Ronda Batchelor, Galley laundry room with folding counter, dirty clothes bins on rollers underneath, clean clothes baskets for each family member, sweater drying racks with built in fan, and built in ironing board.

Cynthia Lynn Photography
Example of a transitional patio design in Milwaukee with a fire pit and no cover

Shawn O'Connor
Example of a trendy open concept carpeted family room design in Denver with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

This outdoor living area was a new build and needed protection from the sun. The Sunbrella shading is stationary and attached to the structure with stainless steel hardware. Designs by Dian fabricated and installed the shading. All custom pillows were fabricated by Designs by Dian.

Inspiration for a large transitional open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in San Francisco with white walls, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and no tv

This Master Bedroom has Contemporary Wood Flooring, Mirrored Nightstand Dressers, Pendant Chandelier, and Upholstered Fauteuil Armchairs.
Large tuscan master dark wood floor bedroom photo in Dallas with beige walls and no fireplace

Modern Guest Bedroom design by Studio Surface for Design Milk founder Jaime Derringer. Photo by Jaime Derringer.
Bedroom - mid-sized mid-century modern carpeted bedroom idea in San Diego with gray walls and no fireplace

Adrienne DeRosa © 2014 Houzz Inc. Refreshingly bright and airy, the master bedroom was designed with retreat in mind. With five children in the house at the time, Raymond and Jennifer immediately recognized the need for their own floor and claimed the third story for themselves. "It's definitely so high up that it makes it easy to get away," Jennifer explains. "I open the windows that face the lake and just listen to the waves break, and catch a minute." The palladian window is generously sized, filling the room with light and the sounds of nature. The headboard was another piece salvaged and put to a new use. The old barn door was purchased from Jennifer's friend that was moving her store front and no longer had use for it. Seeing its potential, Jennifer and her sister committed to a two-hour journey of getting the door up to the top floor. Paired with white walls and linens, the character of the wood grounds the space with richness and warmth. Photo: Adrienne DeRosa © 2014 Houzz

Inspiration for a small asian u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Portland with a drop-in sink, wood countertops, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and no island

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

Designer: Susanna Samaniego 4 CORNERS: International Design Concepts Interior Architect + Design Specialist susanna@design4corners.com www.design4corners.com ©Linova Photography All Rights Reserved

Dan Rockafello
Bedroom - mid-sized rustic master carpeted and beige floor bedroom idea with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace and a wood fireplace surround

Ryann Ford
Example of a farmhouse home design design in Austin

Native Edge Landscape, LLC
Photo of a small modern backyard landscaping in Austin for summer.

Photo by Kip Dawkins
Large minimalist u-shaped medium tone wood floor and beige floor kitchen pantry photo in Richmond with a double-bowl sink, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, multicolored backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and open cabinets

Beach style master carpeted bedroom photo in New York with gray walls and no fireplace

IMOTO photo
Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen design in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern brown one-story wood flat roof remodel in Boston

Nick Springett
Inspiration for a huge contemporary backyard stone, concrete paver and rectangular beige pool house remodel in Los Angeles