David Land
Inspiration for a transitional gender-neutral medium tone wood floor playroom remodel in New York with white walls

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

This project reimagines an under-used back yard in Portland, Oregon, creating an urban garden with an adjacent writer’s studio. Taking inspiration from Japanese precedents, we conceived of a paving scheme with planters, a cedar soaking tub, a fire pit, and a seven-foot-tall cedar fence. A maple tree forms the focal point and will grow to shade the yard. Board-formed concrete planters house conifers, maples and moss, appropriate to the Pacific Northwest climate. Photo: Anna M Campbell: annamcampbell.com

The Final project. We built an Azek deck platform, a staircase and installed composite railing.
Large elegant backyard deck photo in Baltimore with no cover

new lawn with paving stone edge and planting beds, irrigation
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional partial sun front yard brick lawn edging in Vancouver.

new lawn with paving stone edge and planting beds, irrigation
Photo of a mid-sized traditional partial sun front yard brick lawn edging in Vancouver.

In this formerly unfinished room above a garage, we were tasked with creating the ultimate kids’ space that could easily be used for adult guests as well. Our space was limited, but our client’s imagination wasn’t! Bold, fun, summertime colors, layers of pattern, and a strong emphasis on architectural details make for great vignettes at every turn. With many collaborations and revisions, we created a space that sleeps 8, offers a game/project table, a cozy reading space, and a full bathroom. The game table and banquette, bathroom vanity, locker wall, and unique bunks were custom designed by Bayberry Cottage and all allow for tons of clever storage spaces. This is a space created for loved ones and a lifetime of memories of a fabulous lakefront vacation home!

Small trendy kids' multicolored tile and mosaic tile mosaic tile floor alcove bathtub photo in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, a one-piece toilet, multicolored walls, an integrated sink and solid surface countertops

Timeless and classic elegance were the inspiration for this master bathroom renovation project. The designer used a Cararra porcelain tile with mosaic accents and traditionally styled plumbing fixtures from the Kohler Artifacts collection to achieve the look. The vanity is custom from Mouser Cabinetry. The cabinet style is plaza inset in the polar glacier elect finish with black accents. The tub surround and vanity countertop are Viatera Minuet quartz. Kyle J Caldwell Photography Inc

Inspiration for a transitional built-in desk dark wood floor home office remodel in San Francisco

Example of a minimalist home design design in New York

Minimalist home design photo in New York