Nestled in a historic residential neighborhood this 1950s Baptist Church was outgrown by its congregation. The building was left unused for 12 years until it was adapted for reuse as a single family home. The home, for a young family of four, was designed with the healthy building principles in mind. The completed house is net zero ready, meaning that all of the systems necessary to convert this house to a net zero home are in place, all that is needed are solar panels. Though the original building was in very rough shape, the design team worked hard to retain as much of the original form as possible. The addition distinguishes itself from the original through materiality and structural articulation. The new form hovers on cantilevers, creating a light touch with the ground plane, in contrast to the heavy form of the original masonry structure. Even though the new building has a modern aesthetic it had to conform to some of the historic neighborhood ordinances of the city. The completed product is loved by the neighborhood, with many people taking their evening walks to pass by their new favorite house.

Freestanding bathtub - mid-sized transitional master white tile and subway tile mosaic tile floor freestanding bathtub idea in Denver with an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, granite countertops, blue walls, raised-panel cabinets and a hinged shower door

Alise O'Brien Photography
Inspiration for a coastal l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in St Louis with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a mid-sized eclectic open concept dark wood floor living room design in Toronto with beige walls

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

Large elegant dark wood floor enclosed dining room photo in Dallas with white walls and no fireplace

With Select, you can store a range of items and accessories in your pantry. Choose drawers and chrome baskets to store bags of chips, ovenmits, table covers, and more.

Staircase - mid-sized transitional wooden u-shaped wood railing staircase idea in Calgary with painted risers

Architecture & Interior Design: David Heide Design Studio Photo: Susan Gilmore Photography
Inspiration for a coastal master medium tone wood floor family room library remodel in Minneapolis with green walls, no fireplace and no tv

Eichler in Marinwood - The primary organizational element of the interior is the kitchen. Embedded within the simple post and beam structure, the kitchen was conceived as a programmatic block from which we would carve in order to contribute to both sense of function and organization. photo: scott hargis

Inspiration for a coastal patio remodel in New Orleans

Photo: A Darling Felicity Photography © 2015 Houzz
Kitchen - mid-sized eclectic medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in Portland with open cabinets, concrete countertops, metallic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

New York Design Office where design and function go hand and hand. Wall to wall cork board with white dry erase board below creates a clean yet textural space while allowing every square inch to function as work surface.

Mountain style 3/4 white tile and subway tile porcelain tile, gray floor and single-sink doorless shower photo in Burlington with gray cabinets, a one-piece toilet, gray walls, a vessel sink, wood countertops, a freestanding vanity and flat-panel cabinets

This modern bathroom oasis encompasses many elements that speak of minimalism, luxury and even industrial design. The white vessel sinks and freestanding modern bathtub give the room a slick and polished appearance, while the exposed piping and black hanging lights provide some aesthetic diversity. The angled ceiling and skylights allow so much light, that the room feels even more spacious than it already is. The marble floors give the room a gleaming appearance, and the chrome accents, seen on the cabinet pulls and bathroom fixtures, reminds us that sleek is in. NS Designs, Pasadena, CA http://nsdesignsonline.com 626-491-9411

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary built-in desk medium tone wood floor home office remodel with yellow walls and no fireplace

This cozy lake cottage skillfully incorporates a number of features that would normally be restricted to a larger home design. A glance of the exterior reveals a simple story and a half gable running the length of the home, enveloping the majority of the interior spaces. To the rear, a pair of gables with copper roofing flanks a covered dining area that connects to a screened porch. Inside, a linear foyer reveals a generous staircase with cascading landing. Further back, a centrally placed kitchen is connected to all of the other main level entertaining spaces through expansive cased openings. A private study serves as the perfect buffer between the homes master suite and living room. Despite its small footprint, the master suite manages to incorporate several closets, built-ins, and adjacent master bath complete with a soaker tub flanked by separate enclosures for shower and water closet. Upstairs, a generous double vanity bathroom is shared by a bunkroom, exercise space, and private bedroom. The bunkroom is configured to provide sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people. The rear facing exercise has great views of the rear yard through a set of windows that overlook the copper roof of the screened porch below. Builder: DeVries & Onderlinde Builders Interior Designer: Vision Interiors by Visbeen Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography

Photo by Mary Costa
Example of a mid-sized trendy open concept porcelain tile living room design in Los Angeles with white walls, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace and a media wall

Photo: Robert Burns ˙© 2015 Houzz
Shed - industrial shed idea in Portland