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

David Burroughs
Kitchen - coastal galley kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, gray backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photography by Michael J. Lee
Inspiration for a large transitional galley medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and quartz countertops

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture. Post processing by Isabella Li.
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard gravel water fountain landscape in Orange County.

Good and Evil Creative
Mid-sized trendy galley medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in DC Metro with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, an undermount sink, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

It is all in the details! I worked hard with Heidi Fusik Interiors and the homeowner to make the most of this small space. Behind these beautiful 3 ply bamboo doors there is a space for everything including trash and recycling, spices, cutting boards and sheet pans, pots, pans, plates and even the cat food! The simplicity and clean lines of this kitchen make this small space feel spacious and the subtle details make it feel rich! Photos by Steven Whitsitt

Inspiration for a contemporary white floor kitchen remodel in Dallas with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

modern west University
Inspiration for a small modern backyard rectangular infinity pool fountain remodel in Houston with decking

This backyard used to be a sloped ramp of mulch, we saw the opportunity to 'spring' into action by installing a recirculating water falls feature. Photography by: Joe Hollowell

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard stone and custom-shaped lap pool fountain design in New York

Example of a mid-sized minimalist l-shaped ceramic tile and white floor open concept kitchen design in San Diego with white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets and quartzite countertops

Small island style backyard stone and custom-shaped natural pool fountain photo in Miami

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun backyard concrete paver water fountain landscape in Albuquerque for spring.

A close up picture, taken on a rainy day, of this small waterfall. Note the two rocks in the foreground are faux rocks made out of concrete. Photo by Garcia Rock And Water Design

Mid-sized elegant backyard stone and rectangular hot tub photo in Nashville

Photo: Whitney Lyons © 2014 Houzz
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern l-shaped concrete floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and white walls

Mid-century kitchen, casual dining room
Mid-sized 1950s dining room photo in Los Angeles

Landscape Water Feature Design & Installation Rochester NY Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls brought this Rochester (NY) front yard landscape to life with the installation of this stunning custom designed water feature which consists of bubbling urns, waterfalls, led lighting and beautiful aquatic plants. The sound of water running softly through this lovely water feature provides a relaxing sound that inspires relaxation which makes you want to sit down, relax, and enjoy all the simple pleasures life has to offer. Not only are water features lovely, they will make any space look more aesthetically pleasing and are the next best thing to living on a lovely lake or a sparking fish pond. This water feature has bubbling urns which can be installed with multiple sizes in groupings or we can design & install your water feature to have only one gorgeous stand alone urn. We love installing these beautiful urns in pondless waterfalls as well as in streams and fish ponds while adding LED lighting to them. Another cool feature is the addition of FIRE to the top of our fountains which really enhances the whole garden and makes the house stand out from the rest. The owners can sip their morning coffee on the porch and see a myriad of lovely birds and other pretty wildlife stop by for a quick sip of water. It’s a simple pleasure, but it brings a smile to the lives of our Western NY clients in Rochester & Buffalo New York (NY) and we love what we do. Our unique water features are also easy to maintain! Homeowners worry their new custom water feature requires ample work to maintain, but they do not. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls design experts are happy to discuss seasonal care of water features with our clients to ensure they’re being cared for properly, no matter the season. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls can help you design and install a beautiful water feature to add that peace and tranquility to your outdoor spaces. For large or small projects, there are always solutions to adding a water feature in your garden weather you are thinking about installing a pondless waterfall, one of a kind fish pond, custom water feature or large recreational pond. Acorn works with you from beginning to end so you can have a worry free addition to your backyard.

This tiny suburban Toronto yard contained a small flagstone patio and a small patch of lawn. The children were now in their teens, so the lawn was no longer needed as a play area and was the perfect size for a "plunge" pool. The patio was slightly enlarged and re-configured to integrate with a small pool featuring matching natural stone coping and a limestone water feature. The remaining perimeter was filled with a colourful mix of plantings and shrubs. It's a small area, but it was put to good use. (12 x 27, humpback kidney)