Greenleaf Reno

WHOLE HOME REMODEL + ADDITION

After living in their historic Newburyport home for a few years, our clients learned what worked and what did not, and came to us to make the space their own. The original layout felt awkward and cramped, and the kitchen was especially small for a young family of four. They also wanted additional space for relatives and guests to stay when visiting. To start, we demolished the connecting garage down to the foundation and rebuilt it with a second-story, guest suite addition. We later moved into the main house, removing several walls, a central fireplace, and a narrow staircase to expand the kitchen and open it up to the living room. On the second floor, we reconfigured the original primary suite footprint to also include a hallway, laundry room, and nursery.

DETAILS

Project Type: Whole Home Remodel
Size: 4,000+ square feet
Location: Newburyport, MA

PROJECT TEAM

Builder: BLB Design / Build
Architect: Vesta Architecture
Select Paint + Wallpaper Design: Elaine Stephenson Interiors
Photographer: Freebird Photography
Videographer: AM Creative Marketing

1. REPURPOSED HISTORIC MATERIALS

2. EXPANSIVE KITCHEN ISLAND

3. DOUBLE-HEAD PRIMARY SHOWER

4. HAND-PAINTED CUSTOM TILE

5. BUTLER’S PANTRY

Originally built circa 1774, the house featured low ceilings and several tight, enclosed rooms typical of the period. To bring it into the 21st century, we raised the ceiling height and removed the central fireplace, bathroom, and select walls to open up the first floor. This increased natural light, improved sightlines, and created a spacious kitchen and living room. Connected via a portal wrapped in white oak, our clients now have a large gathering space featuring an expansive kitchen island, a breakfast nook with a custom-built dining table, and a refurbished historic fireplace.

To give our clients additional, flexible space, we razed the attached garage and rebuilt it within the same footprint, this time with an additional living space above. The second floor features an open-concept living room and kitchenette, a bedroom with a full en-suite bathroom, a small office, and a pantry/laundry closet.

With a home that dates back to the Revolutionary War, we wanted a design that blended the old with the new. In the kitchen, we chose plumbing fixtures and hardware in unlacquered brass, which will age with the family over time. We salvaged select beams and reinstalled them in the kitchen while maintaining the modern ceiling height. Upstairs, we kept the original exposed beams and updated the skylights to brighten the primary bedroom and nursery. The bathroom vanity was designed to look more like a piece of furniture, enhancing the home’s curated, historic feel. For lighting, we avoided an abundance of direct can lighting, which felt too modern, and instead relied heavily on accent lighting.