Nick Sargent
Example of a trendy pool design in Miami

Timeless Memories Photography
Example of a small eclectic women's carpeted dressing room design in Charleston with blue cabinets and raised-panel cabinets

Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic backyard stamped concrete and custom-shaped natural hot tub remodel in Boston

Our clients on this project were inspired by their travels to Asia and wanted to mimic this aesthetic at their DC property. We designed a water feature that effectively masks adjacent traffic noise and maintains a small footprint.

Sebastian Zachariah
Dining room - contemporary dining room idea in Mumbai

Photography by Jorge Alvarez.
Transitional indoor indoor pool photo in Tampa

Mountain style two-story wood gable roof photo in Minneapolis

Inspiration for a huge rustic red two-story mixed siding gable roof remodel in Denver

A new garage was built with improved, integrated landscaping to connect to the house and retain a beautiful backyard. The two-car garage is larger than the one it replaces and positioned strategically for better backing up and maneuvering. It stylistically coordinates with the house and provides 290 square feet of attic storage. Stone paving connects the drive, path, and outdoor patio which is off of the home’s sun room. Low stone walls and pavers are used to define areas of plantings and yard.

Scout
Inspiration for a farmhouse landscaping in New York.

Ed Butera
Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor bedroom remodel in Miami with gray walls

A new garage was built with improved, integrated landscaping to connect to the house and retain a beautiful backyard. The two-car garage is larger than the one it replaces and positioned strategically for better backing up and maneuvering. It stylistically coordinates with the house and provides 290 square feet of attic storage. Stone paving connects the drive, path, and outdoor patio which is off of the home’s sun room. Low stone walls and pavers are used to define areas of plantings and yard.

Paul Dyer Photo
Mountain style gray floor bathroom photo in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, beige walls, an integrated sink and beige countertops

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

Inspiration for a small 1950s single-wall black floor dedicated laundry room remodel in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and gray countertops

Design ideas for a traditional backyard river rock water fountain landscape in Seattle.

© Wade Griffith Photography 2017
Design ideas for a contemporary full sun landscaping in Dallas.

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

water features, bubbler, flagstone hardscaping, rock garden, outdoor seating, outdoor living space
Photo of a traditional backyard river rock landscaping in Portland.