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

Inspiration for a timeless carpeted closet remodel in Columbus with gray cabinets and beaded inset cabinets

Urban medium tone wood floor bedroom photo in DC Metro with white walls and no fireplace

DESIGN BUILD REMODEL | Vintage Bathroom Transformation | FOUR POINT DESIGN BUILD INC This vintage inspired master bath remodel project is a FOUR POINT FAVORITE. A complete design-build gut and re-do, this charming space complete with swap meet finds, new custom pieces, reclaimed wood, and extraordinary fixtures is one of our most successful design solution projects. THANK YOU HOUZZ and Becky Harris for FEATURING this very special PROJECT!!! See it here at http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/23834088/list/old-hollywood-style-for-a-newly-redone-los-angeles-bath Photography by Riley Jamison AS SEEN IN Houzz Martha Stewart

This traditional kitchen was inspired by memories of the owners farmhouse kitchen, Photos by Susan Gilmore
Inspiration for a mid-sized country l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and an island

Photo: Mark Weinberg Interiors: Ann Tempest
Danish light wood floor dining room photo in Salt Lake City with white walls

Douglas Fir wood paneling on walls and upper cabinets, lower cabinets are stainless steel. Globe pendant lights from Cedar & Moss, Douglas fir wood ceiling with skylight, clerestory windows and oak wood floors, in mid-century-modern home renovation in Berkeley, California - Photo by Bruce Damonte.

We combined and renovated two condos in this 100-year-old building in NWDC, creating a great space with lots of built-in shelves for their extensive book collection.

This Marmol Radziner–designed prefab house in Northern California features multi-slide doors from Western Window Systems.
Patio - modern concrete patio idea in San Francisco with a roof extension

Milgard Essence fiberglass clad / wood interior sliding door.Lifetime warranty that includes accidental glass breakage.
Example of a mid-sized trendy backyard patio kitchen design in Boise with a roof extension

Hi friends! If you hadn’t put it together from the hashtag (#hansonranchoverhaul), this project was literally, quite the overhaul. This full-house renovation was so much fun to be a part of! Not only did we overhaul both the main and second levels, but we actually added square footage when we filled in a double-story volume to create an additional second floor bedroom (which in this case, will actually function as a home office). We also moved walls around on both the main level to open up the living/dining kitchen area, create a more functional powder room, and bring in more natural light at the entry. Upstairs, we altered the layout to accommodate two more spacious and modernized bathrooms, as well as larger bedrooms, one complete with a new walk-in-closet and one with a beautiful window seat built-in. This client and I connected right away – she was looking to update her '90s home with a laid-back, fresh, transitional approach. As we got into the finish selections, we realized that our picks were taking us in a bit of a modern farmhouse direction, so we went with it, and am I ever glad we did! I love the new wide-plank distressed hardwood throughout and the new shaker-style built-ins in the kitchen and bathrooms. I custom designed the fireplace mantle and window seat to coordinate with the craftsman 3-panel doors, and we worked with the stair manufacturer to come up with a handrail, spindle and newel post design that was the perfect combination of traditional and modern. The 2-tone stair risers and treads perfectly accomplished the look we were going for!

The reconfiguration of the master bathroom opened up the space by pairing a platform shower with a freestanding tub. The open shower, wall-hung vanity, and wall-hung water closet create continuous flooring and an expansive feeling. The result is a welcoming space with a calming aesthetic.

Jerome DeMarco Art.chitecture May be subject to copyright
Example of a classic porte cochere design in Portland

Property Marketed by Hudson Place Realty - Style meets substance in this circa 1875 townhouse. Completely renovated & restored in a contemporary, yet warm & welcoming style, 295 Pavonia Avenue is the ultimate home for the 21st century urban family. Set on a 25’ wide lot, this Hamilton Park home offers an ideal open floor plan, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and a private outdoor oasis. With 3,600 sq. ft. of living space, the owner’s triplex showcases a unique formal dining rotunda, living room with exposed brick and built in entertainment center, powder room and office nook. The upper bedroom floors feature a master suite separate sitting area, large walk-in closet with custom built-ins, a dream bath with an over-sized soaking tub, double vanity, separate shower and water closet. The top floor is its own private retreat complete with bedroom, full bath & large sitting room. Tailor-made for the cooking enthusiast, the chef’s kitchen features a top notch appliance package with 48” Viking refrigerator, Kuppersbusch induction cooktop, built-in double wall oven and Bosch dishwasher, Dacor espresso maker, Viking wine refrigerator, Italian Zebra marble counters and walk-in pantry. A breakfast nook leads out to the large deck and yard for seamless indoor/outdoor entertaining. Other building features include; a handsome façade with distinctive mansard roof, hardwood floors, Lutron lighting, home automation/sound system, 2 zone CAC, 3 zone radiant heat & tremendous storage, A garden level office and large one bedroom apartment with private entrances, round out this spectacular home.

A young family moving from NYC tackled a lightning fast makeover of their new colonial revival home before the arrival of their second child. The kitchen area was quite spacious but needed a facelift and new layout. Painted cabinetry matched to Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter is balanced by grey glazed rift oak cabinetry on the island. Shiplap paneling on the island and cabinet lend a slightly contemporary edge. White bronze hardware by Schaub & Co. in a contemporary bar shape offer clean lines with some texture in a warm metallic tone. White Marble countertops in “Alpine Mist” create a harmonious color palette while the pale blue/grey Waterworks backsplash adds a touch of color. Kitchen design and custom cabinetry by Studio Dearborn. Countertops by Rye Marble. Refrigerator, freezer and wine refrigerator--Subzero; Ovens--Wolf. Cooktop--Gaggenau. Ventilation—Best Cirrus Series CC34IQSB. Hardware--Schaub & Company. Sink--Kohler Strive. Sink faucet--Rohl. Tile--Waterworks Architectonics 3x6 in the dust pressed line, Icewater color. Stools--Palacek. Flooring—Sota Floors. Window treatments: www.horizonshades.com in “Northbrook Birch.” Photography Adam Kane Macchia.

This classic DEANE Inc kitchen has all the greatest custom features from its unique carriage doors allowing for a rush of sunlight, as well as it’s stainless steel accents through the custom cabinetry and the countertop stools. The white marble countertop and fresh white tiled backsplash also creates a clean look.

Example of a large transitional dark wood floor and white floor great room design in Dallas with white walls, a standard fireplace and a concrete fireplace

Example of a transitional master white tile light wood floor and brown floor freestanding bathtub design with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, an undermount sink and a hinged shower door

Nat Rea
Example of a beach style wooden l-shaped staircase design in Providence with painted risers