Project feature: Victorian renovation
We recently completed major interior renovations to a ca. 1900 Victorian home just north of Boston, Massachusetts. Back in 1996 we added a kitchen/family room addition to the rear of this house and our clients decided that they finally wanted to tackle the rest of the house. A prime impetus for doing the project was to create a third floor playroom for their kids. But it was evident that the rest of the house had some urgent needs including sub-standard wiring and some serious structural concerns.
Our clients wisely decided to move out of the house for several months so that we could work on the whole place at the same time. This is always preferable for us and usually works out well for the homeowners. Why deal with dust, noise, and the stress of a renovation if you can rent a place during construction?
We completely gutted the third floor and most of the first and second floors. After the demolition was complete, we discovered that the framing was severely undersized and- no surprise- had been seriously compromised by enthusiastic plumbers and their power tools! One bathtub was barely supported. We straightened and beefed up the framing on all three levels and built two new dormers up top to increase the useful space.
First, a couple "before" shots of the third floor:
Here are two views of the same space after the renovations were complete. The new dormers added a lot of headroom and light. That's a cork floor, perfect for spaces like this.
We completely renovated the Master Bath and added some built-in closets to the Master Bedroom. All cabinetry and built-ins were done in our shop by our two cabinetmakers Kerry Kenda and Shane Gauthier.
On the first floor, we built some half-walls and columns to split the main room into two separate spaces, and added a built-in shelving unit.
In the Dining Room, we built a lovely Butler's Pantry with a mahogany top.
Finally, here's a shot of the addition that we built in 1996. As part of the recent project, we made some minor modifications to this space, such as the wall tile and new countertops. I think it still looks pretty good after all these years!
Behind the scenes, we updated the wiring, installed an new heating and cooling system and insulated the whole house with spray foam insulation. We've now renovated the entire house so our clients can relax and enjoy their house.
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Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.