In Boise’s North End, this charming cottage was reimagined by local design firm, Living Proper Interiors. Co-principals Caycee Coffield and Addie Coffield, along with Art Curator and Stylist Bonnie Eisen, were tasked with revamping the historic property for modern living while maintaining its original details. They expanded the kitchen, sacrificed a small bedroom to make way for a larger primary bathroom, and converted a small porch into a dining nook.

Throughout, they took care to update the space with thoughtful details, such as archways and moldings that only amp up the architectural charm. When walls came down in the kitchen to reveal an original chimney, it was preserved as a focal point in the space. The result is a well-curated blend of modern design in the 1930s home. The designers tell us more. 

Tell us about this home. Where is it located? How did the neighborhood influence the design?
The house is located in Boise’s North End, full of historic homes, sidewalks, yoga studios, cafes, eateries, tall oak trees, neighborhood parks and trails. 

The home is in the historic district which has some design constraints as you have to adhere to the integrity of the original architecture, which is why the area is so special. The charm and character of the neighborhood added a sense of warmth and community. We wanted to be true to the original structure but, bring it back to life with some unexpected modern elegance and function.

Tell us about your clients. Who lives here? What were their renovation hopes?  
The home was purchased by a family with three young adult children, from the original owners. The goals were to restore as much as possible, (keeping things like original hardwood, windows, built-ins), while reimagining certain areas, like the back porch, small bedrooms, and one and a half baths. The family loves to cook and wanted a chef-like space while bringing in some clean lines. They needed more storage but wanted no upper cabinets. The home didn’t have an obvious place to dine, and the goal was to find some way to bring in a nook or dining space. They really wanted to incorporate a Sixpenny dining banquette they had seen, which was a challenge because the original kitchen and back porch were choppy and didn’t have a natural flow.

So, one of the biggest tasks was reimagining the back porch and trying to create a flow that tied into the kitchen and functioned well. The ceilings were lower than the rest of the house, concrete floors, an in-swing door protruded into the space, a half wall that went to the basement and a large step made the room really awkward to maneuver. We tied the two rooms together by converting the original exterior wall to a large arched opening, matching the hardwood for a smooth transition, shortening the step for more floor space, and adding tile to the back entry. We extended the half wall all the way to the ceiling, and it helped define the space. The original wall texture was a real challenge as well, the thick chunky orange peel texture threw the whole space off. 

How did you strike the right balance between old and new?
It was really important to bring in elements that felt organic, modern, and elegant. One of our favorite ways we achieved this was by using marble and warm color palettes mixed with a classic white wall color. For the kitchen surface, we were able to find beautiful piece of Carrara paired with a yummy gray with brown undertones for the cabinets.  A small marble self above the 48″ Ilve gourmet range was a perfect addition to the elegance and function of the kitchen.  A perfectly placed row of petite marble light fixtures and a tiled wall added an extra layer of depth to the kitchen. All the appliances were built in, and the hidden effect kept the kitchen feeling simple and elegant. The banquette in the dining nook was perfect way to add function and maximize seating the small space. 

Throughout the home we added details that completely changed the feel, details like adding scallops to bookshelves, or a canning room converted to wine cellar. We looked for ways to add character and function that felt natural to the original house. 

How long did the project take, and what did the client say when they saw the finished space? 
The project moved extremely fast, from start to finish we were able to complete the project in eight months. The homeowners were absolutely thrilled! The home had such great bones and seeing it brought back to life was really special. It was even better than they had imagined.