Inspiration for a contemporary entryway remodel in Orange County

Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea in DC Metro

Example of a mid-sized transitional wooden straight wood railing staircase design in Houston with painted risers

The back staircase to the upper floor had been enclosed, creating a separation between the Family Room and the Kitchen. To achieve a bright and open feeling, we replaced the walls on the lower portion of the stairs with open railings. We reconfigured an awkward entrance from the backyard into the kitchen, to allow for a built-in banquette. The back of the banquette has bookcase depth shelves up top for small items, deep shelves extending below the seat for shoe and backpack storage, and a pull out drawer under the opposite seat for winter gear.

Staircase - mid-sized traditional wooden straight staircase idea in Houston with wooden risers

Staircase - large contemporary straight metal railing staircase idea in Chicago

Glass railing for interior stairs and second floor open to below area. Shoe molding system with 9/16" starphire tempered + laminated SGP glass and 304 polished stainless steel finish.

To maximize every inch of this home, I designed built-ins for the staircase as well.
Mid-sized transitional wooden straight staircase photo in Chicago with painted risers

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional carpeted straight metal railing staircase remodel in San Francisco with carpeted risers

Stair to loft with hand stenciled risers. Bottom steps incorporate shoe storage.
Transitional wooden straight wood railing staircase photo in Chicago with painted risers

Staircase as the heart of the home
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary wooden straight mixed material railing and wall paneling staircase remodel in Los Angeles with wooden risers

Inspiration for a large mediterranean women's carpeted home design remodel in Austin with raised-panel cabinets and beige cabinets

Large elegant wooden straight staircase photo in Seattle with wooden risers

THEME Every element of this room is tied to a traditional nursery rhyme. From the “Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” to “Hickory Dickory Dock,” the Cobbler brings to life some of childhood’s most memorable and endearing rhymes. FOCUS To counter the room’s high ceiling, the design introduces elements with both comparable height and considerable warmth, making the room feel spacious, yet cozy. A large, shoe-shaped armoire pays homage to the “Old Woman” and is built in place from floor to ceiling. It features curtained doors and drawer fronts, a wooden shingle roof with a blue bird on top, and a clothesline for baby’s favorite wares. The mural over the crib, showing the Cow Jumping over the Moon and her counterpart, the Dish Running Away with the Spoon, adds fantasy and humor. Quaint, hand-painted stone walls that surround the shoe and hardwood flooring that partially replaces wall-to-wall carpeting help unify the room. An organic curve unites the wood and carpet gracefully, adding visual interest and organic beauty. STORAGE The shoe holds clothing and linens, while the changing table stores diapers and diaper accessories. Shelving installed above the changing table adds color and interest, while creating room for stuffed animals, pictures, toys and treasures. GROWTH The room’s childlike theme and magical giant shoe, although intended for young children, are sufficiently functional and artistic to remain an endearing attraction for the room’s occupant throughout childhood and adolescence. SAFETY Precautions are taken to secure power outlets, keep exposed shelving out of reach of little hands, and allow medicinal items to be secured in a safe, convenient location. The clothesline is suspended high above the room and is secured to stay out of reach.

THEME Every element of this room is tied to a traditional nursery rhyme. From the “Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” to “Hickory Dickory Dock,” the Cobbler brings to life some of childhood’s most memorable and endearing rhymes. FOCUS To counter the room’s high ceiling, the design introduces elements with both comparable height and considerable warmth, making the room feel spacious, yet cozy. A large, shoe-shaped armoire pays homage to the “Old Woman” and is built in place from floor to ceiling. It features curtained doors and drawer fronts, a wooden shingle roof with a blue bird on top, and a clothesline for baby’s favorite wares. The mural over the crib, showing the Cow Jumping over the Moon and her counterpart, the Dish Running Away with the Spoon, adds fantasy and humor. Quaint, hand-painted stone walls that surround the shoe and hardwood flooring that partially replaces wall-to-wall carpeting help unify the room. An organic curve unites the wood and carpet gracefully, adding visual interest and organic beauty. STORAGE The shoe holds clothing and linens, while the changing table stores diapers and diaper accessories. Shelving installed above the changing table adds color and interest, while creating room for stuffed animals, pictures, toys and treasures. GROWTH The room’s childlike theme and magical giant shoe, although intended for young children, are sufficiently functional and artistic to remain an endearing attraction for the room’s occupant throughout childhood and adolescence. SAFETY Precautions are taken to secure power outlets, keep exposed shelving out of reach of little hands, and allow medicinal items to be secured in a safe, convenient location. The clothesline is suspended high above the room and is secured to stay out of reach.

THEME Every element of this room is tied to a traditional nursery rhyme. From the “Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” to “Hickory Dickory Dock,” the Cobbler brings to life some of childhood’s most memorable and endearing rhymes. FOCUS To counter the room’s high ceiling, the design introduces elements with both comparable height and considerable warmth, making the room feel spacious, yet cozy. A large, shoe-shaped armoire pays homage to the “Old Woman” and is built in place from floor to ceiling. It features curtained doors and drawer fronts, a wooden shingle roof with a blue bird on top, and a clothesline for baby’s favorite wares. The mural over the crib, showing the Cow Jumping over the Moon and her counterpart, the Dish Running Away with the Spoon, adds fantasy and humor. Quaint, hand-painted stone walls that surround the shoe and hardwood flooring that partially replaces wall-to-wall carpeting help unify the room. An organic curve unites the wood and carpet gracefully, adding visual interest and organic beauty. STORAGE The shoe holds clothing and linens, while the changing table stores diapers and diaper accessories. Shelving installed above the changing table adds color and interest, while creating room for stuffed animals, pictures, toys and treasures. GROWTH The room’s childlike theme and magical giant shoe, although intended for young children, are sufficiently functional and artistic to remain an endearing attraction for the room’s occupant throughout childhood and adolescence. SAFETY Precautions are taken to secure power outlets, keep exposed shelving out of reach of little hands, and allow medicinal items to be secured in a safe, convenient location. The clothesline is suspended high above the room and is secured to stay out of reach.

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

With the doors open, the full function of the under-stair cabinetry is revealed. The interior was tailored to provide hanging space, shelving and organized storage for shoes, baskets and everyday entry essentials. Using the changing depth beneath the staircase allowed each section to serve a purpose while keeping coats and household items concealed when not in use.

Mid-sized transitional carpeted straight staircase photo with wooden risers