This 1926 Mediterranean Bungalow in the Tangletown neighborhood of South Minneapolis was ready for a new face. The homeowners were very interested in saving the original cabinetry while also updating the space. With keeping the cabinetry, we still wanted to add some additional detail. By applying additional molding cabinetry faces, new oil rubbed bronze hinges and pulls, and by painting the cabinets with a top glaze, the cabinetry now has a new life. One new cabinet was designed to match the existing to the left of the fridge and some modifications were made for a new dishwasher, larger sink, and a copper screen was installed on a base cabinet door to add detail and air-flow to an existing radiator. To top off the newly finished cabinetry, Alaska White granite tops were installed. The gorgeous tops pull the accents of bronze and the glazed cabinetry together perfectly. Kohler faucet and a Blanco Silgranit sink finish off the tops. New lighting, crackled ceramic tile backsplash, and a fresh coat of paint complete the kitchen update. The homeowner’s couldn’t be happier and now have a classic yet eccentric kitchen to enjoy and share.

This 1926 Mediterranean Bungalow in the Tangletown neighborhood of South Minneapolis was ready for a new face. The homeowners were very interested in saving the original cabinetry while also updating the space. With keeping the cabinetry, we still wanted to add some additional detail. By applying additional molding cabinetry faces, new oil rubbed bronze hinges and pulls, and by painting the cabinets with a top glaze, the cabinetry now has a new life. One new cabinet was designed to match the existing to the left of the fridge and some modifications were made for a new dishwasher, larger sink, and a copper screen was installed on a base cabinet door to add detail and air-flow to an existing radiator. To top off the newly finished cabinetry, Alaska White granite tops were installed. The gorgeous tops pull the accents of bronze and the glazed cabinetry together perfectly. Kohler faucet and a Blanco Silgranit sink finish off the tops. New lighting, crackled ceramic tile backsplash, and a fresh coat of paint complete the kitchen update. The homeowner’s couldn’t be happier and now have a classic yet eccentric kitchen to enjoy and share.

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

Brand new home in HOT Northside. If you are looking for the conveniences and low maintenance of new and the feel of an established historic neighborhood…Here it is! Enter this stately colonial to find lovely 2-story foyer, stunning living and dining rooms. Fabulous huge open kitchen and family room featuring huge island perfect for entertaining, tile back splash, stainless appliances, farmhouse sink and great lighting! Butler’s pantry with great storage- great staging spot for your parties. Family room with built in bookcases and gas fireplace with easy access to outdoor rear porch makes for great flow. Upstairs find a luxurious master suite. Master bath features large tiled shower and lovely slipper soaking tub. His and her closets. 3 additional bedrooms are great size. Southern bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bath and 4th bedroom has a private bath. Lovely light fixtures and great detail throughout!

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.

Brand new home in HOT Northside. If you are looking for the conveniences and low maintenance of new and the feel of an established historic neighborhood…Here it is! Enter this stately colonial to find lovely 2-story foyer, stunning living and dining rooms. Fabulous huge open kitchen and family room featuring huge island perfect for entertaining, tile back splash, stainless appliances, farmhouse sink and great lighting! Butler’s pantry with great storage- great staging spot for your parties. Family room with built in bookcases and gas fireplace with easy access to outdoor rear porch makes for great flow. Upstairs find a luxurious master suite. Master bath features large tiled shower and lovely slipper soaking tub. His and her closets. 3 additional bedrooms are great size. Southern bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bath and 4th bedroom has a private bath. Lovely light fixtures and great detail throughout!

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

Photo: Sarah Dowlin © 2018 Houzz
Example of an urban galley kitchen design with a drop-in sink, open cabinets, white backsplash, white appliances, a peninsula and gray countertops

Neighborhood Builders From the shake-shingle and stone exterior to the cottage details throughout, this home exudes classic Cape Cod style. Nautical light fixtures, painted trim, shiplap interior walls and white washed flooring carry the theme room to room. But elegant touches reflect the homes modern design. Gorgeous crown molding and wide trim throughout the home adds a sense of luxury, as does the master suite with its shiplap ceiling, and modern soaking tub. Even the main level laundry and mud room reveals cottage touches. Lower level modern amenities complete the home. An indoor/outdoor bar complete with game room and sunken family room and provide ample space for entertaining. Two large bedrooms in the lower level share a Hollywood style bath. Outside, overlooking the golf course, the home includes a 30 foot concrete deck and lower level patio complete with fireplace accessed by French-style sliding doors. Features such as Geo thermal, HRV systems and radiant floor heating add both value and comfort to an already wonderful home.

