Pairing Lightweight - Photos & Ideas

My Houzz: Garage Sale Meets Glam in Ohio

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

Kate Marker Interiors

Marcel Page Photography

Marcel Page Photography
Inspiration for a coastal open concept living room remodel in Milwaukee

SouthEnd RowHome Living

ZeroEnergy Design

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

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz

Beach Style Living Room

Living room - mid-sized coastal formal and open concept medium tone wood floor living room idea in Orange County with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Coastal Modern Bungalow (Industrial, comfortable and budget friendly)

Brittany Stiles Design

A 1940's bungalow was renovated and transformed for a small family. This is a small space - 800 sqft (2 bed, 2 bath) full of charm and character. Custom and vintage furnishings, art, and accessories give the space character and a layered and lived-in vibe. This is a small space so there are several clever storage solutions throughout. Vinyl wood flooring layered with wool and natural fiber rugs. Wall sconces and industrial pendants add to the farmhouse aesthetic. A simple and modern space for a fairly minimalist family. Located in Costa Mesa, California. Photos: Ryan Garvin

Fireplace

Architectural Facades Unlimited

The “Aristocrat” is a beautiful mantel, perfect for any design. Featured here, paired with an over-mantel & hearth, all in a travertine lightweight cast stone.

Traditional Vibrant Living Room

Loom Decor

Photgrapher: Mary Summers Designer: Cassie from Hi Sugarplum Blog Cassie Freeman accented this already vibrant room with Loom Decor's custom yellow linen drapery to even out the space and put a spin on a traditional room. For a unique style add a contrasting color trim to tie the drapery into the traditional aspects of the room. Shop and create your custom window treatments at loomdecor.com