Beautiful all day, stunning by dusk, this luxurious Point Piper renovation is a quintessential ‘Sydney experience’. An enclave of relaxed understated elegance, the art-filled living level flows seamlessly out to terraces surrounded by lush gardens.

Expansive contemporary formal open concept living room in Sydney with white walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and exposed beam.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Geelong with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Custom gas fireplace, stone cladding, sheer curtains
Contemporary formal open concept living room in Canberra - Queanbeyan with carpet, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, white walls, a freestanding tv and beige floor.

Main living space - Dulux Terracotta Chip paint on the upper and ceiling with Dulux suede effect in matching colour to lower Dado. Matching curved sofas with graphic black and white accents. All lighting custom designed - shop today at Kaiko Design

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Sydney with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

Inspiration for a small eclectic formal enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

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

Photo of a large modern formal enclosed living room in Melbourne with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a concealed tv and brown floor.

Interior Designer Sally Rhys-Jones
Design ideas for a country formal enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, painted wood floors and white floor.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in Dallas with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

Photography by Michael J. Lee
Large transitional formal open concept living room in Boston with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace, medium hardwood floors, a stone fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor and recessed.

Inspiration for a transitional formal enclosed living room in Dallas with carpet, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and beige floor.

Photography ©2012 Tony Valainis
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in Indianapolis with bamboo floors, white walls, a ribbon fireplace and no tv.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country formal open concept living room in Salt Lake City with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Transitional formal living room in Portland Maine with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and no tv.

Country formal open concept living room in San Francisco with beige walls and a standard fireplace.

Inspiration for a large contemporary formal open concept living room in Minneapolis with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, no tv, brown floor and a wood fireplace surround.

The focal point of the living room is it’s coral stone fireplace wall. We designed a custom oak library unit, floor to ceiling at it's side.
This is an example of a contemporary formal living room in Miami with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.