the simple things - Karin Lidbeck-Brent
the simple things - Karin Lidbeck-Brent
the simple things - Karin Lidbeck-Brent
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<strong>the</strong> <strong>simple</strong> <strong>things</strong>A Massachusetts family celebratessummer—and enjoys harbor views—at <strong>the</strong>ir 1885 waterfront Victorian.by christine hofmann-bourquephotography by michael partenioproduced by karin lidbeck-brentbefore, circa 1940sThis Shingle-style Victorian in Hingham, Massachusetts,was built in 1885 as a summer cottage. HomeownersMike and Sheila Keneally replanted <strong>the</strong> gardens inVictorian style with hydrangeas, English ivy, andSeafoam roses. The new stone wall with steps was builtto match <strong>the</strong> existing seawall.64 r e n o v a t i o n s t y l e s u m m e r 2 0 0 8
above: With only one previous owner since 1929, this Victorianlooks much as it did when built in 1885. A new stand-alonegarage mimics <strong>the</strong> main house’s architecture.opposite top left: Before <strong>the</strong>ybought <strong>the</strong> house, Sheila andMike Keneally frequently walkedby <strong>the</strong> property and admired <strong>the</strong>architecture. Sheila was alwaystaken by <strong>the</strong> magic of <strong>the</strong> frontporch and imagined pots of flowerson <strong>the</strong> steps. When <strong>the</strong> house was<strong>the</strong>irs, she put some <strong>the</strong>re.opposite top right: DaughterEmily walks down <strong>the</strong> foyer’spine staircase, which had beenpainted gray. Her fa<strong>the</strong>r took on <strong>the</strong>months-long challenge of handscraping<strong>the</strong> three-story staircase,<strong>the</strong>n staining <strong>the</strong> handrails andpainting <strong>the</strong> rest white.opposite below: The original brickmasonry on <strong>the</strong> living room’sfireplace was painted black, anda new mantle was added. Allthree of <strong>the</strong> home’s wood-burningfireplaces were retrofitted fornatural gas.Sheila and Mike Keneally had grownup living near <strong>the</strong> ocean. Although<strong>the</strong>y loved <strong>the</strong>ir 1888 Queen AnneVictorian on Main Street in Hingham,Massachusetts, <strong>the</strong>y dreamed ofa home on <strong>the</strong> water. When this neglected4,000-square-foot home wenton <strong>the</strong> market in 2002, <strong>the</strong>y jumpedat <strong>the</strong> chance to buy it. They had alreadylearned <strong>the</strong> pitfalls and frustrationsof renovation, but with <strong>the</strong> skilland wisdom of architect Sally CernikWeston and landscape architect PeterSadeck (both of whom had worked on<strong>the</strong>ir previous home), <strong>the</strong> Keneallysalso had experienced <strong>the</strong> satisfactionof restoring a wonderful old house.This project was much bigger,however. Plumbing and electricalhad to be replaced, and every roomneeded work. They faced <strong>the</strong> prospectof a complete rehab. After consultingwith Weston and Sadeck, <strong>the</strong> Keneallysbrea<strong>the</strong>d a huge sigh of relief.The verdict: The home’s original floorplan—and much of its original materials—wouldsurvive <strong>the</strong> renovation.“Some of <strong>the</strong>se old houses are soincredibly well-laid-out,” Westonsays. “There are interesting rooms andinteresting nooks and crannies.” Thefirst floor of this long, narrow house—which sits on 375 feet of waterfrontproperty—was intentionally builtonly one room deep, so every room hasunobstructed harbor views. Decks andporches ring <strong>the</strong> house, and all threefloors boast 9-foot-high ceilings.The Keneallys did build two newspaces: a below-grade potting room(see Good Idea, page 128) with walkoutaccess and, above it, a sunroomwith three walls of transom-toppedwindows. To create <strong>the</strong> addition, anexterior kitchen wall was removed; itwas <strong>the</strong> only wall moved during <strong>the</strong>entire renovation. “We try to save asmany walls as we can because it’s costlyto move <strong>things</strong>,” Weston says.The modest-size kitchen sits in <strong>the</strong>footprint of <strong>the</strong> original space, butgets its vintage style from all-newelements. Sheila deliberately stuckwith a small, four-burner stove so <strong>the</strong>r e n o v a t i o n s t y l e s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 67
