A Garden room separating garage from house proper. A repurposed tannery bench found and detailed by the architect creates this handsome room. Earthy and elemental materials are selected for the home that reference the barn without directly mimicking it. Wooden members found inside the barn and from other barns bridge ceilings and are used in floors along with rustic slate adding to a sense of simplicity to the farmhouse design.

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2013 Houzz
Ornate kitchen photo in Boston with glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops and multicolored backsplash

Eclectic laundry room photo in Los Angeles

A family creates a modern contemporary multipurpose retreat from their unfinished basement. Space includes new gym, stairs, egress window, wetbar, plenty of storage, hidden understairs storage, media lounge, new bathroom, and laundry room. For carpet please visit our suppliers: TLC Floor Covering (516) 486 0999 26 Nassau BLVD, Garden City, NY For furniture please visit: BoConcept Photography by Matthew D. Burdi copyrights by DJ's Home Improvements

Basement
Inspiration for a large transitional underground dark wood floor and brown floor basement remodel in New York with gray walls

Jesse Goff Photography www.jessegoff.com
Example of a transitional balcony design in San Francisco with a roof extension

This walk in shower has lots of light from the frosted glass windows. The pebble floor is heated in the drying-off area.
Bathroom - contemporary pebble tile pebble tile floor bathroom idea in Sacramento

A great example of use of color in a kitchen space. We utilized seafoam green and light wood stained cabinets in this renovation in Spring Hill, FL. Other features include a double dishwasher and oversized subway tile.

These beautiful bathrooms located in Rancho Santa Fe were in need of a major upgrade. Once having dated dark cabinets, the desired bright design was wanted. Beautiful white cabinets with modern pulls and classic faucets complete the double vanity. The shower with long subway tiles and black grout! Colored grout is a trend and it looks fantastic in this bathroom. The walk in shower has beautiful tiles and relaxing shower heads. Both of these bathrooms look fantastic and look modern and complementary to the home.

Rob Karosis Photography www.robkarosis.com
Example of a cottage living room design in Burlington with beige walls

Transitional built-in desk medium tone wood floor, brown floor and vaulted ceiling home office photo in Omaha with white walls

Example of a classic l-shaped brick floor, red floor and wallpaper dedicated laundry room design in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, blue walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Large trendy formal medium tone wood floor living room photo in Miami with white walls

Bedroom - large traditional master carpeted bedroom idea in Atlanta with blue 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. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

Amy Bartlam
Example of a large trendy l-shaped ceramic tile and gray floor kitchen design in Los Angeles with an island, flat-panel cabinets, marble backsplash, an undermount sink, brown cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, paneled appliances and gray countertops

Inspiration for a coastal formal medium tone wood floor living room remodel in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Inspiration for a transitional open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Jacksonville with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Elegant brown floor laundry room photo in Detroit with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer