Kitchen remodel featuring a custom hood, Virginia Mist perimeter tops, Danby Marble island top, custom white cabinetry, and subway tile Photo Credit: David Bader Interior Design Partner: Becky Howley

Remodel-Kitchen & Family Room: Quiet Luxury with a Natural Palette This remodel reimagines the heart of the home by seamlessly integrating the kitchen and family room into a refined yet inviting open-concept space, grounded in a “quiet luxury” aesthetic and a natural palette. Kitchen Transformation: The kitchen layout is completely reworked for improved flow and functionality. Major appliances have been reassigned for efficiency: • The refrigerator is built in and anchors the focal wall providing improved access to both prep and serving areas. • The range has been centered on the back wall, framed by two- toned cabinetry and a low-profile custom hood accented with brass that blends seamlessly into the wall for an understated look. • The dishwasher and sink have been relocated to the new central island, allowing for uninterrupted views across the room and better interaction with guests or family. At the heart of the space is a large central island, topped with Taj Mahal quartzite in soft beige and taupe tones. The island serves as a multi-functional hub. The cabinetry is custom-built in white oak, finished in a matte clear coat that highlights the wood’s natural grain. Hardware is kept minimal, in brushed brass for a touch of subdued elegance. Natural Palette & Materials: The entire space embraces a natural color scheme—warm whites, layered pastel beiges and natural wood tones—accented with natural stone. Leathered Taj Mahal backsplash with subtle texture adds quiet visual interest without overpowering the calm atmosphere. Family Room Integration: The kitchen flows effortlessly into the family room, unified by wide-plank oak flooring and soft lighting. A fluted marble-clad fireplace anchors the space, surrounded by, built-in shelving with the same oak finish inside as the kitchen cabinetry. Furnishings follow the same philosophy: clean lines, neutral fabrics, and a mix of soft textures. Think boucle armchairs, a deep linen sectional, and a reclaimed wood coffee table. Lighting & Finishing Touches: Soft, layered lighting—including recessed lights, sculptural clear pendant lights above the island, and concealed LED strips—enhances the serene mood.

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. Eric Roth Photo

Photos by Kaity
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley slate floor dedicated laundry room remodel in Grand Rapids with flat-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer, orange cabinets and white walls

Example of a transitional home design design in Portland

Michele Lee Willson
Trendy light wood floor and beige floor single front door photo in San Francisco with white walls and a white front door

Bluestar range in Hellorto Orange • custom made sipo mahogany solid butcher block top by DeVos Custom Woodworking • ATS Smoke 12" x 24" natural stone tile backsplash • alder clear coat cabinets • Quartz countertop with white stone silestone flat polished edge detail • Corum LED pendants • Photography by Tre Dunham

Photo: Jason Snyder © Houzz 2013
Trendy light wood floor bedroom photo with white walls

A coat of custom made oil-based pickling stain applied Klass Kote™ 2,pt urethane satin clear coatings applied
Large mountain style guest bedroom photo in Boise with no fireplace

The focal point of this richly hued dining room is the vintage artwork whose amber tones are splashed across the space. The gunmetal blue ceiling provides drama, while allowing the crisp, white trim to pop. Above the traditional mahogany Hepplewhite dining table with matching chairs, hangs a vintage chandelier whose trio of amber glass balls sparkle against the depth of the blue walls. Two white lacquered framed mirrors and mid-century chests with gold metallic detailing flank the arched opening that leads to the living room. Orange vintage glass vases pop against the gunmetal blue walls. The clear-coated hardwood floors are original to the residence. Photography by FishEye Studios

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary porcelain tile bathroom remodel in Nashville with flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets

Epoxy garage floor coating
Example of a large classic garage design in Nashville

Mark Lohman
Example of a beach style powder room design in Los Angeles with blue walls

Kitchen - transitional u-shaped kitchen idea in Denver with white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Bathroom - mid-sized contemporary porcelain tile bathroom idea in Nashville with flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets

Photography by Susan Gilmore
Inspiration for a farmhouse bathroom remodel in Minneapolis

Green Acres Ironworks provides a broad range of metal fabrication services. Our installation crews serve Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and we will ship fabricated products nationwide. We fabricate and install railings, staircases, spiral staircases, steel porches, fences, gates, balconies, light structural fabrication, custom fabricated parts, custom tools, hardware, metal restoration, metal sculpture, decorative items, and yard art. We have the capability of fabricating items in steel, brass, and stainless steel.

Garage workshop - mid-sized contemporary attached two-car garage workshop idea

Wing Wong, Memories TTL
Powder room - small eclectic powder room idea in New York with a wall-mount sink, a wall-mount toilet and multicolored walls