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

This graceful 1929 brick Tudor exudes an old-world elegance befitting its prestigious address. Recent updates give this sun-filled beauty a chic, new feel. The effortlessly elegant living room is highlighted by rich wood paneling, a stunning beamed ceiling and a signature fireplace. The adjoining all-season sun room with cathedral ceiling, built-ins and fireplace provides picture perfect views of the beautiful grounds. The neutral kitchen adjoins a formal dining room with French doors and leads to an expansive stone patio. A flexible den can easily double as an office or homework space. The master includes a walk-in closet and en-suite bath. Two generous second floor bedrooms share a hall bath. The versatile third floor includes a bedroom, full bathroom and office or children's space. Two car attached garage. Captivating exterior features including an arched entry, stone walls, slate roof, and copper gutters complete this enchanting English Tudor in a prestigious estate neighborhood.

Neighborhood Builders From the shake-shingle and stone exterior to the cottage details throughout, this home exudes classic Cape Cod style. Nautical light fixtures, painted trim, shiplap interior walls and white washed flooring carry the theme room to room. But elegant touches reflect the homes modern design. Gorgeous crown molding and wide trim throughout the home adds a sense of luxury, as does the master suite with its shiplap ceiling, and modern soaking tub. Even the main level laundry and mud room reveals cottage touches. Lower level modern amenities complete the home. An indoor/outdoor bar complete with game room and sunken family room and provide ample space for entertaining. Two large bedrooms in the lower level share a Hollywood style bath. Outside, overlooking the golf course, the home includes a 30 foot concrete deck and lower level patio complete with fireplace accessed by French-style sliding doors. Features such as Geo thermal, HRV systems and radiant floor heating add both value and comfort to an already wonderful home.

Neighborhood Builders From the shake-shingle and stone exterior to the cottage details throughout, this home exudes classic Cape Cod style. Nautical light fixtures, painted trim, shiplap interior walls and white washed flooring carry the theme room to room. But elegant touches reflect the homes modern design. Gorgeous crown molding and wide trim throughout the home adds a sense of luxury, as does the master suite with its shiplap ceiling, and modern soaking tub. Even the main level laundry and mud room reveals cottage touches. Lower level modern amenities complete the home. An indoor/outdoor bar complete with game room and sunken family room and provide ample space for entertaining. Two large bedrooms in the lower level share a Hollywood style bath. Outside, overlooking the golf course, the home includes a 30 foot concrete deck and lower level patio complete with fireplace accessed by French-style sliding doors. Features such as Geo thermal, HRV systems and radiant floor heating add both value and comfort to an already wonderful home.

Photo: David Roy
1960s exterior home photo in Los Angeles

Neighborhood Builders From the shake-shingle and stone exterior to the cottage details throughout, this home exudes classic Cape Cod style. Nautical light fixtures, painted trim, shiplap interior walls and white washed flooring carry the theme room to room. But elegant touches reflect the homes modern design. Gorgeous crown molding and wide trim throughout the home adds a sense of luxury, as does the master suite with its shiplap ceiling, and modern soaking tub. Even the main level laundry and mud room reveals cottage touches. Lower level modern amenities complete the home. An indoor/outdoor bar complete with game room and sunken family room and provide ample space for entertaining. Two large bedrooms in the lower level share a Hollywood style bath. Outside, overlooking the golf course, the home includes a 30 foot concrete deck and lower level patio complete with fireplace accessed by French-style sliding doors. Features such as Geo thermal, HRV systems and radiant floor heating add both value and comfort to an already wonderful home.

Photo: Kayla Stark © 2016 Houzz
Eclectic exterior home photo in New Orleans