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

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Beautifull William Morris embroidered fabric bordered with deep aubergine silk to make stunning curtains. Nicky Percival
サセックスにある高級な中くらいなヴィクトリアン調のおしゃれなリビング (緑の壁、淡色無垢フローリング) の写真

ロサンゼルスにある高級な中くらいなエクレクティックスタイルのおしゃれな応接間 (白い壁、無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし、黒いソファ) の写真

ニューヨークにある高級な中くらいなトラディショナルスタイルのおしゃれな独立型リビング (ライブラリー、白い壁、濃色無垢フローリング、窓際ベンチ) の写真

ローマにある高級な中くらいなおしゃれなリビングロフト (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし、茶色い床、表し梁) の写真

Este salón ofrece un ambiente contemporáneo con calidez mediterránea. El techo alto con revoltón catalan original, así como las increíbles ventanas modernistas, han sido los protagonistas del espacio. En contraste hemos puesto un sofá bajo para que el salón ganara amplitud, pero con máximo de comodidad. Seleccionamos piezas de diseño local para elevar la calidad, privilegiando texturas como maderas y fibras naturales.

The renovation of this town home included expansion of this sitting room to encompass an existing patio space. The overhang of the roof over this patio made for a dark space initially. In the renovation, sliding glass doors and a stone patio were added to open up the views, increase natural light, and expand the floor space in this area of the home, adjacent to the Living Room and fireplace.

Living room. Photography by Stephen Brousseau.
シアトルにある高級な中くらいなモダンスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、濃色無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、内蔵型テレビ、茶色い床) の写真

In a row home on in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington DC needed a convenient place for their laundry room without taking up highly sought after square footage. Amish custom millwork and cabinets was used to design a hidden laundry room tucked beneath the existing stairs. Custom doors hide away a pair of laundry appliances, a wood countertop, and a reach in coat closet.

シャーロットにある高級な中くらいなトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (白い壁、カーペット敷き、標準型暖炉、木材の暖炉まわり、内蔵型テレビ、ベージュの床) の写真

フェニックスにある高級な中くらいなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、濃色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし) の写真

Dan Piassick photographed this symmetrical sitting room with 4 Bullion fringed English armed chairs in front of a large arched window surround a tufted cocktail ottoman. The ceiling and door openings are arched and the floors are stone

Our goal was to create an elegant current space that fit naturally into the architecture, utilizing tailored furniture and subtle tones and textures. We wanted to make the space feel lighter, open, and spacious both for entertaining and daily life. The fireplace received a face lift with a bright white paint job and a black honed slab hearth. We thoughtfully incorporated durable fabrics and materials as our client's home life includes dogs and children.

This casita was completely renovated from floor to ceiling in preparation of Airbnb short term romantic getaways. The color palette of teal green, blue and white was brought to life with curated antiques that were stripped of their dark stain colors, collected fine linens, fine plaster wall finishes, authentic Turkish rugs, antique and custom light fixtures, original oil paintings and moorish chevron tile and Moroccan pattern choices.

Living Room with vaulted ceilings and wood beam, new shed dormer and dormer windows, new granite fireplace surrounds and new white oak mantel. Photo by Paul Dyer

ニューヨークにある高級な中くらいなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれなリビング (白い壁、磁器タイルの床、両方向型暖炉、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床) の写真

デンバーにある高級な中くらいなトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (白い壁、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、茶色い床) の写真

フィラデルフィアにある高級な中くらいなカントリー風のおしゃれなLDK (無垢フローリング、薪ストーブ、レンガの暖炉まわり、茶色い床、白い壁) の写真