Charles
REFRESH
This downtown Newburyport Colonial home, constructed in the 1850s, had great bones but needed a facelift. To create a space aligned with our client’s aesthetic, we teamed up with Studio Borges to update the house’s living room and downstairs powder room. The result was a more functional space for our client that matched her style while ensuring all updates felt like they belonged in her historic home.
DETAILS
Project Type: Living Room + Bathroom
Size: 200 square feet
Location: Newburyport, MA
PROJECT TEAM
Designer: Studio Borges
Builder: BLB Design / Build
Photographer: Marina Porl Photography

Charles
REFRESH
This downtown Newburyport Colonial home, constructed in the 1850s, had great bones but needed a facelift. To create a space aligned with our client’s aesthetic, we teamed up with Studio Borges to update the house’s living room and downstairs powder room. The result was a more functional space for our client that matched her style while ensuring all updates felt like they belonged in her historic home.
DETAILS
Project Type: Living Room + Bathroom
Size: 200 square feet
Location: Newburyport, MA
PROJECT TEAM
Designer: Studio Borges
Builder: BLB Design / Build
Photographer: Marina Porl Photography
Our client had a relaxed East Coast aesthetic vision for her beautiful antique Colonial, located just minutes from the bustling streets of downtown Newburyport.
STUDIO BORGES



Highlights
1. MAINTAINED FOOTPRINT
2. INCREASED STORAGE
3. SOAPSTONE ACCENTS
4. BATHROOM REFRESH
5. HIGH-END HIGH-GLOSS FINISHES
NORTH SHORE AESTHETIC
As a resident of the seaside town of Newburyport, our client was looking to refresh her living room and powder room to match her relaxed East Coast vision better. Whites, blues, and oranges played heavily in the design scheme created by Studio Borges, along with natural elements like the room’s centerpiece: the new soapstone fireplace surround. Another standout in the room is the Farrow and Ball “Hague Blue” Full Gloss door that leads to the new and improved powder room. An homage to the ocean blocks from the home, the door adds a fun element to the room that works perfectly with the laid-back space.
CUSTOM MILLWORK
While charming, our client’s historic home lacked adequate storage space. To address this issue, we fabricated and installed a wall of built-in shelves and cabinets in the living room around an existing window, which included a window seat bench with hidden storage space below. We also removed the existing television built-in next to the fireplace and built a new custom version with a dedicated space to mount the television and adjustable shelf above.
OPTIMIZED POWDER ROOM
To improve the first-floor bathroom, we decreased the size of the room. The original footprint of the bathroom was awkward and impractical. We reframed the walls and elongated the floor space for adequate sitting and standing room when using the toilet or sink. To carry our client’s vibe throughout the area, we installed moody Hygge & West wallpaper and applied high-gloss paint to the trim. We installed delicate penny-round tile floors and a floating hickory vanity with a soapstone vessel sink to finish.






You’ve got the vision, we’ve got the expertise – contact us to go Beyond the Build.
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BLB Design / Build
6 Chestnut Street
Suite 200
Amesbury, MA 01913
978.792.5613