When you fall in love with an early to mid-20th-century house that?s got beautiful bones but could use some updating for your 21st century lifestyle, where do you even start" Budget constraints and DIY inclinations might mean you only restore the hardwood floors and swap out the appliances, but if you decide you want to take on a bigger project, there are all sorts of ways you can give the home a fresh new look without significantly altering its structure. This renovation by Knob Modern Design is a perfect example, providing lots of inspiration for a complete inside-and-out transformation that preserves the historic character of a 1920s house in Phoenix, Arizona.

Prior to its makeover, the house – originally built as a duplex – needed quite a bit of TLC. The designers partnered with investor Dana Martin to turn the modest home into an urban oasis with a private backyard built for parties and a crisp, welcoming interior seamlessly blending older architectural features like whitewashed brick with new finishes like herringbone wood floors. While most homes from that era tend to feel closed-up and dark, divided into small rooms, this space feels bright and airy, with a new open floor plan. That gorgeous herringbone flooring was salvaged from the original linear wood floors and relaid into this pattern.
At the heart of the home is a divided kitchen that places a gas cooktop, wine storage, sink and bar within view of the living room for ease of entertaining;...