Client
Private client
Year
2020
Program
Single family renovation
Status
Completed
Location
Wellesley, MA
Contractor
Bringing this 1960s gem into the 21st century with careful editing and bold new finishes
Built in the 1960s, this midcentury home in Wellesley suffered through various interior alterations and additions that obscured its lines and cramped its spaces….so we cleaned it all up!
We’ve preserved key midcentury details - like dropped beams, original fireplace, and sloped ceilings - while bringing the house into the 2020’s with a fully custom kitchen, updated bathrooms, reconfigured master suite, upgraded insulation, and new fixtures and tile throughout. We removed a partial wall and opened up the sunroom to the house and to the exterior, with better windows and doors, helping create a wide open, bright, modern space for living and entertaining. We also took the opportunity to insulate all exposed ceilings and walls with high performance spray foam and rockwool, repair all sorts of shoddy plumbing work, and upgrade lighting. All bathrooms got a serious refresh, where we removed cluttered layouts and jumbled finishes to create calm, fun, spaces with an emphasis on storage and clean lines. The primary bath is a study in boldness, with black tile, walnut cabinetry, and a large plate glass mirror - all achieved without moving an exterior window.
The kitchen is the real star of the show - a dramatic, graphic statement that's practical for an active amateur chef. The client's charge to us was to create a space where one partner could be doing serious cooking, while the other partner could access basic kitchen functions without crossing paths. So, we split the kitchen in half conceptually, and created two work triangles - the professional and the casual. The professional work triangle spans the main sink, the professional range, and the fridge, while the casual intersects at the fridge, but has its own prep area with microwave and small sink. Coffee, tea, and seltzer are easily prepared away from the main action, while spices, knife and cookware storage, cookbooks, and cooking tools are all near at hand for the professional side. The whole space comes together around the island, which provides for casual eating and hanging out while the chef is in full swing. With ample storage and a strategic broom closet, this kitchen is a workhorse!
Photos: Kyle Caldwell