Kitchen - rustic l-shaped brown floor and dark wood floor kitchen idea in Salt Lake City with an island, a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray backsplash and paneled appliances

Photography by Picture Perfect House
Dedicated laundry room - mid-sized transitional single-wall porcelain tile and gray floor dedicated laundry room idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash, cement tile backsplash, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Brick ranch gets new James Hardie fiber cement installed with maintenance free beach house style shake and cheerful yellow door.
Arts and crafts home design photo in Denver

Example of a mid-sized country open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room design with white walls and no fireplace

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 mid-sized contemporary partial sun side yard stone garden path in Dallas.

Evening entry courtyad with double arched door, dry river bed, and tuscan well.
Example of a huge classic beige one-story stucco exterior home design in San Diego with a shed roof

Transitional gender-neutral medium tone wood floor walk-in closet photo in Charlotte with shaker cabinets and white cabinets

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2015 Houzz
Inspiration for a small transitional living room library remodel in New York with gray walls

Trendy single-wall kitchen photo in Santa Barbara with a single-bowl sink and stainless steel appliances

Example of a transitional kitchen design in New York

Example of a farmhouse front door design in Chicago with blue walls and a dark wood front door

Children's tub and built in shelves. Yorgos Efthymiadis
Inspiration for a coastal multicolored tile and glass tile mosaic tile floor alcove bathtub remodel in New York

Bathroom - farmhouse multicolored floor bathroom idea in Phoenix with distressed cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink, wood countertops and brown countertops

Tom Grimes
Elegant living room photo in New York with beige walls

Freebird Photography
Bedroom - coastal master medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea in Boston with white walls

A beautiful deck upgrade perfect for an evening retreat, this stunning build features TimberTech PVC French White Oak decking, complemented by Trex Signature Aluminum Rail with Glass Infill for a seamless view. The deck is enhanced with flush mount lighting, adding a warm, inviting glow for nighttime enjoyment. The project seamlessly combines a simple farmhouse style with modern coastal elegance, creating a space that feels both timeless and chic.

Our goal on this project was to create a live-able and open feeling space in a 690 square foot modern farmhouse. We planned for an open feeling space by installing tall windows and doors, utilizing pocket doors and building a vaulted ceiling. An efficient layout with hidden kitchen appliances and a concealed laundry space, built in tv and work desk, carefully selected furniture pieces and a bright and white colour palette combine to make this tiny house feel like a home. We achieved our goal of building a functionally beautiful space where we comfortably host a few friends and spend time together as a family. John McManus

Stephen Allen Photography
Inspiration for a large timeless u-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Orlando with glass-front cabinets, beige cabinets, granite countertops, multicolored backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and ceramic backsplash