Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Architecture: Murphy & Co. Design | Interiors: Engler Studio | Photography: Corey Gaffer
Inspiration for a bedroom and large coastal guest and gender-neutral carpeted and blue floor kids' bedroom remodel in Minneapolis with gray walls

Alicia Santistevan
Example of a mid-sized trendy built-in desk concrete floor home office design with white walls and no fireplace

Photo: Meghan Bob Photo
Inspiration for a large farmhouse backyard concrete paver patio remodel in Los Angeles with a roof extension

Margot Hartford Photography
Example of a classic wooden staircase design in San Francisco

Make a closet laundry space work harder and look better by surrounding the washer and dryer with smart solutions.
Example of a small transitional single-wall light wood floor laundry closet design in Charlotte with wood countertops, a side-by-side washer/dryer, beige countertops and green walls

Example of a transitional master white tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile and black floor bathroom design in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops and white countertops

Study room - contemporary built-in desk medium tone wood floor study room idea in Portland with gray walls

Big Canyon Community, Newport Beach, California
Mid-sized beach style bathroom photo in Orange County with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets and multicolored walls

Los Altos Hills Fusion in Los Altos Hills, California Photography: David Duncan Livingston
Transitional home office photo in San Francisco

Interactive room for a boy. the steering wheel moves around so he can feel like he is a real captain. there is also an anchor on a pulley system so he can pull it up and down. This was done on a shoestring budget and most of it was made by me persoanlly. Photo- Kristin Langlais

Photos by Steve Chenn
Elegant living room photo in Houston with gray walls

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a transitional living room remodel in Boston with blue walls

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

Michael Baxley
Mid-sized classic stone back porch idea in Little Rock with a fire pit and a roof extension

Example of a beach style bedroom design in Philadelphia with white walls

photography by Juan Lopez Gil
Bedroom - modern bedroom idea in New York

C.L. Fry Photo - www.clfryphoto.com
Great room - cottage great room idea in Austin

The creation of two separate vanity spaces in this shared bath and a fresh and fun neutral color palate is appealing to both children who use this space.

Mid-sized minimalist master light wood floor and white floor bedroom photo in Miami with beige walls