Designer: Paul McClean Project Type: New Single Family Residence Location: Los Angeles, CA Approximate Size: 15,500 sf Completion Date: 2012 Photographer: Jim Bartsch

Example of a mid-sized trendy 3/4 white tile white floor and marble floor alcove bathtub design in Toronto with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white countertops, white walls and an undermount sink

Patrick Coulie
Inspiration for a huge contemporary u-shaped concrete floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Albuquerque with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

The Guest House has pocketing lift and slide steel doors to provide an indoor/outdoor living space. The gravel patio connects the area to the rest of the landscape.

Small transitional women's reach-in closet photo in Denver with flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets

Mountain style light wood floor bathroom photo in Denver with a vessel sink, medium tone wood cabinets, gray walls and gray countertops

Minimalist powder room photo in Orange County

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

Richard Leo Johnson
Example of a cottage galley eat-in kitchen design in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, medium tone wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances

The new pantry is located where the old pantry was housed. The exisitng pantry contained standard wire shelves and bi-fold doors on a basic 18" deep closet. The homeowner wanted a place for deocorative storage, so without changing the footprint, we were able to create a more functional, more accessible and definitely more beautiful pantry! Alex Claney Photography, LauraDesignCo for photo staging

Design: Charlie & Co. Design | Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Interiors & Photo Styling: Lucy Interior Design | Susan Gilmore Photography
Trendy dark wood floor great room photo in Minneapolis with white walls

A tub shower transformed into a standing open shower. A concrete composite vanity top incorporates the sink and counter making it low maintenance. Photography by Jacob Hand

Jon Encarnacion Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary master gray floor bathroom remodel in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, an undermount tub, white walls and an integrated sink

Trendy kitchen photo in Birmingham

Open concept kitchen - mid-sized modern concrete floor open concept kitchen idea in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, concrete countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Frank de Biasi Interiors
Inspiration for a large rustic master marble floor corner shower remodel in Denver with an undermount sink, open cabinets, marble countertops and beige walls

Brock Hammill
Small cottage detached garden shed photo

Modern ski chalet with walls of windows to enjoy the mountainous view provided of this ski-in ski-out property. Formal and casual living room areas allow for flexible entertaining. Construction - Bear Mountain Builders Interiors - Hunter & Company Photos - Gibeon Photography

Jim Doyle/Applied Photography EPIC Ceramic and Stone www.rational.de
Trendy u-shaped light wood floor kitchen photo in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, a peninsula and limestone backsplash