Project Spotlight: A Wellesley Whole Home Remodel

The Home Stats – A traditional colonial built for comfortable family living had well-proportioned rooms except for the kitchen that was too small for larger family gatherings and today’s casual lifestyle. 

The home received an interior and exterior facelift to improve its functionality and answer both the needs and aesthetics of its current homeowners. All of the baths were renovated along with the master suite receiving a desired walk-in closet, and a master bath that provides the retreat we need from our busy day.

The Clients’ needs: Our client desired an expanded casual living area with a more gracious kitchen that allowed adequate room food preparation and having friends and family able to gather between rooms. The existing family room and kitchen were somewhat separated from the previous owner’s laundry/rear entry. The existing master suite had the original master bath with one sink and a very small shower, and they wanted to create a full, on suite make-over. We were also asked about looking at making the garage larger as the existing center post was a continuous source of frustration.

The Challenges & Approach:  The owners loved their neighborhood and private back yard. The lot backed up to some woods which required first getting the information on the wetlands border to ensure the design met the municipal requirements. With the setbacks revealed we could give our client the things they wanted from both from additions and renovations.

The Solution:  With the horticultural work defining the setbacks complete, we were able to add enough square footage to expand the kitchen, add another en-suite guest room and expand the master suite on the second floor. Because of the setbacks and some design challenges, we couldn’t enlarge the garage… but we installed a new 24-foot steel beam and that post was no longer. To improve access to the backyard we also designed a new deck for gathering and stairs down to the ground level entertaining area that already existed.