Small elegant galley marble floor and gray floor enclosed kitchen photo in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island and yellow countertops

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

Lisa Garcia Architecture + Interior Design
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional galley porcelain tile eat-in kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Greg Hadley, Hadley Photoraphy
Eat-in kitchen - contemporary l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Lisa Garcia Architecture + Interior Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley porcelain tile eat-in kitchen remodel in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Lisa Garcia Architecture + Interior Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley porcelain tile eat-in kitchen remodel in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Mid-sized transitional single-wall medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in New York with gray cabinets, gray backsplash and no island

Project Developer David Waguespack http://www.houzz.com/pro/david-waguespack/david-waguespack-case-design-remodeling-inc Designer Hope Hassell http://www.houzz.com/pro/hgh91193/hope-hassell-udcp-case-design-remodeling-inc Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Georgetown, Washington DC Transitional Turn-of-the-Century Rowhouse Kitchen Design by #SarahTurner4JenniferGilmer in collaboration with architect Christian Zapatka. Photography by Bob Narod. http://www.gilmerkitchens.com/

Alexandria, Virginia Transitional Rowhouse Kitchen design by #JGKB. Photography by Bob Narod. http://www.gilmerkitchens.com/

David Burroughs
Example of a mid-sized trendy single-wall dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen design in DC Metro with beige cabinets, quartz countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets and an island

Lisa Garcia Architecture + Interior Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley porcelain tile eat-in kitchen remodel in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Example of a transitional multicolored floor and cement tile floor kitchen design in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, gray countertops and marble countertops

Allen Russ Photography
Example of a mid-sized trendy l-shaped medium tone wood floor and gray floor open concept kitchen design in DC Metro with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, paneled appliances, an island, medium tone wood cabinets and stone slab backsplash

Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Large transitional galley dark wood floor eat-in kitchen photo in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone countertops, paneled appliances and an island

Allen Russ Photography
Example of a mid-sized classic dark wood floor enclosed kitchen design in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, colored appliances, no island and granite countertops

Allen Russ Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in DC Metro with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, an island, paneled appliances and white countertops

Northwest Washington DC Award-Winning Embassy Rowhouse Traditional Kitchen design by #JenniferGilmer. Photography by Bob Narod. http://www.gilmerkitchens.com/