pot: Asher + Rye, Farmhouse Pottery

Maple Built-in Banquet Seating with Storage
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel with beige walls

Glencoe, IL kitchen remodel has small butler's pantry accommodating a breakfast beverage center and wine storage. Upper cabinets have wire mesh panels. Transitional style white custom kitchen cabinets built in Benvenuti and Stein's Evanston cabinet shop. Norman Sizemore-photographer

Designed by Jordan Iverson Photographed by Darius Kuzmickas
Example of a trendy medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen design in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a transitional medium tone wood floor kitchen design in Chicago with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Mid-sized 1960s kitchen photo in Los Angeles

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

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

Large kitchen design in a cabin preservation project. Sam Oberter Photography
Example of a large mountain style dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in New York with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a transitional light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen design in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash and an island

Befitting a gourmet, high-end appliances ensconced in gray/white granite, give the kitchen gravitas. A spacious center island, topped with honed black granite, provides plenty of room for prepping meals, morning coffee or kibitzing with the cook.

Photo: Ten Ten Creative
Wet bar - transitional single-wall dark wood floor and brown floor wet bar idea in Dallas with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, black backsplash, subway tile backsplash and gray countertops

Example of a transitional eat-in kitchen design in Charlotte with white cabinets, beige backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Example of a transitional dark wood floor dining room design in Boston with blue walls

Inspiration for a coastal medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Portland Maine with gray walls

A custom designed wood banquette was created to fit the niche space. This allowed the youthful guests a space for dining, or playing games late into the night. Taylor Architectural Photography

Ben Gebo
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Boston with blue walls and no fireplace

Lake Front Country Estate Kitchen, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling
Huge elegant l-shaped kitchen/dining room combo photo with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, gray walls and an island

Photo of Kitchen featuring exposed beams and adjacent Breakfast Nook, with light, painted cabinet and counter finishes and lots of glass. Photo by Martis Camp Sales (Paul Hamill)