Kolanowski Studio
Living room - huge mediterranean living room idea in Houston with a music area, white walls and a standard fireplace

Brett Mountain
Inspiration for a mid-sized industrial enclosed and formal living room remodel in Detroit with a wall-mounted tv and white walls

Inspiration for a large coastal formal and open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and no tv

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

Kitchen - traditional l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige backsplash, paneled appliances and an island

Curved Pantry with lateral opening doors and walnut counter top. Norman Sizemore Photographer
Inspiration for a timeless u-shaped brown floor kitchen pantry remodel in Chicago with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops and brown countertops

Inspiration for a transitional wooden l-shaped staircase remodel in Birmingham with painted risers

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
Kitchen/dining room combo - traditional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Boston with white walls

Scott Amundson Photography
Example of a classic formal and open concept living room design in Minneapolis with gray walls

The basement bedroom only has color on one wall to keep the focus on the bright white walls and trim to help brighten the basement space. A large window well helps reduce the stigma of high up basement windows. John Wilbanks Photography

Spacecrafting Photography
Transitional white tile dark wood floor freestanding bathtub photo in Minneapolis with gray walls

John Evans
Example of a classic l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in Columbus with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Bedroom - transitional carpeted bedroom idea in Denver with beige walls

Huge transitional u-shaped marble floor and white floor eat-in kitchen photo in Nashville with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white countertops

Susan Fisher Plotner/Susan Fisher Photography
Living room - victorian dark wood floor living room idea in London with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

Photo by Jared Kuzia
Open concept kitchen - large transitional l-shaped brown floor and medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Boston with an undermount sink, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Expansive kitchen complete with island seating, custom cabinets, and plenty of prep space. A cased opening connects the kitchen to the butler's pantry.

Hallway - huge transitional dark wood floor and brown floor hallway idea in Orlando with beige walls

Kitchen - kitchen idea in Richmond