Dino Tonn
Large trendy formal and open concept marble floor living room photo in Phoenix with a two-sided fireplace, a tile fireplace, beige walls and a wall-mounted tv

Photo Credit: © Joe Fletcher Photography
Trendy carpeted bedroom photo in DC Metro with white walls

Hiframe custom installation on concrete slab - TV ON
Inspiration for a large modern formal and open concept light wood floor living room remodel in New York with beige walls, a media wall and no fireplace

Alison Gootee Project for: OPUS.AD
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless open concept dark wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in New York with a bar, gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Building Design Services by Lars W. Young Inc. Built by D Roth Construction Inc.
Example of a transitional tile patio design in Miami with a roof extension

Ivan Gomez - Client
Living room - contemporary open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room idea in Miami with white walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

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

Photo: Kristin Laing © 2018 Houzz
Eclectic family room photo in Austin

Gabriel Pinoux
Mid-sized eclectic open concept medium tone wood floor living room library photo in Los Angeles with white walls

Living Room. Photo by Michael Vahrenwald
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary gray floor family room library remodel in New York with white walls and a tv stand

The 3,400 SF, 3 – bedroom, 3 ½ bath main house feels larger than it is because we pulled the kids’ bedroom wing and master suite wing out from the public spaces and connected all three with a TV Den. Convenient ranch house features include a porte cochere at the side entrance to the mud room, a utility/sewing room near the kitchen, and covered porches that wrap two sides of the pool terrace. We designed a separate icehouse to showcase the owner’s unique collection of Texas memorabilia. The building includes a guest suite and a comfortable porch overlooking the pool. The main house and icehouse utilize reclaimed wood siding, brick, stone, tie, tin, and timbers alongside appropriate new materials to add a feeling of age.

Wayde Carroll
Inspiration for an asian home theater remodel in Sacramento

Southwest family room photo in Phoenix

Living room - contemporary open concept and formal light wood floor living room idea in Baltimore with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace

Click Photography
Eat-in kitchen - large contemporary u-shaped porcelain tile eat-in kitchen idea in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

David Burroughs
Home office library - small transitional built-in desk dark wood floor and brown floor home office library idea in DC Metro with white walls

Tuscan courtyard stone patio photo in San Diego with a pergola and a fireplace

Forefront Foto
Tuscan formal light wood floor family room photo in Austin with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a tv stand

Pool - transitional pool idea in Charlotte