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

Photos by Nick Vitale
ワシントンD.C.にある広いトラディショナルスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (石材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、横長型暖炉、ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、茶色い床) の写真

Living Room
カルガリーにあるトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (石材の暖炉まわり、ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、グレーとクリーム色) の写真

ヒューストンにある中くらいなモダンスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (茶色い壁、無垢フローリング、横長型暖炉、タイルの暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床) の写真

サクラメントにある広いラスティックスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、板張り天井、板張り壁) の写真

This contemporary transitional great family living room has a cozy lived-in look, but still looks crisp with fine custom made contemporary furniture made of kiln-dried Alder wood from sustainably harvested forests and hard solid maple wood with premium finishes and upholstery treatments. Stone textured fireplace wall makes a bold sleek statement in the space.

Libby Holmes Photography
デンバーにあるお手頃価格の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 (ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床) の写真

ポートランドにあるラグジュアリーなミッドセンチュリースタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、茶色いソファ) の写真

他の地域にある広いラスティックスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

他の地域にある広いラスティックスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (茶色い壁、無垢フローリング、コーナー設置型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

The seamless blend of styles in this sitting space conveys a contemporary feel with an organic mix of vintage, rustic and glamour. Sophisticated drama would probably be the best way to describe the arrangement of this gorgeous room, where every detail has been accounted for. David Giles

アトランタにある中くらいなトラディショナルスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床、黒いソファ) の写真

Our Lounge Lake Rug features circles of many hues, some striped, some color-blocked, in a crisp grid on a neutral ground. This kind of rug easily ties together all the colors of a room, or adds pop in a neutral scheme. The circles are both loop and pile, against a loop ground, and there are hints of rayon in the wool circles, giving them a bit of a sheen and adding to the textural variation. Also shown: Camden Sofa, Charleston and Madison Chairs.

トゥーリンにある広い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、無垢フローリング、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、表し梁) の写真

ダラスにある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、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床、三角天井、板張り天井) の写真

Harbor View is a modern-day interpretation of the shingled vacation houses of its seaside community. The gambrel roof, horizontal, ground-hugging emphasis, and feeling of simplicity, are all part of the character of the place. While fitting in with local traditions, Harbor View is meant for modern living. The kitchen is a central gathering spot, open to the main combined living/dining room and to the waterside porch. One easily moves between indoors and outdoors. The house is designed for an active family, a couple with three grown children and a growing number of grandchildren. It is zoned so that the whole family can be there together but retain privacy. Living, dining, kitchen, library, and porch occupy the center of the main floor. One-story wings on each side house two bedrooms and bathrooms apiece, and two more bedrooms and bathrooms and a study occupy the second floor of the central block. The house is mostly one room deep, allowing cross breezes and light from both sides. The porch, a third of which is screened, is a main dining and living space, with a stone fireplace offering a cozy place to gather on summer evenings. A barn with a loft provides storage for a car or boat off-season and serves as a big space for projects or parties in summer.

マイアミにあるラグジュアリーな巨大なコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、無垢フローリング、横長型暖炉、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、折り上げ天井、板張り天井) の写真

リトルロックにある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、無垢フローリング、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

ニューヨークにある広いトラディショナルスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (ライブラリー、ベージュの壁、無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真