Projects

Classic Beauty on Salem Harbor

Proposal: Pillings Pond Road, Lynnfield, MA

Drafting board, T-Square, lining pens and blueprints are a thing of the past.

When you work with us during the design process, you’ll be able to easily identify the potential for your project. We use specialized 3D modeling software to create a digital model of your home, both inside and outside. 

Our design process allows you to better view and understand your home long before construction. It also facilitates more detailed refinement and better overall design visualization beyond just plans. Check out some of our before and after renderings below!

When you work with us, you can be part of the design process and see your dream home develop right before your eyes!

What You Can Expect When Hiring Us...

Residence in Lynn, MA

This renovation of a traditional 60's cape uses light, modern colorings, (pale warm gray with off white ceiling trim and moldings) against a jet black black stained oak floor. The dark leather seating accents the light walls and whitish window coverings. The existing brick fireplace was painted off white to match the beams. 
The pale warm gray kitchen cabinets adds just the right amount to warmth and depth without closing in the small space. The island is painted slightly darker than the cabinets and is accented with a spectacular piece of black striped crystalized marble. Etched glass upper cabinet doors filters the cabinet light and provides for beautiful ambient night lighting. 

Front Street House

This is a renovation of a home built in 1820, added onto in 1970 and reinterpreted in 2018. The interior was gutted including the stair to the third floor loft and ceiling in the kitchen. The ceiling was reinforced and beams from a barn in Maine were used to highlight the height of the space. Off white ship-lap pine was used on the walls. The original southern yellow pine floors were patched and refinished. Brick was used in the kitchen to lend authenticity to the interior. The final project is light, airy, eclectic and comfortable year round. 

Mills Terrace, Nahant, MA

This beautiful oceanfront home in Nahant was a renovation of an existing century old summer home. The existing home was stripped to the frame and completely rebuilt. Roof dormers were added to gain usable space under the roof. 
The style of the house is clearly traditional but with many contemporary details and features: large, over-sized windows make the house feel more open and allow for dramatic ocean views throughout the home. Deep, narrow roof overhangs look modern and help protect the home from severe weather. 
The open interior of the home is clearly modern with Scandinavian touches that recall the owners heritage. Rooms are divided into areas for a variety of uses. The stair had to be relocated and is now a major feature of the home. 

Mills Terrace, Nahant, MA, Transitional Ocean Front Home Renovation

Salem St

This project was the dramatic renovation of an unheated barn into a grand family room, 3 bedrooms and a new connecting space with new stairs and built-ins. The charm and beauty of the original 1800's house is recreated in the many custom details, along with fun elements such as a ship's ladder to a reading loft, a roof deck, and a sliding barn door which hides arcade-style video games.

Salem Street, North Andover, MA, Traditional Country Renovation

Dean Road, Brookline

This is a traditional home in a well established neighborhood in the metro Boston area. The first floor was opened up by eliminating several interior walls. The major room divider between the living area and the family area is a natural, vertical grained wood wall made of Hawaiian Koa. It does not go all the way to the ceiling giving the room the impression of being larger than it really is. The post in the middle of the wall replaces the load bearing wall along the full length of the building. The steel beam in the ceiling is disguised with additional false ceiling beams. 

Dean Road, Brookline, MA, Transitional Kitchen and Living Area Renovation

Lincoln Street, Wayland

This beautiful suburban Boston home is located on a wooded site on the edge of a steep slope. While the entry to the home is level and low in profile, the opposite side is dramatic and seems much  higher in scale. The entry has a long, low curved canopy offset by a tall narrow, reverse slope dormer tower. The let side of the home has an enclosed porch and a octagonal home office with a deck above it. The living room is a 2 story reverse gable roof that opens both the lower and upper living areas to the magnificent views of the blue hills. The back sloping gable roof seems to soar over the back yard. At the end of the patio is a hot tub, perched at the edge of the woods. Inside, the second floor of the living area is pulled back from the glass wall to allow additional light and towering views to the lower living room. 

Lincoln Street, Wayland, MA Transitional Home Renovation

Little Nahant Road, Nahant

This oceanfront remodel was done with a transitional interior; a modern space with a traditional feel.  The house was small and perched on the side of a steeply sloped site. By opening up the interior we were able to  make the space look bigger, make it more flexible and create a comfortable contemporary feeling in the traditional home.

Little Nahant Road, Nahant, MA, Transitional Waterfront Home Renovation

Foster Street, Marblehead

This graceful harborfront home on Marblehead Neck was a run down '50's box before an extensive renovation turned it into the beauty it is today. Every home should have it's signature. For this home it's certainly the curved ceiling and roof on the third level and the extensive wraparound porch. The traditional interior is appropriate for the design of the house and is consistent throughout. Even the landscape is simple and elegant. It's not hard to image the wonderful summer nights spent with friends on this porch!

