Our clients wanted to replace an existing suburban home with a modern house at the same Lexington address where they had lived for years. The structure the clients envisioned would complement their lives and integrate the interior of the home with the natural environment of their generous property. The sleek, angular home is still a respectful neighbor, especially in the evening, when warm light emanates from the expansive transparencies used to open the house to its surroundings. The home re-envisions the suburban neighborhood in which it stands, balancing relationship to the neighborhood with an updated aesthetic. The floor plan is arranged in a “T” shape which includes a two-story wing consisting of individual studies and bedrooms and a single-story common area. The two-story section is arranged with great fluidity between interior and exterior spaces and features generous exterior balconies. A staircase beautifully encased in glass stands as the linchpin between the two areas. The spacious, single-story common area extends from the stairwell and includes a living room and kitchen. A recessed wooden ceiling defines the living room area within the open plan space. Separating common from private spaces has served our clients well. As luck would have it, construction on the house was just finishing up as we entered the Covid lockdown of 2020. Since the studies in the two-story wing were physically and acoustically separate, zoom calls for work could carry on uninterrupted while life happened in the kitchen and living room spaces. The expansive panes of glass, outdoor balconies, and a broad deck along the living room provided our clients with a structured sense of continuity in their lives without compromising their commitment to aesthetically smart and beautiful design.

ニューヨーク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独立型リビング (グレーの壁、淡色無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、木材の暖炉まわり、グレーの床、白い天井) の写真

デンバーにある中くらいなミッドセンチュリースタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、レンガの暖炉まわり、テレビなし) の写真

Wohnbereich mit Arbeitsplatz Foto: Jennifer Fey
ベルリン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、淡色無垢フローリング) の写真

家族みんなが集まるリビングダイニング。家具デザイナーの協力を得てこの空間にしっくり合うオーダーメイドのテーブルとソファを設置することで最大限に活用できます。 Photographer：Yasunoi Shimomura
大阪にある中くらいなアジアンスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、茶色い床、壁掛け型テレビ) の写真

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

他の地域にある中くらいなカントリー風のおしゃれな独立型リビング (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、ベージュの床) の写真

シカゴにあるお手頃価格の中くらいなラスティックスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (グレーの壁、淡色無垢フローリング、テレビなし) の写真

デンバーにある中くらいなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな応接間 (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、タイルの暖炉まわり、テレビなし) の写真

オースティンにある中くらいなモダンスタイルのおしゃれな独立型リビング (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし) の写真

ウエストミッドランズ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 (グレーの壁、淡色無垢フローリング、横長型暖炉、金属の暖炉まわり、埋込式メディアウォール) の写真

Photo by Tony Lopez / East End Film & Digital
ニューヨーク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、淡色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし、ベージュの床) の写真

シカゴ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、淡色無垢フローリング、タイルの暖炉まわり、埋込式メディアウォール、茶色い床、標準型暖炉) の写真

A la hora de abordar la atmósfera del salón, su nuevo diseño responde al uso que día a día hace de él la familia propietaria. Se trata de una de las estancias de la casa a las que más horas se le dedica, por lo que en nuestro estudio de interiorismo, viendo su importancia, hemos redistribuido este espacio común en tres áreas que conviven juntas.

ロンドンにある中くらいなモダンスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (グレーの壁、淡色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、石材の暖炉まわり、据え置き型テレビ) の写真

Greg Riegler
マイアミにある中くらいなビーチスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、コンクリートの暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ) の写真

David Papazian
ポートランドにある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、淡色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし) の写真

Allison Mathern Interior Design
ミネアポリスにあるお手頃価格の中くらいな北欧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、淡色無垢フローリング、両方向型暖炉、レンガの暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

ベルリン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 (グレーの壁、淡色無垢フローリング) の写真