photo by Gridley & Graves
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen photo in Santa Barbara with stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, granite countertops, recessed-panel cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and an island

Laura Hull Photography
Dining room - modern dark wood floor dining room idea in Los Angeles with white walls

Mid-sized elegant open concept and formal dark wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Toronto with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Example of a beach style loft-style living room library design in Portland

Jason Hulet
Example of a classic open concept coffered ceiling living room design in Other with beige walls

http://mollywinnphotography.com
Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage medium tone wood floor family room remodel in Austin with white walls

Trendy patio photo in Portland with a roof extension

Pizza oven, outdoor fireplace, outdoor living area, seat wall, paver patio, outdoor furniture, wood box, fire feature, planting around patio, cultured stone, natural stone, hearth, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, dining and living area, child's play structure and play ground, spacious lawn and plantings.

Cabinet paint color - Gray Huskie by Benjamin Moore Floors - French Oak from California Classics, Mediterranean Collection Pendants - Circa Lighting Suspended Shelves - Brandino www.brandinobrass.com

Mid-century modern living room with open plan and floor to ceiling windows for indoor-outdoor ambiance, redwood paneled walls, exposed wood beam ceiling, wood flooring and mid-century modern style furniture, in Berkeley, California. - Photo by Bruce Damonte.

Enclosed kitchen - traditional travertine floor enclosed kitchen idea in Newark with paneled appliances, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash and stone tile backsplash

Built and designed by Shelton Design Build Photo by: MissLPhotography
Kitchen - large traditional u-shaped brown floor and bamboo floor kitchen idea in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, a farmhouse sink, quartzite countertops and gray backsplash

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

Matthew Millman
Elegant kitchen photo in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, beige backsplash and subway tile backsplash

Girl's Bedroom photography: David Gilbert
Example of a transitional kids' room design in New York with pink walls

2011 EcoHome Design Award Winner Key to the successful design were the homeowner priorities of family health, energy performance, and optimizing the walk-to-town construction site. To maintain health and air quality, the home features a fresh air ventilation system with energy recovery, a whole house HEPA filtration system, radiant & radiator heating distribution, and low/no VOC materials. The home’s energy performance focuses on passive heating/cooling techniques, natural daylighting, an improved building envelope, and efficient mechanical systems, collectively achieving overall energy performance of 50% better than code. To address the site opportunities, the home utilizes a footprint that maximizes southern exposure in the rear while still capturing the park view in the front. ZeroEnergy Design | Green Architecture & Mechanical Design www.ZeroEnergy.com Kauffman Tharp Design | Interior Design www.ktharpdesign.com Photos by Eric Roth

Roehner Ryan
Large country light wood floor and beige floor great room photo in Phoenix with white walls

Elegant gender-neutral carpeted nursery photo in Phoenix with blue walls

Pool - large traditional backyard rectangular and concrete paver lap pool idea in Boston