Foster Street, Marblehead, MA Transitional Waterfront Home Renovation

Maolis Road, Nahant

This mid-century home is located on a beautiful but challenging waterfront site just North of Boston. Built in the 1950's, the split level home was designed with long shallow pitched roofs and exposed structural beams. The street side of the home was not particularly appealing and was further challenged with the sunken yard space between the home and the road. Dense native landscaping was used to screen the home fro the street. The ocean side of the home received significantly more glass and a large deck with illuminated stainless steel and cable railings to take advantage of the beautiful ocean views and sunlight. 
One of the nice things about many homes from this era is the modern, open planning. There are usually fewer rooms and more open, multi-purpose spaces. Fortunately for us, this home had an open planned kitchen and living area. We chose a natural satin poly finished, vertical grained maple for the cabinets to warm up the feel of the space. The upper cabinets have back lit glass flip up doors which provide soft night lighting. The tile back splash is a sealed textured natural stone for easier cleaning and maintenance capabilities. 
The custom designed kitchen features 90 degree corner draws, a floating breakfast counter, illuminated toe kicks, back splash windows near the sink and a light valance to close off the top of the cabinets where they meet the sloped ceiling. 
The overall appearance is clean, functional and yet warm and inviting. A perfect balance for this lovely mid century modern home.  

Maolis Rd Nahant, MA, Contemporary Waterfront Kitchen and Living Area Renovation

Sagamore Road, Marblehead, MA

When we first visited this house we saw that it has good bones but was not much more than a collection of small disjointed rooms. We set ourselves to taking out many of the interior walls and widening most of the openings on the first floor. We bumped out the first floor kitchen a few feet, added some windows and a new entry. We remodeled the kitchen and master bath and took out the false ceilings on the second floor. The rest was 'paint and powder'. Graphic elements like the master bedroom at the french doors railing over looking the garden, simple fireplaces, traditional hardware and paneling and lots of white paint make this tiny home feel big without losing the intimacy that made it charming in the first place. This home proves that traditional design doesn't always mean fussy over-embellished detailing. Clean, simple lines go a long way toward making the right statement in tight spaces. 

Sagamore Road, Marblehead, MA Traditional Whole Home Renovation

Elmwood Road, Marblehead

This beautiful traditional home was built to replace the original family home on  the same piece of property. The narrow, deep site suggested the garage be located  in the front and the main living spaces across the back. The traditional design is reminiscent of the original home and fits in well with the other existing properties. 

Elmwood Road, Marblehead, MA, Traditional New Home Construction

Puritan Road, Swampscott

This oceanfront home was a tiny wreck of a building located in a flood zone on a small suburban beach. The home was gutted to the frame and doubled in size by by adding a mirrored copy of the original structure to the back of the building. The new structure was raised 3' above the ground and designed to allow flood waters to flow under the building without changing the original flood patterns. Even the garage door has breakaway panels! 

Puritan Rd, Swampscott, Transitional Renovation in a Traditional Waterfront Home

Pleasant Street, Marblehead

The back of this turn of the century home was made up of 3 separate rooms; a den, small kitchen, entry and mudroom. By eliminating some, if not all, of  the walls between the rooms, the space is now much more open and flexible. The design of the kitchen is in keeping with the style of the home but the space  and flow is completely modern. 
This 'transitional' design works well in older homes where contemporary needs clash with traditional design.


Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA Traditional Kitchen and Living Area Renovation

Working Showroom Kitchen, Salem, MA

When the owner of this showroom asked me to design a contemporary working kitchen for her, we saw a great opportunity to not only display many new products and techniques, but an opportunity to reaffirm the fundamentals of good kitchen planning and design. Some interesting things to look for are: the 2" thick white Corian counter top folding down and forming the enclosure of the island, the illuminated frosted glass wall cabinets with glass bottom shelves and flip up doors; the angled stone tiles on the front of the island, the illuminated 3form resin impregnated thatch back splash; the 4" riased counter curb on the back wall; the illuminated faucet tip; the metal looking ceramic floor tile; the bamboo cabinets and the etched white 3form resin raised counter on the island. We've tested all these materials and installation techniques over the years and love their look and durability. 

Working Kitchen Showroom, Salem, MA

Front Street, Marblehead

This remodeled harborfront home for a university professor and a ceramic artist is located in Marblehead's historic district. Although the interior is modern, the home fits into it's historic setting.  The contemporary interior is modern, light filled, spacious and comfortable. The centerpiece of the renovation is the glass stair. 3 layers of tempered, laminated starfire glass form the supports for the floating European white oak treads. The paneling around the base of the stair flows effortlessly  to the guest  suites on the lower level. The master bedroom has a custom made shaker style bed to allow for views of the water from the bed. The second floor home office has stunning views of the harbor and is lit by an oval opening in the ceiling leading to a circular skylight above.

Front Street, Marblehead, MA Contemporary Waterfront Home Renovation

Norman Street, Marblehead

This small, charming cottage is located on a historic pond in Marblehead. The contemporary interior gives the house a fresh updated look and feel. The contemporary kitchen uses light blue cabinets with satin finished channel pulls. The powder room has gloss white walls and uses simple graphic shapes for the vanity and fixtures. Colored digital lighting allows the entire room to change color at the push of a button. The open floor plan makes all activities visible and creates a sense of unity.

