Baltimore Restoration
Built in 1929, this Homeland, MD stone & stucco Georgian had not been updated but for a single addition added in the 1940’s. The couple that bought the house hired Ellsworth Home to realize their vision of renovating and updating the historic house for a modern lifestyle while retaining the period charm they had fallen in love with.
Before: The exterior color palette didn’t flatter the architectural features of the house. After: The facade was cleaned, the stucco repaired, and we refreshed the color of the front doors and shutters to contrast with the color of the native stone.
Before: The original kitchen was oriented in a way that didn’t take advantage of the garden views. After: The transformed space features an oversized island with Carrara marble and flows into a new suite of service spaces including a mud room, pantry, and laundry room. Three pendants from deVOL nod to the marriage of old and new in the space.
Before: The original kitchen felt closed off and heavy. After: The new kitchen features modern appliances with integrated panels, marble and soapstone countertops, and unlacquered brass hardware that will patina with use.
Before: There were no service areas and the small breakfast nook was rarely used. After: The floor plan was reworked to gain three new service spaces. The pantry (shown here) is accented with soapstone, unlacquered brass hardware, and hand-glazed tile. The new picture window is historically appropriate and fills the space with light.
Before: The original fixtures and tiles were in poor condition. After: A walk-in steam shower and cast iron skirted tub are sympathetic to the age of the house. Custom millwork provides storage space for linens and bathroom necessities. Polished nickel hardware is reminiscent of the original fixtures throughout the house.
Before: The house had a series of small ensuite rooms instead of a single primary bath. After: The new primary bath was created by combining multiple small rooms. The custom vanity features substantial storage space, and Carrara and Bardiglio marbles elevate the room without feeling ostentatious.
Before: The front foyer felt cut off from the stair hall and wasn’t period appropriate. After: The floor in the entry space was replaced with gray and white marble checkerboard, and a new passthrough was created between the stair hall and living room. The basement was finished and can now be accessed from a door in the passthrough.
Before: The front stair hall was beautifully detailed but in need of freshening. After: The wallpaper was removed to make the passthrough feel larger and brighter, and the original doors and millwork were repaired and painted in contrasting colors.
Lakeville Restoration
One of our favorite projects in northwest Connecticut — this historic residence in Litchfield County had been on the market for years and was in need of a vision. The project took 12 months and restored the original 18th century Dutch colonial and two substantial additions added by multiple previous owners.
Before: The original family room was converted from an existing garage addition. After: The transformed space has a vaulted ceiling and is lined on both sides with French doors and vertical nickel gap paneling. The light-filled room includes separate spaces for lounging, dining, and working.
Before: The original family room had low ceilings and was cut off from the rest of the house. After: The breakfast table in the renovated family room opens to the large renovated kitchen. We used Benjamin Moore Cloud White for the new millwork and kitchen cabinets.
Before: The original kitchen was dark, cramped, and closed off from the rest of the house. After: The kitchen was relocated to bridge the updated family room addition and the original Dutch colonial. The classic white kitchen features antique brass hardware, walnut butcher block counters and a black granite topped island.
Before: The living room with original wood burning fireplace. After: The deep-set windows were repaired and casings added to keep with the age of the house. A sea grass rug is paired with armchairs in a classic Albert Hadley chintz. Overhead is a vintage Italian glass pendant from the Paris Flea Market.
Before: What was once an at-home doctor's office was converted into two bedrooms by previous owners. After: The wing was reconfigured into a spacious primary bedroom suite with a vaulted ceiling and adjacent marble clad bathroom and walk-in closet.
Before: The only first floor bathroom had been part of the former doctor’s office. After: The bathroom in the primary bedroom suite features Carrera marble, vintage inspired pedestal sinks and tub, and oversized inset mirror panels with polished nickel sconces. A concealed medicine cabinet disappears into the wall.
Before: The 1970's vinyl-clad three-car garage was physically and stylistically disjointed from the house. After: Easily the most referenced part of the renovation, the garage was transformed into a historically appropriate shingled outbuilding. Belgian block cobblestone lines the floor of the porte cochère, and a cupola, shiplap, and carriage doors continue the theme.
Wells Hill Cape
We converted this 1950’s cape in Lakeville, CT into a light-filled weekend home. The floor plan was reconfigured to give the feeling of a renovation executed over several generations. The flow through the original house and into two substantial additions opened up the lines of sight, the feeling of light, and the bucolic views.
Before: The original house with a family room addition and porch. After: The porch was transformed into a mudroom and a new addition added a powder room, office with full bath, and primary bedroom suite.
After: In addition to creating substantial new spaces, a second addition allowed for the floor plan to be reworked. A line of sight was opened up across the length of the house, bringing in light and connecting previously disjointed rooms. Taking over the old open porch created a true mudroom, essential for young families.
Before: There wasn’t a mudroom; visitors stepped from the front porch into a hallway or the kitchen. After: The new mudroom creates direct access to the kitchen while adding storage space. The slate floor adds texture and is bulletproof from mud season.
Before: The kitchen and dining room were integrated in the same space. After: The kitchen was moved to be more central to the plan, freeing up the addition to be a dedicated family room with a fireplace and comfortable seating arrangements that are both intimate and allow for larger groups.
Before: The dining area next to the kitchen. After: The opposite side of the family room features French doors and opens onto a generous patio.
Before: The kitchen was in the addition that would become the family room. After: The new kitchen is the center of the home. Natural light streams in from all sides. The adjacent dining space is separated by double-sided glass cabinets that filter the warm glow from the fireplace.
Before: The former living room. After: The first-floor plan was reconfigured to connect the family, kitchen and dining spaces, creating flow and making the footprint larger.
Before: The first floor powder room. After: The updated powder room with marble vanity and bronze sconces and mirror.
Before: The primary bedroom was small and on the second floor. After: The new first-floor primary bedroom suite mimics the vaulted height of the family room, balancing the facade and providing a sense of grandeur on the interior.
Before: The first-floor primary bathroom doubled as the laundry room. After: The primary bath suite features an oversized marble clad walk-in shower with a window and bench. The room was treated with painted millwork to match the other interior spaces and the color was selected to complement the gray veined marble.
Before: The original staircase was fully enclosed. After: The staircase was opened up on both sides to enhance the new line of sight created across the length of the house.
Before: The front door vestibule wasn’t very welcoming. After: New floors, doors and mouldings frame the new front door landing.
Before: The back of the house was a mishmash of doors, without a dedicated outdoor space or patio. After: A pea stone patio was added. Cedar shake adds texture and warmth to the two additions flanking the main house. The garage was refreshed with a new copper-topped cupola and gooseneck sconce, and a driveway roundabout was added in pea stone.