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

Useable floor space was increased by 65%

Before kitchen photo. We transformed a traditional dark kitchen into a bright transitional kitchen. We expanded the seating area to make up for the huge void in floor space, increased storage and changed the layout to function better while increasing storage

Inspiration for a rustic l-shaped light wood floor, beige floor and exposed beam kitchen remodel in Portland Maine with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island and black countertops

Roller Shades are becoming increasingly popular because of their sleek, low profile look and many fabric options. These Hunter Douglas Roller Shades matched the gray decor of this new home perfectly. The fabric valance also completes the look, giving the shade a truly custom feel.

Transitional beige two-story exterior home idea in DC Metro

The shower was now increased by 2 ft and in-cased in glass. this made the room feel even larger.
Mid-sized transitional 3/4 alcove shower photo in Vancouver with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet and beige walls

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to match the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who cannot live tiny, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design Assistance Jimmy Thornton

Example of a cottage kitchen design in Houston

Without increasing the size of the kitchen, we reworked the space to create a family friendly design. This was accomplished by moving the range to the island, adding counter seating and increasing storage with full height cabinetry. New larger windows were added in the dining room to replace small punch openings and natural lighting in the kitchen was improved by adding low counter height windows. © Andrew Pogue Photo

European Farmhouse Collection from Stanley Furniture
Large elegant master dark wood floor bedroom photo in San Francisco with white walls

This West Linn 1970's split level home received a complete exterior and interior remodel. The design included removing the existing roof to vault the interior ceilings and increase the pitch of the roof. Custom quarried stone was used on the base of the home and new siding applied above a belly band for a touch of charm and elegance. The new barrel vaulted porch and the landscape design with it's curving walkway now invite you in. Photographer: Benson Images and Designer's Edge Kitchen and Bath

Bedroom - transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea in Orange County with white walls

Coastal Office
Beach style home office photo in Charlotte

Enclosed kitchen - large contemporary u-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a mid-sized transitional master black and white tile marble floor, white floor, double-sink and wall paneling freestanding bathtub design in Chicago with white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, a drop-in sink and a freestanding vanity

Photo By: Trent Bell

This was a budget project. One of the challenges was to create a beautiful and functional kitchen without breaking the bank. We continued the back splash tile on the entire wall to create a flow without chopping up the space. Wood melamine was used on lower cabinets as well as tall cabinets which helped us keep the cost down while increasing durability. The upper cabinets are painted white.

Inspiration for a modern shed remodel in Seattle