Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic enclosed concrete floor living room remodel in Austin with a bar, beige walls and a wall-mounted tv

Tessa Neustadt
Transitional multicolored floor dedicated laundry room photo in Los Angeles with open cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored walls and a stacked washer/dryer

Example of a mountain style single-wall concrete floor and brown floor home bar design in Minneapolis with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets and gray countertops

Living room - mid-sized mediterranean formal light wood floor living room idea in San Francisco with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Kitchen - mid-sized ceramic tile and brown floor kitchen idea in Other with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

george babb floor covering

Bedroom.
Mid-sized tuscan guest medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in Santa Barbara with white walls and no fireplace

Large transitional open concept carpeted and brown floor living room photo in Other with blue walls, no fireplace and no tv

Silhouette® window shadings feature soft adjustable fabric vanes that appear to be floating between two sheer fabric panels that beautifully diffuse harsh sunlight. Simply tilt the vanes to achieve your desired level of light and privacy.

Elizabeth Taich Design is a Chicago-based full-service interior architecture and design firm that specializes in sophisticated yet livable environments.

The residence received a full gut renovation to create a modern coastal retreat vacation home. This was achieved by using a neutral color pallet of sands and blues with organic accents juxtaposed with custom furniture’s clean lines and soft textures.

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

Blue Bruin Photography
Tuscan patio photo in Austin with a bbq area

Sheer ripple fold curtains installation in NYC. Construction project done by http://www.wellbuiltco.com/

Robert C Brantley
Mid-sized elegant enclosed medium tone wood floor and multicolored floor family room photo in Miami with blue walls and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a mid-sized transitional formal and enclosed medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Boston with blue walls, no fireplace and no tv

Example of a mid-sized classic formal and open concept slate floor and gray floor living room design in Other with beige walls, no fireplace and no tv

Example of a transitional l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Philadelphia with beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Large elegant single-wall ceramic tile utility room photo in Boston with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets and a stacked washer/dryer