Seth Samuels
Inspiration for a small mid-century modern home design remodel in New York

Seth Samuels
Small mid-century modern home design photo in New York

This project is an Electronic House Magazine award winner: http://electronichouse.com/article/small_house_goes_big_with_home_automation We were brought into this project just as the major remodel was underway, allowing us to bring together a feature-rich audio/video and automation system with elegant integration into the spaces. This system provides simple control and automation of the lights, climate, audio/video, security, video surveillance, and door locks. The homeowner can use their iPads or iPhones to control everything in their home, or when away.

Chris Veith
Kitchen - transitional kitchen idea in New York with porcelain backsplash

Corner shower with stone slab walls, a corner niche, bench and House of Rohl fixtures. Photos by Chris Veith
Inspiration for a large timeless master white tile and mosaic tile marble floor and white floor bathroom remodel in New York with beaded inset cabinets, an undermount tub, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Example of a trendy backyard deck design in New York with a fire pit and no cover

Dedicated laundry room - cottage l-shaped dedicated laundry room idea in Charleston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

Nursery - large contemporary gender-neutral carpeted and white floor nursery idea in Chicago with beige 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. Eric Roth Photo

Hafele Lemans corner storage unit provides flexible storage for pots and pans close to the range. Kate Falconer Photography
Mid-sized beach style l-shaped medium tone wood floor and yellow floor open concept kitchen photo with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, quartz countertops, blue backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Adrienne DeRosa © 2014 Houzz Inc. Set for an afternoon gathering, the Ciacchis' picnic table is nothing less than effortlessly elegant. Pulling from her inspirations toward southern charm and hospitality, Jennifer combines treasures from her "junking" adventures with vintage Eva Zeisel china to create a mood befitting of the most perfect summer day. The 12-foot table was hand made from barn siding. Jennifer picked the chairs from a dumpster, later realizing that each one had a name on it. "Because on the back of each one is a name of the person's chair, it makes it fun for parties because everyone gets a new name at dinner!" she says. Woven votives hang overhead, ready to create evening ambiance. Adrienne DeRosa © 2014 Houzz

Huge minimalist master porcelain tile and beige floor alcove shower photo in San Diego with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white walls, concrete countertops, a hinged shower door and gray countertops

The Gold Fork is a contemporary mid-century design with clean lines, large windows, and the perfect mix of stone and wood. Taking that design aesthetic to an open floor plan offers great opportunities for functional living spaces, smart storage solutions, and beautifully appointed finishes. With a nod to modern lifestyle, the tech room is centrally located to create an exciting mixed-use space for the ability to work and live. Always the heart of the home, the kitchen is sleek in design with a full-service butler pantry complete with a refrigerator and loads of storage space.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional drought-tolerant and partial sun front yard gravel landscaping in Orange County.

A custom walk-in with the exact location, size and type of storage that TVCI's customer desired. The benefit of hiring a custom cabinet maker.
Inspiration for a large contemporary gender-neutral gray floor and limestone floor walk-in closet remodel in Dallas with raised-panel cabinets and white cabinets

I designed the spa master bath to provide a calming oasis by using a blend of marble tile, concrete counter tops, chrome, crystal and a refurbished antique claw foot tub.

Photo by Jared Kuzia
Open concept kitchen - large transitional l-shaped brown floor and medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Boston with an undermount sink, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

A Modern Farmhouse set in a prairie setting exudes charm and simplicity. Wrap around porches and copious windows make outdoor/indoor living seamless while the interior finishings are extremely high on detail. In floor heating under porcelain tile in the entire lower level, Fond du Lac stone mimicking an original foundation wall and rough hewn wood finishes contrast with the sleek finishes of carrera marble in the master and top of the line appliances and soapstone counters of the kitchen. This home is a study in contrasts, while still providing a completely harmonious aura.

Atlantic Archives, Richard Leo Johnson
Eclectic gender-neutral playroom photo in Jacksonville