Roger Oates Trent Airforce stair runner carpet fitted to white painted staircase in Barnes London
Mid-sized arts and crafts wood l-shaped staircase in London with wood risers and wood railing.

Mid-sized modern wood curved staircase in Other with wood risers and mixed railing.

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

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary wood curved staircase in Other with wood risers and glass railing.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary concrete u-shaped staircase in Salt Lake City with metal risers and glass railing.

Jim Furman
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional wood u-shaped staircase in New York with painted wood risers.

Custom stainless steel horizontal hand rails, newels and balustrade systems are combined with nose-less white oak treads/risers creating a minimalist, and very modern eye-catching stairway. CSC 1976-2020 © Century Stair Company ® All rights reserved.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern carpeted curved staircase in Las Vegas with metal risers and metal railing.

New stairs offer easy access to the first floor from the attic.
This is an example of a mid-sized industrial staircase in San Francisco.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern wood floating staircase in Los Angeles with open risers and metal railing.

Ship Railing Detail. Photo by William Rossoto, Rossoto Art LLC
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern wood l-shaped staircase in Other with wood risers and cable railing.

Entry Way with Staircase
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary wood u-shaped staircase in San Francisco with painted wood risers and wood railing.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional wood u-shaped staircase in Atlanta with painted wood risers.

Monochrome striped stair carpet runner with feature wallpaper Photo - Style Within
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary carpeted straight staircase in Other with carpet risers.

Mid-sized modern concrete staircase in Stuttgart with concrete risers.

Ethan Kaplan
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern concrete straight staircase in San Francisco with concrete risers and glass railing.

This is a well done hardwood job with spiraling stairs. Stair Noses were customized to fit each stair. Our craftsmen did an excellent job installing this floor and stairs.

The original staircase from the ground floor up to the second floor has been restored; the lower ground floor stair has been relocated towards the rear of the house so as to allow for a more efficient use of space at that level. Its balustrade and handrail match the original. Photographer: Nick Smith

A modern interior gets an instant upgrade with this LED glass panel guardrail. Order this style for your own home by going online at www.glmetalfab.com and select Add to Quote, or save this on Pinterest.