Reno

The white countertops are made from concrete and the wooden cabinets have been painted a subtle shade of sage. The floors are white oak hardwood.

The view out to the garden.

What Carstensen saved on labor costs he was able to put into furnishings. The interior of the screened-in porch is outfitted with a mix of furnishings, both vintage and new. He purchased the vintage Malm fireplace in Los Angeles on a work trip and had it shipped to Portland. The rug, shelf unit, and loveseat are all from the locally-based Schoolhouse Electric, as are the ceiling lights: Factory Light No. 7 in Green.

The operable windows help let cooling breezes into the home—a necessity given the area's muggy tropical climate and the urban heat-island effect.

In an effort to keep costs within budget without sacrificing looks, the fully gutted and renovated kitchen features IKEA cabinetry framework with shaker-style fronts by Semihandmade. The cabinets were painted Farrow & Ball Pigeon.

The rear garden looks into the kitchen and dining space right through the internal courtyard and beyond.

An outdoor bathroom and shed were demolished for a full-width rear extension. Pivoting doors contrast with a blanket of brick comprising the house, its garden walls, and all the neighboring houses. A two-story addition is camouflaged in reclaimed brick. “We had to develop a series of floor plates at the rear of the building that aligned with adjoining properties,” says architect David Tigg, as an example of the rigors of working in a conservation area.

Frank borrowed space from the closet on the other side of the living room wall for a seating nook. He found what he calls "a bunch of clay mushrooms made by an unknown hippie," and placed them around a vintage lamp. The coffee table is by Roger Capron and the midcentury swivel chair is by de Sede. Throughout, milking stools serve as plant stands. The sofa is from Midcentury LA. "Every single decorative object is vintage," says Frank.

Three thin slabs have been staggered vertically through the space to create three distinct floors and allow light to flood in from the front, back, and roof. The white Saari kitchen makes the most of a compact space.

Lyle Bradley spent years of weekends and evenings resurrecting an East Boston structure using his carpentry skills, repurposed materials, and clever space-saving interventions. The revitalized 800-square-foot residence joins a rejuvenated backyard, where Bradley’s wife, Kara Lashley, and their daughter, Lily, pose next to Bradley’s new freestanding workshop.

After: The kitchen faces the back garden and benefits from a double height atrium space. Pine has been used for the kitchen flooring and cabinets. Extensive glazing gives the ground floor living spaces a direct visual link with the courtyard and terrace.

A quartet of red paints (Raspberry Truffle, Million Dollar Red, Vermillion, Arroyo Red), all by Benjamin Moore, make the built-in shelving in the dining area pop. The table is a custom design made of bookmatched walnut slabs joined by lacquered butterflies. The chairs are vintage Paul McCobb lacquered in turquoise (Benjamin Moore's Aruba Blue). The Ligne Roset Ruché sofa, designed by Inga Sempé, separates the living and dining spaces. The chandelier is by David Weeks Studio.