above left: The blue family room has vintage personality thanks to a new fireplace, built-in hutches, and windowsabove. The painting portrays daughter Emily and son Patrick. The beaded-board wainscoting and china hutch areoriginal. above right: The kitchen and family room are connected by <strong>the</strong> landing of <strong>the</strong> original servants’ stairway.commercial appliance wouldn’t overwhelm<strong>the</strong> not-so-big space. Grayishgreenmarble countertops echo one of<strong>the</strong> ocean’s many colors. Custom-builtwhite cabinets outfi tted with reproductionbrass hardware stretch all <strong>the</strong>way to <strong>the</strong> extra-tall ceiling, providinga touch of grandeur and ample storagespace. Weston says <strong>the</strong> glass-frontupper cabinets shouldn’t intimidateeven not-so-neat homeowners: “Yourdishes don’t have to be perfect. Lookoutside—if you have branches fallingoff your tree, do you think it’s messy?No.” Plus, she says, “You’ll use <strong>things</strong>if you can see <strong>the</strong>m.”There were two key items missingfrom <strong>the</strong> home: decorative millworkand built-ins. Weston speculates that<strong>the</strong>y fell victim to budget cuts backwhen <strong>the</strong> home was built in 1885.So new, era-friendly baseboards,window and door casings, crownmolding, and fi replace mantels wereadded, in addition to built-in cabinetsand bookshelves. “They made thisopposite: An unattractive trimmedopening (see before photo below) wastransformed into a graceful arch in <strong>the</strong>dining room. The original wood floors hadbeen protected for decades, first by paint,and <strong>the</strong>n by carpet. “They’d really neverseen <strong>the</strong> light of day,” Sheila says. “Theywere in perfect condition.”Find additional information aboutchandeliers and o<strong>the</strong>r light fixtures atRemodelingCenter.com/renostyledeCKbeforedndndeCKdnmud rm12×12rsunroom14×18KitChen14×15dwupdnbutler’s6×7deCKfamilY 16×16dndining13×18living20×23pwdr3×7foYer9×14updnfirst floor, afterentrYporCh dn11×1068 r e n o v a t i o n s t y l e s u m m e r 2 0 0 8
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A flat paneling detail is used to create vintage-stylebacksplashes in <strong>the</strong> new kitchen. They’re cost-effective, and<strong>the</strong> glossy oil paint makes <strong>the</strong>m easy to clean. The islandlooks like a piece of moveable furniture; that’s possiblebecause it doesn’t house a sink with plumbing pipes thatneed to be hidden. “Being able to see between <strong>the</strong> legsmakes <strong>the</strong> room feel bigger and lighter,” Weston says. Twomatching chandeliers hang above <strong>the</strong> island.r e n o v a t i o n s t y l e s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 71
The cheery yellow sunroom (and potting room below) is <strong>the</strong> onlyaddition to <strong>the</strong> house. The three walls of transom-topped windowscreate a delightful cross breeze in <strong>the</strong> summer. Mike stained <strong>the</strong> woodceiling to give it a nautical feel. The pair of sconces is original to <strong>the</strong>house, but were moved here from ano<strong>the</strong>r room. The hydrangeas werecut from <strong>the</strong> garden.72 r e n o v a t i o n s t y l e s u m m e r 2 0 0 8
house come alive,” Sheila says.During <strong>the</strong> renovation, new plumbingand electrical wiring were installedin addition to radiant-heat floors in<strong>the</strong> addition’s sunroom and pottingroom. Existing radiator heat stayed put(“Why take out something that worksso well?” Sheila asks), and <strong>the</strong>y limitedair-conditioning to <strong>the</strong> third floor. “Wewanted a cottage-y feel with <strong>the</strong> windowsopen,” Sheila says.The home’s interior color scheme—blues, greens, and yellows—was inspiredby its setting. “I wanted to playoff what I was looking out at—<strong>the</strong>blues and greens of <strong>the</strong> water and <strong>the</strong>eel grass in front of our house that looksalmost like strawberry-blond hair in<strong>the</strong> fall,” Sheila says.On summer evenings, this familyloves to cook dishes made fromlocal ingredients and enjoy <strong>the</strong>m on<strong>the</strong> deck. It’s an easy, breezy lifestylethat reflects <strong>the</strong>ir home’s renovation.“Mike and I fell in love with <strong>the</strong> characterand charm of this old house,”Sheila says, “and with Sally’s andPeter’s help, did everything possibleto preserve <strong>the</strong> <strong>simple</strong> beauty of ourturn-of-<strong>the</strong>-century summer cottage.Nothing formal or fussy. Fresh, functionaland comfortable—that’s whatwe wanted.” nArchitect: Sally Cernik Weston.Landscape Architect: Peter Sadeck.For more information, see Resources on page 118.above left: A sloped wall in <strong>the</strong>master bedroom made it impossibleto fit <strong>the</strong> Keneallys’ four-poster bedagainst <strong>the</strong> wall. The solution: Build aheadboard that provides storage andpushes <strong>the</strong> wall out to meet <strong>the</strong> bed.above right: The master bathroom isone of <strong>the</strong> few rooms that needed newflooring; <strong>the</strong>se marble tiles are pairedwith vintage-style pedestal sinks.opposite: New built-in bookcasesadd purpose and vintage flair to<strong>the</strong> second-floor landing, whichshowcases a cantilevered staircase.second floor, afterbath 16×5bedroom12×11dnbedroom14×20bath 5×11bedroom10×11dnmasterbedroom15×23up74 r e n o v a t i o n s t y l e s u m m e r 2 0 0 8