Interior design by SOCO Interiors. Photography by Giovanni. Built by Stock Development.
Seated home bar - traditional beige floor seated home bar idea in Miami with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets and multicolored backsplash

Contemporary floating shelves keep everyday dishes close at hand. Photo by Crown Point Cabinetry
Farmhouse u-shaped light wood floor kitchen photo in Boston with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

sethbennphoto.com 2013
Example of a transitional bedroom design in Minneapolis with gray walls

Photo by: Joshua Caldwell
Inspiration for a large timeless master carpeted and beige floor bedroom remodel in Salt Lake City with gray 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. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

Photo by Ryann Ford
This is an example of a contemporary landscaping in Austin.

The new morning room is the size of the original kitchen. It features a beverage center, window seat, and custom table. It also showcases the pastoral views. Photo Credit: David Bader Interior Design Partner: Becky Howley

With the homeowner’s guests in mind, Interior Designer Rebecca Robeson transforms an outdated and cramped Guest Bathroom into a modern, luxury space by replacing a tiny pedestal sink with a custom built vanity providing much needed storage in a small bathroom. Making every inch count, the vanity is complete with deep storage drawers on soft-close hinges. Contemporary drawer pulls provide stylish, easy-open convenience. A petite under-mount sink allows for maximum countertop space in gleaming white marble, tying in the beautiful laser cut, oval shape stone pieces placed horizontally, Rebecca chose grey grout to surround each piece, giving it an embedded look. Carrying the feature wall from the toilet on into the back wall of the shower, this once tiny bathroom (painted red) gets a new lease on life! Rebecca’s creative solution to the lack of usable surface space was to design a custom ceiling mounted shelving unit above the toilet. Shown here, it's used for well-appointed accessory pieces but when necessary, can also serve the functional needs of guests for makeup bags, shaving kits, perfume and toiletries. Smoked glass shelves hang on stainless steel cables, suspended from the ceiling. Custom doors by Earthwood Custom Remodeling, complete the modern clean look in this Bathroom. Earthwood Custom Remodeling, Inc. Exquisite Kitchen Design Tech Lighting - Black Whale Lighting Photos by Ryan Garvin Photography

Photo Credit: Nicole Leone
Example of a transitional dark wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo design in Los Angeles with no fireplace and blue walls

Alcove shower - small traditional 3/4 white tile and subway tile marble floor and gray floor alcove shower idea in Charleston with blue walls, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, an undermount sink, marble countertops, gray countertops and a hinged shower door

An open plan kitchen with white shaker cabinets and natural wood island. The upper cabinets have glass doors and frame the window looking into the yard ensuring a light and open feel to the room. Marble subway tile and island counter contrasts with the taupe Neolith counter surface. Shiplap detail was repeated on the buffet and island. The buffet is utilized as a serving center for large events. Photo: Jean Bai / Konstrukt Photo

Marion Brenner
Trendy concrete patio photo in San Francisco with a gazebo

Pool - traditional backyard rectangular pool idea in Boston

Inspiration for a 1950s light wood floor wet bar remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash and white countertops

Elegant gray floor sunroom photo in Chicago with a skylight

Shannon Lazic
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional enclosed dark wood floor living room library remodel in Orlando with a wall-mounted tv, no fireplace and gray walls

Elizabeth Strianese Interiors and Meredith Heuer photography. We opted for a classic inspired bathroom with literally "splashes" of fun for these little girls. The triple laundry sink serves the 3 children nicely with it's deep basin and built in soap holders. Simplicity was key when selecting a class marble hex floor tile and white subway tile for the bulk of the room - but then we had a little fun with the colorful glass mosaic tile in the tub niche. Handblown locally made light fixtures from Dan Spitzer over the sink keep my signature of "local and handmade" alive.

Kath & Keith Photography
Inspiration for a timeless u-shaped dark wood floor home design remodel in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island, white cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash and porcelain backsplash

Adhering to the homeowner's request for lots of light, we designed the kitchen with few upper cabinets. Moss Photography - www.mossphotography.com
Example of a mid-sized classic l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Denver with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a drop-in sink and an island