We are wrapping up a major remodel of a Victorian home in a historic district of Brookline. We were referred by a neighbor to the parents of the current owner for repairs to the front porch and a custom wood screen door. Because of our impeccable attention to detail, reputation, and responsiveness on that job, the current owner chose us to remodel the interior. This was her childhood home, so it was even more critical that the renovations be done in a manner that was respectful to the beautiful home and its rich history.
The new owner and her husband are sophisticated clients, having remodeled several homes in the past. Since this home was in a historic disctrict, our design team worked with the clients, the local ISD, engineers, surveyors, and the Preservation Department to get the remodel just right.
We walked the clients through the process and assisted them at the Preservation Hearing. They had strong preferences as to what they wanted in terms of look and feel. We helped them along every step of the way, sourced hard to find products, and provided finishing materials at our cost.
We utilized the existing kitchen cabinets for the remodel, painting them white for a clean look. We added new kitchen counters and a custom island, and even made new custom cabinets to match the existing ones in shape and style. The sink cabinet had to be altered to accept a new farmhouse sink. A new wood floor was laid, coffered ceilings were added, and new appliances accompanied the existing range. In addition, we moved the existing rear entry and added beautiful French doors, a new stoop, and a custom slate and copper canopy. Utilizing the existing cabinets and adding custom elements saved the clients a significant sum that they were able to apply towards the rest of the remodel.
We converted two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor into a primary bedroom suite with a new walk-in shower, slipper tub, radiant floor, his and hers vanities, walk-in closet, water closet, and the fireplace facade was also retiled. The remainder of the renovations to the second floor included a remodel of the central bathroom and a new laundry area.
On the first floor, we removed two walls around the kitchen and dining room to open the floor plan. This required some engineering and the installation of some beams and custom milled woodwork to match the existing woodwork. We had to fill the floors with custom milled flooring to match the existing, and stained the wood a deep walnut on the first and second floor.
We remodeled and expanded a finished room in the basement, adding outside ventilation, luxury vinyl plank flooring, new walls, and a door. We added air conditioning systems to each of the first and second floors using mini duct systems to minimize the visual change on this stately Victorian. We painted the entire interior of the basement and first and second floors and updated a significant amount of electrical wiring throughout the house.
The client’s parents had stripped the paint off the oak trim and paneling on the first floor dining room and hall early on in their ownership of the house, giving a deep and dark look to the heart of the first floor. The client preferred a lighter look, so we prepped and painted the woodwork. The combination of opening the floor plan and lightening the woodwork had a stunning effect on the look and feel of the house when entering through the front door.
Once the inside was finished, we demolished the cinder block garage that was added to the property in the 1930s to provide an outdoor recreation area for the family and a beautiful brick herringbone patio outside the new rear entry. The driveway was widened to fit an extra vehicle, but shortened to give room for a small yard. A similarly styled brick front walk replaced the old concrete, and a path was added to connect the front walk and driveway. Further landscaping will follow, as will an exterior paint job.
COVID-19 resulted in some momentary hiccups, but we handled them efficiently and effectively to keep the job moving. Pictures and video to follow.
