Designer: Honeycomb Home Design Photographer: Marcel Alain This new home features open beam ceilings and a ranch style feel with contemporary elements.

Designed & Built by Renewal Design-Build. RenewalDesignBuild.com Photography by: Jeff Herr Photography
Living room - mid-century modern formal and open concept living room idea in Atlanta with a tv stand

Jim Westphalen
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern brown two-story wood exterior home remodel in Burlington with a metal roof

Mid-sized minimalist enclosed carpeted home theater photo in Other with black walls and a wall-mounted tv

Brady Architectural Photography
Example of a mid-sized minimalist guest concrete floor and gray floor bedroom design in San Diego with gray walls

Modern design by Alberto Juarez and Darin Radac of Novum Architecture in Los Angeles.
Example of a mid-sized minimalist marble l-shaped open and glass railing staircase design in Los Angeles

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

Dining room - modern dining room idea in Los Angeles

"Vegas" chair and ottoman with "El Dorado" seatign group shown. Imported from Norway, Stressless recliner, sofa, and home theatre seating is where eloquent and stylish design meet ergonomic form and function. Available in over 100 fabric and leather options, some stocked in NJ.

Bertolami Interiors, Summit Landscape Development
Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard tile patio remodel in San Francisco with a fire pit and no cover

Photographer: Thomas Robert Clark
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized rustic galley medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen idea in Philadelphia with open cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a small contemporary 3/4 white tile and subway tile alcove shower remodel in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, a vessel sink, solid surface countertops and white countertops

Nat Kay, www.natkay.com
Large minimalist backyard concrete paver patio photo in Toronto with a gazebo

Example of a large minimalist master gray tile and travertine tile cement tile floor and gray floor bathroom design in San Diego with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, gray walls, a vessel sink, quartz countertops and a hinged shower door

Inspiration for a modern wine cellar remodel in San Diego

Open concept kitchen - large modern single-wall porcelain tile and gray floor open concept kitchen idea in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and no island

Contemporary front door and Porch
Mid-sized 1950s concrete floor and black floor entryway photo in Los Angeles with a green front door and brown walls

Jim Westphalen
Mid-sized modern brown two-story wood exterior home idea in Burlington with a metal roof

Small farmhouse single-wall concrete floor and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, white appliances and no island