Vintage turned modern

The living room also features floor-to-ceiling windows, an original marble mantle, as well as a wood-burning fireplace.

"There aren’t many row houses that treat vertical circulation and the relationship between public and private spaces the same way as [this house]," Shane says. White oak treads and a painted steel handrail make up the home's signature staircase.

Custom millwork closets were added and lined with cedar and brass knobs that the owner found. Because of two dormers, the best use of space was to add drawers for additional storage.

Another big architectural move was to redefine the unfortunate layout of the upstairs master suite. Yun moved the bedroom to one side and put the bathroom behind a wall. The purple-blue tiles around the fireplace were designed by one of the owners and represent clocks with different hours—a reference to how watching the fire can be the best way to pass the time.

All of the doors in the hallway were salvaged and found by the owners. Yun designed and inserted the glass transom windows above the doors.

The main staircase at the center of the house creates a gracious ascent from the open living room and kitchen at the parlor level to a library and bedrooms on the upper levels. The stained walnut handrail adds a traditional look, but boasts a clean, modern treatment. Wood paneling envelops a discreet door that leads to the cellar.

"For example, if you are building an entry vestibule with a turn, you may want to plan your renovation so that large furniture is brought in before the vestibule is built out,” she says. “Otherwise, you may not get it around the turn.”

A collaboration between YUN Architecture and interior designer Penelope August, a renovated, 19th-century townhouse with landmark status used to be an egg and poultry distributor. Now virtually unrecognizable, the parlor floor is the home's open-plan living area. A formerly defunct fireplace was reactivated and clad with a custom-made, limestone mantle.

The kitchen had been remodeled in the 80s and had an unfortunate layout. JHL Design revised the layout using an open kitchen concept and adding an eat-in bar. The redesign also brought back some of the original windows from the front of the house that peeked into the kitchen and modernized it by hanging shelves over the window for convenience and architectural interest. Oregon White oak was used for the cabinet faces and the countertop is quartz.

The redesign of the staircase is a contemporary touch which could have just as easily existed in the home's original state. The wood slat screen blends with the wooden staircase and the wood ceiling opening the space and making it feel bigger—a huge improvement over the sheetrock wall that had been previously there.

The minimalist kitchen in smoked oak with bronzed brass handles, was designed by Norm Architects for the Danish kitchen manufacturer Reform and is complemented by a sculptural kitchen island in a light grey ceramic stone, and a light herringbone floor.

The orientation of the kitchen was changed to allow sunlight from the slanting windows to better illuminate the cooking station.

Slate gray Xander armchairs from World Market.

Completed in 2013, the roughly 1,500-square-foot cabin provides an open living area framed by white trusses and concrete floors. The dining table was acquired by the owner from a local inn, and is surrounded by the Eames molded plastic Eiffel side chairs from Design Within Reach. The kitchen features a Grohe faucet, a wood bowl from a shop in Harbert, and an Ikea vase.

The owners of this 2,800-square-foot, remodeled ranch house in Del Mar wanted to incorporate the house’s original ranch vibes as well as Scandinavian elements.