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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
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VELUX skylights configured in a long light well provide ample natural light and fresh air to this elongated kitchen.
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Charlotte
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Charlotte

Winner of Department of Energy's 2018 Housing Innovation Awards
Design by [bundle] design services
Photography by C9 Photography
Mid-sized minimalist light wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Seattle with white walls and no fireplace
Mid-sized minimalist light wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in Seattle with white walls and no fireplace

Sponsored
Fredericksburg, OH
High Point Cabinets
Columbus' Experienced Custom Cabinet Builder | 4x Best of Houzz Winner

Tucked away in the backwoods of Torch Lake, this home marries “rustic” with the sleek elegance of modern. The combination of wood, stone and metal textures embrace the charm of a classic farmhouse. Although this is not your average farmhouse. The home is outfitted with a high performing system that seamlessly works with the design and architecture.
The tall ceilings and windows allow ample natural light into the main room. Spire Integrated Systems installed Lutron QS Wireless motorized shades paired with Hartmann & Forbes windowcovers to offer privacy and block harsh light. The custom 18′ windowcover’s woven natural fabric complements the organic esthetics of the room. The shades are artfully concealed in the millwork when not in use.
Spire installed B&W in-ceiling speakers and Sonance invisible in-wall speakers to deliver ambient music that emanates throughout the space with no visual footprint. Spire also installed a Sonance Landscape Audio System so the homeowner can enjoy music outside.
Each system is easily controlled using Savant. Spire personalized the settings to the homeowner’s preference making controlling the home efficient and convenient.
Builder: Widing Custom Homes
Architect: Shoreline Architecture & Design
Designer: Jones-Keena & Co.
Photos by Beth Singer Photographer Inc.

PEA Builders, Inc.
Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in Milwaukee
Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in Milwaukee

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Snider & Metcalf Interior Design, LTD
Leading Interior Designers in Columbus, Ohio & Ponte Vedra, Florida

Inox Steel India is a trusted Aluminium Sheets Manufacturer in Faridabad, delivering high-quality aluminium sheets known for strength, corrosion resistance, and superior finish. As a reliable Aluminium Sheet Manufacturer in India, the company serves industries such as construction, automotive, marine, and heavy engineering. With advanced manufacturing processes and strict quality control, our aluminium sheets ensure precise dimensions, consistent performance, and long service life, making them suitable for demanding industrial and commercial applications across India.
As a leading Aluminium Sheets Supplier in Faridabad, we also operate as a dependable Aluminium Sheets Supplier in India, offering a wide range of sheets in various grades, thicknesses, and tempers. To support accurate material planning, we provide a detailed Aluminium Sheets Weight Chart, helping customers select the right specifications. Our aluminium sheets are widely used in fabrication, roofing, transportation, and structural projects where durability, performance, and precision are essential.
We specialize in premium alloys as a trusted 6082 T6 Aluminium Sheets Manufacturer and 5083 Aluminium Sheet Manufacturer, offering excellent strength, corrosion resistance, and weldability for marine and structural applications. An informative Aluminium Grades Chart helps customers choose suitable materials based on application needs. We are also a leading Aluminium Plates Manufacturer in India, supplying high-performance aluminium products to diverse industries with consistent quality and reliability.

This was one of those special projects in which we were able to build not only a incredibly insulated and efficient home, but were also able to incorporate a bunch of custom woodworking, metal work, stone work and historical details into the project. We adhered to “Efficiency Vermont’s’ rigorous High Performance Home standards in the construction of this project. In addition, this was a Duplex and as a result required extra attention to special code requirements surrounding multi-family construction. We also tried to recreate the exterior details to match with the historical period of early Vermont.

Studio III Architects
Photography by Susan Teare • www.susanteare.com
Inspiration for a timeless l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Burlington with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, black backsplash, stone slab backsplash and an island
Inspiration for a timeless l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen remodel in Burlington with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, black backsplash, stone slab backsplash and an island

Sponsored
Fredericksburg, OH
High Point Cabinets
Columbus' Experienced Custom Cabinet Builder | 4x Best of Houzz Winner

This was one of those special projects in which we were able to build not only a incredibly insulated and efficient home, but were also able to incorporate a bunch of custom woodworking, metal work, stone work and historical details into the project. We adhered to “Efficiency Vermont’s’ rigorous High Performance Home standards in the construction of this project. In addition, this was a Duplex and as a result required extra attention to special code requirements surrounding multi-family construction. We also tried to recreate the exterior details to match with the historical period of early Vermont.

This was one of those special projects in which we were able to build not only a incredibly insulated and efficient home, but were also able to incorporate a bunch of custom woodworking, metal work, stone work and historical details into the project. We adhered to “Efficiency Vermont’s’ rigorous High Performance Home standards in the construction of this project. In addition, this was a Duplex and as a result required extra attention to special code requirements surrounding multi-family construction. We also tried to recreate the exterior details to match with the historical period of early Vermont.

This was one of those special projects in which we were able to build not only a incredibly insulated and efficient home, but were also able to incorporate a bunch of custom woodworking, metal work, stone work and historical details into the project. We adhered to “Efficiency Vermont’s’ rigorous High Performance Home standards in the construction of this project. In addition, this was a Duplex and as a result required extra attention to special code requirements surrounding multi-family construction. We also tried to recreate the exterior details to match with the historical period of early Vermont.
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