Roehner Ryan
Game room - large cottage loft-style light wood floor and beige floor game room idea in Phoenix with white walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Large contemporary white two-story stone gable roof idea in Dallas with a metal roof

Brandi Image Photography
Tub/shower combo - small transitional gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile tub/shower combo idea in Tampa with marble countertops, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, a two-piece toilet and white walls

Interior Design by Pamala Deikel Design Photos by Paul Rollis
Inspiration for a large cottage formal and open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace and no tv

Photographer: Jared Kuzia/This Old House
Kitchen - kitchen idea in Boston

This kitchen addition project is an expansion of an old story and a half South Bozeman home. See the video about the finished project here: https://youtu.be/ClH5A3qs6Ik This old house has been remodeled and added onto many times over. A complete demolition and rebuild of this structure would be the best course of action, but we are in a historic neighborhood and we will be working with it as is. Budget is an issue as well, so in addition to the second story addition, we are limiting our renovation efforts to the kitchen and bathroom areas at the back the house. We are making a concerted effort to not get into too much of the existing front half of this house. This is precisely the type of remodeling work that requires a very skilled and experienced builder. And I emphasize experienced. We are lucky to be working with Luke Stahlberg of Ibex Builders. Luke is a talented local Bozeman contractor with years of experience in the remodeling industry. Luke is very methodical and well organized. This is a classic remodeling project with enough detail to really test a contractor’s skill and experience.

John Kane / Silver Sun Studio
Inspiration for a victorian gray floor claw-foot bathtub remodel in New York with a console sink

Point West at Macatawa Park, MI
Beach style screened-in porch photo in Grand Rapids with decking and a roof extension

Inspiration for a farmhouse white one-story gable roof remodel in San Francisco

Bedroom - mid-sized coastal guest light wood floor bedroom idea in Miami with white walls

Minimalist exterior home photo in Houston

Danes Custom Homes
Living room - large french country open concept living room idea in Dallas

Greg Wilson
1950s lap pool photo in Portland

Inspiration for a small contemporary 3/4 gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile corner shower remodel in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, gray walls and a one-piece toilet

An used closet under the stairs is transformed into a beautiful and functional chilled wine cellar with a new wrought iron railing for the stairs to tie it all together. Travertine slabs replace carpet on the stairs. LED lights are installed in the wine cellar for additional ambient lighting that gives the room a soft glow in the evening. Photos by: Ryan Wilson

Bates Masi Architects LLC
Trendy backyard deck photo in New York with decking and no cover

COA transformed this San Francisco home into a more beautiful, spacious, light-filled and comfortable space by redesigning the back of the house to create an open format kitchen/dining area with modern amenities. Photos: Helynn Ospina Photography

Home office library - huge transitional built-in desk medium tone wood floor home office library idea in New York with brown walls and no fireplace

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