Raquel Langworthy
Example of a trendy formal multicolored floor and marble floor living room design in New York with white walls

Private Residence, Laurie Demetrio Interiors, Photo by Dustin Halleck, Millwork by NuHaus
Example of a small transitional built-in desk dark wood floor and brown floor home office library design in Chicago with no fireplace and brown walls

Screened porch living area looking to the lake. Image by Jean Allsopp Photography.
Large beach style back porch idea in Birmingham with decking and a roof extension

Charles Johnson Design
Transitional medium tone wood floor living room photo with gray walls and a bar

Gorgeous Living Room By 2id Interiors
Family room - huge contemporary open concept porcelain tile and gray floor family room idea in Miami with a wall-mounted tv and white walls

Lance Gerber
Living room - mediterranean brown floor living room idea in Los Angeles with white walls and a standard fireplace

Michael Hunter Photography
Living room - cottage medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in Austin with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Example of an eclectic tile patio design in New Orleans with a gazebo

Inspiration for a contemporary carpeted living room remodel in New York with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Make an incredible statement with a "brick" layout of stainless steel panels on your TV wall and add a large chandelier over the main seating area.
Living room - large contemporary open concept light wood floor living room idea in Las Vegas with gray walls, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Trendy freestanding desk light wood floor study room photo in New York with white walls and no fireplace

Transitional backyard patio photo in San Francisco with a pergola

Living room - coastal painted wood floor living room idea in New York with white walls

The man of this house loves his leather power-recliner, perfect for relaxing feet-up to watch TV or the view outside. At La-Z-Boy, we’re very familiar with this sentiment! To compliment the chair, we chose a statement sofa and a new La-Z-Boy "Designers Choice Chair" (over 20 distinct chair styles that can be customized in over 100 fabrics). We also worked in the traditional coffee table and side tables from this family’s previous home.

Staircase - traditional wooden staircase idea in Houston

Transitional open concept light wood floor and beige floor family room photo in San Francisco with gray walls, a ribbon fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Wadia Associates Design
Example of a mid-sized transitional formal and open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room design in New York with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Dallas with gray walls and a standard 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. Eric Roth Photo