HISTORIC RENOVATION WITH A TWIST IN BROOKLINE

A Boston family, in search of more living space, discovered a stately Jacobethan-influenced home on Brookline’s historic Fisher Hill. While checking most of the boxes for the family, the home had several design challenges including failing brickwork, old windows, outdated finishes, and cramped spaces critical to family life. The resulting project was both a technically demanding historic restoration as well as a thoughtful transformation for contemporary living.

DESIGN FOR MODERN LIVING

The primary architectural intervention to the home expands the existing kitchen, adds a mudroom, and creates a spatial anchor in the home for the family’s busy routine. The enlarged kitchen is bathed in natural light from expansive backyard-facing windows and features white Siematic kitchen millwork for a modern feel. From the exterior this addition takes on a modern form but uses brick and slate finishes to retain a strong relationship to the historic parts of the home.

SURGICAL INTERVENTIONS

Selective spatial improvements were made throughout the first floor, including widening door openings to create better flow in some areas and using millwork solutions to close off others. The home’s five fireplaces underwent updates and a new wet bar was created to create a focal point for hosting guests. Moldings were reconceived to create a more modern feel in some spaces, and preserved with historic accuracy in others. A rounded conservatory off the living room received a dramatic glass roof to create a sunny retreat. Upstairs, a reconfiguring of the bedrooms and bathrooms better supports the family’s spatial needs.

OUTDOOR HARMONY BETWEEN OLD AND NEW

The home design views  the backyard as an outdoor living room, where Stimson landscape architects created multiple places for gathering and relaxation. A restructured and modernized deck, restored terraces, and a new hot tub, create a multi-level stage for both private family use and large-scale entertainment. The garage on the property that was once failing became a key element of outdoor living after its restoration

The restored brickwork and the new subtle slate insertions allow for a modern blend of old and new in a way that expands upon the home’s future of contemporary family living.