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

Warm family room with Fireplace focal point.
ソルトレイクシティにあるラグジュアリーな広いトランジショナル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、石材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、三角天井) の写真

On Site Photography - Brian Hall
他の地域にある高級な広いトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなリビング (グレーの壁、磁器タイルの床、石材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、グレーの床、横長型暖炉) の写真

Amanda Marie Studio
ミネアポリス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、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

ナッシュビル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 (グレーの壁、無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、テレビなし、グレーとクリーム色、塗装板張りの暖炉まわり) の写真

Great room features 14ft vaulted ceiling with stained beams, white built-ins surround fireplace and stacking doors open to indoor/outdoor living.
シアトルにあるラグジュアリーな広いトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、無垢フローリング、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床、標準型暖炉、タイルの暖炉まわり) の写真

ロサンゼルスにある高級な広い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、標準型暖炉、ベージュの床、淡色無垢フローリング) の写真

トロントにあるお手頃価格の小さなトランジショナル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、石材の暖炉まわり、埋込式メディアウォール、茶色い床) の写真

Light and Airy! Fresh and Modern Architecture by Arch Studio, Inc. 2021
サンフランシスコにあるラグジュアリー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、漆喰の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、グレーの床) の写真

ダラス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 (ベージュの壁、濃色無垢フローリング、暖炉なし、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

Stunning Living Room embracing the dark colours on the walls which is Inchyra Blue by Farrow and Ball. A retreat from the open plan kitchen/diner/snug that provides an evening escape for the adults. Teal and Coral Pinks were used as accents as well as warm brass metals to keep the space inviting and cosy.

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Building Architecture: Charlie & Co. Design | Interiors: Martha O'Hara Interiors | Photography: Landmark Photography
ミネアポリス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LDK (グレーの壁、淡色無垢フローリング、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、茶色い床) の写真

Photograph by Travis Peterson.
シアトルにある高級な広い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、標準型暖炉、タイルの暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床) の写真

Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
ワシントンD.C.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独立型リビング (ライブラリー、青い壁、標準型暖炉、石材の暖炉まわり、テレビなし、茶色い床、濃色無垢フローリング) の写真

This 1910 West Highlands home was so compartmentalized that you couldn't help to notice you were constantly entering a new room every 8-10 feet. There was also a 500 SF addition put on the back of the home to accommodate a living room, 3/4 bath, laundry room and back foyer - 350 SF of that was for the living room. Needless to say, the house needed to be gutted and replanned. Kitchen+Dining+Laundry-Like most of these early 1900's homes, the kitchen was not the heartbeat of the home like they are today. This kitchen was tucked away in the back and smaller than any other social rooms in the house. We knocked out the walls of the dining room to expand and created an open floor plan suitable for any type of gathering. As a nod to the history of the home, we used butcherblock for all the countertops and shelving which was accented by tones of brass, dusty blues and light-warm greys. This room had no storage before so creating ample storage and a variety of storage types was a critical ask for the client. One of my favorite details is the blue crown that draws from one end of the space to the other, accenting a ceiling that was otherwise forgotten. Primary Bath-This did not exist prior to the remodel and the client wanted a more neutral space with strong visual details. We split the walls in half with a datum line that transitions from penny gap molding to the tile in the shower. To provide some more visual drama, we did a chevron tile arrangement on the floor, gridded the shower enclosure for some deep contrast an array of brass and quartz to elevate the finishes. Powder Bath-This is always a fun place to let your vision get out of the box a bit. All the elements were familiar to the space but modernized and more playful. The floor has a wood look tile in a herringbone arrangement, a navy vanity, gold fixtures that are all servants to the star of the room - the blue and white deco wall tile behind the vanity. Full Bath-This was a quirky little bathroom that you'd always keep the door closed when guests are over. Now we have brought the blue tones into the space and accented it with bronze fixtures and a playful southwestern floor tile. Living Room & Office-This room was too big for its own good and now serves multiple purposes. We condensed the space to provide a living area for the whole family plus other guests and left enough room to explain the space with floor cushions. The office was a bonus to the project as it provided privacy to a room that otherwise had none before.

オレンジカウンティにある高級な広いトランジショナル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、茶色い床、標準型暖炉、木材の暖炉まわり、壁掛け型テレビ、表し梁) の写真

高級な広いトランジショナルスタイルのおしゃれなLDK (白い壁、淡色無垢フローリング、漆喰の暖炉まわり、ベージュの床、横長型暖炉) の写真

We used stark white and contrastic gray colors on the walls but kept the furniture arrangement symmetrical. We wanted to create a Scandinavian look which is clean but uses a lot of warm textures.

The family room opens up from the kitchen and then again onto the back, screened in porch for an open floor plan that makes a cottage home seem wide open. The gray walls with transom windows and white trim are soothing; the brick fireplace with white surround is a stunning focal point. The hardwood floors set off the room. And then we have the ceiling - wow, what a ceiling - washed butt board and coffered. What a great gathering place for family and friends.