Tricia Shay Photography
Large trendy courtyard concrete patio photo in Milwaukee with no cover

Home design - transitional home design idea in Austin

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

Inspiration for a contemporary staircase remodel in Calgary

Eichler in Marinwood - At the larger scale of the property existed a desire to soften and deepen the engagement between the house and the street frontage. As such, the landscaping palette consists of textures chosen for subtlety and granularity. Spaces are layered by way of planting, diaphanous fencing and lighting. The interior engages the front of the house by the insertion of a floor to ceiling glazing at the dining room. Jog-in path from street to house maintains a sense of privacy and sequential unveiling of interior/private spaces. This non-atrium model is invested with the best aspects of the iconic eichler configuration without compromise to the sense of order and orientation. photo: scott hargis

Kitchen - small contemporary l-shaped light wood floor kitchen idea in Boston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in Las Vegas

EU_TAB Complete kitchen starting from 18,000$ Contact us to customize your kitchen
Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in San Diego

light, bright, and clean
Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Las Vegas

EU_TAB Complete kitchen starting from 18,000$ Contact us to customize your kitchen
Kitchen - modern kitchen idea in San Diego

Custom home built in Urbandale, Iowa www.yourpurestyle.com
Example of a mid-sized minimalist gender-neutral dark wood floor and brown floor walk-in closet design with open cabinets and white cabinets

leveraged existing footprint to keep price within customer budget
Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Las Vegas

Example of a transitional bathroom design in Houston

These clients wanted to renovate their tiny kitchen but were on a tight budget. Since they were willing to put some sweat equity into the project themselves, we worked out a deal where they would strip and refinish the existing cabinets. We updated plumbing and electrical, installed the teak flooring, and built the countertops out of granite tiles over plywood and backer board. We also did the tile backsplash. Photo taken by ProBilt Construction LLC.

Home design - traditional home design idea in Detroit

Tuscan wine cellar photo in Houston

This Mudroom doubles as a laundry room for the main level. Large Slate Tiles on the floor are easy to clean and give great texture to the space. Custom lockers with cushions give each family member a space for their belongings. A drop zone/planning center is a great place for mail and your laptop. A custom barndoor hung from the ceiling in a gray wash slides across the stackable washer and dryer to hide them when not in use. The shiplap walls are painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove. Photo by Spacecrafting