Lisa Romerein
Living room - cottage open concept living room idea in San Francisco with beige walls

Jim Bartsch
Inspiration for a contemporary galley concrete floor kitchen remodel in Santa Barbara with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, no island, a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white backsplash and glass sheet backsplash

Example of a classic dark wood floor kitchen design in Los Angeles with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Mid-sized beach style dark wood floor dining room photo in Miami with white walls

In the kitchen, the feeling is light and airy, thanks to a soft color palette and open shelving. Rather than create a massive center island, Kiel applied his handy work to an array of inexpensive materials, resulting in an island work table with open shelving. By keeping sight lines open down below, the kitchen gains a greater feeling of space. Wall Color, Lightest Sky, by Pantone for Valspar; Counter top, IKEA; Pendant Fixtures, Home Depot Photo: Adrienne DeRosa Photography © 2014 Houzz

Large, spacious cabinets may be exactly what you need, especially if you have a small kitchen. Custom floor-to-ceiling cabinets can blend in seamlessly with the rest of your space and have a lot of interior room.

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 pergola, above the uppermost horizontal 'strip' of cedar, is a bronze poly-carbonate, which allows light to come through, but which blocks UV rays and keeps out the rain. It's also available in clear, and a few more colors.

Casey Dunn Photography
Kids' bedroom - bedroom and mid-sized cottage guest and gender-neutral carpeted kids' bedroom idea in Houston with gray walls

Designer: Paul McClean Project Type: New Single Family Residence Location: Los Angeles, CA Approximate Size: 15,500 sf Completion Date: 2012 Photographer: Jim Bartsch

Example of a mid-sized 1950s u-shaped laminate floor and beige floor open concept kitchen design in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Dramatic archways linking rooms visually to one another in graceful fashion define the interior spaces.
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Detroit with white cabinets, brown backsplash, stainless steel appliances, recessed-panel cabinets, an undermount sink, granite countertops, porcelain backsplash and an island

A down-filled custom linen sectional sits atop a graphic rug from Stark Carpet. Custom white oak coffee table anchors the room. Bookcases were reworked and the backs of them were recovered in a textured grasscloth. We love how the floor pillows really combine the two rooms into one. Photos by Denise Davies

photography by Rob Karosis
Eat-in kitchen - large traditional galley light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and white walls

Drew Rice, Red Pants Studio
Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Seattle with shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, subway tile backsplash and an island

This master bath was dark and dated. Although a large space, the area felt small and obtrusive. By removing the columns and step up, widening the shower and creating a true toilet room I was able to give the homeowner a truly luxurious master retreat. (check out the before pictures at the end) The ceiling detail was the icing on the cake! It follows the angled wall of the shower and dressing table and makes the space seem so much larger than it is. The homeowners love their Nantucket roots and wanted this space to reflect that.

Inspiration for a farmhouse utility room remodel with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, yellow walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

© 2015 Jonathan Dean. All Rights Reserved. www.jwdean.com.
Inspiration for a large french country white three-story stucco exterior home remodel in New Orleans with a hip roof

Kyle J Caldwell