Norman Street, Marblehead, MA Contemporary Renovation in a Traditional Home

Bradlee Ave, Swampscott, MA

The owners of this traditional suburban home wanted to raze the one story detached garage and build a new garage with a mudroom, casual dining room, patio and kitchen. the space was tight and the geometry was challenging as there were 3 level changes to deal with including access to the basement and the future home office above the garage. The result was a very pleasing solution that looks like it's original to the home. The design elements on the garage are copied directly from the main house. The new space emphasizes the traditional nature of the interior without becoming overly formal by opening up what otherwise might be separate discreet spaces. The cherry floor anchors the rooms and gives the composition a sense of warmth. The beamed ceiling breaks up an otherwise flat ceiling and recalls similar ceiling designs in other rooms of the house. White paneled kitchen cabinets are clean and visually widen an otherwise narrow space. The high ceiling of the casual dining area resolve the level changes between the main house and the garage and allow for extensive visual and physical access to the backyard. 

Bradlee Ave, Swampscott, MA, Traditional Kitchen, Mudroom and Garage Renovation

Coolidge Road, Marblehead

This beautiful oceanfront home in Marblehead, MA was designed to be low and unassuming on the street side and wide open on the ocean side. The zoning limited the height of the house to 30' which was a challenge on a sloping site. The home is a traditional shingle style design that was intended to fit into the existing neighborhood. The view of the ocean is present at the entry. There are a few steps down to the living area which allow for even greater views with the higher ceiling. Beyond the backyard is an oceanfront spa and an infinity pool overlooking the surf below. Expansive decks on both levels of the back of the house allow for endless outdoor entertainment opportunities.  


Coolidge Road, Marblehead, MA, Traditional New Home on Oceanfront Site.

Near Puritan Road, Swampscott

This small home was re-designed to blend into the landscape. The contemporary kitchen and family room share the same european white oak  paneling. Large windows off the family room make the space feel more connected with the beautiful garden beyond. 

Winshaw Rd, Swampscott, Contemporary Kitchen Renovation in a Midcentury Home

Lincoln, Rhode Island

This beautiful home located just outside of Providence, needed a new kitchen. The Chinese owners of the home wanted something contemporary and with a glossy finish over natural wood. The result is a beautiful, easy to use kitchen fit for everyday use or large parties. 

Lincoln, Rhode Island, Contemporary Kitchen and Living Area Renovation

Lincoln House Point, Swampscott

Many of our Houzz  viewers have been asking about how we envision a project. This project is typical of all our design work. As you can see Rachel and I work entirely in 3-D. Although we use floor plans, all of our presentation materials are derived from the computerized model. If you look carefully you will see 3 or 4 different versions of the house.  Each scheme is priced with our builder so the owner knows what the alternatives will cost before making a decision.  I'm sure there will be more versions yet to come. 
This ocean front home has seen years of neglect and is entirely unchanged from when it was built in the 1950's. The site is magnificent but can be hazardous during storms. Extreme caution must be taken in the design process to ensure the home is well built and safe in even the most extreme weather conditions.  

Lincoln House Point, Swampscott, MA Transitional Waterfront Home Renovation

Renovation, addition to house in swampscott

The homeowners of this cottage style home wanted to create an addition to the left side of the house containing a family room on the first floor and an expanded master bedroom on the second floor. A deck was placed on the front of the house to transition to the landscaped garden surrounding the addition. The family area features a beamed ceiling with a fireplace at the far end. By lowering the family room floor one step, we were able to get additional ceiling height, better separation from the kitchen and an easier transition from the deck to the garden. 

Boat house conversion, Swampscott

The homeowner of this waterfront garage wanted to convert the storage space into a guest house for his college age children. The interior was designed to look like a lakeside camp, or a get away house in northern new england. The low flat ceiling was raised a couple of feet and curved. Hand hewn antique barn beams support the roof. The interior is all teak with a stone fireplace. The floor is polished concrete. 


Ranch renovation in Haverhill

The homeowners of the ranch wanted to upgrade the look of the house and add an entry canopy. The craftsman style post and beam structure gives the home a new look and curb appeal. The siding has been replaced with clapboards. The 50's style casement windows are now traditional double hung. The massive tapered columns are set in a new stone walled garden. 

Pool house in Reading MA

The homeowner built a deck and wanted to put a modern, minimalistic, scandinavian type pool house on it. The design includes a screened in pool house with tempered glass railings and open deck area to the side. The materials will be reclaimed, rustic barn board and solid antique wood beams and a metal roof. There are 6 versions so far. 

Modern, rustic pool house in Reading MA

multi family renovation on Lynn Shore Drive

remodel and convert an existing 2 family home into a 3 family residence. 

Multi Family Renovation on Lynn Shore Drive

Kitchen renovation in Winchester

Residence on Cape Cod

Renovation to a small vacation home on Cape cod. 

Beach house in Swampscott

Proposed renovation addition to a small colonial home on the beach in Swampscott. 

Sample Design Drawings and Modeling

Her is a sample of the deliverables I will prepare for you when designing your home addition or renovation. Enjoy. 

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