©Lincoln Barbour
Example of a large farmhouse l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Portland with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, flat-panel cabinets, black appliances and an island

The original kitchen was disjointed and lacked connection to the home and its history. The remodel opened the room to other areas of the home by incorporating an unused breakfast nook and enclosed porch to create a spacious new kitchen. It features stunning soapstone counters and range splash, era appropriate subway tiles, and hand crafted floating shelves. Ceasarstone on the island creates a durable, hardworking surface for prep work. A black Blue Star range anchors the space while custom inset fir cabinets wrap the walls and provide ample storage. Great care was given in restoring and recreating historic details for this charming Foursquare kitchen.

Corinne Cobabe
Doorless shower - small industrial 3/4 white tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile doorless shower idea in Los Angeles with white walls

This remodel of a three-story San Francisco Victorian honors the timeless design while breathing fresh, modern life into the home.

Stone steppers lead to an irregular lannon stone fire pit area in this creekside backyard in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Westhauser Photography
This is an example of a small rustic partial sun backyard stone landscaping in Milwaukee with a fire pit for summer.

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized victorian master white tile and subway tile gray floor and marble floor alcove shower remodel in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue walls, an undermount sink, a hinged shower door, quartz countertops and gray countertops

French country enclosed carpeted living room photo in Houston with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

Charming Modern Farmhouse with country views.
Example of a mid-sized country white two-story house exterior design in Portland with a hip roof and a shingle roof

The tile in the kids' bath is all new, designed to look original to the 1936 home. The tile is from B&W Tile in Los Angeles.
Alcove shower - mid-sized victorian black and white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and black floor alcove shower idea in Los Angeles with a two-piece toilet, white walls and a pedestal sink

Brad Caricofe
Living room - victorian living room idea in DC Metro

Photography: Nat Rea
Inspiration for a victorian dark wood floor living room remodel in Providence with white walls and a standard fireplace

Jim Bartsch Photography
This is an example of a victorian stone front porch design in Santa Barbara with a roof extension.

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

This expansive Victorian had tremendous historic charm but hadn’t seen a kitchen renovation since the 1950s. The homeowners wanted to take advantage of their views of the backyard and raised the roof and pushed the kitchen into the back of the house, where expansive windows could allow southern light into the kitchen all day. A warm historic gray/beige was chosen for the cabinetry, which was contrasted with character oak cabinetry on the appliance wall and bar in a modern chevron detail. Kitchen Design: Sarah Robertson, Studio Dearborn Architect: Ned Stoll, Interior finishes Tami Wassong Interiors

Example of a small classic wallpaper powder room design with white cabinets, quartz countertops, white countertops and a freestanding vanity

Austin Victorian by Chango & Co. Architectural Advisement & Interior Design by Chango & Co. Architecture by William Hablinski Construction by J Pinnelli Co. Photography by Sarah Elliott

Example of an ornate master pink tile pink floor freestanding bathtub design in Los Angeles with raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige walls and pink countertops

Richard Mandelkorn Photography
Dressing room - victorian gender-neutral medium tone wood floor and brown floor dressing room idea in Boston with open cabinets and beige cabinets

Example of a bedroom ornate gender-neutral carpeted kids' bedroom design in San Francisco with blue walls