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

A non-working fireplace is filled with logs Design Manifest Bala Cynwyd Global image by Courtney Apple
Inspiration for a timeless living room remodel in Philadelphia

Collection: Light Weight Mother of Pearl Tile Material: Seashell Color: Natural White, majority chips are white, with small percentage of natural yellow and minimun natural grey; overall is white Surface Finish: Glossy, easy for cleaning Shape: Subway Size: 12 x 12 In.305*305mm Chip Size: 3/5 x 1-1/6 In.15*30mm Thickness: 2mm Detailed Description: Each sheet of this tile is approximately 1 sq ft per sheet and is mesh mounted on high quality fiber glass for easy installation of your mosaic tile projects. Application: Mother of Pearl mosaic tiles are impervious to the elements, thus it is great for both interior and exterior use so moisture is not an issue. Mother of Pearl mosaic tiles are great on floors and walls and have been most popular in bathrooms, spas, kitchen backsplash, wall facades and pools as well as a variety of other applications. Characteristics: The mother of pearl mosaic tile has a zero water absorption rate, and this tile exceeds ANSI standards for water absorption for mosaic tile. It is strong, durable, contamination free, and only the best quality tiles are selected as our tiles are inspected for blemishes before shipment. Brand Name: Home Elements Manufacturer: Home Elements,Inc. This manufacturer has the biggest selections of glass mosaic tiles. Disclaimer: Mother of pearl tile, also called shell tile or shell mosaic tile, is 100% natural and green products made of natural shell, polished and processed by hands. The color variation and occasionally small size variation naturally exist from chip to chip, from sheet to sheet, from job to job. However, the overall sizes are consistent and will NOT have any negative impact on installation; on the contrary, some small variations on sizes reflect the nature of the products thus making your wall or floor tiling project a more natural one. Also, the color variation caused by different computer screen or browser exists from different pc screens. Therefore, the possible color/size variations between the mother of pearl tile sample and actual shipment or the product color shown on the screen and actual shipment should not be considered as quality issues.

Inspiration for an industrial concrete floor living room remodel in Seattle with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Inspiration for a timeless carpeted bedroom remodel in Tampa with gray walls and no fireplace

Hand scraped hardwood floor. Marble counter tops, traditional kitchen, crackle ceramic subway tile, farmhouse sink
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless dark wood floor kitchen remodel in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, stainless steel appliances, white countertops, shaker cabinets and white cabinets

Wagner Residence North Ferrisburgh, Vermont Keith Wagner drew from his love of flat land and open sky when it came to selecting a site and designing his own home. The resulting assembly of wood and metal outbuildings forms a minimalist compound containing a main house, guest house, painting studio and sculpture studio. The outbuildings are organized by and contained within a datum of low concrete walls, a tree bosque, hedgerows and a crushed stone sculpture court. The architecture gives way to the landscape and allows visitors to focus on nature. Keith's own large spherical sculptures dot the landscape and evoke the rolled hay bales seen across the New England landscape. Architectural Design: Keith Wagner with Birdseye Design Image Credit: Westphalen Photography

Before renovating, this bright and airy family kitchen was small, cramped and dark. The dining room was being used for spillover storage, and there was hardly room for two cooks in the kitchen. By knocking out the wall separating the two rooms, we created a large kitchen space with plenty of storage, space for cooking and baking, and a gathering table for kids and family friends. The dark navy blue cabinets set apart the area for baking, with a deep, bright counter for cooling racks, a tiled niche for the mixer, and pantries dedicated to baking supplies. The space next to the beverage center was used to create a beautiful eat-in dining area with an over-sized pendant and provided a stunning focal point visible from the front entry. Touches of brass and iron are sprinkled throughout and tie the entire room together. Photography by Stacy Zarin

Ikea cabinets
Mid-sized trendy u-shaped open concept kitchen photo in Austin with subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, a double-bowl sink, solid surface countertops and an island

Photography - Casey Dunn
Inspiration for a modern open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in Austin with white walls

Alex Hayden
Deck - mid-sized cottage backyard deck idea in Seattle with no cover

The space at the location for the pool was very limited and flat, so creating a design that was grandiose for our client without overwhelming the area required creativity. The all-tile pool utilizes elevations highlighted by multiple negative edges to draw the eye and create aesthetic impact and dimension to the property. The multiple fire bowls, LED laminar jets, and nicheless LED lights create a spectacle for evening entertaining throughout the year. This project won a 2016 GOLD International Design Award.

After building 2 other pools for this wonderful client, this property was in need of something special! A Perimeter overflow infinity pool & spa, with automated Water & fire features! Stunning glass tile sets the tone for entertainment and something for us all to be proud of!

Soma Penthouse Master Bedroom. A monochromatic soothing color creates a sanctuary away from the hustle-bustle of the city. All custom designed. A sofit was built to house indirect lighting and "an invisible door" (which looks part of the wall) leads to "a sex in the city" closet. This room is on over 2K ideabooks and got us the "2012 Best Of" award.

Olson Photographic, LLC
Example of a minimalist attached two-car garage design in Bridgeport

Tim Griffth
Example of a small minimalist one-story glass flat roof design in San Francisco

Art Gray
Entryway - huge modern entryway idea in Los Angeles with a medium wood front door

Design by Aline Designs
Kitchen pantry - farmhouse black floor kitchen pantry idea in Oklahoma City with shaker cabinets, white cabinets and gray countertops

This turn-of-the-century original Sellwood Library was transformed into an amazing Portland home for it's New York transplants. Custom woodworking and cabinetry transformed this into a beautiful master bedroom. Leaded glass windows and dark stained wood floors add to the eclectic mix of original craftsmanship and modern influences. Lincoln Barbour