Houzz Tour: A Modern Renovation in a Colonial-Era Town
Listed as a teardown, a midcentury modern home with harbor views gets a second chance, thanks to one local family
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
| Share: |
|
English colonists arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1633; thus, the bulk of this town's housing stock is anything but modern. While these homeowners, who lived in a very traditional house in Hingham, loved their chosen town, the wife longed for a modern house. So when this midcentury home went on the market as a teardown with a water view, the family snapped it up.
"The house was in such bad shape that we can't even show many before pictures," says architect Don DiRocco of Hammer Architects. (Although see below for just one.) However, his team's design saved a large part of the house while they tore down the dark and leaky parts that didn't work. Both the old and new sections were designed to create a light, bright atmosphere that took full advantage of the harbor views. The new house has a sense of entry; an easy, open flow; and a new kitchen hub for gathering, cooking, holding cooking classes and doing homework.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with 4 children in high school and college
Location: Hingham, Massachusetts
Size: 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Year built: Original house, 1950s; renovation, 2010
"The house was in such bad shape that we can't even show many before pictures," says architect Don DiRocco of Hammer Architects. (Although see below for just one.) However, his team's design saved a large part of the house while they tore down the dark and leaky parts that didn't work. Both the old and new sections were designed to create a light, bright atmosphere that took full advantage of the harbor views. The new house has a sense of entry; an easy, open flow; and a new kitchen hub for gathering, cooking, holding cooking classes and doing homework.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with 4 children in high school and college
Location: Hingham, Massachusetts
Size: 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
Year built: Original house, 1950s; renovation, 2010
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| They tore down the old garage and built a new one, along with a new breezeway that connects it to the new main door and helps define an entry courtyard. "Before, the entry to the house was tucked around the back of the house and was hard to find," DiRocco says. Now "there is no longer any confusion about where to enter the house." The smaller door on the right is a second entry that leads to a large mudroom with cabinets for the kids' sports equipment, coats and shoes. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| "The original home had a series of strange intersecting gable roofs that caused leaks," says DiRocco. "They even had a small spiral staircase to the roof installed, because they had to go up there and repair it so often." The home's problems gave the architects good ideas about what to do. It was "very dark and dreary; it had a wonderful water view that it wasn't taking advantage of," DiRocco says. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The architects added a new kitchen, a new garage and entry courtyard, and a new master suite, and reconfigured existing spaces (see the plans at the end to get a precise idea of the changes). The attached greenhouse seen in the previous photo was donated and carted away. On the right side of this photo you can see the new screened-in porch and master suite. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| "Sometimes negative existing aspects like these inspire the new design. We added glass wherever we could, and the house is now filled with natural light from large windows and clerestories," DiRocco says. This corner is the master bedroom, where 6- by 3-foot windows take full advantage of the view of Hingham Harbor. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Around the corner from the garage, large windows make the most of the water views. Exterior doors from the office/fifth bedroom and the living room connect to this patio. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Translucent glass on the garage doors extends the Japanese lantern–like glow of the home at night. Garage doors: Clopay Avante |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Red cedar tongue and groove clapboard siding has a natural stain which can stand up to the sea air and harsh winter climate. The home is well insulated and performs well in summer, too. "This house can really breathe," DiRocco says. "They have air-conditioning, but they rarely have to turn it on." |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Wood beams and a tongue and groove ceiling are original to the house. While the clients wanted stairs down to a basement family room to be part of the space, they wanted to partially conceal them. "We didn't have much wall space on the first floor, because we wanted to leave the views as open as possible, so this was a good opportunity to incorporate shelves," DiRocco says. Floors: stained oak |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The kitchen is a completely new part of the house and serves as the heart of the home. The wife had been a well-known chef in Boston and needed a large, workable kitchen where she could do some serious cooking and have enough room to hold classes. The family also wanted a multipurpose space for spending time together. Appliances: Thermador; counter stools: Ikea; cabinets: custom, Ted Franklin, Welfleet, Massachusetts |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| "The kitchen serves as a great hub in this home; all of the corridors meet here, and it's a big gathering spot. The family is very tight-knit, and the kids do their homework at this table," DiRocco says. "The kitchen has a high volume that pops up 14 feet and gets wonderful natural light all day," he says. Clerestory windows bring in light from three sides. Pendant lights: Ikea; faucet: Grohe Minta; counters: Surrell solid surfacing in Arctic White, Formica; ceiling: tongue and groove fir |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The kitchen glows like a lantern at night. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The long dining/living room extends all the way to a sitting/TV watching area that leads out to the patio. This part of the house was saved from the original structure. All of the windows are new and are larger than the originals. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The architects also saved the original large chimney and hearth seen on the left. While dreaming of moving from their traditional home to their new modern home, the owners knew they would be starting fresh with new minimalist furnishings and decor. The doors at the end of this room lead to a screened-in porch, with the master suite beyond it. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| BEFORE: This is the plan of the existing house when the architects were hired. While the neighborhood used to be an enclave of very modest midcentury modern homes, most of the original houses have been torn down and replaced with large homes due to the prime views. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| AFTER: Here is the new plan of the house as it is today. "This house is an anomaly in Hingham," says DiRocco. "The kids' friends absolutely love hanging out here, the family loves the style, they are still within walking distance of downtown Hingham and live close to their schools." |
Ideabook updated on Dec. 11, 2012.
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Design-build Firms · Fireplaces · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Interior Designers & Decorators · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Landscape Architects & Designers · Landscape Contractors · Specialty Contractors · Tile, Stone & Countertops
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis
Gorgeous views, saved and reused original details, views highlighted, modern, warm, easy to live in...
So well done!
I wish one of our architects could give us an objective article on what really brings in more light: huge windows, tall windows, or clerestory windows. I've lived facing the Pacific with huge windows, and you must close up the view all afternoon, because it's unbearably bright and the sun will destroy your books, art, furniture and carpets. When I visited Jefferson's Montecello, the rooms have tall narrow windows and, whaddya know? Plenty of light.
I'm guessing north-facing clerestory windows are the best solution for bringing livable light into a space. As for seeing the view, the windows don't need to be huge. There is kind of a mantra, that bigger is better, but actually, you can see the view without sitting in a fishbowl.
I like the simplicity of the interior, but it could use a little more punch in my opinion.
This house is a beauty! The 'lantern-like glow' photos are breath taking.
I'd love to take an existing home and do something like this, but I'd be terrified of pricing myself out of the market...
It captures an era feel of the sixties with an up to date exterior. Simply wonderful.