Classic City Row House

Charlestown, MA

The Kitchen challenge: expand the function of the kitchen and leave the adjacent space alone. The dining room in the 19th home was functional and charming.

The design of a two-sided, full height wall of cabinetry added storage, a pass-thru, and increased light. The kitchen door that accessed the backyard became a window at the sink. The new mahogany door, designed by Bill Finnerty, became a feature of the dining room. A U-shaped kitchen expanded and improved function, and with new window and door header heights aligned, the aesthetics of the home were enhanced inside and out.

The Garden Level challenge: create a family room/guest room, full bath, and laundry room and leave access from front to back for removal and storage of trash and recycle bins.

The homeowners had big hopes for the small footprint of the basement. The gut renovation of the five hundred square foot space began with an excavation for a legal height ceiling and relocated mechanical systems. We designed access on the left side of the room to walk from the front exterior basement door to the mechanical room and backyard bulkhead.

We selected one large scale porcelain tile floor to use through-out; we designed an interior wall with an opening to shed light onto the new stair landing; a walk-thru bath which accommodates a convenient path to the laundry room, and a recessed niche for the sofa bed which gives more space to the family room.

Successful design projects come in all sizes and the two reconfigured spaces make a significant impact to the lifestyle of the homeowners and their three young children.

Photos by Sam Gray