As our client is away from home a lot, the fact that the Vistafolia® foliage is seriously low maintenance was a major bonus, as was the fact that the wall can be customized with different color boxes should she fancy a change to suit the mood or season. Unlike real vegetation, the client was delighted that her new greenery will stay looking great whatever the weather and will not be affected by rain or by strong sunlight. High quality, fire resistant and, 100% recyclable, all Vistafolia® products are protected by our unique five-year guarantee for complete peace of mind.

A herringbone carpet that everyone loves. This is Momeni, Heatherly, in the color Cashmere. This is a flat weave wool that is durable while being stylish! The homeowner worked with Interior Designer, Jessica Klein of @ohidesignblog to make this stair and hallway runner come to life! DM us for more information on how to get this carpet into your home!

Dark railing against light spindles is a great way to add dimension without weighing the space down. This Cyber Space banister is a great example! Photo by Melissa Au

Custom designed and built understair storage cabinets with drawers and door. White Shiplap paneling.

photo by Deborah Degraffenreid

Escalier avec rangement intégré

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

Make a grand entrance into the mudroom with Porcelain, Parquet Floor tile. The look of wood without the maintenance.

Alan Blakely

Custom Wrought Iron Railings with French Oak Stairs

This ramp in stainless steel fits very well with this new decoration in addition this ramp requires no maintenance cette rampe en acier inoxydable se fond très bien à ce nouveau décor en plus cette rampe ne demande aucun entretien. photo by : Créations Fabrinox

David Joseph

Marco Joe Fazio