T.C. Geist Photography
Example of a bedroom and small transitional boy dark wood floor kids' bedroom design in New York with gray walls

This interior shot of hOMe, our 207sf (+110sf in lofts) tiny house shows what you see when you walk in through the front door. The window seat acts as our sofa, comfortable stairs go up to the master bedroom loft (which has a queen bed), a fold down desk serves as our working and eating table, and at the end a full sized kitchen with full sized appliances provides abundant space for cooking meals.

©Media Carrot Photography
Example of a small u-shaped kitchen design in Los Angeles with dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Brian Kellogg
Example of a transitional carpeted living room design in Sacramento with beige walls

Kitchen - traditional u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash and subway tile backsplash

DESIGN: Eric Richmond, Flat Rock Productions; BUILDER: DR Construction; PHOTO: Stadler Studio
Garage - small coastal detached one-car garage idea in Seattle

Small transitional kitchen photo in Vancouver with green backsplash and an island

Roy - ZeroPXL, Milan
Small trendy kitchen photo in Milan

Mariko Reed Architectural Photography
Bedroom - mid-sized cottage master carpeted bedroom idea in San Francisco with white walls

Inspiration for a timeless one-car garage remodel in New York

Inspiration for a contemporary blue tile and mosaic tile mosaic tile floor, blue floor and wallpaper powder room remodel in Boston with brown walls, a vessel sink and white countertops

Example of a country guesthouse design in Santa Barbara

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

Trendy concrete floor living room photo in Santa Barbara

Oregon Coast Kitchen photo by Nik Johnson
Enclosed kitchen - coastal u-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in Seattle with a drop-in sink, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, white backsplash and wood countertops

A modern-meets-vintage farmhouse-style tiny house designed and built by Parlour & Palm in Portland, Oregon. This adorable space may be small, but it is mighty, and includes a kitchen, bathroom, living room, sleeping loft, and outdoor deck. Many of the features - including cabinets, shelves, hardware, lighting, furniture, and outlet covers - are salvaged and recycled.

Nat Rea
Kitchen/dining room combo - mid-sized contemporary medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea with beige walls and no fireplace

Full Manhattan apartment remodel in Upper West Side, NYC. Small bathroom with pale green glass tile accent wall, corner glass shower, and warm wood floating vanity.

Photos by Alan Tansey Photographer
Bedroom - small modern medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in New York with white walls