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"        VIEW MORE PHOTOS&amp;amp;gt;    For years, Michael Brewer had been eyeing the untapped possibilities of a white 1940s clapboard, built in the Charleston single house style, in the heart of that city&amp;#039;s historic district. As a professional developer with two old-house renovations under his belt, he recognized a diamond in the rough when he saw one. &amp;quot;It was in a great location and it was structurally sound,&amp;quot; he says, &amp;quot;but it had no soul, no pizzazz.&amp;quot;  But he knew that the 1,600-square-foot layout could be refashioned to suit his young family&amp;#039;s relaxed lifestyle and sophisticated decorating tastes. Never mind that the three-bedroom residence had only one full bathroom, the galley kitchen was cramped, and the small den at the back of the house was too small to be useful. &amp;quot;I could definitely see the potential,&amp;quot; says Michael, who with his wife, Alison, purchased the home in 2003 with the goal of giving it a more practical floor plan and much-needed curb appeal.  Except for new French doors and some redecorating, the living room stayed as it was\u2014a gracious, formal place to receive guests. But improving the rest of the congested interior called for a casual, open layout. To that end, the couple took down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room so they could have a large enough space for both cooking and entertaining. Combining the den with an adjoining laundry porch and extending that space 6 feet yielded a new 15-by-17-foot sunroom that spans the back of the house and is perfect for informal gatherings and everyday hanging out. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s got the television and surround sound,&amp;quot; says Michael, &amp;quot;so that&amp;#039;s where we really live.&amp;quot;  Preserving the feel of a historic house within a modern, flowing floor plan was a challenge met by deploying antiques, art, and other well-chosen furnishings. For example, to lend the combined kitchen\u2013dining room an air of formality, the couple designed the cooking area to resemble a fancy butler&amp;#039;s pantry. The cabinets are painted a rich, dark brown with a subtle hint of green. The countertops are made of Carrara marble, and the backsplash is sleek stainless steel to match the appliances. A bi-level, furniture- look island features a 42-inch-high bar that conceals the sink (and dirty dishes) from guests, and also functions as a serving buffet and casual eating space. A pair of curvy green-glass lamps dresses it up, emitting a moody glow during dinner parties. &amp;quot;We actually built the island with the lamps in mind,&amp;quot; Alison notes.  An earthy color scheme links all of the home&amp;#039;s rooms visually. &amp;quot;I like a quiet, neutral palette,&amp;quot; says Alison, who chose shades of bronze, cream, taupe, and tan for the walls, trim, rugs, and draperies throughout the house. The peaceful backdrop allows the couple&amp;#039;s eclectic furnishings and artwork to take center stage. &amp;quot;Nothing matches,&amp;quot; says Michael. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;ve got English antiques, primitive art, and modern tables and lamps\u2014but the rich hues of the paintings and the clean lines of the furnishings make it work together.&amp;quot;  The upper floor was slightly enlarged and reconfigured, too, and a new master bedroom was created in the rear addition. It connects via a hallway to a 6 1/2-by-14-foot master bath that was carved out of an existing guest bedroom. The couple wanted a spa-like atmosphere with a walk-in shower, double vanity, and private toilet closet. That was a tall order for such a diminutive space. &amp;quot;We didn&amp;#039;t want to see the toilet from the shower, but there was no room to spare,&amp;quot; says Michael, who nonetheless devised a way to squeeze in a water closet. The solution: Floor-to-ceiling frosted glass serves as the back wall of the shower stall, with the WC behind it. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s all backlit, so when you turn the light on, that shared wall is illuminated,&amp;quot; he says.   It took more creative problem-solving to make the unassuming exterior blend in with its historic neighborhood. This was accomplished by adding a defining feature of an 18th- or 19th-century Charleston single house\u2014a covered porch, positioned on the left side of the house facing a side garden. This outside &amp;quot;room&amp;quot; imparts a sense of welcome before visitors even walk through the entry door. New French doors connect the living room to the porch and extend the entertaining space, and a solid door on the porch affords shade and privacy on the east-facing street side.  Directly above the porch, the Brewers expanded their daughter&amp;#039;s small, second-floor nursery to include a roomy play area while also introducing another classic feature\u2014a bank of multipaned windows with a decorative exterior railing. The balcony-like detail helps weave old and new parts of the house together. &amp;quot;It also minimizes the mass of the addition on the front of the house,&amp;quot; says Michael. The sophisticated transformation hasn&amp;#039;t gone unnoticed in the community. &amp;quot;The house now has a feeling of pride of place that it never had before,&amp;quot; says Michael. &amp;quot;People tell us all the time that our diamond in the rough is now one of the gems of the neighborhood.&amp;quot;  Nuts &amp;amp;amp; Bolts: Headboards   Inspired by a visit to a hotel in New York&amp;#039;s SoHo neighborhood, Alison Brewer decided to try something different in the small, 9-by-14-foot second-floor guest room. To give the illusion of more height, she designed dramatic, 8-foot-tall headboards for twin beds. Her husband, Michael, constructed the panels by wrapping 8-foot-high-by-39-inch-wide sheets of 1/4-inch-thick luon (a lightweight plywood) with a layer of thin foam batting and beige-colored Ultrasuede, which he affixed with staples in the back. He then framed the boards in black-painted molding and propped them against the wall at an angle. They could also be secured easily with screws. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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