Wellesley Federal Colonial

Wellesley Farms, MA

Clients with three teenage sons respected and appreciated their 1930s brick colonial in a beloved Wellesley neighborhood, but desired a more substantial program than the home’s footprint and floor plan would allow. Through a study of the existing architecture, renovations were made that would maintain the property’s original character yet elevate the program for modern-day family living.

One of the main asks was a reimagined and completely updated kitchen and family room space, which was achieved via an addition off the back of the house. Inside the wing, the ample casual space is now the heart of the home, and is filled with natural light thanks to abundant windows and a copper-clad skylight above the oversized island. Large pocket doors allow for the family room to be either open to the kitchen or closed off depending on the owner’s inclinations. The addition also provides a direct link to exterior programming, something the original residence lacked. The comprehensive outdoor program now includes space for cooking, dining and conversation atop new bluestone hardscape plus a significant fireplace to warm cool nights.

Further, the sensitive renovation called for improvements more typically specified inside modern family residences. A new primary bathroom nestled into a half-story above a new family game room is much more befitting the property and indicates a far more luxurious primary suite than previously existed. In addition, the carriage house structure was subtly expanded using the same silhouette to continue the property’s street-facing theme while achieving the clients’ goals of more space within.

After its careful expansion and renovation, the resulting property is one still rich with historic character yet improved and elevated for today’s discerning family.