Ranch Redux

When these Lexington homeowners were house hunting, they found they were drawn to the prospect of single floor living. They subsequently found a 2,000 square foot ranch in Lexington, MA, and immediately saw its potential. Like most ranch homes, the floor plan was laid out with the typical central hallway and rooms feeling dark and disconnected from one another. Knowing that they needed to renovate, and also knowing that they did not want to build up, nor could they build out because of zoning restriction, they presented their needs to Feinmann.

Opening up the house without adding to the footprint was going to be a challenge. Reworking the kitchen area provided the open feeling that the couple desired. With three young children, the homeowners loved the idea of being able to prepare food while keeping an eye on the homework activity. Adding bay windows allowed light to pour into the kitchen and onto the quartz-topped peninsula, which doubles as the school activity center.

Another bigger challenge was to create a serene family room area and how to handle the existing stone hearth that was the center of the family room. We reworked the floor plan to incorporate the dining area and family room into one larger family/dining space and made the radical and ultimately satisfying decision to hide the chimney and fireplace behind a custom-built maple entertainment center and shelving unit. This served not only to provide instant storage, but it unified the space and preserved the existing structure, avoiding the cost of removal.

2007 EM NARI CotY Silver Award – Best Interior Project

We wanted a more open livable space with architectural detail. Though it was 5 years between projects one thing remained constant – the quality of people who work for Feinmann. Now, everyone, who comes over remarks this was no ordinary remodel. Their attention to detail really shows they care about their customers and their work.