Venerated Victorian

Victorian houses were a popular style in the late 1890s in Massachusetts, but they rarely conform to our modern standards of use and convenience. The owners of a Newton Victorian of the same period came to Feinmann to update two bathrooms and add laundry on the second floor while maintaining the revered ambiance of the house. Additional storage and closet retrofits were another priority. Swapping the original master bath with the family bath enabled Feinmann to reconfigure the second story, moving doorways and closets to satisfy the goals of the project. Adding 15 square feet to the master bath permitted the homeowners to have both the shower and bathtub they desired. Good space planning, luxurious materials, and custom arched replacement windows have reinvigorated the second floor of this venerated home.

The 15 square foot “bump-out” in the master bath allowed for a deluxe Bain Ultra bathtub with air massage and whirlpool jets along with a tiled shower and new vanity. A window was removed from the bedroom wall and a new window was added over the tub in the expanded area. A walk-in master bedroom closet is now where the entrance to one of the former baths between the master bedroom and office had been. Both bathrooms received an upgrade with marble as the main aesthetic element. The vanity cabinetry is from Greenfield, made to look like a piece of furniture with tapered legs. The vanity surface, shower seat, shower threshold, and bathtub deck are all Bianco Carrara marble. Wall tile is Bianco Carrara tile while the shower floor is basket weave with a dark gray dot and Bardiglio Dark border. An outstanding feature of the master bath are the dual slide glass doors with “barn door” style hardware in polished stainless steel. Bath fixtures are by Hansgrohe.

The family bath features a new bathtub/shower combination with custom glass doors. A new, custom arched-top window replaced the weathered existing one in what is now the family bath. The original built-in linen closet in the upstairs hallway was moved to make room for another entrance from the hall into the family bath. Another upstairs hallway closet became a laundry center with stackable washer and dryer. Overall this “guts-to-glory” renovation has improved the function and flow of the second floor while upgrading the bathrooms befitting a venerated Victorian grand dame home.

Photography by Jessica Delaney

2017 Gold PRISM Award Best Bath $75,000-$125,000

The Feinmann team did a major renovation and reconfiguration of our entire second floor.  The project presented a challenge due not only to the age of the house (120 years) but also to the unusual configuration of the rooms, doorways, and hall.  We are so happy that we finally did this renovation and cannot believe we lived with the tiny master closet and horrible master bath for close to 30 years.  We were worried about the massive disruption of such a project while we were living in the house.  The lead carpenter, Dave, was fantastic and very competent.  He was very careful to seal off the renovation space and keep the area contained.  He was also very careful to clean up constantly and to oversee subcontractors so that no damage was done to other parts of our house.  The project was well managed with weekly progress meetings, keeping us fully informed for the duration.