Doctored Home Renovation

Owners of a Colonial Revival house in the heart of Boston, MA came to Feinmann looking to improve first-floor circulation and renovate the kitchen and pantry. The existing kitchen of this historic home – part of “Doctor’s Row” – lacked contemporary style and function. It had no access to the living room but was connected to a pantry. The original back door and hallway were awkwardly located in relation to the rest of the house. Additional problems included a rarely used back staircase and old heating ductwork taking up valuable space.

The solution the design/build team at Feinmann devised was swapping the location of the old pantry and creating a new mudroom and an elegant back door, befitting this classic home. The new pantry moved to where the former back hall was located, now allowing easy access to living areas. The new location of the pantry is actually closer to the kitchen and more convenient.

By enclosing the second stairwell, the new layout incorporates a wall oven in that space as well as allowing for a future second-floor laundry if the family ever desires.  Another challenge for the kitchen was that two windows looked directly into the neighbor’s house and limited upper cabinetry. Removing those windows and adding Greenfield cabinets along the wall – with transom windows above – addressed that problem, providing privacy and a source of natural light.

The kitchen features a shimmering mosaic tile backsplash, Silestone countertops, and a contrasting cherry island with an overhang for counter style meals. A cobalt gas range by BlueStar, Sharp microwave drawer in the island, plus a beverage center located in the alcove adjacent to the wall-oven, contribute to the overall functionality of this “doctored” kitchen. The new circulation patterns and usable spaces complement the grand past of the home and assure that the ailments have been cured!

When we told friends we were starting a big remodeling project, we got comments like, ‘It will never be done on time’ and ‘Ugh.  Sorry.  Construction is always such an awful experience.’  Clearly, they had never worked with the Feinmann team before.  Not only was our project done on time and on budget, but everyone we encountered at Feinmann went out of their way to make the experience as painless as possible.  From the exterior scaffolding/staircase to access our 3rd floor – so we wouldn’t have tradespeople in the untouched portions of our house- to Chris Gonzales’ meticulous clean up at the end of the day, living through a major 5+ month project was tolerable – especially when we look at the end result.  When we purchased our home, we called it “the 20-year project.”  We look forward to working with Feinmann again (and again!).