Photo: Nanette Wong © 2014 Houzz
Inspiration for a small eclectic living room remodel in San Francisco

Dean J. Birinyi Photography
Transitional kitchen photo in San Francisco

The Back Bay House is comprised of two main structures, a nocturnal wing and a daytime wing, joined by a glass gallery space. The daytime wing maintains an informal living arrangement that includes the dining space placed in an intimate alcove, a large country kitchen and relaxing seating area which opens to a classic covered porch and on to the water’s edge. The nocturnal wing houses three bedrooms. The master at the water side enjoys views and sounds of the wildlife and the shore while the two subordinate bedrooms soak in views of the garden and neighboring meadow. To bookend the scale and mass of the house, a whimsical tower was included to the nocturnal wing. The tower accommodates flex space for a bunk room, office or studio space. Materials and detailing of this house are based on a classic cottage vernacular language found in these sorts of buildings constructed in pre-war north america and harken back to a simpler time and scale. Eastern white cedar shingles, white painted trim and moulding collectively add a layer of texture and richness not found in today’s lexicon of detail. The house is 1,628 sf plus a 228 sf tower and a detached, two car garage which employs massing, detail and scale to allow the main house to read as dominant but not overbearing. Designed by BC&J Architecture.

Photo: Mina Brinkey © 2014 Houzz
Example of a beach style living room design in Miami with white walls

Michael J. Lee
Living room - traditional light wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Boston with beige walls

Photo: Lucy Call © 2014 Houzz Design: Imbue Design
Inspiration for a contemporary look-out concrete floor basement remodel in Salt Lake City with gray walls

Architecture by Horst Architects www.horst-architects.com John Ellis Photography
Powder room - contemporary black tile powder room idea in Orange County with a vessel sink and black countertops

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

The Montauk, our new model home and design center is now open in the sought after community of Showfield in Lewes. This Hampton’s inspired modern farmhouse feel is a collaboration between Garrison Homes, Element Design and Rsquare in Rehoboth. The Garrison quality craftsmanship can be seen in every inch of this home. Here are some photos of our favorite spaces, but stop by and tour this incredible model to see first hand what makes a Garrison Home so different. The model is open daily Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm and weekends 11am – 4pm. See floorplans for the Montauk at http://garrisonhomes.com/floor-plans/garrison-custom-collection/the-montauk/

Derek Skalko
Inspiration for a contemporary medium tone wood floor bedroom remodel in Denver

Werner Segarra
Tuscan beige two-story exterior home photo in Phoenix

In this beautiful coastal, vacation rental home, customer contracted our services to spruce up the exterior trim of their property. With thorough and proper preparation, specific to coastal homes, and high quality acrylic latex paint, this coastal home facelift paint will last.

Inspiration for a timeless carpeted bedroom remodel in Other with gray walls

1st Place, National Design Award Winning Kitchen. Remodeling in Warwick, NY. From a dark, un-inspiring kitchen (see before photos), to a bright, white, custom kitchen. Dark wood floors, white carrera marble counters, solid wood island-table and much more. Photos - Ken Lauben

Example of a country carpeted bedroom design in San Francisco with gray walls

http://www.jenniferkeslerphotography.com
Entryway - eclectic brown floor entryway idea in Atlanta with a blue front door

This high-end master bath consists of 11 full slabs of marble, including marble slab walls, marble barrel vault ceiling detail, marble counter top and tub decking, gold plated fixtures, custom heated towel rack, and custom vanity. Photo: Kathryn MacDonald Photography | Web Marketing

Cottage kitchen photo in London with beige cabinets and an island

These modern kitchens and built in closets were built for a two family home
Trendy l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and no island