Barry Grossman Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary dining room remodel in Miami

Design Credit: Mary Michael O'Hare (MMO Designs) Photo Credit: Emily O'Brien
Example of a large classic gender-neutral medium tone wood floor walk-in closet design in Boston with open cabinets and white cabinets

Inspiration for a contemporary home office remodel in Chicago with white walls

Alvarez Photography
Inspiration for a timeless four-car garage remodel in Tampa

Inspiration for a 1960s kitchen remodel in Philadelphia

Example of a country living room design with a two-sided fireplace

Walk In Custom Closet
Example of a transitional gender-neutral dark wood floor and brown floor walk-in closet design in Atlanta with shaker cabinets and white cabinets

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

Eat-in kitchen - large contemporary l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, black backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and quartz countertops

Living room - contemporary open concept light wood floor and beige floor living room idea in Portland with white walls, a standard fireplace and a concealed tv

Inspiration for a 1950s medium tone wood floor living room remodel in DC Metro

Mid-sized trendy balcony photo in Los Angeles with a fire pit and a roof extension

Dallas - Rustic barn playhouse. A two level playhouse with sandbox on bottom, climbing wall on back, bunk beds and viewing area above. ©Shoot2Sell Photography Photography by Shoot 2 Sell

Streeterville Residence, Jessica Lagrange Interiors LLC, Photo by Nathan Kirkman
Mid-sized transitional enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Chicago with no fireplace, a media wall and beige walls

Photo: Lucy Call © 2013 Houzz Design: Imbue Design and Sausage Space
Inspiration for a modern freestanding bathtub remodel in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets and dark wood cabinets

Karen Swanson, owner of New England Design Works in Manchester, MA keeps designing award winning Pennville Custom Cabinetry kitchens. You may remember that earlier this year, Karen won both the regional Sub-Zero Design Contest and the National Kitchen & Bath Association's medium kitchen of the year. nedesignworks@gmail.com 978.500.1096.

Example of a mid-sized minimalist attached garage workshop design in Salt Lake City

LandMark Photography/Spacecrafters
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets and gray backsplash

©Nathan Kirkman Photography
Freestanding bathtub - traditional white tile freestanding bathtub idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets and white cabinets