1 Fitchburg Street
Unit C322
Somerville, MA 02143
Interested in a career? Please contact us via the email link above.
Site by D&CO
Project Team
Contractor: Hawthorn Builders
Structural Engineer: John Born
Furnishings: By Owner
Project Photography
Nat Rea
Camberville Chef’s Kitchen and Renovation
Cambridge/Somerville, MA
Our clients – a professional chef and a lawyer, and their two dogs – had lived in this three-story Victorian that straddles the Cambridge and Somerville line for several years before deciding to renovate. Their concerns were similar to many of our clients — the kitchen was small and cut off from the rest of the house, the entries (both front and back) were cramped and lacked storage, as did the primary bedroom and bathrooms. And the laundry was in the unfinished basement. A relatively small extension off the back of the house made space for a new mudroom with extensive storage, a half bath, and a large kitchen with breakfast area, specifically designed around the needs of our professional chef client. Upstairs, the new addition allowed a small bedroom and bathroom to be transformed into a new primary suite, and a laundry area was added on the 2nd floor. Another bedroom was turned into a home office, while the third remained available as a guest bedroom. Although not part of the original scope, CTA saw an opportunity up in the attic, where clearing out a couple of closets created a large light filled sitting room for TV and guests.
The kitchen is bathed in light, which streams in the new large window overlooking the new backyard. A large BlueStar range dominates one end in front of a full height Calacatta marble backsplash with floating shelves. A matching BlueStar fridge, and lots of storage in a complementary green, and a wet bar complete the perimeter, while an island dominates the center The highly walnut slab, from one single tree, sits on a custom base. Unlike most islands, this is truly a chef’s kitchen island, with built in cooling racks on the end opposite the ovens, and open storage for easy access.
Upstairs, the hall to the primary bedroom does double duty, housing four floor to ceiling reach-in closets, with a large steel and glass barn door closing off the sleeping area. The primary bath, with its bright vanity (Farrow & Ball India Yellow), is set off against the dark gray subway tiles and Calacatta marble.
The attic space under the roof was opened up; the existing structure was simple 2x lumber rafters ties, which didn’t clean up well when exposed, so we doubled them and removed alternate ties, and clad them in natural wood. The original floor, sanded, remains.
Our clients – a professional chef and a lawyer, and their two dogs – had lived in this three-story Victorian that straddles the Cambridge and Somerville line for several years before deciding to renovate. Their concerns were similar to many of our clients — the kitchen was small and cut off from the rest of the house, the entries (both front and back) were cramped and lacked storage, as did the primary bedroom and bathrooms. And the laundry was in the unfinished basement. A relatively small extension off the back of the house made space for a new mudroom with extensive storage, a half bath, and a large kitchen with breakfast area, specifically designed around the needs of our professional chef client. Upstairs, the new addition allowed a small bedroom and bathroom to be transformed into a new primary suite, and a laundry area was added on the 2nd floor. Another bedroom was turned into a home office, while the third remained available as a guest bedroom. Although not part of the original scope, CTA saw an opportunity up in the attic, where clearing out a couple of closets created a large light filled sitting room for TV and guests.
The kitchen is bathed in light, which streams in the new large window overlooking the new backyard. A large BlueStar range dominates one end in front of a full height Calacatta marble backsplash with floating shelves. A matching BlueStar fridge, and lots of storage in a complementary green, and a wet bar complete the perimeter, while an island dominates the center The highly walnut slab, from one single tree, sits on a custom base. Unlike most islands, this is truly a chef’s kitchen island, with built in cooling racks on the end opposite the ovens, and open storage for easy access.
Upstairs, the hall to the primary bedroom does double duty, housing four floor to ceiling reach-in closets, with a large steel and glass barn door closing off the sleeping area. The primary bath, with its bright vanity (Farrow & Ball India Yellow), is set off against the dark gray subway tiles and Calacatta marble.
The attic space under the roof was opened up; the existing structure was simple 2x lumber rafters ties, which didn’t clean up well when exposed, so we doubled them and removed alternate ties, and clad them in natural wood. The original floor, sanded, remains.